Gravity Falls: Dipper's Return

Chapter 3

Three weeks had gone by since Dipper had first gotten back to Gravity Falls. He has fully unpacked, had reconnected with everyone in town, had been talking with Wendy over lunch a few times a week to smooth things out between them, and was now falling into a bit of a routine: work a bit on his company with a friend back in Piedmont over video-chat, work out for about an hour or two (something that had become a bit of a habit in college), then head out with Mabel from after lunch until dinner looking for somewhere in town where they could move in.

"So, you know as much as I do on the Wendy front," Dipper started as he drove the two of them through town in the Bronco, "Are you trying for a relationship with anyone?"

"Not at the moment," Mabel answered honestly, "I've gotten to the point where I'm content with myself, and if the right someone comes along I'll be here."

Dipper smiled at how much his sister had matured from her boy crazy (double-down on the crazy) phase five summers ago.

"Just promise me what I promised you," Dipper started, "If anything happens, I'm the first to know - even before Mom & Dad."

"You got it brosive." Mabel chuckled in reply as she continued to knit another one of her famous sweaters.

As Dipper drove by the Corduroy office building, he took a moment to glance at the building as it passed by before refocusing on the road. It had been five years since Dipper had come to terms with not having a relationship with Wendy - and then, three days ago, everything changed in a split second. It was just a kiss on the cheek, and then wrestling like siblings, but there was definitely something between the two of them that wasn't there before. They were both adults now, and it was only a two year age difference, but it was still confusing. He had gotten used to looking up to Wendy as a friend, role model and even sometimes as the older sister he never had. Sure, there was always that hope that something might happen in the future, or the wish that something had gone differently in the past. But now that it was happening and looking him in the face, Dipper wasn't sure what to do - let alone what to call Wendy; friend, sorta-girlfriend, potential girlfriend, it's complicated?

The twins looked at a few places spanned across the town; a one story rancher that was a bit out of their price range (by a few tens of thousands of dollars), an apartment that would've made a gnome feel claustrophobic, an apartment that could've worked out if the couple upstairs hadn't been "busy" during the walkthrough making it obvious how thin the ceiling was, and a very modest room with a view that just so happened to be nestled into a house that already held five other people with one more on the way - a.k.a the room in the attic of the Shack.

"The question isn't if we want to leave the room in the attic," Mabel started as the twins sat down for an early dinner in Lazy Susan's Diner, "The question is if we can leave the room in the attic."

"As of right now, no we can't." Dipper replied before giving their order to a waitress that had just been hired.

As the twins ate, Dipper looked out the window and saw a familiar redhead wearing an even more familiar green flannel shirt walking down the street passed the diner as she occasionally checked her phone.

"Uh, Mabel, I'll be right back." Dipper explained around a mouth of food as he tried to step out of the booth.

Mabel looked out the window, then back at Dipper, smirked and gave her nod of approval.

Dipper did his best not to trip over anyone or anything and not to slam the door on his way out of the building while still getting outside in time to catch up to Wendy.

"Hey, Short-Stuff, wait up!" Dipper called to her, somewhat enjoying his new nickname for her.

Wendy turned around ready to hit someone, but then smiled when she saw who was running up to her.