"B-bill . . ." Dipper's consciousness faded slowly back into reality, their shared dream still fresh in his memory. "Mmm . . . Bill . . ." The boy drowsily opened his eyes, smiling down at the blond form on the floor. Morning light poured over him, making his hair shine golden, beautiful despite the wild style that came from a full night's sleep. Or a half night's sleep. They went to bed really late. "G'morning, Bill."
The triangle slipped back into his vessel, opening its eyes and smiling for Dipper. "Morning." His body felt rested despite having gone to bed so late. He sniffed the air. "Mmm! Food!" The demon stood up and slipped on the eyepatch he usually wore.
Dipper got ready as well, donning his hat to cover up his own messy mane instead of combing it. He trotted over to the door once he was ready enough, not sparing a glance at what he knew was Mabel's empty bed. The air did indeed smell like breakfast, though with surprisingly less burn in the mixture. It was probably for a special occasion, seeing as . . . As . . . Ford's here now.
Dipper wanted to slap himself in the face for forgetting. He would have to come up with a plan to make sure Mabel and — actually, if anything, he would protect Bill, if not the world. He would just have to play it cool for the moment. "Are you feeling good?" he asked as he opened the door to head to the kitchen.
"Tip-top shape as ever!" Bill grinned, showing off his gleaming set of teeth. "Anyways, I'll need my own clothes so we're going gold digging! A while ago, before your existence, I had people bury their gold in various spots around this town. I can use that as money to buy whatever I might think to need!" He passed the boy, drawn by the scent of food.
"Oh, everything makes sense now," Dipper said amusedly, hopping down the steps after him. "I'm guessing you want some really nice stuff. And the dream was great. You're always full of surprises."
Bill hummed agreement and turned around suddenly to flick Dipper's pink nose. It caught the tween off guard and nearly startled him off the steps. "Surprise! Surprise!" he cracked up and hurried the rest of the way to the kitchen. Dipper stumbled after him, clearly flustered.
The former triangle didn't actually care if he was going to get into another argument once Ford saw him. All he wanted to do was eat human food a prove himself to be a "good guy". The old man was right to not trust him, but still. His act needed to be flawless.
It wasn't Ford at the table, though, nor was it Stan. It was Mabel. She sat in the booth seat that the twins usually ate at when they were having meals together, fully dressed in her usual garb, though covered in what looked to be food-colored flour. Waddles was chomping down sloppily on a rainbow pancake, ignoring the males as they walked in.
The girl looked up at them, expression still bearing a sort of distance that brought back recent struggles to the front of Dipper's mind. "Oh . . . It's you two. H-how did your dream meeting thing go?" She seemed to be in a strained mood but acted more friendly than her brother had expected.
"Good," Bill said simply and sat down a reasonable distance away from her. The demon smiled as he looked over at the food. "Time to taste some human nourishment!" He was obviously excited about eating. "Hey, Pine Tree!" Bill picked up a fork. "Remember this? I stabbed your arm with it back when you were my puppet!"
Dipper laughed nervously. "Y-yeah . . . I remember that." He looked over to the counter, where two equally colorful plates were waiting, warm and topped with sizzling bacon and substitute butter. "Did you make breakfast for us?"
Mabel nodded. "Well, those are for Grunkle Stan and Ford, but they didn't come to eat this morning for some wacky reason. They'll be cold if no one eats them, so I guess . . . you and Bill could have them."
"Thanks," he offered a smile, setting one of the plates in front of the young man and sitting beside him.
"Alright!" Bill smiled and began to eat his pancakes. They tasted good. Maybe a little too much edible glitter. It was easy to tell that Mabel made it. The bacon was also yummy. "Ah, it feels like I haven't had solid food in forever!"
"Only the best from chef Mabel," she replied, continuing to finish her own meal. "I'm happy that you like it. Maybe later I could show you how to make these."
Dipper had started eating, swallowing an overly sweet bite of food. Huh, she's in a really friendly mood, but she still seems sad. It's weird. He had anticipated more of a stab about how their twin bond was fading to make him guilty, but none came. Double weird.
Bill just smiled. "Well thanks, Shooting Star." The demon finished up, looking over at Dipper. "So kid, where're the shovels?"
"They should be in the yard. If not, Grunkle Stan probably has some spares in the storage room," Dipper answered, cleaning his plate. "I don't think we'll be able to work today because of the damage. Mabel . . . do you . . . do you want to come?"
"Nope," she said hurriedly, picking up their plates and utensils. "I've gotta . . . watch over Waddles. And dishes! Yes, dishes. Make this house sparkly clean."
He lifted an eyebrow. "O-okay then . . . Have fun." The boy stood up. "After you, Bill."
Bill frowned at Mabel as she left. "Crumbling pyramids! I can't read minds anymore!" The demon seethed and got up, going over to the front door. "She's acting weird and still doesn't trust me . . ." he muttered.
Dipper sighed, trailing after him. "I don't know what she's up to. It's not like her to be so passive," he agreed.
"She could be planning . . ." Bill's visible eye widened. "Did Ford tell her? If he did —" Bill cut off and walked outside, grabbing a shovel. Did Ford tell her my weakness? Or my old plans? I might be in trouble . . . I better check my eyes in the past later . . . Bill handed another shovel to Dipper. "Come on. I know where a decent collection is. Follow me." He started walking into the forest.
Dipper did as he was told, swinging the tool to rest over his shoulder. "Weakness? Old plans?" he echoed. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing," Bill sighed. "Sorry. I'm just worried Ford has turned her against me. We need to be careful, okay? That's all." The demon didn't elaborate any more than that.
He hummed thoughtfully. "There sure are a bunch of suspicious secrets in this town. In Gravity Falls, I've learned that you always have to be alert," he mused, grinning at Bill. "Even if you're an amazingly powerful and near omniscient dream demon with a fabulous sense of class."
Bill laughed. "Why, thank you. Kind and true words spoken from a smart kid," he grinned. The praise he got from this boy was incredible. The same sweet feeling was back, filling his new body with warmth. "Would you look at that? You just made my worries disappear." Bill quickly found the spot he was looking for and drew an X in the dirt. "Now let's get that gold! I'll even buy you a present in town!" He stabbed the shovel in the dirt and began to dig.
Dipper's cheeks were flushed by the time he joined in the work, those familiar fires of adoration heating his insides. He felt an urge to touch the deer tooth in his pocket but didn't, busy clearing away the forest soil. "How much . . . further?" he asked between breaths, puffing with the effort of heaving away pounds of soil at a time.
"It's not deep," Bill said just as his shovel hit something that wasn't rock or dirt. It was a chest. "There's our prize!" The blond maneuvered his shovel just right so he could lift the box up slowly. Even with a lever, it was heavy. Once he did get the chest out, he opened it. The sunlight made the gold appear bright and shiny. The entire chest was full of it. "From I remember about your world, I'd say this is worth roughly around a million dollars. Local currency."
"Woah . . . it's like . . . more than I'll ever make in a lifetime," he chuckled, reaching out to touch a golden coin. "This is really real. Funny how Grunkle Stan didn't find it here. And who buries this much gold nowadays anyway?"
"This is all from an old cult: followers of mine who struck rich during the gold rush. They took most of the gold from California to Gravity Falls and paid me in tribute for when I needed it," Bill answered, trying to pick the heavy chest up with a grunt of effort. "That's why nobody really found a lot of gold in California when the all flocked there. I had a spell put on my treasures so that they couldn't be found unless some quick-witted guy knew exactly where to look." He wavered a little, struggling to carry the chest. "Can you hurry and get me a wagon or something to take this into town?"
"Oh, sure. What about a golf cart? Will that work?" he responded. California? I live in Piedmont. And soon I'll have to be going back there . . . at the end of summer.
"Yeah." The demon put the chest down with a heaving breath. "We can ride it and put the chest in the back." Bill smiled. "And . . . maybe you don't have to go back home. We'll see what the future holds." Bill didn't say anything else. He was sure Dipper would accept his upcoming offer and plans. And if he didn't . . . Bill was in deep trouble.
Not have to — he bit his lip, heart hammering with hope. Really? It sounds like a miracle. Dipper shook his head and smiled. "We'll see then. Do you want to come with me to get the cart?"
"Sorry, kiddo. I'm gonna keep an eye on the chest. Gravity Falls is inhabited by the strange. I don't want anything stealing my gold." Bill told him. "You'll be fine on your own, right? It should only take a few minutes." He sat down next to the chest, leaning against it with a smirk. I'll still be connected to your mind if you wanna chat, Pine Tree. You won't ever have to be alone again.
Bill . . . Dipper closed his eyes thankfully, giving himself a moment to simply feel the sweet emotion pouring from him. "Yeah. I'll hurry," he smiled, opening his eyes. The boy gave a final wave before heading back the way they came.
The blond sat quietly, waiting for him to return. That one word, his own name, resounded still. Bill had felt that passionate emotion coming from Dipper, tied to that word. He finally just had to know what it was. What else was that strong? He knew sadness, anger and other basic feelings. Never before had he experienced something so . . . pleasingly ardent. Hey . . . Dipper? Bill asked. What's that emotion called? The one that is constantly radiating off of you when you're around me?
Dipper jolted at that, having already begun traversing the leftover rubble near the Mystery Shack. Wha-what? The . . . emotion? He chewed on his lower lip, extremely glad that Bill couldn't see the nervous blush creeping onto his skin. I'm not sure what you mean. Maybe it's my . . . my aura or something weird like that? The answer he gave sounded all the more faked in his mind. But he was scared to say the truth.
No. No. It's an emotion. Something even I can't quite understand. Your aura is something completely different. Bill shook his head. He knew Dipper was hiding something now. The boy was intelligent enough not to mix emotions and auras up. You're a human, having lived with exposure for over a decade. You know this emotion. I know you do.
Oh hey, look! The golf cart, Dipper quickly changed the subject, running to the side of the Shack. The vehicle was parked there, miraculously unharmed. He cleared away a piece of debris near the tires and felt each one. Firm. It would do.
"Of course, you change the subject," Bill muttered under his breath. It looked like the kid wasn't going to answer him anytime soon. But Bill was a stubborn demon. He would ask again later or figure it out on his own. He could try and list through the human emotions he knew to figure out the ones he didn't know. Though, that would take too long. Bill would rather ask Dipper. Alright, bring it back here. I can't wait to get classy clothes. I also think I want some tattoos as well!
Tattoos? Dipper repeated with surprise, starting up the cart. He pushed on the gas, pleased when the golf cart moved forward at a suitable pace. "Oh, good. It still works."
Sure! I heard about how much pain it is to get them! The former triangle grinned. Plus, I could get my wheel or something cool on my back. Nothing is comparable to having your immortal likeness etched into your dermis!
Dipper imagined how that would look like, what with Bill's smoking hot — Dipper coughed to rid the thought, almost crashing into a tree. That idea appealed to him too much. W-we can probably check the services at the mall if . . . if you want to. Later. I think . . . uh, yeah. The brunet tried to stop blushing, catching sight of the former triangle not twenty feet ahead. The forest was luckily sparse in this area, providing space so the golf cart could drive right next to him. He distantly wondered if the vehicle could support the weight of a million dollar's worth of gold but didn't voice his skepticism.
Bill used the shovel, straining until the heavy chest was mostly secured in the back of the cart. He walked returned to the front of the car, ducking down and sitting next to Dipper. It was a bit squished next to him in the small cart. "That's it! We're all set to go."
The boy smiled back, hitting the gas. "How did you pick all that up without hurting yourself?" he asked curiously once they had made it on a more stable path, the wheels never sporting an issue.
"Hmm . . . It would seem your imagination gave me muscles during the transmutation," Bill shrugged nonchalantly, scanning their surroundings as they drove. "Still, large clumps of metal are heavy when you don't have the powers of telekinesis at your whim."
The golf cart jerked as it hit a tiny ridge, flinging Dipper on top of Bill. He quickly regained composure, taking control of the wheel before anything bad could happen. That was close. His face had turned red from both the shock and being pressed up to the blond. The tween took a deep breath. "W-we should probably find an actual road. This trail is . . . rough."
Bill nodded, a bit surprised by the sudden movement of the cart. The demon couldn't quite understand why the boy next to him still had a red face. Bill didn't say anything, wondering about humans once again.
"Good. This goes to the town square, I think," he voiced. "Uh . . . where are we taking this?"
"I was planning to get it exchanged for cash," Bill told him.
"All of it?" the boy gaped. "Here?"
"Obviously! I have to do to at . . . you call it a bank. That way I have money on my name. 'Cause technically in your world I don't really exist yet," Bill explained. "I figured I'd like to stay in this world for a while and I'll need money. That's what's important in this society. And if anyone asks, I'll say my name is . . . William Codex." Bill totally just made up the name.
Dipper hummed at that, the fake title holding a pleasing ring. "Alright, but I was thinking that the Gravity Falls bank might get suspicious if you suddenly showed up with a million dollars . . . and no one normal has that much to give away, anyway. Except for the Northwest family and their snooty, rich friends."
Bill nodded. "True. But I'm from out of town. My story will be that I came from Hollywood and will be staying in Gravity Falls for a while. Maybe those Northwests invited me to stay here?" Bill was making things up, but if it didn't work he always had a backup plan. He could put his vessel to sleep later and, while in the mindscape, he could mess around with people's brains.
"And your excuse for hanging around a kid like me?" Dipper sighed quietly, smiling. "Look, if Pacifica's family had any reason to spread their name, it wouldn't be by sending someone from Hollywood to work at the Mystery Shack and spend their day with a 'commoner'. Me saving the load of them from that lumberjack ghost might have raised my rank, but if there's anything I've learned, it's not to get comfortable with the enemy. You never know when they might attack." He narrowed his eyes for effect, then resumed being happy. "But they're not all that bad. At least, not Pacifica. We had some good times. People really can change."
"Right . . ." Bill brushed his thoughts off as the main part of the town came into sight. "I have a backup plan that's much easier. Don't worry about me, Pine Tree," he paused and then added, "and I don't like the Northwests either. Preston is always trying to summon me to make deals to increase his wealth. It's annoying."
"What? Really?" he blinked, steering towards a larger road. "I never imagined that he would try to summon you. Or that he even knew who you were, since he needed me to exorcise that ghost."
"Preston is a lazy man. Always greedy to get what he wants. I've been around this town for a long time. Of course he knows me. I mean, he does have that tapestry too," Bill had a clear vision of the tapestry hanging in the Northwest Manor. It has been there for a while now.
"Why can I believe you?" he said flatly, finally making it to the town square. Pedestrians walked into the various shops, giving the two hardly any notice. Dipper felt like they wouldn't have much trouble fitting in. He parked the car. "Here we are."