When You're a Mystery Kid

The Flower & the Star

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters featured here.

All Lili wanted was to have just the slightest bit of peace and quiet before they go and most likely die against a reality-warping, nightmare demon. The cramped, crowded Shack didn't exactly provide a lot of opportunities for some alone time. You couldn't take two steps without tripping over a gnome or bumping into the other survivors. The pounding headache she'd had ever since Weirdmageddon started didn't help either. She had no idea how Raz managed to cope with it, especially with how painful it could get. So, she resorted to taking a quick walk in the woods. Not too far from the Shack, obviously; the headache didn't impede her critical thinking skills. Literally all she wanted was some peace and quiet.

She never expected, or wanted, to stumble upon Mabel and Pacifica smooching it up.

The couple immediately broke the kiss when they noticed Lili standing there. Now, the three were standing, silently, awkwardly, and had been doing so for the past thirty seconds.

Lili was the first to break the silence. "I'll... leave you to it," she curtly said. After all, they were clearly here first, so she felt it would be fair.

Lili barely took a step away before Pacifica blurted out, "No, no, it's fine!" She glanced back at Mabel, who still had an awkward look on her face. "We were... I was going anyway, so."

Pacifica looked back and forth between Lili and Mabel for a moment. "Yeah, I'll... I'll head back to the Shack." Pacifica began to walk away, but Lili didn't miss how her stare lingered on Mabel, and the shy smile they shared with each other. It honestly reminded Lili of when she first got together with Raz.

That left only Lili and Mabel to stand in awkward, painful silence.

Maybe it was a mistake to let Pacifica leave first.

"So," Mabel suddenly, nervously, began, fidgeting in place,"not how I expected our first kiss to go, but we are in the middle of an apocalypse. Gotta do it when you can still do it, right?"

Mabel laughed, weakly, and when Lili didn't join in, her laughter gradually died away.

That, however, still piqued Lili's interest. "That was the first time you two kissed?" she asked.

"Uh, y-yeah?" Mabel answered, somewhat hesitantly.

"Huh." Lili spared a glance in the direction where Pacifica left. "Sorry. I just thought you were already smooching all over each other."

Mabel chuckled. A good-hearted, genuine chuckle. "Well, that's the dream. But Paz wanted to take it slow. Which I totally get! Since, you know, her parents are..." She paused, her face darkening, "... jerks."

Lili, thankfully, never had to interact with the two Northwests before, but from the things she heard, they sound like the posterboy of those snobbish elitist that she absolutely despised. And they deserve something worse than 'jerk'. "You can go harder than that."

"Assholes."

Lili cracked a smile. "There you go."

Mabel giggled. She made an effort not to, Lili could tell, but it broke out all the same. It lasted for quite a while, too, her brace-filled teeth showing all the while. She ended it with a relaxed sigh and a satisfied smile.

"Wow, I needed that," she admitted. Then, her eyes focused on Lili. There was a glint of mischief in them. "Speaking of first kisses, what was yours with Raz like?"

Lili barely managed to hang on to her composure, and pretended like the question didn't catch her off guard. "Why the sudden interest in my love life?" she pointedly asked back.

"Well, we can go back to standing around in complete silence, if that's what you want."

Lili sighed. She had to admit, this conversation was slightly better than the silence. Emphasis on slightly.

"Fine." There was a beat, as Lili realized that she didn't really know what to say. That first kiss was... it was such a whirlwind of emotions, of excitement and anxiety and pleasure. Even after all these years, her cheeks still felt warm every time she thought of that first time.

"It was everything I thought it would be," Lili eventually replied. "You?"

Mabel suddenly grew quite sheepish. Her lips quirked into a smile, her cheeks becoming redder. "Pretty much the same."

As sudden as it appeared, Mabel's smile went away, turning into a deep frown. She suddenly looked worried, fearful even.

"D-do you think... I should've waited? Until all of this blows over?" She shrunk into herself, her fingers bunching up the hem of her sweater. "I-I mean, I know what I said earlier, but- this isn't exactly the ideal situation for a first kiss, and maybe I should try-"

"Don't." Lili had to put a stop to it. Mabel's voice with her usual pomp and glee could get annoying sometimes, but hearing it without her usual pomp and glee felt... off. "Just don't."

"Bill is... we might die. No need beating around the bush about that anymore." It was harsh, but true, and these past few days Lili always reminded everyone of that fact. Mabel averted her gaze as Lili continued. "You saw the opportunity, and you did it. If you didn't, trust me, you're just going to hate yourself."

A smile slowly crept its way back to Mabel's lips. "You know what? That's a great point." She nodded, her smile growing wider. "We die with no regrets!"

"We might," Lili quickly pointed out. "Don't jinx us like that."

Mabel, to her credit, looked properly chastised. "R-right."

She bounced back quickly though, as she usually does. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go spend my last moments on Earth doing age-appropriate acts with the love of my life." She raised a rather suggestive eyebrow at Lili. "You doing the same?"

"Probably." Lili shrugged. "Although, with us possibly dying and all, I might make things a bit age-inappropriate."

Mabel whistled, before she immediately broke down laughing, so much so that she started snorting. Lili did her best to hold it back, but a small chuckle still managed to slip out of her lips.

A distant rumble immediately silenced them both. They slowly turned their heads towards the source.

In the distance, floating high above what used to be central Gravity Falls, composed of dark red-brown stone, with lava-like orange-red glow shining through its cracks, was Bill Cipher's Fearamid. That's where Bill and his demon friends reside. That's where Bill held Ford Pines captive. That's where the fate of the world will be decided.

"How long until we go?"

"One hour."

X-X-X-X-X

The countdown nears its end.

This one features quite an odd couple in the form of Lili and Mabel. It's not a dynamic that I dabble with often, but it's always interesting whenever I do. I'd imagine Lili would find Mabel to be insufferable most of the time, with the exception of moments such as this one, where they could get along surprisingly well.

Next chapter, we finish things off with one last pairing, and it's a pairing that I'd imagine a lot of you are very excited for. See you then.