#Gravity falls fanfiction

[viceroywrites]

deja vu - part four

planning out your road trip through the pacific northwest, you find yourself inexplicably drawn to the town of gravity falls.

little did you know that this town held more memories than you could have possibly imagined.

too bad you didn't remember any of them.

stan x fem!reader / ford x fem!reader

choose your own adventure / contains fluff and angst (w/ happy ending)

part three | part five (stan route) | part five (ford route)

tag list: @awitchersbard | @theilluminatidragonqueen | @jazzypop-op | @jonndoe | @chaimshelii | @starship606 | @swimmingrascalbatdragon | @stanfordsbaby | @gxstiess | @skrunkle11 | @valinbean | @funkyenby | @therealgoofygoober69 | @theblueraven | @adrian920155 | @im-kinda-bored | @miarabanana | @leo4242564 | @soupieoopieisloopie | @marvelous-maniac | @opossumclown | @m4x-3dw | @nothingbutcloud | @reivelmin | @grimometry | @walmartjim | @reiofsuns2001 | @bunni-teeth81 | @satorisgirl | @pen900 | @creat0r-cat | @lackingoriginalthoughts | @fries11 | @sunniskyies | @policedeer | @just-a-fellow-reader | @sadslasher13 | @kittenlover614 | @margibees | @lunnybunny12 | @the-hufflebird-girl | @sawendel l | @shamrockfish | @atseoks l | @luckybatbones | @ryuyukawa | @mekkori | @bigbodycity | @kawaii1369 | @333brat333 | @frizzothehobbit

Ford woke up the next morning with a slight pep in his step. Usually, he spent most evenings tossing and turning before finally being able to rest or waking up in the middle of the night unable to fall back asleep. However, last evening, he was able to sleep soundly. 

Perhaps it was the prospect of getting to take you anomaly hunting, getting to reshow you all his findings and re-experience the wonder in your eyes as you took it all in.

Perhaps it was the fact that he got to say good night to you after all these years, a tired smile across your face that looked truly radiant to him. 

Perhaps it was the polaroid that he clutched closed to his chest that evening, recounting the scent of your perfume that you wore that night as he buried himself into your neck, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

Whatever the reason, he felt well rested and raring to start the day. The scent of strongly brewed coffee wafted in the air as he made his way to the kitchen. He assumed Stanley must have gotten up before him and was excited to share how yesterday went with his brother.

As he got closer, he could hear his brother’s gravely voice speaking to someone. Ford was surprised by this considering the kids usually were asleep still, opting to sleep in during their summer break.

Maybe it was Soos or maybe his brother is just rambling to himself, Ford thinks as he finally rounds the corner.

The sight before him catches him off guard.

You and Stan sat close together at the kitchen table, shoulder to shoulder, two mugs filled with coffee already by your sides. Spread across the table was what looked like a map to a campground with red circles dotted across, the red marker laying at the edge of the table. You were dressed in pajamas but Ford immediately recognized Stan’s brown leather jacket on your shoulders that envelops your frame. 

“You’re telling me I’ve lived here for 30-something years and there was gold right there!” Stan exclaims, his finger pressed against a spot on the map that you had marked with a star.

You chuckle against your mug as you take a sip of your coffee, “You could have been swimming in gold all these years. We’ll have to see if there’s any left at that lake in particular though.” 

“Oh, there better be! I got 30 years of gold to catch up on!” Stan says, rubbing his hands together in excitement.

Ford clears his throat, making his presence known as he stands with his hands behind his back.

You both look up to see Ford, and you immediately get up, excited to share your plans with him. “Morning, Ford, come join us. You’ll never guess what me and Stan planned for today!” You say, heading over to the coffee pot and pouring some into a mug,  “But first, coffee, right?”

“That would be lovely, Y/N. Thank you.” Ford replies, pulling up a chair to your left. His tense expression softens at the sight of you so energized with a wide albeit tired smile across your face. You walk over to him with the mug, handing it off, your fingertips brushing against his before you pull away once it’s in his grasp.

“You take your coffee black, right? I think that’s what I remember but let me know if I got that completely wrong.” You admit with a sheepish grin to which Ford shakes his head. “No, you’re correct.”

“So I was a bit bummed out that my camping gear was going to go to waste last night so Stan suggested we all go on a quick camping trip.” You begin explaining, taking a seat, “There’s a campground about thirty minutes out that has a hiking trail, a lake, and it’s a great place for stargazing at night.” You push the map in front of Ford, pointing out each of the details. “Most importantly, there’s gold.” Stan interjects, pointing at the star.

Ford rolls his eyes at his brother’s antics, still perplexed on why his jacket was on your shoulders. ”You know you have to pan for the gold, Stanley, it isn’t just laying there for you to take.” He says tersely, causing Stan to blink at the sudden edge in his brother’s voice. 

“Yeah, I know, Poindexter. I know I’m not the brains of the two of us but I wasn’t born yesterday.” Stan says, wondering what had his brother so bothered. His eyes look over at you and immediately it hits him in the face.

Oh shit.

The jacket.

“So… what do you think? ” You ask, leaning forward expectantly. As Ford looks into your eyes, he sees the joy in them that he can’t bear to take away from you. 

Maybe anomaly hunting and restoring your memories could wait a day.

“I think it’s an excellent plan, I’d love to go, I’m assuming the kids are coming along,” Ford says, looking over at Stan with a raised eyebrow. “Of course, they’re coming! They’ve been itching to get out of the Shack more often, especially Dipper since Mabel’s been hanging out with her friends this whole week.” Stan scoffs, getting up to pour himself more coffee.

“Yay!” You grin, enveloping Ford into a quick hug out of pure excitement before shrugging off the jacket as you get up from your chair, “I’m just going to double check we have all the camping gear we need, might need to stop by the store for smores and food obviously.” You exit the kitchen, grabbing your keys from the counter to take an inventory of the gear.

Ford’s cheeks are bright red at the sudden sign of affection to which Stan snickers at, “Your cheeks are matching your sweater, Ford.”

“Haha, very funny, Stanley. You’re not off the hook.” Ford says, attempting to calm the flush of his cheeks by pressing his normally cold hands against them, “Mind explaining to me why she was wearing your jacket?”

Stan’s posture straightens in response and he groans, “Jeez, I didn’t peg you to be the jealous type. Look, last night, she was up on the rooftop in just her pajamas. Said she had a bad dream. I felt bad because she was shivering, ma raised us to treat a lady with respect so I offered her my jacket. If anything, you should thank me - otherwise she would have gotten hypothermia.”

“That’s statistically impossible, Stanley, given the weather conditions in the summer.” Ford attempts to explain but drops it as he sees his brother’s “really?” look. Ford continues on with his question, “But what’s this about a bad dream? Did she give you any details? You know we discovered that her dreams may actually be her memories but with bits and pieces missing.”

“Nah, she didn’t say anything else.” Stan shrugged, “Didn’t wanna pry, though it was bad enough that she had to go up on the roof to get some fresh air.”

“I guess I’ll see if she’d be open to talking about it today,” Ford sighs, wondering if you’re starting to get your memories back of when Ford was deep into his research… and his involvement with Bill. He had to admit there was a selfish wish that he hoped those memories would not start resurfacing until you two had gotten closer. 

Stan observes his twin’s brows furrow and sighs, nudging Ford on the side. “Hey, I know that look. You’re overthinking this… let’s just enjoy today alright? She’s here for the next week or so, the least you could do is make new memories with her.” This snaps Ford out of his ruminations and he sighs, his shoulders relaxing, “You’re right.”

“And hey, at least if you make new memories-” Stan cuts himself off, ready to counter Ford’s argument to defend his stance before grinning, “Wait, what did you say? Did you actually say I was right?”

“Yes, you’re right, Stan.” Ford groans, crossing his arms as he knows his brother is relishing in this moment.

“Give me one second.” Stan says, stepping out of the kitchen. Ford wonders where his brother is going before Stan comes back with an object in his hand, “Okay, say that one more time.”

“Stanley, I’m not going to say it again so you can record it on that voice recorder and play it back over and over again.”

“Aw, come on!” 

-

After the kids wake up, you share the plans with them, beaming as they seem elated to get out of the house and go on an adventure with their Grunkles and you.

“It’s like the road trip we took last summer except we aren’t stopping at all those tourist attractions that Grunkle Stan tried to get revenge on.” Mabel comments in between bites of pancakes.

“Yeah, and he doesn’t get captured and almost eaten by that spider lady he was hitting on.” Dipper interjects.

You and Ford look at Stan with raised eyebrows.

“What? There's stiff competition in the tourist trap industry, so I had to show 'em who’s top dog! Also, she was a very pretty spider lady.” Stan defended himself.

Wrapping up breakfast, you all disperse to get ready - the kids head upstairs to pack their duffel bags for the overnight trip, and Stan heads outside to change out your car battery before swinging by the store to grab the remaining supplies. As you’re packing up your backpack, you hear a knock at the door and turn your head to see Ford, his own bag slung over his shoulder. 

It was the first time you were seeing him in different attire since you arrived two days ago, wearing a yellow button-up with the sleeves rolled up, a white undershirt and a pair of dark jeans, forgoing his usual red turtleneck and black pants.

“Changing up the look for today?” You comment on the difference, your eyes roaming up and down to assess the outfit. You had to admit, he looked really handsome... not that he didn't usually.

“Well, it probably would be a bit impractical to wear a turtleneck on a hike considering we’re not hiking in the mountains.” Ford explained, tugging at his collar.

In reality, Mabel had stormed into his room whilst he was packing, insisting he had to wear something to impress you and this was their compromise. 

“That’s fair, I’m sure you’d be sweating up a storm after the first mile.” You chuckle before shooting him a compliment with a sincere smile, “You look really nice, Ford.”

Ford stammers in response, his cheeks red, “Uh… why thank you.. You do too, though you always look nice..” He fumbles over his words. At 60 years of age, here he is, bumbling like a fool, feeling like a middle schooler trying to ask out his crush.

Your laughter sounds sweet to his ears as you can’t help but giggle at his awkward charm. “Thank you, Ford, that’s sweet of you. You ready to head out?” You swiftly change the topic in order to save him from further embarrassment.

“Y-Yes! Let’s get going, I think the kids are ready.” Ford says, following you out.

The five of you end up piling into your car, able to stuff all your bags into the trunk with the camping gear in the cargo box on your roof rack. The seating situation ended up being a bit of an issue, Mabel and Dipper piling into the back automatically but both Stan and Ford reach for the passenger door. 

“I gotta sit in the front to navigate, Ford.” Stan explained, holding up the map to the campsite in his hand.

Unable to argue with that logic, Ford begrudgingly gets in the back with Mabel and Dipper. 

The next half an hour of the drive along the Redwood Highway is filled with Stan pointing out each of the other tourist traps, sharing stories of how they pranked the Mystery Shack, including a time where they taped Soos to the ceiling, and Mabel and Dipper teaching Ford the game Punch Buggy.

“Who invented this game? It’s pure torture!” Ford groans, his arm sore after Mabel and Dipper had socked him a few times in a row.

“Grunkle Ford, I think you just need to improve your reaction times.” Dipper chuckles.

Finally arriving at the campground, you are grateful to see that there were plenty of spots still open, opting for one with a firepit nearby the lake. The moment you parked, the kids ran out, taking in the sight of the crystal clear lake and roaming around to explore the campground. 

“Let’s set up the tents before we head out for the hike to the stream. I know we’re gonna be tired after it and get lazy.” You explain to Stan and Ford who nod and follow your lead as you open up the cargo box, grabbing the tents and handing them both one to set up while you put up the hammock and canopy. 

“Uhh, Y/N, are two tents going to be enough for all of us?” Stan asked as he began to hammer the spikes into the ground. You nod, “Yeah, one of them is pretty roomy so at least three people should be able to fit inside.”

Unfortunately, you had overestimated how much room was in the bigger tent as Ford and Stan tested it out themselves, only an inch of room left over.

“Well… I guess I’ll just sleep under the stars tonight, not a big deal.” You glance over at the hammock, grateful you brought it with. 

“Are you sure? You’ll be eaten alive by mosquitos out here.” Ford says with concern.

“I have a mosquito net in the hammock, thankfully. I can also douse myself in bug spray before I sleep for extra precaution.” You explain, lifting the hammock to reveal a net that you could zip up to shield you from the bugs.

“It’s your tent, Y/N. I’ll just sleep in the hammock, you and Ford can take the tent.” Stan offers, “Besides, I snore… loud. I don’t think anyone wants to be stuck in a tent with me.”

You mull over the offer before smiling graciously, “Alright, thanks for offering, Stan. I’m gonna go find the kids and we’ll head out for the hike.” You walk away. Once your back is faced away from the twins, Stan grins mischievously at his brother, “You know it might get awfully cold at night.. Make sure to keep ‘em warm.” Ford’s face turns red, swiftly elbowing his brother in the ribs.

“Ow! Why’d you have to elbow my good rib?!”

After finding Dipper and Mabel, you all begin your hike to the stream where Stan wanted to pan for gold. The massive trees that towered above you provided much needed shade as you followed the trail. Along the way, Ford would make commentary on the various flora, listing off facts off the top of his head despite studying them years ago. 

“How does he know all of this? I work in the Parks and I don’t even know this much.” You mutter out loud in awe. Stan chuckles, “Ford’s practically a walking encyclopedia. I’m sure he talked your ear off back in the day..” You recall the memory of your first time meeting Ford that had finally returned yesterday, sitting in front of him as he easily explained the theory surrounding seismic refractions with ease, like he had spent the last 20 years of his life studying it.

“Yeah… he kinda did. But I don’t think I minded, I get the sense that he gets passionate about the things he loves. There’s like a spark in his eyes when he gets to just share his knowledge to someone who’s willing to listen.” You admit with a smile. “Yeah, I never really understood what he was talking about half the time… but I get what you mean.” Stan comments fondly.

“Y/N, look at this cool rock I found! It’s kinda funny looking.” Mabel says, running up to you with a rock with several ridges and grooves. Stan looks at the rock himself, “Looks kinda like the mole I got on my back.” to which Mabel groans at the mental image. 

You laugh softly at Mabel’s reaction, taking the rock from her as she hands it off to you to examine before you recognize it, “Well, actually, this funny looking rock actually has a gemstone inside of it - if you’d wanna see?” You explain with a grin. 

Mabel’s eyes light up and she nods eagerly, “Can I crack it open?” You chuckle at her enthusiasm, handing her the rock, “Of course. Luckily, I brought some of my excavating tools with me.” You rummage through your backpack before pulling out a wooden hammer for her to use. 

You had a pickaxe but you had the hindsight to not give a 13-year-old a metal tool that she could easily poke her eye out with.

“Go crazy, Mabel.” You encourage her and she takes your lead, placing it down on the ground and giving it a swift wack. This catches Dipper and Ford’s attention as Ford was in the middle of explaining to Dipper the various types of mushrooms that gnomes use for homes.

The rock split open, revealing the shiny interior. You reach down to pick it up, showing Mabel the different layers of quartz. “This gemstone is actually called a thunderegg. Funny name for a funny looking rock, I guess, but all of them have different patterns depending on how long they’ve been here.” You explain, handing it back to Mabel, “When we get back to the Mystery Shack, I can polish it for you so it shines a little bit better.”

She puts it up to the sun, watching it sparkle as the light refracts off the quartz. “It can get shinier than this?!” Mabel exclaims excitedly to which you chuckled, “It certainly can!” She glances between the gemstone and the sunstone that hangs on your neck, “Could you show me how to get it on a necklace like you have yours? I have a bunch of string and craft stuff at the Shack we can use!”

You clear your throat, “Actually Mabel, you might want to ask your Grunkle Ford. After all, he’s the one who made this for me.” You admit with a shy smile.

“Grunkle Ford, you old softie! I didn’t know you could make something like that!” Mabel says as she turns to Ford with a teasing grin, almost squealing in delight. Ford rubs the back of his neck bashfully, “Well, I do like to dabble in artistic endeavors every now and then. Though I’ve only ever done a project like this for Y/N.” He admitted.

You find your own cheeks getting warm, grabbing the necklace and glancing down at it with a sudden fondness. You look up to see Ford staring at you in a pining manner before quickly looking away, suddenly engrossed in the mushrooms at his feet. 

“Alright, you two, let’s get moving! We’re burning daylight here and I need to get to this gold as soon as possible before these greedy suckers get to it first!” Stan’s voice cuts through the moment, though his expression was more amused than annoyed.

“R-Right!” Both you and Ford stutter, picking up the pace.

You finally make it to the stream, watching in amusement as Stan immediately begins to roll up his pants the moment it comes into view.

“Alright, pan me, Y/N!” Stan says, placing his hand out. You roll your eyes playfully, reaching into your backpack to grab some pans you had snagged from a gold panning site during one of your shifts at the Parks. You handed it over to Stan before holding up the two other ones you had, “You wanna help your Grunkle get some gold?” You ask Dipper and Mabel.

“Oh, I’ll help but this’ll be my stash, Grunkle Stan!” Mabel grins, taking a pan and kicking off her socks and shoes to join Stan in the stream. Dipper quickly follows behind Mabel and you get ready to join them in the water, kicking off your sandals before pausing as Ford takes a seat on a nearby log.

“You’re not gonna join us, Ford?” You ask, rolling up your pants up to your calves. Ford shakes his head, placing his bag next to him, “I’m going to catch up on some reading, go enjoy yourself, Y/N.” 

“More gold for us then!” Stan says, shaking the pan in the water. You’re distracted by Dipper and Mabel’s laughter, coming behind the two of them. You crouch down, grabbing a clump full of mud and rocks beneath a larger boulder and placing it into the pans. You demonstrate how to properly pan for gold, letting the two of them shake the dirt loose. You feel a splash against your side and look over to see Stan shaking the pan a little too aggressively.

“Whoa, pump the breaks, you might be losing out on gold shaking it like that.” You say, walking over to Stan as the twins seem to have the hang of it. You lean over, pressing up against Stan’s side as your hands cup underneath his. “Once you have most of the dirt out, you want to be a little bit more gentle with your agitation or else the gold will come out.” 

Your hands guide Stan’s, shaking the pan with a bit more delicacy, letting the water wash out the remaining dirt to reveal large flecks of gold. “Now we’re talking!” Stan says excitedly, accessing the gold. He looks back up at you with a sheepish smile, “Uh.. thanks for helping me out.” You shoot him a warm smile, “No problem, didn’t want your efforts to go to waste. Besides, it looks like you got some catching up to do!” You nod your head over to Dipper’s pan which sparkles with gold.

Stan wasn’t sure whether his heart beat racing was because of his excitement over the gold or from having you up so close to him.

He tries to push the thought, not wanting to dwell on the weird feeling as he takes the challenge, throwing more clumps of mud into his pan, “Oh it is on!”

Ford watches from afar, a journal precariously propped up on his leg as he sketches out the scene before him - you with your hair tied up, clutching your stomach as you laugh at the antics of his family. He smiles fondly as the real reason he wanted to watch was to be able to have the opportunity to sketch you. 

When he started the journals, they were mostly dedicated to his research though he had a fleeting thought every now and then to sketch you into a few entries as you helped him with several of his discoveries.

There was also a part of him wanting to relish in this and have his own memories to look back on, knowing how fleeting this moment was and how uncertain the road ahead of getting your memories back was. 

“Grunkle Ford, look at all the gold Dipper and I got!” Mabel ran up to him, holding her pan with a decent amount of gold. Dipper follows behind her, noticing that his great uncle was sketching something in a journal. His eyes lit up in curiosity, “Did you see an anomaly out here, Grunkle Ford?”

Ford looked up from his sketch, taken aback by Dipper’s question, “No, I was just sketching some of the scenery!” Mabel’s eyes narrow and she looks over at Dipper with a skeptical look that he returns. The two of them rush to Ford’s side, Mabel’s hand slamming on the sketchbook to keep Ford from shutting it. They both look down to see the detailed drawing of you and Mabel squeals loudly, causing you and Stan to look over.

“Everything ok over there?” You ask, pulling out the bits of gold from Stan’s pan and collecting them in a pail you had brought with you. “Y-yes, everything’s fine over here!” Ford stammers. You look over at Stan who simply shrugs, “I stopped asking a long time ago.”

When you turn your attention back to Stan, Ford lets out a sigh of relief before starting back at Mabel’s wide grin and Dipper’s amused smile. “So that’s why you didn’t wanna join us in the water.” Dipper pointed out. “Grunkle Ford, you should totally show her! She would love this!!” Mabel suggests excitedly. 

“Unfortunately, I don’t think that would be the best idea, Mabel.” Ford explains with a sad smile, patting Mabel’s head as she deflates in disappointment, “I fear that it might scare her away if I’m too forward with my feelings. I caused her a lot of pain before and I wouldn’t want to put her in an even more uncomfortable situation when she regains all her memories… but maybe if she gives me a second chance, I’ll show it to her.” Mabel slightly brightens up with a smile, nodding.

The twins head back into the water, depositing their gold into the pail before starting back up. Somehow, panning for gold had turned into a splashing contest after Mabel accidentally sloshed her pan too aggressively, causing it to hit Dipper in the back. Splashes were exchanged back and forth in a playful manner with Stan and you managing to get caught in the crossfire. 

“Oh you two are going to get it!” Stan says in a menacing tone, using his pan to splash them back in retaliation. Laughter filled the stream, and you glance over your shoulder to see Ford completely dry with his nose in the journal. You walk up, wringing out the water from your top. “Looks like you’re doing more writing than reading.” You point out with a grin.

Ford shuts his journal immediately at the sound of your voice, placing it back into his bag swiftly, “S-Sorry, I tend to get engrossed in whatever I’m doing.” He looks up finally to see your clothes completely wet and blinks, “You’re soaking wet, Y/N.” You chuckle, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the water, “Yeah, and you’re completely dry so let’s change that.”

“Y-Y/N, wait a second, I-!” Ford’s protest is cut off the moment you tug him forward a bit too forcefully. He loses balance on his feet, causing him to fall forward… with you tumbling down with him. Your back hits the water, causing a huge splash to which Stan and the twins turn around to look at. You look up to see Ford on top of you, his arms on either side of your head with a look of concern etched across his features.

“Y/N, are you alright?” Ford frets over you, not realizing the compromising position you’re both in. Heat blooms into your cheeks at the sight, the fabric of Ford’s shirt now damp and clinging to his shoulders and chest. You begin to sit up, causing Ford to back away. “I-I’m alright, sorry for tugging you so hard.” You mutter, eyes widening as Ford cradles the back of your head, his own eyes assessing your face carefully. “Um, Ford, what are you doing?”

“Well, I have to check for bruises or lacerations. Traumatic head injuries are no joke, Y/N. Now follow my finger with your eyes.” Ford instructs, placing his index finger in front of your eyes and moving it up and down and side to side. You follow his instructions but get distracted by a flash in your peripheral vision.

Ford and you look over to see Mabel with a camera in her hand, a wide grin spread across her cheeks, “That’s definitely going in the scrapbook!”

-

After making your way back to the campsite, Stan got started on a fire to help everyone warm up while your wet clothes hung on the tree nearby. Thankfully, you all brought a change of clothes, slipping on a sweater over your shirt as you step out of you and Ford’s tent.

You blinked, seeing Stan sitting alone on a log next to the fire, stoking the flames with a large stick.

“Where’s Ford and the kids?” You ask, looking around as Ford and the twins were nowhere to be found. You approach the fire, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as the flame warms your hands as you extend them outward.

“Apparently what I thought was a mosquito was actually a fairy. Almost swatted it before Ford stopped me.” Stan said, swinging around the bug zapper he brought. “Ford went to go see with the kids if there were more nearby.”

“A fairy? I know Ford mentioned there were anomalies out here but I didn’t expect them to be straight out of a fantasy novel..” You said in surprise, taking a seat next to Stan and grabbing a Pitt Cola out of the cooler near his feet.

“Oh you think that’s bad? There’s tons more apparently.. My memories of all of ‘em haven’t quite come back but I found a gnome in our backyard just this past week if that tells ya anything.” Stan chuckled, taking a sip of his own drink.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to see what else is out there. Ford mentioned wanting to bring me anomaly hunting one day while I’m here.” You comment, curious if there were more threatening anomalies out there considering Ford had mentioned wanting to take you on a safer one.

“Of course Poindexter suggested anomaly hunting as a date.” Stan snickers.

“I wouldn’t call it a date, I’m sure he’ll want to bring Dipper and Mabel along like he did tonight.” You say.

“I doubt it, he’s been wanting to get one-on-one time with you any chance he gets. Thought he was ready to fight me earlier when I rode in the front with you.” Stan scoffed, tossing another piece of dry wood into the fire.

You watch as the flames grow before your eyes, the smoke pluming into the sky. Bringing your knees up to your chest as you hug them, you ask Stan about his brother, “What was Ford like… before you guys reconnected? Did he do something that caused your guys’ relationship to be rocky?”

Stan’s body stills at your question, placing his Pitt Cola down and leaning back with his hands holding him up. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just…” You take a breath, your brows knitting together to find the right words, “Even though our first impression… I guess second impression since obviously we knew each other.. Either way, it was pretty bad. But he’s shown me that he can be kind and thoughtful. I just can’t wrap my head around how he could be capable of hurting me in the way that he describes.”

Stan stares back at you, a conflicted look in his eyes, and you stare down at the ground, embarrassment running over you, “Sorry, I shouldn’t be bringing this up.. He’s your brother for god’s sake and I’m asking you these probing questions about him behind his back.”

“No… I get why you’re asking them.” Stan finally responds, causing you to look up. His hand rests on his neck, rubbing it in thought, “From what I remember, Ford and I growing up were like two peas in a pod. Inseparable. I did something stupid when I was a teenager that pretty much sabotaged Ford’s chance into his dream school.”

“Guess some good came out of that… obviously he met you.” Stan says, staring back at you finally. “We didn’t talk... for ten years after that. Honestly, those years in between when we didn’t talk are still pretty blurry but I can tell you that when he finally reached back out, it wasn’t for the reasons I had hoped.”

“Were they selfish reasons?” You ask, trying to understand how they just recently made up if they reunited over thirty years ago.

Stan explains, “In a way. You see, Ford got in his head way too much. He still kinda does but back then, we got into a huge fight after he pretty much pushed me away again. Told me to take his research and go as far away from him as possible. It felt like he cared more about his research more than anything else. More than himself. More than me.”

“He did tell me he pushed away the people who cared about him the most in his pursuit to prove his worth. I guess we were those people, including Fiddleford.” You reflect before asking the main question on your mind, “I still don’t get what happened between you guys reuniting back then and then just making up this past summer.”

Stan pauses before sighing as he pinches the bridge of the nose, “I was hoping Poindexter was going to be the one to explain all this portal nonsense to you but I guess I’ll try my best.”

Stan proceeds to explain in the most condensed and simplistic way he can the background behind Ford’s research, building the portal and how his brother got sucked into the portal after Stan pushed him into it by accident during their fight and was stuck in another dimension until last summer.

You stare back at Stan like he has two heads, wondering if Ford bribed him with a couple bucks to prank you with this elaborate tale straight out of a sci-fi movie.

“Yeah, that’s the exact same look I had on my face when Ford told me about the portal.” Stan chuckles, watching as you digest the information. 

“So Ford’s been literally trapped in another dimension for the past 30 years?” You finally speak, your brain moving on from denial to confusion.

“Yup. You ever notice he speaks kinda prim and proper all the time, it’s by choice but also because he’s thirty years behind on any slang or pop culture reference.” Stan shares before staring at you intensely, “Don’t get me started about his reaction when Dipper told him Pluto wasn’t a planet anymore.”

“Wait a second, this portal…” You get up from your seat on the log, heading back into you and Ford’s tent before coming back with your small black journal. Stan stares at the journal and shakes his head in disbelief, “No wonder you and my brother dated.”

You roll your eyes, choosing to ignore the comment before flipping to a specific page and opening it up to Stan, “Did the portal look like this?”

Stan stares at the paper, squinting his eyes as he looks at your rough drawing of the portal before nodding, “Yeah, that’s the portal, alright.”

“So that’s what Ford was working on in my dreams… it was the portal that he thought was going to be the answer to his research.” You say, the realization hitting you as you stare down at the drawing, “Maybe this portal is the reason we parted ways.“ You were beginning to put pieces of you and Ford’s history together, it was becoming more and more clear 

Stan wonders if he might have shared too much with you, seeing the gears turning in your head. Maybe he should have held his tongue, waited for Ford to explain all this stuff to you since he usually had the answers. 

You place a hand on his broad shoulder, interrupting his thoughts, “Hey Stan… sorry for putting you on the spot but I really appreciate it. I feel like I understand what’s happening in my dreams way more.” You pause before saying, “It also helps to know that Ford didn’t just push me away but other people during that time.”

Stan’s shoulders visibly relax and he feels a sense of comfort in your touch. “No problem, glad I could explain it in a non-sciencey way. Trust me, when Ford explained it to me, half the stuff he said flew right over my head.” 

You both hear footsteps approaching and turn around to see Ford carrying a mason jar that contained a pink fairy that fluttered around in confusion with Mabel and Dipper trailing by his side. 

“Y/N, look at this fairy!” Mabel says excitedly, running up to you. 

You approach Ford, crouching down to observe the fairy. Your eyes widen in intrigue, watching as there is a distinct trail of glitter that follows it as it flutters about. You glance up at Ford, “Is the fairy gonna be okay in there?” 

Ford rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, “I’ll release it, Mabel insisted we catch one to bring back to show you.” 

“This is your first time seeing an anomaly, right, Y/N?” Dipper asks, curious if you remember any of the anomalies you saw with his great uncle when he first started his research.

“Well, first time that I can remember at least. Your Grunkle Stan was telling me there are apparently gnomes that live near the Mystery Shack.” You chuckle, placing your hands on the jar.

“Those gnomes kinda still creep me out to this day..” Mabel commented, now sitting next to Stan with a skewer stacked with marshmallows to put over the fire.

You look over at Ford for an explanation who simply shrugs and Dipper chimes in, “They.. uh tried to marry Mabel and make her their gnome queen.” 

First, the fairy, then Ford getting trapped in an interdimensional portal, and now, this.

You wonder how many more crazy reveals your brain could take in a single day.

“Wanna do the honors and release it?” Ford asks, handing the jar off to you. You take it cautiously, slowly opening the lid and wincing as you pull back the lid. The fairy immediately bursts out, leaving a trail of pink dust behind as it flies into the night sky.

You glance back at Stan and raise an eyebrow, “How did you think that was a mosquito?”

Ford chuckled at your question, “I was thinking the same thing when he almost fried it with his bug zapper.” 

“My vision isn't the greatest, okay? I got cataracts!” 

You, Ford and the kids laugh, coming together in front of the fire. You were shoulder to shoulder with Stan and Ford, Mabel sitting on the ground in front of you while you braided her hair and Dipper being in charge of roasting both him and Mabel’s marshmallows after she lit hers on fire.

You come to find out that Stan’s talent to spin an elaborate tale translates well into telling spooky ghost stories by the fire, wriggling his fingers and using his hands to help emphasize his points. Surprisingly, he ends up having a captivated audience, even Ford listening in amusement with his arms crossed.

Seeing the kids starting to yawn and their eyes getting heavier after a few hours, you all decide to call it for the evening. Stan and Ford work on stamping out the flames as you walk over to Dipper and Mabel’s tent, making sure they have their flashlights on them in case of a late night bathroom run before zipping up their tent.

Out in the woods, the dark sky above is littered with stars. With the light source of the flames gone, the constellations in the sky are even more clear. Ford watches you staring up at the night sky in awe. He recalls the nights where the two of you would sit on the roof where you most likely sat with his brother the other evening, noting all the various constellations. 

He wonders if you remember his favorite ones or if just by association to the memory of him, they’ve been wiped clean from your brain.

Ford approaches you, his eyes glancing up at the wondrous view above the both of you, “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It really is…” You reply with a smile, “I haven’t seen them this clearly in years. Usually light pollution ends up making it hard to them at all.”

“Do you have a favorite constellation?” Ford asks though he already knows the answer.

Perseus.

“Perseus is my favorite.” You answer, extending your arm outward to point it out to Ford. His eyes follow your finger to the constellation, staring up at it. Not that he needed you to point it out for him, he often would look up the stars during his travels with Stanley and find it. 

Wondering if you were out there somewhere staring at it as well.

“The Hero Constellation… a great choice.” Ford hums before letting out a yawn.

“Getting past your bedtime?” You tease, causing Ford to laugh softly.

“You know I’m not that much older than you, Y/N. You’re making me feel like an old geezer.” Ford banters back.

Stan pats you both on the shoulder, “Well, this old geezer is gonna hit the hay. I didn’t get any sleep last night since we spent the whole night planning this.” He starts approaching the hammock before staring at it with his hands on his hips before looking back at you.

“Hey, uh, how do I get in this thing?” He asks.

Ford slaps his forehead and you roll your eyes mirthfully, walking over to show Stan how to get into the hammock.

“You can head to bed, Ford. This might.. take a while.” You tell Ford, trailing off as you watch Stan attempt to put his foot in and almost flip the hammock over.

Ford nods, despite wanting to wait up for you, he knew it would be infinitely more awkward trying to fall asleep with you laying right there in front of him. “I’ll sleep on the further side so you don’t have to step over me on your way into the tent. Good night, Y/N.” He says.

“Good night, Ford.” You reply with a wave as you try to hold the fabric of the hammock taut to give Stan enough stability to slip inside.

“Yeah, good night to you too, Ford.” Stan calls out wryly to which Ford proceeds to flick off his brother playfully before slipping into the tent.

-

After assisting Stan into the hammock and helping put the mosquito net over him, you slip into you and Ford’s tent. You try to move as carefully as possible, not wanting to disturb Ford who laid inside a sleeping bag on the other side of the tent. You glance over, seeing Ford sleeping peacefully next to you.

You notice he still has his glasses on and you reach over carefully, slipping them off gingerly. Ford slightly stirs which causes you to halt your movements before his breath evens out again, showing that he was still deep in sleep. You place his glasses off to the side and finally slip into your sleeping bag.

Your eyelids grow heavy the moment your head rests on the pillow, the lack of sleep from the night before catching up to you. You drift to sleep, not thinking about what dream might await you this evening.

The sensation of the metal desk presses against the small of your back. You feel like a mouse cornered by a cat, Ford’s frame towering over you as your hands are pinned down. A lump forms in your throat as you stare back at the man you love, his eyes bright yellow and his pupils narrow.

“So you’re Bill?” You say cautiously. 

You had seen Bill briefly move into Ford’s mind to help him solve an equation that had stumped him or share a finding to help with his research but never fully taking control of his body.

“That’s me, I’m sure Ford’s told you all about me..” Bill grins, “After all, I am his muse.”

You bristle at the term, the exact reaction Bill had hoped for to get under your skin. 

You listened to Ford go on and on about how amazing his muse was, how he helped ease his mind, how he understood him like no one else did.

All while you stood there, feeling insignificant as each day went on.

A shudder ran down your spine as a cold hand reached up to cup your chin, tilting your head side to side while Bill’s eyes assessed you like a specimen in a lab, “Listen, Y/N, you’re becoming a bit of a distraction to old Fordsy.”

“Distraction? What do you mean?” You say defensively.

“Every time you try to get him to go to bed, every time you and that hillbilly try to goof around and pull him away from his work, it delays him finishing this portal.” Bill points out.

“He’s a human being, not a robot. He can’t just keep working himself into exhaustion.” You protest.

Bill’s eyes narrow.

He doesn’t like that response.

“Listen, Gemstone, you really want to get in the way of Ford’s dreams? I thought you loved him,” Bill cackles, his hand sliding down to press tightly against your throat. The pressure pushes the gem on your necklace further into your skin, causing you to wince.

“I-I do.” You wheeze out, your airway feeling restricted but not being choked quite yet.

“Then if you do, take my advice. The sooner you leave him alone to work on and finish this portal, the sooner he can rest. Don’t you want him to be able to show this to his old man and finally hear that he’s proud of him?” Bill says with a maniacal grin.

He knows he got you with his last question, your face morphing into guilt.

You knew how important this was to Ford, how he needed this portal to work so he could make something out of all his research and hard work. You knew how desperately Ford wanted that validation from his family, from his dad.

“We have a deal?” Bill asks.

“Alright… I’ll leave him alone.” You cave, gasping for air as Bill removes his hand.

“Good, glad we were able to come to an understanding. I’ll make sure Ford gets all the knowledge I can offer and you two can finally start the life you always wanted together, right?” Bill says with a grin before crouching down to be eye level with you.

“Now don’t tell, Ford, about our little meeting, okay? We wouldn’t want him to worry and get distracted, now would we?”

You shoot up in a panic, a sense of dread filling your body. Your eyes dart to see Ford lying there and you immediately back away, the memory of his hand on your neck fresh in your subconscious. Your legs kick the sleeping bag away, not caring what noise you make. Your hands tremble, fumbling with the zipper of the tent before finally getting it unzipped enough to slip out of the tent.

The air hits your cheeks but it’s not enough to stop your racing heart.

Your feet carry you over to the lake, crouching to the ground as your hands cup together to splash the water onto your face. The cool liquid pricks at your skin but the sensation is enough to shock you out of your fevered state. 

Your fast breaths slow down in pace and after a few splashes of cold water, your breath has begun to even out.

Suddenly, you feel a hand on your shoulder, causing you to jump.

“Are you okay?”

[avcdgrdn]

── .✦ [ FIC ]: can i really stay here? ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) 

mullet stanley pines x innkeeper reader

tags: angst, hurt/comfort, sfw

word count: 1426

˙✧˖° ༘ ⋆｡˚

nothing could have prepared you for the man who walked through the front door of the inn that day.

he looked like death, his chocolate hair tangled, his square jaw riddled with bruises and dirt. heavy eyes fixed themselves upon your figure.

"you got a spare room?"

that voice, gravelly and low, betrayed the exhaustion that plagued this mysterious stranger. you couldn't help but stare for a moment, lost in thought.

"i ... ah, yes, of course. just a room for one?"

your hands swiftly moved to ring him up, pressing a few buttons on the cash register. the man visibly reacted to the metallic sounds of the register, an expression of mild panic settling in.

"yeah ..." he dug through his pockets, patting himself over until he secured a grip on his wallet. pulling it out, he flipped it open, revealing nothing but an ID and a few sticks of gum. he clicked his tongue, defeated. "... this is embarrassing."

it was evident that something wasn't right with him; he looked as if he could collapse at any given moment. should you just deny him service and let him leave? what if he just got himself into deeper trouble? was he even in his right mind?

there was a fleeting moment of awkward silence as the two of you avoided eye contact. you took a sharp breath in.

"... tell me, sir, what's your name?"

his bushy brows rose in surprise. "er ... stan. stan pines." stan gave you a once-over, pulling a sly smirk despite his run-down appearance. "why? ya like what you see?"

a sort of scoffing chuckle left your lips. "this isn't really the time for jokes ..." your eyes trailed down to his stained jacket, torn-up jeans, and over worn shoes. at that, he laughed, which quickly turned into a painful cough. the concern became more evident on your face.

"-ah, you're right, of course. nobody would really want a guy like me, yeah?"

you couldn't bring yourself to respond to that. you could see the storm in his eyes.

turning your back to the counter, you picked up a key that was hanging from the wall, holding it out to him as you met his confused gaze.

"room 34. your stay will be on the house tonight, sir."

"... you're pullin' my leg."

"no, i'm perfectly serious."

hesitantly, he reached out his hand to take the key. your fingers brushed against his rough skin briefly before you pulled your arm back.

stan simply stood there, still processing what had just been given to him. he'd tried this before with numerous other places, and they'd all shut him down. he'd been through ... how many, four, five different states by now? finally, a night where he doesn't have to sleep in his car. the notion of spending a night in an actual bed ... seemed unreal.

"well, i ... damn. th-thanks, toots." he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. a faint shade of pink rose to his cheeks, which he attempted to play off by staring at the ground.

how long had it been since anyone had shown him this kind of generosity?

unsure of what to do, he decided to make his way over to his room, locating the staircase and climbing up, stealing a glance back at you. you watched him ascend the stairs, leaning your arms against the counter.

your mind continued to race. the man looked like he'd just been in a fight. did he have wounds that needed treatment? did he have any place to go? ... of course, those were all personal questions that you knew you shouldn't ask about. he is only a customer ... at least you could offer him somewhere to crash for the night.

it had been two hours.

two hours, and yet, you still couldn't get him off your mind.

you figured you might be able to offer him some dinner.

or was that just you trying to come up with an excuse to see him again? you didn't think about it too hard.

making your way over to the kitchen, you had the chef prep a single serving of food, laying it out on a tray which you picked up and began to walk with. the carpeted floor softened the sound of your footsteps.

arriving at the end of the hall, you stood in front of the door labeled "34", hesitating. you steeled your nerves and knocked gently on its wooden surface.

a few moments passed. you could hear the sound of rustling fabric and footsteps as stan made his way over to the door, opening it and observing his visitor. he was dressed in a bathrobe, his hair damp and his face looking much cleaner than before.

"sorry if i came at a bad time. i just figured you might want a bite to eat." you averted your eyes by glancing to the tray of food you held, a faint blush rising to your face.

twinkling lights began to glisten in place of the dark storm you'd seen in him before. his expression softened in disbelief, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

eventually, he spoke.

"why are you doing this?"

"... what do you mean?"

"i mean, you're wastin' your good food 'nd room. you deserve your money-"

he cut himself off, swallowing back a bitter feeling in his throat.

"-i ... i need to ... pay it back."

oh. is he ... crying?

you could feel your heart wrench in your chest. "s-stan. it's okay."

he furiously blinked back tears, taking a deep breath and putting on a weary grin. "will ya keep that food hot for me? i'm just gonna get dressed. i think i'll eat it downstairs."

"oh, of course."

"thanks a bunch." he winked at you, then shut the door, leaving you to stare at the room label again. you blinked, then turned around to head back down.

after some time of waiting in the kitchen, you caught the sight of him descending the staircase and walking over to you. he was wearing a different shirt, although his jacket and jeans were the same. his hair was dry and much poofier now that it was clean. you caught yourself staring at his mullet.

"didja wait for too long?" stan pulled out a stool from the bar, taking a seat and watching as you put his plate of food in front of him.

"nah, you're okay." you offered a small smile. "feel free to dig in."

and boy, did he dig in. this man hasn't had a proper meal in forever. his daily diet has consisted of strictly rationed cheap snacks and the occasional stolen burger and fries. you swore you've never seen a guy so happy to eat something before in your life. somehow, watching him was making you feel warm inside.

"this ... is the best food i ever tasted." stan mumbled, looking up at you in between bites. all sorts of different emotions were raging inside of him, and the feeling of being properly nourished was bringing them up to the surface. his brown eyes began to overflow with tears, and he cursed underneath his breath, eating more aggressively to try and distract himself.

"uh, stan? are you alright?"

that was the last straw. his brows knit together and he swallowed his food, dropping his fork onto the plate. the tears were flowing freely now.

"no. dammit, i'm not alright."

stan covered his face with one arm, his broad frame trembling as he choked back bitter sobs.

"it's just that ... m-my parents, and i ... s-see- and my brother-"

he hunched over, shifting to cover his face with both hands. everything was crashing down.

"oh, God, my brother ..."

you walked out from behind the bar, making your way over to where he sat and taking the seat next to him. you didn't really think at all, you just slid your arm around his back and-

the instant he felt your touch, stanley clung onto you desperately.

onto somebody who was showing him hospitality. onto somebody who cared enough to worry about his health. onto somebody unlike anybody else he'd met these past few years.

burying his face into your shoulder, he pulled you closer against him.

"'m sorry ... don't leave me alone."

the wetness of his tears soaked into your shirt, but you didn't mind. here in your arms was a little boy who just needed a hug.

you barely knew each other, but you had a feeling that was going to change.

"don't worry, i'm not going anywhere."

end

[aceistheplace86]

Ephemeral

///Good job @nyx-stars and anyone else who cracked the code!

You were waiting patiently at the Greasy Diner, wearing your favorite formal outfit. You had originally come into the diner in awe of the setup, there were fairy lights hung on the ceiling, and a table had a tablecloth with a single red rose and a candle.

You knew Ford had gotten Lazy Susan to keep open the diner for your guy's special date night. But now, as you sit and wait alone, the awe you once felt had faded. Ford was almost an hour late.

“Hiya Hun,” Susan said coming up sadly “I-I have to close up soon”

You didn’t make eye contact with her; you couldn’t bear to see the pitiful look she was surely giving you. “That’s Okay Susan” You blew out the candle and handed her the rose “Thank you for letting me stay.”

She smiled sadly and took the rose, handing you a container “Pie. For you”

You started your drive back to the Shack; you were so angry and confused. Ford knew how important tonight was, he had to have known because it was important to him too. Wasn’t it?

You got to the Shack, walked in, and slammed the door shut, which startled Stan who had gotten himself comfortable in his armchair.

“What are you doing back?” he asked confused then stopped “Wait, I never saw Sixer leave.”

“That’s because he never showed up” you scoffed.

“What?!” He stood up “You know how long it took me to set that stuff up? And what it took to convince Lazy Susan to stay open late” He paused “It didn’t take much convincin’ but still!”

“He didn’t even decorate it?” Your voice was barely above a whisper, causing Stan’s face to fall.

“It was his idea y’know. I was just the one who set it up. He said he wanted to get ready” He explained, “Do you want me to go yell at him or somethin’?”

You shook your head “I got this.” You made your way to the lab and were soon met with Ford, who was hunched over a desk, mumbling to himself.

“Ford.” The sound of your voice seemed to startle him because he whirled around.

“Oh, Hello my darling!” he said cheerily “What are you doing down here?”

“You missed our dinner.” You ignored the flutter in your chest at that nickname.

“I probably didn’t miss much; Stan was talking about ordering pizza” He chuckled turning back to his work

“Our dinner. Ford.” You repeat.

He paused and turned to look at you “Our dinner to celebrate…” He trails off “Oh my love, I am sorry. I was just about to get ready when I realized something. Do you remember my Multiverse Echo Theory? Every event that occurs in Gravity Falls creates a ripple in the fabric of reality, leading to the formation of alternate dimensions.” He recalls excitedly “I believe that if I can find a way to tune into these echoes, I could access knowledge or maybe even resources from other dimensions that could help uncover the mysteries of this town! I have been working on a device that can track and measure these dimensional fluctuations” He paused and glanced back at his notes “However, one could argue about the ethical implications of meddling with the multiverse”

Just like that, you had lost him again to his work. He was no longer paying attention to you. “Ford you missed our dinner” You repeated.

“Yes, I apologize for that dear,” he says not looking at you, but writing down in his journal. “We could reschedule for tomorrow.”

“That is not the point Stanford!” You were tired, having little to no fight left in you anymore. Not for another conversation where you had to beg him to give you even the tiniest bit of attention even for a moment. The only reason you hadn’t given up was because there had been times when it felt like Ford was improving, that you didn’t have to fight for his attention.

He taught you some of his favorite meals to cook. He drove an hour out of town to take you to a bookstore. He wrote you poems. He was there when you woke up in the morning. That was probably your favorite part. Rolling over to be met with his warm body instead of the cold, empty side of the bed. It hurt to know he would rather go straight to the lab in the morning, that was if he had even come to your shared room in the first place.

“I don’t understand,” He says “You want a dinner, I will make plans for us to have dinner tomorrow. But for now, would you like to help me?” he waved over to his notes “Stanley made Dipper go to bed”

“You aren’t listening to me, Stanford!” You cried out “There are other things that can give your life meaning. More important things than… than this!” You said gesturing to the lab.

“What?” Ford replied shortly “Like you?”

You stood frozen. Is that really what he thought about your relationship? About you? “I think you should apologize”

“And I think you should leave” His back was towards you.

“Fine” You whispered, “I can’t watch you do this to yourself anymore Ford.”

“Like it’s so difficult for you?” He muttered.

“Yes! It breaks my heart to see you this way! You spent your childhood chasing after a place where you could fit in, somewhere where you would find love. You completely ignored your brother who was there for you” You started “And now you are starting to completely ignore me, I thought you would change once we got you back with the portal. I thought you would be different” Before Ford had gotten sucked into the portal, your relationship was a bit rocky, but you chalked it up to the fight he had with his brother, but he only continued to ice you out. It was good for the first few months when he came back, but now he started to isolate himself again.

You had dedicated your life to helping Ford feel like he belonged, and you stuck by Stanley as he tried to bring back his brother. “I gave up everything for you Stanford!”

“I never asked you to”

“You did when you said you loved me”

He stared at you for a long while before he turned away and went back to his desk.

You felt defeated. You looked down at your hand and slipped off the ring. “Goodbye Stanford” You set the ring on top of his journal and walked out. You didn’t even bother packing a bag, you just got in your car and drove off.

[matrixbearer2024]

“Daddy dearest can't save you now squirt! You're mine!”

Aeschylus has nightmares about a familiar chaotic triangle we yeet around because LORE! I'm planning to make a comic about him waking up from the nightmare because holy SPAZZ he needs some good shit to recover and help with this.

More lore and context under the cut:

Way back when Aeschylus was a kid he used to adventure out of the shack and into the woods to explore and or bring back neat little critters to ask papa Sixer about(despite his mom having scolded them both about bringing random specimen of all kinds into the house). The behavior didn't really stop even after Ford got sucked into the portal, hell it happened more often because Max kept looking for his dad- convinced he just got lost on an expedition or something similar.

However, as you all know how Cipher messes with everyone's minds when granted the opportunity- the triangle tried to beeline for the kid that most resembled his darling Fordsy in both personality and behavior when the researcher finally grew wise to his shenanigans. He didn't really have many opportunities to for a couple years because of Stanley and Ford's wifey protectively hovering over the triplets but Bill would say waiting four earth years was well worth the return for the damage he had inflicted.

All it took was a little bit of stroking that same flame of curiosity as he did Sixer and Aeschylus was all his for the taking. Like father, like son, Bill couldn't have found it more amusing. Slowly he guided the kid deep into the forest, away from the eyes of mother mayhem and uncle irritating.

Much to the triangle's annoyance however, Aeschylus was more cautious of him than Ford ever was. The kid refused to make a deal with him and even tried running away at some point when he finally realised what the triangle was trying to do.

"Nu-uh! You're the weird guy that made my daddy crazy! My mommy says to never make a deal with you!"

Bill was pretty pissed at this point that his plans are being proper screwed with so he forced his hand.

"If you're not going to give me access to your head, I'll just take it then!"

Imagine having taken your eyes off your eldest toddler son for just a second only to find him suddenly gone. It took so much strength to even allow the kids outside of the cabin you called your home ever since Cipher started haunting you and the family since Ford's unfortunate incident with the portal. To find Aeschylus missing would've driven anyone at that point into a flurry of panic.

When Stan came out to check on the both of you, his expression of dread and anxiety merely mirrored your own to a lesser extent. The two of you immediately shouting for the kid as you checked the nearby area thoroughly, the both of you making your ways deeper into the forest surrounding the log cabin cautiously.

It was Stanley who found Aeschylus first, seeing the kid strung up high into the canopy was eerie enough but noticing he wasn't responsive made the panic shoot sky high. There was some kind of large furry creature that poked and swat around the young boy like a pinata which Stan immediately threw hands with the get rid of the darn thing in his emotional high.

You heard the screaming and shouting and rushed over before feeling sick to your stomach, there your kid was- but strung by the neck by a vine so high he seemed to nearly be a part of the forest canopy. You steeled yourself and pulled the small pistol from your pocket which your husband had made prior with the intention to use it for hunting creatures.

Who knew it's first use would be as a pivotal tool to save your son?

Despite shaky hands and eyes blurred with tears, your aim rang true and the ion blast burnt the vine clean a couple inches above the toddler's head. You didn't account for the tall drop however, as the priority was first and foremost to get him down before he was hung to death.

Thankfully, Stanley had been paying close attention as he managed to catch Aeschylus with a loud grunt. The kid was dropped on him like a bomb multiple times both literally and metaphorically but this moment falls under the former. Your stomach dropped to the floor when you also started to smell the familiar metallic tang of blood.

It wasn't rocket science for both you and Stanley to know that you needed to rush Aeschylus to the hospital, especially as the vine around his neck unwound to leave a large and nasty wound that seemed to circle around his entire neck. The vine itself was thorny and barbed but it had apparently dug deep enough into the kid's skin to cut.

Stanley drove to the hospital like a bat out of hell while you kept a towel firmly pressed into your son's neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The kid was breathing but shallowly, not to mention he was turning paler by the second.

You and Stan were never really religious, but you could both only really pray to whatever deity was up there if there even was any- to keep Aeschylus alive. You wondered how much your husband would've lost his shit had he been here, but you swallowed down the grief at the reminder of him as your in-law pulled into the ER parking lot.

Memories from that point on were a blur, you could only be grateful that despite the apparent tension between your husband and his twin brother- Stanley didn't just leave your family behind. He was expectedly dejected that he wasn't even told about the triplets getting born, much less his brother getting married, but he still stayed to care for you all in place of his brother. Not to replace him, but to do what he knew Poindexter would've and should've had he not been stuck wherever the portal threw him.

By the time you'd been able to see Aeschylus again, the doctors claim that it's a miracle the kid even survived. It's as if just enough pressure was put on his neck not to kill him but to make him suffer. He didn't pass out from oxygen deprivation, but from the pain.

You fell to your knees sobbing when you heard that, already knowing what or who was responsible rather because of their words. Aeschylus couldn't talk for a couple weeks due to this incident, and even afterwards his voice had changed due to the damage.

You regretted this moment every single day afterwards, all the more when your son even refused to step a foot outside anymore. He refused to explore the woods he once loved, the woods your family used to stroll by sunset or camp out in when Ford was still around.

Aeschylus started wearing high-collared shirts or turtlenecks to hide the scar as well, not telling anyone exactly why or how he got into that situation in the first place as everyone in the family already had an inkling or hunch. They didn't need to ask. He didn't want to be shifted to homeschool however, as much as you and Stan tried to convince him- since he seemed determined to study for whatever reason.

This event still gives Aeschylus nightmares until the present day, Bill Cipher didn't get into his head- but the triangle got damn well close and he would've had to pay his life if you or Stan hadn't found him.

Those same nightmares is why Aeschylus barely manages to sleep, having developed insomnia out of the fear and paranoia around the same time he was able to come home from the hospital. Even if you asked him now what was the scariest experience in his life, Aeschylus would likely mention this near death experience- as nothing else in his life has ever come quite close to this incident, not even weirdmaggedon.

Sketchy for this piece is here:

[ignoredbellyaches]

*makes your fav character abusive*

CLAPS HANDS TOGETHER

Here's my Gravity Falls oc everyone, hope you like her. Shes heavily based on the [your oc] x ford fanfic I'm working on (go on and step on me)

[toomanyfandomstowrite]

Stangst rewrite where Stan has a panic attack when Ford basically kicks him out at the end of ‘A Tale of Two Stans’. Ford learns Stan’s actual backstory rather than the one he told in front of the kids. He’s trying his best, he really is.

[rum-and-shattered-dreams]

Engaging Encounter

Summary:

Let's fucking goooo!

This was going to be some fairly straightforward old/post canon Fiddauthor smut but apparently I fell into a hyperfocus state resulting in 22,000-ish words of fluff, musings, and smut and now I am absolutely going to make that everyone else's problem:

In the months following Weirdmageddon, Ford reconciled with Stan while helping him with his lost memories but struggled to really reconnect with Fiddleford until Dipper and Mabel visited for their winter break. When Mabel found out they were once more than friends, she couldn’t help recruiting Stan and Dipper to help her play matchmaker again.

Notes:

*More feelings and characterization-heavy smut to follow Embarrassing Encounter

*It references events from the Pleasant Encounters series but it isn't necessary to read those to understand this.)

*The entirety of this is already written and new chapters will be posted on Friday evenings (EST).

*Chapters one and two are Smut Lite (mostly feelings, bonding, and fluff)

*Chapters three and four are Smutty Smut Smut.

*Ford and Fiddleford do not know what labels they fall under but Stan mentions it might be sex-positive and on the aroace spectrum.

*Dipper and Mabel understand sexual topics in this fic. They’re not involved in any but they’re not ignorant to them. It’s mentioned that their parents have already talked to them about it all in an appropriate way. Just sticking that warning here in case it bothers anyone if they understand what’s happening behind closed doors and joke about it in the way that 13-year-olds sometimes do.

(Going to reblog with the link so check the notes for it or just search for Snarkyhermit on AO3.)

[empyrean-sprinkle]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Gravity Falls, Reverse Falls - Gravity Falls AU Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Will Cipher | Reverse Bill Cipher/Ford Gleeful | Reverse Ford Pines, Ford Gleeful | Reverse Ford Pines & Stan Gleeful | Reverse Stan Pines Characters: Ford Gleeful | Reverse Ford Pines, Stan Gleeful | Reverse Stan Pines, Will Cipher | Reverse Bill Cipher Additional Tags: Angst, Betrayal, Partner Betrayal, Portals, Emotional Manipulation, Toxic Relationship, Manipulation, Will Cipher is NOT having a good time, Stanford Gleeful is a manipulative asshole, Alternate Universe - Reverse Falls | Reverse Pines (Gravity Falls) NEW CHAPTER OF MY REVERSE FALLS FIC IS UP!!

[murmaiderii]

A non exhaustive list of things I've had to research for Treasure and Babes (so far)

-effects of cocaine and ecstasy

-does Antarctica have rocks

-does Antarctica have trees

-so much sail time calculation

-list of all casino games

-list of DND enemies

-most depressing books

-live-in sailboats

-laundromats in Caracas

-native fruits to The Bahamas

-most powerful flashlight

[regularspongebobfan]

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Gravity Falls

Relationship: Bill Cipher/Ford Pines

Characters: Bill Cipher, Ford Pines

Additional Tags: Fluff, Pre-Canon, Pre-Portal Incident (Gravity Falls), Late at Night, Humor, Dreams, My First Work in This Fandom, Suggestive Themes, Awkward Romance, Inspired by Book: The Book of Bill (Gravity Falla)

Summary: Bill goes into Ford's dreams and demands that he wake up and pay attention to him.

[jeanystillbeany]

BillFord Fic 2

this is the second part ig

The shack was a quite the distance away from the lab.  As many questions that swelled in the scientist’s lungs, he kept silent as everyone had.  He trusted his own family and they’ve been here longer than he has.  He could sense their weariness of danger.  This route definitely had some sound sensitive beings that would eat them alive the second they even whispered.  

  Soos put Dipper down and ushered him inside along with everyone else. Closing the door behind them.  Ford expected him to blockade the door or at least and he gave his brother a questioning look.  

  “What about-“ 

  “Oh don’t worry about that, your nephew took care of it.”  Stanley cut his brother off, emphasizing the word ‘nephew’.  Ford assumed he was expecting some sort of shocking reveal where he would look at him in shock.  But he didn’t take into account that Ford already knows about his niece and nephew through traveling through other timelines.   How would he know?    

  “H-hi!  I’m D-Dipper!  So you’re the author!  And you’re… supposed to be dead.  Grunkle Stan… didn’t Bill… say…” The nervous excitement in the 13-year-old’s voice vanished as it was replaced by confusion.  The kind of weary uncertainty that sends chills up anyone’s back.  Especially for scientists who are particularly familiar with the name ‘Bill Cipher’.  Ford felt his hands begin to shake as he looked towards Stanley.  When did he talk to Bill?  Did he make a deal?  Was Bill listening right now?  

  “Ford.  Welcome to Weirdmagedon…” Stan sighed out with a defeated look on his face.  

  “He’s- He’s out?!  This… wasn’t just… oh dear god…!  Stanley, how did this happen?!”  Ford ran his fingers through his hair as his pupils grew smaller.  Stanley sighed and shook his head.  

  “We’ve got a lot to talk about… but first…” without any warning, Stanley smacked Ford across the face.  “Where were you?!  Why did- You had no right to leave me!”  Ford growled and grabbed the hand that assaulted him.  

  “Leave you?!  You pushed me into the portal Stanley!  You might not even be my Stan!  I’ve been trapped, traveling different timelines for over 20 years!  I’ve dealt with the time police, different versions of you!  Do you know how many times I’ve watched these kids die, Stanley?  I had to fight your zombified version of yourself from eating me alive!  You ruined my life!  I-…”  Stanford paused with a sigh.  Did he say too much?  He glanced at everyone’s expressions.  He realized something.  He didn’t even take into account the horrified face of his dear nephew who silently listened.  

  “…where’s Mabel…?”  Ford felt his chest tighten up.  Was she already gone?  Did it have something to do with the giant floating zodiac ball?  Did this hellish Timeline tear the siblings apart again?  Even the questions Ford spoke aloud were left unanswered as the tension filled silence latched itself onto the room.  

  “Look dudes!  Dudes!  Hear me out- let’s play 20 questions.”  Soos nonchalantly sauntered between the two and put a hand on Ford’s shoulder. 

  “Doo do-do.  There you go dude.  Just relax.”  Soos led Ford to a random box of rations and sat him down on it.  The action allowed the rest of the crew to view the large scratch on his back.  Wendy winced.  

  “Oh- yikes.  That doesn’t look too good… I’ll grab the med kit.  You guys… uh… work things out, yeah?  Cool?  Cool.”  Wendy excused herself from the room as everyone continued to sit in silence.  After about five minutes Soos stepped in to encourage the intended conversation.  

  “Mr.  Pines… uh… fake Mr.  Pines.  Why don’t you ask Mr. Pines a question…?”  Soos suggested, silently urging the twins to coexist in at least semi-harmony.  

  “I’M the fake!?”  Stanford exclaimed and angrily jolted from his box.  The sudden movement was followed by a burning sensation on his wound.  The man sighed irritated but sat back down to re-ask his question.  “…Stan… Where’s Mabel…?”  He lifted a six-fingered hand up to his face to rub his temples as the other removed his glasses.  It was clear he was already assuming the worst of his niece.  After a long moment of silence, the youngest in the room spoke up.  

  “She’s trapped.”  Somehow this kid could make Ford tense up like a twig or loose like water with every sentence he said.  The Grunkle couldn’t help a small sigh of relief from escaping him as he looked up at Dipper, motioning for him to continue.  Dipper lowered his head before going to the blinds of the Mystery shack and pulling them aside.  “We believe she’s stuck in there.”  Dipper explained, also bothering to show a picture of the out of place bubble with his sister’s zodiac on it.  Ford nodded gazing through the glass.  

  “My turn.”  Stan spoke up amidst the conversation.  “Where were you?”  Stan walked over to the fridge as he asked his question.  He hooked his hand on the top of it as he shuffled through it- his hand clenching around it while the other found a soda.  Stanley sighed and opened the can as he flopped into his heavenly recliner.  Ford had no issue telling Stan this information… as long as he didn’t ask for details.  But due to his most recent outburst, Ford doubted that he’d be asked about it soon.  

  “After I was… sucked into the portal I found myself back here.  But it wasn’t my world.   At the time I didn’t know that and messed up many timelines. It seemed that every timeline I got sucked into… it seemed to naturally want to kick me out.  I call this the natural law of anomaly removal.  Then I got arrested by the Time Police.  I call that the unnatural law of anomaly removal.”  Stanford was caught by Dipper’s excited squeaky voice.  

  “Oh!  We know them!”  Dipper exclaimed.  Stanford’s eyebrows raised as he looked at Stan as if looking for confirmation.  He immediately sputtered up the words sprouting up his throat and his brother did the same.  

  “You do?”  The twins glared at each other from across the room as their voices synched up.  Stanford was suddenly hit with a heart churning thought.  Dipper wasn’t referring to anyone in the room when he said ‘we’.  The Stan’s glares morphed into looks of pity as Dipper began to explain the encounter.  

  “So me and… my sister were at a fair.”  Grunkle Stan made sure to cut in.  

  “I hosted it.”  Dipper continued, not acknowledging the remark.  

  “And there was some guy there with a time tape measurer.”  Dipper flipped through Ford’s old Journal to his added parts and showed a drawing of the tape measurer he just mentioned.  “We may or may not have used it to… change the past a little bit… but the only timeline where I got what I wanted was when M- my sister lost waddles.”  Ford smiled.  He’s glad that the kids at least learned a lesson from this.  “Oh but then the guy we stole the tape measurer from wanted revenge so we participated in Globnar.”  Ford sputtered.  These kids participated in the death battle!?  

  “Blog- what’s-a-whoosits?”  Grunkle Stan asked, slightly sitting up in his recliner.  This time his brother answered, pulling out his current journal.  

  “Globnar.”  Ford corrected, “The gladiatorial combat game in Time Baby’s domain.  It’s used to determine justice.  If you win you get a time wish.  You kids must’ve been lucky to be spared-“  Dipper immediately went to correct him.  

  “Oh- no.  We did win.”  

  “You did?”  Ford raised an impressed eyebrow.  

  “Yep!”  

  “Well then what did you wish for?” This question was particularly itching at Ford, if he had the chance to compete he probably would’ve wished for the death of Bill Cipher.  Or maybe some other grueling fate for the interdimensional demon to suffer for all eternity. 

  “We gave it to Soos.”  Dipper said simply.  

  “Well?”  Ford asked, turning to said repair man.  

  “Oh.  I just wished for the little dudes to be fixed up after getting so banged up for me on my birthday.  Hehe.  Oh- and this infinite slice of pizza.”  Soos shrugged, taking the pizza out of his back pocket and taking a bite.  Everyone nodded and shrugged in perfect agreement except for Stan.  

  “Woah, woah, woah.  We’ve been out there risking our lives to scavenge for food- only for you to have an infinite slice of pizza in your back pocket this whole time!?”  Stanley stood up and looked at Soos accusingly.  

  “Look dude.  It was a personal pizza.  It’s not my rules.”  Soos took another hunk of pizza off from the slice which instantly regenerated.  

  “Well, can’t argue with that.”  Stan sat back down. 

  “How did Bill get here?”  Ford asked suddenly.  If his twin’s chair didn’t have a back he would’ve fell off the back of it.  He remained silent for a second- trying to correctly stitch his words together to soften the blow as much as possible.  Sadly for Stanley, he was a terrible tailor.  

  “Stanley!  Answer me.”  Ford exclaimed, sitting up from his box again.  He would’ve approached if it wasn’t for the large scratch on his back tearing through his coat.  He winced and sat back down as he continued to glare at his twin.  

  “I opened it.  But I only opened it to save you!  I’ve been spending the last 30 years trying to get you back and I-“ 

  “Stan, you were using my house as a fake museum.  You read the Journals!  You should’ve known the risks!”  Stanford cut in with a blunt expression.  

  “Oh… right… the multi-timelines… or whatever…” Stanley sighed at the reminder.  His brother already knew most of what had happened since he’s been traveling different universes and observing them.  Stanley still didn’t totally understand what happened, but he knows that his brother knows about the basics of his life.  

  “Were you out of your mind Stanley?  You nearly caused the end of the world!  You endangered the kids!  And now look where it got you!  Bill is out there causing suffering to this entire town.  You know or at least have some idea what that mind demon is like!”  Stanford continued to rant as Stanley averted his gaze to the floor.  

“It doesn't matter now.”  Stanley’s eyes furrowed as he looked up to his brother- surprised that the scolding has stopped so abruptly. 

  “If there’s one thing I learned from traveling Timelines is that no matter what, you’re my family… and I should help you in any way I can.  Dipper,” Ford turned towards his nephew, “We’re saving your sister.” 

~

The room was still tense when the red head reappeared from the upper floors with a med kit.  She approached Ford and handed it to him.  Wendy quickly gave Ford the kit before escaping the room.  

  “I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”  Ford quickly went through the supplies he was given before standing up with a wince.  

  “Hey- uh Ford can I talk to you for a second?”  Stanley followed behind his brother like a stray, adjusting his collar.  

  “We just did, Stanley.”  Ford said simply, his pace unyielding.  

  “No… privately.”  Stanley elaborated.  

  “Why won’t you just leave me alone!”  Ford exclaimed, reaching his room’s door and turning the handle.  

  “No- Ford that’s now-“ Stanley tried to explain, but the door was swung open anyway, to reveal Multi-Bear in a large wooden tub.  He was in the middle of mid-Rubber Duck enactment of a Disco Girl concert when he noticed the two men in the doorway.  

  “…Multi-Bear’s washroom…” Stan finished.  

  “Oh come on!”  Ford exclaimed, slamming the door shut.  He grumbled and leaned against the wall beside the room.  He used the surface as support as he sat down on the ground.  The other twin observed in an odd guilty state with a pitiful look.  He watched as Ford unpacked what he needed to treat his wound.  

  “Do… do you.. ’er… don’t suppose I could… tch, don’t know… help you?”  Stan asked, feeling himself grow smaller.  The other glared downwards, the way his eyes darted back and forth showed he was pondering the small-voiced question. His gaze softened at the floor, and then at Stanley.  

  “I suppose wouldn’t mind some… yes.”  The twins smiled at each other for a minute… basking in each other’s nostalgia.  Stanley was the first to break the moment, stepping behind Stanley and sitting down before pausing.  

  “…How do you do this again?”  Ford sighed in his usual disappointment.  And like usual, the fondness in the air revealed his true affection for his brother.  

  “I’ll talk you through it…”  Ford slid the case behind himself for Stanley to use, “Use the alcohol and towel first.  All you gotta do is dump it on the towel and dab it.”  

  “Alright… so… about what you said to Dipper…” Stanley began talking as he tended to his brother’s wound, “Just don’t make promises you can’t keep Sixer.  I don’t wanna hurt the kid… y’know?”  The wounded twin tensed at the nickname, taking note of his own shudder in his breath.  Stanley helped Ford take off his bloodied jacket and set it aside.  He didn’t seem to notice the other’s discomfort.  As a kid, Ford always appreciated the fond nickname.  It made him feel less self conscious about his unusual hands.  Though- the time he had spent with Bill flipped his everything upside down.  Even his feelings about the affectionate nickname.  Stanford decided to be open with his brother.  More open in general.  Especially since he’d be in this timeline for a while.  He’d like to believe forever… but the hope of this actually being his true timeline was slim.  Whatever the case, no matter the universe, this was his brother and he wanted to make amends.

  “I promise you.  I fully intend on getting Mabel back.  And… I appreciate the gesture Stanley… but can you not… call me that anymore?  It’s… what Bill called me.  I hope you understand why it can be a bit unnerving.”  Ford let out a small grunt of pain as the alcohol began to cleanse his wound.  Stanley shrugged.  He was a lot more compliant about the request than Ford expected.  

  “Potato, potáta.  I read yer’ journals.  I know he made you a little messed up in the head for a while there.  I won’t go complaining.”  Stanley said simply, “Back to my first point Ford.  We already have a lot going on- and we’ve been trying to get her back for a while.  Last time Dipper and Wendy went on their own… they got really banged up.  By FUCKING GIDEON!”  In a spurt of anger, Stan hit his fist on the floor.  

  “I’m gonna rip that kid to pieces one of these days.  He’ll see what’s coming.  We are only a month into this mess and barely have enough food to last everyone another one!  Are you sure you can handle this?”  Stanley tilted his head as he finished with disinfecting the gash.  

  “What’s next?” He added.  

  “Bandages.  Take the pad- the fluffier one and grab enough to cover the wound.  Then wrap the plaster around to keep it there.”  Ford decided to answer Stanley’s last question before going onto his earlier concerns.  

  “Trust me.  I can handle this.  Please Stanley.  I want to meet my niece.  Let me help you.  Help her…” Stanford sighed solemnly- before feeling a hand on his shoulder.  

  “Ok.  I’ll trust you- one one condition:  We gotta get some grub first.”  Ford nodded in response and took out one of his journals. 

  “Great!  I’ll start planning.”  Ford began scribbling in his journal and muttering half to himself and to his twin.  “I’m probably gonna need to know what we’re up against.  I’d also like to know how Mabel even got in there- simply to satisfy my own curiosities.  How did the first trial pan-out, and are there guards?  What even is that giant prison of hers…?”  Stanley cut off his brother’s rambles with a simple pat on the other’s shoulder.   

  “Relax.  I’ll fill you in on details later.  For now we need to focus on our ration situation.  All we have left are a couple cans of brown meat and some stale snacks.  Got any ideas?”  Stan asked, as he began to wrap the plaster around his brother’s torso.  

  “There surely has to be more places to go to…  What about the one down the street?  The closed down one?”  Stanley shook his head.  

  “Got stomped out by a set of teeth first week in.”  

  “The mall?”  

  “Got claimed by the oversized centipedes.  Tried.”

  “The pizzeria?”  

  “The pizza is animate.”  

  “My old bunker?”  

  “Your… oh!  That thing!  Now I see where you’re headed.  I knew that brainiac could be used for something other than complicated plans.  Now c’mon.  You’re all patched up.  We’ve got a lot to talk about.”  Stanley stood up and held a hand out to his brother, silently asking him to do the same.  Ford took Stanley’s hand and pulled himself up, gathering the access medical supplies.  

  “That bunker has enough rations til the next century!  Well for two people… but it should be enough.”  Ford began scribbling in his journal.  

  “Well, food is food.”  Stanley shrugged and began walking down the hall.  His brother followed closely behind with the extra supplies.  

  “You can put that in the bathroom.  Let’s hope we won’t need it for a while… I’ll go grab a team to see if we can get those supplies.”  Stan gave a small smile towards Ford- a small sign of appreciation.  But Ford knew this was only a small token of gratitude, and that he’d still have a lot to make up.  

  He still could’ve saved the kids.  The time police still haven’t come after him- even for messing up the timeline.  The amount of times he just watched for fearing the consequences to himself is eye-wrenching.  He watched them fail over, 

  And over

  And over-  

  “Hey, Ford?  You coming?”  Ford shook his head, snapping out of his regret induced daze.  Now wasn’t the time.  

  “I’ll go.”  He said.  He needed to start somewhere.  

  “Go…” Stanley processed the answer for a moment before shaking his head, “oh no buddy.  I just got you back.  Do you honestly think I’m gonna fall for that selfless hero bullshit just so you can run off on me again?!”  Ford sighed.  

  “Stanley, you need to understand- I’m not just gonna let my family sit here while you’re struggling to make ends meet in some… some hellish version of this place I know caused!”  His brother shook his head.  

  “You are helping.  You’re gonna make a plan to get our niece back-“

  “What?  So you guys can go get yourselves killed?!”  Ford continued, “Look Stanley.  You don’t know what I’ve been through.  You have to understand!  I need… I need to fix this-“

  “You can fix this by staying here.”  Stanley growled.  

  “You can’t tell me what to do!”  His brother barked.  Stan huffed.  

  “This is childish,” he stated only because he knew what his brother said was true, “we shouldn’t be fighting like this at the end of the world…” He shook his head and turned away from his brother.  

  “Therefore you should stay.”

  “Stanley-!”  Ford decided to cross his arms and huff, he knew Stan was right on one thing.  This was childish.  He decided to keep his mouth shut on the topic until it arises again.  

“…so… how can we just stay here like sitting ducks?  How has Bill not captured you all by now?”  Stanley seemed grateful for the topic change- instantly jumping on answering.  

  “Now, that genius was all thanks to your nephew Dipper!  He found one of your freaky little spells in one of your journals… apparently he modified it or something?  I don’t know.  I’d talk to him about it.”  Stanley walked away as Ford pondered.  He couldn’t be any more proud of Dipper- he was glad that the boy wanted to protect his family… though Ford couldn’t help but wonder where that unicorn hair came from.   Next chapter finally has some Bill!

[orpheuswasmine]

BILLFORD FIC W

The Final Judgement was on a lot of previous other sites, but an offical refine version is out now and on the one and only site, AO3 🙏

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59077735">

[ryemiffie]

Chapter 2 of my Billford centric bill redemption fic, Cosmically gifted reconciliation coming out later today!

[aceistheplace86]

Ephemeral pt. 2

It had been almost a week and still no word from Stanford, you had never moved in with him so you had your home to reside in. You were a little upset that he had not been by, not even a phone call. You had thought you would run into him at the grocery store or just around town but you should’ve known better. You hardly saw him during your relationship, why would you now?

You were currently sitting on your couch catching up on one of your favorite TV series when your phone rings. You reach over and pick it up “Hello?”

“Hey” It was Stanley, and he sounded hesitant

“Oh hey Stan” You spoke slowly “Uhm. Why are you calling?”

He sighed heavily “I know what happened, and I’m sorry about my brother. He cares he just” He trails off “But he will come around y’know?”

You were quiet for a moment “You know, I wanted to be a teacher”  your voice soft, this being the first time you had brought this up to Stan.

“Really?” He sounded confused “I thought you were working with Ford, whatever science-y stuff he does”

You chuckled softly “I wanted to go to school for teaching, but Stanford said I was “too smart” to waste my talents on that. That my time would be better spent helping him with his research” You scoffed and shook your head “Not that he let me help that often, and then he started to shut me out”

“Why’d you listen to him?”

“I love him.”

Stan was quiet for a moment “I think you’d be a good teacher. You were always helpful to me when we were kids”

“You were always brilliant Stanley, it’s not your fault some people couldn’t see that” You had often helped Stan with school, you had always known he was smart. You saw how he and other kids were made to feel less than others, and you vowed never to be like that “I thought I would make a difference”

“You did to me” He reassured you “I mean, you made me feel smart when we were working on that portal” He was silent for a moment “I have to go, but hang in there okay? If you need me, you know where to find me”

“Thanks, Stan.”

-

You were now cleaning up the kitchen after making dinner. You were in the middle of clearing dishes when there was a knock on the door. Confused, you slowly made your way to the door not sure who would be over this late.

You peeked out the window and saw Stanford standing on the porch with his hands shoved in his pocket. You sighed but opened the door “Hey Ford” you said softly

He looked almost surprised that you answered the door “H-Hello Darling” He stuttered “I-I wanted to talk to you”

“About?” you raised your eyebrow but had not let him in yet.

“My Multiverse Echo Theory, states that there are many alternate realities” He starts.

“Goodbye Stanford” You go to shut the door, but he puts his hand out to stop you.

“Wait, please let me explain,” He says quickly, when you make no movements, he nods “As I was saying my Multiverse Echo Theory states that there are many alternate realities, meaning that there are tons of realities where you and I are together. There are some where we aren’t, of course, and there are some where we are just friends, or enemies, and some where we are in a relationship” He puts his hands in his pockets “I would like to believe that this is one of the realities where we belong together”

“It took you a week to come visit me” you stated.

He nodded. “I apologize for that. I believed, at the time, that you had wanted me to choose between my research and you” he said “And that, quite frankly, was not fair. I have always had a bit of a hard time with understanding people, it causes a lot of miscommunications and has left me quite lonely” He sighs “I don’t know when to stop, I can’t tell when people are mad at me or for what reason. I can’t tell when they're mad but will come back or when they’re just done” He hesitated “You and Stanley were always there for me, and always waited for me to understand. I appreciate that. Then I realized that you never wanted me to pick between you and my research, you just wanted me to divide my time equally”

You stared at him, not exactly sure where to begin. You knew he had a difficult time with others, but you were stuck on one single fact “You thought I was having you choose between our relationship and your research… and you picked your research”

“I’ve been working on this for years,” he says simply. “You don’t understand how much I’ve spent on this, or what it means to me. I have spent my whole life being labeled a freak, but here” he looks around “Gravity Falls, there are far weirder things than me”

You shook your head slowly “No Stanford. That’s what you don’t get. You think you’ve been searching for so long for a place to fit in, but Stan and I have been there for you since the beginning. We were there every time you pushed us out, and anytime you rambled on about finding a place to fit in, we stuck by you” You straighten your posture “I gave up my dreams to follow you here. Stan gave up any chance at a normal life to stick around, pay your mortgage, and try and bring you back. You couldn’t even thank him right off that bat. God, you don’t even understand it still now!”

He looked confused and straightened his glasses “Your dreams of being a teacher? No offense, but you could do better things than being a teacher”

“Will you stop it!” You exclaimed “I could do anything I wanted; I get it. I’m sorry you don’t think I’m “living up to my potential” but the thought of being a teacher was something that brought me joy. I loved being around kids and seeing their eyes light up when they figured out what they were struggling with” You continued, “I wanted to make a difference to even just one kid. That would have been enough for me”

He looked confused now; he opened his mouth and then closed it again for a moment. “I don’t understand, I was helping you”

“How?!” You could not understand where his logic was right now “You took me away from my family and my friends, you cut contact with the only other person who understood us, you convinced me that working with you was going to lead to better things. You didn’t even let me help you” You started “Then you got stuck in that portal. I thought I lost you. I didn’t know what I was going to do without you! I was scared, Stanford. I just wanted you back.”

“How do you think I felt? I was stuck in dimensions!” he countered

“This is not a competition!” You cried out “This is me trying to get you to see that you had people in your corner, and you kept knocking them down. You cut off your brother, then tried to kick him out when you returned. You ruined any chance Fiddleford had at marriage and years of being a father. You know he was the first one in his family to even go to college?”

“You leave him out of this” He snapped “At least he helped me more than you ever did with my research. You just kept pulling me from it!”

You opened your mouth to remind him that he never actually let you try to work with him, you didn’t get to build the portal or go over notes, all you did was take care of the home, and maybe get to hear his theories if he had time. But you realized this was a pointless fight. “Your Multiverse Echo Theory states that there are many other realities” You started “I keep trying to help you Ford, I let you hurt me time and again because I love you but I don’t think you love me as much as you say” You glanced down at the ground “I don’t think we can be saved in this reality.  Every good moment we have ever had only existed briefly. I can’t spend my life waiting around for those moments”

You step back inside your house “I wish you all the best in your research. I hope you achieve everything you’ve been missing. I really do”

And with that, you shut the door.

-

It took you a while but you got things back on track. You moved away from Gravity Falls, all the memories were too painful, and it hurt to even see Stanley, not that it was his fault. You reassured him that this was just something you had to do. You had gotten settled into a nice town in a nice apartment. You had started your new job teaching at a school, you started with elementary school, because you really did miss being around kids.

You were walking around the classroom as the kids worked on their morning bell work, when you noticed one kid, Jullian, had not been working but instead drawing. “Are you okay Jullian?” you asked him gently

“I don’t want to do this,” he says not looking up from his sketch

You look at his paper to see a pretty good sketch of a superhero “What are you drawing”

“Galactic Guardian,” he says simply “I like to draw, but I don’t like math” he showed you the drawing a little better “My sister knows math better than I do. and my dad tells my momma that I won’t ever figure it out” He spoke casually while shading in the character's costume “But no one gets mad at Galactic, he's good at everything”

You kneeled by his desk “This is a very good drawing St-Julian” You said softly “ Just like Galactic, you have strengths that can help you tackle anything, even math!”

Julian blinked “But I’m not a superhero in math.”

 “Maybe not yet. But remember how superheroes face challenges? They don’t give up, and they learn from every battle”

You point to a problem on his worksheet. “Let’s tackle this one together, step by step. If a superhero can face down a giant monster, I know you can face this math problem”

Jullian hesitated but then nodded, and you noticed a small flicker of determination igniting in him.

This is what you felt you had been missing. A place where those good moments were no longer few and far between.

// Tag list: @kawaii1369 @slay-thou-pookie @randombuddys @ppenisblog @doggosnoodles12 @velvetvulture

Thank you guys for reading! Let me know what else you would like to read! I am happy to take requests!

[thebiterror]

Pictures for the first chapter of Starbound Mysteries, a Gravity Falls FanFiction that I originally started in late 2018 and am currently reworking at the request of a friend!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58887034/chapters/150093415

Come read it!

P.S.: there is a code in the second picture that will help you solve one of the ciphers in the a.n. at the end of the chapter!

[spiritofboredom]

Just a small little thing inspired by me drawing a bunch of Bills in my sketchbook. (A small interaction which I thought would become a full fic but I just couldn't think of anything else)

It was muscle memory the way your pencil scratched across the paper. You were hardly paying attention as you finished drawing Bill's bowtie for like the 10th time in the past minute. "Enough already! Sheesh!" Speak of the devil. The triangle blinked into existence behind you, snapping you out of your self-induced trance. "Look, I love blind adoration as much as the next guy." Bill hovered in front of you, poking your forehead. "But it's getting old, seeing your long face popping up when I'm trying to spy on people." Oh, right. "I forgot you could do that," was your defense. Bill rolled his eye, "Yeah. So quit it!" "Sorry, it just... helps? It's better than just staring at a blank paper for hours on end," you explained with a shrug.