As a huge fan of Gravity Falls, and reading in the actual Journal 3 to see that Dan and Ford worked together, I always had so many questions and that led to this. After a lot of thinking I couldn't get this couple outta my head so now I think I can say without a doubt, this would be the ship that can be called my OTP. As a sort of slight warning, I did not have this beta'd at all, so I apologize for any grammar mistakes. Anyways, enjoy the read.
Disclaimer: What are you expecting a kiss on the cheek, get readin'!
The Beginning:
There's Always been Room
Whacks of a hammer echoed across the Oregon forest, each strike hit the nail straight on the head and secured the woodwork for a sturdy foundation. Stanford Pines sat himself on a stump as he watched in amazement, despite his original plans of observing the weird anomalies that Gravity Falls could offer, he found himself completely taken back by the effort and work of the lumberjack. It had only been two days and the lone teenager known as Boyish Dan had already built the shack to near completion. The feat was amazing in its own way completely disregarding Dan's age, Ford was contemplating writing a small entry about this. He turned his gaze back to the forest, watching the light filter through the leaves and giving the area a lovely earthy glow. Ford shook his head and crossed the thought out of his mind as he remembered the true goal of his research, for the weird and abnormal not the amazing feats of man.
His mind began to drift on about what else he could discover out here in such an obscure town. From what he could gather so far mystical creatures are well on the table to being real in this town. The gnomes can't be the only thing roaming around the forest. A rather harsh tap on his shoulder brought Ford out of his thinking, turning around he found Dan staring down at him, sweat still clinging to his forehead.
"It's getting late so that'll be it for today, sir." The young man explained, Ford straighten himself out as he began reaching for his own wallet ready to pay the lumberjack for a full day of work. The scholar couldn't help but notice the smallest bit in hesitation when Dan took the money, however he couldn't quite put a finger as to why there any sort of hesitation. It could have been that the young man didn't think he did such a great job to deserve such a large sum of cash, or perhaps he expected more.
Boyish Dan didn't bother to count the bills handed to him, he merely stuffed them into his jeans and wiped the sweat off his brow.
"You're still welcomed to spend the night at my cabin, sir." Dan grumbled out, his steps crunched many leaves under his boots. Ford adjusted his glasses as he did his best to contain his excitement. Given just how haunted Dan's cabin was, he would be able to document and classify countless specters. The more nights he could observe them, the better.
"That would be much appreciated, and please, just call me Ford." Dan turned his head slightly to look back at the scholar, the sudden gaze causing Ford to flinch slightly. He felt he had done something wrong choosing to set formalities aside.
"Ford... Ford... Ford," Dan repeated the name to himself multiple times, committing it to memory before giving a toothy smile and continuing down the trail. "Then hurry up, Ford, don't want you getting lost in these woods." The worry in the scholar melted away by the warmth that Dan seemed to give off towards him. He had heard from the folks of Gravity Falls that Boyish Dan tended to have a short fuse, quick to throw hands at any slightest upset in attempts to show that a fist and axe could solve every problem. He had yet to see Dan throw any sort of tantrum, course there were times the young man would string a few curses under his breath when a small miscalculation occurred, but if there really was an angry side to Dan, Ford had yet to see it for himself.
The travel back to Dan's cabin went by slowly, but not painfully so. Ford made mental notes to use points of interest as landmarks to map out the terrain. However, the landscape could only hold his focus for so long until his mind drifted a much more interesting topic. One that could actively yield him answers if he asked the right questions.
"Dan, if you don't mind me asking, do you really live alone in your cabin?" The question was sitting in the back of his mind since his first night, Dan's cabin was much larger than he expected with many antique paintings decorating different rooms. Before giving a response, the lumberjack spat on the floor to clear his throat.
"Had a brother, but he moved to Portland. Now it's just me." The answer struck a chord within Ford, the young man had no one to return to after a long day of work. He relied on no one else but himself in said work, and he yielded staggering results on his own. It was the kind of work ethic Ford admired greatly. To become so self-reliant that you exceed the need to ask for help.
"No parents?" Ford followed up, curious as to what story was behind the teenager living with no other support.
"Passed away after my brother left." Ford held his chin as he debated on diving deeper into the topic. The cabin came into view, allowing them to put a stop to their conversation as Dan switched to being a host to his guest. There was a fatherly figure in Dan whenever he let Ford spend a night. Which felt odd to the scholar on many levels. The differences between their own respected ages aside, a stalwart but caring man was the last thing the rumors painted Boyish Dan to be.
Throughout his stay with Dan, Ford never saw any major outburst from the teen. Even over the years after the shack was built, from the small renovation jobs he offered, Dan never turned him down. He even went the extra mile to make sure Ford got just what he wanted and more. That is, when Dan would even accept the cash. Some point down the line, Ford knew there was a small shift in their dynamic than just a random scholar researching the abnormal and the handyman that would help with some woodwork and heavy lifting, but it was a dynamic he couldn't simply figure out. Though, if Ford was being quite honest, figuring out the reason to the shift wasn't his job nor his main concern.
Eventually, Ford sought out intellectual help. As much as he wanted to pursue a knowledge gained by his own six-fingered hands, he was in need of an assistant, someone he could trust to study and improve the theories he's been crafting thanks to the weird discoveries. As much as he liked the assistance of the lumberjack, Dan lacked too many traits that he needed for such a position. After seeking help from Fiddleford, Ford's dependence on the lumberjack began to wane. Long before everything fell south, Dan was slowly out of his mind.
After the events of Weirdmaggedon, after Ford had reconcile things with Stanley and set their sights back on returning to Gravity Falls from their sea trip, Ford had a small hope that Stan would agree to his idea. Though ownership of the Mystery Shack belonged to Soos, he was kind enough to allow the twins to stay in the shack, feeling as it was still their home despite taking up the mantle. The memories were pleasant to have, but Ford felt a longing for creating newer ones. To break free from the walls of nostalgia and take on a new home.
"Eh... I dunno Sixer, it's taken years for me to get this chair to mold to the form of my butt," Ford shook his head as he figured that sort of response was coming. As he was ready to leave the room entirely to let his brother relax, Stan continued. "But that doesn't mean you can't get a home of your own. We don't have to share everything after all."
"I... Don't know why I hadn't thought of that." Ford adjusted his glasses as he felt his cheeks flush red from forgetting an such a simple detail. He was a grown man, he didn't need to do everything with Stan and that surely extends to their living quarters. If Stan wanted to stay in the shack, then that shouldn't stop him from getting his own place.
"If ya want, I know someone great that can make you your own place from scratch." Stand smiled between sips of his cola, Ford's eyes lit up to see Stan was even going as far as to help him find the right connections to get started on his new home.
"Please, do tell." Ford waited for an answer, only for Stan to get up from his chair and make his way into the gift shop. Confused but still intrigued, the scholar followed him, wondering just what was up his sleeve. Stepping into the gift shop, Ford came across Stan approaching the young girl working the counter. Ford recognized her as the chosen one that symbolized the ice bag, and true to the symbol, she remained laid back and calm even as Stan approached her.
"Sup Stan." She simply greeted, eyes still glued to the magazine in her hands.
"I'm gonna cut to the chase here, Wendy," Upon hearing this, her eyes finally parted away from her magazine to look Stan in the eye as he explained. "Ford over there wants a place of his own, so when is the best time your dad is gonna be available to help him."
Wendy simply shrugged her shoulders and stared at the corner of the room, trying to remember details that may have come up while around her family. Seconds passed before she gave an answer.
"He had a lot of free time lately, not as much cabins have been getting destroyed. Should take only two days to build a small one... Actually maybe 4 days if my brothers have to come and help." Ford was conflicted about the entire idea hearing Wendy's estimation. On one hand, it felt pretty nice to have a home ready in such a short time, but it worried him about what could easily go wrong if the presence of her siblings would force the build up to take longer.
"There ya go, Ford, with Dan on the job, you'll be relaxing in private in no time!" Stan cheered on as he began to leave the room, leaving Wendy to shirk her work and for Ford to stand in a daze after finally putting the pieces together. Once the initial shock had flown over him a small smile spread across his face.
"Heh, to think he'd be building me another home after all these years." Ford sighed to himself, finding it ironic that in an attempt to break away from the past he'd be reliving a small portion of it. He inched himself closer to the counter and cleared his throat, hoping to grab Wendy's attention. She remained firm in her relaxed position, without a sign of breaking away from her seat.
"So... Your father still works as a lumberjack." Ford awkwardly stated, his eyes scanning the young woman's stature for any sign attention.
"Yup." Wendy simply responded, turning a page of her magazine and reading intently. Ford felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face as he realized he wasn't being interesting enough to engage the conversation. He cursed his ineptitude and slightly wished he had Stan's straightforward skill.
"I suppose he still lives in the same cabin across the forest?"
"Uh... Yeah, I guess." Ford drummed his fingers on the counter trying to think of how he could get more answers to his questions.
"Does he still go by Boyish-These are all questions I should asking him, my apologies." Both frustrated by the his own lack of people skills and Wendy's disinterest, Ford let himself out of the Mystery Shack and on the path to Dan's cabin. Stepping off the front porch of the shack, Ford began to ponder about what he would want his new home to be like. He could simply ask for another shack, but that would defeat the purpose of starting anew. He also had to keep in mind the location, he couldn't simply build a new home anywhere. He'd need to possibly buy a new plot of land under his name and hope for the best.
Halfway through his trip through the woods he stopped in horror as he began to realize how vastly under prepared he was for offering the job. Perhaps he may have jumped the gun on this decision too soon. A few child friendly curses slipped through his lips as he forced himself to continue on, he disliked having such a half-baked plan to present yet he felt he still needed to see the lumberjack about this. At the very least he wanted to toss the idea into the air while seeing just how much his old friend changed.
Despite his ramblings to himself, he managed to find his way to Dan's cabin easily. The cabin seemed a lot larger than he remembered, possibly renovated in order to make room for his growing family. Ford could see two young boys playing around on the front porch, little redheads both having a lot of energy to burn through. Even when Ford took a step up to the door, the kids continued to play away, practically ignoring his existence. Wrapping his fingers into a fist, Ford knocked against the hard door hoping it would be enough to grab Dan's attention.
The door swung open to reveal yet another child, one more closer to teenager than the two children out front. Though the boy's build did make it a bit difficult to discern. Ford straighten himself out before inquiring about their father.
"Dad! Mr. Pines is at the door!" The boy shouted inside the house and immediately stepped outside and away from the doorway. Ford looked in confusion, if he didn't know any better, the kid was expecting his father to crash through a wall or two. The heavy footsteps that rumbled the cabin however made that possibility more credible to him.
"WHADDYA WANT STAN-" Ford felt his blood turn cold when he saw the hulking figure of Dan crush a few things on his way to the door, each stomp of his boots seemed to radiate hate, and his shouts bellowed through the forest. Only for all it to dissolve away upon reaching the doorstep. "Ford?"
Even the kids seized their activities as they were shocked to see such a quick change in heart. They were too used to constant onslaught their father would lead, he wouldn't settle down so easily after getting so riled up.
"H-hello Dan... It's been far too long, I haven't exactly gotten a chance to catch up with you." With his nerves back under control Ford continued to instigate a friendly conversation. He began scanning details hoping that the anger wouldn't suddenly burst back up.
"Everyone in, I want ya all to properly meet Ford." The scholar stood there in a stupor, the constant shifting in expectations was beginning to give him whiplash. One by one one the children made their way inside the cabin, Dan following suit and looking over his shoulder to beckon Ford to come inside. Ford scratched the side of his chin as he walked into their home, comparing what was new to what he could remember. Dan's Cabin still had many of the old antique paintings, but now dozens of photos of Dan's children flooded the walls.
Ford was led into a living room where all three of the kids sat neatly on the couch beside their father. Ford looked around for a seat for himself but opted to stay standing. He was here for a proposal of work after all, even if said proposal still had many details that needed to be ironed out.
"KIDS, introduce yourselves." One by one the children stood at attention and walked up to Ford giving him a firm handshake and sounding off.
Starting off with the youngest, the little boy did his best to give a strong grip in his handshake, looking rather fierce. Ford found it oddly adorable, but being a Corduroy meant he really did have the strength to back up his bark.
"I'm Gus, sir!" The scholar chuckled, the kid had a lot of spirit to him, almost reminded him of Stanley when he was the same age. The next to shake his hand was the eldest brother, who seemed both fit enough to follow the same growth spurt as Dan, but suffered from the hip teen hairstyles. He always wondered why kids these days left their hair hanging over their faces. Then again, he wasn't one to talk for having rather messy hair even for an old man.
"It's nice to meet you, the name's Marcus." His voice came out slightly awkward, the signs of puberty were fully evident for this young man. Yet given his broad shoulders and height, he could easily pass for a much older teenager. The middle came in rather quickly, his eyes beaming brightly at the sight of Ford. Based on the smile he had, Ford could tell he was the more happy-go-lucky of the three.
"And I'm Kevin!" He shook Ford's hand rather quickly but with a lot of spring in the movement. The kids returned back to their seats, for such a rambunctious set of kids they did seem obedient enough to behave when they need to.
"Sorry that Wendy ain't here, she's still at work. But that's the whole family for ya!" Dan gave a toothy grin as he reached over to wrap his kids in a hug. It was rather nice for the scholar to observe another happy family that wasn't his own. Above all, it was a happy family of someone he was almost close with.
"It's lovely to meet everyone, Dan, though I did come with a job that hopefully you'll agree to," Ford held his breath for a moment as he tried to find the right set of words to put out his idea without the lack of plan and... Ford desperately wanted to pull up the collar to his sweater and hide away in sweater town as he finally remembered the fact he had no real amount of cash to his name. He could feel everyone's anticipation getting the best of them, each leaning in wondering about the offer. "I have been longing for a change in lodgings, in short, I wish for the best Lumberjack I know in the entire state of Oregon to build me a new home."
Ford worried that he put a bit too much sugar to his words. In fact, he was already prepared himself to get punched through the wall should things turn sour. However based on the expression through the lumberjack's bushy beard, he was delighted to hear about it.
"Sounds terrific! Got any locations and styles in mind?!" It was difficult to tell if his shouting was just his default way of speaking now or if it was his enthusiasm. Regardless, Ford was relieved to get a positive reaction.
"Unfortunately I haven't done much preparation and planning for this, the desire only just blossomed today, I haven't even gotten any new deeds on land." He debated adding the predicament about money, but it was better to lay things down one problem at a time. He studied Dan's face carefully to see if there was any waning interest, the smile on his face remained firm across his beard. If Ford knew any better, he'd say that Dan was hoping for this kind of outcome and scheming.
The lumberjack jumped up from his seat and gave the scholar a firm handshake, insisting that he could cover everything and put his worries to rest. It took Ford a moment to realize that he was too fascinated by the fact Dan's hand was much bigger than his own, but he quickly gathered his bearings and thanked the large man. He could see the children cheering on as they had high hopes for the project, but mainly due to the idea of getting to lend a hand in it. Once his hand was let free, Ford felt it was best for him to return back to the shack, he waved off everyone and turned on his heel, he felt a warm feeling of satisfaction. That things were going to work out regardless one what obstacles were to come.
"Feel free to drop by anytime, Ford!"
"I sure will, old friend." The words left his mouth before he had thought up a better response. It came naturally to refer to him as an old friend, and it was heartwarming to see he was welcomed somewhere else in town. As he stepped off their porch, Ford looked back at Dan's cabin one more time. A small chuckle escaped him as he remembered the night he ran away from the haunted cabin. He wondered if there was still some ghost activity going on in their home. He shook his head as he thought about Dan's changed behavior as a father. There was no possible way Dan was going to raise his kids in a haunted cabin without dealing with the specters first.
With that thought given a conclusion, he made his way back to the shack, happy to tell his twin that things went very well.
Work on Ford's new home was taken up immediately the following day. The moment that Wendy had Ford in her vision, she briefed him that a foundation was already being prepared. The scholar was happy to hear the news, but he did find it a bit perplexing. Considering Dan wasn't being paid at all, at least not traditionally to his knowledge, he expected work to be put on low priority. At best, he expected work on the new cabin to take place by the end of the week. After asking about the whereabouts of the work site, Ford marched his way out of the shack and towards the site. Given the directions he was given, it sounded as if his new home was plopped in the halfway mark between the shack and Dan's own cabin.
Fundamentally speaking, it was the perfect location that allowed him space from the shack but kept at a fair enough distance to walk to for small visits. He couldn't have asked for a better spot. Upon reaching the clearing, Ford found himself impressed to see Dan pushing himself to the limit, carrying off torn down trees and chopping up more to clear up more ground. He far outdid his work as a teenager, managing to pull off many tasks without a single hand of help from workers. Not wanting to interrupt a man at hard work, Ford sat himself on a stump to observe Dan's work.
In the span of an hour, he watched the lumberjack chop down trees, uproot stumps, and smooth out the land in order to provide the proper foundation for a cabin. The scholar observed the area as well, taking note that his children were near but held no actual involvement in the project, but were sawing off irrelevant trees. More than likely practice to distract away from Dan's work. Eventually Ford was taken back by a large thud, startled by it, the scholar looked around to realize that Dan had sat himself down beside him. Even with himself seated down on the floor, he still remain taller than Ford. The lumberjack let out a yawn as he relaxed, almost waiting for Ford to say something.
"You have quite a lot of work cut out for you, Dan... You sure it's fine doing this all on your own?" Dan rubbed his face with his gloved hand before spitting out on the ground.
"Low costs if I do everything myself." Ford felt a pang of guilt in his heart as he heard the reply.
"I'm deeply sorry that I can't pay you in money..." His eyes darted towards the ground, expecting a punch to the face despite knowing full well Dan agreed to alternative payment. He was greeted with a large pat against his back and laughter.
"Don't you worry your pretty lil' head off, I'll take something else as payment!" Ford needed to readjust his glasses from being shook pretty hard, however a relieved smile made its way on his face. Minutes had passed and Ford was beginning to let his mind drift to questions he hadn't really thought about until now. Considering that Dan had yet to get back up, he assumed now during his break time would be the best chance to get his answers.
"So Dan... I've been wondering. You've known me pretty well before the incident, what did you do after Stanley took my place?" The question ate at him the most out of all the ones his mind could come up with. He wanted to think better of the lumberjack, that he could tell there was a change in Stans and that it wasn't a mere oversight. Dan scratched the back of his neck for a brief moment as a sad look filled his eyes.
"I knew immediately that Stan wasn't you, he has a way with people, but he didn't have your charm." Charm? Ford felt his face contoured into skepticism. Spending time with Mabel made him want to exchange his prescriptions for Skepticals. The only kind of attention he managed to garner were the jealousy and intrigue from colleagues, or those that found his six fingers interesting, but never had he painted himself to have any alluring charms. Perhaps it was just a matter of preference. He and Stanley behaved differently enough for people to easily cling to favorites. Ford shook his head, finding this tangent of thinking to be irrelevant to his questions.
"I find it hard to believe you didn't do anything with that information." The words came out a bit harsher than the scholar had intended. Ford thought it over in his head, that maybe the generosity Dan was giving him now was to make up for the lone fact that he had done nothing since his departure from this dimension. Ford rubbed the side of his head as he apologized and shoved the thoughts out of his mind. It was rude of him to think Dan did nothing, he had his own life he owed nothing to the scholar.
"Stanford, when you were gone, I didn't know what to do for myself at first. Then I just moved on, met a girl, had kids, raised a family and now we're here." Ford stared at the warm smile Dan was giving him. There was something about his recent choice of words that raised more questions than they answered, but alas, the scholar couldn't quite piece things together.
"In what context do you mean 'Moved on'?" He could see Dan push himself off the ground and dust off his pants. Ford bit his tongue slightly as he cursed his luck, the man was going back to work possibly to avoid answering the question. He could note the look of a mischievous grin beneath the beard.
"I think I'll take my payment for the rest of the day now." The grin became a smirk as Ford fumbled to his feet, he pat many areas of his body in hopes of finding some invention to give, only to find himself gripped by the collar of his jacket. His body was lifted off from the ground, his feet swung around helplessly trying to get a footing that was too far out of reach. This was it, this was the moment of payback he had been anticipating since the other day. He shut his eyes preemptively, not wanting to see the blow that he would receive. Instead, he felt his glasses were slightly pushed up his face, followed by the gentle feel of lips pressed against his own. Ford was stunned by the action, he wanted to open his eyes to confirm what he was feeling but the sensation having his face tickled by the beard was enough confirmation as is.
After what felt like forever, the scholar was finally put down, Dan did his best to fix Ford's disheveled clothes and returned back to his work without a single word. Ford felt the heat on his face spread outward, his ears burned with embarrassment as he tried to gather what little remained of his mind. Chills ran down his spine as he looked around, wondering if anyone had saw what had just transpired. Dan's kids were more focused on trying to kick down a tree, which let relief wash over the scholar. Ford fell backwards onto his stump as he tugged at the collar of his sweater. Given how much he focused on his studies during his school years throughout college, and his bad luck with women at every attempt he tried in his free time. This had been his first kiss, the first time he ever realized someone had feelings for him.
It took quite a bit before he could still his heart, however the fluttering that went on in his stomach was still persistent no matter how certain he made himself to be. There was a sort of excitement he felt from the entire action, he had never experience real affection from someone before that wasn't family. The experience was too foreign to him too fully comprehend. All that he could really say about it was that he enjoyed every second. Even the after glow he felt, the stirring in his stomach that continued to make him feel nervous about talking with the lumberjack.
If this was the way he could pay Dan for all his hard work, he was more than ready to pay him in full plus interest. He drummed his fingers idly against the stump, still feeling the fuzz that brushed against his face, his cheeks heated up again causing the same burn of delight to return. Although, a small part of him had wished that all these feelings came from a cute girl, he wasn't about to deny that he enjoyed it from Dan of all people. If it felt nice, it felt nice, it shouldn't matter from who it came from. He chuckled to himself as he continued to watch the lumberjack work, one kiss and he found himself addicted to the new sensation. He shook his head as he finally realized why some people fooled around instead of working on studies like he did. There truly was some merits to forming a relationship and now he wanted to explore all those wonderful things.
Ford adjusted his glasses as took a look at himself, his clothes weren't much to marvel at, his boots were covered in mud. He flexed all of his fingers and flushed as he remembered that his feet matched his hands. A hand went up to brush against his face, he was beginning to grow painfully aware his age and appearance. His gaze fell upon Dan, he could easily see why someone could grow interested in him. As for himself, Ford had little confidence, he couldn't quite see just what about him that the lumberjack found attractive. Perhaps he shouldn't bring it up, maybe then he'd get a punch to the face for downplaying his 'charms'. If there was any upside to these new feelings, it was his new desire to look better. To really give Dan something better than he could have hoped for. Or maybe he was getting ahead of himself, perhaps he was digging too deep into the actions and words and getting far too dragged into this infatuation to think about other possibilities.
Perhaps this was only a fleeting decision and Dan wanted nothing more than just a small kiss. It could be that he missed affection and sought to get his fill. The butterflies that stirred in his stomach grew heavy with each passing thought, soon sinking low and becoming a painful pit in his stomach. Such a curve from feeling weightless to these terrified expectations was dizzying. Good thoughts or bad, Ford couldn't deny that he was beginning to long for the lumberjack. For what it was worth, he was ready to trek down anything life threw his way.
It wasn't long before Ford found himself in the company of the children. His gaze fell upon the tree they were trying to kick down, in its place the tree was tilted off of it's roots and leaning against another set of trees. He began to understand why Wendy had said it'd take longer if the kids involved themselves in the work. They didn't seem to be the best when it came to the labor work. But they were simply kids, he was sure that once they grew older they'd be able to build cabins just as effectively as their father.
Before he could start a small conversation with the kids, he saw Dan make his way towards them. He dusted the dirt off of his gloves and was promptly tackled at his legs by his sons. The lumberjack laughed heartily and proceeded to wrap his kids in a large hug and picked them up.
"You kids can go ahead and go home, I'll be back with lunch in a bit." He set them down and patted Gus and Kevin on the head before they left. Dan smiled as he watched his sons march on home without a single complaint. Ford felt touched seeing just how much the family cared for each other and trusted their father's word. It reminded him of how loving his mother was, even though she was pathological liar, their was always genuine intent when she supported himself and Stan.
With the kids gone Ford suddenly found himself growing nervous staring at Dan's back. What sort of things would he say to him when he turned around? Sweat began to bead on his face as the dozen of possibilities flashed across his mind at once. If there was one thing he cursed about his intellect, it was the need to dive into a topic and continue to pick at it until he felt satisfied. Even if he found himself growing anxious the more he fell down the rabbit hole.
"You ok there, Ford?" The scholar snapped back to reality as he realized he had focused too much on his thinking. Staring up to look at the lumberjack, Ford found himself feeling flushed. The heat returned to his face as Dan looked down at him with concern in his eyes, but upon seeing the red that painted Ford's face, the mischievous grin made its return.
"I-I'm fine, just been caught up in thought," Ford managed to stammer out, gaining a small chuckle out of the lumberjack. Ford did his best to keep his emotions leveled and adjusted his glasses. "I take it you're done working for the day?"
Dan gave his bicep a good pat of pride as he smiled widely.
"I may got a lot of strength, but I know I gotta pace myself. 'sides, I need to get some more things to really get started on buildin'." Ford nodded his head as he seemed to completely miss the fact there wasn't any bricks and mortar around to truly build the foundation. The again, he was finding himself lost in other things that the construction of his new home had taken a backseat in his priorities.
"Hey... You're not upset about the kiss now, are ya?" The scholar felt his eyes widen slightly from the mention of the kiss. He noticed that Dan held a worried expression of his own. One that looked scared to hear what ever he would say.
"Oh no, not at all! In fact..." Ford awkwardly paused himself as he felt his ears burn, feeling too embarrassed with it all, the scholar turned himself away from Dan's gaze. He sat himself on the stump and pulled the turtleneck over his face. Needless to say, Dan was very confused by the action.
"You sure you're ok...?" There wasn't much the lumberjack felt he could say about the situation.
"Ford's not here, he's in Sweater Town," Even the scholar couldn't believe he responded in such a way. All his years of fighting monsters, developing theories and discovering all things weird, he was reduced to a mess when faced with feelings of the heart. He felt a firm hand grip the back of his coat, soon enough he was lifted up from the stump and had the sweater pulled down on him. His glasses became disheveled in the process but he could see Dan's amused expression staring back at him. "I-I apologize, I don't quite know why I'm acting like this."
"You're a smart guy, Stanford, you should be able to figure it out." The lumberjack's tone was a mix of teasing and encouragement. Ford couldn't quite tell, but it seemed that Dan was certain that he'd be able to figure everything out. Almost like the lumberjack was familiar with his capabilities and limits. Ford coughed into his hand as he tried to muster the right words to put his feelings.
"I uh usually never get tongue tied like, but I believe there is a first for everything, especially considering that this may be the first time I've found myself smitten with someone," Before he knew it, Dan had leaned in to plant a small kiss on the scholar's cheek, leaving Ford to feel weightless again. Afterwards he raised the man to rest on his shoulder, easily carrying him around. "Where are we going?"
"Walk through the woods, you and I have some talkin' to do." Dan replied with a smile on his face. Ford held on to the man's bicep to remain secure, and truth be told, being carried around in such a way was something he never expected himself to love. Silence quickly overtook them, but only because the scholar was taken back by the view he was given. The small things on the forest floor seemed even smaller to him, and the foliage that grew along the trees seemed much different from a higher angle. Ford felt a fleeting desire to go into town perched on Dan's shoulder, however he quickly dismissed the thought after realizing how that would look.
Ford's gaze fell upon the man that carried him. Given the angle he was given, he was finally looking down at the lumberjack for a change. Which he admired the new perspective, he was able to make out the finer details to Dan's face. He could see the faint lines of wrinkles on his face possibly from his supposed anger tantrums, but the skin still seemed smooth from what he could make out. At least he knew full well his beard was soft to the touch. A small tingle of excitement ran down his spine as he remembered the feel of it.
Not long, Ford found himself staring at a tree much larger than the ones in the forest, he was placed down before it and allowed to finally move. Curiosity getting the best of him, Ford paced around the tree in order to study the trunk, finding a few details that stood out the most. A section that was wounded by the blow of an axe and the name Alice carved into the trunk deep enough to last for years to come. Once he came back around to meet Dan he found the lumberjack kneeling before the tree, head bowed in silence. Ford managed to piece things together and knelt on the forest floor beside him out of respect.
Once Dan picked himself back up he offered Ford a hand. He rose to his feet and breathed a thank you under his breath and stared at the tree in amazement.
"I take it this tree is a sort of gravestone for your late wife?" It felt too touchy to ask, however, if the lumberjack brought him to such a place, then he obviously wanted to bring it into the conversation in some way. Dan nodded his head and place a hand on the tree's trunk, a sad smile spread across his face.
"This is where we first met and where she wanted her ashes scattered, I wanted to tell you about her," Eventually Dan sat himself against the tree and patted the ground beside him, beckoning for the scholar to sit beside him. Ford obliged and waited to hear the rest of what the man had to say. Dan went on to explain that Alice stumbled upon him trying to chop down the tree. He stopped to listen to her and he was amazed to find himself calm again in her presence. "I've noticed something throughout my life, when I really love something, I don't get angry and punch the nearest tree."
As silly as it sounded, it did have a nice sweet tone to it. Ford felt his hopes rise as he thought about what that said for his relationship with the lumberjack.
"You know, when I first stumbled into Gravity Falls and asked around about a carpenter that could build the shack, they said to watch out for Boyish Dan and his temper," Ford couldn't help but grin to himself as he looked up at the towering lumberjack. "And when you worked, I was ready to dismiss their warnings as just rumors, because it was nothing like the Dan that I got to know."
"You were the first to see that side." Dan quickly added as he draped an arm over the scholar, pulling him into his side in a small embrace. Much more questions burned into Ford's mind, he wanted to pry deeper into everything yet he felt it best to let his mind rest and enjoy the moment. For now, he felt it was best to keep things going at a smooth pace, he didn't need to know everything that went on in the lumberjack's mind, in time, the man will tell him more. Ford let out a content sigh as he found himself getting comfortable in the embrace. He rested his eyes for a moment and enjoyed the blissful weightless feeling that overcame him. He listened to Dan go on about the past, completely unprovoked.
"I believe in love at first sight, and I felt that's what I had with you, Ford. I was ready to punch whoever knocked at my door the night I met you, but I found myself smiling just by looking at you," As much as Ford wanted to interrupt, the bliss he felt in his position was too great to break out of. "And then when Alice passed, she assured me I'd be able to find someone else, because my heart was big and it would have more than enough room to fit two people."
Dan broke apart the embrace and stood up, an arm reached up to wipe his face and remove his beanie. Dan still had a full head of hair that seemed to mold itself into the shape of the beanie while the parts that weren't covered by it stuck out like a sore thumb. He held his beanie to his heart in mourning, his body trembled slightly as he continued on to explain. "I have a big heart, but I didn't have the guts to tell her I've always had room for two."
Ford felt a loss for words. He couldn't imagine how much it hurt the lumberjack to have kept something a secret from his wife. To have such a regret and to lose the chance of ever reconciling his feelings was a worse burden that even Ford couldn't begin to imagine. The scholar got up from his seat and placed himself in front of the lumberjack. He took in a deep breath as he steeled himself and thrust himself into the air. With the momentum of the jump he managed to reel his hand back and delivered a stern slap to Dan's face. Ford inhaled deeply as he could feel the sting of his hand begin to develop more into a swelling, he hadn't expected Dan's head to be as solid and immovable as a boulder. Regardless, he was ready to knock more sense into the man... Verbally at very least.
Dan rubbed his cheek, feeling very shocked that the scholar had taken such a drastic action. The slap itself didn't hurt the man, however it was the intent behind it that caused him to cease his moping.
"Listen here, Dan. You loved her enough to make a family, enough to continue loving those children deeply and honoring her memory and wishes. As you said, I was gone therefore you had every right to move on and find someone else. There's no need to feel any regret," With his small speech done, Ford rubbed his hand repeatedly in an attempt to dull the pain. "And you cared enough to bring me to her. She may not have been the first, but she sure as hell was not just a back up. Now pull yourself together, I doubt she'd want to see you beating yourself up like this."
For a moment it seemed like Dan was about burst into a rampage, but the lumberjack took in a deep breath and apologized, not just to Ford, but to the tree itself. He stared briefly at the tree tops and noted how the sun was heading down further from noon. Her cursed under his breath as he remembered he still needed to swing by the home with a meal for his kids. He breathed out another apology as he fixed the beanie back on his head and began to leave, however he couldn't help but still linger around the scholar. The large man scratched at his beard, stalling for time as he desperately tried to find the right words to say.
"Ford... I'm sorry about how I acted, especially if... You don't even like men." The scholar was taken back by his words, but he found himself chuckling. After all the heart to hearts they've been having all day, Dan still worried over something as small as that?
"Think nothing of it! I've never gotten the chance to get lucky with girls anyways, and if you must hear me say it, I more than enjoyed spending time with you," Ford stared off to the side as he reached forward to take the lumberjack's large hand in his own and attempted to weave his fingers though Dan's. The large man chuckled seeing how much Ford had to stretch his fingers, yet he was determined to make it happen. "I cannot deny that every touch felt amazing and that I long for more, so if that's what can be classified as love, then... I am in love you, Dan Corduroy."
In a matter of seconds, the scholar was wrapped into a hug, he felt many of his bones pop against the tight hold, yet he enjoyed being picked right off the ground. Instead of worrying about his possible cracked ribs, Ford did his best to return the hug. Many minutes passed with the two still stuck together, eventually Ford had to remind the lumberjack about his kids in order to get released from the killer grip. Ford found himself needing to balance himself against the tree, feeling overwhelmed with joy and embarrassment. He waved goodbye to Dan and smiled widely. Once the man was out of sight, the scholar walked along the trunk of the tree to trace his fingers over the carving of the name.
"I promise to make him a happy man, in your memory." With the promise made, Ford turned away from the tree and tried to make sense of the landscape. He probably should have paid attention to the directions instead of marveling over the view. A sigh escaped his lips, a hand reached up to scratch his head as he soon realize he had no idea how to return back to the shack. He took off in a random direction and hoped he would find something familiar to put him back on the right track. Despite his little lost predicament he found himself smiling widely. After all, he was more than happy with the great turn of events and his new relationship. If getting lost in the forest was the price he had to pay for such happiness, then it would be one price he'd pay in full every toll. He'll surely find his way home eventually.
I definitely want to continue this as slightly disconnected and episodic chapters based on different ideas and maybe submitted prompts. Of the ideas I have two currently being written, one that has to do with Relativity Falls AU and another that has Wendy bonding with the Stans. This couple has definitely sparked a lot of inspiration for me, so I am willing to take ideas. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the read.