Getting out of bed every weekday morning at 6:30 AM was nearly impossible. Nowadays anything beside sleeping and sighing seemed to be. The fact Neil, Norman's best friend died made everything monumentally worse. Even the few people that didn't seem to mind the spiky-haired sixteen year old (besides the Pines twins) jumped on the he's-a-creep-train real quickly after seeing him converse with what they thought was thin air. This made Norman's deceased companion concerned for his mental and social well being, prompting him to secretly give the living boy a gift before moving on to the other side. If only Neil had known the serious consequences it would have..
Dreary azure eyes stared at sunlight beaming through the now blank room. The space had been rather empty after Norman symbolically tore down every zombie or ghost-related poster, and threw all of his paranormal paraphernalia away. He just wanted to be normal, and be cared about like everyone else at his high school. Maybe if his room stopped being strange he would too?
Norman's illogical thoughts were interrupted as a certain behatted, curly-haired boy entered his room without knocking. This became an increasingly common occurrence, and although he was half-sure it was because the Pines twin felt sorry for him, Norman didn't care to dwell on it. Any friend was welcome, especially if they shared his love for ghosts, goblins or ghouls, and laughed adorably whenever he said those words..
"Hey, man..'sup. Mind if I sleep over here until your family comes back from California?" Dipper asked hesitantly, as if he were treading around invisible eggshells, eyes glancing at the unusually bare walls of the room.
"Of course not! And n-nothing much..I uh, tore down the paranormal stuff because it's kinda childish, y'know? What about you?" Norman's words wobbled out of his mouth like he could cry again any given minute.
"They're not childish.. they're awesome! How are brain-guzzling zom..-he stopped himself- er, undead, and bone-chilling fiends for kids? Just because you enjoyed them when you were one doesn't mean you can't now."
Dipper quickly placed the bag he was carrying on Norman's nightstand before wrapping his lanky arm around Norman's pale neck, closing the distance between their side by side bodies, and continued talking as they embraced each other.
"Everyone in our high school is so concerned with appearing mature, even though they're in high school, that they neglect awesome things. So what if you like B-rated scary movies? I watch Disney every day, for christ's sake! I think Kim Possible is badass."
Norman giggled at that, various shades of scarlet spreading across his face as he realized their proximity, and how cute Dipper looked up close. Large, warm hazel eyes glanced back at him with pure admiration and concern; as if he were the most important thing since blue and white caps.
"Uhm.. dude, you okay?" Dipper chuckled nervously as his hands scratched the back of his freckled neck. He wasn't used to this type of attention. Especially from a guy. Not that it bothered him, per se. It was just.. rather unusual?
"H-huh? Oh. Sorry." The spell the other had put on Norman was momentarily broken as he grudgingly left the comfort of Dipperland, a frown forming on his face.
"Let's put everything back up, I'll help you." Dipper smiled before getting out of the bed, linking hands with his glum companion and languidly pulling him up.
"Yeah, let's." Norman agreed, letting go of the hands holding his a bit too quickly as they made their way to a sealed box labeled 'Paranormal'.
"Hehe, the 'L' kinda looks like an 'N'. I should call you Paranorman from now on!"
"Dipper, don't be ridiculous. That name is so shitty. Who would name anything that?" Norman ignored his friend's stubby finger on his chest, rolling his eyes as he gave him an undead alarm clock to place on the nightstand.
"I think it sounds rad, whatever," Dipper held his hands up mockingly in response to the mixture of sass and sarcasm in Norman's voice.
An hour went by with the boys idly chatting about anything and everything as they finished restoring the rest of the paranormal paraphernalia. By the time they were finished, both of their stomachs grumbled in unison. Dipper surreptitiously grabbed his bag and to Norman's delight, pulled out two still-warm Taco Bell containers. The former grinning as the latter thanked him (you're like, an angel of fast food holy shit), and pulling him into a hug.
They sat in beanbags for a while, just contently basking in the presence of each other before lightning struck a few feet away from the house, shaking the entire structure and drenching the typically blue room in shades of violet for a second. Dipper couldn't help but erratically jump onto Norman for dear life, whose face heated at the sudden body straddling and cuddling him at once.
"Uhm, dude, you okay?" Norman repeated in the tone of his friend who coincidentally had said the exact same thing earlier, desperately shoving the twisted thoughts that were emerging to the back of his mind. His crush was literally...on him. don't get a boner. don't get a boner. don't get a boner. don't get a- shit.
Dipper's eyes widened as he realized what the growing appendage under him was, widening even more when he realized what position he was in, and who it belonged to. The male Pines twin figured it would be even more awkward than it already was if he remained on his friend, so he pushed himself off of him, fingers tugging at the end of his T-shirt. It's not like he was trying to hide a 'pine' of his own. Nope. Not at all.
"Heh, it's over. Uh. Yay."
Both of them cleared their throats at the same time, which somehow made their tension even worse.
"The raging storm, or you being ontop of my raging erection?" Norman asked with a deadpan tone in his voice.
"Both?" Dipper immediately burst into laughter, his scarlet-faced companion quickly joining him.
A silent agreement was made to not address the elephant in the room, and so they didn't (for a while, at least). Norman nervously raked his hands through his black spikes after registering the lack of an inflatable mattress that Dipper could sleep on.
"Do you want to be the big spoon or nah, since my ass is already familiar with little Norman?" After receiving a series of eyerolls and glares that could probably cut through glass, Dipper instantaneously regretted breaking their silent agreement.
"Okay, *big Norman. Happy?"
The medium couldn't resist smiling and blushing at the puppydog eyes entreating him to.
Dipper ended up being the big spoon that night, unconsciously returning the favor on Norman's behind as he slept.
It was going to be a long two days. . .