Wendy tried her hardest not to admit that she was having fun dancing with a man who might just be a crime boss. Despite his obvious criminal connections, Wendy found Mason 'Dipper' Pines to be surprisingly shy. Every attempt at charm had an underlying air of desperation, the need for approval that she gave sporadically, each time she did his face would light up for just a moment before he wrestled controlled of his emotions. But as she swayed around him, moving to the swing music coming from the stage, she felt a strange sense of glee. She felt his hands on her hips as he moved behind her placing his chest against her back. Reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him down, while craning her neck upwards to graze his cheek with a feather light kiss. She felt him freeze at her touch, only for a second but it was noticeable at this closeness.
Leaning into her ear his voice barely a rasp "why don't we have a drink somewhere private." Quirking a single eyebrow Wendy nodded her affirmation and allowed him to lead her through a side door and up a flight of stairs. On the landing was a short corridor with three doors, the one closest to them lead to a private balcony overlooking the club she'd seen it when she was downstairs. Dipper lead her towards the far door at the end of the corridor and past the open entranceway to another room. Glancing inside Wendy was met with a very strange sight, Pacifica Northwest, the missing heiress lay sprawled on a sofa in front of the TV. She half sat next to, half lay upon the other Pines Twin who was playing with the blondes hair like a cat toys with a nearly dead bird. Before she could say anything Dipper pulled her father down the corridor and through the door at the end. Wendy was met wit a strange sight when she entered the room, the walls were covered in book shelves each filled to the brim with books. Genuine books, not the hardlight journals most people used but actual books. She breathed in the scent of the ancient tomes and felt suddenly at peace. The next thing she noticed was the fact that the only seating location in the entire room was a half made, queen sized bed. Said bed was currently occupied by Dipper Pines, who was drawing the blinds of the only window in the room.
"do you bring a lot of people up here Mr Pines?" She kept a wide smile at her comment but saw the flicker of insecurity shoot across his face almost instantly, but unlike before he didn't adjust his demeanour,allowing his anxiousness to be easily read.
"N.. No I don't, you're the first I just... I don't know, something about you drew me in" Gone was Mason Pines, master of the party, excellent dancers and smooth talker. Here was Dipper Pines, surrounded by his books, half made bed, room a mess and what appeared to be a pair of battered glasses perched on his nose. She understood at this moment why she was up here, not for a night of heated passion but because he had kept up a charade for too long and needed someone to see the truth.
Walking towards the bed she slumped down next to the crime boss before asking nonchalantly "Hey dude, is it cool if I crash here tonight?" As if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulder Dipper nodded his head before relaxing into the pillows behind him.
Glancing around her Wendy eyes were caught by a photograph on the boys bedside. A boy and girl maybe 11 years old, with a pair of adults in their early 40s.
"My mom and dad, they died a few months after that was taken." Dipper had spoken next to her, obviously aware of what she was looking at.
"What happened." Her voice was tentative, uncertain of what she was saying but speaking anyway.
"We were driving back from holiday, my parents stopped to help a couple of guys who had broken down. Unknown to us, they'd been sent by an old rival of my great Uncle, a man named Bill Cipher." Wendy went cold at this, she was well aware of Bill Cipher, you didn't last in the depths if you didn't. If the Pines Twins and their Great Uncle ran their territories with a certain amount of benevolence, Cipher ruled souly with fear.
"So what happened after, how'd you end up like this?" Wendy gestured to the room around her like she was trying to draw some context from the very air.
Dipper let out a weak smile "That's where my great Uncle comes in, he raised Mabel and I into this business, in a strange way he was trying to give us the best life he could. As he taught us how to swindle, how to fight and how to charm we encouraged him to use some of his money for good. Sinking money into schools and medical services, if we we're going to be criminals we might as well be healthy, intelligent criminals. "
Wendy considered commenting on the boys bizarre convictions but upon looking closely at him she could see that it was something he genuinely believed in. The other thing she noticed was the steady stream of tears pouring down his cheeks. Reaching forward Wendy gently rubbed her thumb across his cheek, wiping away a few of the tears. In a sudden twist the young man buried his head into her shoulder sobbing lightly, almost on instinct Wendy wrapped her arms around him and allowed him to cry.
They stayed like this for what felt like hours, a strange embrace the likes of which the two of them hadn't had in many years. Wendy hadn't had a long term relationship in her entire life, just a simple string of lovers which left little time for heartfelt display and Wendy was also pretty sure Dipper was severely lacking in the bedroom and relationship departments, considering his previous comments.
As she felt his crying relent Wendy moved ever so slightly away from him. Looking down at him she asked "have you got any clothes I can borrow, I really don't want to sleep in this dress."
He nodded his head and rasped "in the bathroom."
Wendy stood and headed through the only other door in the room and into a beautiful bathroom, the walls, floor and ceiling were tiled and a collection of shower heads were clustered along the far wall. Hanging by the door was a white button down shirt and a pair of black boxer shorts. As she changed out of her dress and into the clothes she could almost hear herself screaming to stop, to leave and go home. The case was solved, she knew where the girl was she could go. But she didn't, she didn't want to, the man in the next room filled her with a morbid curiosity that she couldn't quite shake. She finished buttoning the shirt and walked back into the other room. The lights were out and she could already hear Dipper's shallow breathing coming from the bed. Glancing down at him Wendy gave a smile before pulling back the covers, climbing into his bed and drifting into a soft, dreamless sleep.