AVAVA

( Author's Note )

VAVAV

One more chapter I think, maybe two.

AVAVA

( Daphne/Dipper Pines )

VAVAV

Daphne stood in front of the door to the Shack, and had been standing there for a few minutes.

She had been trying to figure out what was going to happen when she walked in, with Aqua in tow.

Stan, she was sure wouldn't mind too much, he was used to Mabel's friends running in and out, and even now that it was only Candy, and now occasionally, Pacifica. She didn't think that he would be bothered... Then again, Mabel was straight.

Soos. Well he was just a carefree fun loving guy. So, at the very least, she wouldn't gt any guff from him.

Wendy. Well, it seemed Wendy was more alright with Daphne, and her choices, than Daphne could have ever hoped for.

And unless you counted Waddles, that left one last person.

Mabel. Mabel was a doubled edged sword. She was Daphne's twin and best friend. But she could also be Daphne's worst nightmare, when it came to teasing. Though... of all the things Mabel had teased her about, this wouldn't be one. Oh sure, Mabel had teased her about Wendy, a few times. But more times than not, Mabel had encouraged her to tell Wendy how she felt. But there was always the chance that Mabel was feeling playful today.

"So... are we going to go in?" Aqua startled Daphne a little.

"Oh... sorry. Yes... I was just, y'know, lost in thought." Daphne said as she hoped, either everyone would be alright, or napping. Though, the later, sounded impossible. She turned the handle opening the door, then lead Aqua in.

"Oh wow! This place looks so neat." Aqua said as she looked at a few of the obviously fake display. "I didn't even know these things were out in the woods. And I live there!"

Daphne looked the the display that Aqua was currently at. It was something that her Great Uncle had obviously thrown together and was new. New enough, that it didn't even have a name plate. And she couldn't make heads or tails of what it was supposed to be. There was always the possible that it hadn't yet been finished.

"This is the... business part of the house... we can..." She shared a room with Mabel.

'Shoot,' She thought to herself. Stan had warned her, that she would soon want privacy.

"Hey, Daph!" Mabel's voice came at the same time Wendy's did. "Sup, dudette"

"H-Hey... guys... this is Aqua. She's been my friend for a while..." Daphne felt really embarrassed about this, and she shouldn't. Aqua was just a friend. Nothing more! But she couldn't help but feel that way. "Aqua was the first... person... that I told that I was a girl, here in Gravity Falls..."

"Actually that is not true, Daphne." Aqua's voice was soft, and sweet. "I figured it out, when you came to swim in my springs. Actually, kinda hard to not notice."

"Yeah, Sissy's flotation devices are pretty noticeable when she's soaking in water." Mabel's cheerful voice almost echoed through the gift shop, as Daphne's face turned red. Couldn't Mabel just not tease her... at least in front of new guests.

AVAVA

Daphne looked around her and Mabel's room, wondering if anything in the room was weird. Her and her sister did a lot of things that were strange, and vastly different from the norm. Though Aqua was from Gravity Falls... so maybe she wouldn't think anything was strange.

'Of course she'll thinking something is strange...' a little voice in her head commented.

'Everyone thinks you are, you know.' It continued, and she couldn't help but believe it.

She had spent her entire life, or at least most of it, pretending to be someone else. Desperately wanting to be someone, anyone, else. She didn't feel an attraction towards Aqua, well, not mentally. Physically, the female was very attractive. Though that didn't stop Daphne from being nervous around her. Even if Aqua never cared about her liking girls.

"Your sister has so much energy, and is so much fun." Aqua broke the silence, causing Daphne to look up at her.

Daphne thought back to when Mabel had almost dragged Aqua through the Shack to look at various things. Aqua, seemed very pleased to be getting a tour, and seemed excited. Though Daphne was a bit embarrassed by the fact that Wendy, and Mabel, kept saying how Aqua was the first friend that she'd ever brought home.

"Sorry about her dragging you around." Daphne muttered looking down at the floor.

"No, it was exciting I had a lot of fun." Then she paused a moment. "Daphne?"

"Y-Yeah?" her eyes stayed glued to the floor.

"Are you alright, you seem different than usual. Not entirely your normal upbeat self." Aqua almost sounded concerned. Daphne was she that the other female was concerned, she just hadn't known Aqua to be anything other than curious, and whimsical.

"I. Well. I don't have too many friends. Actually, except for Wendy, and my sister, and... well I guess that's all of them, besides you." She left out Pacifica, because she wasn't entirely sure that she forgave the blonde yet or not. She still felt hurt about the whole ordeal. "And usually new friends, don't stay friends long, once they find out that I'm a girl."

"So very few friends." Aqua said softly. "But good friends. Wendy and your sister. They seem like they'd do anything they could for you. And of course, I would do anything I could to help you. But what about that Pacifica girl? You used to mention her before."

"Oh... well, that's a long story." Daphne sighed, and started to explain what happened.

AVAVA

( Pacifica Northwest )

VAVAV

Pacifica sat outside the Mystery Shack, waiting to see if Daphne would come out to talk to her.

Pacifica had spent the last few days following her and her new friend around, and even she was starting to feel a little stalker-ish. The normal little voice that had been trying to make what she was doing seem okay, had finally decided that she was being a stalker.

Maybe following Daphne and her friend back to the woods, and spying on them both naked in the hotsprings had pushed that little voice too far. All she knew was that she had to talk to Daphne. Not even wanted to.

No.

She had to.

Needed too.

It had been too long since she had even talked to the girl. Which had once, not been a problem. She remembered weeks, and months going by without Daphne being around. Thought, for the life of her, she couldn't recall what she had done. Had she just sat there with her friends, or in her room, and just allowed time to flow by... She couldn't remember.

She took a deep breath before standing up.

Mabel had said that she would talk to Daphne, and convince her to come out.

Seemed like the plan didn't go so well, since she was still waiting.

So, there didn't seem to be much reason to just sit there, like an idiot.

"Pacifica, wait." Daphne's voice called as she had started down the steps, causing her to stop. "I... You came to see me?"

"Uh yeah..." She turned to look at the person of her affection, even if it wouldn't be returned.

'Daphne,' she sighed as she thought about the girl standing before her.

Pacifica noticed that Daphne looked weary, and guarded. Then again, Pacifica could hardly blame her for that.

"I... I wanted to talk." She started.

"I accepted your apology already, Pacifica." Daphne, while she looked guarded, her voice was still firm.

"Yeah... I know that." Pacifica paused a moment, wondering just how she should say what she wanted too.

"Even though I did, it still hurt me. I trusted you, y'know." Daphne rubbed her elbow with her other hand. "I decided to tell people I was a girl, because you said... said it was alright for me to like girls. Then..."

"I know. I'm sorry!" She almost sobbed. "I was scared. You know what that's like, right? Worried about someone finding out that you like girls... That's not true really. I don't like girls. I like you..."

"What?" Daphne took a step back.

"I like you, okay. I was afraid to admit it that night. Afraid to admit it when Tambry and Wendy told us nothing was wrong with us. And I'm very, very, afraid to admit it now. But I have too." She was shaking due to the effort to not cry. "You've been with that other girl, and I needed to say something to you, so you know. Before I don't have that chance anymore."

"Other... You mean Aqua?" Daphne giggled a bit before her face straightened back up. "Aqua, is nice, and beautiful. But... We are way too different. But... you like me? When... When did this happen?"

"Uh... well. About halfway through your first summer here." Pacifica's eyes looked down to the wooden step she was standing on, "But something didn't feel right about it, so I tried ignoring it. But it got harder and harder to ignore. Which lead me to following you into the woods that afternoon, and finding out you were a girl. Then it just clicked, y'know. What felt wrong, didn't feel wrong. I didn't have feelings for a boy, or a girl. I had... no... I have feelings for you. Doesn't matter if you're Dipper or Daphne."

"I..." Daphne seemed at a loss for words.

Pacifica moved up the steps, and took Daphne's hand in hers.

"Please... I know I was mean to you. And I didn't stand up for you, Daphne. And I know I don't deserve it, but please... can we... try... y'know... giving this a chance?"

"This?" Daphne just looked down to their joined hands, then back up at her face. "Y-You mean... L-Like... uh... b-being a couple? Like, normal couple, type, thing?"

"If you want." She couldn't believe she had said all that, couldn't believe that she was saying all this. But she knew if she didn't now, she might never get a chance.

"Uh... I guess. I mean, I've never done anything like this..." Daphne stopped talking when she was interrupted by a hug.