The air in the basement lab was stifling, so dense that it felt like each breath took effort. It was so hot, so humid, literally sweltering that Ford could’ve sworn he never felt anything like this before. The thin, threadbare clothes they wore did nothing to alleviate the heat. Ford wiped his brow, his fingers brushing away the dampness that seemed to seep from his skin endlessly.

The ceiling fan above them rotated lazily, doing little more than stirring the thick, humid air that clung to the lab like an unwanted guest. Ford’s shack, nestled deep in Gravity Falls, offered no reprieve. Outside, the sun hung heavy in the sky, its relentless glare unbroken by a single cloud. Inside, the heat pressed down, oppressive and overwhelming.

She moved across the room, her lab coat draped loosely over her shoulders, the fabric slipping slightly as she leaned over to examine a set of data. The strap of her white tank clung to her skin, barely visible beneath the edge of her coat. One of the shoulders had slipped off entirely, exposing her pale skin to the air, damp with sweat like everything else in the room. And those shorts. The tasteful pastel color of it was clearly not doing her any justice because he could so very make out the barely visible sweat on them as they clung to her legs. It was cotton, most likely. Similar to the green ones he was wearing just right now.

He turned back to the lab equipment, feeling the weight of the heat and something else settle deeper into his bones. This was ridiculous, he thought. She was his friend, and nothing more. His mind had always been sharp, rational, and logical, yet now, in the sweltering basement, under the strain of heat and long hours, the lines of clarity had blurred. He didn’t know if it was the heat or if something had quietly shifted between them without him noticing.