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Despite it being the middle of the summer, the rain in Gravity Falls poured in torrents, pounding and thudding against the Pines twins’ bedroom windows. Every now and then lightning would strike somewhere near, inching closer with each blow and drenching the room in a blindingly pale light.
The incessant downpour, or the fact that it was two a.m did nothing to thwart the ridiculously hot waves of heat that were plaguing Oregon. Norman’s lanky limbs lay sprawled out over his sheets, having kicked them away in a series of failed attempts to escape the ever-so-pesky warmth. Paired with the lightning, and rain, it was virtually impossible for him to even consider sleeping, as much as he wanted to. Believe it or not, he didn’t enjoy constantly carrying bags and bags under his eyes and walking around as though he wasn’t alive--human bridges between the dead and the living should appear as lively they could, not like a mix between the two.
But it wasn’t entirely dark within the bedroom. Thin violet rays of the moon’s light crept through the extensive forest, reaching Dipper’s freckled exposed rising chest and his unconscious face. In this moment, he appeared so at peace with the world, to the point of having placating properties to whoever witnessed him whenever he wasn’t wearing his typical inquisitive, stressed expressions. What a shame it was such a rare mood.
Said boy stirred, momentarily lilac-tinted hazel eyes fluttering open and upper body rising from the mattress on the ground. He wiped a few beads of sweat off his forehead with the bottom of an undersized t-shirt before getting up entirely, glancing down at Norman. If the medium wasn’t awake before, the creaking of floorboards reacting to Dipper’s shifting weight would’ve done the trick.
“You up?” He asked, knowing the answer.
“Yeah, I can’t sleep.”
“I can’t either, not until this stupid storm goes away, at least.” Dipper held out a hand for Norman to grab, signifying that he wanted to do something, or go somewhere with him.
Without a second thought, he said yes to his friend’s unspoken, physical question and took his hand to pull himself out of the mess of sheets and pillows.
“I don’t know where you’re planning on going but I’m coming with you.” Norman said, exchanging nervous glances with Dipper, following him down the stairs to the living room.
Their hands were still holding and they both let go at the same time, exchanging brief, flustered apologies. Neither parties were actually sorry.
“Here we are, man.” The male Pines twin stopped and turned the lights on, revealing a mini party station. Two relatively fresh looking boxes of pizza, a ‘20 Questions: Special Edition,’ with a winking face, and a single flask of vodka lay on the floor. He smirked at his friend’s perplexed expression and sat down cross-legged, beckoning him to follow suit.
“..I thought we were going to do something a little more.. dangerous? Like, I don’t know. Uncovering mysteries, or hunting monsters?”
“Technically it’s your sixteenth birthday today! I wanted us to have our own celebration. Because you’re my best friend. Take it as a thanks for putting up with three whole years of our death-defying, life-threatening escapades, and me.” Dipper looked him straight in the eyes the whole time he spoke, grinning and beaming unadulterated affection.
“W-wow.. uh. Thank you. This m-means a lot..” Norman’s face was increasingly reddening but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He felt a mixture of gratitude, surprise, and.. disappointment? After all they’d been through, even ‘best friend’ felt inadequate. He wanted to be more than best friends; a different type of ‘bf.’ But boyfriends kissed, explored each other’s bodies and experienced mutual, requited feelings for one another--feelings that weren’t platonic. For all he knew, his ‘best friend’ simply considered him that, or his bro. Whatever the hell heterosexual males thought of each other.
The warmth of Dipper’s skin interrupted his moment of contemplation as he felt arms around him. A hug. He really, really tried not to revel in what had been a simple token of friendship but his efforts were futile. The boy faintly smelled of bugspray.. and Axe? Somehow, it wasn’t nauseating as one thought it might be. Norman found it quite amicable that he used the old ‘shower in a can’ to smell good for this particular occasion. How thoughtful of him.
After they let each other go and sat back down, Dipper popped open the vodka flask and took a big swig, passing it to Norman, who debated whether he should or shouldn’t, eventually deciding to do the same. Truthfully, the medium would take any chance he got to put his lips where the other’s had been. With each sip he took, he took it in more slowly, embracing the numbing side effects it had on his brain. He didn’t feel as anxious or worried as to what would come next, instead welcoming it like the alcohol pouring down his throat.
Norman then had a moment of full coherence and closed the flask, not wanting to become fully drunk. Alcohol was best consumed in moderation, and both of them were on a happy buzz, which was enough. He knew from b-rated 80s movies he’d seen that vodka in large amounts was potentially disastrous. Drooling on the couch, leaning on Dipper’s shoulder was one thing, and actually throwing up on it was another. His parents would never let him go over there again, had the latter become reality.
“Norman, wanna play 20 questions?”
“Uh, sure!” He didn’t think twice of the unusual eyebrow-waggling and winking his friend did while asking.
Dipper grinned as he opened the box. There were two stacks of cards, with various questions on the front and a single question mark on the back, in order for the front to not be seen by the person facing the asker. Meticulously putting the cards in order and grinning, he handed Norman his stack, stating that he’d go first.
Norman took the first card from the top of the pile and read it out loud.
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Blue. My turn!” Dipper scratched the back of his neck before reading his card, slowly biting his lower lip.
“So, Norman.. Are you a virgin?”
The medium’s eyes glanced at the boy in surprise, his face heating up. Was that even a question? Was he joking..? Did he unknowingly grab his Gruncle Stan’s dirty XXX edition? It was reminiscent of things random guys occasionally asked him over messaging services. Him not answering at all would be the worst possible outcome, so he just blurted something, anything out.
“Yep. I hope I’m not too uncool for you now. My turn?” He sighed a breath of relief, happy the pressure of answering was gone.
“I’m one too, it’s okay, man.” Dipper let out a nervous laugh, and sigh of relief as well.
Norman’s face was beet red again after he read his next card. These must have been rigged on purpose, that cheeky bastard. He decided on reading the card, regardless of what it said. He probably was being too serious about the whole thing.
“W-when’s the last time you, uh.. choked the chicken?” Norman’s heart felt like jumping out of his chest.
“Yesterday, actually. My turn.” After reading the new card, Dipper appeared slightly reassured.
“When was your first kiss?”
“I haven’t had mine. Yet, I guess. If I’m lucky.”
“If you’re ‘lucky?’ Are you implying you might never be kissed? Like, you actually think that you aren’t worthy enough of having another person hug your face with theirs?”
Norman’s finger twiddled with the hem of his shirt. He didn’t really know what to say. Was his friend complimenting him, or was that wishful thinking on his part?
“If you’re that sure a girl won’t kiss you.. I m-might as well do it, y’know. Since we’re such good friends. It wouldn’t be gay or anything.”
“O-okay.”
“If you want, I mean.. If not, that’s totally understandable.” He glanced down at his trembling hands.
“I do, Dipper.”
The relatively laid back expression on Dipper’s face shifted to something more serious, as if this was the world’s most important task he was about to perform. It probably was, to him.
He scooted up close until they were directly facing each other, kneecaps touching. Dipper then leaned forward even more, grasping the nape of Norman’s neck with his hand, gently moving their faces towards each other until their lips touched.
Dipper was about to pull away, but the medium went for it and pulled him in again, softly nibbling on the other’s lip and tasting his mouth. Norman’s breath hitched as Dipper returned the favor with his tongue thrusting into the unsuspecting boy’s mouth. He then straddled Dipper, kissing down his neck and chest, claiming ownership and tracing his many freckles with his lips, while the other left purple hickeys around Norman’s Adam’s apple.
Norman stopped kissing him, and just held him as close as he could and half-cried and half-laughed, bare skin on skin, his arms around Dipper’s back.
After years of beating around the bush, and witnessing Dipper’s and Candy’s brief relationship, it felt immensely good to have Dipper finally be his--and only his. To know he wanted him to be his. To know he wanted him to be his all along, and that this was most definitely a ploy for this event to take place; in an awkward, adorable way. No one other than him could’ve come up with it.
“You planned all of this, didn’t you?”
“I don’t kiss and tell.” He replied, stars in his eyes.
“God, you’re such a dork.” Despite how obviously corny Dipper’s statement was, Norman couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled him into another kiss.