Work Text:
“Dipper, Mabel, I need you two to meet me in the kitchen after we close up today. We need to have a serious talk.”
The twins both stared at their Grunkle Stan, who gave each one a very stern look and then went back to his own share of the closing procedures (which typically consisted of counting down the cash register to see how many people he’d suckered that day). As he thumbed through the stacks of bills, Dipper and Mabel shared a panicked look. Her eyes were enormous, and Dipper’s forehead was a minefield of sweat as each felt their own face pale. He immediately went back to straightening the merchandise on the shelves while she swept with a vigor unseen for cleaning. Once they were both done, they bolted up the stairs of the shack, to the attic.
As soon as they had the door locked, they embraced. Mabel’s arms clung tightly around his ribs, squeezing the breath from his lungs as he ran fingers through her long cinnamon-colored locks.
“He knows!” she hissed, voice wavering. Even though he couldn’t see her face, buried against his shoulder, Dipper knew she was inevitably tearing up. He lifted his head and planted a kiss on her forehead to calm her down, and as his lips peeled back from her smooth skin he felt her grip relax.
“Mabel, it might not be that at all. It could be something else!” He chuckled, nervousness bubbling up in the attempt to soften the mood. His twin just shook her head.
“No Dipper, he’s never looked so serious before. He knows, about us.” As much as he hated to admit it, she was probably right. They had done everything they could to keep their taboo relationship a secret from most people. One or two friends knew about the twins being together-together, but those friends didn’t really talk to their family at all. Most of the people of Gravity Falls were oblivious to everything around them, which made it easier to be themselves when they were here in the summers. For the last three years-three years since they turned fifteen, three years since they had discovered their shared feelings for one another-this town had been freeing to them. They just had to keep their guard up around Stan, Soos, and Wendy. Well, maybe not Wendy after that one time, but that was beside the point.
Apparently they’d slipped. Now Dipper’s mind was racing, trying to decide how to approach the subject. Various scenarios flew through his mind, none of them ending well. The secret is out, he’s going to chew us out for this. What if he tells other people? What if he tells OUR PARENTS?! He groaned, burying his face in his sister’s hair as he processed everything. “Mabel?”
“Y-yeah, bro-bro?” He stepped back from their embrace, forcing her to look into his eyes as he took a deep breath, then planted a loving kiss on her lips. It lingered for what could have been an eternity, both of them melting into it. Regretfully, he broke it first.
“I love you. I’ll always love you no matter what, but if Stan has us figured out we need to come clean. No matter-” his voice caught, throat tightening before he managed to force the last words out. “No matter the consequences.”
Mabel chewed on her lower lip anxiously. She knew it was the truth, but she was trying to ignore that as forcefully as one could. She fiddled with a strand of her own hair, fighting the urge to replace her lower lip’s position between her teeth with the curls. She couldn’t bear the thought of her and Dipper being forced to split up. Or something even worse. “I love you, too.”
———
———
Stan sat at the kitchen table, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. His foot tapped impatiently on the floor, leg bouncing. Kids I told you we were doing this meeting now, what’s taking you two so long to- The thought was interrupted by the sound of feet tromping down the old, squeaky staircase, and then down the hallway into the kitchen. Both Dipper and Mable looked incredibly on edge and nervous. He gestured to the seats across from him, and both sat down without a sound. He cleared his throat and started to speak, but Dipper interrupted him.
“Grunkle Stan, we-we’re sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.” Stan perked an eyebrow at his great nephew inquisitively.
“What’re you-” he started to interject, but this time Mabel cut him off.
“We just, we know it’s not exactly normal,” she muttered. “A lot of people would shun us or worse.”
“Kids, that’s n-”
“We just-” Dipper started, followed closely by Mabel.
“Everything happened so fast between us and-”
“We know it’s wrong but it doesn’t feel-”
“KIDS.” They both jumped at the sound of their great uncle’s raised voice. “What are you going on about?!”
“Isn’t, isn’t this about Mabel and me?” Stan rolled his eyes.
“Yes, but-”
“But what?! We’re trying to be honest with you!” Mabel wailed, tears welling in her eyes. Stan frowned.
“Honest about what?!”
“About US!” the twins shouted in unison, and it was at that moment that Stan noticed the two had their hands on top of the table, fingers laced together. The gears in his head ticked a few times before things fell into place. However he ignored it for the time being.
“What about you two?! I just need you two to run the shack by yourselves this coming week. The guys at the lodge have a trip planned and I’m going with them. Why, what did you THINK this was about?” They stared at each other, then back at their Grunkle. “What, you thought I meant you two lovebirds being… well, lovebirds?”
The dumbfounded stares from across the table told him that they had, indeed, been thinking that very thought. They both opened their mouths to speak, but he held up a hand to silence them. “Okay, lemme see if I can answer the questions BEFORE they pour out of your mouths.” He pointed at Dipper first.
“I’ve known since you were here the summer you were 16 years old.” Then he pointed at Mabel. “No, I’m not upset, nor do I care.” His finger reoriented at Dipper. “It wasn’t hard to see, the way you two would look at each other when you thought I wasn’t lookin’. Not to mention, the way you two huddled under the blanket in front of the TV? What teenage siblings cuddle like THAT!” He emphasized that statement with a laugh and a slap to the tabletop.
“W… why aren’t you mad?!” His gaze switched to Mabel, who had trails from the tears streaking down her cheeks. However, at the same time, she wasn’t crying anymore, so at least the tension was leaving her. Dipper still looked like a spooked deer, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.
“Okay look. You two are smart kids, you’re clearly taking precautions to avoid any, er, unfortunate mistakes. And obviously you’re careful when you know somebody’s looking. You just can’t out-con the conman, sweetie.” She nodded, lower lip sucking between her teeth as she chewed.
“A-are you gonna tell anyone?” Dipper’s voice was almost a whisper, so timid and wavering. Stiff as his body was, he trembled just enough to hint at how nervous the kid was. Stan just shook his head.
“Look, if I had reason to, I would have. I’ve known for two years. Why do you think I keep telling your parents to let you come up here during the summer? Not that the cheap labor hurts,” he explained with a shrug, “But I want you two to know, as long as we’ve got the Mystery Shack, you’re welcome under my roof. I just have a couple of conditions.”
“Anything!” they piped up in unison, leaning forward.
“First one is, I don’t wanna see anymore of this than I already have. Got it?” They nodded together. “Okay, second of all, if you’re gonna stay here, you’re welcome as long as you need, but you will work.”
“Pffff, like that changes anything,” Dipper remarked under his breath, with his usual dry sarcasm. Stan smiled. At least he was starting to relax.
“Third and final condition, is I have to know who else knows,” Stan grumbled. “Makes it easier to pay people to keep their yaps shut, just in case.”
“Candy and Grenda!” Mabel piped up happily. Stan simply waved that off.
“Yeah yeah, I’m already keeping their lips sealed on this.” He drummed his fingers on the tabletop and then glanced up at Dipper. The kid had his typical caught-in-the-headlights look again. “Who did you tell.”
“W-what?! Nobody, I mean, um,” he objected, rubbing the back of his neck. Stan glared until he cracked and hung his head low. “I didn’t tell her, Wendy actually just, caught us last year.” Stan’s eyes went wide. Wendy knew already? Well, he guessed if she was already quiet about it he wouldn’t have to raise her wages, at least.
“Alright then. Well then, I leave tomorrow morning, so you have a whole day to yourselves before the Shack is open again. You two, don’t burn the place down between now and Friday, understand?” He stood up and stretched while he spoke, and instantly was crushed from both sides as the twins hugged him tight. He choked out a laugh, trying to wiggle free.
“Kids, kids the ribs! The ribs!” They finally relented. “Okay then, I’m gonna go pack. Oh, Dipper, c'mere a sec.” Dipper looked at Mabel, who shrugged at him, and followed. Once they were out of the kitchen, Stan placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder and locked his gaze to his nephew’s.
“Uh, Stan what’s this ab-”
“You hurt her in any way, they will never. Find. Your. Corpse,” he mumbled, just low enough for only Dipper to hear. “Have fun this week!” He then clapped him on the shoulder with a laugh and turned him back towards the kitchen.
After all, he couldn’t let them both off the hook THAT easy.