Chapter Text
White wisps swirled in the air. Bright red fingers burned. A man buried his hands deeper into his pockets as he followed his guide, absentmindedly licking his chapped lips. He stepped lightly, tip toeing over human waste and litter. His bones ached, moaned like the people who rocked back and forth on the floor. His heart screamed like the woman did who was being carried away as she dragged her nails across the wall. The man tightened his coat around him, standing by his orienter as he pointed out certain patients and traits that he found amusing. The man’s face tightened with a cruel sneer like the observer’s stomach as he watched hell freeze over. The observer began to hum to himself, losing himself in his thoughts for with this he was privileged in the house of the mad.
~
Gingerbread and hot cocoa filled his senses. He combed through his hair and hummed approvingly with his double in the mirror. “Big day, Big day!” His sister squealed enthusiastically, a mantra that he feared would not end while he was still around and even when he was not. “Are you nervous?”
He cracked a smile and he turned to his sister and was greeted by rosy cheeks, mahogany eyes like precious gems. Chocolate eyes closed and he took in a deep breath, tasting cinnamon. “Maybe a little, but who wouldn’t be on their first day?” The man chuckled, heart fluttering like a hummingbird’s wings.
The girl giggled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Don’t worry, bro bro. You got this.” The boy’s heart warmed and he nodded. The girl then turned away, curly chestnut hair flowing in her wake as she retreated to the counter. Picking up her apron, she looked towards the man. “I expect to hear everything when you get home. Grunkle Stan’s right?” Her waist glittered, the words “Pastel Couture” in a cursive rainbow.
“Yep!” He confirmed. “See ya then, sis.” He waved as he shrugged on his overcoat, a jingle sounding out in the store as he opened the door. “See ya dipping-sauce!” Was her reply as he pushed through the freezing air. He shook from the sudden transition but still bore his smile, heaven’s light glowing around him.
~
A cloud of darkness hung over him. He was being led to his office, but Dipper was hypnotized by what was going on around him. Sometimes he would have to side step around someone because he wasn’t paying attention of where he was going. Dipper jolted to the side when a patient threw himself against a window that was lined with metal bars and collapsed to the ground. His guide chuckled to himself at the side and Dipper felt like he was going to be sick.
He should quit. He should walk out the front door right now and find a place somewhere else. But when he really thought about it, were other insane asylums any different? He remembered the history of these hospitals and how they would treat their patients. He was sure that times haven’t changed. Plus he didn’t want to live far away from his family if he found a job that was in a neighboring state or even many states away. He knew that his sister would give up her own job to be with him but Dipper knew how much she loved her store and she was so good at it. And grunkle Stan would never leave his shack but since he’d grown so accustomed to the twins presence, he would grow quite lonely and maybe fall into a sort of depression.
So Dipper reluctantly followed his guide, trying to tune out his surroundings by humming , a song and thinking about the dinner tonight with his family. Soon, he made it to his appointed office and he looked around.
It could have been worse. The desk, at least, looked pretty stable. There was an empty bookcase against the wall and a few armchairs in front of the desk. But upon further inspection, Dipper cringed. There was dry blood along the walls and stuffing and springs were poking out of the armchairs, along with claw marks running everywhere along the fabric. The windows were also barred but there was no glass on the other side, leaving the office freezing and very uninviting.
“You’re quite lucky that they cleaned the space for you. Usually they just wipe up and call it a day.” Dipper nearly scoffed at his guide’s comment, hardly calling his office clean.
“I’ll leave it to you then. You’ll get your first patient in a little bit.” He began to walk to the door and was closing it behind him before he stopped and said,” If the patient gets a little out of hand, there’s tranquilizers in the drawer of your desk. Have fun.” He closed the door and Dipper was left with nothing but the wind and his thumping heart.
~
Dipper was exhausted. He only went through three patients and with each one he felt like he got no where. One was a skittish woman with crazy eyes, looking about the room as if something would come out and get her. She kept mumbling to herself and when Dipper tried to reach out to her for comfort she screamed and jumped out of the chair, making it scrape against the floor and she yelled,”Please don’t hurt me! I didn’t mean it!” And she ran to a corner, shielding herself as if Dipper would come after her and start beating her.
His second was also another young lady, with dull, hooded eyes. Looking through her case file as she wouldn’t answer Dipper’s questions, he found that she used to be an avid drug user and an alcoholic and so she was a ‘burn out.’ After going to many rehabs and hospitals, she was dumped here by her family. Dipper didn’t like the silence that was left between them and he called for one of the nurses to come get her, wanting for the session to be over.
Now, his third patient was something else entirely. He made Dipper’s head spin in frustration and interest and he was the one that made Dipper feel as if he just ran a marathon of dodged questions and flirtatious comments.
He was a young man, in his early thirties. He had blond highlights on his bangs and the left side of his hair and the rest was dark brown. His left eye was covered by a gauze and a playful smirk was on his lips as he looked at Dipper with hooded, blue eyes. Something about him made Dipper squirm in his chair and make his cheeks feel warm.
Flustered, he looked down at his patient’s file and found that his name was William Cipher. His father had put him in the hospital for reasons unknown other than a psychiatrist had dubbed him insane. But when Dipper looked at him, he didn’t see insanity. He saw sharp, intelligent eyes. His aura about him screamed sarcasm and playfulness.
Clearing his throat and trying to keep his composure, Dipper began with,”Hello, I’m Dr. Pines. How are you feeling this morning?” Dipper pulled out a notepad and had a pen at the ready to write down William’s behavior and things of the like.
William leaned in and placed his arm on his knee, resting his head on his hand. “Rather well now that we have a cutie working here.”
Dipper spluttered at the comment and his pen rolled onto his notepad. William snickered at his reaction. Cheeks now flaming, Dipper said,”Well, William-” His patient butted in before Dipper could continue. “I’m gonna stop you right there, doc. William is what my father calls me. Call me Bill.” He leaned back into his chair, crossing his legs and folding his hands into his lap.
Adjusting his posture, Dipper grabbed his pen. “Alright, Bill it is.” Dipper wrote down a few notes and looked up at Bill, trying not to affected by his gaze. “So tell me about yourself, Bill. How would you describe yourself?”
“Single and ready to mingle. Speaking of which, let’s talk about you. What are you like doc? Submissive? Cause I can see you being a bottom.”
Dipper was better prepared for Bill’s comments but that didn’t mean that it didn’t affect Dipper. “Now, Bill, what I am like does not matter. What matters is you. I would like to find out your personality, your likes and dislikes, things of that nature so that I can help you and treat you.”
“Oh I know how you can treat me.” He gave Dipper a wink and that did it for Dipper. “Alright, I can see that you do not wish to talk about yourself. What you’re trying to do is trying to make me feel uncomfortable and dodge my questions. Why are you trying to avoid my questions, Bill? Are you insecure?”
“Oh I’m very confident about myself. I could show you just how much I am, if you like?” He smirked and Dipper put down his pen and notepad. “Ooookay, I think that’s enough for the day. Thank you for your time, Mr. Cipher. Hopefully we can get somewhere in our next session.”
“You and me both, doc.” Bill got up and walked to the door, putting his hand on the knob and and he tilted his head back, saying,”by the way, you’re so adorable when you’re flustered.” And he left, leaving a very red Dipper. He couldn’t quite focus on his other patients after that.
~
“Haha! He did what?!” Mabel was rather amused by Dipper’s interesting day. He reprimanded her for talking with her mouth full with food and continued. “Yes, he was hinting on taking off his clothes.” Dipper nibbled on his spoon, chili dancing along his tongue and warming him up after dealing with the harsh winds from the hospital all the way to his grunkle’s house. Just being fresh out of medical school he didn’t really have anything to afford a car and he refused to take Stans’.
Rubbing his hands together, he blew into them,”And then I stopped the session right then and there. I may have been dealing with weird people with all day, but there is a level of weirdness I can’t take.”
“You should have taken up his offer! I bet he looks rather handsome by the way you’re blushing.” Mabel wiggled her eyes at her brother and he looked down at his bowl, messing with his scarf and mumbling about the winds outside.
They didn’t need to be afraid about their sexualities around their grunkle. Honestly, he could care less. When Dipper came out to Stan about being bisexual, his grunkle had guffawed and yelled,”Mabel! You owe me 10 bucks!” Which was followed by a groan from somewhere in the house. Mabel had told her grunkle that she was asexual ages ago and he didn’t beat an eyelash at her, giving her a soft hug and continuing to watch tv.
Their grunkle then piped up,”Well, Dipper, do you find him attractive?” While Stan may have taken Dipper’s coming out lightly, he was very protective and judged Dipper’s dates very thoroughly, even one time having to be stopped from speeding off in the car with a shotgun when one of Dipper’s boyfriends had broken up with him. Dipper didn’t get very much I love yous from the old man, but his actions said enough.
Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I suppose he is, but, that’s just my opinion. It’s not like this was some sort of speed dating. He’s my patient and I shall treat him as such.” Dipper grabbed his mug of warm coffee and took a sip, thinking that the conversation was over.
“5 bucks says that he develops a crush on him by the end of the week.” Mabel said to Stan and he replied with a smirk. “I double the pot with the maximum of 3 days.” They both shook hands and Dipper nearly face planted onto the table.