To Catch A Con Man - Stanley Pines x Reader (female)

The next shift started to feel more like a rhythm than chaos. Soos and Susan seemed to work like a well-oiled machine in the kitchen, while I took over the serving. It felt like the right move—at least for now—since I still wasn't confident enough with the menu to cook. But I had quickly gotten the hang of taking orders and delivering them to the kitchen.

I moved between the tables, jotting down orders as I went. The diner had a cozy, old-school feel, with wooden booths and faded red vinyl seats that creaked under the weight of the customers. Most of the faces were familiar—locals who knew their way around Greasy's and had their usual orders down to a science. But every so often, a new face would wander in, one that caught my eye for a second longer.

"Hey, what'll it be?", I asked the couple sitting in a corner booth, flipping open my pad of paper and clicking my pen.

The man smiled, glancing at the menu before speaking. "I'll take the breakfast special and a coffee, black."

I wrote it down quickly, then turned to the woman beside him. She was looking at the menu, but not with any real urgency, like she already knew what she wanted but wasn't ready to commit.

"I'll have the same, please, but with extra bacon and a side of hashbrowns."

"Got it.", I replied, scribbling down their order. I gave them a polite smile and moved toward the next table, where an older man in a plaid shirt was waiting.

"How's it going?", I asked, knowing full well that this wasn't the time for pleasantries. The man had a hungry look in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll just have the usual.", he grumbled, scanning the menu. "The burger with the works."

I nodded and quickly wrote it down. I was getting faster at this—faster than I thought I would.

Once I had a small stack of orders, I grabbed my notepad and headed toward the kitchen, sliding the paper across the counter to Soos. He glanced up from the stove, nodding as he quickly scanned the orders.

"Thanks, Y/n! I got this. Go check on the others, yeah?", Soos said, already turning back to his grill with the first order in hand.

I hesitated for a moment, still unsure about leaving them to manage the kitchen on their own. But Susan was there too, and they had a system that worked. The orders were moving fast now, and the sounds of sizzling food and clattering dishes blended with the chatter in the diner.

I walked over to the counter where the register was and made sure to keep an eye on everything. It wasn't long before another customer waved me over.

As I approached the man waving me over, I grabbed my notepad out of habit. He had a broad build, wearing a battered brown trench coat and a red fez. His nose was buried in the menu, and he didn't glance up as I stopped beside him.

"What can I get you?", I asked, keeping my tone light and professional, and my eyes on my notepad. Before he could answer, an excited voice caught my attention.

"Hey! It's her!"

I looked up just as Mabel Pines practically launched herself from the booth, arms flailing. "The girl who stayed at the shack! Remember, Dipper?"

My heart sank into my stomach.

Dipper, sitting across from her with his nose in some kind of journal, glanced up and furrowed his brow. "Wait, you're right. She's the one who showed up late the other night." His eyes narrowed, a mix of suspicion and curiosity crossing his face. "What's she doing here?"

They... they do know that I'm right here, right? And... that I can hear them?

The man who was with them finally looked up, his sharp brown eyes locking onto mine. It was Stan Pines, unmistakably so, though he didn't seem to immediately recognize me. But now I was standing frozen under his stare, and the recognition dawned on him as his eyes widened slightly.