Ahh, I suck! This is so late, I apologize! I had a bit of sentence block early on, and then the internet went out for a few days, so that robbed some potential writing time. There's also school that takes up time. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll get back on track with normal updates soon. I'm not gonna be one of those authors who stops posting! I love writing these guys and I have a lot planned for the future.
There's obviously no Corona in this fic, so the characters can come and go to places as they please without issue. xD
Credit for the Chess game suggestion goes to (Third_Eye_Open) over on Ao3. I don't really know how to play Chess, as I've only played a couple times. So I apologize if the strategy is a bit off.
Well, here's chapter 51 of "Welcome Home"!
"And you're sure you'll be alright, Stanley?" Ford asked. This wasn't how he had planned the morning to go. The two brothers were in the gift shop. Stan stood in front of the gift shop door, wearing a white shirt and brown coat overtop. Ford stood in front of him, wearing his maroon turtleneck, a look of unsureness on his face. The morning had certainly gone differently than he had expected. Ford had plans to go into town with Bill- since his injury from yesterday kept that from being possible- all until Stan insisted he go instead. Stanley had said that he had a few things he had wished to pick up anyway.
"For the last time, Ford, I'll be fine." Stan claimed.
Stanford had a look of skepticism at this. "Are you sure? I can make you a list just in case." He offered.
Stan just rolled his eyes. "I'm not mom, Pointdexter." He stated. "I'll get the junk you need." He said.
"It's not junk." Ford scoffed under his breath. "It's actually quite important." He said.
"Clearly, since you're worryin' about it so much." Stan grumbled.
"But what if you forget something?" Ford asked suddenly, his eyes widening a bit. He began to feel increasingly paranoid as he thought deeper into this question. "Perhaps I should go with," He said, taking a step towards the door. Before he could proceed, Stan put a hand up to stop Ford from moving.
"You should stay home," Stan advised. "With that injury on your back, I don't think you should be movin' around much." He said.
Ford furrowed his brows slightly. And while he knew that Stan was just looking out for him, he still felt uneasy being restricted to limited motion. "Very well." He muttered.
"Look, I'll be back before ya' know it." Stan said, reaching behind him to grab hold of the doorknob. Ford watched as Stan opened the door, walking outside and shutting said door behind him. Ford turned around halfway, only to notice that the car keys still remained on the gift shop counter where Stan had left them previously.
"Stanley," Ford called out. "You forgot the-" He said, only to see his brother open the gift shop door once again, walking towards where Ford stood and grabbing the keys that lay atop the counter.
"Keys?" Stan finished unnecessarily, raising an eyebrow and holding them up.
Ford gave a nod. "Keys." He confirmed. Stan cracked a cheeky grin before turning around again, awkwardly walking back outside. Ford watched Stan leave for the second time, and sighed when the door shut. If Stan couldn't remember the car keys, how could Ford depend on him to bring back what he had asked him to get? He just hoped that Stan wouldn't be so dense when it came to shopping.
The injury on his back, aside from being new from yesterday, wasn't as bad as the others of the household assumed it to be. His injury had been quite sore since he woke up that morning, though his body had gotten used to the soreness throughout the past few hours that the effect wasn't as bad as it had been when he had first woken up.
Ford walked out of the gift shop and into the living room, sitting atop the couch. At the very least he could watch some television to pass the time while he awaited Stan's return. He just hoped that Stan wouldn't forget anything, as the items Ford had wanted to get from town were all part of his plan to take a much needed trip with the others of the household.
Ford grabbed the remote and flipped on the Tv, rolling his eyes and grumbling in distaste at seeing a Ducktective episode playing. He just couldn't understand why Stan enjoyed such a childish show. He turned the Tv down a few clicks to rid of the obnoxious volume, only to hear Bill's voice in the distance calling out his brothers name.
"Stano?" Bill called out, his voice muffled slightly by the walls. Ford looked over at the doorframe of the living room as Bill passed by. The blonde put his hands on his hips and furrowed his brows. "Where's that old geezer?" He muttered under his breath. Bill looked over by the living room and approached the man in the room, placing a hand atop the doorframe.
"Have you seen Stano around here?" Bill asked. "I need to borrow his dentures." He said in a casual manner. Ford looked over at the other at hearing this and have a look of both confusion and disgust. What on earth would Bill need Stan's dentures for? Should he even bother asking? Ford tried to move the thought out of his mind and looked back at the Tv.
"If you're looking for Stan, he left for town." Ford said, grabbing hold of the remote before flipping through the channels.
"He left?" Bill questioned with his mouth open. "The one time I need that buffoon." He grumbled under his breath. He looked over at Ford and asked, "Hey, weren't we gonna go somewhere?"
"Originally, yes." Ford answered. "But thanks to this injury of mine, Stan insists I stay here." He said, adjusting his glasses.
Bill folded his arms. "Does it hurt?" He asked, changing the subject a bit.
"It's a bit sore," Ford admitted. "But it could be much worse." He reasoned.
Bill let his hands fall back by his sides, sighing. "Well without Stano around to tell me where he keeps his dentures, I have nothing to do." He mumbled.
"You're free to join me with watching Tv." Ford offered.
Bill looked at the television program and narrowed his eyes. "Meh, I'll pass." He said. Before either could continue, the talk were interrupted by a loud thud coming from upstairs. Ford was confused at this and looked over at the doorframe. Bill was tempted to go upstairs but stopped himself, seeing Fiddleford rush down the stairs with a few board games in his hands.
"I founda' some games!" Fiddleford announced with a grin, running into the living room.
Bill walked over and looked at the boxes, grabbing the one atop the other two and reading the words on said box with a raised eyebrow. "My Mummy's a Werewolf: The Game?" He said aloud as he read the title. He looked at the box with a mix of confused emotions and scoffed. Bill took the box and threw it behind him carelessly, the top of the games cardboard box popping off, the pieces scattering around the pile of the fallen board game. Ford gave Bill an unamused look, telling the blonde with his eyes that he would have to pick it up later. Bill ignored the look and looked at the second box Fiddleford held. Ford grabbed hold of the second one and looked at the box, placing it beside him on the armrest.
Fiddleford looked down at the final board game in his hands. "Then we've got this here classic game." He said. Ford and Bill looked at Fiddleford, then down at the game he held. Their eyes widened as the two were both hit with a train of nostalgia, memories flooding their minds in a snap.
"...Chess." Ford and Bill said in unison, wide-eyed. This was certainly unexpected. A moment of silence passed by as the two proceeded to look at the box. Fiddleford looked at Bill, then at Ford, and raised an eyebrow.
"Do ye' not know howda' play?" McGucket asked. "I can teach ye' if you want." He offered.
"Oh, we know how to play." Bill replied, staring at the box.
Ford gave a nod. "It's just... been quite a long time." He added, his eyes also not drifting away from the chess box.
Fiddleford placed the box onto the carpeted floor and sat down, his legs criss crossed as he looked up at Ford. He tilted his head. "So ye' forgot?" He asked. Bill cackled at how dense McGucket seemed to be at this moment, though Ford just shook his head.
"There's no way I could forget." Ford replied in a softer tone, finally drawing his eyes away from the box when he noticed Bill approach him. The blonde draped an arm overtop Ford's shoulder, ruffling his hair using his other arm.
"Brings back old memories, eh Fordsy?" Bill cooed with a grin, gently flicking the man's nose.
Ford looked at the demon with a deadpan expression. "Not particularly good ones." He responded.
"Hey! Just because I got you to help with making that portal doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the company." Bill said. "I meant it thirty years ago when I said that you were one of the best humans I'd ever played Chess with." He added.
"Well... I'll admit that I have missed it." Ford said. He glanced at Bill and asked, "Would you be up for a game?"
Bill's features brightened. "Oh, definitely!" He answered with a nod. "Besides, it beats sitting around and waiting for your darn brother." He said.
"Right..." Ford muttered, disturbed. "Should I be concerned about that?" He asked.
Bill merely shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it." He replied.
Fiddleford placed the Chess box on Ford's lap and slowly backed away. Bill looked at him with squinted eyes of confusion. Fiddleford shivered at the eye contact and gave a forced chuckle before whapping his hand overtop his mouth, screaming as he turned around to run away. McGucket nearly tripped on his way out of the living room as he rushed away to protect his teeth.
Bill grinned a crooked grin. "Yes! Run, mortal! Run!" He said, cackling mischievously. He could sense Ford's unamused gaze and paused his maniacal laughter. Bill cleared his throat and leaned on the armrest with his hand. "So anyway," He continued in a suddenly casual manner. "How's about we get that game going?" He asked.
"Yes, that seems best." Ford agreed, deciding to ignore whatever had just happened.
Stan was in the car, driving to the store. He would be lying if he said that he didn't have anything on his mind. The day before had been strange; at first what he had assumed to be a regular day turned into a morning of his brother getting injured. He hadn't been too surprised when Ford had said that he wanted to help himself, though his suspicion had started to rise when Bill had offered to help, continuing to check up on him, even if Ford found it annoying.
Stan scoffed to himself. "Just another trick my brother's too stupid to see, even though it's right in front of him." He grumbled.
He found it pathetic. The fact that Bill seemed to be fitting in with the others at the shack, as if he were one of them. Stan knew that Bill had made progress as a person, and he didn't wish for alienation against him to occur, but he couldn't see how Bill had attained this role of being close with most of the Pines', specifically his brother. Bill's closeness with him was certainly becoming suspicious. Twice the two had avoided his questionings. On one hand, it was none of Stan's business anyway. Though on the other... he wanted to be sure that his brother was safe and stayed out of any dangerous situations involving Bill. It was just too risky.
Stanley took a turn and drove the straight road that would bring him near the store. He hummed a tune to himself as the car drove, until he saw something at the corner of his eye. He shook his head out of any and all train of thought and turned his head sharply to the right to look out the passenger seat window. For a split second, he could have sworn he saw someone familiar. Someone who had a similar appearance to Lazy Susan.
Susan. Stan thought to himself. It had been months since he had last seen her. The last time they had spoken, Stan and the others had left the diner without notice. She hadn't bothered to try contacting him, which Stan didn't mind one bit. Phone calls with Lazy Susan could get annoying quickly. Though he still had a stable friendship with her and thought it would be nice to see her again.
I guess I should pay the woman a visit. Stan thought. He grabbed hold of the steering wheel and illegally performed a U-turn, suddenly driving the other way on the road now. He had nearly hit a car beside him in the process, and had they been any closer, Stan would have crashed his car without realizing the danger until it was too late. Stan gave a huff of relief and went in the diner's direction.
The store can wait. Stanley claimed.
A total of five minutes later, Stan was reaching the diner. He had already parked his car and was headed towards the door. He grasped the doorknob and opened the door to the diner, looking around to see a few others in the shop. He saw no sign of Susan and walked over to a booth, deciding to wait for a moment. Stan took a seat and looked out the window to see a fancy car drive into the trees from afar. He raised an eyebrow at this.
"What's some weird, rich snob doin' driving into the forest?" Stan muttered to himself. He felt a sudden tap on his shoulder and turned around, giving a quick shout of confusion. He looked at the person whom had tapped on his shoulder to see that the person had been the exact woman he was looking for.
"That's a creative way to acknowledge a woman's presence." Susan said, placing a hand atop her hip and giving a laugh as she held a coffee pitcher in her other hand.
"Oh, uh... sorry about that." Stan said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"It's normal around here." Susan replied. "What'll it be?" She asked.
Stan stopped for a moment and cleared his throat. "Well actually, I was here to see you." He said. "It's been a while."
"It certainly has," Susan agreed. She grabbed an empty cup from the booth behind Stan that probably hadn't been used. She placed the debatably clean cup on Stan's table and poured him a cup of coffee. Stan looked up at her skeptical. "It's on the house." Susan assured.
Stan grabbed the cup and took a sip of the coffee, only to gag at the extremely bitter taste. He normally didn't mind a bitter taste when it came to coffee, but this was just absurd. He knew that Susan was still there, however, and he forced a smile before forcing the bitter substance down his throat.
Susan didn't seem to notice the look and smiled once more. "So, are you doing anything special for Dipper and Mabel's birthday?" She asked.
"Nah, they went back home." Stan answered with a slight frown.
"Did they?" Susan asked, surprised that the twins had left so soon in summer. "That's a shame. I know how much you love those kids." She said, sympathy in her tone.
Stan shrugged. "Yeah, well, at the end of the day they still have parents, no matter how much I like havin' the little squirts around." He muttered.
Susan smiled. She opened her mouth to speak just before a feminine scream rippled loudly through the diner. Stan heard the sound and shot up from his seat, turning his head and looking around to see where the scream had come from. Susan closed her mouth and placed her hand overtop her chin, asking, "Was that me?"
Stanley looked over by the stools at the counter to see a strange man trying to steal a woman's purse. The lady who looked as though she were reaching her near 50's tried to get the robber to stay back, however he proceeded to get towards the woman and her precious wallet.
"My purse!" The lady wailed, kicking the stranger in his left kneecap. The man growled and commanded her to give up the purse.
Stan looked at this, a scowl forming on his face. He ignored the slight feeling of deja vu that reminded him of his ex girlfriend, Carla McCorkle, and walked up towards the two. Susan looked over at the event with wide eyes, unsure of what to do.
"Hey, Dumbo!" Stan bellowed, fists clenched. The man hardly had time to turn and look at the approaching old man before Stan had him in a headlock. The man shouted in alarm and tried to escape Stan's grip. He proved himself to be powerless against the older man, and depended on pleading for mercy to get him out of the situation.
"P-Please, let me go!" The man wailed.
Stan scoffed. "That's a weird lack of tough talk for a criminal." He mocked. "Get out of here and let the lady be, you hear?" Stan asked, furrowing his brows and looking down at the other. The man gave no response, causing Stan to glare. "Hey! I'm talkin' to ya'!" He shouted.
"Fine, fine, yes! Just let me go!" The criminal pleaded.
Stan rolled his eyes and gave the younger a push in the direction of the door. "Now buzz off." He demanded. The criminal didn't have to be told twice; he already had plans to run for the hills.
The woman, however, looked at Stan with a grateful gleam in her eyes. "Thank you." She thanked, looking at the con man with a sweet smile.
Stan noticed the starstruck look and gave a nervous chuckle, looking away and scratching the back of his neck. "It's uh... it's no problem." He said, giving a sheepish smile. The woman giggled and took hold of Stanley's hand, giving it a quick kiss. Stan was taken aback by the action, and looked at the woman in unsureness for a moment. He was quick to shake off the confusion and gave her a grin.
"Appreciation taken, lady." Stan said, smirking and giving a wiggle of his eyebrows. "What's a beauty like yourself doin' in a town like this?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm just visiting." The woman replied. "I like all the mystery here." She said with a smile.
Stan's eyes lit up. "Ah, so you're a tourist passin' by?" He questioned, a wide grin plastered along his face. "Say, if you like mystery, hows about you take a look at the Mystery Shack a few miles from here?" He suggested.
"That sounds lovely!" The lady beamed. "I've heard from folks around this town that the chances of dying there are lower than advertised." She said.
Stan froze for a moment and gave a forced chuckle. "Oh... yeah." He said, looking away. "Probably."
"What was that?" The woman questioned.
"Nothin'." Stan said, shrugging off the question. He reached into his brown coat and grabbed a pamphlet advertising the shack, handing it to the woman. "Stop by sometime." He said. And while it sounded more like a suggestion, Stan knew that he would expect the woman now that he had given her said pamphlet.
Susan looked over at the two as she stood by the booth Stan had previously seated himself on. She gave a slight frown at the flattered woman and walked away to help another customer, coffee pitcher still in hand.
"Hah!" Bill mocked, his grin increasing. Perhaps now he could make a comeback. "Make a move, Sixer." He cooed.
The two sat at the kitchen table, across from each other as they played their game of chess. Ford furrowed his brows as he looked at the board. He looked at his queen and where it was placed, a sly smile creeping up on his face. He moved his queen up beside Bill's king on the board. Bill looked with wide eyes at the board, seeing how he had been outsmarted so easily. He slumped in his chair and put an elbow on the table, his hand grasping his blonde hair.
Ford gave a mischievous chuckle and adjusted his glasses. "Your turn." He said, giving the other a look of dominance.
Bill saw the sly expression Ford wore. He gave a huff and squinted his lips together. Bill looked down at the board with narrowed eyes. Ford saw the man's stumped expression and felt a bit of pride in outsmarting him. He stood up out of his chair and turned around, reaching up and opening the cabinet to grab a glass. Bill noticed that the scientist's attention wasn't on the board. He gave an evil-like grin and took Ford's queen and his king, switching their places.
Ford returned with a water glass, setting it on the table before looking back down at the board. He looked at the board with wide eyes as Bill moved one of his other pieces up.
"What?" Ford cried suddenly, raising an eyebrow as his mouth fell open. "Wh- How did you-?" He asked, sputtering as he spoke. He put his hands in his hair before placing them back on the table, looking at Bill with a bewildered expression. "You must have done something." He said.
"Well obviously, I moved one of my pieces up." Bill said. He grinned and said, "Your turn." With that same sly smirk Ford had previously wore.
Ford was convinced that Bill had cheated at the game. There was just no way he could be in this position. Ford had an entire strategy planned out! How could this happen so easily? He mumbled something unpleasant under his breath and moved a piece, looking at the board with narrowed eyes.
Bill hissed dramatically. "Ooh, tough luck!" He said, moving a piece and knocking one of Ford's pieces off the board.
Ford looked at the board and gave a low hum. Now that his strategy had been goofed up, probably by Bill, he didn't have many options. Bill looked over at the kitchen doorframe to see McGucket standing there.
"It looks like you've gotten yer'self into a pickle there, Stanford." Fiddleford pointed out.
"Yes, it seems I have." Ford grumbled.
Bill looked over at McGucket and gave a grin. "He's definitely stumped." He confirmed, giving a mischievous laugh. Ford looked over at Bill to see that he was looking over at McGucket. Ford's sly smile returned as he reached over, grabbing his queen and Bill's king, switching their places back to where they were. He knew that Bill had switched them, so he was merely putting them back.
Bill turned back towards the game and noticed that the pieces were moved once more. His mouth popped open as he looked at Ford across from him.
"Hey, you switched them!" Bill chided, his eyebrows furrowing.
"You switched them first." Ford shot back, making a move before folding his arms.
"My, what a childish response." Bill said with a scoff.
"Cheating is far beyond childish, Cipher." Ford stated with narrowed eyes.
Bill gave a faint pout (Which only proved Ford's point,) and made his next move on the chess board.
The game went on for another sixteen minutes, Bill's desperate attempts to cheat were popping up around every corner. McGucket had called Bill out the first time he had cheated in his presence. Bill had given him a death state that had sent a shiver up the man's spine. He didn't make that mistake again. Ford, however, remained vigilant and called him out about his cheating ways as well.
"I don't remember you being the cheating type." Ford commented. The game had been put away, and they now stood in the living room. "It used to be all fair game."
Bill shrugged. "You never specified that we were playing fair." He said in an innocent manner.
"I had no idea I would have had to." Ford replied.
The two then decided to watch a movie since Stan had yet to return from the store. A few hours had gone by, and Ford was beginning to grow curious on why his brother hadn't returned. Fiddleford had been interested at first, but got bored within the first five minutes and opted to go for a walk instead. Ford sat on the couch during the movie, and soon after it started Bill had sneakily found his way onto the others lap, laid out across the couch with his legs dangling off the armrest.
"This is... odd." Ford commented.
"Who names a movie 'Nearly almost dead but not quite'?" Bill asked.
Ford merely shrugged. "These people, apparently." He answered. They looked back at the Tv, unamusement gleaming in their eyes. Though it felt nice to be in each other's embrace, so neither of them wished to get up and change the film.
"I'm guessing this won't be happening very often." Bill said, keeping his eyes on the screen.
Ford, however, looked down at the other. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"Well, you know, with Stano and all." Bill replied. "It's not every day that he'll be gone for a few hours." He said. There was a moment of silence before Bill pulled away just a bit to look up at Ford. "Hey, what do you think would happen if Stano came back and randomly came in through the door?" He asked, motioning over to the door across from them that lead to the gift shop.
"That... wouldn't be good." Ford answered hesitantly. "Apart from all of the drama it would cause, I would scold myself for letting my guard down enough to where it could happen." He said.
"Sometimes things happen," Bill said, looking down at his own hand and frowning. "Things that we just can't control." He finished, shutting his eyes and giving a light sigh.
Ford noticed Bill's expression and frowned. "I suppose so." He agreed in a hushed tone.
Bill opened his eyes halfway and rested the side of his head on the others shoulder, staring off into the distance as his mind went blank for a moment. He kept himself lost in thought for a bit, his mind wandering to a topic he had never received much answers for. He gained more consciousness into what was around him, and figuratively shook away the cobwebs.
Bill remained silent for another moment. Hesitantly, asked in a whispered tone, "Why?"
Ford raised a brow. "Pardon?" He asked, unsure of if the blondes speech was muffled and quiet, or if he was just in a sudden desperate need for a hearing aid.
"...Why do you care?" Bill questioned. "What... made you love me again?" He asked.
"Again?" Ford proceeded to ask, tilting his head.
Bill looked up at him and gave a slight eye roll. "Oh, come on. Don't think I never saw the ways you'd look at me." He said with a mocking smirk. His features lowered slightly, and he looked away. "Back when I was my breathtaking self, anyways" He muttered.
Ford overheard this and gave a slow shake of his head, taking a hand and gently rubbing the top of the other man's head. Bill made a noise sounding similar to a purr that made Ford give off a slight blush. He looked down at Bill as the other looked back up at him.
"You're beautiful." Ford told Bill, gently cradling the blondes face in his hands. "No matter the form." He said.
Bill gave a hum. He wished to believe it, but normally that state of mind just wasn't attainable when he was limited to such a pathetic body. "Good to hear." He muttered nonetheless. "But you still didn't answer my question." He reminded.
Ford could only shrug. "It's a mystery, really." He began. "It's just as you said; some things just happen." He murmured, gently stroking Bill's cheek with his thumb. "Things we can't control."
Ford had used Bill's own words to answer his own question, which surprised the demon. Bill gave a slow nod before furrowing his eyebrows in sudden confusion. "If you did have control about how you felt, would you change it, or would you deal with all the problems that come with this?" Bill asked, waving one of his hands down at the rest of himself.
Ford's small smile turned to a serious look in the blink of an eye. "Bill, how many times are we going to have this conversation?" He asked. "Your presence here, and near me, doesn't make you problematic." Ford stated.
"No, it makes a problem as a hole." Bill scoffed.
"Hey now," Ford chided in a stern manner. Bill could tell that the scientist was beyond serious by the grave look in his eyes. "I don't want you to think you're the issue any longer."
"Then I'd be living a lie." Bill shot back, folding his arms and looking away.
Ford narrowed his eyes at Bill, annoyed at his stubbornness. On the other hand, he could understand Bill's reasoning for thinking so. He sighed and looked at Bill in a more tender manner. "If I truly thought you were problematic around here, aside from your usual self of course, then I wouldn't think to ask-" Ford continued in a hesitant manner, only to stop in the middle of speaking. He wasn't quite sure how to form his sentence without wording it oddly.
The sudden stop caught Bill's attention. He looked back at the scientist. "Ask what?" He questioned.
Ford adjusted his glasses before opening his mouth, as if he expected words to magically fall out. He looked about awkwardly as he felt his cheeks getting warmer and gave a light chuckle.
"Um, well," Ford began, scratching the back of his neck. Bill squinted his eyes in confusion and could tell that the other was flustered by the question. "It's... something I've been meaning to ask you," He continued, avoiding eye contact. Bill raised an eyebrow. Was he afraid? Embarrassed, perhaps?
"Go on," Bill encouraged as he felt suspense rising in the room. He didn't see a need to overreact because of a simple question. Unless...
Maybe it wasn't so simple.
"Okay, well," Ford began once more. "It's more of a consensual question, really." He tried to explain.
"Uh-huh." Bill muttered through half-lidded eyes in a monotone manner.
Ford noticed the bored expression the other wore and bit his lip. "And, I... well, I..." He tried to continue, slipping over his words. He looked into the distance with wide eyes and sighed, placing a hand atop his forehead. "Oh boy." He said.
Bill backed away a bit. "Look, smart guy. If you're not prepared to spit it out, I'm just gonna go." He stated. He hadn't had too much interest in the movie they had been watching, anyway. Bill stood up now and turned around.
Ford's eyes widened at this. "Wait!" He said, grasping Bills wrist and pulling him back over with a bit more force than he had intended. Bill turned around as he felt his wrist being grabbed and gasped at being pulled back to where he had previously been. They were closer as Bill was sitting atop his own knees, facing the other. He looked down at the man in confusion. Ford was aware of their position and blushed a vibrant red. Bill didn't seem to care about the stance and raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, fine." Bill complied. "What's the question?" He asked.
Ford cleared his throat to contain himself better, as if it would make him appear more serious regardless of how awkward he seemed. "I've been giving it some thought," He began. "And I suppose now would be a good time to bring it up, seeing that you're doubting yourself and what your presence may do here in the future." He stated.
"Shoot." Bill said with a simple shrug.
"Right." Ford muttered. "As I assume you know, humans have a way of expanding their labels for each other into... something greater." He said. "Normally they spend more time together when this happens, and-and tend to share similar affections." He continued.
"We've got that kinda' thing going." Bill teased with a smirk. He had an idea as of where this could potentially be going.
Ford gave off a light blush and looked away. Bill could see the small smile on the others face. "W-W-Well, yes. We do," Ford agreed. "And, I was wondering..." He continued, speaking hesitantly as his breath was a tad shaky.
"Someone seems flustered." Bill teased with a mocking smirk. Yes, Bill knew what was happening here. But he wanted to hear Ford say it before he reacted.
Ford rolled his eyes at Bill's observation, though he couldn't doubt that he did look as such. "I-I just wanted to ask if... maybe you..," He tried. He already knew the situation was awkward, and he was only making it worse. "If you'd like to have that type of role, a-and become my boyfriend." He said. Ford had only ever asked someone such a question once, though even then it had been much less awkward. He saw the unreadable look on the others face, and he shrunk into the neck of his sweater slightly.
Bill stared. That's all he did. The room went silent (Save the sound of the Tv) as Bill stared down at the scientist. Ford noticed the blank expression from the other and gulped. Bill narrowed his eyes for a moment before folding his arms, jerking his head to the side with a huff, his nose in the air and his eyes shut.
"Bill Cipher stands alone!" Bill stated in firm manner. Another short moment of silence between them went by. The constant silence was getting annoying. Bill opened his eyes and kept his head to the side, however he looked down at Ford and pursed his lips slightly. "But I accept your invitation of becoming inamorato's"
Ford gave a small smile at this and was about to speak, only for Bill to put a hand up. "On one condition," Bill proceeded. Ford raised an eyebrow. "If I catch ya' with some random human I will destroy them." He said with an innocent-looking smile.
"You're very possessive, aren't you?" Ford commented.
"I'm not going to deliberately give myself to a human without reassurance that they won't betray my trust." Bill stated with furrowed brows.
"Well I can assure you that won't happen." Ford said. For extra measure he gently placed his hands atop the others hips and rubbed them affectionately.
Bill gave off a light blush and looked away. "...Good." He muttered. For once, he had nothing else to say.
"Stanford?" A voice sounding like Stan's called out. Ford and Bill's eyes widened in unison, and they turned to look at the 'Employee's only' door. By the door, they were hit with a wave of relief to see Fiddleford standing there, hunched over with his arms folded, Stan's fez hat atop his head. "Get a room, will ya'?" He said in a mocking manner, mimicking Stan's behavior.
Ford scoffed. "Oh, hush, you." He commanded with darkened cheeks. Fiddleford cackled in a high pitch, grinning.
Bill merely raised an eyebrow. "Wha-?" He began to question. He was unfamiliar with the odd phrase. "Wait, what's he talking abou-"
"It's nothing." Ford stated firmly, the blush only spreading across his face.
Bill narrowed his eyes. "Clearly." He muttered, though he decided to let it go for the time being.
Stan was now at the store. He had finally gotten the things he needed, as well as what Ford had requested he pick up. Stan noticed that both of the checkout aisles were full, and considered heading out through the front door and shoplifting his way out of the situation. A sneaky grin was plastered along his face as he crept towards the door.
It's about time my old shoplifting skills came into play. Stan thought to himself, a mischievous smirk on his face. He was about to reach the front door, only to stop in his tracks when an employee came in from outside. Stan stopped in the middle of his tip-toed stance and looked at the employee with wide eyes, his shopping cart still in hand.
The younger man looked at Stan with half-lidded eyes. This was nothing he hadn't seen before. "Sir, you're gonna have to pay for those items." He stated.
"Uhh," Stan began, looking away before looking back at the man. "I know. I was just admiring the view." He lied.
"Is that so?" The employee muttered, folding his arms. This man was much tougher to trick than most people in Gravity Falls.
"Sure is," Stan confirmed, still keeping up the act. "When you're older, ya' tend ta' admire the small things." He said, giving a small yet audible sniffle for show.
The employee pointed to his left where the cash registers were. "Go pay, then admire." He commanded.
Stan grumbled something unpleasant under his breath and walked over to the line that was slightly less filled. There were three other people in front of him, one of which was a mother and her child. Stan waited for a good two minutes in line before the silence and lack of movement was getting absurd. Only one person had left the line since the last time he had looked. Stan wasn't exactly the most patient person, and he certainly didn't care to wait for such a long amount of time.
Maybe it's time to bring out my reliable old man trick... Stan thought to himself, a faint smirk appearing on his face. A few seconds later, he dropped his shopping basket to the floor, getting down on his knees and cringing.
"Ahh!" Stan shouted dramatically. He placed one of his hands atop the floor, and the other over his chest. "I'm having a heart attack!" He cried out. One woman in line screamed and ran away, not wishing to be a witness in whatever situation could potentially be happening.
A man in line looked down at Stan with concern. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Just peachy." Stan spat. The man raised an eyebrow, and after a moment shrugged, turning back around.
Stan frowned and gave another cry of pain for extra measure. He held his hand out towards the man, his fingers twitching. "Don't look away, I'm having a heart attack for Pete's sake!" He chided. "The only cure... is to give up y-your spot in line! " He wheezed.
The man looked down at Stan with wide eyes. He nodded and moved to the side, using a hand signal that Stan could go past him. The other woman and her child had gone away to the other line. The gullible man let Stan pass him and switched their places. Stan panted dramatically as he crawled over to the front of the cash register. The man looked at him odd, but decided not to speak of it. Stan cleared his throat and stood up, seeming just fine now.
"I'm cured!" Stan said, looking down at his hands and pretending that he was all better with a grin. The cashier rolled her eyes and began to scan his items.
Ten minutes later, Stan was out of the store, two grocery bags in hand. He walked to his car and placed the bags in the trunk. Within the minute he was on the road to return back to the shack.
The day had gone by decent; Susan and him had a bit of time to catch up, and he planned to visit her again sometime soon. A part of him had missed talking to her. And even though Stan had gotten over Susan since last summer, he still enjoyed her company. Susan had seemed a bit different ever since Stan had helped the lady whom had nearly gotten her purse stolen. No severe changes, just a bit different and slightly less cheerful.
Stan then thought about what he had gotten at the store. His brother had given him a few strange requests. Strange for Ford, anyway. Stan often indulged in sweets, whereas Ford tended to stay in the healthier side.
"So what's he need marshmallows and chocolate for?" Stan wondered. "Are graham crackers healthy?" He proceeded to ask himself. "Eh, doesn't matter." He said with a chuckle.
As Stan continued to drive home, he was passing the diner and saw the same fancy car from earlier driving around by the trees. Stan narrowed his eyes at the car, wondering who that person was and why they had been looking around in the trees all day.
"Huh. Weird." Stan muttered. He was about to draw his eyes back to the road in front of him, shrugging. "Eh, it's probably nothin'." He said, brushing off the confusion. The moment he looked back at the road, he noticed a blonde man crawling cross the street like an animal. Stan shouted and slammed on the brakes. The blonde made eye contact with Stan, his eyes widening. The car just nearly hit the man, only for the car to come to a full stop, only a few inches of space between them. Stan growled and swung his car door open, not caring if there were other cars behind him or not.
"What the hell?" Stan shouted, putting his hands in the air with a scowl. He looked down at the blonde with his hands on his hips. "I coulda' hit ya'!" He scolded. After looking at the man, Stan recognized him as the strange one from the forest that he and Ford had encountered.
"Wait..." Stan muttered. "I remember you."
"Couldja' help me get away from that rich fool?" Deep Chris asked. He pointed towards the forest, though Stan already knew who he was talking about.
Stan raised an eyebrow. "What are you, a criminal?" He questioned.
"Not exactly." Chris muttered, fiddling with his fingers slightly.
Stan hummed. "Well I can't take ya' to the Mystery Shack." He said.
"W-Why not?" Chris wondered, looking up at the older.
"We have enough animals there already," Stan replied. "We don't need one more."
The sound of a horn honking caught the twos ears. Stan turned his head around to see a car behind his. Stan's car was slanted to where cars couldn't drive past him. Stan shot the driver a glare.
"Hold your waffles!" Stanley shouted before looking back at Deep Chris.
the blonde clasped his hands together and looked up at Stan with pleasing eyes. "Please, dawg. I'll do anything!" He begged.
Stan looked at the other with narrowed eyes, being silent for a moment as he wondered what to say or do. His thoughts were interrupted by the obnoxious repetitive sound of a car horn honking. Stanley growled and sent another glare at the driver.
"Can it!" Stan hollered with clenched fists. He made the mistake of looking back down at the blonde man to him the stranger looking back up at him with a pleading expression.
Stan grunted before pointing a finger at the man. "Alright, fine!" He growled. "I'll drive you a couple'a miles away from here so that rich guy won't find ya'. But that's it!" He exclaimed.
Deep Chris nodded frantically and scrambled to his feet, rushing to the car. Stan walked back to his car, holding a certain finger up to the disturbing driver who had honked their horn at him multiple times. Stan got in the car and reached over to open the passengers seat door. The blonde was quick to step into the vehicle.
"Thanks, dawg." Deep Chris said, closing the door.
Stan was quick to step on the gas and drive away in the direction of the shack. He planned to drop the man off part-way there. There was a moment of silence in the car. Stan turned on the radio to give a bit of noise inside the vehicle. Chris cringed at hearing a Sev'ral Timez song playing in the radio.
"Hey wrinkles, can you turn that music box off?" Deep Chris asked the other. "Brings back bad memories." He muttered.
Stan grunted and turned off the radio. He too wasn't too fond of the poppy song playing. He had heard it enough around the shack last summer when Mabel would play it on full volume.
"Bad memories, eh?" Stan asked, not caring about his sudden nosiness.
"Yeah, man," Chris replied. "It wasn't fun being put in cages all the time." He said.
Stan scoffed. "What were ya', a lab rat?" He asked sarcastically, howling with laughter.
Deep Chris glanced over at the man with a frown before drawing his eyes towards the car window. Stan looked at the man as he laughed and noticed the frown. He stopped his laughter and raised an eyebrow at the expression he hadn't expected.
"Oh," Stan muttered. "You really were, huh?" He asked.
"That's one way to put it." Chris said with a sigh. "Our producer, he'd keep us in a cage unless we were preforming in front of a crowd." He informed.
"So that's the jerkwad you're runnin' from?" Stan asked.
Chris gave a slow nod. "If he catches me, I don't know how much longer I'll have left to live..."
"What?" Stan exclaimed suddenly. "This guy better not come after me for hidin' ya'." He grumbled.
"It's not you he wants," Chris said. "Just myself and the rest of the gang." He continued.
"Doesn't mean he won't hunt me down with questions." Stanley muttered.
Stan drove for just a bit longer before coming to a stop. He parked at the side of the road by a forest. This particular bit of Gravity Falls was where he and the twins had once gone camping before his brother had returned from the multiverse. Ford had heard of their camping trip once or twice before, though he never asked too far into it. Stan told Deep Chris to get out of the car, and the blonde followed directions. He thanked the Pines man and shut the car door, rushing into the forest to find a spot to settle. He just hoped the others would be able to find him before nightfall.
Stan watched for a moment as the blonde went into the forest before proceeding to drive. There was definitely something odd going on. He remembered the time when he had first encountered the man with Ford, and when Chris had informed them that he sensed danger was near.
Maybe there's somethin' comin', after all... Stan thought to himself. He made a mental note to talk to Ford about it later. For now though, he had to focus on getting himself as well as the groceries back to the Mystery Shack.
Again, I'm terribly sorry for the wait. There's a lot coming, so stay tuned for that. Stan knows a little more about what could potentially be going on, so his knowledge just might come in handy...
Or things could go terribly wrong. And if you know this fic, as well as the show itself, you already know everything won't be like a fairy tale.
*Cue evil laughter*
Theories, anyone? I'm curious to see what y'all think. The next chapter will be out sooner than this one. There are a few important details in this chapter that will hint at the next one... but that's for you to potentially figure out.
The next chapter chapter will be up soon!
