A Friend (Stanford Pines x Reader)

Portals

"They have to be here, Y'N! I'm sure of it!" Ford assured you as he scribbled something in his journal. He had only started filling it last week, but he had already filled up a few pages with sketches and extensive notes. You walked in the forest alongside him, holding onto his arm and leading him onward as he wrote. It was slightly after sunrise, and the birds chirruped overhead. Initially, you were unsure of what anomalies you would encounter when you first arrived in town. Gnomes, vampire bats, and the floating eyeballs you were currently pursuing, however, were far from whatever you had been expecting. 

Ford, on the other hand, was elated by what different oddities and creatures resided in the forest. His enthusiasm never wavered; everyday, he would wake up bright and early to chase whatever adventure awaited him that day. Ford never left you at home, though. He always insisted you come with him. Whenever he sprinted after a new creature, he grabbed you by the arm and made sure you ran with him. Whenever the anomaly grew hostile, he would place a protective hand on you, making sure you were safe. Whenever something shocking happened, he would turn to you, then laugh, pulling you close into an embrace. Ford included you, and you loved every second of it. 

As you walked, you noticed something in the distance. "Ford," You nudged him with your elbow. He looked up at the entrance to the cave in the distance. "Do you think they're in there?" You asked. Ford stared at the cave for a few moments, then held out his hand for you to take. "There's only one way to find out," 

You placed your hand in his and walked with purpose in your steps. You approached the entrance together. Ford wordlessly handed you a butterfly net. You looked at it skeptically, then back at him. He shrugged and twirled his in the air slightly. "We have to catch them somehow," Ford then motioned for you to follow him into the darkness. It was cool and damp, and the further you ventured inside, the darker it became. Your eyes scanned the cave walls, watching for something, though you weren't entirely sure what in particular. 

Ford stopped walking, and you complied. You turned to look at him. His eyes were focused on something in the darkness. Following his gaze, you saw what you had came for. A cluster of the eyeballs hovered upward, a few feet away, tucked in a corner. You stiffened, holding your breath. As though they could sense your presence, the eyes turned, their sight landing on you in unison. For a moment, you turned to Ford, hoping for some form of guidance, but he stood, just as stunned as you. A grin developed on his face, and he raised his net. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on you, then began to run. 

The eyes flapped their small, black wings furiously, moving to evade your swinging nets. A joyous laugh escaped your lips, and you realized that you too wore a carefree smile. Ford's trench coat flew behind him, following the motion. You raised your net and swung, feeling the unmistakable increase of weight as you brought it down. "Ford, I got some!" You cried. Ford looked at your net. "Whoa!" he gasped, slowing his pace to a jog. "Look at them all, Y/N! That should be more than enough to study-" Ford was cut off. His foot caught itself on a rock, sending him flying forward and landing roughly on his hands and knees, his glasses soaring off of his face.

Chuckling, you strode over and retrieved his glasses. You picked them up, then knelt down in front of Ford. Disoriented, he squinted to see you in the darkness. You pushed them back onto his face. Ford blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the clarity, then smiled at you. "This," he said, "Is why I love you." 

Time Skip  

Six years had passed since your arrival in Gravity Falls, Oregon. The other members of the town stopped looking at you with such curiosity and accepted you and Ford as one of their own kind. Your cabin had a more homey feel than ever. For once, you felt like you truly belonged somewhere, and you were thrilled by it. 

Ford had installed different levels beneath the home. The second one down had become a library, holding shelves lined with different tomes and journals that you and Ford both frequently referenced. You entered the space. Ford stood in the center of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. His head was tilted upward, taking in the jars full of different items: Eyeballs, jaws, skulls and crystals. A brown, wooden door leaned against the wall. Photos of anomalies were hung on the walls in different patches of free-space, steel tables resting beneath them. 

Finally, Ford spun and stopped at the chalkboard across from you. The room was always growing with different 'collectibles,' as you referred to them, but that chalkboard almost never changed. You approached from behind. Ford didn't break his gaze when he spoke. "Where does it all come from?" Ford asked no one in particular. 

Ford had become obsessed with this question. It wasn't enough to document all of his findings and experiments--Ford needed to have a complete understanding of everything he studied, and that included how they happened. 

"Perhaps it's other-worldly." He stated. You raised an eyebrow, though you knew he couldn't see you. "This town defies the laws of physics in this world, but how out there would it be to claim that there's something outside of our dimension that causes these weird things to happen." 

You considered his words for a moment. "Considering all we've seen here so far, I don't think anything could be too far fetched." Ford looked at you with a perplexed expression. "I mean, think about it," You continued. "Gnomes, vampire bats, giant trees? If these things were truly from our world, don't you think they would have been discovered eons ago?" Ford rubbed his chin with his index finger. "Do you really think there could be something else that causes this to happen? Like... like another dimension leaking into ours?" His eyes were wide, excitement lacing his words. 

"It wouldn't surprise me," You answered. "There has to be something that causes it, and we haven't explored that theory, yet." 

"We need to build a gateway," Ford concluded after a moment of silence. You raised an eyebrow. He caught your questioning gaze, then elaborated. "A portal," He explained. "A door between this dimension and the one that houses all this weirdness. That's the only way we'll ever be able to completely understand this town." The expression on his face left no room for you to doubt it: He was serious about this. You considered the idea of it in your mind. "That... that would be extremely difficult," You trailed off. 

Ford frowned and took your hands in his. "Y/N, I know this all sounds improbable, but documenting all of the strange beings of this town isn't enough. I want to make something of myself. I'm not satisfied with this, yet. I want to figure it out completely. I-"

"I said it would be extremely difficult, not that I wasn't with you on this." You cut off his rambling. Ford's jaw remained unhinged for a second, then began to move as he posed a question. "Y/N, will you follow me?" He asked.

 There was zero hesitation in your response. "To the ends of the Earth," 

A/N: Hi, there! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Most of the previous chapters were to get you acquainted with Ford, the town, and who you are. After this, things will get more intense... stay tuned. :) Thank you for reading!