It's the last chapter! Yay!
Before anything else, I wanted to thank everyone who stuck with this story for the entirety. It took me ages to actually write this story, starting last November with the premise and the first chapter. I honestly had no idea if I'd ever even finish this piece, so I'm really glad I did and that people actually enjoyed it.
Now, there is still the epilogue, which is pretty long, but this is the end of the Matching Ceremony debacle.
Oh! I drew another thing for this story. I'll put it in the chapter on AO3, but if you are on FF . net, then I'm afraid I don't know how to share it with y'all. It's not that great, since I had to deal with perspective which I am dreadful at, but eh. Also, this is the chapter that the cover art comes from. The drawing is not exactly what happens in the story, but it's close enough I guess.
Anyway, thanks for all the comments!
Enjoy!
Chapter Six: In Which Dipper Realizes He Is an Idiot, Really, but Manages To Get His Happy Ending Anyway
The morning sun was bright the next day, sunshine filtering in through the partially opened blinds. The sounds of birds twittering outside could be heard from inside the small room, the fall morning the epitome of peace and beauty.
Dipper just longed to go back to sleep.
It had been a hectic hour since he had been awoken at six by his sister talking excitedly to her Match, the two girls having apparently decided to dress together in their small room.
As soon as they had seen he had woken up, the girls had convened on him, forcing him up and sending him into the bathroom to wash and get dressed. He, as confused and sleepy as he had been, hadn't resisted and had gone with their pushy hands, blinking sleepily at himself in the mirror as the door slammed shut behind him, the two girls talking a mile a minute. When he had finally gathered himself enough to understand what had just happened, he had groaned, but did as the girls had asked, stepping into the shower to try and refresh himself. It hadn't even hit him what the day was until hallway through his shower, causing the boy to freeze, his hands stopping the rinsing of his hair as his heart thumped.
And that had led him to where he was now, he thought nervously, standing in front of the bathroom mirror as he tried to figure out how to tie a bow tie. After another minute of fruitless fidgeting he gave up, tossing the infernal thing aside and twisting his hands nervously together as he just stared at himself, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked at the image in the mirror. His face formed a grimace as he saw the ridiculous baby blue suit that was clinging uncomfortably to his thin chest, showing off the distinct lack of muscles he had. He nervously smoothed the jacket down as much as he could, shifting in place to see how it looked from all angles.
Since he hadn't had time, he had been unable to get the suit tailored to fit, so his sister had insisted he get a size smaller than he usually would go, so it would fit his form better. As he stared at himself in the mirror, a frown on his face, he wished he hadn't blithely agreed, as the suit made him look as thin as he really was. The pristine white dress shirt he wore under the suit jacket, also a size too small, wasn't helping matters either. At least he liked the shiny black shoes, even as uncomfortable as they were. That had to account for something, right?
… He looked like he was about to get married.
Well, he thought with rising panic, that was almost the truth, wasn't it? After all, if the day went well, he'd marry the person he was Matched with. And wasn't that a terrifying thought.
Panic filling him, he did his best to ignore the suit and took a closer look at his face, viewing the dark shadows under his eyes closer, wincing as he saw how deep and dark they were. He hadn't slept well at all the previous night, his head full of thoughts about the Matching Ceremony, who his Match would be, and if they'd like him. It had kept him up half the night, all of the worry and concern about the whole process.
Well… that, and something else. Something that had been far more concerning.
But he wasn't going to think about that, he told himself harshly. He wouldn't think about the hours he had wasted, reliving the moments he had spent with someone he had once and still hated, and yet didn't. Moments that hadn't been anything special when they had happened, yet had bloomed into fantastic fantasy in his young adult mind. He wouldn't think on how it felt, being in the warm arms of a man he would grow to… or about how he had wished that kiss had landed just a bit to the right. He wouldn't think on it, not with what was going to happen that day. Not when he knew that, after this day, he'd never see the man again, so it would be better to just forget now before it hurt more later.
Before he grew to become discontent in the life he would lead.
Taking a deep breath, he shook his head to get the prince out, forcing his mind back onto his reflection, back onto the current dilemma he was facing. Staring, he noticed that his face looked sallow and gaunt, his eyes sunken with the shadows beneath them. He looked like a vampire, and not the sexy kind, as Mabel would say. He sighed softly as he rested his head against the bathroom mirror, his hand drifting up to run through his beyond messy hair. He grimaced as his fingers snagged, the knots abundant in his curly hair. He had washed his hair that morning, but his hair always dried into tangled knots.
He felt dread fill him as he thought about his inadequate self, hating how awful he looked. Part of him wanted to call this whole thing off. Another part of him wanted to just get out of these clothes and back into his usual ones. At least then he would look like he usually did and not like a kid playing at being a grown up. Something told him that he shouldn't, though. He tried not to think about how it was the look in the prince's eye the other night, full of emotion he couldn't identify, that was causing this stupid desire to dress neatly for once. Yet he couldn't go out looking like this. He couldn't face the pri- his Match while looking like death warmed over.
"Dipper? Are you done yet?! Paz and I are waiting to see how you look! Come on Dipping-Sauce, don't get cold feet now!" Mabel's voice drifted into the bathroom several minutes later, breaking through the increasingly negative thoughts that were invading his mind as he stared at himself in the mirror. The boy startled, staring wide eyes at his inadequate self. He couldn't go out there, not looking like this. He couldn't do any of this at all. What had he been thinking, getting a Match? He was ordinary, plain, boring ol' Dipper Pines. He had been insane, thinking he could ever impress someone like the pr- like his Match. Someone like his /Match/.
Taking a shaky breath, he turned and marched stiffly over to the door, a deep frown on his face as he stopped before the locked door.
"I look ridiculous Mabel. The suit… my face… I'm not coming out, okay? I don't want to do this anymore. Any of this," he said softly through the door, wanting to sound huffy but only coming out as pathetic. He could hear his sister tut softly outside the door, the handle twisting in vain as she tried to enter the locked door.
"Come on Dip-Dop, I'm sure it's not that bad. You looked good in the suit last night!"
Dipper scoffed, fidgeting minutely.
"No, I looked ridiculous then and I look ridiculous now. I'm not coming out, okay? Just leave it!"
There was silence outside the door after that and part of him naively hoped that Mabel had given up. Sadly, he was sorely mistaken.
"Okay, Dipper, if you don't open that door in five seconds I'm gonna break it down. Don't you think I won't! Paz, tell him how serious I am!"
"She's got the floor lamp in her arms, and I can attest to the fact this thing is extremely heavy, since I helped her lift it. I'd open the door if I were you, Dipper."
Great. With a sigh, Dipper ran a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth as he prayed to the gods for patience. Why didn't his sister realize that he wasn't in the mood? This whole thing was ridiculous. Matching… pooh, he would do just fine living by himself! He'd have fun adventures, and have cool friends, and he'd never have to deal with the gut wrenching dread that was flowing through him. It was fine. It was what he wanted. Why couldn't his sister see that?
However, if she was serious about breaking open the door…
"Dipper? Alright. Fine. Five."
She wouldn't really break the door down.
"Four,"
Even Mabel wasn't that dramatic.
"Three,"
Well… actually, she had always had a flair for dramatics… and she never did much care about property damage…
"Two…"
Right before the girl could say one, Dipper broke, realizing that his sister was deadly seriously about breaking the door down.
"Alright! Alright! I-I'll come out. Geez."
With another sigh, Dipper yanked the door open, glaring at the sight of his sister, holding the garish floor lamp in her arms, though she dropped it as soon as he stiffly marched out. He winced inwardly as he heard the loud thump, absently wondering how much his parents would owe if they broke the thing.
He was drawn out of the thought when he heard his sister gasp, an excited squeal emitting from her mouth a second later.
"Oh! Dipper, you look so grown up! I mean, you could probably use some makeup, but you look amazing! Right, Paz?" His sister cooed, turning to her Match at the end. Dipper similarly turned to face the other girl, who had an impressed look on her face, for once.
"She's actually right, Dipper. You clean up nice. Maybe you could use a hair brush and some makeup, but other than that, damn."
Dipper fidgeted at the praise, not knowing how to respond. He didn't agree at all. He thought he looked stupid, and childish, and all around awful.
Not at all good enough to impress the prince.
Dipper tried not to wince at that thought.
Mabel, however, just tutted at him, walking over and giving him a big hug.
"I can practically hear your brain churning, bro-bro. Whatever you're thinking, it's wrong. You look great! If you'd just let me and Paz do your hair and makeup, then you'd look even better! Okay? It'll be fine, Dip. I promise. Whoever you get will be so blown away they won't even remember their own name!"
Mabel gave him one last squeeze before pulling away, a determined look on her face as she pulled him over to the small mirror she and Pacifica had been using for makeup. Dipper followed quietly, his heart too sick to even begin to deny her. He despised makeup, the few times the girl had managed to trick him into wearing it, but maybe… maybe it would help.
Sitting him down on the bench, faced away from the mirror, Mabel turned to her bag, frowning softly as she rummaged through it, clearly looking for something specific. An excited 'Aha!' emitted from her mouth a few seconds later, the girl standing up straight with a cream colored tube… /thing/ in her hand.
"Got it! Now, close your eyes, 'kay Dipper? No peeking until we're done, got it?"
Dipper gave her an uncertain look before closing his eyes slowly. He had no idea if this would help or not, but at that point, he was willing to try anything.
The next half an hour was full of action as the two girls in the room chatted while they stood critically over Dipper, with Dipper trying his hardest not to wince too harshly at the poking and prodding he felt on his face, his face getting caked in oily paint. He had almost yelped, however, when he had felt his sister draw on his eyelid, almost pulling back from the foreign sensation. The girl had simply tutted at him, telling him that it was just eyeliner and that it wouldn't kill him. He honestly wasn't so sure of that, grimacing at the feeling on his eyelids. Though, that wasn't nearly as bad as the lip gloss his sister tried to put on his lips. He had finally put his foot down at wearing anything brighter than a light peach, which his sister had agreed to reluctantly.
He almost cried in relief when his sister finally told him she was done, and then actually cried when Pacifica had come over and harshly ran a brush through his unruly hair. That had earned him a scolding from his sister, and another five minutes in the chair as she fixed the eyeliner he had apparently ruined. It hadn't been his fault, he thought bitterly as he rubbed his sore head. There was a reason he rarely brushed his hair, after all. At least the girl had been able to mostly tame it before he had called Uncle, though, a weird hair gel that smelled of lemons assisting in the endeavor.
"Alright, Mabel, it's been ages. Can I finally look at myself in the mirror?" He whined, not caring that he sounded like a child. He already felt like one, so he might as well act it. Besides, he had been patient enough; he wanted to see the results. He watched as his sister rolled her eyes, before shaking her head.
"Not yet. One last detail first!"
With that the girl ran off, into the bathroom. Dipper stared at her in confusion, though comprehension dawned when he saw the cursed strip of fabric he hated more than anything else. He let out a groan as he saw it.
"Really? Do I have to wear the bow tie? It'll look so stupid!"
He sighed, however, upon seeing his sister's hard look. He had given her control this far; he might as well give in entirely.
He grimaced as his sister stood in front of him, practically choking him with the stupid tie. He didn't even bother asking where she had learned to tie a bow tie; it probably had been one of her silly magazines that obsessed with fashion. It took only a moment and then the bow tie was on, the thing a foreign and unwelcome addition to his neck.
"And… done! Okay, Dip-Dop, you can look now!" The girl grinned, looking down at the boy. Dipper could feel his heart pound as he realized he was done, forgetting his discomfort immediately, part of him almost not wanting to turn around to see if he still looked as ridiculous as he felt. Mabel obviously noticed his hesitance since she rolled her eyes before gently smacking him on his head. "You look fine, Dipper! Go on, look for yourself!"
With a deep breath, Dipper turned, grimacing in anticipation. The grimace fell, however, as he looked himself over.
He almost didn't recognize the face in the mirror, positive it could not have been him. For one thing, the image he saw didn't look like death warmed over, instead looking almost… handsome. His eyes popped with the eyeliner, the usually dull brown eyes defined and attractive. His skin looked smoother than it had since early childhood, all the scars and abnormalities he had acquired over the years erased under the foundation and blush. Even his lips looked nice, with the slight smattering of peach lip gloss his twin had demanded he use. And his hair…he was positive he had never seen his hair so controlled in his life, the usual voluminous and wild curls tamed with the sticky gel.
"That… that cannot be me," he claimed, looking up at his sister with wide eyes. All he saw was a large grin before he got engulfed into a Mabel hug, the girl bouncing up and down slightly.
"Yep! Told you that you looked good, bro-bro! The makeup just assisted things a little. You look like a model! Paz and I did a great job!" The girl exclaimed, high-fiving her partner in crime. Dipper rolled his eyes, but he had to admit she was right. He still felt ridiculous, but at least he didn't look like an unsexy vampire, or a kid playing adult. That had to account for something, right? Right.
He hoped.
With a sigh, he fidgeted, looking over at the clock. He let out a wince when he saw it was already half passed seven, the whole beautifying process taking an hour and a half. The Matches had to meet at the Palace at ten that morning to prepare for the eleven o'clock Ceremony, but since he had been Unclaimed, he had to arrive an hour earlier than that so he could meet his Match beforehand. He felt terror rise in him at the thought, realizing he was only an hour and a half away from meeting his Match. Before he could faint with the nerves, he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see his sister frowning at him, a soft hum emitting from her lips.
"It'll be fine, Dipper. You'll see. Now, you should go down to breakfast and get something to eat, so you don't faint during the ceremony. Be sure to not smudge the makeup! Oh, and take this!" The girl pulled her hand back, reaching into the table and grabbing something, handing it to him a second later. "So you can reapply it when it gets rubbed off!"
Dipper took the object and frowned as he saw the peach lip gloss. He was too nervous to make a snappy comment, however, so he just nodded his thanks before shakily standing. He floated over to the door, his mind numb as he did his best to not faint then and there. Before he could exit, he heard Mabel shout a quick 'good luck!', which he felt was ironic. As if he ever had good luck.
He barely noticed the walk down to the dining room, his mind as fuzzy as it was. He could barely breathe, let alone think, as he floated though the room like a ghost. Somehow he was able to snag some breakfast before taking a seat at an empty table, the dining room filled with individuals in similar states as him. Even those who knew their Match were anxious, seeing as how the day was considered the most important of their young lives. It was like his Bar Mitzvah all over again, or Graduation. At least this time he didn't have to speak in Hebrew or give a painfully awkward valedictorian speech that still made him cringe when he thought of it. It was just meeting his Future. No biggie, really.
After a half an hour of sitting and panicking- his thoughts spiraling into a downward slope of 'what ifs' and fears- he heard his sister's telltale laugh, causing him to look up. When he did, however, he felt his jaw drop.
Clothed in a bright red dress and black stiletto heels, his sister looked more grown-up than he had ever thought she could ever be. Not because she acted childish (though she often did), but because he still remembered her when she was ten and going to her first 'dance,' a Winter Formal their elementary school had put on for the older students. She had dressed in a white, clumsily sewn dress that had been coated in far too much glitter that she had made herself, with the minute help of their mother.
As he looked at her now, grinning and giggling at her Match, it really hit him how old they were, how they were growing up and moving on with life. Hell, they were about to attend their Matching Ceremony, an event that pretty much signified adulthood in their Kingdom. At that moment, he finally understood, perfectly, why Mabel had been so upset with him wanting to stay in Gravity Falls with Ford, when they had been twelve. When he had wanted to grow up so badly that he had tried to deny his sister their childhood together.
However, unlike his twin, Dipper could see the good in it. The beauty in growing up. And as he stood, grinning proudly to engulf his sister in his arms in order to express the rush of emotion he felt, hearing her giggle at the show of affection, he thought that maybe the day wouldn't go as badly as he feared. Maybe things would work out, like they always did, in the end. It was scary, but that was what growing up was, wasn't it? It was scary, and panic inducing, and all around awful, but it was what needed to be done. It was natural.
He was still nervous, of course. It was terrifying, after all, to think on the future. To think of his destiny. But at least he didn't feel like he was going to throw up anymore. At least the fog had left his mind, allowing him to think clearly again. He smiled gently at Mabel as she took her seat and mentally thanked her, grabbing her hand and squeezing gently when she offered it to him. He honestly had no idea what he would do without her, the girl the only thing keeping him grounded at times. She kept him from combusting with his panic and fears, just as he kept her from flying too close to the sun.
With a smile, Dipper took a bite of his bacon, the conversations in the room drifting through him as he simply existed.
It was at a half past eight that the boy got up, only somewhat shakily, from the table where his sister was talking quietly with Pacifica, the two girls grinning widely with what Dipper almost wanted to call love in their eyes. It was a bit too early to call it that, he thought, but it clearly was well on its way. He bid his farewell to the two girls, one in red and one in purple, taking his leave so he could catch his bus. It would only take him fifteen minutes to reach the Palace, but he wanted to leave early in case there was a delay. It was always better to be early than late, he thought.
The bus ride was excruciating, the fifteen minutes stretching into an eternity. The bus was fast, zipping past the crowded streets, but it wasn't quick enough to stop the dread from settling into the boy's stomach once more. This was it. He was going to meet his Match. There was no more waiting. No more wondering. This was his future.
For better, or for worse.
Finally the bus stopped at his stop, allowing the boy to exit on beyond shaky feet. As he stood at the bus stop by the foot of the Palace, he felt his breath falter, his eyes wide as he stared at the awe-inspiring sight in front of him, the Palace even more beautiful in person that it was on TV. Part of him wished he had his camera with him, wanting to capture this moment forever, but he had regretfully forgotten it on his bedside table back in the room. As he stood there, he wondered what it would have felt like to grow up in a place such as this, to have grown up on these beautiful but austere looking grounds. What it would have done to him. If he'd have ended up just like… just like the prince. It hadn't happened and it never would, but it certainly had been a dream once, when he had been younger and more of a dreamer.
It took him a minute to shake the thoughts from his head and to gather the strength he needed to move again, walking stiffly up the long pathway to the elaborate gate that had a reasonably sized crowd outside it. He gulped as he walked to the little door beside the massive gate, which was blocked off by at least ten burly security guards that were even larger than Manly Dan.
With a shaking hand, he nervously handed the man in charge his identification slip, which he had gotten when he had boarded the train that had taken him to the station he had thought he would meet his Match in. The man who had handed it to him had stressed that he keep special care to not lose the piece of paper, for without it he would not be allowed entrance to the Ceremony. Dipper watched as the security guard looked at the paper carefully, before handing it back, requesting the boy to hold out his arm. He did, wincing as he felt the telltale prick of a needle taking a blood sample, which would match him as Mason 'Dipper' Pines, finally allowing him to enter the premises. Ever since the attack on the castle all those years ago, Palace security had ramped up drastically, especially during the Matching Ceremony when thousands of common folk would enter the castle for the Ceremony. Dipper didn't mind, though, more grateful to be there than anything else.
As he entered the small gate, he was told to follow after one of the security guards, which he did with mounting anticipation. He wasn't sure why he had to follow the security guard, but he assumed it had to do with safety. He was glad, though, knowing that he wouldn't have been able to find his way through the labyrinthine grounds without the man.
It took five minutes- five long, tiring, and nerve-wracking minutes- but they finally made it to the front door, where Dipper was handed off to yet another security guard, whom he was supposed to follow to the waiting room. With each step he took he could feel his palms getting sweatier and sweatier. He took deep, even breaths as he walked, barely noticing the opulence surrounding him. It wouldn't do to faint. Fainting would most definitely be bad.
Finally, just as the boy felt he would go mad with the anticipation, the security guard stopped, gesturing to the open door at the end of the hallway.
"Go in there. Your Match has not yet finished dressing, so sit patiently and wait for him to arrive. You will be escorted out to the main ballroom at ten, so be prepared," the security guard said emotionlessly, staring blankly at the wall instead of turning to face Dipper.
Dipper took another deep breath, trying to ignore the disappointment he felt at the fact his Match had not arrived yet (though he couldn't help thinking about how, if what the security guard had said was correct, he had just learned that his Match was male. He had no idea how to feel about that, though, but he didn't think he was disappointed. After all, he had long since come to terms with the fact he wasn't exactly straight. Not gay, but definitely not straight). With shaking steps, Dipper marched to the room ahead of him, pushing out all thoughts and emotions, ready to meet his destiny.
The room itself was ornate in a way that Dipper had never really seen. His family had always been well off, but they had never had opulence like this. The room was painted in a soothing cream color with wooden planks lining the bottom of the walls, with a large black and gold couch sitting in the center, a sleek black table in front of it. There were dozens of vases lining the walls, as well as a china case filled with what were surely beautiful, highly expensive items. Off to the side there was an area sectioned off, where about half a dozen other people were standing, looking just as nervous as he felt. As soon as he finished his survey of the room a peppy woman came up to him, smiling a highly false looking smile.
"Name?" She requested, holding a clipboard in her manicured hands. Dipper swallowed drily.
"It's, uh, Dipper. D-Dipper P-Pines," he stuttered nervously, giving the lady a sheepish smile. He watched in bafflement as the woman's eyes widened slightly, before a real smile replaced the fake one, her demeanor changing from one of forced pep to one of genuine happiness, though there was still something manufactured about her.
"Oh! Mr. Pines! What a pleasure to meet you, sir! Please, come right this way, over here," the woman insisted, leading him away from the other people and over to the large couch. Dipper could only follow, his eyebrows impossibly high on his face as he tried to comprehend what was happening. This woman was treating him like he was famous or something. Why? What was going on? Dipper didn't know, but for some reason, a brief thought entered his head that maybe it had something to do with the prince, that perhaps the man had somehow told his staff about him. But, that was ridiculous, he told himself harshly. The prince wouldn't do that for someone he had only known for less than three days. This woman had to have him confused with someone else. That was all. Still, he might as well go along with it, since he didn't really have a desire to stand for the next however many minutes until his Match arrived.
When he reached the couch, Dipper took a seat on the surprisingly comfortable cushions, smiling hesitatingly when the woman beamed down at him.
"Your Match will be here shortly; he simply is finishing up with some last minute details that have arisen. Sit, relax. If you need anything, feel free to ask. My name is Crystal Morgan, so make sure you ask for me!"
With that, the peppy woman-Crystal, apparently- walked away, leaving Dipper to stare after her in confusion. Right. Well, /that/ hadn't been at all weird.
Deciding not to think on the bizarre exchange, Dipper looked at the area where the other Unclaimed people were standing, all of them staring at him in confusion. Dipper felt himself flush bright red, facing downward so he couldn't see their stares. Great. Now everyone was staring at him. He hoped his Match would arrive soon so he had something else to focus on. Well, and because he was anxious to meet them, of course. Beyond anxious, really…
After that the minutes passed slowly, time appearing to have stopped just when he hadn't needed it to. Finally, after five minutes passed, someone entered the door, a man, hands clenched at his side. Dipper felt a moment of hope, wondering if this was his Match. Sure, the man was plain looking, with big, thick glasses on his face, but he looked nice enough. But when the man went over to the sectioned off area, smiling hesitantly at a small, mousy looking female, he knew that this one wasn't his. He let out the breath he had been holding and waited. He looked at the clock and saw it was five minutes 'til nine, giving his Match five minutes until he was late.
Five minutes passed. Three more people had entered the room. Two girls, one boy. None had walked over to him, instead taking another person from the sectioned off area. As the clock chimed nine, there were only three people remaining without Matches, Dipper one of them. The boy tried not to feel too panicked, though this was feeling suspiciously like that day at the station, with him waiting anxiously to see if his Match would arrive. Maybe he really didn't have a Match. Maybe that was why he was getting preferential treatment; they either felt sorry for him or they didn't want him to get angry that their supposedly flawless technology had failed him.
As he thought this, another man walked in, this one with dark skin and sleek black hair, dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo. Dipper spared a brief second to hope, but was cruelly denied when the man turned to one of the females, a pleasant smile on his face. As the two exited the room so they could spend the next hour talking in peace, Dipper felt his heart ache fiercely.
When the last person had been claimed, a red haired female claiming a dark skinned, busty female, Dipper officially felt like someone out there hated him. It was five minutes passed nine, his Match officially late. There was still time, he thought desperately, but he was losing hope quickly. The peppy lady came over and started chatting with him, but he wasn't really listening. He smiled politely at her until she walked away, leaving him alone to wallow.
After another ten minutes passed, Dipper put his head in his hands. He was careful to not smear his makeup or ruin his hair, but he was feeling awful.
This. This was everything he had ever feared as a child. That he truly was unwanted by everyone. That he truly /didn't/ have that one person who was made for him. That he truly was… unlovable. He tried not to cry, but he couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking, his breathing starting to quicken as he thought about everything.
It wasn't fair. It just… wasn't fair. He was a nice person. He followed the rules. He had never done anything wrong in his life, not on purpose at least. He deserved more than this, more than to be left waiting in a silent room, counting the seconds until someone either showed up or didn't.
Dipper was so absorbed in his increasingly depressing thoughts that he didn't notice the sound of someone entering the room five minutes later. Nor did he hear the chirpy voice of Crystal, or the smooth two tone voice he had come to love. Nor the sound of the door to the room closing, blocking off all other sound but the ones made from inside the room.
He only grew aware of his surroundings when he felt a warm hand gently touch his back, causing the boy to shiver, even as his head shot up so fast he nearly got whiplash. As it was, it took him a second to see, his eyes having difficulty adjusting to the bright light after being squeezed shut. When he could finally see again, he felt his breath hitch as he was faced with the breathtaking sight of the prince, head tilted and eye filled with what could only be described as concern.
Dipper, however, was speechless as he took the man in, staring at the prince's face. It seemed that he was not the only one to wear makeup, he thought absently, looking at the stunning face in front of his. Not that the prince needed it, but the makeup helped define the golden skin, the man's naturally high cheekbones defined even farther. He wore golden eye shadow on his good eye, the other covered by the most ornate eyepatch the boy had ever seen, tiny diamonds forming the prince's family symbol atop a golden base. His hair was slicked back, that black top hat from the other day sitting atop it. From his position, Dipper could not see much of the man's outfit, but from what he could see, it looked as immaculate as ever; a golden tuxedo that somehow didn't look garish with a black dress shirt underneath.
All in all, the man looked fantastic, every inch the prince he was. It took Dipper a second to realize the man was talking to him, the prince's eyebrows furrowing as he spoke.
"W-what?" Dipper asked nervously, heart pounding as he did. He was almost afraid the prince would hear the thudding, his heart was beating so loud. However, all the prince did was frown, before repeating himself, slowly that time.
"I asked, are you alright, Pine Tree. You look like someone told you Christmas was canceled, or something. Was afraid someone had hurt my Pine Tree."
Dipper felt his heart skip a best at the possessive, but he did his best to ignore it, biting his lip instead. He grimaced a second later, though, as he tasted the lip-gloss he had reapplied while on the bus.
"N-no one hurt me, Bill, I'm fine," Dipper started, before realizing it was a lie. Grimacing slightly, he looked away from the prince and focussed on the wall before starting again. "W-well… maybe not /fine,/ exactly, but no one hurt me. Not on purpose, at least," he muttered under his breath, still kind of raw that his Match still hadn't shown. He was so sore about that fact that it didn't even cross his mind to wonder what the prince was doing there; after all, of course the man was there- he always seemed to be when Dipper needed someone the most. He watched in his peripheral as Bill's frown deepened, the man crossing his arms across his chest.
"What do you mean, not on purpose? If one of the staff is giving you a hard time, tell me now and I'll have them dealt with immediately. Say the word and it'll be done," Bill promised, eye wide and honest. Dipper's heart skipped a beat again, and again he ignored it. Bill was acting very sweet, but it did him no good to start falling back into his fantasies from the previous night. Not when he was still waiting on his Match. He turned back to the prince, a small grimace on his face.
"No! No, the staff was very nice. The lady, Crystal, was very friendly and the security guards were very helpful. No, I'm just… I'm just upset. About my Match." Upon seeing Bill's confused- dare he say /hurt/- expression, Dipper hurried to explain. "I-I mean… it's been twenty minutes, and they still haven't shown up."
Silence filled the room after that, the prince's face turning blank as they stared at each other. After fifteen seconds had passed Dipper began feeling self-conscious, starting to fidget in place as he wondered what he had said wrong. After all, his Match hadn't shown up, so what he had said was the truth… so why was the prince staring at him like that?
Another five second passed before a small smile broke out on the prince's face, like he had finally understood something that had bothered him for a while. Slowly the smile grew, until it was a full on grin. Then the prince began laughing, starting as a small chuckle but building until it was a full bodied laugh, his right hand coming up to rest on his chest while his left slapped his knee in delight.
Dipper stared at the man in horror, however, his heart shattering as the man he had started to trust laughed at his problems. What… why… h-he failed to see what was so funny, he thought hysterically, heart racing and face flushing. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't, his mind frozen as he watched the prince laugh in a most undignified manner. It would have been funny, if it hadn't been him who was the butt of the joke.
It took a good thirty seconds before the prince calmed down, the man wiping away fake tears as he grinned at the boy, though his grin faded somewhat when he saw the devastated look Dipper sported. It didn't fade completely, though, instead softening into what could almost be called a fond smile.
"Ah. So, what you're telling me is that you're upset because you got stood up, is that right?" Bill asked, head tilted and eye narrowed. Dipper started to feel offended but stopped when the prince continued. "Do you know who your Match is, Pine Tree? Maybe I can help find them; maybe they got lost in the castle somewhere?"
Dipper sighed, trying to push aside his hurt- though not quite managing it- and shook his head sadly.
"/No/. Secondary people aren't told anything at all about who their Match is, because of the archaic rule that only Primary people can claim their Match. It's ridiculous, but because of it I know nothing about who I got. Well… I know they're male, since one of the guards mentioned something about my Match being a 'him'," he stated, biting his lip, once against forgetting the lip-gloss. He heard Bill snort softly, as well as mutter something that sounded like 'and here I was, thinking I was being obvious,' before the man stood and walked over to the china cabinet.
"So, let me get this straight. You know nothing about your Match. No one, I don't know, clued you in? Told you anything about him, other than his gender?"
Dipper shook his head again, when Bill looked back at him. Dipper could have sworn he saw a smile on the man's face as he turned back to the cabinet, but the boy wasn't sure. Bill let out a soft hum, placing his arms behind his back, his left holding his right as he thought.
"That is a dilly of a pickle you have found yourself in, Pine Tree. Want me to go and see if I can ask someone who your Match is? I'm sure they'd tell me; I am the prince, after all," he claimed a minute later, turning to face the boy once more. Dipper hesitated a second, tempted to say yes, but eventually shook his head.
"No… no, it's alright, Bill. If they wanted to be here, they'd have arrived by now, wouldn't they? I guess they just… didn't like me, or something," Dipper mumbled, looking down as he felt tears fill his eyes. "I guess everyone was right when I was a kid; I really am a know it all who no one would ever love."
Dipper heard footsteps approaching him, before feeling a gentle finger touch his chin, lifting his head up, forcing him to look at the face of Bill, his eye soft and his lips pulled downward in a frown.
"Hey now, don't say that, Pine Tree," Bill chided softly, his warm hand moving to cup the boy's face gently. "Whoever told you that was wrong; you're not unlovable, Dipper. Trust me, you're /not./"
Dipper's heart flipped as he stared into Bill's eye, his breath stuttering in his chest. The man looked so certain, so sure. Like he meant the words wholeheartedly.
"Then why aren't they here?" He heard himself ask a second later, heart aching. A few seconds passed in silence before Dipper continued.
"You know, I've been looking forward to this day since I was a young child," he muttered quietly, looking over Bill's shoulder so he didn't have to see the man react to his words. "I-I know guys aren't supposed to look forward to it, that only wimps care about their Matches, but I always thought it was enchanting. I mean, it was a whole ceremony devoted to finding th-the one person made for you. The one person you could conceivably call your soulmate, if soulmates even exist. W-who wouldn't feel enchanted? B-but… but I was always afraid. That I wouldn't be… Enough. That I'd somehow disappoint the one person who was supposed to be /mine/. Not my sister's, not my parents, but /mine/. Someone who'd love me no matter what. That I'd ruin that, that whoever was Matched with me would take one look before running in the opposite direction. That they'd hate me and regret ever being Matched with me. And… and I was /right/. They don't want me, whoever they are. They don't want me. I… I wasn't /Enough/ for them."
The boy finished with a gasp- the tears he had held back finally spilling- likely ruining his makeup but he didn't care. His heart hurt, more than it ever had before. He had never told anyone those fears before, knowing that they would try and placate him with pretty words and prettier lies. But he had known the truth. And he /knew/ the truth, now. Now that it was thirty minutes passed and his Match still hadn't shown. Now that any hope he had had been crushed into oblivion.
The boy had almost forgotten that he had an audience when he felt a warm finger gently wipe the tears away from his eyes, drawing his eyes back to Bill's, gasping when he saw the emotion that was held there. It looked like sadness, but not pity. No… it looked more like… understanding.
"Oh, Dipper," Bill muttered softly, a small, sad smile finding its way onto his lips, "you really are an idiot, aren't you?"
Dipper couldn't even begin to feel offended at that statement before he felt something warm touch his lips. It took him a second to realize what it was, but when he did, his eyes went wide and his breath hitched.
Bill was kissing him. Bill was /kissing him/. And not a small, peck, no. This was a full-fledged kiss, the kind he had regrettably heard his sister enthuse about after her first real date.
Damn, did it feel nice.
Three seconds passed before Dipper decided to shut his jumbled brain down and just allowed himself to feel, his eyes closing and his hands reaching to grab the older man by his shoulders, pulling him up and closer. He felt pressure at the entrance of his lips and opened them, moaning softly when he felt a tongue enter his mouth, warm and solid and real. All of it, real. And /his/.
Dipper didn't know how much time had passed when the prince pulled away, his whole body alive with sensation. He let out a soft keening sound as the man pulled back, pacified when the man gave him one last quick kiss before pulling back entirely, though his hand never left the boy's face. Dipper kept his eyes closed for another heartbeat, not wanting to open them and find this had all been a dream. However, when he felt Bill thumb trace his cheek softly, running down and over his sore lips, Dipper opened his eyes on a gasp, eyes drawn instantly to Bill's. He almost keened again at the wanton lust he saw in the golden iris, the eye lidded. And then Dipper's brain came back online, a niggling dread forcing itself to the forefront, causing the boy to frown.
"But… Bill, what about /your/ Match?" Dipper questioned quietly, eyes beseeching as he realized that, while he had spoken about his Match at great lengths, Bill hadn't said a single word about his in the entire time he had known him. To his confusion, Bill just smiled that fond smile of him, almost like he was teasing the boy.
"Dipper, when did you tell me your name?" The man asked in lieu of answering the question, tilting his head-which had lost the hat at some point. Dipper furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what that had to do with anything.
"W-what? I don't… I don't understand."
Bill let out a quick laugh at that, leaning in to give the boy a small peck on the lips before pulling back with a smirk.
"You heard me. When did you tell me your name?"
Dipper thought for a second, opening his mouth preemptively to answer the bizarre but easy question. He closed it a second later, though, when he realized he didn't know the answer. His eyebrows furrowed more with that knowledge. When had he told Bill his name?
"I-I don't know," he confessed, frowning at the man. Had Bill asked around for his name…?
"Hmm. Almost like I knew it before I had ever even met you, huh?" Bill smirked, eye filled with amusement now as he stared at the clueless boy. Dipper just stared back in confusion.
"What? But… but how?"
Bill let out another laugh, head thrown back, looking quite lovely in the lamp light.
"Oh, Pine Tree. I guess smarts isn't something I can expect from you, huh? That's okay. I'm fine with being the smart one in our Match."
Dipper opened his mouth, right about to say that he was incredibly smart, thank you very much, when his brain processed what the prince had said and promptly short circuited.
Wait.
/What/.
Dipper stared at the man in front of him, eyes bugging out of his skull as he tried to comprehend what he had heard. Because it couldn't be true. He couldn't be… no. He was just Dipper Pines. Ordinary, everyday Dipper Pines. He wasn't Special. Not like Mabel. He didn't get Matched with… with princes! He wasn't in a fairytale. He wasn't that lucky.
He couldn't say anything but he shook his head, heart seizing as he wondered what was happening. Had he died? Was this heaven? Or was it hell? He didn't know and he was starting to freak out, which Bill clearly took notice to, since the boy watched as the man frowned and continued to run soothing circles against his cheek.
"Pine Tree? Pine Tree? You in there? Oh. I've broken him again. Hm. Well, this is an issue. Should I do something? Should I get someone to help? Is he upset? Hm…" Bill muttered, frown deep and troubled on his face. The words brought Dipper out of his trance, though he didn't stop shaking his head.
"N-no. That's not… you can't be my Match. I'm not that lucky. I'm not… y-you never get Full Matches. So we couldn't… I couldn't…"
And so he had finally found the catch. He felt his heart stop suddenly, his breath shallow as he thought this. Even if Bill was his Match, he wouldn't be a Full Match. They couldn't be together, even if he wanted to.
"Really, Pine Tree, do you really think I'd put this much effort into you if I wouldn't be able to marry you in the end? I never put this much effort into the others, just you. Not sure why, when you walked into that first day, but you… you shined. Shined so bright, just like a star. Nothing else mattered, nothing but you."
His eye was so open, so bright; so honest. His expression was genuine. His words, though… they were too good to be true. They couldn't be true. How…
"How? Why me? I don't… I don't understand. Help me understand," Dipper begged, so confused and so tired.
"You think I do?" Bill muttered, raising his other hand to push back a strand of hair that had fallen out of place on Dipper's temple. "I don't understand this, Dipper. Never did. Love… I never felt it. Not for the King. He never much cared for me- the mad, bitter, schizophrenic husk of a son he never wanted. Not for the Queen, who would look at me like she was viewing a ghost, like she only saw my brothers instead of me. And not for that first Match, though he had claimed he loved me. How can you love someone you just met? I didn't understand. So I pushed him away, not wanting to deal with it, with the thoughts. I think I understand now, but I still don't understand the why. The reason. Why you are so special. I just know that… you are."
"Oh," was all Dipper could utter, heart pounding even as it soared in his chest. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. No one had ever been close enough to feel anything like it. He felt his lips stretch into a smile, the doubt fading as he saw the seriousness in the prince's eye, as he recognized the sincerity he had spoken with. Carefully, not wanting to move too quickly and ruin everything, he raised his hand and cupped Bill's cheek, in a mirror of the man's position. Then, even more slowly, he leaned forward, until his lips were a millimeter away from touching Bill's. He hesitated for a single second, before pressing forward, his lips meeting Bill's in a clash, saying everything he couldn't say aloud.
When they pulled back a minute later, Dipper let out a soft, breathy laugh, his face unable to stop smiling.
"Wow. I-I guess you were right. I really am an idiot," he muttered wondrously, not even feeling offended or upset. To think, he could have saved himself so much heartache had he just thought things through instead of pushed them away, not wanting to be hurt; the irony was almost funny. Bill just let out a laugh, nodding his agreement.
A minute passed before Bill stood slowly, taking a seat beside the boy, grabbing his hand carefully as he stared ahead of him.
"So. What now?" Bill asked, looking at Dipper out of the corner of his eye. Dipper shrugged, absentmindedly playing with the fingers laced with his.
"I don't know. Get ready for the Ceremony?"
He heard Bill groan, which didn't instill the boy with much confidence about the whole process, but for once, he didn't care. He had Bill. He had gotten his happily ever after. That was all he needed. All the panic and fear could wait until later; right now, he wanted to keep his brain shut off as he simply felt content for once in his young life.
"That's not going to be fun," Bill said bitterly, pouting as he thought of the spectacle they were about to be made into. Dipper grimaced in agreement, but shrugged.
"Yeah, probably not. But… but no matter what, I'll be there. With you. Every step of the way. Doesn't that count for something?" Dipper questioned softly, almost asking himself as he squeezed his Match's hand in emphasis.
Bill paused, before smiling brilliantly.
"Yeah. Yeah, it does."
They stopped speaking after that, allowing themselves the chance to simply breathe, to finally relax after the stress and heartache of the past few days. Dipper, for one, was grateful. After all, he had a lot to process. Though, maybe he could do that later. Maybe he for now he could just… live. Not worry, for once in his life. A smile found its way onto his face as he thought that. Yeah, that sure did sound nice.
He still wasn't quite used to the idea that this man was his Match, nor would he fully be used to it for a long while, he felt, but it was getting easier each second that passed. And, he thought, no matter what happened, he would be there for this man. This wonderful, beautiful man. He knew there would be issues they'd come across, but he was sure they'd deal with them. Leaning over, he kissed the man gently, feeling like he'd never get enough of his taste, his feel. Maybe he wasn't all right in the head, but Dipper knew that it didn't matter. Even Bill's tendency to be a rude ass wasn't deterring Dipper at the moment. Who knew, maybe Mabel had been right all along; maybe all Bill needed was someone to help him with his anger. And if not, then Dipper would deal with it the best he could, acting as a buffer for the prince's thoughtless comments.
Dipper was pulled out of his thoughts when a knock sounded on the door, the peppy woman poking her head in when Bill cheerfully called 'come in!'
"Prince Cipher, your father, the King, is requesting that you and your Match arrive on the stage as soon as possible. The Matches will be arriving soon and he wants you there to show that you've finally found your Match."
"Give us five minutes, Catherine. We need more than a moment's notice to get ready, after all," Bill chimed cheerfully, his grin large and blinding in the dull lamp light. The woman, Crystal, gave the prince a tight smile before nodding and exiting the room, saying nothing else. Dipper frowned, but decided that his behavior was something to talk about another day. Today was all about them and their Match, after all. He felt Bill stand, watching as the man stretched his long limbs, a yawn releasing.
"Well, I suppose we should get ready. The King does not like to be kept waiting, not a bit. Tried once, as a joke, never showed up to an 'important' meeting. He got very, very angry. So, suppose we should go, then. Hm. What a marvelous time we'll have," Bill muttered lazily looking down at Dipper, who nodded in mild confusion.
"Yeah, I guess so," he said as he followed Bill's example, standing and stretching his stiff muscles. Once he was done, his body all loose for the upcoming Ceremony, he felt Bill take his hand, entwining their fingers, smiling softly.
"You know, I never mentioned, but you look quite spiffy in that suit. Told you light blue would look good on you."
Dipper smiled at the praise, for once not feeling the urge to deny it. If Bill said he liked it, Dipper was inclined to believe him. At least this once, while his brain was still shut off.
"Thanks. You look quite… 'Spiffy' yourself."
With a grin, Bill began marching forwards towards the door with determination, dragging the boy behind him, his entire face glowing with what Dipper hoped was happiness.
"Come on, Pine Tree! Our destiny awaits, out there, with the worms and the cretins! Let us make haste, ride out towards that fabled sunset as we fall off that cliff together!" Bill exclaimed as he yanked the door open with one hand, grin blinding as he looked back at the boy. With a soft smile, Dipper followed, heart filled with excitement about the brave new world they were walking out into.
Together.
P.S. I hope this went how people wanted it to. No real angst, just a happy ending.
Also, I will not be posting my original story, since no one really seemed too enthused about it. :-)
See you next week with the epilogue!