...
Dipper slung the last of his bags into the back of the car. He strolled round and leant on the side, facing the open door of their house.
It was a clear, cool morning. Open blue skies and a slight orange tint to everything as the sun began its slow crawl up and over the horizon. There was a slight chill in the air, signalling the true end of summer and the slow arrival of winter.
The last two months or so had been a blast. Graduation long done, picking colleges, making the most of time together with old friends…
He and Mabel had even driven up to stay with Stan and visit Wendy for about a week. It had been fun.
Last night they'd all got together, his friends, Mabel's friends, and got truly, phenomenally drunk. One last hurrah, one last goodbye. He was still nursing the hangover now, though the morning air was doing a good job of numbing the aches.
And then he and Mabel had staggered home at about four in the morning and had sex. And that was about, he checked his watch, two hours ago. Yeah.
They, well, he had long since packed all his stuff for moving to New York. He thought Mabel had too, but there was always something else, a dozen or so "one last thing"s. She'd spent the last twenty minutes zipping in and out with odds and sods, things she'd forgotten or had suddenly realised were important. She literally exuded excitement.
He was excited too though. They were finally going. Just the two of them, college in New York. It was happening. The next few years of their lives at least were roughly set in stone. It didn't matter about the details, or the problems, or the vagaries, they were together. They would work it out.
Mabel suddenly bustled out, towing another bag. She was wearing light green long-sleeved top and a pair of grey jeans, her hair in its usual style, pulled back by a blue hairband.
"One more thing!" She giggled, seeing the deadpan expression on his face as she hurled it in the back. On her way back she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before jogging back into the house.
He noticed their mom had come out, dressed in a robe, to watch as they finished getting ready to go. Probably woken by his sister tearing the house apart. Not for the first time, he wondered if she suspected their…well, if she'd noticed how close they'd been since school ended.
They'd been careful, he'd made sure they had. But they all lived in the same house, and the two of them already spent more time than would be considered…usual together, and they were certainly more sort of affectionate than they used to be, as little displays like just then proved.
The woman had never said anything, though. And yet, he was sure she must have at least considered it, Mabel wore her heart on her sleeve, and he was sure he'd slipped up here and there.
They held each other's gaze, saying nothing. He ran a hand through his hair, idly.
His sister cannoned out again, lugging another bag. He had no idea she owned so much. Her room had never seemed to have enough in it to fill all her bags.
"Done." She chirped, slamming the boot closed.
"Finally." He rolled his eyes, grinning as she pouted.
"Can't leave anything bro, it's not like it's a five-minute drive back is it?"
He smiled at the barely constrained excitement in her tone and tossed her the keys to the car. She looked at him puzzled.
"I'll be a second."
She looked past him to mom and nodded slightly, climbing into the passenger seat. He turned and strolled slowly toward the woman who'd done her best not to raise them. Truthfully, he wasn't even angry anymore, he'd accepted he knew nothing about this woman and that was that. He still felt the need to…he wasn't sure what.
"You're both off then?" She asked, as he stopped a few feet away from her.
"Yeah."
She looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped.
"Take care of each other." His mom said, eventually.
"We always have." Dipper replied.
"I know."
Their eyes met. Neither said anything, or asked the other to explain.
"Bye mom."
"Goodbye, dear. Tell your sister…" She frowned. "…it doesn't matter." She shook her head.
Dipper turned and walked back to the car, sliding into the driver's seat. Mabel was looking at him worriedly, but he shrugged, hitting the ignition.
"I'm fine." He said, eventually, grabbing the gearstick, yet still he hesitated.
Mabel placed her hand atop his. His eyes met hers.
"We could always just run. Leave. The hell with everybody. Go somewhere nobody knows our names, live how we want." She smiled weakly.
"That never even works in the movies." He chuckled.
Mabel looked back at the house. He glanced past her, seeing mom still stood by the door, but she looked away once she realised his sister was looking at her. What a bitch, he mused.
"What's wr-ommph?" He mumbled as Mabel suddenly turned and pressed her lips to his.
She pulled away, face flushed and beaming at him and in that instant, he saw her as she'd always been. The girl he'd known all his life was smiling back at him and all he could do was return it.
"It'll be hard." She said, squeezing his hand. "But I love you. You're worth it, to me. Am I n-"
"Without a doubt." He replied quickly, still in a daze.
Mabel grinned, then threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her back too.
"Love you bro."
"Love you too, Mabes."
They buckled in and Dipper started the car. Within seconds Mabel had retrieved one of the myriad CD's she'd packed for the trip. Moments later, he was listening to the bizarre warblings of Rusted Roots.
"I knew it. I fucking knew it." He shook his head, disparagingly. "When we all got drunk and watched Ice Age the other night…"
"Oh come on Dipper, it's the travelling montage music!"
"It's cheesy as hell."
She was already tapping her feet along and drumming on the dashboard. She was grinning at him expectantly, mouthing "On my way, on my way" over and over. He sighed, taking up the beat and drumming his hands on the wheel. Mabel squealed.
"Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will" Mabel sang.
"I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl" He continued. Mabel's smile grew wider.
It was looking to be a long way to New York, but Dipper didn't mind. Who knew what was coming their way? He certainly didn't. But they were together, and they would deal with whatever needed dealing with, together.
"Send me on my way,
Send me on my way,
Send me on my way,
Send me on my way… "
...
A/N: And there we have it folks, done and done! I really hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Truth told, I did consider ending it with the two making love at the prom, felt like it was a pretty defining moment in their relationship.
Buuuuut...I'm a sucker for a fuzzy ending. I wouldn't say stock-happy exactly, but hopeful. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'd appreciate any last thoughts you might have on the story as a whole. First one I've actually wrapped up. Thanks!