Chapter Text
The blonde demon hovered humming around the Mystery Shack, looking for the Pines twins, more specifically his Pine Tree, who this year was in charge of the Halloween party. He wanted to pick on Dipper. His reactions was always priceless. Priceless and cute. However, the last part wasn't something Bill was ever going to admit, of course. He shuttered when getting outside. The sun was shining, but it didn't really have any power in October. It wasn't too bad for the blond, since Mabel had given him a sweater for what she had made his birthday. He didn't have one, so she had made it October 1st. This odd celebration of mortality wasn't something Bill would ever understand. He liked it, though, it was almost like being worshipped a whole day. The sweater was yellow with pyramid pattern in the bottom and a tiny, black bowtie knitted into the front of the neck hole. It fit him, he thought. He especially liked the light blue details knitted around the chest-part. Small runes. Shooting Star sure knew what she was doing with the yarn.
"Hey, bro-bro! You're coming? I need help with this ghost!"
"Mabel, please, it's the fifth time you've called me over. I have things to do too, y'know. Make Stan or Soos help you next time." The tall brunet said, yet slowly and tired making his way down from atop the roof, where he was putting up the glowing skeletons; grunkle Stan's idea.
"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, Dipping Sau-Bill!" The girl beamed by seeing the demon float over, "What are you doing out here? I thought you was going to spend the entire day inside?"
"Heh, I got bored. They don't show anything but bad horror movies in Tv," The blond scoffed, "So I thought I'd rather go bug Dipping-dot~!"
"Mission complete, now go away." Dipper said annoyed, still making his way from the roof to his sister. Mabel giggled and Bill pouted, bottom lip sticking out. The male twin had been rejecting towards Bill ever since Mabel had convinced Stan to let the demon move into the Shack. Actually, he had always been acting rather rude towards him.
"Aw, but Pine Tree~!" Bill made puppy eyes.
"No, Cipher. If you don't leave now, I'll take you to church Sunday and make you drink holy water." The brunet narrowed his eyes while looking at the blond, now standing next to Mabel.
"I...fine. Can't argue with that." The demon turned around on his heels and left.
Mabel stared almost horrified at Dipper. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him mercilessly; "Dipper, how could you hurt him like that!"
Dipper wiggled out of his sister's, surprisingly, strong grib.
"Hurt? You've got to be kidding me, he can't get hurt. Now, what was it you needed help with?"
Mabel looked at him with slightly watery eyes.
“I’ll get Bill to help me. You just put up those skeletons or whatever. You fit them. No heart, just like them.” She said, turning around and leaving into the Shack, to get Bill. Dipper was left in deep confusion. What was she talking about? The brunet figured, with a sigh, that there was nothing he could do. He got on top of the roof once again and put up the remaining skeletons.
“Hey, kid, get down here, right now preferably.” Stan’s voice wasn’t really kind, on the other hand, when was Stan kind? Dipper had been fighting the electricity for the skeletons for hours now, he wasn’t really the most promising electrician. The brunet, however, quickly ran down the ladder and faced his grunkle.
“Yeah?”
“Kid, you and Bill will go grocery-shopping now. No complains. Bill got the list. Oh, and make sure to get the cheapest milk this time!” The older man said, already on his way back to the Shack. Dipper was once again left, however this time not confused. Just really pissed.
“Hey, Piiiine Treeeeee~! We are going to have so much fun, am I right?”
“You could not be more wrong.” Dipper said annoyed.
“You wound me, Pine Tree!” Bill whined and grabbed the tall man’s hand, then begun floating a centimeter above the ground towards the town.
“Walk, Bill!” Dipper burst out and pulled back his hand. The demon laughed, almost hysterically and planted his feet on the ground. He looked back at Dipper, when the brunet cleared his throat, “Bill. Was this your idea?”
“What was my idea?” The blond asked innocently.
“Shopping groceries together.” Dipper growled.
“Nope, it was Shooting Star’s!” Bill chuckled as reply. Dipper almost choked just by hearing that. He was going to have a little talk when they got back.
“So, got it all? Wow, kid, what happened to you?” Stan asked, when the two young men entered the Shack. Dipper was shaking with frustration and Bill was laughing. Dipper’s only response was to point at the laughing demon. Mabel entered the room and stared wordless at her brother, then moving her look to Bill.
“Hey, Bill-Bill…What did you do to him?” She asked, lifting a brow.
“Oh, I just was just juggling a bit with the eggs. Your brother just got paranoid~!”
Dipper shook his head and managed to talk. “You juggled with an old lady and her fucking shopping cart, you crazy demon!” Stan gave Bill a nasty and angry look. Bill lifted his hands in defense.
“Yeah, that’s one way to put it. I would say I just helped her to her car.” He chuckled and shrugged.
“She was walking to the supermarket!” Dipper shouted, still angry with the smaller, blond man, hovering next to him. Bill just put an arm around him.
“Don’t be so mad, Pine Tree-“
“Stop calling me that, demon!” Dipper shouted and ran upstairs, dropping the bags with groceries on his way. The only sounds left was the slamming of a door and muffled sobs. Both Mabel and Stan glared at Bill.
“Alright, alright, I’ll go talk to him, sheesh!” The demon wrinkled his nose at the humans and floated upstairs, knocking rapidly at the door. Nothing. “Pine Tr-Dipper, let me iiiiin~!” He whined, almost as a beg. He hated when Shooting Star was mad at him. However, since all he had to do was making Dipper happy again, it didn’t seem like a problem.
“Go away!” It suddenly sounded from the other side of the door.
“No can do, Dipper, I have to make you smile again.” The blond replied.
“If that’s the only reason you are here, you will fail. Go away!” Bill sighed at the words and snapped his fingers, teleporting into the room. The flash of neon blue startled the man lying on the bed, crying. He jolted and sat up, glaring angrily at the demon, floated in the end of the bed.
“Get out, Bill.”
“No.” Bill floated closer, and sat on the bed, in front of Dipper, making the brunet lean backwards. The amber autumn sun hit Bill’s face, making him blink swiftly. He got even closer, the sloping wall casting a shadow on him. This, however, meant being inches from an uncomfortable Pine Tree. Bill sighed.
“I’m sorry, okay? I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have done all this, when it made you feel bad. I won’t do it again.” He tried smiling, but something about Dipper’s twisted face made it impossible. Dipper sniffed at the words, almost making the demon feel bad for real. Bill looked away, trying to think of what to say. This wasn’t something he was used to, comforting others. He didn’t want Shooting Star to make Stan throw him out, though, he liked living here. Mabel had moved to the former secret room, and Bill had moved in with Dipper, in the Mabel’s side of the room. Many things had changed the past seven years. The twins were both adult, Mabel had made her move on Pacifica and they were dating now, Soos and Melody got married…So many changes. Bill had created this meatsack so he could stay around Dipper… and Mabel! Differently also Mabel! Bill sighed and looked down at Dipper, who had pulled his legs up, resting his forehead on his knees, not vouchsafing him a single glance. The demon pulled his own legs up to his chest as well, resting his chin on his knees, looking down at the sobbing mess to Dipper. He sighed and reached an arm out for his Pine Tree, letting it rest on the brunet’s shoulder. Dipper didn’t move nor speak.
“I’m sorry.” Bill said, almost giving up. He had no idea about what to do. He made a deep sigh and attempted to pull Dipper into a hug, startling the taller man again. Dipper’s shock made him unable to move, Bill hugging him. Hugging him! Dipper choked on a breath, making the demon let go of him again.
“You okay, Pine Tree?” Bill asked, clear worry in his voice. Dipper didn’t believe his own ears.
“I thought you enjoyed seeing my in pain.” The brunet said, bitterly. Bill winkled his nose at the mortal.
“I did. But that’s years ago. I just pick on you, because your reactions are funny! I don’t like your pain as much as others…” Bill said, bad taste in his mouth. Did he really just say that?
Dipper at the blond a moment, then said, tone dripping with poison; “Who are you and what did you do the Bill Cipher?”
The reactions made Bill chuckled, smiling down at the boy.
“Oh, c’mon, Pine Tree, it’s me, Bill the one and only!” He snickered and smirked.
Dipper looked skeptical a moment. The demon was the only one that…weird. The brunet sighed and got up from the bed, leaving Bill surprised over the bounces the bed made, and slammed the door. He was tired of all this, he was nineteen for God’s sake; he couldn’t just sit in his room, listening to a demon while crying his heart out. That was not Dipper Pines.
“Bro-bro, you’re alright?” Mabel beamed up slightly at the sight of her brother. Dipper just shook his head at her, and Mabel pointed over at the fridge, “You need a glass of Mabel juice, then you’ll on back on track, Dipping Sauce!” That cause the male twin to shake his head again.
“I’ll pass, thanks, sis. I will just go put up the last things for the party tomorrow.”
“But it’s dark outside, kid.” Stan said and took a sip of his newly brewed coffee. Dipper shrugged.
“I’m not gonna die from some darkness.”
“Don’t let the gnomes take you!” Mabel shouted when Dipper disappeared behind the front door, giggling.
The gentle wind made Dipper’s hair move, the moonlight making his skin glow light blue. He was sitting on the roof with the neon skeletons, though they weren’t turned on. The breeze made the yellow and orange leaves move in gentle movements in the trees and on the ground. Dipper closed his eyes, just enjoying the sound of…a switch being turned on and off rapidly. The brunet growled and turned his head to look behind him. The blond demon was swiping his finger against the switch repeatedly while ginning at the skeletons that turned on and off, shifting between neon orange and light bulb colored.
“Bill, get lost already. You’ve done enough.”
“Aw, Pine Tree!” The demon whined and placed his rump beside Dipper’s. A little too close for comfort, according to Dipper. The demon smirked, “Why are you like this to me? It’s not like I have actually done you anything!”
“Nothing, except almost murdering me and my sister, destroying Gravity Falls, and the entire universe!” Dipper snarled, furrowing his eyebrows.
“I mean apart from that…” Bill said with anxiety in his voice. Dipper sighed. This was hopeless, Bill would never understand all the things Dipper worried about, like family and- Dipper jolted upon Bill resting his head against the brunet’s shoulder, the yellow sweater scratching the skin on his bare arm. He looked down at the blond, shivering when he felt a hand gently stroke over the same arm.
“Bill?”
“Yeah?”
“What are you doing?”
“…Relaxing with my friend.”
“We aren’t-“
“Friends, I know. We aren’t friends. I can try, can’t I?” Bill cut off the conversation and for a second everything was lit up in a light blue tint. When it faded out, Bill was gone.