Chapter Text
The first time Henry Corduroy saw the woman he would marry, she was finishing up a keg stand. When she was put back down on the ground, she screamed “SONGS ARE HUGS FOR YOUR EARS.” Then Mabel Pines immediately went to run around the party, ululating and waving her hands in the air.
It wasn’t love at first sight, but it was certainly interest at first sight.
—-
Backtrack a bit, to a week before.
Here is Henry Corduroy, twenty two, and fresh out of Oregon State with a BA in Library Science in one hand and an…actual job at a real library in the other?
He couldn’t believe it either.
Of course, the fact that it was the Gravity Falls Town Library helped.
“We’ve been trying to get a new librarian for two years now!” his soon-to-be boss had told him in the phone interview. The fact that they not only got someone, but a young person with a recent degree, seemed to be enough to make his future boss, Mr. Hasegawa, about to cry.
“Henry dear,” his mother told him over Skype, “just think of this as….as a stepping stone. Put in a year or two here, and you’ll be on to bigger and better things before you know it.” She was echoing what many of his own friends had said but what no one seemed to get was that this was what he wanted.
Not Gravity Falls exactly- he didn’t really have any antipathy for the town, it was just he could have gone to any place of its size in Oregon and it’d have been what he wanted. But no, point being, he didn’t need or want to run a large university library or a branch in a big city. Just a little place of his own in a small town where he didn’t have fifteen branches of the Corduroy clan asking when he’d give up with this nonsense and start cutting trees breathing down his neck. A place where he could become part of a community, a place where he could help people.
A place he could make a home of his own out of.
—-
Okay, so it was a little ironic in trying to move out of the eye of the majority of his relatives, he moved in with…some relatives.
But of all his many uncles and cousins, his favorite had always been his Uncle Dan (who went by “Manly Dan” here in town and he was really trying hard not to snort at that.) Dan was just as much an over the top, he-man (heh), tree cutting, beer swilling, log spinning and monster truck show watching guy as everyone else Henry was related to. But like Henry, he was a bit of a black sheep because he and Uncle Tyler had been together for about eight years and married for three and while no one said anything about Uncle Tyler to Uncle Dan any more (at least, not to his face, not after The Time Dan Broke John’s Nose), there was still….disapproval.
So yeah, he and Dan didn’t have much in common, but they definitely understood each other. And Uncle Dan and Uncle Tyler were cool enough to let him stay in Arnold’s old room until he got his feet under him and was able to rent out a place of his own in town.
Also, that meant he got to hang out with his favorite relative, his cousin Wendy.
—-
“How’s your first week here in town been,” Wendy asked as they hung out on the roof, watching the firebirds ride the thermals in the sky.
“Good. Though Mr. Hagesawa’s gratitude is starting to get a little creepy.”
“Eh, give him some time. His daughter just left for college so he’s been a bit emotional.”
Henry looked at Wendy.
“How do you know that?”
“We were in high school together my last year.” Wendy sat up to take a drink from her can of Pitt and looked over at him. “If you’re going to settle down here, you really need to get to know people. Preferably people our age.”
“Hey! People of all age groups use the library.”
“Uh-huh sure. Point still stands; you need to get out and meet not library-clientele.”
“Um, I don’t know Wendy, I’m not really good at small talk.” Or any talk for that matter.
She poked him in the shoulder. “Relax, I have the perfect opportunity for you. I’m going to a party at my friend Tambry’s on Saturday. A lot of my other friends will be there too. You should come.”
Henry thought about it. She had a point. Most of his friends were still either in Corvallis at Oregon State, back in their own home towns, or had gone on to Portland. And this was where he wanted to settle down (a week here and this weird little place was already growing on him.)
—-
The week passed and before Henry knew it it was Saturday and he and Wendy were riding in her VW Van that someone (later, he would find out it was Mabel) had painted fish and mermaids and harpies and giant squid all over.
Henry, his head already almost touching the ceiling of the van, bonked his skull against the tough metal as they went over a large bump on the dirt road.
He landed back in his seat and rubbed his head. “So, who do you know that will be there?” he asked his cousin.
Wendy started counting out on her hands, using her knees to steer (if she was trying to psych him out, she was going to fail, because if there was one advantage to being 6’7, it was being able to steer with your knees. Because they hit the wheel anyway.)
“Let’s see, Tambry obviously. Thompson and his girlfriend, Nate and Lee-it’s their four year anniversary so we got them a cake, Robbie though he’s an ass, Candy, Grenda, Pacifica, and Mabel and Dipper.”
“Oh, so a nice small party between friends then?” Henry asked. He could handle that.
“Oh no, that’s just who I know. Tambry invited everyone in a tri-town area, including the manotaurs. Those guys really know how to get down.”
Henry slouched down in his seat, or at least as much as he was able to. “Oh.”
They drove on in amiable silence for another ten miles until they got to the party which-oh god-had people (“oh that’s Ruby and Lupe, they’re Tambry’s little sisters”) directing traffic.
Wendy turned off the van and started to get out, but she paused and looked at Henry, with an uncharacteristically worried and concerned look on her face.
“So my friends Mabel and Dipper….they’re my best friends, yeah? But….but you won’t be able to see Dipper. But he’s there. Just trust me on this.”
Henry didn’t say anything right away and Wendy went on, a little more rushed. “Okay, yeah it sounds crazy, but it’s no more crazy than watching the firebirds in the sky or the fact that there is rune reading in school now and Henry, you don’t have to believe that Dipper is there even though he is, but so help me God, if you tell that to Mabel’s face I will-“
Henry held up his hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa Wendy! Relax! You didn’t see me nod?”
Wendy smacked her forehead. “We are in a dark van Henry.”
“Oh.”
Wendy sighed. “I’m sorry to go off on you like that Henry but Mabel is a really sweet kid, and she and Dipper are like siblings to me. I care about them a lot and they….they’ve had a lot of hurt to deal with.”
They got out of the car and Henry slung an arm around his cousin’s shoulders. “You’re a good friend Wendy.”
She smiled. “Thanks Henry. Now let’s help you make some of your own.”
Henry’s eyes boggled. “Uhhh….”
They walked inside and the first thing Henry saw was a woman that looked about his age with long brown hair, an oversized sweater that read (if he was making it out right; she was upside down) “I Am the Evil Twin”, space leggings, and bright pink Doc Martens. She was absolutely stunning, and she was currently doing a keg stand with two Manotaurs holding her and a crowd of thirty people chanting “Go Mabel Go!”
She finished and was let down. She pumped her fists in the air and yelled at the top of her lungs “SONGS ARE HUGS FOR EARS!!!!” and then immediately burst past Henry and Wendy in the doorway and began running around Tambry’s house, ululating.
Wendy looked up at Henry and saw the stunned look on his face. “That was Mabel. Mabel Pines.”
“Uh….”
Wendy punched his shoulder. “Come on silly, let me introduce you to everyone.”
—-
Henry was currently hiding and nursing a drink.
Wendy had tried her best and he did meet all of her friends. Hell, he was totally going to meet up with Henderson later this week to play some Smash Brothers and have dinner at Nate and Lee’s on Sunday. But parties really weren’t Henry’s thing and now he was kind of wishing he was back at home and back in his element.
Wendy came up to him and had…ohmygod she had Mabel with her. And he could feel the curry stain on his shirt and his hair was awful and he may or may not have begun vibrating from slight nervousness.
—-
Mabel had been rolling around on the sheep skin rug that was in one of the rooms in Tambry’s house, with Dipper running a continuing sarcastic commentary, when Wendy had come in.
“Hey Wendy!” Mabel said.
“Tell Wendy I said hi.”
“Dipper says hi too.”
Wendy smiled. “Hey guys, I want you to come meet my cousin real quick. He just moved to town and I think he’s a little shy.”
Dipper summoned the strength to pop on to the physical plane for a second. “And you’re going to introduce Mabel to him?”
They both looked at Mabel, who was currently running her fingers through the soft combed wool of the rug and going “you’re a nice kitty, Aoshima.”
Wendy looked at Dipper. “Eh, I’m sure it will be fine. Henry is a chill dude.”
Dipper nodded and then –goddamnit- faded back into immateriality. He walked over to where Mabel was and lifted her up. “C’mon Mabel.”
She shook her head to clear it, realized that was a mistake, and decided to just stand with Dipper supporting her for a second. Her twin looked at her.
“Mabes, are you going to be okay to meet this guy or do we need to go home for the night? You know Grunkle Stan told us to just call when we were ready.”
“Let…let me meet this guy first. Then I’ll see.”
Dipper looked at Mabel and then nodded. “Okay.”
She smiled crookedly at him and then they followed Wendy out through the living room and on to the porch where there was a dude sitting in a porch swing looking a little lost and
Oh.
My.
God.
Dipper saw the suddenly enrapt look on Mabel’s face and went, “Ohhhhh no.”
Mabel didn’t even hear him because she was too busy staring at THE CUTEST GUY SHE HAD EVER SEEN WAT? He was all knees and elbows-she could tell he was tall even though he was sitting down. He had thick curly red hair and looked like he was a walking freckle. Thick rectangular glasses framed hazel eyes set in a hawkish, strong featured face that was crowned with a beak of a nose. He was clean shaven, and had on a flannel shirt (of course), a t-shirt that read “Knowledge Is Power, Power Corrupts: Study Hard, Be Evil”, and faded blue jeans and work boots.
Okay so maybe other people would have found him just okay looking but Mabel was awestruck.
“Hey Henry!” Wendy called over to him and brought Mabel over. Sweet Moses was her sweater okay? Did her hair look funky? Was that a sand wirm she saw in the distance or the last bit of that keg stand?
—-
From Dipper and Wendy’s point of view, Mabel and Henry looked at each other in the eyes for a full forty five seconds. Dipper was trying not to crack up and hurt Mabel’s feelings but they looked like two deers in headlights, only the headlights were each other’s eyes and they also looked like they would pass out at any moment.
Finally Mabel managed to croak out. “Hi.”
Wendy, who had maneuvered herself to stand next to Henry, elbowed him hard. He coughed on Mabel, and looked like he wanted the earth to open up a hole under him and swallow him up (which was really tempting, but Dipper decided to let this guy prove himself first).
Bright, day glow red, Henry managed to choke out a “Hi,” back.
Another moment of awkward mutual attraction and then Mabel brightened.
She put her hand on Dipper’s shoulder. “This is my brother, Dipper. You can’t see him but he’s here.”
Without even thinking about it, Henry waved at Dipper, though as he couldn’t see him, it was in the general direction of Dipper. “Hey Dipper. Nice to meet you.”
Mabel burst into a great smile and the ice was broken and she was launching a full on Mabel verbal assault at him. He was still shy at first, but gradually began to emerge from his shell.
Dipper and Wendy were in shock. Even when told beforehand that Dipper was there, was real, no one had ever just….accepted it. Even their closest friends and family had paused a little bit before saying something at Dipper.
Wendy looked at Henry and Mabel, now engaged in animated conversation, looked over at where she was sure Dipper was, and waggled her eyebrows.
Dipper wasn’t on the physical plane at that moment, but he felt like the bottom dropped out of his stomach.