Dipper sat nervously as he waited for the rest of his family to come down. It had been a few days, and he had finally decided that he was going to tell them about the apartment. He knew his parents wouldn't like it, and possibly Ford wouldn't either, but he had slowly learned to stop caring. Or, at least he liked to tell himself he had, though he knew that he was still hurt by what his parents had to say at times.
Still, he was ready to tell them, and with Bill busy cooking breakfast, he didn't have much else to think about except how his family would react upon hearing that he and Bill would be moving in together at the end of the summer.
"You need to stop worrying so much, Sapling. You know I'll always be here for you. As will Mabel and Fez."
"I know, Bill. Doesn't mean I can't worry. And besides, they could react just as badly. Just because they're okay with us being together doesn't mean they'll be okay with us moving out together..."
Bill looked over at his boyfriend before turning his attention back to their food. Dipper knew he was trying to help, and he had likely just shut him down. Bill, however, put the last of the food on plates before joining Dipper at the table. He gave the brunet a kiss, getting a smile out of him.
"Everything will be alright. It's already ours. They can't take it away from us without a fight. And you know me. I'm not one to just give something up when I have it."
Dipper had to laugh at that. He knew Bill was mainly speaking of when he tried to take over the world. Though he wondered if that comment was also about him. Bill had made it known that he wouldn't give Dipper up for anything. Something that Ford was quick to catch, though he didn't say anything about it. Dipper figured he was just glad that Bill wasn't wanting to take over the world anymore.
"He's back..." Bill said, interrupting Dipper's thoughts.
Dipper looked out the window, seeing the unmistakable outline of the other demon that he was glad couldn't get much closer to the shack than he already was. Looking back over to Bill, Dipper saw that he was looking more annoyed that he had been earlier.
"Bill, relax. It's not like he can do anything. And the rest know he's dangerous, so they're not going to risk it with him out there. Still, I wish he'd get the hint. I don't even know what he wants anymore..."
"He wants you," Bill stated, as though it should've been clear. "Demons always want what they can't have. And given the type of demon he is, he must find the fact he can't have you even more annoying. Which is just fine to me."
"You know, I can't argue with you on that. Though, I don't want to anger him too much. We don't know what he'll do."
"Who are you two talking about now?" Stan asked as he and Ford came into the kitchen, each taking a plate of food before sitting with Dipper and Bill.
"Alexander. He's outside again. I don't see why we don't just blast him. Maybe then he'll understand that he's not wanted."
"Sapling, we both know that nothing Sixer has is powerful enough to blast him to pieces. Though, that's probably a good thing. I personally don't want him to blast me as well."
Dipper had to laugh at that. As much as Ford had given them a slight break, he was still giving them a hard time. Mostly because he still didn't like the fact that Dipper seemed to have given the demon his complete trust. Still, he let them be, and Bill did his best to stay on Ford's good side.
"We don't need to blast him to pieces, just enough for him to get the hint. I want nothing to do with him. And the sooner he leaves, the sooner we can leave."
"Leave? Are you two planning on going somewhere?"
Dipper nodded to his great uncles. He looked over at Bill with a smile before turning back to look at them. Though he was hoping to wait until his parents and sister came down, he figured he could tell them now.
"Bill bought us an apartment. It's close to my university, so I can easily walk there rather than having to drive or get a bus. It's a nice place too. And though I was worried about the size, it's really not all that big. No bigger than what we'd need anyway."
Ford raised a brow, looking between the two of them. Dipper had a feeling he knew what his grunkle was thinking, though held off so as not to jump to conclusions and give his uncle any ideas.
"And where will Bill be staying while you're at this apartment?"
"With him. Like he said, I got it for us. We'll both be living there. And I'm sure you'll all be allowed to visit once we're all settled."
Bill looked over to Dipper, who gave them all a nod. He didn't mind them visiting once they had worked out everything. Though, he hoped they would give them some alone time before charging into their new place. He just wanted to make it theirs before the rest of his family came to change the mood of the place.
Dipper was actually glad that Ford wasn't harassing them about the apartment too much. Or about the fact that Bill could in fact now leave the town. Maybe he was giving them more leeway than he would have thought beforehand. But he was sure to give them a thankful smile when they didn't question the two further. It felt as though they were finally starting to put some trust in him, and by extension, Bill.
It was just as Bill was putting the plate on the table that the last of the Pines family members came down. Bill gave them all a kind smile, though Mabel was the only one to return the smile. Dipper noticed this, and though he didn't say anything to his parents, it was clear to the rest of his family that he was annoyed about something.
"What's the matter, Dip-Dot? You looked so happy when we first came down..."
Dipper looked over at his twin, though as he did so, he could tell that the rest of his family and his boyfriend were all now looking at him. Dipper shook his head, not wanting to talk about it. This seemed to be enough for his family, though not for Bill. He was the only one who noticed that, although Dipper was looking better, he was still upset. And he knew what it likely was about.
Taking his seat, Bill took Dipper's hand in his own. This caused the teen to look over, seeing the heartwarming smile that was on his boyfriend's face. Dipper couldn't stay upset with his parents knowing that Bill was happy and was actively trying to cheer him up. Giving his boyfriend a smile and kiss on the cheek, Dipper turned back to his food. He knew his parents weren't happy but he didn't care. If he was going to be making them upset, might as well start sooner rather than later.
Dipper decided to wait until the rest of his family was done eating before bringing up his good news. He knew his parents would hate it, though he couldn't care. He was just happy to know that he and Bill had a place they could call their own. And all they needed to do now was personalize it. Though, Dipper had the feeling that Bill had already taken care of most of it.
"Dipper, wasn't there something you were wanting to tell everyone," Ford said, catching everyone's attention.
Dipper gave him a nod. He looked over to Bill before turning to look at his family. He could see that they were curious, though he could also tell that his parents were already disapproving of what he was about to say.
"As everyone knows, I'll be going to OSU in the fall. Well, Bill and I have bought an apartment for us to live in while I'm there."
Dipper could see the smile growing on Mabel's face as she heard that he would so have his own place. As he looked at his parents, he could see that they were confused as to how to take this bit of news.
"Will it only be while you're in school? What will happen when you're done?"
"That depends. Bill might also be attending the school in the new year. And if that's the case, we might be staying out there a little longer. And I've also been thinking of maybe going to teacher's college. I've been told a few times now that I'd make a good teacher."
"Are you kidding? Dipper, you'd be amazing as a teacher. And you love to both teach and learn." Mabel gushed, giving her twin a large smile.
Dipper was glad that he had been able to steer the conversation away from him and Bill living together, as everyone was now focused on what Dipper would be doing after school. Mabel, Stan and Ford had a bunch of questions for the two boys about their plans. Ford seemed interested in the fact that Bill was still going about acting as though he was a normal human, though figured he'd have to if he were to stay with Dipper for the long run.
"So, Bill, you're actually going to university. Do you know what it is you want to do?"
"Ah, no, not yet. And I missed the deadline due to being... Ah... Busy... But Sapling said he'd help me work through everything and I'll apply for the following year, or winter. Depends on when I can start."
"You could probably become a historian or something like that." Dipper hummed, getting a none too happy glance from Bill.
"Really, Pine Tree? That was a bad joke, even for you."
Dipper gave his boyfriend a shrug before finishing up his meal. He had spoken with Bill about them possibly visiting the house that day, though they both knew that they'd have to tell everyone else before they left. Dipper motioned for Bill to follow him as he left the room, the two heading up to their room.
Once they were in their room and the door was closed, Dipper pulled Bill close to him. He wasn't upset or anything of the sort, he just needed to hold the demon. Sensing this, Bill wrapped his arms tightly around the teen. Neither said anything. There was nothing to say. And both were just happy to be with each other.
"Let's get dressed, Sapling. Then we can..."
"What about Alexander? I mean, I know it's us he wants but..."
"Your family will be alright. Ford understands the danger better than anyone. And since we've told them who he really is, we know they'll be careful."
Dipper nodded, though Bill could tell that he wasn't as sure as the demon was. Bill pulled Dipper back into a tight hug, trying to help calm him.
"Look, we won't be leaving until the end of the summer. We're just going to be checking on the place to make sure everything is alright, maybe stay a night or two before coming back."
Bill gave Dipper a smile that told Dipper that the demon had more in mind than just looking the place over. Smiling, Dipper agreed to this, even if he was still worried about his family. But he knew Bill was right. His family could look after themselves for a few days while they went to check the apartment. They had been able to stop Bill at full power, they could easily take a demon that was weaker.
"I just hope he doesn't do anything to hurt anyone while we're gone. I'll destroy him myself if he does that."
"I know you will, Sapling. And you know I'll stand by you no matter what."
Dipper gave the demon a kiss before turning to get dressed. He knew that it was going to be a rather nice day, so figured that shorts and a tank would be fine. Though if he and Bill would be staying there for a few nights, he would need a few change of clothes.
Dipper turned to look over at the demon behind him. Without Dipper even having to say anything, Bill was already packing a bag for the two of them. Dipper had to smile at how in sync the two of them were at times. Though, it was Bill's idea to stay there multiple nights. It only made sense that he'd make sure to pack clothes and such for them.
Once the two were ready, they made their way back downstairs. Mabel was there waiting for them, a large smile on her face. Before Dipper could ask, she gave them both a tight hug. She didn't need to say anything for Dipper to know what was on her mind. Dipper pulled away with a small nod. He wanted to make sure his sister was alright before leaving.
Though Dipper didn't want to leave her on her own, he knew that she could look after herself. She had been doing so for a lot longer than Dipper had. And besides, she had Stan and Ford looking out for her if anything were to happen.
As Dipper made his way out to the car, he saw Bill checking the car over to make sure everything was alright. Dipper had a feeling that Bill knew more than he was letting on, though knew he wouldn't say anything until the two were a safe distance away. Upon seeing him walking over, Bill stopped, pulling the brunet over into a hug, kissing his head.
"All ready to go? I've already packed the trunk, and I'm just looking over the car. We might need to fill up on gas before getting too far."
"I should probably let Stan and Ford now we're leaving. But other than that, I'm good to go."
Dipper turned to look at the shack, though didn't make a move to leave Bill's arms. Seeing this, Bill let out a soft chuckle, kissing Dipper's head again before letting him go. Dipper frowned at Bill playfully before heading back to the shack. Before he could enter, he saw the older twins at the door. He was confused as to how they knew they were leaving at first until he realized that Mabel must have told them.
"Look after yourself, kid. And do us a small favour and call once you're there, just so we know you got there in one piece."
"I will, Grunkle Stan. And if anything more happens with Alexander, let us know. We don't want you guys getting hurt because of us."
Dipper gave his great uncles hugs, taking to heart their well wishes. He looked around to see if his parents were about, though upon not seeing them gave up and made his way back to Bill. He knew his parents would be angry at him for not saying bye to them but he didn't really care anymore. As far as Dipper was concerned, they had no say in his life anymore. Not since they kicked him out of the house.
Getting into the car, he gave his boyfriend the go-ahead. Bill started the car, driving off to start on their drive to their apartment. Both were nervous that Alexander would try to stop them as they drove past him, yet they didn't seem to run into him. Not when heading into town and not as they made their way out of the town. Dipper didn't like that. Alexander had been after them for far too long for him to just suddenly stop then without reason.
Bill told Dipper not to worry. He was probably right. Maybe upon seeing that the two were leaving town for a while, he had backed off. Either that, or he was trying to find his own way out of the town. He was thankful that Ford had double-checked that the barrier was still up, and was just as strong as before. Even though Bill didn't seem too worried, Dipper couldn't help but wonder why they had been able to leave so easily. And though Dipper wanted to speak more on the matter, it was clear that Bill didn't. And Dipper didn't want to start an argument over something as small as Alexander letting them go without a fight.
Dipper tried not to let that small fact bother him. He and Bill were going to their home, and Dipper knew he should be happy about that. And listening to Bill talk about how excited he was helped. And even made him laugh when he remembered that this was the first time he had left the falls in who knows how long. It made Bill frown slightly, though he couldn't keep it up for long before going back to smiling and laughing with the brunet.
The drive took them most of the day, though there was a break for lunch and gas. Bill also decided to grab some food for them while they stayed at their place. It wasn't much, just enough so they wouldn't have to order-in or eat out every night. Dipper was actually thankful for this, as he had grown too used to Bill's cooking and didn't want to go without it for too long.
Pulling into the apartment complex, Dipper was taken aback by how fancy the place looked. He felt rather out of place there, even if no one was around to enforce that mentality. Bill noticed this, taking his boyfriend's hand to help calm him. Dipper looked over, seeing the smile on his boyfriend's face, causing him to smile back in return.
"Let's head up. I want to see our place." Dipper said, a large smile on his face. With a nod from Bill, the two got out of the car and left to enter the building.
A/N: Happy New Year Everyone!! Sorry if this chapter feels all over the place, was trying to work in a couple of ideas that weren't enough for each to have their own chapter for them. Anyway, I hope to get more of this story done for you all soon. Thanks for reading :D <3