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He can't help but to stare at the dark nights sky filled with too many stars to count in mild admiration. Sleep had come to him swiftly earlier before the nightmares crept into his mind. The dreams that he just couldn't shake that the therapist in the Prism told him were just memories of a past he so desperately wanted to forget. A plea of why did he do it and so many other questions that he found himself trying to answer without much luck.
Honestly he was even surprised to be here in Oregon looking up at any stars let alone outside of the Shack. Parts of him wished the higher ups at the Prism just kept him holed up in there but they believed being sent here would do him good for rounding out his pointy edges. Jokes on them was that he was a triangle who couldn't entirely be changed. Just maybe taught how to deal with emotions in a more, mortal friendly way.
The chill air of autumn had him rubbing at his arms to try to keep warm. He wonders if he should've grabbed himself a blanket to take out here with him. It was mentioned a few days ago that he would be needing sweaters to keep up with the cold, but he hadn't thought much on it with it having been warm those past couple of days.
If anyone else were awake they would hear this poor fool sniffle as the cold causes it to run just slightly. It definitely wasn't because he had been left to his thoughts in the witching hours of the mortal realm. They would've liked to see this view if only they could have. He couldn't just go back and fix it though without breaking who knew how many time laws and possibly breaking his baby self's little mind.
" You alright?" A rough grumbly voice breaks the cold silence he'd started to get uncomfortable with. Bill flinches to look back at the old man who'd decided to come out here in slippers, a robe and who knew what was under it. It sure looked more comfortable than the baggy tshirt that he was wearing out here.
He's silent for more than a moment watching Stan step out further to stand beside him, looking out at the trees that surrounded the Shack. " Just some nightmares I haven't been able to shake is all."
" Is all? Nightmares can be serious stuff you know. I remember when the kids would get them." Stan shifts to put his hands in the pockets of his robe. He had wondered what could possibly keep the new addition to their group to be awake at this gods forsaken hour, but then he cant say he is entirely surprised by what the reasoning came out to be presented to him. “ I'll be right back, head to the car.”
“ What the hell are we going to the car for at this hour?” Bill tries to argue against it but the man had already left him alone outside to get whatever he was getting. He mutters beneath his breath about the man being unreasonable even if he hadn't punched him to death again when he had first arrived. He does listen to him, though he wishes he had the capability to levitate like he used to before he got shattered.
It's a few minutes before Stan is walking back out with his keys along with a blanket and a cd case. He unlocks the car before he's trying to encourage the triangle to get inside it. " Where are you going to take us?"
" If my eyesight lets us, you'll see with your own eye soon. Buckle up or you'll go flying." The man has the decency to warn him as he makes sure they're both in the car with the doors closed before he starts it. Bill can't help but cross his arms as they're soon on the dirt road to go through the vast thick of trees. He tries to follow the route that they take but he just can't keep up with it.
He isn't even really sure how long passes before Stan is parking the car near what looks to be a cliff side. " Why are we here?"
" Just hold your horses. Let me see if this baby still works." The man remembered what his beloved car could do so why not enjoy it with the triangle. He looks around his dashboard before pressing something and the top starts to move back with a bunch of gadget noises. It's slow moving though with the age of the car, but soon the convertible top had tucked away leaving the two of them both exposed to the elements.
The crisp autumn air of the early morning and late evening left Bill wishing he hadn't gotten up to go outside at all. Clearly this old man hadn't gained all his marbles back if he thought just being down here top down was a good idea.
“ Up you get.” Stan warns before hes unbuckling the triangle and moving him to the backseat, getting up himself with a grunt and putting himself back with Bill.
“ I don't see what any of this has to do with my nightmares.”
“ Didnt I say hold ya horses?” Stan gets the blanket after putting a cd into the radio that had only recently been updated after some arguing with the kids. They thought it was a good idea to have a least a little modernity to it without losing it's charm. “ Now would you look up before you go and judge me for taking us out here.”
“Fine fine.” Bill huffs as he does take the time to get himself comfortable under the blanket Stan had decided was meant to cover the both of them. The weight of it seemed to help whatever anxieties he was having that caused the nightmares to begin with. When he's no longer distracted by that train of thought he puts his gaze upon the night sky and falls silent.
Had he ever seen a more beautiful view than the sky he's being shown now? The amount of stars that could be seen without the light polution of the Falls left the triangle rather speechless. Stan is quiet while watching him react with a faint smile on his lips as he leans back in the car seat, having adjusted the front seats to give himself some legroom. What the old man isn't expecting is the tears that start streaking down from the single eye belonging to Bill.
“ Whoa hey now...” Stan frowns as he rummages through his robe to see if he had a tissue on hand to reach out to try to help dry them.
“ I dont need...” Bill falls quiet as he decides to just let him. It's not like telling him to stop would make him stop when he's clearly being vulnerable like this. He hates that he remembers what the therapist said in one of his previous sessions before being sent here.
' Allow yourself to feel when you feel an emotion Bill. It's all part of the living experience. It's ok to be sad, upset, anxious, angry. All of those are emotions every living being tends to experience.'
“ You know you don't have to tell me about it, but at least let it out. This handkerchief isn't going to fall apart on us.” He's surprised to find Stan's words comforting even if he wasn't sure as to why he started to cry this time. What surprises him more is the way he's encouraged closer to Stan so the blanket can be wrapped around them both like a burrito.
“ What's your end goal here...” Bill sounded suspicious though Stan can tell his plan was slowly succeeding with the way, despite the tears, the triangle's voice was started to sound tired.
“ To help you get some sleep. Ya got the stars above us and I got some quiet music going. Used to drive the kids around til they passed out when they were both anxious so figured it might help you out.” Such a simple answer has Bill silent again as he leans more into Stan, finding the warmth of his body an additional layer of comfort against the chill of the air.
“ Its not going to work, but sure, I'll humor you this time. Just this once.” Stan can't help be amused at how much the other sounded like a grumpy, sleepy child when they didn't want to go to sleep but desperately needed it. The both of them lay there with the bright stars above them with faint music playing over the stereos.
He's almost surprised how fast Bill seemed to fall asleep once he got comfortable laying into him. There could be something said about how the triangle seemed to trust him enough to follow through with this little crazy plan of his to help him sleep. They stay like that until the morning birds start calling out to greet the sunshine.
What's more?
Bill is surprised to find he didnt have a single nighmare the entire time he slept against The Stanley Pines.