Taking Shelter(BillDip)

Old Friends

"Yo, Dipper my man!" A familiar voice called as Dipper and Mabel made their way outside.

"Soos!" Dipper called, jogging over to his friend. The older man immediately gave him a one-armed hug, a wide smile on his lips.

"Look at you! You've changed a lot since I last got to see you in person. Not 'gonna lie, I imagined you...shorter."

"Don't worry, he is. See? I'm almost three whole inches taller!" Mabel laughed, hugging Dipper from the other side.

"Hey!" Dipper groaned, attempting to pull away from his giggling twin.

"Ah, I, see. Yes, he is definitely a bit shorter than you Mabel." Soos stated, scratching his chin. "I thought he would've outgrown you by now..."

"So did mom and dad. But I knew he wouldn't. After all, he'll always be my little brother, right Dip?" Mabel stated, nuzzling the side of his face. Dipper pushed his obnoxious twin away, glowering.

"Dad said guys stop growing at around twenty-four, so I still have a couple years left." He defended. Mabel chuckled, turning to whisper to Soos:

"Dad's shorter than mom too."

"Okay! I think pick on Dipper time is over!" Dipper cried, raising his hands in mock surrender. Mabel attacked him, laughing wildly.

"No! Never!"

"Hey Soos!" Grunkle Stan's booming voice interrupted the onslaught, and all three turned to face him. "I need you to run to town and pick me up some groceries!"

"Alright Mr. Pines consider it done!" Soos said, saluting the older man.

"Can we go to, Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah, Yeah! I 'wanna go to town!" Mabel said excitedly.

"Do whatever you want. And take this." He threw something towards Dipper, who caught it midair. It was a wadded up ball of paper.

"You kids can get something too, if you want." And with that Stan turned and walked back into the shack.

"What does it say?" Mabel asked, looking over her twin's shoulder. Dipper unfolded the paper to reveal a twenty dollar bill and a list of miscellaneous items including milk and Elmer's glue.

"Exactly what I would expect it to stay." Dipper responded, smoothing out the list before folding it and putting it in his pocket along with the bill.

"Do you think he gave us enough? I want to get slushies!" Mabel said cheerfully as they followed Soos around the side of the shake.

"Knowing Grunkle Stan, probably not."

"I guess we better get used to taking advantage of our five-finger discount again, 'ey Dip?" His twin nudged his side.

"As if you ever stopped using it in the first place." Dipper responded, shaking his head.

"Hey! Only on small things! And I don't do it that often anymore! Mabel said defensively.

"Yeah, I know. I was just picking on you." Dipper laughed, before coming to a stop.

"What is it Dip?" Mabel asked, nearly running into her brother.

"I just realized, if Grunkle Stan isn't driving us, how are we going to get to town?"

"Maybe we can just take the golf ca..." Mabel started, but was cut off by the long blaring of a horn. The pair turned to face a black four-door tackily decorated with flames across the sides and a pair of horns on the roof.

"Yo dudes, get in." Soos said, leaning out of the driver's side window.

"Soos, you got a car?" Dipper and Mabel asked at the same time. Before turning to each other and crying "Shotgun!"

"I win!" Mabel laughed, opening the passenger side door.

"No fair, we spoke at the exact same time."

"Yeah, but I'm older, so I win by default. You know the rules, slave boy – into the back with you!"

Sighing, Dipper slipped into the back seat, which was covered in old fast food wrappers.

"It's so..." Dipper started.

"...cool!" Mabel cried, jumping up and down. "I totally wanted to decorate Thelma with rainbows on the sides, but my mom wouldn't let me..." She pouted, buckling her seatbelt.

"Who's Thelma?" Asked Soos.

"Our car." Dipper replied.

"Did Mabel name it?"

"No, our mom did. Where do you think Mabel gets it from?" Dipper stated, earning a glare from his sister.

"I think Thelma's a great name." She huffed. Dipper rolled his eyes, turning to gaze out his window at the passing trees.

"You would. That's the point."