"This is embarrassing." Dipper Pines had a huge flustered grin on his face as he spoke, cheeks heating a warm red blush. Norman Babcock just laughed, allowing his boyfriend to brush against his shoulder awkwardly.

"How so?"

"I- you're taking me out on a date a-and- you won't even let m-me pay!"

"Like you could pay?" Norman snorted, running a hand through his own bristly hair. The two teenagers strolled towards a small diner that was lit with dull lights and obviously rundown.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry. Shall we be off?" The younger of the two bowed courteously as if it was the 1800s again, smiling at his boyfriend with amusement flickering in his pale blue eyes.

"We shall."

The white sun had melted away beneath the horizon only an hour or so ago and the sky was painted with shadowy blues and purples. The silhouettes of large pines trees pointed up to the where the faint stars were splattered in the night sky.

Dipper shyly fumbled with his vest, flinching when Norman leaned to look at him.

"Where did you get the bowtie?" The teen questioned, eyeing the posh black bowtie that sat around his neck. For some reason the brunette had thought he would have to look elegant for their date – combing his hair and actually trying to look decent.

"O-Oh um, I've had it for a while, do you want me to take it off-"

"No, I like it. I think it's cute." At his response Dipper's face heated another shade of pink, darkening horribly that only made his boyfriend chuckle.

"Cute – no, Norman. Not cute was the idea. More like handsome, or manly or gentleman-like."

"Cute."

"Do we really have to have this conversation?" The teen sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands tiredly and trying to look irritated.

"You just won't accept the fact you look adorable tonight." Norman said while the other boy scrabbled, his voice caught in his throat, choking him.

"I-I-"

He stayed silent as Norman opened the restaurant's front door open and let him to enter first, eyes downcast and still seeming uncomfortable. The medium walked up to the counter and the waitress regarded him, pausing from her place behind the counter.

"Hi, um, table for two." The woman nodded, sitting them at a booth with a window that gave them a view of the blackening night and the glowing moon. The brunette shuffled uneasily, pure fear and anxiousness taking hold of his body.

"Norman…" It almost sounded like a wheeze, the boy to staring at the other with furrowed brows. The panic on his face was clear so Norman reached over, placing their hands close together but not touching.

"I know you're stressed about tonight, but you can stop worrying-"

"How can I not worry? P-People are staring!" The teenager waved a hand to the few other people in the lonely restaurant. True, they did receive awkward stares and weird glances but they ignored it most of the time, but that did not prevent Dipper from rant about it.

"So?"

The Pine's Twin froze, looking like a threatened animal. "So? So! Norman, you will be an outcast again, like in Blithe Hollow-"

"I am having a date with you tonight and am not going to bail out because I might be called names or stared at!" Norman snapped quietly, huffing and focusing on the glass of water the waitress had served him. Tenseness settled between the two before the Pine's Twin spoke again.

"But-"

"No."

"Norm-"

"No."

Another beat of silence before Dipper rested his elbows on the table, sighing almost wistfully and gave a short burst of laughter. He put a hand over the other boy's, grinning like a happy child. It made Norman smile too. "God, you're the best boyfriend."

He nodded curtly. "I know."

The conversation continued idly, ignoring the edgy waitress who interrupted the two with feeble questions of food or drink – which both shook their heads too. They found that they were not really in the eating mood, more absorbed in each other's presence.

"The waitress looks disturbed." Dipper murmured to him, watching as the attendant scuttled away to the kitchen, disappearing behind the large wooden doors.

"Mh."

"So, then tell me about yourself."

"Really? That is probably the stupidest question you have ever asked me. You already know all about me Dips, we've know each other for a while."

"One, don't call me Dips, two, I'm trying to make conversation!"

"How bout you tell me about yourself. You never talk about yourself." The medium replied cautiously.

"I-I don't have a very eccentric life. What is there to tell?"

"What about Mabel?" He questioned, his heart jumping when he saw the look on his boyfriend's face distort into a form of misery and regret. He felt stupid for asking the question immediately.

"I-"Dipper shoved his hands into his pockets, looking away unhappily, "I don't really want to discuss-"

"Okay, sorry. How about after this we do something… "The boy rushed, nearly stuttering which was a nervous tick he had managed to shake off for a while, "Do you want to go to the movies or go to the Lake?"

"Your call."

"No, your call."

"Oh – fine. Lake." The Pine's Twin rolled his eyes, his fingers playing with the side of his roughed-up vest.

"Knew you would say that."

"Then why did you ask?" Dipper pouted, nose twitching slightly.

"It's our date, not my date or your date. It is us – together. And I want to spend as much time possible with you." Norman explained, setting his empty water at the side of the table where the server could retrieve it later.

"Norman…"

"What?"

"Have you ever thought about the future? About how this might not work out?" The brunette wilted to the side in the booth, avoiding the glare his lover gave him. The medium had to stop from slamming his hand down on the tabletop. This topic bothered him.

"This again?"

"Yes, this again! I seriously don't know what you see in me, but even if we care about each other, I'm a-"

"Dipper. Stop, please." Norman groaned, resting his chin on the cold surface of the table. Relationships were difficult, they confused him and twisted his emotions in many sorts. They made his body freeze and his heart press against his ribcage. But the truth was that couples were bound to break at some point in life – but Norman never wanted to separate from Dipper. Never.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just worry a lot-"

"I know."

"Stop with the snarky comebacks, I thought this was our night."

A soft hand touched his shoulder, light as a spring breeze and he glanced up to look at his boyfriend, who had finally calmed, smiling down like a light. The happiness was contagious.

"It is."

The lake water rushed up in dark waves to lick the sandy shore, leaving bubbly white foam in its midst. The moon had settled in the sky as the two teenagers made their way to a small grassy hill beside the wooden dock, setting themselves down wordlessly.

They mirrored each other as they flopped down, giggling like school girls and recounting old stories.

"Beautiful night, huh?" Dipper stared up at the stars that formed shining patterns brightly. Gravity Falls was far enough from any city or town that the stars shown radiantly and were always a sight to see. Norman refrained from pointing out the Big Dipper constellation – Dipper was always uncomfortable about his birthmark anyway.

"Yeah."

"N-Norman?"

"Yeah?"

"I-I would like to tell you about my…past and stuff. But you know how uncomfortable I am with discussing those kinds of things. Not that I am hiding anything – I just-"The brunette rubbed his neck apprehensively, wide eyes distant and cold.

Norman brought his hand around the other boy, grinning weakly with a heavy heart weighing down in his chest.

"Dipper, I understand that your memories trouble you. You can tell me in time, I can wait. You don't have to tell me at all, really. Whatever you're comfortable with is fine."

"I don't deserve you." He whispered, shrinking into a curled up ball while slumping against the damp grass of the hill.

"Oh, don't start."

"But Norman, you are too nice. You are too special of a guy to be with someone like – me." Dipper gestured to his whole self at the end of that sentence, his frown growing wider as he gnawed on his lip.

"Dipper, for once, you are completely and utterly wrong. You are special and we need each other, it's not about who is who or what has happened in the past. I care about you, and that will not change anything."

The teenagers gazed at each other, Dipper beaming and Norman bashfully tilting towards him.

"God, I love you." The Pine's boy chuckled, a mere inch from his face, causing Norman to freeze momentarily. Those words meant so much, they were words that had the desire of passion and love and warmth and protection. You didn't say those words to just anyone, you really meant it when you said those words.

"I love you too."

The soft hum of the forest and the lap of the waves against the shoreline became faded as the boys moved in closer, both extremely blushing, hearts pounding and –

"Just make-out already, jeez! You can keep a girl waiting for hours!" A loud shriek cried out from the shadowy forest and both boys snapped around, Norman falling face first into the ground while Dipper went white as a sheet.

"Wh-"

"Mabel!" Dipper's voice went up multiple octaves.

That name made the medium jolt, sitting upright, "Your sister-?"

A brunette girl was suddenly sitting in-between the two, right next to his face, grinning a brace-filled smile and aglow with enthusiasm and excitement. "Hello!"

Dipper looked ready to have a heart-attack or strangle his sibling, his tone angry and cracking, "Mabel, wh-what are- get out of here!"

"Oh look at your face, it's so red." His sister cackled noisily, ignoring her brother, "Hi Normy, I'm Dipping Sauce's sister! I've heard a lot about you, but Dipper never liked me interfering in his relationships-"

"Get out of here Mabel! Norman, I am so sorry-"The boy tried to apologize while shoving his sibling away from his boyfriend, many emotions washing over his face in a torrent. But the girl effortlessly tripped him and went to rest beside the medium.

"Psh, Dipper, you have had your turn with Norman. It's Mabel Time now!" She giggled, waving her arms in the air though her hands weren't visible beneath her enormous amethyst sweater sleeves.

"I-"The younger teenager stammered but could not get anything in.

"Wow, I seriously had doubts on you for a bit when Dips told me that he was dating a living human being – but even more when I learned it was a guy! But who couldn't fall for you – look at your cheeks, they are so cute! And your hair-"

"You're ruining my date Mabel!" The Pine's boy snarled but it was as if he had disappeared because Mabel completely disregarded him. Her bright gaze was focused on her brother's boyfriend. Norman gave an uncertain shrug to the other.

"Too bad Dippy, I am interrogating your boyfriend. He could be a bunch of gnomes, haven't you thought of that?"

"He is not a bunch of gnomes-"Dipper snapped.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"That's probably because you've -"

"Mabel!" He slapped a hand over her mouth, which resulted in her licking the inside of his hand, "Ah, Mabel, gross!"

"Bwa, your face, oh my god-"

The spike-haired teenager blinked, shuffling back from the arguing Twins and trying to counsel them quietly. "Dipper, it's okay! She's not doing any harm-"

"She's ruining our night!"

"No I am not." The girl grinned smugly, infuriating her sibling more.

"Yes you are."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Guys!"

Both stopped to stare at the medium. Dipper immediately looked ashamed while Mabel blinked and timidly moved away, sighing. Her glare met her brother's and she gave one last beam and winked, rekindling her animated demeanor.

She hopped on one foot, floating, trying to pat Norman on the shoulder but her hand went through it, because – well, she was a ghost.

Mabel Pines was dead, it wasn't a shock. She was still as wily as ever even though she was dead. It was not like she could do anything. "You boys have fun without me then! But not too much fun, we are getting together another time Normy! We can go shopping!"

"Goodbye, Mabel." Dipper huffed, glowering at his annoying Twin as she skipped off, squealing about how cute they were and dispersing into thin air. The Pine's boy fell backwards and rolled to his boyfriend's side with a groan.

"She can be so frustrating-"

"It's okay Dipper, I'd have to meet her eventually right?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't have to."

"How you feeling?"

"Embarrassed."

The medium laughed and the brunette joined in. Their hands met but of course Dipper's hand slid through his, the faint ghostly aura surrounding him glowing in the darkness. He was like an angel in Norman's mind.

How had it only been three months since they met? It seemed like a lifetime ago. The ghost leaned over and kissed Norman's cheek, the brush of air caressing his face. He really wished he could hold Dipper, touch Dipper, kiss Dipper – but no.

Dipper Pines was dead.

He has been dead for over four years.

Dipper Pines was a ghost.

Of course they never spoke of his death, but it must have been bad because sometimes Dipper cried and screamed and he concealed something that was horrible and dark, the terror of it never left his eyes even in death.

But Norman didn't care. He loved Dipper. And Dipper loved him.

Though the date did not go as planned it still was a date. And he enjoyed it.

…

One-Shot Parapines + Plot Twists = *loud shrieking*

So much angst and sorrow, I regret nothing, review appreciated!