The song used is on Youtube: "A Song of Two Stans - Gravity Falls Fan Song" by 'JX2 Music' (that's me, so sorry if it's bad :P)
Everyone was asleep in the shack. Everyone, except Stanley Pines.
He sat in his large yellow chair. The TV wasn't on, no music played through the room; Stan just sat there, staring off into space, and thinking.
He couldn't really describe how he was feeling at the moment. On one hand, he was happy that his brother was out of the portal, but sad at the same time because he didn't receive even a speck of gratitude from Ford. As much as he hated to admit it, Stan also definitely had some feelings of hatred for his twin at the moment.
But he was also proud that he had a strong bond with his great niece, strong enough that she trusted him, even when it looked like he was going to destroy the world; but also betrayed, in a way: his great nephew didn't trust him. The kid hadn't even listened to him.
Other feelings fled through the man as well. Fear: would the kids like Ford more than him? He knew the thought was selfish, but he couldn't get himself to stop thinking it. Relief: He could finally sleep easy without the weight of his past mistakes pushing against his chest as he breathed. He was finally going to be free of the many, many restless nights he endured…
But he wasn't asleep yet. He still felt the guilt. That was a big feeling in the elder man: guilt. He felt guilty about ruining Ford's science project. He felt guilty for getting him sent through the portal. He felt guilty for taking so long to get him back.
Stan couldn't bare the flurry of emotions much longer: joy, sadness, anger, pride, betrayal, fear, guilt, shame, envy, but most of all, Stan felt love.
Not romantic love, of course, but the kind of love only family and close friends shared.
He loved his handyman, Soos. And Soos loved him and the twins back. Even if he had almost cost him his life's work (getting Ford back), he had done it with good intentions. Soos wanted to protect his great niece and nephew, almost as much as he did.
He loved his other employee, too, Wendy. Although he hadn't seen her yet since he opened the portal, and he would never admit it to anyone, Stan wanted to protect the teenager. He'd known her since she was very young, he couldn't help it.
He loved the pig and the goat, too. Even if they annoyed him sometimes.
And he loved the young Pines twins. Dipper and Mabel reminded the conman of himself and his own twin. One of them always had his head buried in a book, ready to go off and solve a mystery whenever adventure called! And the other… had a 'personality'. The other was carefree, but always came through for their twin.
Stan's eyes got watery; he on the verge of tears. "I didn't come through for him when he needed me most." He whispered, closing his eyes and letting a single tear silently fall and run down his cheek.
"Stanley?" Said a familiar voice. Stan cursed under his breath. He had shown weakness in front of his own brother.
Without even opening his eyes, Stan muttered a reply, "Hi, Ford."
Ford didn't know what he was hoping for when he came to talk to Stan. He knew that a response like what he had gotten was what was most likely to happen, but he still was let down by the almost nonexistent reaction.
Ford, too, had been thinking and reflecting on his life. He had decided he needed to talk to someone, but the only 'someone' he really knew was his brother, whom he hadn't seen in decades. It was worth a shot, he figured.
"Stan, I wanted to talk," Ford spoke up again. This is not what Stan was expecting. He thought his brother would just leave him in his chair, walk away and not care, or at the very most crack some sort of nerdy joke. Stan's eyes opened slowly. Before him stood the author of the journals, his brother.
Stan wanted, no, needed, to talk, too. He was planning on consoling himself with ice cream and long watching sessions of The Duchess Approves. to, you know, eat his feelings away. This was much better, he mentally decided. "I wanted to talk, too," Stan replied.
Ford eyes lit up a tiny bit and he smiled slightly. He was willing to talk. He wanted to talk. This was good. He attempted to spark a good conversation, "So, I have a grand niece and nephew, now. Twins, too."
Stan chuckled, "Yup. Who'd've thought?" Ford brightened even more when he got a response from his brother.
"They seem nice," Ford said thoughtfully, not knowing much about his relatives yet, having only just met them.
Ford saw Stan's eyes become moist upon his comment. He didn't bring it up, that wouldn't help mend the bond between the two, but he did keep it in his mind. "They are. You remember Dipper? He's a lot like you, you know. You're both total nerds," he teased, trying to mask his true inner sadness with jokes. It was to no avail though, as Ford saw right through his facade.
"Ha, ha, good one," Ford rolled his eyes. They waited in a comfortable silence until Ford spoke up again, "This is just like old times, isn't it."
Stan's eyes widened in shock. "I guess so," he said softly.
Ford was honestly surprised at how open Stan was being. The Stan he knew hated talking about feelings. 'People change,' he thought sadly. He missed all this change while he was stuck in different dimensions.
Now it was Ford's turn to tear up. He closed his eyes tightly. This was embarrassing: he was supposed to be an interdimensional traveler now. He was supposed to be fearless and brave. He wasn't being either of those things.
He was being the weak nerd with a freakish 6th finger. He was being the kid that everyone teased and hated for being different from them.
To Ford's surprise, Stan started singing, as soft as he could (which still wasn't that soft, but Ford could appreciate the effort). He turned toward Stan, who was looking away, not daring to make eye contact with his brother.
(A/N: Bolded is Stan talking, Underlined is Ford talking, and both is both of them are talking.)
I copied your work
I thought you'd leave me
Why'd you stay?
Stan remembered all the times in school when he would copy directly off of his twin's paper, and how that twin had never argued with it, he just let him do it. 'Why did he stay? He easily could have made it without me.' Stan thought.
Ford, too, remembered these times. He always let Stan copy his answers. He figured that they would always be the unstoppable team of brain and brawn, sailing the world together as soon as school ended. He was the brain, and Stan was the brawn. He let himself get in the way of that dream.
I was a big jerk
I thought you'd leave me
Why'd you stay?
When looking back, the conman saw how little he actually showed his appreciation to his twin brother. Maybe if he had just shown him more, things would have gone differently.
We had big plans for the future
We'd sail around the world
Ford's eyes widened slightly as Stan sang this line. He promised Stan that they were going to sail around the world. He let his dumb science fair project get in the way of his promise.
Solving mysteries, finding treasure
And getting all the girls
Stan smiled. He hoped Ford had caught on to what he was doing. When Ford sang as well, he smiled even more.
I was a freak
I thought you'd leave me
Why'd you stay?
I was a coward, I was weak
I thought you'd leave me
Why'd you stay?
Ford's extra finger made him a huge target for bullying when they were kids, along with his interest with the supernatural and his studies. Stan always thought it was his obligation to protect his brother. He'd never leave him. Doubt filled the man's mind, "But I did leave him.'
We had big plans for the future
We'd get away from everyone
No one would touch us, we'd be invincible
You'd let me be who I was
Both of the elder twins teared up, finally making eye contact with each other. Stan stood up of his chair so that the two were standing next to each other, meeting each other's tear filled eyes.
I messed up, I ruined it all
I was my own downfall
And though I'd love to blame it on you
I love you too much to
Stan turned a light pink. He was really letting himself out there. Ford better be happy, he joked in his own mind.
Ford returned the favor, showing his private feelings to his best friend and twin in one.
I'm grateful, but I won't say it
I'm scared that you won't return it
I want to be like we used to be
But we're not like that anymore
The two had similar thoughts at the moment. That science fair. Ford cared so much about going to a good college and carrying on with his own studies, while Stan still hoped the two would sail around the world together on their handmade boat, The Stan O' War, like they dreamed of doing for so long.
Where did our future go?
When did we lose it?
Where did our future go?
And can we get it back?
The Stan's twins both had tears flowing freely from their eyes now. They wrapped their arms around each other in a warm embrace.
I'm only one half without the other half
It looks like I'll never be whole
I'm a puzzle without a key piece
And it looks like I'll never be whole
The two tightened their hold on each other, not wanting to ever let go, just hoping they could go back to how they were as kids: being brothers, twins, best friends; the unstoppable Pines duo.
Oh, where did our future go?
When did we lose it?
Where did our future go?
And can we get it back?
The two paused for a second, both unsure of what to say, and if they should speak first or not.
"Stanley, thank you for getting me out of the portal," Ford choked out through his tears. Ford was frustrated that Stan risked so much to open the portal, but he really did love his brother. Nothing could ever change that.
Stan became so happy that he got a 'thank you' from his new twin. It was as much as he could ask for, "I love you, Stanford."
Ford smiled as more tears poured out of his eyes: tears of joy. "I love you, too."
Yes, Stan loved Ford, and as they held each other, he realized he loved Ford more than anyone, even the younger twins. He would always love his brother.
