Back at their home, the blond picked up Pine Tree, carrying him. "What else would you like to do?" Bill asked politely as he leaned in and kissed the boy softly.
Wonderful emotions coursed through his system as he returned the sweet action, a welcome relief from the events of the day. He didn't even complain about being held, getting accustomed to their proximity and loving it all the same, letting the moment sweep his worries away. "I just want to be with you, Bill . . ." he admitted, leaning his head on the king's shoulder while he was able. He thought about kissing his neck. But . . . that would be — no, he just did it. Smiling, too. "Honestly, I didn't expect my curiosity to lead to such an overwhelming situation. I need a break from that madness. Your madness is much better." He laughed quietly.
Bill giggled and sat down on his throne, keeping Pine Tree in his lap. "My madness is better?" He raised an eyebrow. Unable to contain his excitement from those words, Bill cutely nuzzled into his partner. "I'm honored." He knew his cheeks were bright red.
The prince mirrored his blush, needing to kiss Bill more intimately on the lips. He felt so light just then, and when he pulled away, he was laughing again, stealing as many peppered pecks as he could between his choppy breaths. "I love your craziness," he chuckled joyfully, beaming as his hands found their way around Bill. Pine Tree tried kissing him again, instead getting the bottom of his jaw.
Bill held him and leaned down, rightfully pressing their mouths into a kiss, an inferno flowing in his veins as his heart sped up. The blond's eye slipped closed. He simply wanted to enjoy the passion, the love, the heat. He just wanted to enjoy his Pine Tree.
The brunet couldn't resist returning the affection, his eyes closed as well, blood on perfect fire. He was so lucky to have Bill. He was so gifted to be Bill's. He couldn't imagine life without the dream demon, without grinning at him and hugging him and kissing him . . .
A sound, like a whimper, echoed vaguely. The tween tried to respond, the taste and feel of Bill's lips making his eyes roll back in his head, his arms crushing them together. Indulgence made him moan, so happily . . .
The sound reverberated in the room once more. It wasn't Bill. It was a voice. An awkward one. "Y'all forgettin' somethin'?"
The king's eye opened, pulling back slowly despite his heart's protest for more. All he wanted to do was kiss his Pine Tree. He deserved it. A low growl sounded from his throat as he addressed Gideon. "Being rude now, kid? We were in the middle of something if you couldn't tell." Bill shot him a glare. Turning to Pine Tree, his voice softened. "What do you think his punishment should be?"
"P-punishment?" Gideon cried, catching himself with a snap of his mouth. Like he didn't already expect it.
Pine Tree breathed in some air to clear his head, reality flushing into him. "Ugh, right. Um . . . well, there's a lot of things on my mind, actually."
Bill waited respectfully, gesturing with a hand to tell him to to keep talking. The demon wanted to instill fear into Gideon, eagerly awaiting the brunet's ideas.
The boy's smile grew wider. "It has to be the perfect payback. Like . . . something like . . . pushing him off a cliff infinite times. Or having him clean up after the demons. Or making him humiliate himself by . . . doing childish dances in front of the town!" He laughed at that one, evilly, even though most of the civilians were frozen right under him.
Something about Gideon's expression made it seem that watching them kiss was punishment enough. He was blanched and furious, his eyes bulging from his face at every implication. The white-haired kid struggled against his bindings, stilling almost immediately when he found it useless. "W-what am I payin' for, anyway? Bill Cipher, Your Majesty, I-I didn't do anythin' to either of ya'!"
Bill laughed too, smirking. "Hmm . . . I like the dancing. Or the cliff one. We could throw him out of this pyramid, keeping him alive just so we can do it over and over. Now that sounds fun!" The demon's usual malicious glint in his eye was back. "As for you . . ." he spoke to Gideon. "Your punishment is for rudely interrupting us. Maybe you'll learn your lesson about keeping that mouth of yours shut."
The nine year-old silenced himself again, seething. His glare at Pine Tree was murderous.
As if he had something to do with it.
It's not my fault you decided to be an enormous pain. The prince leaned up to smooch Bill's lips once more, bringing the grin back to his face. "No reason we can't do both. Serves him right for bugging us and messing with Mabel."
Bill happily giggled, kissing the boy's forehead softly before nodding. The blond floated them off the huge throne, landing safely in front of their prisoner. "Ready to find out how painful it is to smash into the ground from thousands of feet above?" The dream demon grinned, his evil intent showing through.
Gideon shook his head furiously. "I-I'm sorry! Don't do it! Whatever I did, I'm sorry!"
"That was a rhetorical question," the tween specified with a hint of cruelty. It settled deep into his bones, a tiny smidgen of guilt. But he did kinda really deserve it. Maybe a couple of times.
Bill simply kicked Gideon out the triangle shaped door in the Fearamid, listening to his screams all the way down. The apocalypse king cackled excitedly. "And three . . . two . . . one!" he counted down. The moment he got to "one", Gideon had reappeared on the floor.
The small boy was trembling in fear, still bound, eyes bloodshot. Pine Tree almost grimaced, though he had to admit that the scene was "fun". For a heartless second.
"I-I . . . Forgive me," he stammered, legs shaking, unstable. "Please. W-whatever you want. I won't do it again."
The brunet almost considered it, humanity being a pain when he least wanted it to. He's not actually that bad . . . Okay. Maybe he was. But that didn't mean he had to punish him so horribly for it. Though, revenge sure was sweet. Pine Tree stepped forward, nearly stopping himself, part of his mind hating his own morals as he shoved Gideon off the Fearamid's support again. When he reappeared, he thought his stomach was going to explode. And not in a good way.
"Stop, m-make it stop . . ." he sobbed, breaking down, all hatred gone. Somehow, the younger male got his feet to move and he slumped up against a stone figure. Or Ford.
Another pang shot through Pine Tree. Bill, maybe we should stop soon . . .
The demon didn't seem to register Pine Tree's request, his eye reddening and evil laughter booming around them. Mercilessly, he kicked Gideon again, lips curved in a sinister grin. "Three times is the charm! And the number of sides I have." He held up the corresponding digits, counting down until Gideon reappeared. "I will say that's all . . . for now. We'll likely enjoy this again later!"
Pine Tree thought his heart might just fly out of his chest; it was beating so hard. From seeing it, too.
"I . . . W-what's . . . gonna . . . happen to me?" Gideon weeped, attempting to lift his arms but finding them still chained. "I don't wanna be here. I-I can leave, can't I? I won't cause ya' trouble."
The prince turned his eyes to Bill, biting his lip. He waited, speechless.
"Nah, I think I'll keep you somewhere where I can watch you real close." Bill had calmed down relatively, eye turning back to its normal yellow color. His laughing had stopped and the maniacal look on his face slowly faded. Snapping, Gideon's bonds disappeared. A rumble shook the Fearamid for a second before halting abruptly. "I know you just got out of jail, but why don't you spend some more time in one?" A small door along the wall behind the thrones materialized. It was decorated by a star with an eye in the center: Gideon's symbol. Waving his hand, the blond opened the door, revealing a not-so-bad room. It wasn't anything fancy, looking more like a regular kid's bedroom. "You will stay here. In the Fearamid."
You're giving him a place to stay here? The boy was surprised. Pine Tree let himself relax a bit, previously tense, his eyes on Gideon.
The ex-psychic gulped dryly, folding his hands to his chest, visibly shrinking. For a second, he said nothing, taking in the room as realization set in. Gideon glanced between the two royals, having seemingly regained part of his strength. "O-of course. But what about the others? Won't . . . I see them again?"
"You mean Wendy and Soos and Mabel?" Pine Tree asked. "I don't think they'll want to see you after that charade."
Gideon shook his head, hurt. "My prisonmates. They . . . They were left behind after the fight, I'd reckon."
"Who cares about them? Just be thankful we're not punishing you anymore," Bill said and pushed Gideon towards the room. "This locks from the outside." Shutting and locking the boy inside, he turned back to Pine Tree.
He made a face. "So."
Bill shrugged. "What? Did you want to do something?"
He shook his head, trying to blink the blankness from his eyes. "It's just . . . I mean . . . I'm a little caught off guard, is all," he explained, running a hand through his bangs. "I didn't think Gideon would act so . . . submissive, I guess. I don't know. I feel a bit bad. Should I feel bad?"
Bill felt no guilt. He hated Gideon, so making him fall to the ground over and over was a lot of fun. "It's Gideon. He deserved it and that's that." He put an end to the discussion.
The boy nodded a little reluctantly, at least half of him agreeing as he gave the blond a hug. Warmth spread back into him, eating away at his small regrets. "Yeah, you're right," he sighed. "I love you, Bill."
The blond hugged the brunet, carrying him to the throne where they were kissing only a few minutes ago. Bill held him on his lap, arms wrapped around him, speaking with his mouth next to his ear. "And now there's nobody to interrupt us."
A blush spread over his cheeks. He smiled, fondly matching his lips to the dream demon's own.
Bill closed his eye, grinning into it, reveling in the sensations. His happiest moments came from kissing or cuddling with Pine Tree.
It didn't take long before Bill's prince was soaring above the clouds, all worries gone as his body pressed tight to the king's, vision forgotten. His entire essence practically sang Bill's name. The feeling was fantastic. Needing some air, he gave a few last kisses, eyes half-lidded with adoring devotion. His breaths came in near-silent pants. "Bill, Bill . . . Bill, I love . . ." he started laughing again, nuzzling the young man's chest. "Bill, I can't even talk."
The said demon had rosy cheeks and pink, parted lips after their heated show of affection. Bill chuckled breathlessly. "Then don't talk. I can read your mind, ya' know."
"What's a mouth for if you can't use it?" he responded with a sly smirk, bursting into giggles after placing some rhetorical pecks to the other's face. Afterwards, he let himself slump comfortably into Bill's lap, allowing his mood to calm. The fact that they were sitting on stone Gravity Falls citizens had completely slipped his mind until then, but it wasn't as startling as he would have thought.
Bill relaxed too, shoulders slumping as his breathing slowed. Oh, he loved these moments where he could just sit with his Pine Tree and be comfortable.
For a short while, it was just that. The prince smiled, gazing along Bill's shoulder until he could observe the interior of their home. He looked at the throne room with contentment, perhaps a newfound sense of belonging. All of it together made for a reminder that Bill and him were meant to be. This was a place of love and fun and togetherness. A few of the party decorations still rimmed the walls, an existing happy aura against the colors that somewhat captivatingly broke the dark atmosphere. The scarlet-hued stained-glass window behind the king's impressive throne cast itself brilliantly over the floor, a contrast to the natural light that seeped through the Fearamid's triangular opening, though less due to the wall being fixed sometime while they were gone. And . . . Ford. Without warning, Mabel's words to him echoed in his head. He supposed her request applied to him as well. Pine Tree groaned under his breath.
The older male glanced down at the younger with a curious eye. "What's up?" he asked softly, not moving from the very warm and snug position they were in.
"Just . . . thinking. We should . . . probably talk to Ford soon. You need to move to the next phase and Mabel told me to . . . tell him . . . you know," he responded, still staring at the room. "Maybe it won't be good to put it off. We've already dealt with a lot of stuff today. Might as well, right?"
"Alright . . . but we'll need to be careful. Ford is still angry at both of us and there's no telling what he might say or do." Bill took a breath and floated them from the high throne to the ground, gently placing Pine Tree down. "Let's do it. Together." He held the boy's hand.
"You're not kidding," he said, shaking his head with a smile. "Here goes, then." Focusing, Pine Tree willed Ford's head to regain its original state, the petrified material melting away. He stopped at his shoulders.
"Sweet love of —" his great uncle caught himself, eyes wide and piercing as he stretched his neck. "This isn't a very comfortable position, unsurprisingly. Will you do me a favor and let me have control over my entire body, perhaps?"
Pine Tree shook his head. "That's all you're getting right now. I want you to know that Mabel loves you and that she's okay."
Ford looked relieved, though he turned a grimace at the both of them, landing his attention on Bill. "What do you want with me?"
"Ah, Fordsy, don't you know what I want? It's quite simple, really." The demon paused, letting a grin form on his lips. "Weirdmageddon is going global sooner or later. I'd prefer if it was sooner. Why don't you be a good little prisoner and tell me how to break the barrier?" Bill knew what Ford's answer would be, but he was going to try over and over until he got what he needed from the old man.
"The . . . barrier?" Ford stared at the blond for a few seconds before laughing bitterly. "Ah, it looks like you finally found out about it after all these years. Congratulations, Bill Cipher."
"That's king to you," Pine Tree spat seriously, giving the dream demon's hand a squeeze of support. "We can . . . We can make you regret it if you don't be respectful."
Bill rolled his eye. "Oh, please. I knew about it a long time ago. Pine Tree can back me up on that one," he muttered. "Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"
"You . . ." Ford hissed, shaking his head. "I won't tell you anything. Weirdmageddon can't be allowed to further." His gaze locked on Pine Tree's. There was a message in his stare.
The boy broke the connection, turning his head away. Ford gasped as the gun's material started to engulf him again, pausing at his neck.
"With Weirdmageddon spread across the globe, there will be no rules! Your dimension will finally be free." Bill grinned happily. "I only need the equation."
"I . . . refuse, Bill. I won't tell you anythi—" he was silenced with the contraction of the prince's hand into a fist, frozen once more.
Pine Tree frowned, not liking the expression on the old man's face when he looked at it. He tried to ease his tension. "Sorry about that. I was getting mad at him."
Bill placed an arm around Pine Tree's shoulders, pulling the younger male to his side. "It's fine. Just relax. I'm giving him a chance to nicely tell me before we get to the fun stuff."
"You seem to be looking forward to it way more than I am," he murmured, leaning into the blond. "I hate that he's related to me. And I used to idolize the Author, too . . ."
Bill nodded. "You have me to look up to now." He softly rubbed Pine Tree's back, supporting him.
"You're so much better than him," he agreed, grinning at the soothing touch. Warmth-sparked electricity ran down his spine where Bill's fingers were on his vest.
"Whenever you're ready you can unfreeze him again," he spoke, hushed, and leaned down, lightly kissing the fluffy brown hair on Pine Tree's head.
The tween hummed happily, turning his whole body to hug Bill fully, face tilting up to kiss him. He felt a lot better. "I don't think we should do it today. Maybe tomorrow. Can't we just enjoy the afternoon? I'll be hungry for dinner soon."
"Alright." Bill left the topic alone, taking Pine Tree to the library. "Let's enjoy it here." The blonde grinned once they arrived, sitting down on one of the couches. The rest of the day was guaranteed to be fun-filled with no stress for the both of them.