•~Stanford Pines X Birth Defect Reader~•

•Part 14 | The Calm Before The Storm•

You both ordered food and drinks. Ford got a coffee, but you decided on tea this time. You had completely forgotten that you didn't have your eyepatch on, but honestly, it felt nice having it off, especially around Ford..you could see his face better with two eyes instead of one. The silence was nice, but you thought a conversation might be better, though you weren't sure if Ford would like to talk or-

"So why are you here in Gravity Falls?" He said warmly, snapping you out of your train of thought. "Oh, I guess I've been a nomad for quite a while, and I just really wanted to settle down after..how many years now-? 8- yeah 8 years of moving across the country." You said after a brief second of thought. "But why here? In a small town in the middle of nowhere, with legends and rumors varying from little critters and monsters to the apocalypse?" He asked as he sat up a bit and looked you in the eye.

You thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I want to be in the middle of nowhere so I have a relatively calm life, but with all the stories I figured that would keep my life interesting enough. I like all the stories and I'm wondering about how much of it is actually true. I bet you'd know, you seem like you've lived here for a while." He chuckled warmly at your statement.

"Well that's an interesting story. About 30 years ago I moved in here and did some paranormal research, discovering monsters and secrets hidden within this small town-" You listened to him speak intently, not wanting to miss any detail.
"-an..an interesting incident happened and I wasn't in town for around 30 years, but I'll explain that back at the shack. It's not a story for the public. After around 30 years I came back and I've been here for a little over a year now at the shack."

"Woah, that is super bada-" You were cut of by thunder cracking outside the diner. You flinched a bit but Ford didn't move a muscle, he just sipped his coffee, which he had nearly finished. "What made you want to move out in the first place?" He asked you warmly. "Oh- uhm. Well one reason was that my mother was- really not a nice lady towards me sometimes. And another would be that my old boss got- a little..uhh." You stopped yourself from saying 'handsy' because you didn't wanna offend Ford, but it seemed like he already knew what you were gonna say.

"Handsy? Why can't people just keep to themselves huh?" He said with a slight chuckle. You chuckled as well, but it was a bit nervous at your own choice of words. "Yeah- that's why I'm not an astrologist anymore. Sure I miss the job, but it was a bad work environment." Ford seemed to be in thought while staring at you for a short moment before speaking again, "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened between you and your ex-employer?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at you intently.

"He constantly tried flirting with me even though I told him not to and to stop several times. Now what really made me quit though was when he cat-called me and then smacked my ass-" you were gonna keep talking but Ford slammed his hand on the table and it made you flinch and sit up instantly. "Your old boss did what?" He sounded so angry he didn't even try and sound formal with it, which was out of character for him, it was a tad unsettling.

You just stayed silent, you didn't wanna speak up after that, you were too nervous. He seemed to notice your nervousness and deeply sighed. "I apologize for my outburst. It's just sickening knowing how awful and inconsiderate some people can be." He said, sounding more calmed now. "Yeah, that's fair. I'm glad I quit." You said as you sipped your tea.

The thunder outside cracked again and the rain was pouring down hard. You guys were gonna get absolutely soaked out there. Especially you since you didn't bring a coat or even a jacket since it was warm when you left. You both had finished eating, so you both were gonna leave soon. "We should head towards home before it rains down harder than it already is." Ford said as he stood up and held put his hand to help you up.