What Happened Last Summer (18+) Chapter 11

What Happened Last Summer (18+) Chapter 11

This is the last chapter I have written for now - I'll probably keep writing stuff for this fic but it will be more spraced out and hey, if not, I'm pretty happy with this as an ending

As always, the whole series is 18+ for mild sexual content, but this is just a little angst

Find the beginning here: Chapter 1

Enjoy!

18+ [minors do not interact]

“Thanks again for closing up for me, dudes.”

“Yeah yeah, Soos, go home before I change my mind.” Stan began counting the cash in the register. Kathy picked up a broom, and Soos was out the door. 

“How’s business at the motel? Are you makin’ enough just bein’ open on the weekends?”

“Oh yeah, it’s been great. We’re always full.”

He continued to flick through the cash, "And you’re putin’ money away for the off season, right?”

“As much as I can. I’ve heard winters here can be pretty slow.”

Stan chuckled, “Not just slow – dead. I’m sure Greasy’s does fine with the locals, but for places like ours, it’s not even worth payin’ to keep the lights on.”

Kathy paused her sweeping, “Stanley, can I ask you something?”

“Anything, toots.”

“What did you do all those winters up here by yourself, if the shack was closed?”

Stan shrugged, “Well I had the portal to work on, of course. Had to learn all that math stuff, and needed all the time I could get. Still get nightmares about doin’ derivatives.” He chuckled, but Kathy stayed quiet. She knew better than to interrupt Stan when he talked about this – it didn’t happen very often. When the time came around to let her in on the family’s past, Dipper and Ford had done most of the talking. 

Stan continued, “If the snow wasn’t too bad I’d go out to get firewood and look for the other journals. Always told myself I should get away for a few weeks and go somewhere warm. Went to Vegas a few times but it never lasted, guess I felt guilty for leaving Ford behind too long. Felt weird spending all that money too. Livin’ in your car for a couple years will do that – you just never feel like you have enough.” He continued to focus on the money in front of him. She wondered if he could really count and talk at the same time, or if he was just keeping his hands busy. “I guess the only time that was really hard was the… y’know, anniversary.” Stan coughed, “And the holidays. ‘Course I was already used to spendin’ them alone, even before comin’ to–” 

The broom slipped from Kathy's grasp and clattered to the floor. She scrambled to pick it up, hoping Stan wouldn’t notice the tears starting to form in her eyes – but to no avail. He dropped the money half-hazardly and hurried over to her.

“Hey, why’re you cryin’?” He gently lifted her chin, bringing her eyes to meet his. With the other hand, he pulled the broom away and let it fall back to the floor. 

He pulled her into a hug. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, pumpkin. It’s all okay now,” he reassured her. But at the same time, he squeezed her tighter, like she might run away if he let go. “I’m okay now, don’t cry.”

They held each other for a long, quiet moment. Finally, Stan loosened his grasp around her and wiped a few tears from her cheek. 

“Hey, did I ever tell you about where Ford ‘n I docked on Christmas?” 

Kathy shook her head with a few sniffles and they both resumed their tasks.

Stan made a slow, dramatic sweep of his hands overhead, “Picture it: the beautiful little seaside town of Sitka, Alaska, white with snow…”

Author's note: I know Stan was raised Jewish, so I tried to be vague and just say "the holidays" and "on Christmas" instead of "for Christmas." but y'know...

I'm think so hard about Stanley Pines I'm gonna fucking cry. Have you guys ever noticed how he talks to Ford even before he got him back. In Carpet Diem he scolds Ford and says his carpet is ugly. He asks the wax lookalike if he wants anything from the kitchen. He tells Ford to shut up when he's reading his journal. He tells the kids he talked to his reflection while fishing alone. He needed his brother so fucking much and I'm

Haven't seen many people mention this, but when Stan is dressed as Ford in the finale, his facial hair resembles Ford's a whole lot more than usual. I imagine that right after they switched clothes, Stan had to - very reluctantly - let Ford set his face on fire. It is faster than shaving, after all.

I have a personal headcannon about why Stan (post-portal incident) really only wears button-up shirts:

The first is that, even when he was homeless, he always had to keep a few on hand for court appearances. Whenever he seemed to have finally gotten his hands on a decent amount of money for some new clothes, he'd get a subpoena and have to buy another suit. Besides his car, they were the only nice things he had.

The other reason is that, for the first several months after the shoulder burn, it was pretty painful to pull regular shirts over his head - the way the fabric had to slide down over the burn, but also having to reach his arms overhead which would stretch the skin. He decided that button-ups were easier, and after a while, he liked the look and decided to keep it.

His casual wear is usually a hawaiian shirt or something similar, and even while fishing, he wears a short sleeve button-up and a vest. And he looks damn good with that second button open anyway, so I'm not complaining

Coward (family fic)

No romance/ships, some light angst

Summary: Based on a common headcannon about Stan and Vietnam

Warnings: mentions war

"Grunkle Stan, why did you go to prison?"

Stan jumped at the question, despite knowing all summer that she'd ask about it sooner or later. Mabel temporarily set aside her drawing to listen. At the question, Ford's ears pricked up as well, and Stan found both of them staring at him from across the crayon-covered dining table.

"Which time, sweety?"

"I don't know... the first time, I guess?"

Stan cleared his throat, "I guess ya could say it was for bein' a coward."

Mabel wasn't satisfied with that answer. "C'mon Grunkle Stan, I'm not a little kid. What did you really do?"

Stan threw his arms in the air, "I mean it, that's what happened. Honest."

Mabel huffed and turned to Ford, "Grunkle Ford, you tell me!"

"Sorry, Mabel, I don't know myself," was his reply.

They both looked to Stan again and Ford continued, "She's right, Stanley, she isn't a child. I'm sure she can handle whatever it is."

"It ain't her I'm worried about, Sixer." Stanley glared at his twin before sighing in defeat.

He rubbed his nose under his glasses, "Sweety, you know anything about the Vietnam War?"

"A little," Mabel shrugged.

Ford cut in, "My god, Stan, you were drafted? I never knew..."

"Ya never bothered t'ask. Probably barely registered the protests outside your cushy college dorm window." Stan waved his hands in the air mockingly.

"Stanley, I'll have you know I was out there protesting too."

"Yeah? Well while you were wearin' your black armband, I was wearin' handcuffs," Stan spat back.

Mabel interrupted, "Wait, I don't understand, what happened?"

Stan lowered his voice a bit, "Kid, when the war started, they didn't have enough soldiers. So every sucker who wasn't as smart as Fordsy over here got sent to fight... and die, usually."

Mabel looked at her hands. "But, you didn't go?"

Stan shook his head, "I knew I wouldn't be any good at makin' money if I was dead. Figured a few years in the joint was better." He tousled Mabel's hair, "And I never woulda met you, kiddo."

Ford placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Yes, and Bill may not have been defeated."

Stan gave a small smile in response, and Mabel jumped on him with a big hug, "Well then I don't think you're a coward at all, Grunkle Stan."

stan is the only member of the pines twins^2 to never make a deal with bill and i think he needs more credit for that.

ford makes, just, so many deals with his demon boyfriend

dipper literally trades his body to bill in sock opera

and while i will die on the hill that it was never her fault, mabel is tricked into making a deal with him for weirdmagenon.

but stan never gets tricked. the only time he comes close was when he was pretending to be ford but that was with the sole purpose of getting bill erased. never does bill get to him or twist his thoughts. for being the "dumb one" he's surprisingly rational in this was.

nobody matches bill intellectually, ford's fatal flaw is that he thought he did, and the pines family wins because they have an emotional core that bill never had (the power of sibling bonding saves the day and i love it) but ill go out on a limb and say that out of everyone, stan is the only one to match bill's street smarts.

bill's a master manipulator but stan is a professional con-artist with no respect for the law, you tell me who's coming out on top.

stan successfully faked his own death, ran a business for 30 years, taught himself some sort of advanced engineering to repair the portal, evaded local, federal and international authorities from the age of 18, and did it all without any support.

and going back to when he pretends to be ford to get bill to enter his mind, that scene makes stan the only character to ever outwit bill.

anyways this has been a stan pines appreciation post, thank you and goodnight