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Dipper felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment for what was most likely the 100th time that evening as Pacifica’s laugh rang through his ears. He couldn’t exactly say when his feelings for the blonde changed, but once she finally escaped from under her parent’s thumb it had changed from animosity to admiration and now to his current infatuation. His musings were cut off when the waitress came up to their table.
“Are you guys ready to order?” she asked in a perky voice.
“No, sorry. We're still waiting on a few people,” he replied, giving her a nervous smile before she walked away. As more time passed and his awkwardness increased he could feel the uneasiness surge.
“I don’t know why they aren’t here, Mabel said they would be done shopping by 6:00,” Pacifica said as she checked her texts.
Dipper’s conspiracy/twin senses started tingling at this. There was no way she forgot, Mabel would never miss out on a chance to hang out with Pacifica. He gave an involuntary shudder as images of her matchmaking notebook invaded his mind, there was no way she would be that cruel though, right?
“Should we start without them? I mean- I don’t know about you, but I’m getting kinda hungry,” he stuttered as he attempted to brush off his previous thoughts.
“Yeah, me too. Plus, I think the waitress is getting pretty annoyed with us, she’s come around like four times now,” Pacifica added, whispering the last part.
He gave a soft laugh at that. As the piano played in the background, he looked into her icy blue eyes. She looked so beautiful, maybe she even liked him ba-
No, stop thinking like that! She only sees you as a friend, a voice in his head said as a guilty feeling grew inside him.
“Yup, let’s order!” He said with a bit too much enthusiasm as he tried to shake his thoughts.
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As a very awkward, but kinda nice dinner ensued, Dipper wanted to scream. If you would have told him four years ago that he would have dinner with Pacifica and not want to stab his eyes out with the ridiculous amount of forks rich people use, he would have called you crazy.
The girl that was across from him right now was nothing like that old Pacifica though. Dipper knew this was the real Pacifica, not just some façade she used to please her parents. This Pacifica liked to laugh at bad jokes (though why she always blushed at his was a mystery to him so far), jam out to BABBA, and watch a 24-hour marathon of Ghost Harassers with him. This Pacifica wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty or join in on a monster-hunting trip.
He loved that Pacifica so much more.
“Hey Paz, do you maybe want to go walk around town after we’re done?” He blurted out before his filter could stop him as an uncharacteristic wave of courage overcame him.
As he processed what he said, Dipper tried to take It back, but he stopped when he saw her smiling.
“Yeah, that actually sounds really nice,” she replied as he dissolved into a blushing mess.
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After dinner passed (with no sign of Mabel or the other girls he noted), he and Pacifica Found themselves walking arm in arm through the town. The two sixteen-year-olds enjoyed each other’s company as the sky faded and the sun sank. It was wonderful, but all good things must come to an end.
“Shoot, it’s getting late. I have an early shift at the diner tomorrow, I need to go.” Pacifica said with a frown as she checked her phone.
At these words, the smile he had sported for most of the walk vanished. As dejection filled him he felt the strange confidence return, making him certain he was about to do something very stupid.
“Hey Paz, I really liked this. Would you maybe want to go to the movies together?”
“My, my. Mason Pines, are you asking me on a date?” she asked in a teasing tone, but sporting a blush that suggested this was just as surprising for her as it was for him.
“Do you want it to be?” he teased back with a faint blush.
Oh my God, what am I doing? he screamed internally as he prayed for the ground to swallow him up. To his surprise though, she just grew a blush and smiled.
“Really?”
“I-if you’d like! I mean, I’d totally get it if you weren’t into…” he stuttered, the confidence fading, only to be stopped when he felt a kiss on his cheek.
“I’m free at 6 on Saturday. You know what kind of movies I like.” She smirked before walking away to get her car, leaving the 16-year-old stunned.
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As he walked through the doors he was tackled by a crazed Mabel.
“So Dipstick, how was the date?” She asked eagerly.
“It wasn’t a- wait a minute, where were you? You bailed on us!” He said in irritation as he pushed his sister off him.
“I needed you two to be alone! I didn’t know if the confidence potion would have worked if I-“ she said before she cut herself off with a horrified expression, like she had revealed too much.
“You what!” He shouted as she adopted a nervous look.
“Hey bro-bro, don’t get mad! I found a recipe for it and me and the girls thought it would help you confess…”
“I’m going to kill you,” Dipper responded evenly as Mabel started running, giving her five seconds before he went after her.