"So, Pine Tree, what do we need to talk about?" Bill inquired as he appeared in the mindscape, gaze landing on Dipper as he swung on a slightly damaged swing a few feet away

He floated over, human form melting into that of a triangle, and he came to a stop behind the teenager. His hands lifted and grasped the rusted chains of the swing, and Dipper shivered as a wave of magic washed over him as it passed through his seat, repairing it instantly. Dipper glanced over his shoulder at the triangle, and Bill began wordlessly pushing him on the swing.

"Do you like being human?" Dipper asked curiously

Bill stopped pushing the swing, the question catching him off guard. Did he? Well, the food was great. Having to use the bathroom was an annoyance, but hugs and snuggles more than made up for that, right? And actually being able to feel Pine Tree beside him was probably the best thing the demon had ever felt in his existence. He slowly lifted his hands once more and began pushing the boy

"I like being human when its with you" he replied honestly

Dipper's face flushed, and he let out a nervous chuckle

"Why- Why me?"

"I told you earlier."

Dipper coughed uncomfortably and fixed his gaze on his shoes. After a few more minutes, Bill stopped pushing, and Dipper hopped off the swing

"What do you do in here all the time?" he asked, desperate to keep the topic off of feelings

Annoyance seemed to flash through Bill's eye, but as soon as it had come it was gone. He turned and began floating away, leaving Dipper with no choice but to follow.

"I watch" he responded

"Watch what?" Dipper inquired curiously, gaze flicking around their seemingly empty surroundings

"Everything" was the tense answer he got in response

"Are you okay?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" he snapped, flashing red "Why don't I ask you some then, Pine Tree?" he growled, frustration at the teens constant denial of their chemisty frustrating him to no end

"Sorry.." he whispered, and just like that Bill's anger was gone

He sighed and transformed back into his human body, hands reaching up to land on Dipper's shoulders

"It's okay, kid. I'm just..." he trailed off

"Frustrated..?" Dipper supplied meekly

"Frustrated." he nodded "Why won't you just-" he broke off, guilt pooling in his stomach. If Pine Tree didn't want to be with him, that was okay. And he had to tell him that "No, never mind" he shook his head and forced up what he hoped was a convincing smile "If you don't want to be in a relationship, that's okay, Pine Tree."

Dipper looked as though he had been slapped. Bill flinched back, suddenly scared he had done or said something wrong. Dipper made a strange, strangled noise that twisted Bill's gut uncomfortably, worry building up that he had somehow hurt the human. He didn't relax until Dipper moved

"Bill- I don't- that's not-" he broke off and turned so his back was to the demon "I'm a monster."

With that, he walked away. Bill stared after him in shock, the irony of Pine Tree's statement practically punching him in the face. He was unable to do more than watch at first, but eventually he took off after the teenager

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" he called, grabbing his arm and yanking him to a stop "Pine Tree, you're talking to a demon!" he scoffed "A demon that could do worse to you, than you could ever do to me! I've killed one of those things before, remember?"

Pain flashed through Dipper's eyes, and Bill feared he had said the wrong thing again

"Yes. You've killed one of those things," he looked down "But that thing wasn't me. And you said it yourself, Bill. You love me. Even if I went on a rampage, you wouldn't kill me."

He turned to walk away again, and Bill couldn't even deny what the teenager had said; it was completely true. He did love him, and he wouldn't ever kill his Pine Tree. No matter what happened, or what he did, he would never be the one to make the life fade from Dipper's eyes- and he would never let anyone else take that light either. Before the demon could try to argue again, both were violently torn out of the mindscape, Bill's eyes shooting open as Dipper was thrown violently to the foot of the bed.

He cried out and Bill practically flew to the end of the bed and grabbed the frantic teenagers hands. The creature holding him let out a snarl and tugged harder, and Dipper let out a cry of pain as his limbs were stretched to their limits

"Let him go!" Bill snarled

"You!" Came a furious cry, and before Bill knew what was happening his back was hitting the floor and a naked man was pinning him to the ground "You killed him! Your scent was all over him!"

Bills eyes turned red and his hands lit up with flames, flinging up to grab the mans arms, nails digging in and earning a pained grunt from the furious naked man. The demon glared furiously up at the raven, and blazing green eyes glared down at him. Bill jerked his body upwards and suddenly the other mas back was slamming into the ground

"And I'll kill you" he snarled "Get out of here! The human doesn't belong to you!"

The man smirked

"He won't be human for much longer." he chuckled

Bill slammed him into the floor again, and the mans laughter choked off. The demon glanced up at Dipper, and Dipper stared helplessly back.

"Bill.." was all he could manage to say

Bill snarled and got off the man

"Get out of here. And if you or any of your friends ever come back, you won't be happy."

The man pulled himself off the ground and headed toward the window

"You can't keep him forever! Soon enough he's going to be drawn to us! He'll kill you all and come to us on his own! He's not yours anymore, demon"

"Get out!" Bill roared, and the naked man snorted and leapt out the window. Within a few moments, they saw him disappear into the woods.

He turned around, and felt guilt prickle at him at the sight of the teenager still laying on the floor. Approaching slowly he crouched next to him and helped him sit up, alarmed to see tears rolling down the teens cheeks

"Pine Tree? What's wrong? Did he hurt you-?" his question broke off when Dipper lurched forward and threw his arms around the other man, a sob escaping him, hands clutching desperately at the mans clothing. Bill held him tight, gently petting his hair with one hand while the other held him close to his body

"I- I don't want to kill you guys!" he wailed into the demons chest

Bill flinched, but held him tighter, pressing his cheek against the teens hair

"Shh, my Pine Tree" he whispered "It's okay. I'm here for you. I won't let you hurt anybody. You're going to be okay, Dipper. You're going to be okay."

They stayed like that for hours, Bill gently rubbing Dipper's back or petting his hair as the other wept, and neither moved when the tears stopped and a silence fell between them. Bill didn't move until the teenager was asleep, and when he did move it was to gently scoop him off the floor and lay him in bed, tucking him in before climbing in next to him and joining him once more in the Mindscape.

BILLDIP

Dipper woke before Bill and made his way straight downstairs, a backpack on his shoulders, hat on his head, and pain in his heart as he slipped through the house silently. He got his shoes on quickly when he reached the door, and he stepped outside, closing the door with no sound but a small creak. He turned and began running across the lawn, not wanting to run into anybody and be stopped, which would give Bill more time to figure out what was happening and stop him.

"Dipper Pines!"

Well speak of the Devil.

Dipper skidded to a stop, frozen stiff in shock, and Bill appeared in front of him in triangle form, glaring disapprovingly at him

"Just where do you think you're going?" he demanded

Dipper was silent for a moment. He had thought this over long and hard in the Mindscape, and he knew it had to be done.

"I'm going to find that man." he replied. From the way Bill's eye flashed red, he guessed he didn't need to explain which man he meant. "I'm going join him. Them." he looked away

"No."

"How are you going to stop me? You're weak. You've been out of the Mindscape too long. Spent too long using this body." he gestured to the demons human form

Bills eyes flashed red and a growl rumbled in his chest

"I'm strong enough to stop you, Pine Tree. Don't test me."

"Why are you so insistent on this?!" he snapped back "It's better for everyone if I leave!"

"Really? Do you think Stanford would appreciate waking up in the morning and finding you gone? Do you think Wendy and Soos would appreciate losing their best friend? Do you think they're going to think their lives are so much better now that you're gone?" he took a few steps forward and poked Dipper harshly in the chest "What about Shooting Star? Huh? Do you think shes going to be overjoyed when she wakes up when her best friend and brother is gone, with no intentions of coming back to her? Do you think she'll be happy knowing that for the rest of her life shes going to be living without her brother?"

"I-"

"And what about me, Pine Tree?" he hissed "What am I supposed to do?"

"Just go back to the Mindscape and stay there!" he yelled back. The demon looked like he had been slapped, and Dipper instantly realized the mistake he had made. "Bill, wait-" he tried, taking a step closer to the demon, only to have the demon jerk away

"Fine." he spat, transforming back into his triangle form "I will go back." as he spoke, his hands lit up with blue fire and the fire began swirling around him "But I won't be watching you. Not anymore."

With that, he was gone. Dipper stared in horror at the space in front of him the demon had just occupied, spotting a small piece of paper on the ground. He knelt and picked it up, carefully unfolding it.

I love you, Pine Tree was written in Bill's elegant scrawl, and Dipper felt a stab of pain through his chest.

"Bill-" he tried to call out only to have his voice crack "Bill please!" he tried again "Bill come back, I'm sorry!" he put his head in his hands, note clenched in his fist "Bill please" he whispered

He waited there all night for some sign of Bill's return.

But the demon never came.