Wendy Corduroy stretched and yawned, before pulling her boots on over her leggings. Morning shift at the Gravnemeta started in two hours, but she and Dipper had decided the night before that they wanted to surprise Mabel with breakfast before their shift.
Last night at the Mystery Shack, when Melody had come back downstairs after applying Mabel's burn salve, she'd smacked Dipper lightly on the back of the head.
"Your sister is upset about something, ya doofus," she'd said. "Couldn't you tell? Couldn't any of you tell?"
Dipper asked if he should go talk to her, but Melody said Mabel really was tired, so it should wait until tomorrow.
Hence, surprising Mabel with breakfast.
Wendy pulled her favorite green flannel on over her tank top, and jammed her blue and white pine tree ballcap onto her head, before making her way to the living room.
Dipper was still asleep, splayed out on the sofa with his mouth hanging open.
Wendy grinned, and sat down hard, directly on his chest.
"OOOOOF" groaned Dipper, as all the air rushed from his lungs.
"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!" said Wendy cheerfully. She leaned over and kissed Dipper lightly on the lips, before gracefully rising from her seat on his chest.
Dipper gasped in a lungful of air, before responding, with a cocky grin. "Next time how about you sit on my face, instead, hot stuff?"
"You probably shouldn't say things like that in our house," Beithe called from the kitchen. "Humans aren't able to kill gods, but if Danny hears you say something like that, I don't doubt he'll find a way."
Wendy chuckled at the mortified look on Dipper's face. She reached down and pulled him to his hooves, and then leaned forward to whisper in his ear.
"Next time, I just might," she purred, nipping lightly at his earlobe.
Before Dipper had a chance to respond, Wendy grabbed his hand and led him toward the kitchen. He quickly readjusted his loin cloth, and tried to think of anything but Wendy, sitting on his face, her back arched, head thrown back in pleasure...
"Uh," he mumbled, pulling his hand from Wendy's grasp. "I, um. You get the breakfast stuff, and I'll wait in the living room."
Wendy's opened her mouth to ask why, then saw Dipper's quick glance downward, and giggled.
"Dork," she said softly, before bopping him on the nose with a finger, and turning on her heel into the kitchen.
/
"Wow, this was really nice of you dudes," said Soos, looking at the breakfast spread that Dipper and Wendy had laid out on the kitchen table in the Mystery Shack. "I'm sure Mabel will love it."
Melody nodded. "You really didn't have to bring your own eggs and bacon and stuff," she said. "You could have used what we have here."
"Nah," said Dipper. "We made this for you, too. As a thank you for letting Mabel stay here with you, and looking after her. It would be weird to come over and cook you your own food."
Soos cocked his head to the side. "You dohave a point."
"So," said Wendy, clapping her hands. "How're we gonna do this, dude? You think we should have her come down, or take her up a tray?"
"Eh, she's still on the mend," said Dipper, shrugging. "She'd probably like having breakfast in bed."
"Okay, you fix her a plate, while I go ahead and wake her up, so I can help her with her salve," said Wendy.
She turned and started for the stairs before Dipper had time to respond.
Wendy tip-toed up the steps, hoping to wake Mabel in the same way she had awoken Dipper—albeit with no chest-sitting.
She placed a hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and threw the door open.
"WAKEY WAKEY, EGGS AND—what the fuck?"
/
Mabel sat bolt-upright in bed, and then grunted, as the scar tissue on her back tightened painfully with the quick movement.
Ready to fight, her dark-haired, male companion jumped to his feet on the mattress, forgetting that he was laying under the low part of the slanted attic ceiling. The top of his head hit the wooden beams with a dull crack.
"Ooh, ow," hissed Wendy, through gritted teeth. "Sorry, Mabes, I didn't know you had…company…?"
The company sank down onto his knees, and gingerly touched the top of his head.
"Wendy, I can explain," began Mabel, reaching out to grasp the boy's hand.
"Explain what?" asked Dipper cheerfully, as he bustled into the room past Wendy. Then he looked up.
"Woop!" cried Wendy, as she jumped to grab the tray of food from Dipper as he dropped it.
He stared at Mabel, and the dark-haired stranger who was in her bed.
"Mabel," he said, his voice too calm, "there is a boy in your bed. With you. In your bed. A boy."
"Dipper, he's not some random stranger, if that's what you're thinking," said Mabel. "And we were only sleeping." She looked pointedly at Wendy, who nodded in agreement.
"Who is he?" asked Dipper, unconsciously clenching the hilt of a wickedly sharp dagger that had suddenly appeared in his fist. Then he turned and looked the boy in the eye. He looked familiar, but he couldn't place it. "Who are you? And why are you in my sister's bed?"
Mabel looked at the boy questioningly. "Do you think you're able to explain? If not, I can…"
The boy shook his head. "I think I can," he said softly. "More I talk, easier it comes out."
Wendy and Dipper looked at each other, the same curious expression on both their faces.
The boy scooted past Mabel, and stood up off the bed. He walked toward Dipper, and stopped in front of him. They were the same height.
"We traveled together," said the boy. He nervously stepped from foot-to-foot, eyeing Dipper's dagger. "I look different now."
Dipper stared at the boy in confusion. "When did we travel together?"
"Recently," said the boy. "In the Green. You made me and troll-kin girl wear bubble-wrap armor. Then turned a big troll into a pretty princess."
Wendy snorted. "You never told me that," she said under her breath.
"Fen-Fenris?" asked Dipper, dumbfounded. Fenris nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a small smile.
Dipper looked to Mabel, who nodded in confirmation. "I told you he wasn't some rando, Dip-Dop."
"How—you never told me you could take human form!"
"I didn't know," said Fenris, shrugging. "But Mabel got hurt in battle because of me. I wanted a better form to protect her. But as Fenrir, I still couldn't talk to her. So I went off on my own to try human shape."
"What—Fen, I didn't get hurt because of you!" cried Mabel, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, and slowly standing up. "Why would you ever think that?"
Fenris turned to her, a pained look on his face.
"I distracted you by yelping," he said, looking at the floor. "I was trying to warn you, but you couldn't understand me. Then you almost got killed."
"Okay, that is freaking adorable," said Wendy. "I mean, not you almost getting killed, Mabes. But him becoming human because he wants to protect you and communicate with you. Ugh. Be still, my heart."
Mabel's face turned an unhealthy shade of crimson. "It's not like that, Wendy. It's—he's Fenris. He was my puppy. Don't be creepy."
Wendy rolled her eyes. "Did I not justwalk in on you two cuddling in bed together?"
"We are used to sleeping together," said Fenris, still looking at the floor. "To cuddle helped us both."
Dipper's left eye twitched slightly. "Look, your breakfast is getting cold, Mabel," he said. "How about you stay up here and eat, and Wendy helps you with your salve. Fenris and I need to go downstairs and have a talk."
"Dipper…" said Mabel, unsure of her brother's motives.
"Be nice to the smol pupper," said Wendy, winking at Fenris. "He's still got his human training wheels on."
Fenris glanced back at Mabel, who nodded slightly. Dipper grabbed his arm and led him from the room.
"Eat first, then we'll do your salve," said Wendy, as soon as the boys were gone. "Cold eggs are the worst." She handed Mabel the tray, and the younger girl sat back down on her bed, and began to eat. She wouldn't look Wendy in the eye.
Wendy flopped back onto Dipper's old bed, and sat cross-legged, elbows on her knees, and chin in her hands, watching Mabel eat.
"So, you have a thing for dogs, huh?" said Wendy finally, grinning.
Mabel nearly choked.
"What—no! Wendy!" cried Mabel, as soon as she had managed to swallow her bite of toast. "Don't say things like that!"
Wendy smirked. "You just looked awfullycomfortable with him, is all."
"I was," admitted Mabel. "I mean, he's Fenris. He was one of the few things that had made me happy since you and Dipper handfasted. And even though he's in human form, he still feelsthe same. Not physically, though. Gosh, this is hard to describe…"
Wendy's smirk disappeared and her features softened, as she remembered the time between the twins' summer visit and Christmas break, when she had missed Dipper terribly.
"Does it feel like he's supposed to be with you?" she asked. "Like now that you've had him in your life, you don't feel whole without him near?"
Mabel sat her tray of half-eaten breakfast aside, and fidgeted with the edge of her blanket. "I don't know. I—look, can we just rub this goo on my back and go downstairs?"
Wendy smiled to herself as she grabbed the jar of salve from Mabel's nightstand.
"Sure thing, Mabes."
/
Dipper led Fenris down the stairs, and quickly past the kitchen. He didn't want to have to explain the Fenris situation to Melody and Soos just yet, especially since he still wasn't sure what the situation was. They quietly exited the Mystery Shack, and sat down on the old sofa on the porch.
"So…" said Dipper, after a minute of awkward silence. "Um. What are your intentions toward my sister?"
Fenris, who had been staring out at the tree line, turned to look at Dipper, his head cocked to the side.
"My intentions?"
Dipper sighed. "Like…you're sureyou only took human form to protect Mabel, right? You're not planning on seducing her or something?"
Fenris blinked at him. "What."
"Sex."
"Sex?" Fenris still looked like a confused puppy.
"With Mabel."
"What about sex with Mabel?"
"Gods you're dense!" cried Dipper, throwing his hands in the air. "Are you planning on having it?"
"Why would I do that?"
Dipper facepalmed. He wasn't sure if Fenris was being intentionally obtuse, or if the Norse god was trying to mess with him.
"Look, just—besides Wendy, Mabel is the most important person in the world to me," said Dipper. "She's also only thirteen. If you try anythingwith her, I will personally hand you a one-way ticket to visit Hel."
Fenris looked crestfallen. "So you don't want me to protect Mabel anymore, or try to keep her happy?"
"No, you can totally still do that," sighed Dipper. "When I said anything, I meant sexy times. Jeez, Fenris, were you always this dumb?"
Fenris looked down at his hands. "You're my best friend, Dipper. And Mabel is very important to me. I would never do anything to harm her."
Dipper ran a hand through his hair. "Well, now I feel like an ass. Look Fenris, I'm sorry. The whole human thing threw me—but you're still you, right? I trust you. Just don't give me reason for that to change."
Fenris nodded. "I won't."
/
Dipper and Wendy blipped off to their shift guarding the Gravnemeta, leaving Fenris and Mabel sitting alone on the porch.
"Ugh, I hate just sitting here, letting other people do my job," complained Mabel, throwing her head back. "I mean, I slept for a whole week—I should be ready to go!"
"A coma is a bit different than sleep, I think," said Fenris quietly. She looked up to see him smiling at her.
"I guess I can use this time to get to know you better, now that you can actually talk to me," said Mabel.
"What do you want to know?" asked Fenris.
Mabel stared at him for a moment, then reached out to stroke his hair. He had a serious case of bedhead. Fenris closed his eyes blissfully, and leaned into her hand.
"Well, now I know that even in human form, you still like scritches," she said with a grin.
Fenris pulled away, his pale cheeks tinged with pink.
"Yes, that seems to be the case," he said. "I am the same as I always was, just in a new, human-shaped body."
Mabel stood up from the sofa, and turned to face Fenris, leaning up against the porch railing. She folded her arms over her chest.
"So, why me?" she asked.
Fenris' brow furrowed. "Why you? What do you mean?"
"You're a god, Fen," said Mabel. "I'm nobody. Why did you decide to stick around with me? Was it just because Dipper was spending so much time with Wendy?"
"You are not nobody," said Fenris sincerely, standing up to look Mabel in the eye. "Dipper spoke highly of you when we traveled together. And when I met you, I knew he hadn't been exaggerating. You are the most beautiful person I've ever met. You have a kind heart, and you care deeply about your friends and family. After the handfasting, I saw how lonely and sad you were. It hurt to see. I decided it was my mission to make you happy. And to keep you safe." Fenris looked at his feet. "That part I failed at, and I am sorry."
Mabel sniffled, and Fenris looked up, his eyes wide.
"You're crying! Did I say something wrong? Or-or does your injury hurt?"
Mabel wiped her eyes and smiled. "I'm happy crying, Fen. It's a thing humans do sometimes."
"You never cried when I made you happy before," said Fenris. He reached out tentatively, then pulled his hand back.
Mabel laughed wetly. She closed the gap between them, and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. She spoke so softly that Fenris almost didn't hear her.
"Good boy."
/
Guard duty at the Gravnemeta was uneventful that day. Dipper and Wendy trained with Beithe for most of it. Wendy focused on learning to use her dryad magic, while Dipper attempted to master glamours. He told Beithe it was so he could confuse the enemy, but she knew he was really trying to learn how to look human again.
When the sun started to set, Stan, Ford, and Soos emerged from the forest, to take the night shift.
"So, Dipper, thanks for the warning," said Ford casually, as he sat his weapons pack down with a clunk.
"What warning?" asked Dipper, feigning confusion.
"The warning you didn'tgive us that Fenris is peoplenow," grumbled Stan, as he fitted a bolt into the large crossbow he carried.
"Not cool, dude," added Soos. "I heard Mabel talking out on the porch, and I thought she might have, you know—she did ask about brain damage last night."
"Oh yeah, my bad," chuckled Dipper. "Did she tell you they slept together last night?"
"What?!" cried Ford.
At the same time, Stan accidentally shot his crossbow bolt into the ground next to his feet.
"Dipper, you're going to give your Grunkles a stroke," said Beithe, with a hint of laughter in her voice. She had already heard the whole story. "When he says slept, he literally means they slept."
Stan pulled his crossbow bolt out of the ground, muttering under his breath about "goats who think they're funny."
Soos looked conflicted. "Should—should I tell him to sleep outside or something?"
Wendy shook her head. "Really, Soos, he slept with her all the time as a puppy. It's the same thing… now he's just bigger…and less furry…and kinda cute…"
Stan frowned. "This makes me highly uncomfortable."
Ford nodded. "When we get back to the shack tomorrow, we'll talk to him, Stan. Make sure he knows human boundaries."
Soos chuckled. "Dudes, you guys are going to give the 'birds and the bees' talk to the Norse god of destruction. That is epic."
Dipper almost told them that he'd already discussed boundaries with Fenris, but he stopped himself. He'd let them have that awkward conversation. He was a god of mischief, after all.
/
Mabel sat on the edge of her bed, twirling a strand of her hair around a finger. It had been a strange day. Fenris was currently in the shower, for the first time ever. When Melody had tactfully suggested that Fenris could use a bath, he'd visibly flinched. Mabel had shown him how to use the taps, and explained soap and shampoo to him, before leaving him to wash himself.
While he showered, Mabel had changed into the shorts and thin camisole she normally slept in. She looked down at her bare legs, and made a mental note that she should probably shave in the morning. She'd never before been self-conscious about how she looked when she slept, but now that Fenris was boy shaped, it seemed to matter.
The doorknob rattled, and from the other side of the door, Fenris called out softly. "Is it okay for me to come in?"
"Yeah," replied Mabel.
The door swung open, and there stood Fenris, still completely clothed, his drenched jeans and t-shirt leaving a trail of water in his wake as he walked into the room.
"Oh God, Fen," said Mabel, trying not to giggle. "I didn't even think to tell you that humans take off our clothes when we shower."
Fenris looked down at the puddle rapidly forming at his feet and blushed. "Oh."
Mabel grinned. "I think there's some old clothes of Dipper's in his dresser still. They may be a little small on you, but they should be okay to sleep in. You go ahead and change while I grab you a towel."
Fenris nodded mutely, and went to look in Dipper's dresser.
When Mabel returned with the towel, Fenris was pulling on one of Dipper's old t-shirts. He already wore a pair of gray sweatpants that were a bit snug, and stopped halfway down his shins. The shirt was about three sizes too small, exposing most of Fenris' lower torso.
"Dipper was tiny," he remarked, as he pulled at the collar of the t-shirt, which appeared to be choking him.
Mabel chuckled. "Yeah, okay, you don't have to wear the shirt."
Fenris sighed with relief, and pulled the shirt back over his head. "Clothing is too complicated." He tossed the shirt aside, and shook his head, sending drops of water flying in an arc around him.
"Here, for your hair," said Mabel, tossing him the towel, before sitting down cross-legged on her bed. "And about the clothes—the ones you've been wearing are really worn out and dirty. I'm guessing you didn't transform with them on. Where'd you get them?"
Fenris rubbed his hair vigorously with the towel before replying. "There's a pack of werewolves that live about fifteen miles outside the Gravnemeta. I approached them when I was still in my giant wolf form, and since they're not pure human, I was able to explain who I was and what I needed. They were really helpful." He sat down next to Mabel on the bed, the towel hanging loosely in his hand. "I think they were actually kind of afraid of me."
Mabel leaned into him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "Aww, well they didn't really know you."
Fenris pulled away, and turned to face her. He bit his lip, and took a deep breath. "Mabel, do you know who Fenrir is—who Iam? What I represent?"
Mabel rested a hand on his knee. "I do. You're the Norse god of destruction, prophesied to bring about the end of the world," she said. "But you're not that to me. To me, you're Fen. I've watched you chase your tail, and bark at squirrels. You're my brother's best friend. You're my…" she trailed off. He wasn't really her puppy anymore. "You're also mybest friend," she said, the realization hitting her as the words left her mouth.
Fenris' lower lip quivered. "I—Mabel… you and your brother have been so kind to me. I'd never really had a friend before I met Dipper. And now I have two."
Mabel grinned, and poked Fenris in the ribs. "Yup. And like it or not, you're stuck with us."
Fenris smiled bashfully. "I think I'm okay with that."
"You better be," said Mabel through a yawn. She reached her arms up to stretch, then hissed in pain. Her back was feeling much better, but certain movements still aggravated the scar tissue.
"Oh, your salve," said Fenris. "I'll go get Melody." He began to stand up, but Mabel put out a hand to stop him.
"There's no point in bothering her when you're already up here with me," she said. She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed the jar, placing it firmly in his hand.
"Oh…okay," said Fenris slowly, as Mabel turned away from him, and pulled the back of her camisole up, exposing her bare flesh. The scar tissue was still more pink than the rest of her skin, but it was no longer shiny.
Fenris opened the jar and scooped out some salve, rubbing it between his palms to warm it up. He hesitantly reached forward and gently ran his hands over her scars, using a light pressure to work the medicine into her skin.
Mabel took a deep breath, and blew it out slowly. Her whole body tingled.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have magic hands?" she murmured, her eyes closed. "If the whole end of the world thing doesn't work out for you, you should think about becoming a masseuse."
Fenris chuckled. "Well, I have no idea what a masseuse is, and I have never had hands before, so…no."
"Fair point," mumbled Mabel.
"All done," said Fenris, pulling the back of Mabel's camisole down. He stood up to place the jar of salve back on her nightstand, then wiped his hands on the towel he'd used to dry his hair.
Mabel yawned. "That was nice, Fen. Very relaxing. Sleepy time now." She lay back against her pillows, and patted the mattress next to her.
Fenris climbed into bed, pulling the covers up over the both of them. He reached out, and pulled Mabel to him, a little more forcefully than he meant to.
Mabel didn't mind, however. She snuggled against him, enjoying the warmth of his arms around her.
"You know," breathed Mabel softly, "seeing as I just met you in your human form yesterday, it seems like this whole cuddling in bed thing should feel awkward or something. But it doesn't."
"Cuddling with you could never be awkward," replied Fenris sleepily. "You're my Mabel."
/
For the second time in two days, Dipper was rudely awakened. This time, at three in the morning, with an airhorn.
He shot up off the couch, holding at the ready the katana that had materialized in his hands.
"Woah, easy there, kid. You could put someone's eye out!"
The rest of the Corduroy family, also rudely awakened by the blast of the airhorn, scrambled into the room, all carrying axes, hatchets, or in Wendy's case, a crossbow. Someone flicked the light switch.
Suddenly, everyone's lethal weapons were transformed into inflatable toy versions of what they had previously been wielding.
"Jeez, you guys don't hold back, do you?" said the older satyr standing in the middle of the living room.
"Puck, what the hell?" groaned Dipper.
Manly Dan threw his inflatable double-headed axe at the elder god of mischief. It bounced off him with a squeak.
"Was it really necessary to wake us all up in the middle of the night?" asked Beithe, frowning.
"Of course it was!" cried Puck. "The reveal wouldn't be nearly as dramatic if you were all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."
"What reveal?" asked Wendy, yawning. She flopped down on the sofa, with her arm over her eyes.
Puck was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, his hands clasped in excitement.
"I've brought you a visitor—someone who has graciously volunteered to help me track down Arden."
"Is the visitor invisible?" asked Dipper wryly.
"Oh, no, he's just outside the front door," said Puck. His grin was getting more maniacal by the second.
"Just open the damn door and show us who it is so I can go back to bed," grunted a grumpy Manly Dan.
"As you wish," said Puck. He trotted to the door, and with a dramatic flourish of his hand, pulled it open. A dark figure stepped forward.
The room was completely silent, as everyone stared in shock at the visitor.
"Hello," said the Green Man.
