This was not Dipper Pines' first experience with a razor. In fact, as a child at Eggbert Elementary he had shaved part of his head for the sake of his sister.

Yeah... Mom and dad had not been pleased. Now, as a 19 year old, he shaved off even more to make a place for the surgery. His hair was now a floppy mohawk which he was embarrassed of and hid with a hat but Pacifica told him was cute.

"Come on, you don't look so bad." She said, wiping down the counter he leaned against. He had said the exact same thing the first time she loudly bemoaned the ugly Greasy's diner dress that all waitresses had to wear. You don't look so bad. It was barely a real attempt at making the other feel better about their appearance. They both knew the light hearted teasing meant by you don't look so bad. He laughed.

"And you look lovely in that dress." He teased, making her swat him with her dish rag.

"I'll kill you Dipper Pines." She said as he stole a kiss.

"Hey, she's working here." The cook called from the back.

"Sorry!" They chorused. The rule was that Dipper could talk with her while she worked but if he got too distracting or PDA-ish then he wouldn't be allowed to eat Pacifica's employee discount pancakes and, if that didn't deter him, he would also be kicked out of the Diner. Dipper couldn't imagine a summer in Gravity Falls where he couldn't hang out with his girlfriend at the diner.

He had his own job, as well, at the Shack, but that didn't mean he didn't slack off. He had the best teacher in slacking off that ever existed, after all. Wendy didn't work at the shack anymore, so things hadn't really changed, since she had never really "worked" at the shack anyway.

"So," Pacifica said.

"So...?"

"You sure you want to do this?"

"I won't have peace of mind otherwise." Dipper said with a sigh.

"Don't you need a mind to have peace of mind?" Dipper stuck out his tongue.

"Which one of us got a 36 on the ACT?" He taunted. Pacifica rolled her eyes and went back to wiping counters.

"Gloat all you want, Mason. Your sister got a 36 on the ACT too."

"Yeah, that surprised me, considering she thought it was a test on acting first." Pacifica laughed from the table she was cleaning, and Dipper hopped off the stool where he sat and offered to help. Pacifica threw a wet cleaning rag and grabbed another and they got the work done quickly in only slightly awkward silence. Sometimes during the quiet their thoughts of how did I deserve someone like that bumped into each other in the void that can only be filled with thinking.

They were an awkward fit, like shoving two puzzle pieces that look like they will fit together. But having been shoved together, they had no desire whatsoever to break apart. Feeling like they'd been through too much weird crud between them to not stay together.

So, despite the awkward that filled the space, they were a happy couple.

Not that they didn't have their hiccups. Like right now, there was this unsaid argument regarding Dipper's decision for the surgery.

Even though their relationship was built on their past, built on one summer when things had gotten odd and a triangle had tried to kill them, Pacifica wanted to keep blazing their future, and Dipper wanted to keep building off of the past and protecting the people he loved from the unexplained.

And he wanted to protect himself.

He knew how easy it was to let Cipher into your head. He knew how quick one could be with making a deal with devil as he had done it himself. He would not let himself play puppet again.

Which is why he was going to follow in his Great Uncle Ford's footsteps and getting a metal plate planted in his head. He knew and trusted the surgeon, and despite not liking his new hair cut, he was determined to follow through with the procedure.

But Pacifica wasn't sold.

Their fights were subtle but they were there. Pacifica didn't want to admit that threats still existed. Dipper had faced a plethora of new and odd creatures since leaving that first summer at Gravity Falls, but Pacifica, who could hold her own against the worst of gobblewonkers or gnomes or whatever, was content wiping tables down and pretending that none of it existed.

So they had argued about that, but it was never too heated. Pacifica was okay with the metal plate, technically, and Dipper was alright that she didn't really want to delve into the unnatural.

They had been crammed together, two puzzle pieces that almost fit but were obviously not perfect. They weren't going to let go of all of that just because of a metal plate.

Dipper just wanted to keep them safe and, technically, so did Pacifica. But her methods were more denial than direct action.

"I have to go. Procedure starts in 30."

"Right. Be careful, or whatever..." Pacifica said, pretending not to care as he was about to leave. Dipper turned, smiled, pecked her check and pulled his hat down over her eyes, leaving with out a glance back.

Because they were connected, for better or for worse, and she would still be here, working for tips for a future she wanted to have with him, no matter how far the unexpected took them.

Okay guys, comment, favorite, indulge my need to be relevant if you will, and thank you so much if you did read this.

I am thinking about writing a fanfic for all of my favorite otps on the show.

I'm really thinking Tambry and Robbie or Melody and Soos next, of those two couples vote for your favorite (if you see this before I start writing the next installment) or suggest your own pairing.

If it isn't one that I like, I won't write a story for it, so don't just think I'm ignoring you.

Feel free to pm me with ideas as well, I have written a Gravity Falls story on request before.