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Bill was miserable. Everyone was, who knew him. Bill knew he was doing the right thing, but it didn’t stop his poor heart from breaking. It had been so many years, so much love, life, and laughter.
Dipper was lying down on their bed, he was old and grey. He had once been full of life, and care. Dipper had lived more than any human had wished to live, he had seen the fall of all his relatives, sibling and more. But Bill was always with him, Bill was always there by his side. He still was now, as he had always been.
It had been Dipper’s decision, to begin to age finally. Despite his love for Bill, he felt as though he finally wished to age, and finally die, to be with the others he missed dearly. Bill was distraught of course but gave Dipper his wishes.
These past few decades Bill had watched his once youthful and amazing partner wither with age. Bill’s heart ached as he wanted to fix everything, fix Dipper, bring his youth back, he will and want for life. But it had died long ago.
As Bill sat now, looking at his husband as he lightly breathed, Bill wanted to cry. Bill never had been much of a crier, but he knew that this is the moment that Bill had so desperately tried to avoid for all of Dipper’s life. It was finally time, and he was dreading it. Dreading the last breath, his last moment with his husband alive.
Dipper opened his eyes now, to look over at Bill, with tears in his eyes. It broke Dipper to see Bill like this, parts of him wanted to tell Bill he wanted to go back, but he felt too deep into this now, as if he had trodden onto quicksand, and magic wouldn’t be able to save him now.
“Pinetree, I love you…” Bill whispered, bringing his hand to Dipper’s. Dipper’s elderly and shrivelled-up hand joined with Bill’s youthful and human hand. “I love you too,” Dipper whispered back, giving him an assured smile. “Thank you,” Dipper choked out, trying to be kind to Bill in his last moments.
“I wish I could join you… But I don’t even know if you’ll remember you, or even me…” Bill croaked, looking at his little withered Pinetree with his kind heart. Dipper could only smile in response for a moment before he opened his mouth. “I’ll know where to find you if I make it through…” Dipper told him wisely.
Both of them had had this conversation before, on whether Dipper would become something more after death, Heaven and Hell were things after all, and although Bill wasn’t exactly human before he became a demon (as humanity hadn’t even existed yet), Bill had proven throughout his years alive that Humans were reincarnated in some way.
Whether the reincarnation meant an angel, a demon, an animal or simply another human body, it was hard to tell. Bill felt if Dipper would be anything, it would either be an angel or a demon, but one could never be sure until it happened.
But even then, some are reincarnated to never remember before, so Bill could find Dipper… But that didn’t mean that Dipper would know the demon he had called his husband for countless years on end.
Bill was brought out of his slight trance by a cough, made by Dipper. He began to have trouble breathing and Bill stood up to help his poor Pinetree, but Dipper had put his hand up, he didn’t wish for help. With every ounce of love, he held back. He didn’t want this, he wanted to turn back time, and he wanted to help Dipper, but he respected Dipper’s choice as if it were his own, and didn’t do a thing.
The life started to deaden in Dipper’s eyes as he slowly relaxed in the bed from his coughing. Bill sat next to Dipper and whispered little things to him, as he saw Dipper grasp onto life, and onto Bill’s hand, trying to keep the demon company.
Bill found it harder and harder to talk as Dipper’s eyes slowly closed, but only stopped his small talk after the man’s eyes closed fully. “Dipper?” Bill called out softly. Dipper’s hand slacked around Bill’s, and Bill felt his heart stop. He gently moved Dipper’s hand and checked his pulse from his wrist. But there was no pulse.
Bill stopped his breathing, feeling as if he was being choked by the sudden grief that wrecked his body and mind. Suddenly there was an earth-shattering shriek as Bill screamed out in pain. The pain of losing the one he loved, the only one he loved.
Bill moved towards the dead man and hugged the body tightly, sobbing into his neck, where his head fit perfectly, just as it had for years. He cried and cried. No one saw Bill Cipher for a long while after that.
-
The young demon looked upon the building he had remembered. He had arrived in Gravity Falls not long after finally understanding how to use his magic abilities properly, without unintentionally hurting anyone. The demon knew that he had not been reincarnated instantly after his death, but it had not been years upon years either.
Between stages, he had heard Bill, screaming, crying, and talking to him as if he were there. His heart lept out for the man, but Bill was a far memory for the young demon. Still, he was more than desperate to meet him, now he was finally free to walk around wherever he pleased.
Bill and he had decided a long time ago if this had happened, that they both knew where to find one another. “Until the end of time,” they had said. They knew that the Shack, even supposedly abandoned, was their meeting place. He didn’t think Bill was there, or that he’d come instantly either, but he knew, that he’d find the triangular being by waiting there.
Dipper took a deep breath and walked towards the shack. Humanity had forgotten about the poor shack as life had moved on, especially after his heritage had died off. No one had taken over the Shack after Mabel’s great-great-grandkids had died. Dipper liked the fact no one had taken it, it felt right to him.
The Pinetree, still wearing his signature hat in his new human form - walked onto the porch. It didn’t creak, but it did look old. Probably Bill’s magic, the boy thought. Dipper bit his lip and put his hand on the doorknob. He opened the door quietly to see dust, and emptiness for the most part.
Dipper snapped his fingers and suddenly the Shack’s opened room was clean, and had a light on, a good old-fashioned light. Dipper couldn’t help but look around and inspect the entire place from top to bottom. He vaguely remembered having childhood memories of the shack, and then his memories of owning the shack, and then giving it to his grandkids, and then watching it from afar.
As Dipper looked around, he knew it. Bill was nowhere to be found. Dipper didn’t have anything to move into the Shack, as he didn’t own anything, so the man waited. There were still plenty of books around, so Dipper read, and read, and read as he waited.
-
About two months later, whilst Dipper was writing a book of his own, about his demon life, he heard the opening of a door, from the other side of the house. Dipper instantly shot up. Had a human found their way to the Shack? Was someone else here? Surely not, he had asked no one to follow him, and why so late too?
Dipper tip-toed towards the room in which the opening of the house was. But before he went into the room he listened out for any noises. He had heard footsteps, but nothing more. Dipper took a deep breath, and then moved and opened the door.
The young demon had never felt so… amazed before. There stood, the man. The man he had been waiting for. The lanky, tall Bill Cipher. Although young in looks, the man was older than humanity itself. Bill looked towards Dipper and stared. It felt like long, earth-shattering moments as they both stared at one another.
Dipper suddenly gave a cry and ran towards the elder demon as he threw himself onto the man. Bill didn’t fall, but he was still shocked. It took him some time to return the hug his Pinetree was giving.
He finally had him back, he had the one he loved back.
The two finally felt whole again, in their own, unique… way.