In the Scheme of Things (Discontinued)

Chapter 26

"Bill bought us an apartment. It's close to my university, so I can easily walk there rather than having to drive or get a bus. It's a nice place too. And though I was worried about the size, it's really not all that big. No bigger than what we'd need anyway."

Ford raised a brow, looking between the two of them. Dipper had a feeling he knew what his grunkle was thinking, though held off so as not to jump to conclusions and give his uncle any ideas.

"And where will Bill be staying while you're at this apartment?"

"With him. Like he said, I got it for us. We'll both be living there. And I'm sure you'll all be allowed to visit once we're all settled."

Bill looked over to Dipper, who gave them all a nod. He didn't mind them visiting once they had worked out everything. Though, he hoped they would give them some alone time before charging into their new place. He just wanted to make it theirs before the rest of his family came to change the mood of the place.

Dipper was actually glad that Ford wasn't harassing them about the apartment too much. Or about the fact that Bill could in fact now leave the town. Maybe he was giving them more leeway than he would have thought beforehand. But he was sure to give them a thankful smile when they didn't question the two further. It felt as though they were finally starting to put some trust in him, and by extension, Bill.

It was just as Bill was putting the plate on the table that the last of the Pines family members came down. Bill gave them all a kind smile, though Mabel was the only one to return the smile. Dipper noticed this, and though he didn't say anything to his parents, it was clear to the rest of his family that he was annoyed about something.

"What's the matter, Dip-Dot? You looked so happy when we first came down..."

Dipper looked over at his twin, though as he did so, he could tell that the rest of his family and his boyfriend were all now looking at him. Dipper shook his head, not wanting to talk about it. This seemed to be enough for his family, though not for Bill. He was the only one who noticed that, although Dipper was looking better, he was still upset. And he knew what it likely was about.

Taking his seat, Bill took Dipper's hand in his own. This caused the teen to look over, seeing the heartwarming smile that was on his boyfriend's face. Dipper couldn't stay upset with his parents knowing that Bill was happy and was actively trying to cheer him up. Giving his boyfriend a smile and kiss on the cheek, Dipper turned back to his food. He knew his parents weren't happy but he didn't care. If he was going to be making them upset, might as well start sooner rather than later.

Dipper decided to wait until the rest of his family was done eating before bringing up his good news. He knew his parents would hate it, though he couldn't care. He was just happy to know that he and Bill had a place they could call their own. And all they needed to do now was personalize it. Though, Dipper had the feeling that Bill had already taken care of most of it.

"Dipper, wasn't there something you were wanting to tell everyone," Ford said, catching everyone's attention.

Dipper gave him a nod. He looked over to Bill before turning to look at his family. He could see that they were curious, though he could also tell that his parents were already disapproving of what he was about to say.

"As everyone knows, I'll be going to OSU in the fall. Well, Bill and I have bought an apartment for us to live in while I'm there."

Dipper could see the smile growing on Mabel's face as she heard that he would so have his own place. As he looked at his parents, he could see that they were confused as to how to take this bit of news.

"Will it only be while you're in school? What will happen when you're done?"

"That depends. Bill might also be attending the school in the new year. And if that's the case, we might be staying out there a little longer. And I've also been thinking of maybe going to teacher's college. I've been told a few times now that I'd make a good teacher."