In which Bill scales a tower and makes a deal that leads to a couple of unforeseen consequences.
"M-Maybe this is a bad idea." Dipper winced the second that the words left his lips. As much as it pained him to say, he couldn't allow them to leave without at least voicing the concern that had been running marathons in his head since they'd hatched the risky plan. He'd hoped that the contents of Journal 2 would've brought some comfort, but the catalogue of beasts and unfamiliar terrain only worsened his paranoia.
He immediately regretted opening his mouth when he saw the wounded expression on Mabel's face. "Do you really think so?" she asked in a small voice that mirrored how her twin felt.
Dipper bit his lip and nodded, not trusting his mouth to say anything else. The last thing that he wanted was to completely crush his sister's dream, especially because doing so would crush his as well.
Mabel sighed, setting her bag down. She ran a hand through the top of her hair, gazing out the window longingly. "So what? Do we give up before we even try?"
"…I don't know," Dipper admitted. All of his logic was telling him that if they left in their current state, their chances of survival were very slim; and that didn't even factor in Gideon's rage if he found out!
And yet, he couldn't bring himself to abort the mission altogether. So much preparation had gone into this, and there would likely never be an opportunity like this again. He knew that there would be regrets, it was just a matter of determining which path would leave him with less.
Mabel was still facing the window, fists clenching the windowsill determinedly. "You can stay if you want to, but I'm going to see those lights!" she declared, turning to face her brother with a challenging fire in her eyes.
Dipper actually took a step back, an anxious lump burning in his throat. He'd never seen such resolve in his sister before; he'd always been a bit afraid that Gideon had broken her. Perhaps this trip was exactly what they needed.
"Fair enough," he conceded, raising his hands. "But I stand by my previous statement: this trip may be the worst idea we've ever carried out. I mean, we've never even touched grass before! Who's to say we won't break out in hives the second that we do?"
Mabel giggled, the tension breaking. "You're probably right," she agreed, perching onto the cushions of the bay window bench, "but we don't have much of a choice. Our window of opportunity is closing, Dip!"
"I know," Dipper muttered, stroking the stubble on his chin contemplatively. If only they had some extra help. Sure, the information in the journal would definitely come in handy, and two were already better than one, but if they had someone with experience with them…
"Hey, do you hear something?" Mabel spontaneously asked, eyes darting around the room.
Dipper froze, unaware that he had been pacing until that moment, and listened closely. He didn't hear anything initially, but a slow shuffle to the window where his sister was still seated allowed his ears to pick up a faint beeping sound.
"That's a peculiar sound," he murmured, leaning forward to look out the window. Failing to find anything out of the ordinary, he made his way back into the room, Mabel trailing behind him. They meticulously examined the area, but the sound faded the further they went from the window.
"Maybe it's something in the bushes," Mabel suggested, peering out at the foliage below.
"There are a lot of strange beings in the forest," Dipper nodded, pulling Journal 2 out and thumbing through it. "But I read through most of this and no entries mentioned any creatures that make that sort of sound."
Mabel gasped. "Do you think it might be a person, then?"
"I think it might be magic," Dipper stated, snapping the book shut. "There's an even greater chance that it may be both."
Suddenly, the noise stopped, the only sound coming from outside being the usual rustling of the wind through the bushes. Or was it the wind?
The peace was abruptly shattered by a new sound, one that the twins recognized from years ago, before Mabel's hair was long enough for Gideon to use to climb up.
"Dipper, they're scaling the tower!" his sister whispered urgently, conscious that their voices might alert the intruder. "Should we hide?"
Dipper shook his head, reaching into his bag to pull out the nearest weapon. "I say we take them out," he whispered back.
Mabel's eyes widened, but she followed his example, pulling a kitchen knife from her bag. She shuffled to stand behind him, only wanting to use her weapon if it was absolutely necessary.
The noise was getting louder and closer, small grunts now audible. Dipper pulled the curtains in front of himself for cover, Mabel slipping behind them.
The curtains were sheer enough for Dipper to spot a tan hand latching onto the windowsill, a second appearing beside it. With a louder grunt, the stranger pulled himself up and over the edge, rolling onto the cushions with a sigh. He seemed to take a moment to catch his breath before leaping to his feet, facing the opposite direction of the twins' location.
"Ha, who's out of shape now, Dot?" he cried triumphantly, putting his hands on his hips. His figure was rather slender, but he had fairly noticeable traces of muscle along his arms and torso. His sleeves were rolled up to mid-bicep, probably to make the climb easier, and Dipper couldn't help but ogle the muscle visible with a bit of envy.
Mabel tapped him on the shoulder, silently enquiring why he was waiting. Remembering what he was supposed to do, Dipper quietly crept around the curtain, bringing his weapon up to strike.
A loud thud echoed through the room as the frying pan connected with the unsuspecting stranger's blond head. His voluminous waves of hair weren't enough to cushion the blow, and the man went down immediately.
Dipper stared at the blunt instrument in his hands in shock. "Well, that was more effective than I thought it would be…" he mumbled, hooking it back to his bag cautiously.
When he turned back he found Mabel kneeling beside the stranger, a look of wonder on her cherubic face.
"Mabel! Get away from him, he could be dangerous!" he cried, shooing her with his arms.
Mabel rolled her eyes. "Relax Dip, he's out cold," she huffed, lifting one of his eyelids and waving her hand in front of it to affirm her point. "Wow, he has really pretty eyes! And the rest of him isn't too bad, either."
Dipper sighed, but he didn't move to stop her. This was their first encounter with another being that wasn't Gideon – she had every right to be curious. Sometimes it was easy to forget that there were other people in the world aside from the three of them. Even so, he was cautious in his approach to the unconscious man.
He studied the stranger with a scrutinizing gaze. Brilliant blond, almost golden hair fanned about his face in choppy waves, the bangs sweeping over his left eye. The color easily complimented his smooth caramel skin. His eyebrows were the same striking gold, sculpted perfectly over his closed almond-shaped eyes. His pink lips were plump and soft, Dipper subconsciously running his tongue over his own.
The man's attire hugged much of his lean figure. The sleeves of his white shirt were still rolled up, a black vest pulling it in to his waist. A gold handkerchief peeked out from the vest's breast pocket, pairing well with the gold accent on his belt and the gold chains and buckles along the lower half of his outfit. The dark grey pants were tighter than any he'd seen in books, easily tucking into his black mid-calf boots. A grey satchel with a gold clasp crossed his body, resting at his hip. He couldn't deny that the man was attractive, and apparently neither could his sister.
"I think you two would make a cute couple!" Mabel concluded, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.
Dipper choked on air. "E-Excuse me?"
Mabel snickered at his reaction. "Come on, bro bro, I saw you checking him out!"
Dipper desperately tried to fight the color rising to his cheeks. He hadn't been "checking him out" so much as he was… analyzing the enemy and calculating the best way to keep them both safe! Yeah, that sounded about right.
"I wasn't checking him out," Dipper stated coolly, his internal monologue patting him on the back. "And what about you? Doesn't this fit the sort of plot in those dramas you're a fan of?"
Mabel brushed the comment off easily with a wave of her hand. "Sure, but who's to say that you're not the protagonist? I mean, you are the one who knocked him out. Besides, I'm sure we'll meet plenty of other people along the way for me!"
Dipper pouted, unsure of how to respond. In her own, fantastical way, she had a point. This was already setting up to be one of her cliché romance novels…
"Hey, he's a huge nerd, too! Look, he even has the same book as you! Aww, you two are totally meant to be!" Mabel swooned, holding up the leather-bound journal that she'd dug out of the stranger's bag.
"I'm definitely confiscating your novels," Dipper huffed, but the book did catch his attention. He snatched it from his sister's grasp, ignoring the annoyed "hey!" as he held it up to his own copy.
The material and craftsmanship were identical, the only dissimilarity being the number embedded in each gold hand. While his journal had a two on it, this had a one, the usual black flickering a bold red. He touched the volumes together to check for a difference in size, surprised to find the red light ceasing its flashes.
"Can your book do that?" Mabel inquired, prodding at the journal curiously.
"I think so? It seems like some sort of tracking device; maybe they were set to locate each other in case they were parted," he mumbled, running his fingertips over the cover. "But a better question would be, 'what is this guy doing with the journal and why is he trying to find ours?'"
Mabel nodded, drumming her fingers along her chin in thought. The pair lapsed into silence as they tried to figure out their next plan of action. Suddenly, she clapped her hands together, eyes lighting up. "Why don't we bring him with us?"
"What?" Dipper spluttered, stunned that such a proposition had even come up. "Mabel, this man just intruded into our home! We don't know who he is, where he came from, or what his intentions were! How on earth would that be a good idea?"
"You're missing the big picture, bro bro!" Mabel spread her arms out to illustrate her point. "You're curious about the journals, and here comes this guy who seems like he could have the answers. You also said that we could use some backup – well, meet our new guide!"
"We don't even know his name!"
"Oh! There's a poster here with his name on it!" Mabel cheered, pulling the crumpled paper from the bag. "Bill Cipher, that has a nice ring to it!"
"Mabel, that's a wanted poster! He's a criminal?!" Dipper cried indignantly. "That's even worse!"
"Why do you keep rejecting all of my ideas?" Mabel pouted and crossed her arms. "Dipper, we've been dreaming of this trip our whole lives! What are you so afraid of?"
What was he afraid of? The question caught Dipper off guard. He hadn't realized how defensive he'd been. Perhaps he was letting all of Gideon's warnings get to him. This whole trip was planned around taking risks, something that they'd never had to do before, at least not to this degree. He knew that he was trying to limit the amount of risks that they took, but maybe that was holding him back from making any at all.
Taking a deep breath, Dipper turned to his sister and studied her expression. He caught traces of uncertainty in her eyes, but the confidence that she exuded outweighed it and calmed his nerves.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I'm just… really unsure about this."
"I don't think there's any way to be sure about it," Mabel smiled, slipping her hand into his free one. "The best we can do is enjoy the ride wherever it takes us."
Her hand was a welcome comfort, a peaceful air settling on them. "You're right," Dipper nodded, exhaling another breath and squeezing his sister's hand. He steeled himself, fighting off any doubts that remained. "Alright, let's see if we can strike a deal with this guy."
The first thing that he was aware of was the raging headache rattling his brain. He winced when he tried to open his eyes, relieved to find his surroundings dark, but still pained by the fireworks exploding along his eyelids.
He tried to groan, eyes involuntarily widening when he realized that he couldn't. There was something tucked into his mouth, effectively stifling even his breathing. Upon further observation, he found that he was entirely secured to a chair, the furniture rocking with his movements and not allowing any leeway.
'What the hell?' Every warning signal bounced around in Bill's mind, doing nothing to soften his splitting headache. He tried to relax, inhaling and exhaling meticulously through his nose. Whatever was gagging him tickled, his nostrils burning with a suppressed sneeze.
'Relax!' he ordered mentally, involuntarily squirming in his bonds. He couldn't cast any spells verbally, but he'd had plenty of practice using mental magic during his escapades with Star and Dot. Mental magic was much more complicated to pull off, and it drained more magic than vocal spells did. All he needed to do was remove whatever was blocking his mouth.
He closed his eyes and started chanting a simple vanishing spell in his head, visualizing the dark material running across his lips as he repeated the mantra. His lips grew hot against it, the flames of the spell licking at the gag. Whatever it was made of was strong and very resistant to his efforts. He continued to push and was pleased to feel it receding, his jaw steadily closing as he continued.
'Almost there!' he encouraged, trying to drive more energy into it. He was starting to feel the effects of the combination of his headache and the spell casting, (no earthly material should have put up this much of a fight), but he was so close!
"Whoa!" The abrupt exclamation snapped his focus, the remaining pieces of the gag clinging to his lips. Bill slowly opened his eyes, shutting them immediately when he found that the room was much brighter than it had been before.
"How did you manage to sear through this material?" a feminine voice asked in wonder. He felt a soft hand run along the fabric at his lips, tracing it to the back of his head where it was presumably tied.
"Look at me," she commanded in a soft voice.
Bill forced his eyes open again, squinting at the figure in front of him. His first thought was "princess." Everything about this girl screamed regality, from her delicate features to her confident stance. She looked to be near his height, a fuchsia dress framing her streamline body perfectly. A purple belt cut the garment at her slightly curvy hips. Her brown eyes were cool and calculating, a look that he often found on his sister. Despite her authoritative demeanor, her full lips were stretched in a warm smile, complimenting her round cheeks.
The most noticeable feature about her was the silky brown hair that ran off in a seemingly endless direction. He squinted to follow the trail along the floor, up the wall, somewhere into the rafters, and finally down to him. He couldn't help the muffled gasp that escaped him when he realized that her hair secured him to the chair. He tried again to wrench his wrists from the bindings, surprised when they continued to hold tight.
"Don't bother struggling," the girl chirped in an all too merry voice. "My hair has certain… magical properties."
"Don't tell him that!" another voice scolded from behind him. Bill strained to look over his shoulder, groaning when it only caused him pain.
"Sorry, that's my brother Dipper," the girl apologized with an embarrassed blush. "Oh, and I'm Mabel! You sort of intruded on our tower-"
"Why are you giving him all of that information?" Dipper complained.
"Because he deserves to know who tied him up and why!"
"No he doesn't!"
Bill tried to speak up, if only to quell the irritating bickering, but all that came out were garbled noises. Mabel seemed to hear him, though, leaning forward and pulling the gag from his mouth.
"Dipper's armed with a frying pan behind you – if you even try to use your magic he'll knock you into next week," the young woman warned menacingly in his ear.
"Fair enough," he shrugged, fixing the girl with a charming smile. According to Star, humans were easily swayed by flattery. "The name's Cipher, by the way; Bill Ciph-"
"Oh, we know who you are," Dipper cut in, disapproval in his tone.
Bill resisted the urge to whirl around and address him, the pain in the back of his head a grim reminder of the possible consequence. Electing to ignore the jab instead, he focused on Mabel and continued, "Care to tell me why I'm still tied up, dollface?"
"We have a proposition for you," Mabel answered cryptically with a smirk.
Bill rolled his eyes. As if being knocked out and tied up by a couple of young humans wasn't enough of a blow to his ego, now they were trying to be dramatic and menacing. This was definitely not how he'd planned on things going, but he'd play along until he found an opening. "And that would be…?"
Mabel walked closer to the wall behind her, gesturing to a painting of two figures seated beneath dozens of floating lights. "Do you know what these are?"
Bill furrowed his brows. They were far larger than stars should be, so he ruled that out immediately. The only other lights in the sky that he was aware of were the lanterns that the kingdom released annually as part of the upcoming holiday. "Is that supposed to be The Lantern Festival?"
"Lanterns?" Dipper asked curiously behind him.
"Yeah, every year the king holds a huge day-long festival in the center of the kingdom, followed by an exclusive ball and finally the release of the lanterns. You've never heard of it before?"
It was one of Bill's favorite holidays; so many empty houses and drunk party-goers ripe for the picking! He was a bit surprised that the two humans had never heard of it before. He'd been under the impression that every mortal on the island took part in the festival, whether they were aware of its significance or not.
"No, we've only ever seen it from a distance," Mabel pouted. "It sounds even more incredible than we'd imagined!"
Bill furrowed his brows at the offhanded comment. "What do you mean 'from a dista-'"
"Mabel, why don't we switch places?" Dipper suddenly interrupted, shoving the frying pan into his sister's hands and taking her place in front of Bill.
The demon felt his breath momentarily escape him. He'd thought Mabel was beautiful, but the young man in front of him was stunning. He had the same intelligent brown eyes and brunet hair as his sister, but the similarities stopped there. Rather than round cheeks, Dipper had rather prominent cheekbones and a slightly more slender jawline. He had dense bangs that cropped just above his thick eyebrows, the rest of his hair falling back in waves that were neatly trimmed to his neck.
His clothes seemed perfectly tailored to his slender figure. He was dressed in a sapphire shirt with the sleeves crisply folded at his elbows. The color looked amazing against his skin, bold enough to stand out, but not so much that it washed him out. A dark grey vest only helped to define the bit of muscle that he had along his upper body. Tan pants kept the outfit bright, the garment hugging his hips and flaring slightly at his feet to allow for easy movement. He noticed that curiously, neither he nor his sister wore shoes.
"Hey, eyes up here, Cipher!" Dipper snapped his fingers in front of the blond's face, and it was only then that he realized he'd been staring for too long. Dipper's cheeks were flushed, and he refused to meet his gaze directly.
"Sorry, I've just never seen anyone as gorgeous as you two," Bill replied casually, smirking when he saw Dipper's blush darken. If he was being forced to hold a conversation with the two, he was hell-bent on getting the most satisfaction from it.
"Yeah, well the least you can do is pay attention to what I'm saying, too," Dipper huffed.
"Trust me, kid, you have my full attention," the blond purred with a wink. Were all humans this easy to rile up? He heard Mabel giggle behind him and wondered idly if they'd been doing the same to him when he was unconscious.
"Anyway," Dipper grumbled, moving to stand at the wall where his sister had been, "this 'lantern festival' that you speak of is set to take place again in two days."
Oh, he was well aware of that fact. "So?"
"You will act as our guide and lead us into town to see them."
Bill blanched. This discussion had suddenly become less amusing. "Excuse me? Why the fuck would I do that?"
"We have something that you want," Dipper replied simply.
It was then that Bill recalled why he'd climbed the tower in the first place. His eyes darted across his person, widening when they failed to find what he so desperately needed. "What did you do with my satchel?!"
Dipper gave him an innocent expression. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't even play that!" Bill spat, internally panicking. The boy obviously knew what he was talking about, and he was suddenly worried about what they might have done with it in their ignorance.
Dipper tapped his chin, gazing up at the ceiling in thought. "Let's see, a satchel… Oh, do you mean the bag with that weird book in it?"
"Yes, 'the bag with that weird book in it'! Where is it, you little brat?"
"Wow, the man tied to a chair with his possessions on the line just insulted his captor. It doesn't get more ironic than that!"
In any other situation, Bill would have smiled and offered a challenging comeback to the kid's wit. Instead, he sighed, fixing the brunet with a skeptical glare. It wouldn't hurt to hear their demands, would it? "What do you want?"
Dipper studied his hand with feigned interest, a bored expression on his face. "Let's make a deal."
Bill almost guffawed at the wording. "I don't think you want to risk that," he chuckled darkly.
"Why not?" Mabel asked. She'd been so quiet that he'd nearly forgotten that she was back there.
"Ever hear the expression 'making a deal with the devil'? I'm not exactly him, but the same warning applies."
He couldn't see Mabel's expression, but he assumed from her silence that she was digesting the information. Dipper fixed him with a wide-eyed expression. "You're a demon?"
"You could say that," Bill shrugged. In this case he'd take advantage of any piece of leverage that he could grasp. "And don't look at me like that, kid, it's rude to discriminate."
He watched Dipper close his mouth and shake his head in wonder. "Sorry, it's just… I didn't know that half-demons existed! I'd only read about demons recently, so this is a new development for me."
"Hey Dip, can we talk for a sec?" Mabel finally asked softly. Dipper shrugged in response, moving to the other side of the room. Mabel turned back to Bill, hesitantly shoving the cloth back into his mouth. "I'll make it quick," she promised before hurrying over to her brother.
Bill knew that he could easily spit the gag out and free himself, but part of him was curious to see where this would lead. Mabel seemed incredibly spooked by his revelation – perhaps they'd forget about dragging him along on their silly trip and let him leave, with both journals even, if he'd promise not to hurt them or something like that. Humans were so easy to manipulate, it was laughable.
He waited impatiently for them to return, Mabel pulling the strip from his mouth and taking her place behind him again. Dipper took his place before him, his demeanor even more confident than before. Had someone slapped a crown on the young man's head, Bill would've been fooled into calling him "king."
"Mabel raised a couple of concerns, but rest assured we've worked them out," Dipper explained with a smug and knowing expression. "I read about how deals with demons go; I assume it's not much different for half-demons?"
"You assume correctly," Bill nodded, trying to conceal the gloom that hung over him. What was wrong with him? He hadn't seized the opportunity to escape when he had it, and now he'd likely have to settle. He would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by the prospect of a deal, though. Star and Dot had adamantly warned him about making deals – especially with humans, but these two seemed harmless enough. Hell, he might be able to heckle them out of even more!
"Lay your terms out, I'll come back with my own, and once we come to an agreement we shake on it," he explained. "The handshake is binding, you'll probably feel a tingle of magic, and that will be that." As an afterthought, he added, "I should also warn you before we proceed that I'm not exactly welcome in the kingdom at the moment…"
"Yeah, we saw the wanted poster in your satchel," Mabel quipped behind him. "We had that debate before you woke up."
Bill shrugged. It was worth a shot. He tried to turn to Mabel, wriggling his wrists in the hair. "I'll need a hand free for this."
Mabel gave a small tug on a clump of hair over her shoulder, the wave rippling to the patch around his wrists. It shifted compliantly from his right hand and fastened tighter to the left. Bill rolled his wrist gratefully, shaking the knots from the joint.
Dipper inhaled sharply, drawing Bill's attention back to him. The teen seemed to be steeling himself to make the deal, something the blond found inexplicably adorable. When their gazes met, Bill reflexively gave him a small nod and a reassuring smile, a gesture that Star typically extended when he was having trouble with his magic. The sentiment calmed the brunet enough to begin.
"In exchange for your satchel and its contents, as well as your freedom, you will take Mabel and me safely into town for the Lantern Festival, then bring us back home-" he paused, seeming to deliberate something before adding "-or wherever we desire afterward. You are not allowed to abandon us; you must remain near one of us at all times. If either of us is injured or-" the young man hesitated, swallowing a lump in his throat before continuing "-dies, or you fail to take us to the previously mentioned locations, you forfeit ownership of the book to us permanently."
"Wow, lovely diction," Bill praised earnestly. "Are you sure you've never made a deal before?"
"Unless Gideon counts as a demon," the boy mumbled, mostly to himself. "No, but thank you," he answered louder. "Now I believe it's your turn to come back with a rebuttal?"
Bill nodded, taking a moment to scrutinize Dipper's proposal. Getting the journal back was a nice incentive, but it wasn't what he'd come for. "I take no responsibility for self-inflicted injuries. Anything that is a result of either of you putting yourself in harm's way is out of my jurisdiction. I am also not responsible for either of you getting cold feet and turning back…" He trailed off, pretending to contemplate his next condition. In truth, he was just stalling to make this reveal more dramatic: "Also throw in the second journal that I know you have and you've got yourself a deal."
Dipper's eyes predictably widened, his confidence faltering slightly. "So I was right about that blinking light being a tracker, wasn't I?"
"Yes. I didn't come here to hurt you or your sister, if that's what you were thinking. I thought that the tower was abandoned, and that it was only the journal remaining. It was supposed to be a simple recovery mission."
"And what are your ties to the journals?" Dipper pressed.
"I could ask you the same question, kid," Bill retorted with a stern expression. Star hadn't told him which journal he'd find where, but something about this journal's location seemed sketchy. And unlike his talkative sister, Bill could tell that the brunet was trying to hide some things from him. Two could play that game.
"Then I guess we're both out of luck. Fine, we won't hold you accountable for self-inflicted injuries, and you'll be released from the contract if we decide to turn back. But the journal isn't mine to bet on." As guarded as he tried to keep his emotions, Bill could read a bit of fear on Dipper's face.
"Well, that's too bad," the demon pouted with an apathetic expression. "I'm not leaving without that book. I had hoped that we could come to a peaceful resolution – you kids seem nice enough to leave alive – but if I have to use force, well, my specialty is fire magic." He conjured a small blue flame in his palm to demonstrate.
According to Star, he had a penchant for destructive magic, fire being the most prominent. He'd picked up on it easily enough, and after years of practice it was the easiest for him to conjure mentally. It was far less strenuous than other types of magic, and as such had become his default.
Dipper fixed him with a bewildered gaze, fear clearly etched into his features now. Bill was banking on the crazy look in his eyes being the greater of two evils in this case – he really didn't want to hurt these two, as irritating as they were being. Unlike most demons, who would jump at a chance to bring harm to a pair of defenseless mortals, Bill preferred prey that could put up a fight. Sure, that frying pan had packed a punch, but it wouldn't stand a chance against his skills. But he had to remind himself that this was still business.
Dipper's eyes shot up to his sister, who was making foreign signals at him that were visible from Bill's vantage point. Dipper mimed a couple back, biting his lip apprehensively. Bill didn't even try to understand, picking at the hair around his waist idly. The density of each strand was stronger than any hair he'd come across before – he wondered what manner of conditioning Mabel used.
Finally, Dipper cleared his throat, drawing the demon's attention again. "Alright, if that's the only additional price that you have-"
"Actually, I have one more," Bill interrupted with a devious smirk. Having known that the boy would cave, he had thought up another request to push his buttons with.
"And that would be?"
"A kiss."
Dipper's cheeks erupted in a flush of furious red that made the discomfort of the entire situation completely worth it. "I don't think so."
"I'll kiss him!" Mabel piped up eagerly.
"No! No one's kissing anyone! No deal." Dipper put his foot down, glaring at the cocky expression on Bill's face.
"Then I guess you two will have to go on without a guide…"
"Seriously? What about the journals?"
"Come on, Dip! It's just a kiss."
Dipper's glare shifted to his sister, who had moved to Bill's left. She was sporting the heaviest pout that Bill had ever seen. Had she fixed that look on him while they were making the deal, he would've walked away with nothing.
It was a battle of resolve, and as the seconds went by it was clear that Dipper was fighting a losing battle. Finally, he cracked.
"Ugh, fine! One kiss!"
Mabel cheered, the triumphant smirk on her face similar to the one that Bill sported.
"Deal?" the half-demon asked, free hand outstretched. A blue fire tipped with gold lit up in his palm, his eyes igniting the same color. He wasn't thrilled about the prospect of having to babysit these two, especially if Star were to find out about the setback, but he could actually use this as an opportunity to prove himself! Besides, there wouldn't be anything that a little excursion couldn't dissuade…
Dipper bit his lip hesitantly before clasping the blond's hand tightly. "Deal."
There was a flash as an unexpected force clashed with the demon's magic, both men being thrown back by the recoil. Dipper hit the wall, a breathless gasp leaving him. Bill fell to the ground, still tied securely to the chair. Mabel hurried to help her brother up, the duo helping the demon up and untying him after.
"Are you both alright?" she asked with concern.
"Yeah," Dipper nodded, seeming surprised. He patted himself to check for injuries, turning back to his sister with a grin. "Actually, I feel great. What was that?"
Bill was staring at the twins in shock, eyes mostly on Dipper. "You weren't kidding about that magic, were you?" he asked quietly.
Dipper bit his lip and shook his head. There was no use in hiding it now; that blast was obviously a reaction to their magic clashing. Plus, Bill wasn't allowed to harm them or allow any harm to befall them according to the contract, so they were safe from his rage. "No, we were kind of born with it."
The blond nodded, digesting the new development slowly. He'd underestimated the damn brats and made things a whole lot more complicated for himself. He wanted to be angry, but oddly enough, it was a relief to hear. Things had seemed too easy and dull before – and Bill Cipher absolutely loved a challenge. It was quite an interesting situation that he'd managed to rope himself into, too. He burst into a fit of laughter at the prospect, startling his two charges. "Well that explains it!"
Dipper waited patiently for the man to elaborate, Mabel bouncing at his side anxiously.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, wiping a tear from his eyes. "That blast… When two magic users make a deal, a link forms between them. It usually has to do with the depth and terms of the deal, as well as the amount of power binding it. In our case, you requested that I keep you two safe and remain connected to at least one of you at all times. Our link now allows me to be 'connected to one of you.' It's an empathy link of sorts, but it will also serve as a leash to keep us within the same vicinity at all times. And as for the power, well I know that I have quite a supply on my side, but I can feel a lot of energy bouncing within you, as well…"
Bill found Dipper's silence to be a bit suspicious, but he dismissed it as the kid trying to absorb the information. Mabel, on the other hand, released an excited squeal, grabbing Bill's hand with a merry expression. "Oh my stars, it's like you two are married!"
Bill nearly gagged at the comparison, covering it with a forced chuckle. He hadn't intended to be linked to either of the twins, (God forbid he get attached to them), but at least it was to the quieter of the two. He didn't want to imagine what Mabel's mind was like on a regular basis, (then again, she did seem like the chaotic type…). Plus, Dipper was much more fun to tease!
"I guess it's reasonable enough," the brunet finally consented. "I'm not thrilled about it, but if it's necessary I can live with it."
The feeling was mutual, but Bill clutched at his chest, a feigned offended expression on his face. "Ah, you wound me, Pine Tree!"
"Pine Tree?" Bill pointed to the design that he'd just noticed on the breast of Dipper's vest. It was stitched in very fine gold thread, the outline faintly standing out against the dark material. Mabel's belt sported a small shooting star with a multi-colored trail.
"I figured since we're practically 'married' now, I should give you a cuter nickname than 'kid,' right?" he explained with a cheeky grin.
"My name's Dipper."
"Yeah, but 'Pine Tree' sounds a lot more endearing, don't you think?"
Dipper's cheeks, which had finally regained their natural color, lit up again. He grumbled something that sounded like an approval before exiting the room with an excuse of "grabbing food for one more."
"Wait! What about my kiss?" Bill called cheekily after him. It had become rather apparent to everyone that Dipper would be the only candidate for it, not that the demon had a preference either way. It definitely gave him more fuel to tease the brunet with.
Dipper paused in the doorway, not bothering to turn around. "You didn't specify when I had to kiss you. You'll get your kiss when you earn it." He sauntered off after that, an obviously amused smirk on his lips.
Bill stood back in momentary shock. Damn, the kid had a point. He snickered at the unexpected shot fired, hoping to get a taste of more during their trip. He'd never had so much fun teasing someone; not even knocking his haughty brother off of his high horse brought him that much enjoyment. And the fact that Dipper was witty enough to keep up with him only riled him up more.
He sighed and turned to head for the window, nearly jumping out of his skin when he came face-to-face with large, inquisitive eyes. He composed himself enough to take a step back, staring back at the brunette expectantly. When she didn't speak, he took the initiative, "Is there something I can help you with?"
Mabel's eyes narrowed in response, running up and down his body with an almost dangerous glare. Finally, she met his gold orbs again, hands on her hips but less heat in her gaze. "Just so you know, I didn't convince Dipper to agree to the kiss for my own benefit." A sly smirk crossed her features before she skipped off after her brother.
Bill stared after her in wonder. He had no idea what the girl was plotting, but he had an inkling that he'd enjoy whatever it was.
A/N: So I just got home after a 9 hour trip in a mini-van and was going to go straight to bed and post this tomorrow, but a couple of encouraging comments over on AO3 *cough cough* convinced me to finish editing it tonight and post it now! I hope you guys enjoyed!
Oh Bill, if only you knew what you were really getting into... The stage is set and we have our players! Let the adventure begin~
(Just a reminder that I'll be happy to answer any questions on either of my Tumblr accounts, as well, after-midnightmunchies or pages-of-my-kokoro! Thanks for reading!)