Chapter Three

Waking up was... Eventful. Yeah, Dipper supposed that was the correct word to use. He awoke to a certain warmth that he was unused to. And honestly, it was pleasant. But as soon as Dipper realized the warmth was coming off of the demon in his bed, who had latched onto him during the night, the novelty kind of wore thin. His arms were wound tightly around Dipper and their legs were entangled with one another. "Bill, what the hell were you doing in your sleep?" he huffed, shoving the blonde some. Bill furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't actually open his eyes.

"I'll have you know that I did this fully conscious and for the simple reason that I felt like it," he grumbled, pulling himself away. "Bill Cipher doesn't make mistakes, kid."

Dipper rolled his eyes, sitting up in his bed. "And you had the urge to do that why?" he asked, running his fingers through his bangs.

Bill stood up. "Did it get under your skin?" he questioned in response, stretching out his arms and popping his back.

"Yeah," Dipper muttered, watching the demon stride towards his dresser.

Bill opened it up, glancing back at Dipper with a toothy grin. "Then I guess that's why." He opened up the top drawer and looked through it.

Dipper narrowed his eyes in annoyance, and sprang up to stop the demon from doing whatever it was he was doing. "What now?" he hissed, shoving the drawer closed.

Bill cocked an eyebrow. "I don't have any other clothes, kid. What, you expect me to wear the same thing everyday?" he replied bitterly.

Dipper pushed him away from his dresser, opening it up himself to rifle through it. "No. I assumed you'd conjure something up. You can do that, right?" It was barely even a question.

Bill scoffed, as if the answer was obvious. "Of course I can. But I've already depleted way too much of my magic supply making this body. It'll take a while before I can do much else," he said, holding out a hand for Dipper to give him something to wear.

The brunette just eyed him for a moment. Bill stared back, unblinking, his lips pursed together in a thin line. Dipper sighed. "Fine. I guess I'll dig into our savings a little bit to buy you some clothes later..." he muttered, pulling a t-shirt and a pair of black jeans out of his drawer and shoving them in Bill's hands. The demon wrinkled his nose. Dipper rolled his eyes. "What?"

Bill shook his head, sitting the clothes down on the bed to unbutton his shirt. "These really aren't my style," he said, putting the shirt on. Dipper huffed, tossing a black and white flannel at the blonde. Bill caught it, studied it a few moments, then shrugged. "That's a little better, I suppose. But I think I'm going to ask Shooting Star to take me somewhere for clothes," he said blandly, putting the jeans on, then shoving his arms into the sleeves of the flannel. Dipper would have liked to say something about how he was supposed to be the one giving Bill his human experience, but decided against it. Bill would find some way to use that against him. He might as well just enjoy his time alone for a day.

Maybe he'd get started on that book of his.

Mabel burst through the door, grinning wildly. She had quite a few bags in her hands, and Bill had even more when he walked in behind her. Dipper looked up from his laptop to stare at them, jaw hung open slightly. "How much money did you waste on those?!" he demanded, eyes wide. Bill just chuckled, and Mabel shook her head.

She dropped the bags and made an O with her fingers. "Not a penny! Bill took care of it all!" she said excitedly, practically jumping up and down.

Dipper had a skeptical expression on his face. "How?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow suspiciously.

Bill grinned, dropping his own bags to place his hands on his hips. "Gold, kid. And lots of it, too. I know a thing or two about human currency, and gold just happens to be one of the only things valuable everywhere," he explained, gesturing his hands as he spoke. "Oh! And since I'm a particularly nice guy-" Dipper snorted, and Bill glared for a moment before continuing. "I decided to get you and your sister something. Especially you, Pine Tree." Dipper groaned. He didn't need any other clothes. And he didn't want them if they were anything like Bill's. Some people could pull that look off. And surprise surprise, Dipper was not one of them.

Bill's hand was engulfed in blue flame, and he snapped his fingers. One of the bags began to glow, and a small cylindrical object floated upwards. Bill flicked his wrist towards Dipper, and the object made its way lazily towards him. He reached out a hand, letting whatever it was drop into his palm. He blinked. A glasses case? "H-how'd you know I needed a pair?" he questioned, awestruck. "And how do you even know if this is the right prescription?"

Bill rolled his eyes good-naturedly, moving his hand, which was still blazing a soft blue. The case opened up in Dipper's palm to reveal a pair of black glasses. They were half-circles at the bottom and flat on the top. Metal framed the rounded glass, and the top was bare. They were simple, and Dipper liked that about them. He took them into his hands gingerly, unfolding them and putting them on. He noticed the difference immediately, and he whistled. Bill chuckled. "You kept squinting when you tried to read last night. I couldn't just let you go blind, ya know? Humans are already useless enough," he said, snapping his fingers again. Dipper frowned, but said nothing as a pair of bedazzled headphones floated upwards and into Mabel's hands. There was half a star sticking out of one side, and it appeared as though it was literally shooting from one end to the other.

Mabel stared at them with a huge smile on her face. Bill laughed. "So you can listen to your synthesized music without destroying my eardrums," he said, ruffling her hair playfully. Mabel shrieked, putting them on and tracing over them with a hand. "These are awesome! How'd you buy them without me seeing? No, wait, nevermind. I don't care! I want it to be a mystery," she cheered, tucking the end of the headphone wire into a pocket sewn onto her sweater. She darted towards Bill and threw her arms around his torso. He stumbled backwards in shock, eyes wide. He obviously wasn't expecting that, and he really had no idea how to respond to it, either. "Thank you so much! I'll take super good care of them!" she squealed, looking like she was beginning to suffocate the demon. He placed a hand on her shoulder, sucking in a breath.

"Th-that's great, Shooting Star, but..." he coughed. "I kiiinda need oxygen in this form." Mabel let go, giggling to herself. Bill gasped for air, pressing his hands against his knees. Mabel mumbled apologetically, and he waved a hand dismissively. "No sweat. Boy, you're stronger than you look." She smiled, nodding.

Then she turned towards Dipper. "You don't mind if I invite Pacifica over to hang out, right? We could all watch dumb scary movies or play games. It'll be fun!" she exclaimed, waving her hands enthusiastically. Dipper laughed, giving a nod as he stood up to take some of the bags. That was all Mabel needed, and ran off to go call Pacifica. Bill laughed at her enthusiasm, leaning down and picking up the rest of the bags. The two carried them upstairs, which wasn't terribly fun. What had Bill bought? Blocks of cement? Knowing him... That was a possibility.

Dipper dropped them as soon as he was in his own room, leaning back and letting his limbs pop. He shook his hands out. "Geez. How much did you buy?" he asked, watching Bill drop his own handfuls. Curious, the blonde eyed the thick red lines the handles of the bags had left on his palms. He balled them into fists, then stretched them back out.

"Interesting..." he muttered to himself, then turned towards Dipper with a shrug. "I bought enough. I didn't want to have to do that again for a while, and I doubt I will. So it's fine."

Dipper nodded, then realized the glasses on the bridge of his nose were sliding down. He reached up and adjusted them. "And uh... That was cool, you getting these for me," he said, eyes darting to the side.

Bill snorted, turning the other way to open up Dipper's mostly empty closet. "Whatever you say, kid. I just don't need a blind human showing me around," the demon retorted, snapping his fingers. The bags emptied and the closet filled with clothes, which all hung neatly above some boxes Dipper stored inside. Bill leaned against the frame unsteadily, then fell back. Eyes wide, Dipper darted forward to keep him on his feet. But Bill was almost completely unconscious, and didn't do much to help. They both stumbled, and Dipper was barely able to keep Bill from getting injured as they both hit the floor.

"Bill! What's wrong?!" Dipper asked frantically, leaning over Bill's shoulder and pressing a hand against his forehead. The blonde winced at the slight touch, his teeth grit. Bill shook his head, but Dipper could see it in his eyes. Literally, actually. His eyes had faded to gray, and their glow had died down to a light glimmer. He let his head roll back with a groan, and both of them ignored the fact that he was slumped against Dipper's chest. There were far more important things to worry about.

Bill brought a hand up to rub at one of his temples. "Too much magic usage..." he muttered, his voice slightly strained. "I guess I shouldn't waste it so much." He clenched one of his hands into a fist in frustration.

Dipper blinked in confusion, silent for a few moments. He noticed that Bill's knuckles had begun to turn white, and out of a strange sense of empathy, he placed his hand over the demon's. He coaxed Bill to ease up, and after a couple seconds, felt the blonde slowly begin to unwind. He opened up his hand, and Dipper let it go. "You're magic isn't actually recharging, is it? You're losing it," he said quietly, glancing to the side.

Bill closed his eyes for what felt like an eternity, and when he opened them again, their usual golden color had returned. "Sorry to inform you, kid, but that's classified," he responded, standing up. He seemed hesitant to be helpful, but chose to hold his hand out for Dipper to take. Which he did gratefully, although somewhat frustratedly. The most important things were also the things Bill was keeping secret from him! He grimaced. "I want to revise our deal," he hissed, eyes narrowed.

Bill's expression remained blank. "It's not up for revision," he replied.

Dipper watched the color in his eyes disappear for a split second before returning, and Bill staggered a bit until he caught himself. "Fine then," he said, ignoring the demon's plight. "Then I want to add something onto it."

Bill tilted his head to the side in consideration. He lifted his now glowing eyes up to look into Dipper's own. "Alright. Try me."

Dipper tried not to let his excitement show. "You have to answer all of my questions. Honestly, I might add," he conditioned, turning to sit down on his bed.

Bill scoffed. "And what do I get in return?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Dipper simply shrugged. "What do you want?" Maybe that wasn't the correct thing to say, but it couldn't be that bad.

Bill frowned slightly, eyes seemingly looking through Dipper. "I want to see into your dreamscape at night," he replied, dead serious. Dipper found that strange. Bill shouldn't have been using much magic, right?

"Why...?" Dipper inquired curiously, bright green eyes full of interest.

Bill rubbed his chin, furrowing his brow. "You were having a nightmare last night..." he said, a far away look on his face. "And I didn't cause it, nor could I access it when I tried to take a look. Things like this don't happen, and I knew something had to be up. After a lot of trying I somehow managed to push the dream away, but it used up a lot of my magic. Still. I wanna find the source of it."

Dipper blinked. "That's why you latched onto me last night?" he asked, puzzled. He couldn't recall the dream he'd had the night before. But it must not have lasted too long because Dipper was such a light sleeper that the slightest little thing would have woken him. He had developed some pretty severe insomnia after the incident of being turned into a living sock puppet as a child. But for some reason, Dipper had slept pretty well the night before, even despite what Bill had told him.

Bill nodded, a hand on his hip. "That's why," he said, holding out a hand. "So. Do we have a deal?"

Dipper was hesitant. But at the same time, there didn't seem to be much that Bill could use against him here. Honestly, if seemed more like the demon was inadvertently looking out for him. Even if it was for his own gain or simply out of curiosity, Bill wanted to help Dipper out. He outstretched his hand. How bad could it be for him to let the blonde keep an eye on his dreams? Dipper took his hand, which glowed a bright cerulean hue. The flames were relatively weak, however, and Dipper knew then that Bill was slowly losing his ability to use them at all. But he wouldn't say anything. He'd wait and keep a close eye on Bill until he knew for certain the demon's motives didn't involve getting them all back. And of course, probably attempting to merge this dimension with the Nightmare Realm again.

That would be pretty inconvenient, now wouldn't it?

Bill grinned, and the flames fizzled away. He let go of Dipper's hand and grinned. "Pleasure doing business with ya, kid. Now, I told your sister I'd help her out downstairs, and I suppose that's what I gotta do now, huh?" he said, shrugging. Dipper watched him stride towards the door with a blank expression, still searching their deal for anything that could have been used against him. Bill stopped in the doorway, and Dipper snapped back to reality. Bill turned his head back, smirking deviously at the brunette. Dipper furrowed his brow. "By the way, Pine Tree; those glasses look pretty damn good on you." And then he pocketed his hands, making his way back down the stairs without another word. Dipper blinked, feeling the tips of his ears beginning to burn. He pulled the specs off of his face, looking away from the demon, whom he could hear laughing as he left the poor boy standing there in awkward silence.

"Fucking triangle," Dipper grumbled aloud to himself, following in Bill's footsteps. He stepped into the gift shop to see Mabel at the counter and Bill leading a couple of tourists around and sharing his theatrics with them. Bill grinned at them, his pointed teeth flashing menacingly. Or endearingly, depending on your view and knowledge of the demon. Boy, if they only knew. Dipper scowled, finding the mere thought dangerous. He shook his head, stepping towards Mabel, who was unoccupied at the moment. He slid the glasses into the pocket of his flannel, not really sure if he even wanted to wear them anymore. Not after what happened upstairs. Seriously. What the actual hell?

Mabel waved a hand in front of his face. "Bro. You alright?" she asked curiously, smiling in her usual friendly manner.

Dipper opened his mouth to respond, but Candy bursting up from beneath the counter sent him reeling. He stepped back, not quite expecting that. "Boo! Ha! Candy surprise!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up into the air triumphantly. "Hello, Dipper~"

Dipper scoffed, giving her a slight wave. "Hey, Candy," he replied in a cheerful manner, noting the fact that she was wearing the 'Next time!' sweater Mabel had made her. "Did Mabel invite you over, too?" he asked with a polite smile, but the short bespectacled girl shook her head.

"Oh, no. I just decided to pay you two a visit. It's been a while since we saw each other, Dipper. You look... different," she commented with a friendly smile. Too friendly for Dipper's liking. Hadn't they already gone through this once? "How was college?"

Dipper remembered that Candy hadn't gone to college. She had stayed in Gravity Falls after high school and tried her luck with writing. And apparently she was pretty damn good at it too. According to Mabel, she'd published two books and was in the middle of another. Maybe Dipper would ask her about her work sometime. "Exhausting. I feel much better now that it's over. Honestly, I think you had the right idea," he responded, moving away from the counter so an approaching customer could pay for her souvenirs.

Candy giggled, waving a hand dismissively. "I think I just got lucky," she cooed, placing a hand on Dipper's arm. Her face was slightly red, and her smile was just a bit too polite for Dipper's comfort. "I'm sure you'll do wonderful things with the experience you gained from studying so much." Her hand lingered a little longer than necessary before she removed it to adjust her glasses.

Dipper wanted to say something about that. He wanted to say he wasn't really interested. But when it came to girls, he supposed he'd always be somewhat of a coward. "Heh, thanks, Candy. I hope so," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He really needed help. From anyone. Even-

An arm slid over his shoulders. Dipper grimaced. It had to be you, didn't it?

Bill laughed, clearly reading his mind. "Heya, Pine Tree. Who's the friend?" he asked, already knowing the answer. You should be thanking me, kid. I was picking up your distress signals all the way in the other room, he thought sarcastically, words echoing in Dipper's mind.

Dipper coughed into hand. "Uh, this is-"

But Candy's eyes had glazed over, a blank, starstruck expression on her face. "Candy Chiu. And you are?" she greeted, holding out a hand.

Bill grinned, wrapping his fingers around her palm and giving it a shake. "Name's Bill Cipher. I'm an..." He tapped his chin with a finger. "acquaintance of Pine Tree's here." He winked at Candy and she nodded slowly, eyes darting between the two of them.

Dipper jabbed his elbow into the blonde's rib cage. "Bill..." he hissed below his breath, but the demon heard him just fine. What are you trying to do, make it sound like we're fucking or something?! he questioned in his head, and Bill glanced over at the brunette. Golden eyes met green ones for a split second before both of them looked back at Candy, who had an amused and knowing look on her face. Dipper wasn't sure which was worse, her flirting with him or her acting as if she knew something she wasn't supposed to.

Bill's response rang clearly in Dipper's mind. That's exactly what I'm doing. But it's working, isn't it? He beamed brightly at Candy, who looked like she was on cloud nine. "Oh. Oh! Dipper, I never would've guessed your taste was so... so..." She seemed unable to finish, but the whistle she proceeded with was enough for both of them to get the hint. Bill snorted, his face red with the laughter he was very feebly attempting to hold back. But Dipper's face was red for a whole different reason, and he turned away from his sister's friend to walk away, shrugging Bill's arm off his shoulders and burying his blush into his hands.

He was sure things couldn't get any worse.

"I guess I said the wrong thing," Candy said in slight embarrassment, but Dipper didn't look back to respond. Bill had already beaten him to it anyway.

"Oh, don't worry about it," the demon purred, tone smooth. "He's cute when he blushes." There was an inflection on 'cute' that Dipper knew was mocking. But Candy was oblivious to it, and squealed excitedly at Bill's words.

Dipper was really starting to think that things could always get worse.

He stormed into the attraction hall to swindle some customers out of their money. And more importantly, get his mind off the way his heart hadn't stopped pounding since Bill's arm had wrapped around his shoulders.

That was nothing, he was positive.