It was the middle of the night.
Dipper was asleep.
Bill wasn't.
He never was, demon and all.

He's been around the human for such a long time now, and he has noticed how it's started to affect him.
He rolled his one eye.
Affection.
Unbelievable.
And he sure as hell doesn't like it. But what can he do? His powers are still too weak; he's still not able to invade other people's dreams. This might take years. He really does not have anything better to do than to stay with his admittedly favourite human.

He was watching him sleep.
So sweet, so peacefully. At least that's what it looked like.
Bill knew it wasn't true.
He'd seen and done enough to know that while Dipper honestly believed the fulfilment of his sick desires made him feel better, he was actually destroying himself. He made Bill destroy him. He had started to ask for more and more ridiculous things, more humiliation, more pain. It didn't take Bill long to understand that his Pine Tree seemed to be addicted to a certain kind of pain. Pain, as experienced in the mindscape, seems to be physical, but is mental in reality. At some point he won't be able to take it anymore. He thinks it's fine because it's all in the mindscape, but his body had already started to react, and he had started throwing his barely healthy lifestyle completely away. He won't be able to keep this up forever. And just recently, Bill himself had started to dislike the situation.

What good was his favourite human if he keeps hurting himself like that just to feel alive? And what had made him this way? Was it the possession in his childhood? Was it Weirdmageddon? His sister didn't seem to have any lasting problems with that. Was it really just that Dipper Pines is a lot more weird than humans usually are?
At first Bill had taken great pleasure in hurting Dipper and fucking him senseless, but this somehow turned into something he didn't like anymore. It didn't feel like he was the one hurting the human, it didn't even feel like Bill was the one in control anymore. He was simply fulfilling Pine Trees wishes. It bothered him. He was always supposed to be the one in control. Always.

He wasn't able to touch him outside of the mindscape, and for tonight he won't appear in his dreams anymore. Still, Bill reached out to faintly brush his fingers over the birthmark on Dippers forehead. If it had been a real touch, it would have been a very gentle one.
The demon almost couldn't believe himself, but he didn't want this stupid human to die.

.

It took Dipper a while to finally open his eyes. He'd been lying awake in bed for a few hours and didn't feel like getting up. He had forgotten what day it was, but yesterday had been a tough night. Been drinking too much. It's been fun. It didn't cross his mind that it was weird to go out drinking all alone and call it a fun night.
He groaned and finally sat up straight. A good day to stay in bed, but the growling of his stomach was starting to get on his nerves. And why was Bill ignoring him? Dipper had been trying to talk to him all morning, but he didn't answer.

He got up from his bed, went to the bathroom and didn't do much more than quickly splash some cold water into his face, drying it with his sleeping shirt. He didn't really look at his reflection. Maybe he should have. The dark circles under his eyes had become worse over the past few weeks. His hair had become too long, almost touching his shoulders, and he hadn't bothered to shave in a while, either. He didn't notice. After all, he forgot about everything that wasn't really important.
What was important then, again?

"Where are you?"
Still no answer. It bothered Dipper. Bill had told him before that it would probably take years for him to be able to show up in other people's dreams again. So Dipper was the only human being he could be around. And he knew for a fact that Bill hated his own dimension. He had told him once. "Two-dimensional, utterly boring, nothing is happening there at all and whatever lives in it doesn't have emotions that could be toyed around with like yours." He had said. Bill didn't have much of a choice than to stay around him. So why didn't he talk to him now?
Dipper opened the fridge and sighed deeply. It was pretty much empty. No choice but to go and buy something. Maybe he should get Chinese take-out? A single Pit-Cola was left in the fridge. It'll do to stop his stomach from growling, for now.

When he went back to his room, he could clearly feel that Bill was watching.

"Why are you ignoring me?" Dipper asked, gathering the clothes he had been wearing two days ago. Yesterdays clothes smelled too much of smoke, but these were still fine. He'll wash his stuff in the afternoon, or tomorrow. Probably.
"Bill, seriously. I know you're here. What's wrong? Angry at your own pitiful existence or something?"

Bill was indeed watching, and the mocking comment made him furious. Usually he would have dragged the other into the mindscape right now, giving him a good lesson on why he was in no position to talk to him like that.
But he knew by now that this was just Dippers way of getting his attention, and eventually the pain he desires so much.
Not today.
Bill decided that for one day, he simply wanted to watch and observe.

"Fine, be a sulking stupid nacho then."

Bill wanted to strangle him.

Dipper heard a knock on his door. He quickly put on his shirt. The doorbell was broken and Dipper had forgotten to fix it. He didn't know for how long already. But did it matter? Hardly anyone ever came here. This was probably just someone from the house management, as always.
But it wasn't.
He opened the door.
It was Mabel.

"Goodness, look at you!" she said, furrowing her eyebrows and crossing her arms, "Dipper Pines, what the hell have you been doing lately?"
Dipper was too surprised to form any kind of answer. Mabel never showed up just like that, she usually-
"You didn't answer my texts for weeks! I even tried to call you! I was so worried, and so was mom by the way!"
Oh.
They had been trying to call him, too?
He hadn't noticed. Had he been in the mindscape too much? Or…
"Sorry, maybe I forgot to turn my phone back on." he said.
"For THREE WEEKS?"
Damn, had it really been that long?
Dipper sighed and pushed his hair back. It was too long and had started to cover his eyes a little.
"Look, Mabel, Im sorry, I just…"
"Just what? Look at the MESS you've made here! There's clothes and food lying around everywhere and it looks like you haven't cleaned anything for the past two months!"
She walked in without asking and closed the door behind her.
"Dipper Pines", she said with a warning tone to her voice, "You will tell me what is bothering you, right now."
He stared at her.
Bothering?
Nothing was bothering him.
"Nothing, Mabel, I've just been lazy is all." He said.
"When was the last time you went to university?" She asked, looking really angry. The kind of angry look when she just knew that her twin brother was lying to her. Dipper started to scratch his left arm. Mabel couldn't help but notice that both of his arms looked sore and reddish.

"Dipper...", her tone changed, a lot more calm now,
"Please, I'm really just worried about you. Let me… let me help. Something happened, right? Did someone hurt you? Did you lose something important? Do I have to beat someone up? Just tell me, please. You know I've always got your back, whatever it is."
"I don't need help. I'm fine. I've just been a little too carefree and should probably clean up here."

You're definitely not okay Pine Tree, but sure, keep telling yourself that.

Not now, Bill.

Dipper sighed.
"Look Mabel, I'm really sorry. Learning and work has been getting a bit much. I guess I just need some time off or something."
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?", she asked.
Sad eyes.
Dipper couldn't handle those.
"I didn't want to bother you, I mean, you're living a happy live with your boyfriend—"
"Are you serious right now?"
He blinked. Mabel suddenly looked furious. Did he say something wrong?

Oh boy, you just really fucked up.

Shut up already!

"I broke up with Derek a month ago! You were at my place, listening to my crying for HOURS! Dipper, what the hell?!"
Oh shit.
No wait, how?
How could he just forget about something like that?
The guys name was one thing, but this?
But no matter how hard he tried, he only remembered little bits from that day. He knew that it had happened, but it felt like he hadn't really been there. As if he'd been watching this scene of his life instead of playing the part.

"I… I'm sorry Mabel, I didn't forget, I just wasn't thinking for a moment—"
"You haven't been thinking about anything at all for a LONG time now, Dipper!"
"Mabel, I—"
"You know what, do whatever you want and call me when my brother is back."

If he will ever be back, that is.

"I said SHUT UP, BILL!"

Mabel's hand had already been on the door handle, but now she stood frozen in place.
"What… did you just say?"
Dippers face was nearly as white as the wall.
Shit.
He had said that out loud.
He's been getting so used to talking to Bill out loud lately that he didn't pay attention.
Mabel looked at him with a truly horrified expression.
He started shaking.
"I… I was just talking to myself."
"I'm not dumb, Dipper. Or are you even Dipper? Are you Bill right now?!"

You wish, Shooting Star. You wish.

"No! No I'm not, it's me Mabel! Bill doesn't exist anymore, you know that!"
"Then WHO were you talking to?!" she cried, looking really scared. She grabbed an umbrella that was lying around near the door with one hand, the other still on the handle.
"Tell me something only Dipper would know. Now." She said. Her hands were visibly trembling, but her voice sounded like that of a movie heroine ready to kill.
Dipper panicked.
For a moment he considered asking Bill for help, making him remember something that only he could know.

I won't help you.

Dipper bit his lip.
When did it get so hard to remember things, anything at all?
Quick, something…
"W-when we were in 2nd grade, on photo day, you were looking really great but that stupid girl put a piece of chewing gum on your hair. You… you were crying but then I had the really stupid idea to just shave both our hair off. You laughed, we did it, and we took the picture together. Mom was furious, and Dad was laughing his ass off. We were grounded for three weeks. But it was…" , Dipper had to pause.
His eyes were wide and filled with tears. What was happening? Why did it feel like these weren't even his own memories? Why was it so hard to recall any real feelings about this?
"It was… It was fun…", he choked out, tears starting to run down his cheeks.
Mabel lowered the umbrella she had pointed at her brother, and then it fell to the ground. She slowly came closer and pulled Dipper into a hug.
"Dipper, I'm sorry…", she whispered.
"No, no… I'm the one who should be, I've been terrible, I don't deserve to—"
"Sssshh. Shut up now. It's not your fault. But… but Dipper, please. If… If Bill is bothering you or messing with your head, then…"

Am I, Pine Tree? Go on, tell her.

Dipper flinched.
"No Mabel, he's not really here. I've… I've just been thinking too much lately."
His sister looked hurt.
"I want to believe you Dipper, I really do. Will you be okay?"
"Definitely. Don't worry Mabel."
She sighed.
"I have to get to work now. Please tell mom that you're okay, too."
"Will do."