Dipper stood on the porch of the Mystery Shack, watching the sun set below the tree line. It was his favorite time of the day—the woods became almost eerily quiet, and, walking amongst the trees, he felt at home.

He jumped off the porch, and made his way over to the well-worn path entrance. He'd been taking the same walk through the woods every evening during his summer visit, since the second summer he and Mabel had visited their grunkles in Gravity Falls.

This summer was almost over. He and Mabel's eighteenth birthday was in a few weeks, after which they would travel back to Piedmont for their senior year of high school.

While there were always oddities of interest to study while in Gravity Falls, this summer had been tame compared to years past. Partially because the weirdness seemed to be on hiatus, but also because most of Dipper and Mabel's friends had other plans for the summer, and weren't around much. In fact, Mabel wasn't even in town right now. Marius had chartered a private jet for Grenda, Candy, and Mabel to fly to one of his 'summer palaces' for a week.

Dipper heaved a sigh, and kicked a pinecone. He wasn't nearly as awkward as he used to be, but he still somehow always seemed to get left out. Not that he wanted to stay with Grenda, Candy and Mabel for an entire week…but it might have been nice to be asked.

"Oof!"

"Augh!"

Dipper walked into something soft, and then fell backward, landing in a bed of dried pine needles. In the dying light of the day, Dipper saw who he had run into.

"Wendy?!"

"What up, man?" said Wendy, with a cheeky grin. She leaned back against a tree, as if she had meant to land there.

"I-I thought you were studying abroad this summer?"

"Nah, dude," said Wendy, flapping her hand nonchalantly. "Well, I was, but we finished our research project early. Plus, tropical rain forests are kind of lame. I mean, they're beautiful and crap. But waaaay too freaking hot. I prefer it here, where there are lots of Pines."

She winked at him, and Dipper felt his heart skip a beat. After all these years, and even a few girlfriends, his first crush could still take his breath away. She knew it too, and shamelessly flirted with him, even though she had a boyfriend.

Dipper caught himself scowling, and tried to cover it with a smirk. "So, how's Chaz, or Chet, or whatever?" he asked.

"Chad?" Wendy rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry. "I dumped him. That may or may not be another reason I came home from Brazil early. We were sharing a room, and there was only one bed, and, well, things got awkward."

Dipper was glad for the dimness of twilight, because he felt his cheeks and ears get hot, and he knew, without a doubt, that they were tomato red.

"Oh?" he said, attempting to sound casual.

"Yeah, dude. But what about you? Weren't you dating someone this past schoolyear? How's she?"

The pine needles beneath Dipper crackled as he shifted awkwardly.

"Beth is probably who you're thinking of. That, uh… that was short-lived," he mumbled quickly. "She dumped me for a football player."

"What?!" screeched Wendy. "That bimbo doesn't know what she's missing out on! I'd take you over a football player any day!"

"Uh, wasn't the last guy you dated before Chad a football player?" asked Dipper. He knew Wendy flirted with him to mess with him, but she was still the girl of his dreams. He really wished she wasn't just messing with him.

"Well, yeah, but dude, you had a girlfriend then. I couldn't homewreck…or whatever…"

It took a moment for what Wendy said to sink in.

"Wait, what?" sputtered Dipper. "I…you… what?!"

Wendy giggled, and scooted closer to Dipper. "Dude, the timing has just always been off."

Dipper narrowed his eyes. "Um, so you're saying…"

"I've had a thing for you for a while, Dip," said Wendy. She settled herself directly in front of Dipper and bopped him on the nose. "Like, since your second summer up here. I just never acted on it, because usually one or both of us was seeing someone."

Dipper couldn't make words. His brain was temporarily out of order. Wendy liked him? She'd liked him…for years?

Wendy smiled, almost shyly, and laid her hand on top of Dipper's, interlacing their fingers.

"One of the main reasons I dumped Chad, was because I couldn't stop thinking of you," breathed Wendy.

Dipper looked down at their entwined hands, and then met Wendy's eyes. He leaned toward her, placing his free hand on the back of her neck, and pulled her toward him until their lips met.

Her lips were soft and warm, and she smelled like vanilla and pine needles.

Dipper felt her unlace their fingers, and then her hands were at the back of his neck, pulling him closer, as she kissed him more fiercely. She scooted her bottom half closer to him, until she was straddling his lap.

Dipper groaned. He'd spent many lonely nights, (and long showers) imagining scenarios similar to this one, but none of them came close to rivaling how amazing it really felt.

"I knew it," Wendy murmured against his mouth. She placed small, hot kisses along his jaw, and down the side of his neck.

"Kn-knew what?" Dipper asked, squirming, and trying not to moan like he'd never made out with anyone before.

"With you," she whispered into his ear, sending chills up his spine, "it feels right. You feel right."

She wiggled against him, and this time he couldn't hold his moan in.

"W-wendy, you have no idea how badly I've wanted this," he breathed, his voice shaking.

"Oh, I think I have an idea of how hard it's been for you," she said with a wicked grin, as she ground her hips into him.

Dipper shuddered, as a soft groan escaped his lips.

Wendy gently pushed Dipper back into the soft bed of dried pine needles, and ran her fingers through his messy, brown hair.

"I hope you don't mind getting a little dirty?" she teased, biting her lower lip seductively.

"If we get dirty, I guess we'll just have to get a shower later," said Dipper, grinning.

"I like the way you think, dude," said Wendy softly, as she peeled off her top.

"Gods," said Dipper, in awe, as he stared at her perfect form. "You really were worth the wait."

Wendy lowered her head, and looked up at Dipper from under her eyelashes, as her hand wandered down over the prominent bulge in his jeans. "Looks like you were worth the wait, too, Big Dipper."