Little Dipper

Media

"Mabel!"

Mabel looked over her shoulder. "Oh, Gideon!"

He walked over to her. "Shopping again?"

"Yeah." She gestured to Dipper. "He eats like a vacuum cleaner."

"Vyooooooooooooooooo!" Dipper said in response as he put fruit in the cart.

"You're not going to get in trouble again if I talk to you, are you?" Gideon asked.

"Mm, well..." Mabel shrugged. "As long as I don't accept any rides from--"

"Well, gosh! Gideon, is this your girlfriend?" A man asked as he walked over. Dipper sort of recognized him from the crowd during the Wax Stan unveiling. "You look so cute together!"

"We're just friends, Toby." Gideon told him.

"Well, can I at least take a picture of you together?" Toby held up a camera.

Mabel shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"I can give you a lot of reasons to 'why not', but you never listen to me lately, so whatever." Bill said from inside Dipper's backpack.

Mabel stood next to Gideon and they posed together as Toby took the picture.

"Thanks! Oh, I have to catch the sale!" Toby ran off.

"That reminds me, Gideon, why are you here?" Mabel asked.

"Hair products." Gideon indicated his basket. "Was thinking of picking up a batch of donuts to bring home, too."

"Oh, donuts!" Mabel's eyes lit up and then she drooped. "Grunkle Stan doesn't let me buy snacks with his money."

"Well, then I'll buy them for you." Gideon said with a smile. "No one should go without donuts."

"Ohh! Chocolate! With sprinkles!" Mabel practically hopped in place.

Dipper looked at Gideon. "Me too?"

"Why would I leave you out?" Gideon grinned at him.

"Yay!" Dipper threw his hands in the air.

–

"Mabel, what is this?" Stan walked into the attic holding the newspaper.

"What?" Mabel looked up at him.

"This article!" Stan held it out.

Mabel took it and frowned. "Hm...maybe I shouldn't have let the reporter take my picture."

"You think?" Stan sighed.

"But, Gideon told him we were just friends!" Mabel insisted. "Dipper was there!"

"Yeah, he said so!" Dipper looked up from doodling a gnome in a sketchbook.

"Well, the thing about reporters is that they will make up a story to get reviews and both you and Gideon are big news lately." Stan shook his head. "Whether it's a real thing or not, the town now thinks you two are a couple."

"Maybe I should've photo-bombed..." Dipper frowned at his picture and erased a line.

"Or asked to join it. Either way, it's a big misunderstanding! We're not a couple!" Mabel insisted.

"Well, whatever sells." Stan sighed and walked out.

"Should I add sharp teeth?" Dipper asked.

–

"So, you're not a thing?" Wendy asked as she watched Mabel stock the shop.

"NO, we're not a thing!" Mabel shook her head.

"If you were a thing, what would we call you? Mabelegideon?" Soos wondered. "You gotta admit, you two look cute together."

"But we're not!" Mabel insisted.

The bell on the door jingled as it opened and they looked over. "Gideon?" Mabel blinked in surprise.

He looked a bit ashamed. "Oh, Mabel, I'm afraid I've done you a great inconvenience. I should've just told him no from the start."

"You saw the article?" Mabel asked.

Gideon nodded. "I hope this doesn't affect our friendship?"

"Of course not!" Mabel walked over to him.

"See?" Soos whispered to Wendy.

"I'd like to make it up to you. Will you meet me at the park after you finish work?" Gideon asked. "You can bring your little brother."

"Sure!" Mabel smiled. "I'd like to go to the park!"

Gideon nodded with a smile.

–

"You keep your phone on, call me if you leave the park with the exact location you're going, and don't leave your brother's side. The last thing we want is media hounds catching you two alone again." Stan shuddered.

"I know, that was horrible." Mabel frowned.

"I shouldn't have taken you to the Tent of Telepathy, that's when they first saw you together, I know it." Stan grumbled. "Well, go have fun, remember to call, and don't do anything preteens shouldn't do."

"I'm surprised you're letting me see him." Mabel commented. "Isn't he 'pure evil'?"

"Well...he IS your only non-teenager friend here so far..." Stan sighed. "Just be careful."

"I will." Mabel smiled and kissed his cheek before heading out with Dipper right behind him.

Stan watched them go, sighing. "I hope I won't regret this."

–

"Gideon!" Mabel entered the park with Dipper right behind her. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"It's alright, I was free." Gideon assured her, standing up from the bench he was sitting on. "Wanna walk?"

"How about the playground?" She pointed to Dipper wandering off to it. "I better catch him." She ran after him.

Gideon shrugged and followed. "Alright, we'll follow him."

"It's a good thing they didn't see our secret visits." Mabel said as she helped Dipper get on a swing.

"That would've been trouble for sure." He agreed, chuckling as he took the seat next to Dipper's.

"Push me, Mabel!" Dipper said excitedly.

"Okay, okay." Mabel grinned and pushed Dipper's back gently, propelling him forward.

"Whee!" Dipper laughed.

Gideon smiled and kicked his legs forward, propelling himself forward. Mabel pushed Dipper again to let him go higher, her brother kicking his legs excitedly as she did.

"Both legs at once, silly!" Mabel laughed.

"Hey..." Bill poked out of Dipper's bag, which was left on the ground near the swings. "There's a guy with a camera watching you."

"What?" Mabel looked over.

"What is it?" Gideon asked, looking at her.

Mabel leaned in close. "Don't look now, but there's a cameraman watching us..."

Gideon got up and turned to where she had looked before. "...Let's get out of here." He turned to Mabel.

"Yeah." She took Dipper off the swing and grabbed his bag, the three heading out of the park.

"Jerk media hounds!" Dipper shook his fist at the cameraman.