(Ford x Reader) Hickory Pines

CH. 9 It Begins

Stanford POV

"Y/N!" I call, my voice echoing through the lab—if you could even call it that. I wait patiently for Y/N to shuffle into my room. They look tired, yawning and stretching, a hint of annoyance in their voice as they say, "Ford—it's three in the morning..."

I nod excitedly. "Indeed it is! But I just woke up and..." I grab a flashlight from my bedside table. Y/N raises an eyebrow in suspicion before sitting at the edge of my mattress. They lean in closer as I shine the light over my arm.

"I don't see anything..." they muse, squinting their eyes. I move the light closer and point out the etched bumps along my arm. Y/N takes the flashlight from me.

"It's mosquito bites!" I exclaim, and Y/N chuckles. They raise their eyebrow further, prompting a sigh from me as I lean over to grab my journal. "From the fabled Soothsquitos."

Y/N clicks the flashlight off and sets it back on the bedside table. "The whos-a-what?" they ask, and I feel a rush of excitement to explain. "No, no, the Whos-a-what is a different creature." I open the journal to the desired page, showcasing a sketch of Soothsquitos. Y/N's eyes widen with subtle awe, and I can't help but feel a twinge of pride for my research.

It's mid-month two into Y/N's stay, and after the chaotic grocery incident, things have smoothed out. We still value our alone time, but coexisting has become less burdensome. Y/N is still working on their novel, which gives me the time I need to research the oddities of Gravity Falls.

Y/N reads aloud from the journal, "Mosquitoes that leave cryptic messages. These pests seem to have an ulterior motive, wishing to help those bitten."

They turn to me, curious. "Well, what do the bites say?"

I look down at my arm. "That's the thing..." I shrug, running my fingers along the bumps. "They don't spell anything..."

Suddenly, Y/N snatches my journal, startling me. I glare at them, but they don't seem to notice as they flip to a blank page, past the previous entry titled 'Mist-chievous,' which was their idea.

With a curious eye, I watch as they place the blank page over my arm. Their hand skillfully moves to a nearby pen, circling every notch they find. I find myself mesmerized by what they're doing, even though I'm not entirely sure what it is.

When Y/N finally looks up from the paper, I'm taken aback by what I see. They wear a wry, proud smile as I bury my face in my hands. Instead of words, there are two symbols: a semi-deformed heart with a question mark inside and a lopsided triangle with a large dot at its center.

"Fascinating..." I murmur, grabbing the pen from them and taking the journal. Y/N groans, covering their ears as I click the pen nervously, a habit of mine.

"Well, I'll leave you to it!" Y/N declares, standing at the door. They peek back in, adding, "Just... try to keep the clicking to a minimum," looking at me pleadingly.

I nod in acknowledgment and wave them off, eager to continue theorizing what these symbols could mean. Y/N slips back behind the door and nudges it closed. Restless, I begin pacing back and forth, my mind racing with possibilities.

*Y/N POV*

I smile to myself, even though I'm exhausted. It's endearing how Stanford gets so enthusiastic about his interests; it's what drew me to him two months ago. It's fascinating to think about how things have changed since the library. He went from being just plain insane to being insane but correct. Or, in my case, insane but charming.

I pause, realizing what I just thought, and shake it off. Time to make breakfast for both of us! As I head to the kitchen, I glance at the fridge. After another full day of discussion, we finally agreed on groceries! I decide what we eat, and he picks the ingredients, resulting in our new meal planner.