The "In-Gravity-Falls-Dad"

"Consider me yer "In-Gravity-Falls-Dad"'

Their meeting could only be described as an accident. Fiddleford had already been helping Ford out for about two days, he had come in bright and early to see Timothy watching t.v., "Is he babysittin'?" Fiddleford wondered until he saw that the boy was wearing a shirt with Pines written on the back.
"Oh Fidds! Didn't hear you come in!" Stanford greeted as he walked out of a bedroom with a trash bag, "Timothy!!"
"Yeah???"
"Stop leaving your room a mess! This is the last time I'm cleaning it for you, understand me?"
"Yeah!..Fordy?" 
Stanford sighed a little wanting to just work, "What is it, Tim?"
"Will you pretty please make me a bowl of cereal?"
"Timmy, I gotta work, you fix it!" he called. He looked back to Fiddleford and became surprised seeing him making his younger brother a bowl.
"You have a kid??" he hissed, "Why am I just now meetin' him and don't you think this is dangerous for a boy his age to be 'round?? How old is he anyway?"
Ford blinked taking in all the questions before chuckling, "Oh no Fiddleford, he's not my son, and he knows what to stay out of and definitely old enough to make his own bowl."
Fiddleford rolled his eyes pouring the milk in, "Fatherly instinct, Stanford and who is he then? Are ya babysittin'?"
"No, no," he sighed, "just come meet him," Stanford led Fiddleford to the family room, "Tim, sit up, there's someone you need to meet," Timothy groaned but did so, blinking a little when a fixed bowl of cereal was handed to him, he shyly mumbled a thank you and looked up to Ford.
"This is my assistant I told you about," he introduced motioning to Fidds, "and this," he said looking to Fiddleford now, "is my younger brother, Timothy. He's been staying here in Gravity Falls with me since I moved out."
"I begged him to bring me," Timothy blurted out taking a bite of his breakfast.
"Yes, yes he did," Ford confirmed nodding.
"Well, I certainly see the resemblance," Fiddleford admitted looking between the younger boy and his college friend. He bent down on one knee holding his hand out, "Very nice to meet ya, Timothy, I hope we can become friends," Timothy blinked surprised but all the same smiled.
"Yeah.... Me too."
From there on mornings went like that. Fiddleford would come in and fix Timmy a bowl of cereal and chat with him a few minutes. At first the talks were of simple little questions like favorite colors, favorite foods, t.v. shows. But they soon turned to bigger questions, what they wanted in life, Timothy's crushes and Fiddleford's family, what creatures they liked best. And soon enough it was an official routine. Fix cereal and ask the boy "How'd ya sleep monster?", chat a few minutes then work. It felt wrong if one of these steps were skipped.
One day though Fiddleford was caught off guard, "Ford's letting me hunt a monster!!" Timothy exclaimed making Fidds almost choke on the coffee he made, he struggled but swallowed it down taking a moment to process what the boy said.
"He's lettin' ya do WHAT now??"
"Hunt a monster!!" Timothy repeated innocently excited, "Isn't it cool? He said he finally trusted me to handle it!"
"Uh huh... Handle it, as in he ain't goin' with ya?"
"Well...... No.."
"Stanferd Pines!!" Fiddleford shouted slamming his hands on the table. Ford emerged from his bedroom with his nose in a book not looking up from it.
"Yes?"
"Yer lettin' a fifteen year old boy hunt a monster, on his own?!?" he demanded.
Ford looked up practically hearing the shock in his closest friend's voice, "Um.. yes. Why?"
"Are ya even thinkin' that he could be hurt? He don't know what he's doin'!" he scolded. Timothy laughed a little.
"Fiddy, I'll be ok! I'll even bring some kinda weapon to protect myself! You trust me, don't you?" he asked tilting his head slightly. Fiddleford sighed calming himself down and grabbed Tim's shoulders holding them tight.
He spoke lowly, in a father-warning-like growl looking Tim dead in the eyes as his narrowed slightly,"Ya better be safe, boy, hear me? If anythin' tries to attack ya, react calmly but get back here as fast as you can. Ya best come back in one piece if ya know what's best for ya cause if not... Oh there will be a good lecture. Understand me, monster?"
Timothy smiled a little but bobbed his head, Fiddleford relaxed a bit at this and started fixing Tim his cereal, "But before ya go do anythin' yer eatin' a breakfast," Timothy nodded and ate once the bowl.
"Bye guys!! I'll be back later!!" he called running out the door with his bag. Ford pat his nervous friend's back.
"He's a teenager now. We gotta be able to trust him. C'mon, let's go work on the portal. That'll get you distracted while he's out," Fiddleford nodded going with his friend to work.
They worked on the portal, ate lunch, worked on the portal took a break where Fiddleford worked on a rubix cube and played his banjo, then worked on the portal more. It was now five and the teenage boy still hadn't come back which was where Fidds drew the line to work at.
He sat by the window watching anxiously to see the boy coming back. About seven Ford sighed, "Fidds, head on home, get some rest. He'll be back by tomorrow I'm sure."
Fiddleford merely shook his head. After minutes of silence between the two Fidds perked up and bolted out the door to greet the teenager who was covered in wounds, "Timothy Elliott Quinton Pines!!" he shouted angrily using the boy's full name, "where in blazes have ya been??? It's been hours since you left!!! What happened to ya???? Get inside so I can take care of the wounds and while I do that, ya can explain yerself!"
Timothy lowered his head in shame but did so, Fiddleford shut the door behind him, "Sit on that couch," he warned going to get the first aid kit. He sulkily obeyed to that too and looked up to Ford.
Stanford sighed, "You really had him worried, you know that Tim? You gotta be careful."
Timothy nodded looking back down ashamed once Fiddleford came back in. He immediately tended to the wounds, "So. What do ya have to say fer yerself?"
"I'm..... I'm sorry I worried you...." he mumbled, "It's just... I was so excited I couldn't pick just one creature so I did more than one and I got lost in the woods trying find the hide behind and some gnomes tried attacking me and the unicorns told me that my "heart wasn't pure"..... I'm not sure what that was about..."
"Next time we're setting a curfew and if ya aren't home in time fer it you'll be in trouble, got me?" Fiddleford warned tugging on some bandages rather tightly as a form of unspoken punishment making Tim wince but nod.
"Yeah, I understand Fiddy," he paused before looking up, "how come you care so much?"
Fiddleford sighed pondering a little himself before answering, "Yer still a lil boy. Ya need guidance. Plus.... I guess it's fillin' that empty space that I have since I can't see my son here."
"So.... You're like having dad instincts?"
"Practically so, yes," he paused doing more gently with the cuts, "consider me yer "In-Gravity-Falls-Dad"."
Timothy smiled a little nodding, "Ok."