Dipper POV
I stumbled back hitting my knees on the edge of the chair I had been sitting in, falling back on my ass into it. Some of the people who fled minutes ago where back, Wendy and Melody where still standing over the sink chatting just like they had before Bill-
Shit Bill.
I scanned the kitchen quickly, once, twice, one more time just to be sure. He wasn't here and no one was acting like he had been.
"Dipper, are you ok dude?" Wendy came into my field of vision, which had I glued to the door waiting to hear the whistling again.
I shook my head no but quickly stammered out, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Something just startled me." I pushed unsteady out of the dining room chair, "I'm gonna go find Mabel."
If she said anything else to me I didn't hear it. I made my way quickly into the living room, which was even more crowded than the kitchen, but then again even in a crowd my sister is never hard to spot.
She, along with Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica, had taken over the armchair using it as a throne. They were in their own world, and the rest of the room was still in a happy and celebratory mood, both my Grunkles were drinking and chatting not far from my sister. No one in the room looked like they had moments ago.
I could feel the ache and pin prick of a headache forming right behind my eyes. A usual occurrence but really not a welcome one right now.
Soos, like always, was the one to see me standing awkwardly dying in the doorway, and as always he was very close but so far from the reason why.
"Dipper dude! You look like you've seen a ghost! Have you been drinking with Wendy again? You know she can drink you under at least three tables. Right?" He dropped his arm over my shoulders, giving me a hard shake to see if I could stay on my feet.
"I'm fine Soos I haven't been drinking at all! And that was one time!" I laughed, Soos is the closest thing I have to a best friend and can always get me to crack up. Even in the face of impending doom and the return of the dream demon that destroyed the town.
I didn't destroy the town. It's still here isn't it?
Ice poured down my spine and I froze, still tucked in Soos' arm. He was still laughing, had he not heard that?
Soos noticed the shift, he turned slightly to me and lowered his voice, "For real you good?"
He's just now noticing? Correct me if I'm wrong but, you haven't been "good" for a while now.
It was definitely Bill's voice, ringing clear in my ears, like he was standing right behind me. But Soos didn't react, he didn't hear it.
I decided to test it and thought out loud in my head. Are you in my head?
Duh.
Soos was still waiting, looking more and more concerned as I stood in silence. "Yeah, sorry I just need fresh air. It's a lot you know, I haven't seen Mabel in so long." I lied shitily, ducking out from under his arm and backing away towards the door.
"Ok dude." Soos waved off, watching me as I went. He's a good friend but I'm glad he didn't follow me.
No one else noticed me leave, which is pretty normal, I was able to get out the front door without anyone else stopping me or following me. Outside, I just start walking.
I was waiting, listen for if Bill would say something to me again, but he didn't. My head was only spinning with my own thoughts and confusion, rethinking everything that just happened. I took off into the woods, not wanting to talk to people in town, who all knew that Mabel had come back today.
Bill had just shown up and walked right into the living room. Out of all the times he could have shown up again today he chose the middle of Mabel's party where everyone saw him, but then after we made the deal he just left and put everyone and thing back to how it was before. My brain was relentlessly badgering me with the events of this morning and just now, and painfully enough focused on how he looked. Gravity Falls may be tiny and completely empty of other cute queer men my age but I really can't turn all that pent up loneliness on a dream demon just because he looked hot as a human.
I had unintentionally walked myself straight to Bill's statue. Which was still there, I was half expecting it to not be.
I stared at it for a long time, I opened my mouth a few times too, I don't know say something to it. But my words fell short each time.
"What... just happened?" I finally was able to ask, it was like thoughts three words had been the lock on the floodgates and everything came out, "Did that really happen? Why does no one else remember you coming in? Did you really make a deal with me? Why just disappear after all that? What do you even truly want?" I could feel my heart slowly sinking as all the statue did was stare wide over my shoulder, "Was it even real? I thought I'd heard you, with Soos. Am I just going crazy?" I closed my eyes. Pull yourself together Dipper, this is just one more thing, you can handle it. You just need to sleep. I just need sleep. I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth a few times till I could feel the wind on my skin again and my thoughts calmed, just enough to think clearly through them again.
"What's wrong with going crazy?" I jumped out my fucking skin. In front of me Bill stood, human form leaning on his own statue, just staring at me.
I shouted, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. "But why doesn't anyone else remember? What the fuck happened?"
He put his hands up in defense, "I might have gotten ahead of myself! I need you to hold tight for a few days." He pushed off of his statue and walked up to me, he took my hand up between us and bent his head to my knuckles, staring at me he grinned wickedly, "I promise to return for you soon my Pinetree." he bowed his head and with a snap of his other hand he was gone and I was alone again and worse his statue had disappeared with him, making it all the more real.
I knew that I needed to go back to the shack, but it took me a while to leave.
Timeskip :)
I hadn't gotten to bed till close to 4 or 5 am, most people had left around 11pm but Mabel and her closer friends stayed up playing party games and such. For most of it I stayed against the wall. Luckily, other than karaoke and a dance battle, Wendy didn't take part in a lot of the game either and spent a while sitting with me.
I laid in bed for a few hours without sleeping. Growling at the heat of the on coming summer. I sat up, stripping out of the hoodie I'd been wearing sense this morning. My attention caught on my arm.
What used to be clear, maybe too pale, skin. Was now covered just over my elbow to wrist in a tattoo I definitely did not get. Deep black ink in thin lines created an image that I would definitely fail to explain to anyone. Framed in rings of large and small triangles on my upper arm and wrist was the image of Bill's triangle form in the middle of his Zodiac circle, with a bit of twisting and turning of my arm I found a key on the underside of my arm in the space between the edges of the circle. I stared in awe at it. "The actual Hell!?" I hissed quietly moving off the bed to get a better look in the bathroom mirror.
You don't like it? Bill's voice filled my ears, I looked around the small bathroom but he wasn't here, he was just talking in my head again.
Not really knowing how this whole telepathy thing was working I favored speaking out loud to him than trying to think at him again like I had yesterday.
"No I don't. You said I have to wait a few days, which means I have to go back to my normal life without telling anyone. What are they going to think when they see this?? My Grunkles will know immediately." a shiver shot down my spine thinking about their anger, "It will give away your plain! Take it back!"
He tsked I don't see the trouble. Just cover it, I don't wanna take it off, it looks good on you.
Great, I have my own personal stalker now. "Just don't watch me shower." I ignored the blush creeping up my checks in the mirror.
Humans are hilarious! He laughed but I could hear it start to fade like he was walking away. When I couldn't hear him any more I quickly stripped off the rest of my clothes to take the weirdest shower I've taken in a while.
Afterwards I found myself a long sleeve shirt and jacket to throw over it, thanking the fact that even in the summer Oregon was cool enough for long sleeves, this would have never worked back in California.
Downstairs Pacifica and Mabel are in the kitchen making breakfast together.
Pacifica smiled, "Good Morning Dipper, come sit breakfast is almost done." Mabel didn't look up from the pan she was making pancakes in.
"Morning." I yawn, stopping by the coffee pot before sitting at the table.
"Sleep ok?" She asked, watching me yawn for at least a third time.
Mabel shook her head and whispered, "he never sleeps well."
Pacifica glances worriedly at her but turns to me again trying to still hold the conversation, "I slept fine, just went to bed late." I lied.
She laughed lightly, "I think we all did."
The kitchen fell silent as they finished cooking.
When the food was ready I took my plate and left the room, I couldn't stand the look Mabel kept giving me, instead I went to sit by myself in the living room. It was still way too early for Stan to be up and even if Ford was up by now he would still be down in his lab.
It wasn't long till Mabel and Pacifica left and the house was basically empty. I retreated to the safety of my room, behind a locked door. I pulled my sleeve up to stare at the artwork, it was definitely ink tattooed into my arm but the wound was fully healed. Why would he leave something like this on me, it doesn't make any sense. Then again, when has anything Bill done ever make sense. People around here didn't pay me that much attention anyways so keeping something over it should keep it a secret for the few days Bill needs.
I shook my head trying to shake off the stress of keeping it hidden.
I had nothing else to do for the day, lately it's been a lot like this, I can't work in the Lab and with Soos running the Mystery Shack I haven't done much work there. He's offered me a job several times but it always has been out of pity. He knows I stayed to apprentice under Ford, that it hasn't turned out the way I'd thought. I couldn't bring myself to take it, taking a job in the mystery shack would feel so much more depressing than waiting on Ford. In some way, it felt like I'd come back here for nothing. That me and Mabel fought for nothing. But every day that turns out like this, always makes me second guess if I should take the job.
The day went by slowly and without incident, most of which I spent in my room, reading, writing, and building. Feeling cooped up I snuck out past Stan sleeping in the living room, waved to Melody where she sat at the counter and spent a few hours in the woods, purposely avoiding the now empty sight where Bill's statue used to stand. I hadn't been looking for anything, just walking, seeing that everything was still intact. There were still no signs of Bill.
Any other day passed just like this and with the statue missing I was having a very hard time finding a good place to sleep.
I got up on the third day feeling like a fool. Why would he make a deal with me? Why is he doing nothing about it? Questions like this chased themselves in circles as I got dress and zombied down the creaking stairs.
Like the last two mornings, Pacifica and Mabel were up and cooking breakfast together. Pacifica gave me a soft smile and muttered good morning, Mabel didn't even look up from the eggs she was frying.
I poured myself some coffee and slumped into a chair, waiting for the first round of food to hit the table.
As Pacifica placed a plate full of bacon down, "We want to go to the lake today. You should come." It wasn't a question, and she wasn't asking, looks like I'm going to the lake today.
"Yeah I-" I can't go, the tattoo, they can't see it. "I would like to but I am gonna be busy today..." It was a weak excuse, give me a break I haven't had enough of coffee yet.
"You haven't been busy for the past two days, what's different about today?" She pushed.
"I was gonna talk to Ford today but I guess I can do that later." I muttered into my mug. She smirked, triumphant.
"Cool! We are leaving after breakfast, so eat up." She bounced back to the stove.
I watched Mabel for a moment, she had spent the whole of the conversation with her back turned to us as if she wasn't listening. Now she was whispering to Pacifica as she filled a plate with the fried and scrambled eggs.
When she placed them on the table, she made eye contact with me and gave me a small smile. "Thx for coming with us today, it should be fun." Her words came out soft and low like she wasn't talking to me or that she was practicing saying it beforehand but I'd overheard her.
I could only give her back a weak nod, just surprised she'd spoken to me.
The rest of the breakfast I spent in a bit of shock, only able to listen to the girls talk about the lake. Pacifica was saying something about how her family would watch and bet on boat raises. Her father would teach her how to know which boat would win before they even took off from the docks. Mabel was telling the story about how we tried to capture a photo of the lake monster, of course it had turned out to be Fidlford in a giant lake monster robot just trying to get the attention of his son, but still she spoke about it as a fond memory. Laughing too hard when she was trying to explain the camera plan I'd come up with and how horribly wrong it had all gone.
Once we finished eating they ran off to get changed and I was faced with a new problem, 'what to do about the tattoo.'
Standing in front of my closet, I didn't answer the question. First off, I haven't really gone swimming since I was 16, maybe 17. It hadn't even gone for fun, I was diving with Ford for something, he didn't tell me what it was.
So maybe I have shorts? That's a good place to start, I had to dig for them but I do have a simple black pair of trunks. Due to, let's just call it a 'period of minor health decline', I'm still just as skinny as I was back then.
They fit, but I still have the issue of my arm. I used to wear sun shirts to the lake or the pool when I was younger but anything like that I have now is short sleeved and the mark just had to be on my forearm not my upper arm.
I pulled a simple black long sleeve from a wide range of simple black and gray scale shirts. This could do, I would just have to make sure the sleeves stayed down.
I can do this.
I can go to the lake, I can have fun with my sister, and I can keep the fucking brand a secret.
I can do this.