oracle | bill cipher

part iii. | insert tragic backstory

You head to your bedroom to change. You shrug out of your ripped jeans, wincing as the fabric catches on your wound. You pull on a pair of much more comfortable sweats, exchanging your dirty jacket and shirt for an old t-shirt from high school. You had back out into the living room in sock-clad feet.

Bill's sitting rather stiffly in an armchair. His hands are clasped out in front of him neatly. He looks lost in thought. Upon hearing your bedroom door click shut, however, he lifts his head, expression relaxing.

"Where's your bathroom?" He asks before you can sit down. "We should probably fix up the knee of yours, huh?"

Instead of commenting on the use of 'we', you quietly lead him into your bathroom. You pull out a first aid kit before sitting on the edge of the bathtub. He follows behind you, taking a seat on the closed toilet. Without asking you, he takes the first aid kit from your hands, opening it up. He motions for you to roll up your pant leg so he can address the wound.

He's surprisingly gentle as he tends to your knee. He even warns you in a quiet tone before applying the antiseptic. He handles you with the utmost care, gloved hands working diligently to patch you up. When he's done, he pats your knee.

"What? You gonna kiss it better too?" You laugh a little when he gives you a confused look. "Ah, my mom used to do that when I got hurt as a kid… I was just messing with you - you don't need to do that."

You examine your bandaged knee with wonder. It's a good fix. "Man, is there anything you don't know how to do?"

He leans forward, resting his head in his palm. His elbow sits upon his knee. The toilet lid creaks with the movement. "I know a lot of things, dear."

The small smile you had slowly falls off your face with that statement. You look down, fiddling with the end of the bandaging. "So… what are you exactly?" You ask him timidly, slowly lifting your head to meet his uncovered eye.

Sighing, Bill leans back against the toilet seat, looking up at the ceiling. He turns his head to the side to look at you. "You really want to know?... Well, I'm what some may call a Dream Demon."

"So, you're not human… "

"Unfortunately, no."

You snort and that brings the most miniscule of smiles to his lips. Still, you're wary of him. He is, after all, a demon. He exhales deeply before continuing. "I am, as you've probably guessed by now, not from Gravity Falls - I know, I know. Hold your excitement-"

A laugh escapes your lips despite the circumstances. He continues. "My home - well, firstfair  home - is destroyed. No way of going back there. I stayed a while in this place called the Nightmare Realm. Fun for me, probably not for you, human. Anyways, I made some deals, as a Dream Demon does, and now… I'm-" He closes his eyes in frustration, lightly banging his head against the wall. "-stuck here."

"I'll be honest. This dimension?" He raises a brow. "Not my first choice. This place is full of a bunch of squares - and trust me, I know some literal squares. But, for the time being, I'm trapped here."

You're silent for a moment, pondering his words. This whole thing seems absurd. You talking to a demon in your bathroom about some tragic backstory. This does not feel real. However, you've got to believe at least some of it. There's no denying that Bill is not human - not after what you saw.

"Okay." You scrunch up your face, rubbing a hand across your forehead. "Okay. You're stuck here?"

"Like a rat in a cage," he states simply, sitting up properly. He looks a little odd at the moment - a well-dressed demon sitting on a closed-lid toilet. Definitely out of place.

Pausing, you reflect upon his words. Your fingers are still furiously massaging at your temples. "Alright… alright, what can I do?"

"... What?"

"What can I do?" You repeat. "I want to help you, Bill. You're stuck here, and I want to help you get back home. You're my best friend."

As much as you hate to say it, it's true. Bill is your best friend. Practically your only friend, too. The few friends you did have dropped you after the incident that happened when you were fifteen. You didn't socialize much in school after that. Bill was the best friend you've ever had. Him being a demon wasn't going to change that.

"Now. I'm gonna ask you this one more time." You lean forward, closer to him. What can I do?"

He seems taken aback. He sits there in stunned silence, looking at you wide-eyed. The visible yellow cat-like eye focuses on you as a small smile graces his lips. He runs a hand through his hair, letting out nervous laughter. "Wow. Wow. Okay… Give me a minute, will you? That's a big thing to ask, Curator."

You give him room to breathe. He seems elated at the prospect of someone helping him. "... I'm not sure if I can give you a clear answer, at the moment. You know how I've been researching at your library for a while, right? Well I guess I can't exactly leave Gravity Falls either. As soon as I get to the edge of town, this barrier pops up. That might also have something to do with why I can't get home.

"As for you… I think I need you to make a deal with me." He looks very serious, and you gulp at the idea.

"... What kind of deal?"

"You help me get home. For now, I need you to keep your eyes and ears out for any information about the supernatural events in Gravity Falls. I know there's bound to be others like you with curious minds here in town." He raps his knuckles against your forehead. "I have an idea of who might have a solution, but I don't think the time is quite right to use them just yet. In exchange, I'll protect you - not sure if you knew this, Curator, but you have a bit of a habit of getting into trouble."

You shake your head in amusement at his words, trying to become serious. This is not a laughing a matter. "So… I help you get home in exchange for my protection?" You sum up, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the gist of it. So… " He extends a gloved hand. It becomes alight in captivating blue flame. "Do we have a deal?"

In front of you, the blue flame flickers. You watch it warily. The color is so bright, it hurts your eyes. "... Will it hurt?"

"It'll feel a bit warm, if anything," he answers truthfully. "Might tickle a bit - no pain whatsoever, though. I know how poor you humans' pain tolerances are."

Still, you can't keep yourself from worrying. You bite your bottom lip nervously before making up your mind. Gingerly, you reach a hand out to shake. His gloved hand latches onto yours. The blue flame flares.

The deal is done.

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[ a/n: finally! some action! >:) anyways, we're finally getting into the fun part of the story! obviously, i'm tweaking bill a bit for this story and,  i'm making him have a more human-like personality, but i think it's enough to where it shouldn't be too ooc. in between updates, feel free to check out my other x-readers or check out my ao3 account (abbylynnjpg) for some ship-related content. as always, your votes and comments mean a lot to me. stay hydrated and healthy! ]