you can just leave it all
By the time Dipper and Mabel's parents arrive home later in the afternoon, Soos is ensconced with the twins on the beanbag chairs in Dipper's room, deeply embroiled in a colorful racing game while empty cans of Pitt slowly take over the carpet. Mabel is riding a peach cola sugar high and never intends to come back down. She's got Soos on her left and Dipper on her right; she's smack in the middle of a warm family-friendwich and if she concentrates on the TV it's so easy to pretend it's summer again.
"Soos, don't you do it!" Dipper yells as he sees Soos readying a weapon in his corner of the screen.
"Turtle shell's gonna get you, dawg!" Soos warns, laughing as he hits the fire button.
A shadow falls across the room from the doorway. "Hello?" It's Mom, her expression uncertain as she takes in the sight of her children playing video games with an adult stranger.
Mabel quickly pauses the game and jumps to her feet. "Mom! Mom, Soos came to visit us! Isn't that awesome?"
"Oh, how nice," Mom says faintly. "So, you're… Soos?" she asks as if she's not sure what she's saying.
Soos lumbers to his feet and wipes his sweaty palm on his pant leg before he holds it out. "Hi, Mrs. Pines, I'm Soos. I'm the manager over at the Mystery Shack."
She takes his hand, expression still puzzled. "You run the Shack?"
Dipper quickly jumps into the conversation. "Soos has been working at the Shack for a long time and Grunkle Stan promoted him right before we left."
Soos smiles proudly. "Mr. Pines needed someone to manage the place while he's—"
"On vacation!" Dipper interjects. He looks to Mabel for assistance.
Mabel bares her braces in a smile that's really more of a grimace: She's not a fan of lying and hates it even more when it's to her mother, but she supposes that Grunkle Stan is technically on vacation… "Yep! Grunkle Stan's taking it easy, just… kickin' back. 'Cause he's old."
Dipper doesn't look especially impressed with her addition but continues, "Soos is the new manager and tour guide. The Shack is closed this weekend, so he drove down to visit."
"Look what he brought us!" Mabel enthuses, holding up half a can of Pitt.
"Oh, wow. I haven't had one of those since college," Mom says. "Didn't know they sold it up in Oregon. That's quite a drive to bring some soda, Soos."
Soos scratches the back of his head. "Well, it was kind of a spur of the moment type deal." He drapes an arm over Dipper and Mabel's shoulders and grins down at them. "Guess I just missed some of my family, you know?"
Mabel melts a little inside, bubbling over with fondness. "Soos, you magnificent marshmallow!"
Dipper pats Soos on the shoulder, but he's also watching their mother with concern.
It seems warranted, because she still looks a bit confused. "Is Soos staying for dinner?" she asks.
"Soos, how do you feel about lasagna?" Mabel asks him.
"Lasagna's great, dude. It's like really hot noodle cake," he says.
"You're more than welcome, there should be plenty," Mom says, turning to leave. "Dipper, it's your turn to set the table tonight."
"I'll be right down," Dipper calls after her. As soon as they hear her going down the stairs, he looks at Mabel worriedly. "You think she heard too much?"
Mabel begins twisting a strand of her hair, deeply uncomfortable with their deception. "Dipper, it's Mom."
"Do you really think she's ready to hear everything? Just try to explain how we had to distract a murderous demon so Grunkle Stan could get his mind erased without us being grounded until we're eighteen!"
Mabel sighs and slumps to her knees to hug Waddles, who's licking one of the Pitt cans. "I know."
Dipper looks apologetically at Soos. "Sorry, man. We haven't really told our parents much, so they don't…"
"They don't know why we're Pterodactyl Bros," Soos says sagely.
"Yeah. The whole 'apocalypse' thing is… really hard to work up to. And I don't even know how to explain Globnar…"
Soos looks doubtful. "Dude, that's your mom and dad. Is it really cool to keep all that stuff from them?
Dipper and Mabel exchange a look and, honestly, Mabel isn't sure if it's ever been a good idea. It just seems like the only option, at least if they want to go to Gravity Falls again.
"We still have to figure it out," Dipper says, "but let's just keep it to ourselves for now, okay? Pterodactyl Bros only."
Soos nods as if he's taking a solemn oath. "Pterodactyl Bros only. Plus Mabel."
"Plus Waddles," Mabel says, holding up the pig.
"Plus Waddles," Dipper gravely confirms.
Soos ends up sleeping on the couch. Even after a whole evening in his company, Mabel's parents don't seem to know what to make of him. Mabel is disappointed they don't find Soos as lovable as she does, but she supposes he's never fled from a giant mechanical monster with them. It's a strong bonding experience (as was so much of what followed), but not a very replicable one.
The next day they do some sightseeing in Soos' new truck. The cab gradually fills with the clashing aromas of about five different kinds of fast food and the rattle of souvenir keychains, which Soos has developed a rapid obsession with.
"It's a souvenir that goes everywhere with you! No wonder people love these things," he observes.
"Soos, I don't think you can fit these in your pocket anymore," Dipper says as he attaches the latest keychain to Soos' key. They've become a massive tangle of metal links and fabric straps and sort of look like a bizarre wig.
"No problem, dude; just clip it to my belt!" Soos says, raising one arm as he slows to a stop at the light.
Dipper finally gets the mess attached to a belt loop, leaving it jangling on the seat. "You will definitely be making a fashion statement."
"Fashion is a noble pursuit," Soos says wisely. "Plus, I can carry, like, an infinite number of keys now. Why doesn't everybody have more of these? These things are sweet!"
"I guess you could say you've really latched onto them, eh, Soos?" Mabel grins.
"Ha ha! Oh, man, Mabel—you have not lost it."
They end up driving to the bay and looking out across the water to where the Bay Bridge's gray, cross-beamed towers span the rippling waves. It's not an ocean of evergreens, but it's impressive in its own right. Soos takes a bunch of pictures for Melody and then they all pose in front of the vista together after spending far more time than should be necessary trying to figure out the timer on Soos' camera.
Finally, tired and more than a little bloated, they pull back into the driveway. Mabel opens the door, spilling a bunch of cups and used napkins onto the asphalt. "Someone will get that," she yawns, heading for the garage.
"So, Soos, what do you think of California?" Dipper asks as they go into the house.
"It's pretty all right, dude. Your trees are kinda small, so that's weirding me out a little. It's not super cold, though, so that's a pro. It's nice, but I think I'd miss all the stuff you can do with snow." Soos shrugs amiably. "I like it, but I don't know if I'd want to live here, you know?"
"Yeah, I know," Dipper says.
It's only five in the evening, but it's already time to say goodbye. Melody is due to return Sunday night and Soos has his responsibilities around the Shack for when it reopens on Monday. Mabel presses her cheek to the question mark on his shirt, unwilling to release him. It's been easier, somehow, to miss him when he was just letters on a screen or a tinny voice through a speaker. Now that he's actually here, all chuckles and enthusiasm and unconditional love, she feels like letting go of him is peeling away a part of herself all over again.
"You'll come back to see us again, right?" Dipper says, looking hopeful.
"You know it, dude. Hey, I'm just a text message away," Soos says, grinning down at them. He puts his hands on Mabel's shoulders. "Do me a favor, hambone?"
"Of course," she says, trying not to sniffle. It's not like he's going away forever.
"You think you could send me some of your scrapbook pictures? I want to show them to Melody since she missed out on so much. And I know you got all the best pictures! You're, like, a scrapbooking Amadeus."
Mabel wipes at her eyes and smiles. "You got it, Soos."
They wave to him as he drives up the street, caught between the glow of his visit and the vacancy of his sudden absence. Mabel leans into Dipper's side and tries not to feel bad. It's been a good day, and there will be others.
"He'll be back," Dipper tells her.
"Or we will," Mabel says.
Dipper's eyes are far away when he replies, "Definitely." Mabel can almost see the shadows of the pines move through his mind.
Their parents have been watching from the doorway, letting the twins say goodbye. They still seem puzzled by the depth of Mabel and Dipper's attachment to Soos.
"I didn't realize you guys had made such good friends up there," their mother says when they come back to the house. She's clearly trying to hide how perplexed she is.
"We're bros," Dipper says.
And it sounds inadequate, but Mabel knows it's a truth profound.