Chapter Eleven

Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose, reaching out his other hand to grab Bill's wrist. "Can you please stop trying to kill innocent animals on the road?" he asked in annoyance, looking towards the wheel. And then he noticed that Bill was driving a good seven miles above the speed limit. "And slow down while you're at it."

Bill stuck out his tongue, giving Dipper a sideways glance. "Alright, fun police," he replied in amusement, easing up on the gas and moving a bit slower. "But you've gotta admit, kid. I'm not half bad at this." He grinned triumphantly.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Not after three hours of driving around the mall parking lot, you're not. But you can't park to save your life," he replied, relaxing in his seat. "And you're positive you already know what all the si-"

Bill groaned. "Yes, kid. "I've been around a while, you know," he replied, waving a hand dismissively.

"Don't remind me," Dipper huffed, leaning his head on the window. "And keep both hands on the wheel."

Bill did as he was told, grumbling. "Hands on the wheel, Bill. Follow the speed limit, Bill. Don't try to kill the animals, Bill," he muttered, glancing towards Dipper. He looked back towards the road, a thought crossing his mind. Maybe there was something he could do now, even without most of his powers. Something useful in keeping people safe. Strange that the thought even came to him at all: keeping people safe. It hadn't really been a concern of his until recently, but a lot of things were rather new to him as of late. He drove to the furthest edge of town he could, stopping the car. And admittedly, Dipper was right when he said Bill couldn't park.

"What're you doing?" Dipper asked, a skeptical expression on his face. He watched Bill get out and did the same, closing his door. It was early evening already and the road leaving town wasn't busy. Not that any road in Gravity Falls was ever technically busy, but he supposed it didn't really make much difference either way.

Bill pointed a bit further down the road. "Stand over there," he ordered. Dipper gave him a strange look, but stepped in the direction Bill had asked for. And the blonde did the same, but found that as soon as he reached the very boundary he'd been looking for, a wall seemed to appear where he touched. He smirked, running a hand along the barrier. "Well, if I can't get out, that at least means she can't either."

Dipper stepped back towards Bill without a problem, interested. "I'd almost forgotten this was here," he mused, grinning. If nothing else, at least it gave him the slightest bit of his wavering peace of mind back. He watched Bill turn back towards the car and sit down on the hood. The demon leaned back, looking upwards with a thoughtful expression.

"Kid..." he started, a look in his eyes Dipper couldn't identify. Curious, Dipper sat beside him, his attention fully won over. "I think we should start talking worst-case scenario. She gets out-"

"She won't," Dipper interrupted, voice firm.

Bill inhaled silently, closing his eyes. "If she gets out, then you come here. Take Shooting Star, Sixer, and whoever else.. Then leave the town." He looked down. "Don't come back."

Dipper furrowed his brow. "And what are you gonna do?" he questioned, eyes narrowed.

Bill chuckled. "You really shouldn't make a habit out of worrying over me, kid," he replied, still not letting his gaze meet the brunette's. He ran a hand through his hair, giving thought as to what he'd been told in the Northwest Manor. He knew his powers were draining straight into his replacement. He knew to take it to heart when she'd said he was on his way to ruin. He wasn't naive. This more than likely spelled the death of him. And that was... Well, ironic, to be totally honest. "Besides.. I doubt I'll even be around for that anyway." He sounded genuinely saddened, which Dipper found both strange and surprisingly upsetting.

Dipper was quiet for a long while. His eyes searched Bill's own, but the blonde really did seem adamant about not looking at him. Bill bit down hard enough on the inside of his cheek to break the skin. "Look, death comes natural to your race. And you're made not to be fazed by it. Because humans all believe there's something else, something beautiful that comes afterwards. But I am certainly not human, kid. I've felt what death for someone like me is...There's nothing for me to believe in and nothing out there willing to save something created to take and ruin and-" Dipper had listened to just about as much of that as he could bear and placed a hand on the back of Bill's neck, pulling him forwards and pushing their lips together.

The blonde blinked in slight shock, but kissed back until Dipper leaned away. "I've heard that's comforting," he said with a chuckle, opening his eyes to meet Bill's. He smiled, but Bill didn't really seem in the mood. Dipper huffed in exasperation. "Quit being so pessimistic. It's not like you. And anyway, since when do you just lie down and let whatever happens happen?" Dipper pursed his lips, looking dissatisfied. "It's almost offensive."

Bill couldn't help but give a slight laugh at that. "You're right, kid. Hey..." He looked up at the sky, which had darkened a bit since they'd been there, stars beginning to let themselves shine against the vast, royal blue sky.

Dipper hummed, doing the same. "What?" he asked curiously, leaning back on the palms of his hands.

Bill opened his mouth, but nothing seemed to come out. He shook his head. "Nah," he said to himself, sliding off the hood of the car. "Nevermind." He stepped towards his door and opened it. Dipper watched him with a simper, disappointed. Bill just grinned, as usual. "You comin' or do you plan to walk home?"

Dipper tipped his head to the side, but followed after the blonde anyway. "What were you going to say?" Bill sat down, turning the key in the ignition and starting the car. He didn't respond to the question, which bothered Dipper to no end. "Seriously?" Bill just chuckled, and the brunette took his seat beside him, grumbling. Looks like he'd never find out..

Dipper yawned in his seat behind the counter. He wasn't really sleeping well anymore. Mabel was well aware of this, too. She knew there was something going on. She just couldn't quite place her finger on what exactly. Although she was beginning to put the pieces together. Or, she thought so, at least.

The recurring fights that only seemed to happen in the mornings.

The strange injuries appearing on Dipper's body that healed almost as quickly as they were inflicted.

The hospital visit.

Bill's fading eye color.

All of it meant something. All of it was connected. Somehow. She simply needed to figure out why. And while that may be difficult, she wasn't going to lay down and let her brother keep anything from her that she may consider dangerous. But at the same time, she refrained from acting on her suspicions, because she knew that would lead nowhere good. Perhaps she'd ask Ford sometime. He seemed the most likely to have an answer, whether or not it was helpful.

She cast her brother a worried glance, turning back towards the shelf she was stocking. Customers wove around the merchandise, eyes skimming the walls blankly. Mabel sighed, adjusting a prism and stepping into another room to check on things there. Dipper looked in her direction for a moment, but not long enough to find himself interested. They hadn't been spending enough time together, he realized. Maybe that Sunday he could find something for the two of them to do, since it felt like he had been ignoring her in favor of Bill a lot lately. He hummed thoughtfully.

That needed to change, he decided.

"Hey," a polite voice greeted, and he looked over to see the girl that'd been showing up at the Shack quite a bit lately. Mabel often teased him about the fact that she was "totally into him," but Dipper liked to think she was just new to town and was trying to get to know everyone.

He nodded towards her, smiling. "Hey. Cold?" he asked, pointing a finger towards the scarf around her neck.

She looked down at her clasped together hands, cheeks rosy. "No.. I get sick really easily, so I always bundle up as much as I can," she explained, her eyes trailing back upwards to meet Dipper's. She pulled her hands apart, flexing her gloved fingers to punctuate her words.

Dipper nodded in understanding, smiling cheerfully. "Must suck in the summer," he commented, resting his chin on his hand.

Beth, if he remembered her name correctly, groaned, rolling her eyes. "You're telling me!" she exclaimed, fiddling with the knit scarf wound around her neck. She giggled, starting to tell him a story about being little and how awful it was to wear big coats to school all the time. Bill wrinkled his nose down the hall, putting on a cheerful facade for the morons buying everything that spout from his mouth. He listened to Dipper's thoughts with intrigue, abilities fine tuned to pick up on specific people whenever he wanted to. Which was regrettably just about the only power he had full use of anymore.

"And that concludes your tour of the Mystery Shack! Exit's on the left," he chirped, echoing the words he said everyday. He pointed a finger towards the door, dashing for the one in the opposite direction. On his way, he brushed past Mabel, who gave him a look he found somewhat odd. But he ignored it and pressed forward, slowing his pace to a walk as he approached the counter. Dipper sat on one side, talking and looking indifferent to the fact that Beth's hand was coiled around his forearm, while her other was supporting her head on the counter. She looked too close for Bill's comfort, demeanor too casual and gaze certainly too intent.

Bill, as subtly as he could manage, ran his fingertips up Dipper's spine. The brunette jolted slightly against the unexpected touch, a blush surfacing across his face. Bill chuckled, sending his message home with a short kiss to his cheek, beaming at his successful work in making the woman pull her hand away from Dipper. "Hey, Pine Tree," he greeted with a springy attitude, jubilant in every possible spinning of the word. He turned his gaze towards Beth, who seemed neither angered nor skeptical of the blonde's antics. "I don't believe I ever caught your name," he said, feeling just cocky enough to swing an arm over Dipper's shoulders and pull him into his side, grinning.

The woman, whom Bill already knew the name of, tilted her head. "I don't recall ever throwing it," she remarked, smiling playfully. Her tone remained level, polite. And Bill absolutely couldn't stand it. He wanted far too badly to get under her skin, to drive her away. "My name's Beth."

Bill hummed, not allowing the frown that dared tug at his lips reveal itself. "I'll remember that," he said in feigned reciprocation of her tone. Dipper miraculously remained silent throughout this entire exchange, but he definitely was making a mental note of every stupid little thing Bill did or said that he was bound to regret later on.

Beth's expression didn't falter, smile unwavering. Bill hated it, but he couldn't say anything snarky without Dipper almost certainly stomping on his shoe and walking away. Which would suck, because then Bill would be the one stuck doing his boring job of manning the cash register.

Beth turned her gaze towards Dipper, hands twined together behind her back. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you two were a couple," she said gently, seeming to pick her words just right.

Dipper opened his mouth to respond, but Bill was quicker. "Yep, that's exactly right. We're a couple, so please try to keep your hands away, if you would." His tone was dark underneath the grin he wore on his face and his voice had risen in volume a bit more than necessary. Dipper furrowed his brow, casting Bill a damning glare. He slammed an elbow into the blonde's ribs, looking back towards Beth apologetically.

Bill hissed in pain. Did Dipper absolutely have to hit him as hard as possible? He grumbled beneath his breath, eyes cast to the side as Dipper pulled himself away from the former dream demon to tell the girl he was sorry about Bill's actions. Only then did her expression drop into a frown, but when Dipper placed a hand on her shoulder, she seemed to perk up, even if just a little. "I-I didn't know I was being such a bother..." she mumbled, looking close to tears. Bill ground his teeth together. Of course. All it took were some blurry eyes to make Dipper want to jump to the rescue, when it was plainly seen that there was nothing to save.

Bill spun on his heels, sure as hell not in the mood to hear any of this. He narrowed his eyes straight ahead, making his way up the stairs. He passed by Ford on the way up, who was much less social since Bill had come to stay. The older man eyed Bill suspiciously as he passed, which he did just about every time the two of them were in a room together. He looked ready to make some sort of comment about the pissed off expression Bill wore, but the demon wasn't really in the mood to hear it. He stepped a little bit quicker on his feet, turning a corner and leaving Ford behind before he could say anything.

Angrily, Bill stepped into Dipper's room and had to force himself not to slam the door shut. He sat down on his boyfriend's desk chair, forgetting anything he knew about respecting one's privacy and flipping through a sketchbook that certainly didn't belong to him. He sat there and waited for the inevitable yelling, and it seemed he didn't have to wait terribly long.

The very moment Dipper walked through the door, it was clear to see he was furious. "What the hell were you thinking?" he growled, evergreen eyes blazing like flames trapped inside a flask.

Bill sat down the sketchbook, which Dipper's gaze flitted towards for a moment before resting back on the blonde. "She was clearly flirting with you," was all he said in defense, expression almost completely blank.

Dipper looked like he just might blow up, which he was all too ready and willing to do. "She was being nice," he hissed back.

Bill rolled his eyes. "She had her hand on you."

Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose, then held up his arm. "Her hand was right here," he responded, pointing a finger at his forearm. "I'm well aware of the fact that it was there, but seeing as I don't find someone touching my wrist - my wrist, for god's sakes - sexually appealing or even flirtatious in any way, I'm pretty sure you were safe." He raised his brow. "And is that seriously all this is? You threatened a perfectly sweet girl because you actually considered her a threat? Am I really so untrustworthy that you had to make an ass of yourself in public?" He crossed his arms, staring daggers at the blonde.

Bill grimaced, glancing away from Dipper's intense gaze for a split second before reconnecting their eyes. "I... No. But..." he was muttering to himself, blushing in embarrassment. When Dipper put it like that, he made Bill seem like a real prick. The blonde rubbed his arm, reaching for a good reply. Very rarely was Bill Cipher ever left speechless, hanging on the edge of a response but unable to make one come out correctly. Dipper inhaled, turning away from Bill to step towards his bed. He knelt downwards, outstretching a hand to search beneath it for something in particular. Bill watched curiously as he did so, his attention caught by the brunette pulling out a pad of yellow paper.

Dipper stood up, straightening out his back. "I wasn't going to let you know what any of this said until I'd finished it, but whatever," he grumbled, flipping through the pages he'd written. And then Bill realized exactly what the notebook was, sitting quietly and waiting impatiently. Dipper seemed to find what he'd been looking for, glancing at Bill before letting his eyes fall back down to stare at his own handwriting, which was thin and wiry in comparison to his sister's messily scrawled cursive. He pulled his glasses from the breast pocket of his flannel and put them on, eyes skimming the paper for a decent paragraph.

Mimicking a narrator's tone, Dipper started reading once he found one he deemed worthy enough to be said aloud. "He ground his teeth together, watching. Helpless to stop it but oh so willing to try anyway, his eyes never left the scene playing before him. In the past, nightmares were his domain and he'd have been able to change everything in a quick moment. With a snap of his fingers or a blink of his eye, this would've all been over. But now. Now things were different. The game had been changed, and all he could do was sit back and bear it. The only assistance he could provide was reassurance once awoken, a softly spoken word or two about getting through these horrors. But right then and there, in the dream he wished he hadn't asked to inhabit, he could do no more than keep his gaze level and hope that things turned out alright in the morning."

Bill blinked, taken aback slightly by Dipper's representation of his character. It almost stung how scarily accurate he'd been written. And Dipper was well aware of it, too. That's exactly what he'd been trying to tap into, the ability to make Bill feel something without it turning into some joke in his mind. He remained silent, watching Dipper once again turn a few pages in search of something else entirely. But Bill never could've predicted what Dipper had been about to say.

"And the possessiveness, which in small doses could be considered endearing, quickly became frustrating when taken too far," Dipper read, glancing up from the papers to look at Bill a short second. "The preferable moments of such a thing were those that weren't accompanied by any ulterior motives or jealousy." Dipper coughed into his hand purposefully, shooting Bill a glare that the blonde almost chuckled at. Though he couldn't resist the smirk that curved his lips upwards. "A whisper of the words late at night or the strange and unexplainable way he seemed to express affection without even really knowing what that word meant. Still, he never failed to let it be known that every last bit of it was for no one but himself. Obviously, he was a selfish man, and he knew it. Never did he attempt to hide that about himself. But even then.."

Dipper stopped, closing the notepad and letting his arms fall to his sides, papers hanging loosely from his fingertips. Bill shifted in slight anxiousness. He'd actually found himself wanting to hear more. He liked the sound of Dipper's voice when he read, the flawlessness in which his words were conveyed, because they very clearly belonged solely to him. No one could say it quite the way he did, and Bill enjoyed that. He also enjoyed knowing that Dipper thought highly enough of him to write those words in the first place. Bill glanced downwards, heat rising to his cheeks. "Kid-"

Dipper cleared his throat, looking directly towards Bill and pulling the specs off his face. "But even then, selfish as he was, he was transparent, too. Without a solid grasp on emotions, he still somehow managed to wear them on his sleeve. Even during the most critical of times. In those moments when his selfish sense of possessiveness reached a bit too far, it was nearly impossible to stay upset with him. Because it was so easily explained why he really acted the way he did. The anger, the jealousy, all of it," Dipper went on, a sly grin adorning his own lips. Bill stood up to face him, opening his mouth to speak. But once again, he was interrupted.

"Stemmed from the one feeling he understood the least."

Bill took a step towards him, eyes slightly aglow with interest.

Amused, Dipper crossed his arms. "One he found far too embarrassing to even admit he was capable of."

Bill was visibly blushing by then, picking his words and his actions carefully.

Clearly, Dipper knew he had hit just the right chord, which he took absolute delight in. He knew he had won, and there hadn't even been an official fight to begin with. "Because who would ever take a demon seriously once they found out that he, like any human in the world, could just as easily fall."

Bill's hands were on the brunette's sides, fingers tightly gripping his flannel.

"In."

The blonde yanked him forwards, so the two of them were mere centimeters apart.

"Love."