Chapter Text
“It’s only Thanksgiving, and I’m already sick of the Christmas displays in the stores.” Dipper grumbled, setting the plastic bag with last minute necessities on the table. “I’m not even Christian!”
“That doesn’t stop a lot of people.” Danny said from his spot in the kitchen, checking the progress of the potatoes before opening the oven a crack to do the same to the turkey. “Though, I’ve found the only place complaining gets you is trapped in a poem.”
Danny and Dipper had woken up early - the former a lot more reluctantly - to cook Thanksgiving dinner together. It would have been a group affair, had Bill not been banned from the kitchen… The others could still hear his cackling echo in their heads.
Dipper eagerly awaited the arrival of Mabel, and Danny had plans to Skype with Sam and Tuck - who had been forced to spend their Thanksgiving with their parents - and Jazz - who was spending the holiday with her significant other - later. They had a bet running if Jack and Maddie even remembered what today was.
After nearly 10 years of being hunted by them, the halfa’s relationship with his parents was… strained, to say the least.
Still, it was a happy time. Time spent with his family of choice, rather than blood. Danny even had a reliable source that Danielle was spending Thanksgiving with Frostbite in the Far Frozen. The yetis had little idea of the harvest festival, and she had offered to teach them, having seen a few different versions in her traveling the country.
There was a loud and energetic knocking - coming from the gift shop door, Danny realized - and Dipper nearly tripped over a chair in his rush to answer it. Okay, he DID trip, but he managed to correct himself afterwards.
“This isn’t the front door, silly!” Dipper greeted his twin with a grin, and she laughed joyously,
“This will always be the front door to me!” Dip looked behind her only to see her car parked around the side, empty.
“No boyfriend this year?” he joked, and Mabel slapped him lightly on the arm, pulling him into a hug he gladly returned.
“This year is all about YOUR boyfriend! I mean, I haven’t even met him yet! Rude.”
“You were off at college, doing artsy-fartsy things!”
“Brother, I am offended! to refer to the Arts in such a way… It can’t go unpunished.”
“Mabel… Mabel, no. Please, anything but what I know you’re thinking.” Too late, Mabel gave a viscous grin and launched herself at her twin, chasing him when he dodged. The adventurer got all the way to the living room before he was tackled to the floor and tickled.
“HAHAHAHA, OK, O-HA-K! YOU WIN! I CALL GRUNKLE!”
Danny watched the exchange amusedly from the doorway to the kitchen, having found a brief lapse in his cooking. Dipper’s twin was entertaining, her look reflecting that. Wearing shorts that revealed at least 3 band-aids on each leg, a sweater, and more jewelry than Danny thought could be worn at the same time, it almost took away from the fact she had shaved one side of her head to a buzz, leaving the rest long and poofy. Somehow, she pulled this off.
“So this is the infamous twin, Mabel.” the hybrid greeted, “It’s a pleasure.” Mabel shook his hand with a strength and precision of an artist used to many hours’ work at a time.
“Hey! It’s Danny, right? Dipper’s barely told me anything about you, which is a crime. I would’ve interrogated him, but now that you're here…” The artist gave a look that Danny definitely didn't like directed at him.
“Mabs, don't scare him off! This one can actually leave!” The adventurer laughed good-naturedly, and Danny smiled. It was good to see Dipper so relaxed, and from what he could tell, this was Mabel’s first break in a while. To see them complete each other, be that close; it reminded him of Team Phantom. And Dipper and Mabel were a team, no amount of time apart could change that.
“Am I the only one who’s remembered the cooking?” Danny finally asks, and Mabel immediately perks up, opening her mouth to-
“Mabel, no.”
“Mabel yes!” The artist cheered in response, and her twin pinched the bridge of his nose.
“... Okay, fine,” He reluctantly agreed, “Just no glitter.”
As it was, the halfa was assigned the turkey and gravy, Dipper the carrots and stuffing , and Mabel the mashed potatoes and yams. They all chatted as they worked, and Mabel somehow managed to sneak glitter into the mashed potatoes, and the yams became marshmallow-sprinkle. The adventurer gave an exasperated sigh and eyeroll, but Danny could see the tiny smile he had.
Bill showed up again just as the two-and-a-half humans were making the final preparations, done with whatever it was he was doing to keep himself occupied. The artist tried to berate him for not helping them cook, but Dipper gave her a small head-shake.
“For the time being, Bill has been banned from the kitchen.” Danny explained, and the demon gave a small cackle, probably answering her question of why.
They ate nearly everything, catching up - and in the case of the artist and halfa, getting to know each other. Mabel revealed she had brought pie, but no one wanted to go get it from her car, so they all settled in to watch whatever specials Gravity Falls Cable had to offer. Within the hour, Danny had fallen into a food coma, snuggling into Bill’s side, Dipper not far behind.
The twins finally pried themselves from the spot when 8 rolled around. Bill, still trapped under his half-ghost boyfriend, gave Mabel a quiet goodbye from the couch. After retrieving the pies from her backseat (pumpkin and apple crumble), the twins hovered by the door.
“I approve.” Mabel said semi-seriously, and the adventurer whined at her, but she only laughed it off, pulling him into a warm and inviting hug that he melted into. “But really, keep him. He seems good for you.”
“Yeah, well, don’t be a stranger. Stop by anytime.”
“Haha! I will.”
~Linebreak~
“Are you a Wendigo??”
“Dip, you’re focusing too much on the hunger, you need to back up a bit.”
“Yeah, It was a long shot anyway…”