Dipper watched as Lydia buried her nose in the menu. He knew she'd been here a thousand times before, and he knew she always got the same thing. But her eyes were looking for a distraction. She was angry and hurt- it was obvious. It wasn't like he wasn't upset, either. Doubt filled both their minds. Had they moved too fast? Now, away from the lighthouse- away from the ghouls, were they a good match? The feelings they had were still nestled in their hearts and stomachs, but were the butterflies worth the agitation and hurt?

"Hi; thanks for stopping at Pig 'N Pancake. My name is Mercedes, how can I help you two this morning? Wait a second… Lydia? How are you?!"

Lydia peeked up from her menu and looked at the waitress with a half-smile. The waitress was young and perky. Her blonde hair was curled up in a messy bun and her delicate looking face was slathered with makeup. She was tall and thin, her clothes almost hanging off of her.

"Hey, Mercedes," Lydia greeted awkwardly.

"We were all worried about you when we heard you weren't going to be at graduation. It rained that day, and the speeches were long. You didn't miss much."

"Yeah," Lydia mumbled.

"Anyhow," The girl twirled her pen out of her apron and touched it to her notepad. "What can I get you guys to drink?"

"I'll have some orange juice," Lydia said.

Mercedes turned to Dipper, who had remained quiet during their interaction. He was taken off guard, not really paying attention to what was going on.

"Ah, coffee. Black. Thanks."

She tapped her pen, smiled and walked away. Dipper looked at Lydia with his head cocked. He was waiting for her to explain what had happened. He was under the impression that the entire city of Astoria hated Lydia. While he knew high school kids often over exaggerate things, after hearing the story, he agreed. But he didn't know she skipped graduation. And he defiantly didn't think anyone from her school would be friendly with her.

"She's fishing for a good tip," Lydia grunted, then buried her head back in the menu.

Dipper let out an obviously angry sigh, "Seriously, Lydia. Are you going to be like this all day? I drove 6 hours to see you, and you're going to be bitchy?"

"So I'm bitchy?" She questioned, her eyebrows raising.

He tipped his head back and nearly exclaimed, "No! You're difficult and stubborn."

"Whatever."

"Okay- so be mad at me. But be civil while were here, and we can talk about whatever our problem is later when we aren't in public, okay?"

Lydia took a deep breath and exhaled and agreement, "Okay."

A few moments later Mercedes swung back by the table, dropping off their drinks. With a peachy smile she asked if they were ready to order, and Dipper quickly asked for more time. He had been so busy being angry and detaching himself from the morning that he hadn't even looked at the menu. The girl glided away and he opened the menu.

"What's good?" He asked Lydia.

"Everything," She said shortly, then smiled. "I always get the apple crepes, but the pecan pancakes are good. And if you're feeling extra adventurous you can try the crab and cheese omelette."

"I think you costal folk's obsession with crab has gone too far."

"It's savory," Lydia defended with a laugh.

"The pecan pancakes sound pretty good, actually," Dipper said, sipping his coffee. It was strong enough to kick him back awake.

When the waitress sauntered back over, Dipper did in fact order the pecan pancakes and Lydia ordered the apple crepes. After she left the two sat in silence for a long moment, surrounded by the chatter and laughter of others… until Lydia broke the silence.

"Mercedes was one of the worst of them all," She said. "She was super popular and hangs out with a lot of college kids, so when the story about what I did got around, she took it super personally for some reason. She would torture me at school. She had her friends follow me home and throw stuff at me. Our house got toilet papered. My car was egged. They put fish in my car… my backpack… basically any way they could put fish on me, they did. She would shove me in the halls and make me drop my books and 'accidentally' trip me. One time she tripped me in the lunch room and I fell onto my tray and got disgusting gravy all over my face and clothes. She made my life hell. She wasn't upset I wasn't at graduation because she was concerned about me. She was upset because it was her last opportunity to humiliate me in front of everyone."

"Oh," Dipper was speechless. "I'm so sorry, Lydia. You never told me that stuff. I just thought…"

"I know," She said. "It's hard to talk about. I was messed up- I still am, I guess. I don't know. Like I said, it's hard to talk about."

Dipper frowned. He felt like shit. He had forgotten that Lydia had demons, too. He was so focused on hiding his emotions when it came to his uncle that he forgot that she had gone through some traumatic things the past year, too. He was selfish. He didn't really know how to talk about being upset. Wendy respected his requests to not talk about the bad stuff. It was probably the demise of their relationship. They never fought. 16 year old Dipper thought that was awesome; he got to have sex with a hot older girl who he was in love with and they never had any arguments. He thought they would get married. But the older he got, the more he realized what he and Wendy had was unstable and lacked life. When he found out she had been cheating on him with Robbie for nearly the last year of their relationship, he wasn't as upset as he should have been. He knew something wasn't right. He had distanced himself from her, and she from him. Even with Stan had been sick she wouldn't come around. She'd ignore his calls and texts. She didn't even go to his funeral.

"Stan was … he got really sick-"

"Dipper, don't," Lydia stopped him, much to Dipper's surprise. "We don't have to do this now. Here. Or ever. I just don't want to ruin our relationship because I'm pushing you too hard to talk about something you obviously don't want to talk about."

He couldn't help but smile, "I want to talk about it, I'm just not… ready."

"I know. I accept that. I understand it. But it still hurts my feelings. You'll be ready when you're ready, and I'm going to have to accept that."

Their conversation was interrupted by Mercedes sliding their plates onto the table. With a forced smile, she wished them a good breakfast and promised to be back with a coffee refill for Dipper soon. When she left Dipper reached his hand across the table and squeezed Lydia's reassuringly. The squeeze helped ease the conversation, to lighten the little tension that still lingered around the two.

With the fight seemingly over and all bad feelings pushed aside, the two enjoyed their morning breakfast. Under the table they played footsie while above they discussed their plans for the day over breakfast. Lydia expressed her excitement having Dipper back in town and her fears for him meeting her family that night. He agreed, admitting there was a pit in his stomach. He never really had to 'meet' the family before; he had known Wendy's family for quite some time. Mercedes quietly dropped off the bill while refilling Dipper's coffee for the third time. Both had been done with their food for quite some time. Dipper needed the third cup to fuel the rest of the day, so the two sat for a few more minutes so he could quickly gulp down the caffeine. The two paid and left without leaving a tip for Mercedes, though Lydia had suggested leaving a dollar with a piece of chewed up gum stuck to the bill.

The next stop for the two was the Columbia River Maritime Museum which was just down the road from the restaurant. It was a typical tourist-y thing to do in Astoria. Each summer the place was full of people. Lydia had gone in elementary school on a field trip and hadn't gone back since. The parking lot was already half full when they arrived. Dipper was surprised at how modern the museum looked. He was even more surprised by the collection of old historical boats parked around the museum. Lydia informed him they were part of the museum's collection. Once inside, the two experienced cannons, ship parts, and displays from corner to corner. It was better than Lydia had remembered. Maybe because she was with Dipper. They held hands and snuck kisses across the museum, taking pictures in front of the displays. Dipper whipped out his video camera on occasion just so he could watch the video when he missed Lydia. They even had a woman take a picture of the two together.

After an hour at the museum the two piled into his car and drove a short distance to the Astoria Column- one of Lydia's favorite places in the entire town. It was a 600 foot tall column that held an observation deck at the top overlooking the entire city. Lydia grabbed Dipper's hand and eagerly tugged him towards the monument.

"164 steps, you say?" Dipper questioned with a nervous laugh. "I'm not really sure I can handle that."

"It's not that bad; I promise!"

"I'm not sure I completely trust you when you say that."

"164 steps is nothing, seriously. Wait until I take you hiking!" She blushed.

"Hiking, huh?" He kissed her cheek.

They began to climb the stairs. The column wasn't busy; it never was, as Lydia explained. There would be a few people here and there. Tourists liked the view but didn't like the steps. So while the monument received visitors, it was never very many at a time. While they climbed they didn't run into any other patrons.

"This isn't too bad," Dipper admitted, halfway up the stairs. "164 stairs seems like a 5k race."

"There are almost 2,000 steps to the top of the Empire State Building," Lydia said, a few steps ahead. "They do races and stuff to the top."

"I'll pass," Dipper announced, trying to hide the fact that he was winded. Walking up a flight of stairs is a lot different than walking on one flat piece of flooring. The incline strained his ankles and made his breaths heavy. But within a minute or two, they were already at the top.

There was nobody else on the observatory. Dipper and Lydia had the entire deck to themselves. It was a breathtaking view. The two leaned against the rail on one side of the deck. In front of them were stretches of forestry, water and city mixed together in the perfect blend of Astoria, Oregon. The large Astoria Bridge that forged a path from Oregon to Washington reflected the warm sunlight onto the two. On the river boats came and went, moving slowly into the port. The top of the trees were lush and felt like they were within arm's reach. The scene was like a picture.

"Wow," Dipper breathed. "This is great."

"Pretty, isn't it? Astoria has some amazing views. This is nothing compared to the views in the woods. Hiking in the morning and seeing the sun rise over the mountains- stunning."

"I dunno. This is pretty nice," Dipper teased.

Lydia leaned against his side and laced their hands together. She wanted time to stand still. In fact, she decided if the world were to blow up at that exact moment it would be okay because she spent her last moments on that tower with Dipper. She could feel his eyes on her, and she let them linger for a few seconds before looking back up. He wasted no time leaning in for a kiss, sweeping her off her feet. It was forceful while still being delicate. His hands grazed her face, pulling her closer. Dipper seemed content kissing her all afternoon, but Lydia needed to breathe. She pulled back and gulped in air.

"Trying to kill me?" She questioned with a smile.

"Be my girlfriend, Lydia," Dipper almost pleaded, taking Lydia off guard. "I know your family thinks it's dumb to see me. I know we live light years away from each other and you're going to school soon. I know we're both trying to figure out life and whatever- but fuck it. Let's figure out life together. I want to be with you. I will drive 12 hours every day if it means I get to see you for a few hours. So, let's do this?"

Lydia couldn't help but let out a giggle of excitement and happiness as she repeated, "Let's do this."

She leaned up for another kiss and Dipper delivered. He slid his hands around her waist and inched them down her backside, cupping her buttocks. It came as a shock to Lydia, but she didn't stop him. This kiss was more passionate. Though it still was laced with a sense of neediness, it was less forceful. A delicate mixture of sweet nothings and lust. Lydia leaned against his chest and he held her for a moment. He nudged her up for a second, grabbing his back pack from by their feet. Once his camera was out he pointed it at Lydia and smiled. The red light flickered.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

She blushed and turned away, "I've got butterflies. Put that thing away! You're embarrassing me."

"You're cute when you're embarrassed, though," Dipper whined.

"Let me have it," Lydia ushered. "C'mon!"

"Nope! Gotta capture the view," Dipper said, keeping the camera on Lydia. "We don't have these views in Gravity Falls."

"Whatever," Lydia huffed.

Dipper panned the camera across the observatory deck then back to Lydia.

"What else are we doing today? Besides dinner at your parents."

"Put the camera away and I'll tell you."

The lens lingered on Lydia for a few seconds before the flashing red light disappeared and the power turned off. Dipper slid the camera back in his back pack, then slung it over his shoulder. The two shared a kiss and then walked over to the door and headed down the stairs. On their way they passed an older couple who greeted them with a nod and a smile. Dipper and Lydia scurried to the car, where they shared another kiss.

"So are you going to tell me how we're going to kill the next few hours?"

"I was going to suggest browsing the vintage stores downtown-" Dipper made a strange face. "But now I think maybe we should go to my house. I should be able to convince my parents to leave us alone in my room. We can watch a movie or two. Evil Dead?"

"Are you sure?"

"Why not?" Lydia shrugged.

"Alright…"

"Are you okay? You seem… nervous."

Dipper started the car, "I am nervous. I don't want your family to hate me."

"They won't," Lydia assured. "And if they do, you're the first person to talk to me in like a year that wasn't required to… so they basically have to like you by default."

"Thanks," Dipper laughed.

The two talked about the weather and old horror movies, about Dipper's Guide and an upcoming project he was working on. While most of Gravity Falls' secrets had ended up on the blog, there were new stories of a lumberjack figure walking deep in the woods. When he got back to the Falls, he planned on going to the library and hitting up some locals for information. Dipper was telling Lydia his plan for hunting when they pulled up to her house, parking on the street. Lydia squeezed his hand reassuringly as they walked up to the house.

Lydia unlocked and opened the door. Her parents were both sitting in the living room; her mom curled up with a book and her dad watching something on the television. They both turned and stared at the two standing in the door.

Dipper quickly scanned the house. It was warm. To the left of the front door was the living room. The walls were a dark sage green. The large dark wooden entertainment center housed a flat screen television. Both sides of the stand were full of pictures and books. There was a tan suede sectional sofa positioned around the television. One side lay flush against the wall; the other stuck out and lay parallel to the television. On the other side of the room was a wooden desk and a computer. There was a long hall off the living room, and Dipper could see some features of a kitchen. To his right was a set of closets and the stairs.

"Hey," Lydia said awkwardly. "So… Mom, Dad… this is Dipper."

Her mother set the book down and stood, walking over to the two. She extended her hand and shook Dipper's hand, issuing a hello. From the couch, her father gave a greeting. Her mother shot him a dirty look before looking back at Dipper and Lydia.

"I thought you kids had a full schedule today?" Her mom questioned.

Lydia shrugged, "It took less time that I thought… so I thought we'd come back here and watch a movie or two before dinner?"

"In your room?" Her mom questioned. "I assume."

"I mean, I don't think dad wants to give up the couch. He looks pretty comfortable."

"David?"

"I trust Lydia," Her dad said calmly. "Door cracked."

Her mom glanced back at the two, "Okay. Door cracked. Nick will be here in a few hours- and Annie will be home from her friends. We're having pork chops for dinner, is that okay with you Dipper?"

"Absolutely," Dipper nodded. "It's my favorite, actually."

"Great," her mom smiled.

"Okay… well…," Lydia headed towards the stairs. "We're going to go now… so…"

"Door cracked!" Her mom exclaimed as they descended the stairs.

Once up the stairs and in Lydia's room, Dipper looked at Lydia and let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah," Lydia agreed. "So, this is my room."

The walls were a gray color. Her twin sized bed was pushed in a corner. The bed was half made; the sheets a dark lavender shade, the comforter a purple paisley design. Next to the bed was a white nightstand housing a purple lamp and a few books. Further down the wall, pressed in the other corner was a white desk. It was fairly messy, holding her laptop and a slay of papers. An overfilled hamper was between the desk and the nightstand, in front of a window covered with a curtain that matched the color of her sheets. A small purple rectangle rug lay center over the light tan carpet. Against the wall next to the door was a tall white dresser housing a small flat screen television on top. To the right of the dresser was a closet. There was a long bookshelf against the last wall, stuffed to the brim. The top of the shelf held a few trinkets. A full length mirror pressed against the wall, next to a window covered by purple curtains. The walls were almost bare, barring a framed picture next to her bed of the mountains.

Lydia closed the door almost all the way, then smiled at Dipper, "It's cracked, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, I mean, it's not closed."

Lydia kissed Dipper softly and quickly. It felt strange to have a boy in her room… even stranger to kiss him. She had kissed boys before. She'd done more than that, even. But never here, in her bedroom. Never with someone she really cared about. A 14 year old may think she's in love with someone and steal kisses in the halls and under bleachers. A 15 year old may think exploring the body of her new boyfriend is thrilling, especially in his bedroom when his parents are out of town. A 16 year old might think that basketball player loves her back and lets him take her innocence in the back of his car. But here, in her bedroom, with Dipper. It was true.

Swiftly, Lydia twisted away and turned on her television. She booted up Netflix and quickly put on Evil Dead. It was waiting for her in her recently watched section. The familiar movie began playing and she turned to Dipper with her lips pressed and cocked into a smile. She rubbed her hands together nervously then fiddled with her shirt. Dipper rocked on his heels. The two had never been alone together in a private, non-life threatening situation. Neither was sure what to do. Lydia slipped off her shoes and motioned for Dipper to do the same, then she sat on her bed. He followed suit.

Lydia scooted back and rested in the corner of the bed. Dipper rested on the edge, unsure of what to do.

"You don't have to sit so far away," Lydia said quietly.

Dipper scooted back next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder. They watched the first portion of the movie like that, silently resting on one another. Halfway through the movie, Lydia adjusted and rested her head on lap. Dipper watched as her shirt inched up, exposing a patch of skin above her shorts. He carefully and slowly moved to rest his hand on her buttock. A few minutes later Lydia could feel his member twitching under her, sending hot shocks down her belly. They lay like that, Dipper's erection pressed against Lydia, for minutes that felt like years. The fire stirred inside both of them, building, until finally… Lydia sat upright. She looked at Dipper for a beat before sliding on top of him, her legs clenching either side of him to hold him down. Their lips met ferociously. His hands inched under the back of her shirt. Her skin was milky smooth and warm, fueling the fire in his body. Lydia rocked against his pressing member. She couldn't help herself, especially when Dipper's hands snaked around the front of her body and cupped her breasts. Excitement surged in both of them as he pressed her bra down and rubbed her hard nipples. In a swift movement he nudged her off his lap and onto her back. He cloaked her body with his, attaching their lips again. He pressed against her hard.

"Dipper," Lydia breathed with a gasp. "We can't… not here."

He sighed and scooted off of her, lying by her side. He had almost forgotten they were at her parents' house with the door opened. Almost. Their presence had only made the encounter more exciting.

"You're right," he agreed, unexpected disappointment lacing his words.

Lydia sat up and adjusted her shirt, then flattened her hair. She uncurled her legs and climbed out of the bed, wobbling slightly as she padded over to the mirror. She checked herself over, presenting a few additional pats, then turned to Dipper with a smile. He rolled on his side and smiled back. She sat down in her desk chair.

"That was um," Lydia giggled. "Intense."

"Yeah," Dipper sat up and crossed his legs. "So…"

There was a knock at the door and then it creaked open. Nick peaked his head in first then pulled his body in. He leaned against the door frame.

"Sup," He gave a half wave to Dipper. "I'm Nick."

"Uh, hey," Dipper returned.

"What do you want?" Lydia questioned.

"Just wanted to say 'hi', jeeze," Nick defended. "Mom's working on dinner. Also, it smells like sex in here, so you might want to fix that."

Both Lydia and Dipper blushed as Nick shut the door. With the click of the door, the two both erupted in laughter. Lydia stood up and opened a window, then walked to her closet and opened it. She stood on her tip toes and grabbed a bottle of Febreeze, sprayed it around the room, and then put it back. She sat next to Dipper on the bed. The movie the two had long forgotten about was over, the credits rolling. They let the screen roll until there was nothing left. Lydia stood back up to grab the remote. She surfed Netflix for a minute before putting an old Batman movie on. Her face lit up and she let out an 'oh!' before shuffling over to her desk. She flung open a drawer, shuffled around, then pulled out a white sleeve. She smiled at it, then handed it over to Dipper.

"I um," She was hesitant, almost embarrassed. "I made you a mixed tape. I know you've got a long drive home, and I want you to have something to remember me by."

Dipper smiled and pulled her down into a kiss, "Thank you, Lydia. I'm sure it'll make the drive more bearable."

"I know you have to leave like, right after dinner, so I wanted to give it to you now while we're alone," Lydia said as she settled onto the bed again.

Dipper scooted to grab his bag, sliding the CD in the front pouch. He inched back, kissed Lydia again, and the two settled against one another and watched the movie. Not a half hour into the film Lydia heard her name being called, followed by 'Dinner's ready!'. Lydia turned the TV off and the two descended down the stairs. Dipper followed Lydia down the hall he'd seen earlier. On one side was an open door revealing a bathroom. There was what seemed like a hall closet, and then the room opened up into a large kitchen and dining room area.

The kitchen was new and clean. The walls were a light tan color. The cabinets were a rich cherry wood; the countertops a sleep black granite speckled with shades of brown. There was an island that stuck out off the wall. The appliances were all stainless steel and shiny. Across the room was a large oak table under a beautiful chandelier. Behind the table was another door leading to an unknown location, maybe a basement.

At the table sat Annie, Nick, and Lydia's father. Her mother was across the room in the kitchen, shuffling a pan off the counter and over to the table. Lydia beckoned Dipper to follow her over to her family. They took seats around the table. Lydia introduced Dipper to her sister, the only person left in her family who hadn't met him. Dinner was plated and served; a meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans and salad. Dipper endured the slew of questions set forth by Lydia's family.

So, you run a tourist shop? What exactly is it? You have a twin? What kind of jobs do your parents have? Are you going to college? How do you feel about Lydia going to school in Seattle? Don't you think this is too far of a drive? So you like paranormal stuff? Is it true you saw Bigfoot? Why is your name Dipper? Oh wow, is that a real birth mark?

An hour later, Lydia thought Dipper's mouth was going to fall off from talking. He had certainly won Nick over with his stories. Her parents seemed to enjoy him, and Annie was indifferent as always. Even after the food was gone they sat talking. However, the daylight was gone and Dipper had a long drive home. He had almost been awake 24 hours- a long 24 hours. Lydia helped wrap up the evening and followed Dipper up the stairs to retrieve his shoes and bag. Once in the bedroom Lydia raised an eyebrow at him.

"So? That went well, you think?" She questioned.

"I think so," Dipper nodded with his lips pressed.

"I don't want you to go," Lydia said, changing the tone in the room, as she pressed against his body.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled like jasmine.

"I have to, I'm sorry," He muttered into her hair. "We'll see each other soon. I promise."

"When?" Lydia pressed.

"Soon."

She looked up, only to receive a kiss from her boyfriend. A slow, gentle kiss of passion that calmed Lydia. It was a quick reassurance, furthered by a peck to the forehead. Dipper slipped his shoes on, grabbed his bag, and kissed Lydia again. And again. And again.

"I'm sorry," He spoke against her cheek. "I have to go."

"I know," Lydia responded, barely audible. "It just isn't fair."

"Don't stay up waiting for me to get home, you have to work tomorrow. You need rest."

"I can't make promises."

They kissed again and then headed back downstairs. In the kitchen Lydia's family was cleaning up from dinner. Dipper bid them goodbye, then Lydia helped him out the door. Once he was in his car they kissed again. Lydia was desperate to remember how his lips tasted. She feared never seeing him again, never getting to feel his hands on her body. A thousand promises and stolen kisses later, as well as one sorrowful goodbye, Dipper was down the road and Lydia was alone once again.