Disclaimer: I do not own Gravity Falls.
Hello~ enjoy a little one shot with Ford and Mabel bonding because I just love these two.
"Careful"
It was a rainy night in Gravity Falls, and in a beloved Mystery Shack, Mabel Pines was knitting a blue sweater in her comfortable bed.
"I'm almost finished!" she exclaimed with happiness "What do you think, Dipper…?
The girl looked at her side and sighed when she saw her brother sleeping peacefully.
"It's barely 11 pm" she mumbled before shrugging, the boy had been staying wake until four in the morning reading a book the las couple of nights, he probably was really tired.
The girl finished her work and, satisfied, got out of bed.
"This good job deserves a nice cup of hot chocolate" she thought to herself.
With a bright smile, the girl went all the way to the kitchen and started preparing her warm and delicious drink.
But she forgot that there was a light sleeper in her family and soon, Ford appeared in the kitchen. His hair was a mess and he wasn't wearing his lab coat.
"Oh, it's you Mabel" the man mumbled before giving a little yawn.
"Grunkle Ford, did I wake you up?" she asked with guilt written all over her face "I'm sorry"
"It's alright, sweetheart" he said while smiling gently to the girl "I can always enjoy a nice cup of tea."
Mabel stopped feeling guilty and showed to her great uncle a wide smile "Oh, I'm going to drink hot chocolate, let's drink together!"
Ford, ignoring her poor choice of words in her last sentence, raised an eyebrow to the girl "Isn't a little too late to drink chocolate?"
"Nu-uh, it is never a bad time to have some chocolate!"
Ford laughed slightly at the girl's words before joining her in the making of the drinks.
"Careful, Mabel" the man warned her at watching her trying to hold her cup "Maybe it is too hot, you better wait a little."
"But it's better to drink this when it's still hot…"
However, Mabel's words were interrupted by a gasp.
"Ouch!"
The girl quickly let go of the cup when she felt a burning in her hands due the drink's temperature.
However, that made the content of the mug fell on the girl's torso, and it was burning.
The girl yelled and she instantly felt how a pair of six fingered hands carry her.
"It's too hot!" she exclaimed in pain, not knowing where her great uncle was taking her.
"I know, don't worry."
Ford kicked the bathroom's door, opening it and he let the cold water of the shower run.
"What…?"
Mabel couldn't finish her question, her grunkle put her right under the water.
The girl started to tremble a little because of the water temperature, but at the same time, she felt the burning go away.
"It's better" she mumbled.
"I told you to wait to drink the chocolate" Ford told her with seriousness in his voice and a frown on his face, making Mabel look down with shame.
"I'm sorry"
Ford sighed at this "I'm not mad" he told her, with a friendlier tone in voice this time "But you need to be more careful"
The girl nodded "Well, at least I washed my sleeping gown." She said, trying to light up the moment.
Ford chuckled at this "Next time, use the washing machine."
They stayed in the bathroom like that for a few minutes, then, Ford turned the shower off.
"Now, can I take a look on your burns?" Ford asked, and Mabel, with shyness and a small blush on her face, nodded.
Mabel only lifted her night gown letting Ford see how bad the burn was.
"It's just a first degree burn" he said with relief in his voice while Mabel released the grip she had on her clothes "Your skin is red where the drink spilled on you and there's also swelling. It will go away after a few days, but you'll be uncomfortable."
The girl sighed in response "I just have to wait?"
"Well yes, but I think we have some ointment that can help you with the pain."
"Okay" the girl said before smiling at the man "Thanks Grunke Ford, and… sorry for not listening to you"
The man smiled back at the girl before giving her a simple kiss on her head, making her giggle. "Now, go change your clothes and go to sleep"
Mabel smiled shyly before asking: "Can't I have a cup of chocolate?"
Ford snorted at her words.
"Do you really want to drink chocolate after this?"
"It's never a bad time for chocolate" she said, repeating the words she said earlier with a bright smile.
Ford sighed before smiling gently at his grandniece "Very well, but I will be the one who prepares the drink while you go upstairs and change your clothes, I don't want you to catch a cold."
"Understood" after saying this, Mabel started to run towards the bathroom door, but due having her socks wet, she slipped and began to fall backwards. Luckily for her, Ford caught her.
"I think I'll have to teach you how to be more careful" Ford said, with a small smile.
"I think you're right" Mabel, a little embarrassed because of her fall, got up while her grunkle talked again.
"No more adventures for today missy, go to sleep."
"What? But my chocolate…"
"No more chocolate for you" Ford didn't want to know what other accident would happen if Mabel drank so much sugar at that hour "Bed, now."
The girl sighed "Okay, goodnight grunkle Ford."
Ford stroked her hair and smiled at her before letting a small "Goodnight, sweetheart" coming out of his lips.
Mabel smiled back and calmly went to the attic.