Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bill Cipher regards the figure on the beach cautiously. The figure is that of man; naked and squatting in the grey sand as if he is studying something. There are freckles and patches dotted along the lean muscles of his pale back, the mage notes, creeping closer to the hunched body. His breathing hitches as he sees it. Beside the man is a seal skin. Bill grins to himself; it seemed his suspicions had been correct: This man is a selkie.

 Bill snaps his fingers. The selkie man looks up, surprised, his expression quickly shifting into horror as he tries to grab his skin, which slips out from between of his fingers. His dark eyes are shining with fear and uncertainty. The stories had said the selkies were beautiful, Bill recalls. They hadn’t been wrong. His face breaks into a wicked smirk as he regards the selkie with a devilish look in his eye. “And here I thought it was selkie women who left their skins lying around for the taking! I suppose you’re all idiots!” The selkie let out a feral snarl, but doesn’t attack as Bill thought he might. “Does that mean you’re going to be my wife now?” He lets out a cackle that echoes along the cool beach.

 There is a look of distress - no, a look of panic - on the smooth features of the selkie. He is uncertain as to what would come next; he doesn't know what this strange, awful human wants with him. “Relax, kid! Or should I say pup?” –Bill flashes his best shit eating grin- “You will come with me, and work for me. I could do with an extra pair of hands in the shop; and from what I’ve heard from the stories; I know you won’t run away as long as I have this.” some magical force waves the skin is in front of the selkie’s face. He lunges forward as he tries to grab it, only to have it be yanked away. He barely catches himself from falling face first. “Why?” His voice is quiet and angry, and he winces as it cracks a little.

 “Oh, so you do speak!” The mage seems genuinely surprised for a moment, before he covers it up with another malicious smile. “I got bored, and I went for a walk. I just so happened to see you! There's no real reason!” The selkie stares at him, his dark eyes full of fear and sadness. They both fall silent, regarding one another. Bill notes, with a hint of annoyance, that the selkie is taller than he is by about half a head. Then, after a minute of quiet thought, he hands the creature his cloak, amused by the look of confusion on its enchanting face. “Well, you can’t just go walking around town naked; someone might think you’re some kind of whore!” The selkie holds back the questions that are sitting on the tip of his tongue, and instead says. “If you gave me my skin back we wouldn’t have this problem.” He pulls the cloak tightly around himself. He casts his eyes back to the sea a final time, and his mind to his family. A wave of sadness hits him as he wonders if he will ever see his sister’s sweet face again. The mage chuckles, but doesn’t say anything as he leads the selkie towards town.

 “So, you got a name, pup?” The mage glances over at the selkie, who doesn’t reply. They walk in silence for a while, the selkie studying the cobbled roads intently. “...I don’t know your words for it, I…” The selkie glances up at Bill suspiciously and then back to the ground again. “I was named after the Great Bear constellation.” The mage’s eyes are boring into him, but he doesn’t look up again. He pulls the hood down further over his head, watching the floor with even greater interest than before. The mage stops. So does he. “What are you hiding from me, Great Bear?” The mage grabs both of his shoulders and stares at him intently; his words leaving no room for refusal. It’s the first time that the selkie actually looks at his captor properly. A tattoo of an eye sits just above his eyebrows and descends down the bridge of his nose. His eyes are scrutinising Dipper, who is sure that humans aren’t meant to have teeth that sharp.

 He runs a hand through his bangs instinctively, only to have it grabbed and pulled away from his damp hair. The mage pulls his bangs back, and the selkie finds he is unable to pull away. “Ursa Major.” The mage won’t stop staring at his forehead and it’s making him feel incredibly self-conscious. The mages eyes glaze over “Dipper” He practically purrs under his breath, and the selkie wants to squirm but he finds that he literally can’t move. Then, the mage blinks and he returns to what Dipper assumes to be normal. “Come on, Dipper; let’s get you to your new home.” As the mage spins around and begins striding away, ‘Dipper’ swears he sees his tattooed eye blink.

 The walk to town is a little too long for Dipper’s liking, mainly because he’s gradually getting further away from the sea, and the bare soles of his feet are soft and aching; but also because Bill is talking the whole time. Most of the conversation consists of him smoothly dodging Dipper’s questions, or answering as vaguely as possible. Dipper isn't even sure he's human. It certainly wouldn’t surprise him if he wasn’t. When he asks about the shop, Bill simply says “I provide magic for whoever needs it in this town. Let’s leave it at that for now.” When Dipper opens his mouth to protest, Bill holds up a hand “Spare me your whining, pup! I don’t want to hear it.” Dipper stares miserably at his skin, which is tucked under Bill’s arm. He wonders if he could grab it. No, he wouldn't want to risk it getting ripped. A gust of cold wind blows by, and Dipper has to fight to keep the cloak from riding up. According to his new master, walking around town naked was not an option. What strange tradition humans have! Although, he has to admit, the cloak is much warmer than crouching on the beach. The beach. Another wave of homesickness hits him.

 When they enter town, people stare at them both, some looking angry, others scared. Dipper feels painfully self conscious, shrinking even further into the hood of the cloak, whilst Bill simply grins at the surrounding people. The houses and shops are all built of grey stones, and they sit low and sluggishly into the earth as if they had grown from it like trees did. The battered cobble path is smooth from rain and footsteps, and it soothes Dipper’s aching feet just a little. They stick out like sore thumbs, Dipper realises. Bill is adorned in the colours of an angry sunset: he is gold and practically glowing. The black cloak Dipper wears is lined in gold too, and he wonders in the back of his mind if it’s expensive. The dull reds, browns and greys of the rest of the village don’t quite seem to fit around Bill, he is out of place. Bill abruptly stops, and Dipper bumps into the shorter man’s back. “This is it, pup! Welcome to my humble abode!”

Bill gestures to a house, which is almost unrecognisable as a house because it is so sunk into the earth. Vines crawl up the stony walls and along the window frame, with strangely coloured flowers blooming brightly along them. The roof of the house could easily be mistaken for part of the surrounding hills, in fact, perhaps it was. Bill pushes open a gate made of intricately woven wood, and gestures for Dipper to follow. The selkie does so, and as he does the door closes itself behind him.

Chapter Text

The inside of the house is musty, smelling of iron and suffocating raw earth. The smell of earth isn't one Dipper is too familiar with, and it unsettles him a little, a reminder of how far from home he is. The front rooms themselves are surprisingly well lit, despite sunlight only streaming in from between the single, small window in each. It's probably magic that keeps the rooms so bright, Dipper decides; the same magic that seems to be thick in the air, rolling off of every surface in waves. Bill seems completely unperturbed by this, and continues to comfortably gesture around the shop. "There's the counter at the back, where people trade money and gold for the things that I sell here. Once I train you to read and count- well, to trade at least- that's what you'll usually be doing I suppose." Train him? Like a pet? Dipper tries not to think about it. "On your right is the room with all the stock, and to the left here is the bedroom. Dipper frowns. He's been fascinated by humans for the longest time, but many of Bill’s words are unfamiliar to him. He follows Bill, trying to ignore the feeling that’s prickling the back of his neck. Bill shows him the kitchen, which is lit only by a small skylight in the earthy ceiling. The deeper they go into the house, the less of a home it feels, and more like a cave. The further into the ground, the more torn from his home Dipper feels, his eyes misting a little. He quickly wipes any tears away before they form, and hopes Bill won’t notice.

After navigating through an unnecessarily complicated net of tunnels, seemingly getting further into the earth; they appear back in the tunnel -corridor?- outside the bedroom. ‘That’s probably not normal’ Dipper thinks in the back of his mind as he tries to get rid of the awful feeling that won’t leave the pit of his stomach. Bill kicks open the very delicate looking wooden door without a second thought, and drags Dipper into the bedroom. “Well then, Dipper! I suppose we’d best get some clothes on that flesh sack of yours!” Dipper looks mournfully at his skin, still tucked tightly under Bill’s arm. With a snap of the mage’s fingers, it disappears.

Just like that. His only chance of getting home is gone.

But, before Dipper can really feel overcome by the sense of hopelessness that only increases as his skin disappears; Bill slings an arm over his shoulders and guides him to a large chest; and a seed of bitterness in Dipper is planted- why won’t this man leave him alone? With a vague gesture of the shorter man’s hand, the chest’s lid flips open, banging against the wall. Bill picks up a golden tunic and passes it to Dipper, who regards it uncomfortably. He saw the way Bill stood out in town, the bright fabric contrast to the muddy palette of town. Besides, a bright colour hardly suits his mood. “Do you have anything less… Bright?” The mage lets out a short laugh, but regardless, he snaps his fingers. A cloud of dark green ink spills across the tunic, dying it a dull, mossy colour. He pulls his cloak off Dipper and hangs it up by his bed. The selkie shifts from foot to foot, trying to figure out how to put the tunic on without any guidance, since Bill seems distracted by regarding Dipper’s body appreciatively as he tries to suss it out. When the selkie finally manages to settle into his tunic, which is a little short on him; the mage passes him some trousers and boots, which don't quite fit, and Bill makes a mental note to buy him some new clothes.

*

Dipper’s brain is racing, looping in circles as he gnaws at his lip; trying to find a way out of this situation. He stands stiffly beside Bill as the man chats happily away to his final customers of the day, perhaps oblivious to the selkie’s distress, or more likely ignoring it. As they leave, Bill looks over at him like a smug cat, his eyes gleaming. Dipper can’t help but shudder. At this point, the Sun is setting, and as Bill spins on his heel, and grabs Dipper by the arm, the light streaming into the house is slowly dimming. They walk down the corridor quickly, Dipper stumbles a little as he attempts to keep up with Bill, whose grip on his arm is so tight it might leave marks. Dipper begins to ask what the rush is for, but before he can, Bill slams the bedroom door open and shoves him inside. There is a gleam of something… Indecipherable in Bill’s eye.

“Listen up, pup. Here’s what’s gonna happen: You’re gonna take your boots off and get into bed, and go to sleep.” Here he gestures at the low bed smothered with blankets. “And when I get back, you will be here, Dipper. Don’t even think about sneaking off!” Dipper blinks a few times, processing these orders, before nodding. With what seems to be the nearest thing to an actual smile Bill can manage without breaking into a maniacal grin, the man strides out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him with a loud bang.

The second the door shuts, tears begin falling down Dipper’s face, his eyes blurring as he yanks the boots of his feet. Why? Why is Bill doing this to him? What did he do to earn this? He grinds his teeth, throwing his boots as far as he can, hearing them thump softly as they hit the ground, before crumpling over in the bed. He whispers  the names of his mother, his father, his sister, his loved ones; but they are so far away. He misses the taste of fresh fish, the feel of salt water rushing past him. He sobs quietly, until sleep finally captures him, and lets him dream of home.

Later that night, when Bill enters the bedroom, he finds Dipper curled up tightly. He grins to himself, before noticing the tear tracks dried down his freckled cheeks. Even so, he looks... Calmer. Younger. Silently, Bill climbs into bed, facing the wall, and soon finds himself being lulled to sleep by the sound of the selkie’s breathing.

Chapter Text

When Dipper wakes up, the room around him is still rather dark, with only a few stray beams of light from the rising sun entering through the skylight. There is a strange taste in his mouth, and as he sits up slowly, trying to blink away the salt in his eyes, he scrapes his tongue on the roof of his mouth. Beside him, Bill lies still on his back, breathing slowly and deeply. Dipper worries his lip, glancing between the other man and the door. Although it's impossible, he entertains the thought of being able to get up and leave. To go home. Another wave of homesickness hits him- or perhaps the last one never left? He isn't quite sure. He rubs his eyes furiously, trying to get rid of the salty sting that makes them burn, that makes him want to start crying again.

Almost immediately, as if knowing Dipper was on the verge of breaking down to tears, Bill’s eyes snap open, and he stares, unblinking at the ceiling for a moment. It seems the silence somehow becomes quieter as Bill’s eyes bore into the ceiling, and Dipper finds himself holding his breath, waiting for something- Bill yawns, and as he rolls over and stretches out like a cat, and the moment passes by. “Morning, kid.” Bill seems to still be a little sleepy, and his voice lacks its usual vigor as he greets the other. At the sound of his voice Dipper flinches, regardless. Either ignoring or not noticing this, Bill clambers out of bed, humming an odd tune. Dipper makes no attempts to move, but he can't help but let his eyes curiously follow Bill as he moves around the room as he goes about changing his tunic and combing his hair.

Thump. “Ow…” Dipper rubs the side of his head where the boot hit him, gritting his teeth. Bill lets out a short burst of his most obnoxious laughter, and it irks Dipper just a little too much. “Why won't you just leave me alone?! You're already taken everything away from me: my family, my home, all of it!” He shouts, his voice cracking just once, but it's enough to make him even angrier. Bill laughs, clutching his stomach as he curls in on himself while Dipper watches in disbelief. “Boy, you sure know how to flatter a guy, don't you, pup?” There's a hint of a giggle still in his voice, and Dipper, still shaking with anger, can't bring himself to look into the Bill's eyes. “Well, as much as I'd like to stay here and compliment one another, we’d best be opening the shop up! Get your boots on, pup.”

Opening up the shop is really just a simple matter of opening the gate and the front door, but Bill somehow manages to make a song and dance out of it, gesturing grandly with over exaggerated movements. He talks to Dipper as he does so, happily spouting irrelevant nonsense whilst Dipper shuffles along behind him with a barely detectable grimace on his face. When it’s done, they return back inside. Bill unceremoniously flops down on a very delicate looking stall behind the counter. There’s silence for a moment, before he suddenly stands up and starts fussing around with a pile of faintly glowing crystals. Dipper sits down on the stool (taking more care than Bill had done because really, the stool looks like it’s about to break at any moment…)

Some half hour after opening, the door creaks open, revealing a woman, with a healthy glow about her face and the faintest of smile lines around her eyes. Bill stands up straighter beside the counter, brushing a hand across Dipper’s back as he sweeps around the counter to greet her. “Susan! How wonderful to see you again!” His bright cloak swishes around his legs as the woman returns his greeting. “What can we get you today?” Bill gestures towards Dipper, who’s still standing behind the counter. Dipper offers the woman a watery smile, and she beams back at him, the slight creases in her face becoming more defined. After a day and a half of Bill’s sly, knowing grins, it’s… Nice. Genuine. Susan shuffles closer to him “Ooh, ain’t he pretty!” She slaps Bill’s arm playfully “Bill, you rascal!” Bill lets out a short laugh and turns to leer at Dipper. Slowly, Bill’s mouth stretches into a smirk. “Isn’t he? A selkie in fact! I picked him up from the beach just yesterday.” Dipper shuffles uncomfortably from foot to foot, gnawing at his lip. Bill is staring at him like he’s something to eat and it's making Dipper more than a little uncomfortable. Bill keeps talking “He looks better than a glamour, doesn’t he? Speaking of spells, what did you come here for?” Bill and Susan turn away from the counter, discussing charms for alleviating pain.

The discussion in magic intrigues Dipper, it's interesting to hear humans talk about something that he's so familiar with in such a strange way. When Susan places an intricately carved talisman and some coins on the counter, he blinks a few times, staring at the coins. He understands how money and trade works, of course, but he's not sure what the correct amount for this talisman is. Bill, after returning to standing behind the counter, checks that Susan has paid correctly, before sweeping the money into a leather pouch tied to his belt. He offers his signature grin to the woman; who lifts up the eye lid that's been permanently shut since she arrived, then closing it in a winking gesture. As it closes it flickers a bright shade of blue Dipper’s almost certain he hasn't seen before.

Several hours pass torturously slowly for Dipper. Bill tries to rile him up at times, to make him cry at others, and once or twice even attempts to make Dipper laugh. The rollercoaster of emotions leaves the selkie feeling emotionally drained by midday, and just about ready to either punch Bill in the face or break down sobbing. Maybe both. He begins to think about his family again, his heart panging as he wonders what his sister might be doing right now... His wistful daydream is interrupted by the sound of the door opening. His head rises from where it was laying on the desk and looks up-

Oh.

The woman has long red hair, falling in fiery waves around her face. Her hand is absentmindedly tracing circles on the hilt of her sword as she nods to Bill. The man greets her with an overly enthusiastic “Hey Red!” And the two begin to talk. Dipper isn’t really sure what about because he’s a little… Distracted right now. Something about weapon enchantments, he thinks. From what Dipper can see, she's got a slender build under her cloak, but the muscles in her arms are visibly toned. After a few minutes, Bill takes her sword and, with a swish of his golden cloak, strides towards the workroom off to the left, separated from the shop itself by a woven grass screen. The screen, like most of Bill’s furniture, looks fragile but is still managing to hold itself together somehow, despite near constant mistreatment.

A hand waves in front of his face, and Dipper blinks a few times. “Hey, you alright?” He looks up at the woman who offers him a lopsided smile. “Yeah I- uh” Dipper winces as his voice cracks as he fumbles over his words, trying to cover it with a cough. “So you’re that selkie Susan mentioned, right?” He nods instead of speaking, not sure if his voice is going to crack again. Wendy makes small talk with him until Bill comes back, they chat about the town and Wendy’s family. When she tells him a story about the antics she and her younger brothers got up to in the past, Dipper finds himself laughing. It feels like a weight being lifted off his shoulders, shoulders that are now shaking joyfully. Wendy’s story breaks down as she too descends into laughter. Then suddenly, Bill appears behind the counter, and the weight crashes back down on Dipper’s shoulders. Bill frowns at the sudden stop of the selkie’s laughter. Wendy pays, and says her farewells. Bill flashes her his best grin, and Dipper offers a watery smile. Still chuckling quietly to herself, Wendy pushes the door open and exits. Dipper lets out a shuddering sigh. It’s back to just him and Bill again.

Bill watches the selkie’s face carefully. As Red leaves, the muscles in Dipper’s face tense again, and that brief flicker of joy in his eyes is gone again. Bill snarls quietly. All day. All day he’s been trying to get an emotional response from Dipper, and all he got for his troubles was a clench of his jaw, a mildly irritated glance, and those dark, sad eyes glazing over. Then Red, in the ten minutes it took him to enchant that sword, got him to laugh. He grabs Dipper by the shoulder and pushes him away from the counter, not even bothering to sneer as he stumbles a little. There’s an iching feeling on the back of his neck and it makes his eye twitch.

“We’re done for the day, kid.” Dipper may only have been with Bill for a day and a half, but he can hear the barely contained rage in his voice, and decides that for now it might be best to just do as he’s told. They walk through the corridors in a stony silence, the hairs on the back of Dipper’s neck standing on end as angry waves of power seem to roll off the mage standing just behind him. Bill swats his hand through the air once, and Dipper flinches at the loud bang of the door hitting the wall as it flies open. He takes two steps inside before Bill slams the door shut behind him. Dipper winces at the noise once more, standing in the room where everything is spotlighted by the rays of the setting sun. He doesn’t move until Bill’s stomping feet fade away down the corridor. He then wrenches his boots off and falls onto the bed. One night, he might like to see where Bill disappears to every night, but he’s sure that if he was caught tonight, Bill would most likely kill him.

Bill bares his teeth as he storms down the corridor, letting anger flooding his being. With a violent and careless gesture, he slams open a door in the darkest, deepest recesses of the corridor. Tunnel. At this point, his dwelling ceases to be a home, and simply becomes a cave. Either way, he steps out into the cavernous room, letting a feral, inhuman snarl leave his lips. He glares out through the cave mouth at the calm sea, a gentle blanket of silver and blue stretching as far as the eye can see. Well, the human eye at least. The night is so peaceful. Bill loathes it, he wants the sea to churn and roar with him. But it remains silent. The niggling itch at the back of his neck is driving him mad. Madder. He’s sick of being in this vile sack of flesh.

The moon’s light glimmers serenely, and as the silhouetted figure of a man falls to the ground, the silvery glow of the cave turns gold.

Chapter Text

The morning after Bill’s seemingly unprovoked anger, Dipper wakes with the same stinging feeling clinging to his blurry eyes. This time though, the bed around him is cold, and Bill is nowhere to be seen. Dipper’s not a hundred percent sure it this is a relief or if he should be even more worried, so he clambers out of bed and stretches out like a cat, deciding to enjoy the peace while it lasts. He looks up through the skylight, the pink and blue hues of the sky making him think of his sister, as so many things seem to do. He takes a shuddering breath, shakes his head, and picks up his boots from the floor. Not a moment later, the door slams open, and Dipper starts as Bill walks in. Dipper glares at the mage, panting and resting a hand on his heart, which is beating rapidly. One of Bill’s grins that seem to be just a touch too big is the only response he gets.

“Well goooood morning, Dipper! Finish getting your boots on, because today, we’re going on a tour of the neighbourhood” Dipper blinks. Well, it seems Bill is in a better mood today, at least there’s that.

The dirt trail that connects Bill’s house to the town is well-beaten, but long. It’s apparent to Dipper, who loves mystery and making deductions, that many people come to see Bill, but they want him out of sight, and out of mind. He can’t say he blames them. Nevertheless, the track does eventually feed into a wider dirt road, lined with forest trees, each with leaves that dapples the light just like the sea does on a summer's day… Dipper tears his eyes away from the light and shadow flickering and dancing with each other, instead focusing on the back of Bill’s head, his unruly hair bouncing as he strides. “We’re almost there, pup.” Bill declares after they continue to walk in silence for a while. Sure enough, the trees begin to thin out as they step off the dirt and onto the cobbled roads that lead towards the town.

Despite his insistence on a duller colour of tunic, Bill had refused to let Dipper have a cloak to match, and had instead, most likely out of spite, had given him a bright, dandelion yellow one instead, that matches Bill’s perfectly. Now, walking through the earthy, washed-out tones of the town, standing out in their obnoxiously bright cloaks, Dipper can clearly see it to be a wordless sign of ‘This belongs to Bill.’ The mage is obviously taking immense pleasure in watching the selkie nervously glancing towards and away from the people who walk past. Discomfort is clearly radiating off Dipper, and Bill is soaking in it. People give him hateful looks as they pass, but his grin doesn’t falter. They may act high and mighty now, but he knows that at the end of the day, they’ll still come grovelling for his help. With this in mind, he places a hand on the bottom of Dipper’s spine and guides him towards the cobblers. He feels Dipper tense and try to move away from his hand, and Bill decides to let him. Just this once.

Dipper’s first thoughts on the cobbler are: Nice. A little odd, admittedly, but nice. Soos is a large man- sparse hair, a big stomach and the oddest teeth Dipper has seen on a human (including Bill’s). But, despite his bulky body, there is a gleam of childlike wonder in his eyes as he greets Dipper; and when he looks at his wife, Melody, he seems positively enraptured by her presence. He likes Soos, Dipper decides. Melody too greets him warmly, and, after glancing at Bill who Dipper can feel staring at him, she offers him a sympathetic smile. The two of them are so welcoming that Dipper almost feels like he’s with old friends, but the prickling feeling on the back of his neck that he gets from Bill standing directly behind him keeps him from feeling truly at ease.

“So, I think I may already have a pair that will fit you, Dipper!” Soos smiles, and waddles off to go find the boots that Dipper really does need. His feet are still a little sore from trekking barefoot to Bill’s house on the day they met, and the boots that Bill gave him rub and give him awful blisters. Speaking of Bill, he's being uncharacteristically quiet, simply standing next to Dipper so close their arms are rubbing, and watching. Bill is observing everything in the room, and Dipper feels scrutinised, exposed. Melody can clearly sense Dipper’s discomfort, so she strikes up some small talk and rests her hand on his arm as she does so, ignoring Bill’s obvious quiet displeasure at her actions. She doesn’t mean anything by it, she’s just trying to comfort the poor boy. Still, she drops her hand after a while, because Bill’s tattoo seems to be staring at her, and while she desperately wants to draw some happiness from those dark, haunted eyes, the last thing she wants is to be on the wrong side of a mage- especially one like Bill Cipher.

Bill was widely known to be as changeable as the sea- everyone who lived within a hundred miles of him had heard the stories at some point or another. Melody shudders thinking about it, brushing off Dipper’s concerned glaze as her shoulders shake. He gently rests his hand on her shoulder, searching her eyes for a long moment that seems to stretch. Then he seems to come back to himself, withdrawing his hand and offering a shaky smile, glancing nervously in Bill’s direction. Bill grins at them both, his jaw twitching in a way that can’t be natural. The conversation fizzles out into an awkward silence. Stepping forwards, Bill pulls Dipper in closer to his body, and even though Bill is a good ways shorter than Dipper, the mage seems… Taller, somehow, as he projects his air of confidence and control, that seems to overpower Dipper’s unspoken sadness. Yet even so, there’s a gleam of silent defiance in the sulkies’ eyes, and Melody thinks that just maybe he’ll be alright.

Soos shuffles into the room, grinning obliviously. Melody breathes a sigh of relief as her husband passes Dipper the boots. The selkie drops to the floor and carefully pulls off Bill’s second hand boots, and slides his feet into the new ones. Soos bustles around him, checking the sizing and shape to make sure they don’t rub. Happy with his work, Soos nods to himself and stands back up from where he was crouching, brushing his tunic down. He turns to Bill, who dumps a bag of gold coins carelessly into Soos’ hands. The man pockets the pouch and turns back to Dipper. His face breaks into a smile, and he steps forwards and engulfs Dipper into a warm hug. Melody glances at Bill nervously, as the muscles in the mage’s face twitch from maintaining his sharp grin for so long.

After what is -in Bill’s mind, at least- too long, Dipper and Soos break away from one another.
“Well, I think we’re all done here. It’s been-” Soos pauses to find the right word “-good to see you, Bill. It’s been great meeting you, too, Dipper.” Melody steps forwards beside Soos, who puts his arm around her shoulders gently. Melody smiles warmly at her husband, and then turns to Bill. She offers him a small, somewhat hesitant smile. Finally, she looks at Dipper. The look she gives him falls somewhere in between a smile and a grimace, a look of solidarity that says ‘I feel your pain’. Dipper nods his head thankfully towards her. Finally, Bill slings his arm over Dipper’s shoulder, and the selkie shrugs him off as the mage shouts his farewell and turns them both towards the exit. Soos and Melody wave them goodbye, both watching as the mage saunters into the street with the selkie in tow.

They’ve barely been walking a minute when he appears. Bill’s face cracks into a menacing sneer as a portly fellow in a fine tunic comes stomping towards them like an angry child. The chatter and bustle of the people around them softens as the townsfolk wait to see what will come of this confrontation. “Bill Cipher! I have been looking for you.” The man’s voice is high pitched and it makes him sound like he’s on the brink of a temper tantrum.

“Gideon! I haven't been looking for you, so maybe you should get out of my face. I got a lotta important things to do right now.” Bill somehow manages to sneer and snarl at the same time and Dipper admits it’s actually pretty scary. Gideon must think the same, as he recoils from Bill. And then his face turns red.
“William Cipher I do not care how powerful you may think you are, but I am a lord! I am the most important thing in a twenty mile radius of here!” The man’s face is scrunched up and Dipper bites his lip, trying to hold back a grin. He knows first hand how annoying Bill can be, but the immaturity and bratishness of Gideon’s outburst is funnier.

Bill hears a quiet snort to his left and turns to Dipper. The selkie’s shoulders are shaking beneath his cloak and he’s barely holding in his laughter. Bill’s sneer slowly sinks into a smile, as he watches Dipper’s barely contained laughter. Gideon huffs angrily as he sees that Bill isn’t paying attention to him, and then realises that Bill is smiling at something, genuinely smiling and Gideon is a tad unnerved by the fact that he’d used the words ‘Bill’ and ‘genuine’ in the same sentence. He follows the mage’s line of sight until his eyes come to rest on the man standing beside the mage who is trying not to laugh about something.

“Oh I see how it is Bill.” Gideon’s voice still sounds ridiculous, but the dangerous tone to it makes Dipper calm down enough to stop almost laughing. “You don’t want to talk business because you’d rather be off with your whore. Tell me, Bill, did you tell him what you are?” Dipper looks up at Bill and watches his face turn from a sneer to the rage of an oncoming storm. The air feels oppressive all of a sudden, as if Bill is drawing all of the energy out of the surrounding area. The streets are deserted now, Dipper notes in the back of his mind as he watches. He’s a little scared, honestly. Something about Bill suddenly seems darker, greater, and it should be terrifying. But it’s not. Bill’s eyes snap to him, a fierce tempest brewing in their depths as his tattoo glows, staring into Dipper’s soul, it seems. Ok. Now he’s afraid.

Bill looks into his selkie’s eyes and there’s definitely fear there, but there’s something else in the way the selkie watches him with his dark eyes that shines through all the fear and- Bill realises, that with the fear and… Whatever else it is that seems to be consuming Dipper, he doesn’t seem sad anymore. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, Gideon is stumbling away with terror in his eyes. The townspeople peek out from windows and doors and they all seem to be staring at him, trying to see what he’ll do next. He sighs slowly. “Come on, pup. Let’s go home.” On this occasion, Dipper thinks it wouldn’t be the best of ideas to remind the mage that the house Bill lives in is not his home.

Chapter Text

It takes Dipper three weeks. Three weeks to muster up the courage to leave the bedroom after he’s sent there at night. Three weeks to follow Bill down the corridor (tunnel? He still hasn't decided) and into the cave. So here he stands, tucked behind a tall boulder near the door. The cave is icy cold as the sea winds rush in through the gaping mouth to nip at Dipper’s ears. The silvery light of the moon throws strange, cold shadows across the walls that seem to twist and move somehow. He takes a moment to look mournfully at the sea, experiencing a sharp pang of homesickness and longing deep in his gut. It takes a good few minutes for him to compose himself before he turns his attention back to Bill.

In front of him, the mage sighs in an almost relieved way, and a wave of teal pulses out from his body. It hits Dipper, and he feels a strange and foreign power flooding through his system; from his fingertips to the hairs of the beak of his neck. Bill is powerful, that he knows, but this… This is on a whole other level. Its chaos crackling under his skin; a mad frenzy of energy scrabbling at his heart. It’s so painfully Bill and that terrifies Dipper. The mage turns towards Dipper just a little- enough to see his eyes and tattoo glowing gold, a blinding, beautiful, terrible gold.

Dipper shrinks back, pressing against the cave wall, trying to hide - but he knows it’s useless, he knows hiding was always useless. Bill is floating now, his feet barely brushing the ground, speaking words in a tongue and tone that sends dread shivering up and down Dipper’s spine: Demonic. Suddenly all the pieces seem to fit together and it’s so glaringly obvious to him now. It dawns on him as the body falls to the ground. Bill is a demon.

The triangle turns to Dipper, and the single eye blinks.

“Hey pup.” The voice is pitched strangely, sounding distorted and somehow off, but it's unmistakably Bill’s. Dipper says nothing in response. “You know, I've been waiting for you to follow me down here, Dipper. I knew you would, obviously, but I'm surprised it took so long!” Still, Dipper is silent. He would reply, say something snarky to shut Bill up, but he can't breathe properly - the demonic energy is suffocating, think like smoke, clinging to his lungs and buzzing. He wants to be sick, he wants to throw himself back into the glistening ocean he wants to go home he wants to get away from Bill-

A small black hand touches his forehead, and the thoughts slow down, fuzzing a little around the edges. He looks up at Bill. “Feeling better? Maybe you should sit down.” His body automatically drops onto the ground as soon as Bill suggests it. Dipper is frozen in fear, and although he can think more clearly, it doesn’t change the fact that his kidnapper is a demon. His knowledge of demon’s is admittedly limited, confined to stories his great uncle told, tales of tricksters and silver-tongued creatures that thirst for blood. Bill sighs, his form dipping down as he does so. “Look, pup, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now. Probably.” He lets out a short laugh, resting his small black arms on his… Sides? (Hips?) “But seriously, don’t sweat it pup. I like having such a pretty thing around.” Bill leers, which he’s done before, but the fact that he is currently a floating triangle makes Dipper even more uncomfortable than it usually does.

“Um.” Dipper says, oh so eloquently. It suddenly dawns that he isn't panicking despite there being a literal demon in front of him. Perhaps it's because of whatever Bill did to his head? Should he be worried about that? He blinks slowly, a somewhat dazed expression painting his features. He can feel the oppressive energy - Bill’s energy - Surrounding him. But it doesn’t feel claustrophobic somehow, instead, it’s a gentle touch, just barely ghosting over his skin, but it’s still buzzing with chaos. The demon watches the selkie’s face scrunch up in concentration with an amused glint in his eye. “Um.” Dipper repeats with furrowed brows as he gazes at the floor intently. Maybe Bill shouldn’t have messed with his thoughts so much… Oh well, it would probably be fine. “You sit tight, kid. I’ve got some business to take care of.” Bill turns away from Dipper and floats towards the mouth of the cave.

Gideon enters the cave mouth panting, out of breath, no doubt, from the difficult trek up the winding cliff path to the mouth of Bill’s cave. Bill, of course, offers him no help in his entry, despite being his most loyal and regular customer. Probably. The local people have an unspoken ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy with regards to making deals with Bill, but as Gideon is here a bare minimum of twice a week, he supposes he’s probably Bill’s most regular customer. “Ah, Gideon! How’re you doing, kid?” Bill greets as he circles Gideon like a shark, “Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t care!” Gideon sputters indignantly at Bill’s rude greeting, before taking a deep breath and composing himself. “Listen up, demon! I need you to do help me with something. I need a love potion - one that doesn’t have any nasty side effects. I need the good stuff, something that’ll actually work properly without backfiring on me.”

There’s a pause.

Bill breaks out into a loud cackle that echoes throughout the cave, and it sounds as if there are hundreds of him all laughing at once - Until it falls dead silent. The change in the atmosphere is palatable, and the loose feeling of Bill’s power pulls taut against Dipper’s skin, as if he’s suddenly surrounded by spectral walls on all sides instead of ghostly fingertips. Gideon clearly feels the change too, as his pasty face seems even paler somehow, and the sweat on his forehead glistens cold moonlight. “That’s a powerful spell you’re asking for, kid. What do you have that you could possibly offer me in return?” Bill’s voice is quiet, dangerous. It’s unnerving, watching the obnoxiously loud Bill’s voice fall to just barely a whisper. “What do you want?” Gideon’s voice cracks slightly, coming out meekly as he stares up at Bill. The demon taps his ‘chin’, for lack of a better word. He spins around to Dipper. “I want a lot of things, Gideon.” His eye remains fixed on Dipper as he speaks. There’s a gleam in his eye, it speaks thousands of words and yet… None. Dipper stares back at Bill, trying to fathom the unfathomable ways in which this demon, older than Dipper can comprehend, thinks and feels.

“I-” Gideon starts, but Bill cuts him off. “Out. We can talk about your failing romance another night.”

As Gideon exits, disgruntled and muttering angrily to himself, Bill doesn’t even take his eyes off Dipper.

Chapter Text

Silence. The only sound is the distant rise and fall of the waves, but even that seems quieter now. Dipper’s eyes tell his feelings like a book; a tale of curiosity and regret, a child-like wonder coupled with the world weariness of an old soul. Sadness. Homesickness. Loss. Bill doesn’t blink, doesn’t make any attempt to move towards or away from the selkie. Dipper is the one who breaks their stare with a yawn. The moment is gone, and before he’s fully aware what’s happening, he lets out an undignified yelp as Bill scoops him up with his magic, and cradles him like a babe.

“C’mon, it’s time for little seal pups to go to bed!” He gleefully sings, voice echoing around the cave.

“I can walk, Bill! Put me down!” Dipper huffs indignantly, but with the barest hint of a smile on his face.

“No can do, kiddo!” Bill’s magic throws the door open, and Dipper jumps as it hits the stone wall behind it. “You might fall!”

Dipper laughs. It’s a lovely sound, Bill realises, and he’s the one who made it happen. Were he possessing his meatsack right now, he would smile victoriously. “What’s so funny, Dipper? I got something in my teeth?” The selkie snorts giddily like a child.

“You don’t even have a mouth!” He lets out another small chuckle. “I was just thinking about how awfully you treat your furniture, you know? You’re horrible to the doors especially!” Dipper’s voice is starting to slur, and Bill realises, a little belatedly, that perhaps directly exposing Dipper to all of his magic at once like this wasn’t the best idea. He looks at the selkie, suspended in front of him by his magic, eyelids slowly drooping shut. A quiet snore rises from the Dipper’s chest.

Bill carefully opens the bedroom door, and gently settles Dipper on the bed.

***

When Dipper wakes up, it’s warmer than he remembers the previous mornings being, and the light trickling in through the skylight seems brighter. It’s almost midsummer now, he realises. His chest aches as he thinks about how much his sister loves the festivities; how she’d throw off her skin and dance the night away on the beach, with moonlight in her hair and stars in her eyes. He thinks of his parents, laughing together as his father spun his mother round in circles, kicking sand into the air. He thinks about when he’d join them, all four of them grinning breathlessly at each other as they spent the night on the beaches. He thinks about scavenging those same beaches, being so thoroughly enthralled in the strange metal objects he’d found to notice the man approach, to grab his skin back- Well. Speak of the devil.

Bill flung open the door, and Dipper recoiled, ready for the loud bang. The door slowed down at the last moment, gently tapping against the wall as Bill strode into the room. He was currently human, Dipper noted as Bill began talking much too quickly about the shops and their plans for the day.

“Just a normal work day today pup, well. As normal as it get around here.” He lets out a short laugh and it doesn’t annoy Dipper anywhere near as much as it had a month ago. “Midsummer’s coming up soon, so there’ll be a good few people looking for merchandise for various rituals and things. The shop out back will be pretty busy too, so I’ll probably want you to lend a hand with that too. Maybe not such a normal work day after all-”

“Bill?” He begins, quietly interrupting the man “How many days exactly is it ‘till midsummer?” The demon looks at him almost suspiciously.

“Five.” Bill seems quiet all of a sudden, lost in thought. He regards Dipper curiously, then cautiously, and then his eyes travel further south. Dipper realises that he hasn’t put on his trousers yet, and turns away to pick them up for where they’ve been placed on the floor, his cheeks burning. And then he realises.

“Bill, did you… Take my trousers off… Last night?” Dipper says, his face turning even redder.

“Well pup, I knew you find them uncomfortable to sleep in, so I took the liberty of removing them and your boots for you.” Dipper blinks. That almost seems… Kind?

“Plus, it gave me a chance to admire the view~” ...And there it was.

Bill had been right about the business of the midsummer. Wendy comes in again, but this time Dipper tries to avoid making too much small talk to her, nervously glancing at Bill as she makes small talk. After noticing just how anxious he seems, she leaves after offering him a worried smile and a playful -but surprisingly hard- punch on the arm. Dipper is introduced to a whole host of other townsfolk, and a few of Bill’s ‘friends’ from further away who’d come with the sole intention of doing business with Bill. It doesn’t take Dipper long to realise that they’re seeking Bill’s demonic deals, not crystals and enchantments. There’s something different in the way they dress and hold themselves, a darker shine to their eyes. He decides he doesn’t like any of Bill’s friends.

However, every cloud has a silver lining, Dipper discovers. He finds himself happily chatting away to Soos once more in the early afternoon. The man had come to pick up a few things for his wife, but soon enough, Bill called over from behind the counter, telling them that they’re closing and that Soos had better run if he wanted to get back to his wife by sundown. Dipper blinks, and glancing out of the window, suddenly becomes aware of how late it’s gotten. Did Bill really let him talk to Soos all afternoon? He doesn’t have much time to consider it before the demon grabs his hand and begins practically dragging him towards the cave.

“So kid, here’s the plan: You’re gonna come and keep me company whilst I work. It gets pretty boring down there, but now I’ll have you around!” Bill calls over his shoulder. Dipper sighs.

“I don’t know, Bill. I’m really tired right now.” The selkie bites his lip and averts his eyes. In truth, he was emotionally exhausted. Bill’s behaviour and attitude had been all over the place recently and never knowing what to expect put Dipper on edge. He was constantly homesick, but he was so familiar with this place now… The townsfolk had grown on him - even Bill to a certain degree. One thing his great uncle told him was how one could never let their guard down around a demon, but here he is, and that honestly terrifies Dipper.

The first thing Bill does when he’s out of his fleshsack is inspect Dipper. The selkie pays him no mind, staring out at the sea. He looks so sad - His dark eyes filled with pain and confusion and longing, and it makes Bill want to pull him away, make him stop looking like that, make him forget. But he won’t. He can’t admit it, even to himself, but on some levels he knows that even if he wants to he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Bill is brought out of his musings by the familiar sound of somebody scrambling up the rocks. His eye grows wide.

“Teeth! How good to see ya!” He greets. The man is large, beefy, and has wide twitching eyes. “Don’t worry about maintaining that ol’ human form here! It’s just me and the pup!” Teeth’s head jerks in Dipper’s direction, and then he slowly nods, a grin slowly spreading across his face. When he steps free of his human body, all that is left is a huge pair of gums with matching limbs protruding and many blunt teeth. Unlike the first time he witnessed Bill leave his human form, there is no surge of power, not even the faintest tingling sensation of someone else’s magic. He realises that it’s because of Bill, so much greater that he dominates the other’s power. It’s a notion that doesn’t surprise Dipper in the slightest, already being used to the sensation of Bill’s energy flowing around him, flowing through his body.

Regardless, Dipper stays as far from Teeth as he can, warily eyeing him from the back of the cave as the two demons discuss business and make a surprisingly high number of puns for viscous interdimensional beings. But then again, he thinks, it is Bill after all. He lets out a quiet chuckle. The two demons turn to him.

“What’s so funny, pup?” Bill teleports right in front of Dipper, inches away from his face. The selkie yelps and jumps backwards, hitting his head on the cave wall behind him. Bill of course, then starts laughing because pain is hilarious and Dipper squeals like a girl whenever he bumps his head (which Bill has discovered is surprisingly often).

“So, Bill. I’m hungry, mind if I have a snack?” Teeth asks, not remotely interested in the antics of Bill and his selkie. Bill turns around, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. “Sure, if you can find something around here. Most of the bats cleared out when I arrived.” Teeth’s gums twist into something that vaguely resembles the smile of some horrifically malformed children's toy.

“You know what Bill? I wasn’t in a bat mood anyway. In fact... I rather fancy some seal!” Teeth’s voice is gleeful, as if he’s been waiting the entire time he’s been here to ask, and Dipper pushes back against the wall, shrinking away. That’s fine for Teeth. Fear always makes the perfect flavouring - and selkie is a delicacy he wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Bill laughs. His form begins to glow more brightly, and he opens his eye wide.

“Ya know, if you’d asked me that a month ago, you know what I’d have said? ‘Sure! Dig in!’” Bill’s laughter stops. The air grows thick with Bill’s chaotic energy. “But now…” He glows red, burning like an ember of a fire and casting a fiery glow about the cave. His power clutches onto Dipper tightly, gripping so hard that if it were tangible it would undoubtedly leave bruises. Teeth takes a step back. Then another. Bill begins talking in an impossibly low voice in his native demonic tone which fills Dipper with trepidation. Bill’s eye turns black and Teeth disappears in a flash of fire.

Bill is instantly yellow again, the oppressive atmosphere gone and the white-knuckled grip of his magic loosened. He turns back to Dipper, who is still cowering against the wall, looking up at him with a look of utter horror in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, pup. Teeth’ll be fine, I just sent him away for a while.” Bill snaps his fingers and Teeth’s human body disappears in a similar manner to its owner. Dipper gulps anxiously and nods.

It isn’t until the moon has risen considerably higher that it hits Dipper that Bill sent Teeth away for his sake.

He doesn’t know what to make of this.

Chapter Text

When Gideon arrives, he seems a little less bold than the night before, a cold sweat glistening on his forehead as he enters the cave, Dipper doesn’t blame him. The air is still thick with Bill’s magic, hanging over head like a threat, clinging to Dipper’s skin like a warning, silently seething in its unfathomable chaos. Gideon takes a moment to gather himself, tugging at the bottom of his tunic in an attempt to remove the creases. He glances warily at Bill. He skips a greeting and moves straight to business, clearly wanting nothing more than to get this over and done with.

“Let’s get this over with Bill. I want you to make me a potion or spell that I may use to make a certain fair maid fall in love with me - Without any nasty side effects!” Gideon sounds a little desperate as he tacks on the final sentence, and Dipper has a sneaking suspicion that there’s an interesting story behind its addition.
“I sure could, kid! But why would I? You haven’t offered me anything in return!” Gideon breaks into a cocky -but slightly trembling- smile.
“I think when you see the maiden I have in mind, you’ll be plenty interested, Cipher. Although...” He trails off momentarily and eyes Dipper up and down in a way that makes his skin prickle. “I think you may want to remove your pet from the room whilst we make this bargain.” Bill scoffs and rolls his eye. Dipper doesn’t move, but he narrows his eyes suspiciously.

Bill’s body turns from yellow to a grey static for a moment and the light in the cave seems colder without the golden glow. The grey fades away, leaving the image of a five pointed star with an eye in the centre, then flickers to a beating heart, then an image of the beach that lay just below the cave mouth. Finally it comes to rest on a familiar face, and Dipper’s blood runs cold.
“Mabel…” He breathes, his voice barely a whisper. Bill spins around towards him, his eye wide. The image disappears.
“I recognised your pet’s features from my sweet’s face… I didn’t take me long to put two and two together. I figured that the… Combined -how should I phrase this?- Experience of twins… Would make a fine payment.” Bill doesn’t even get a chance to respond. Dipper lets out a feral snarl and lunges.

“You stay the hell away from my sister! Stay the hell away from both of us you sick freak!” He pushes Gideon to the ground, pinning him by his shoulder blades. There’s a dull thud as Gideon’s head hits the cave floor, followed by a cry of pain. Disgust and fear and terror wafts off Dipper like a pungent smell. Gideon is all pain and outrage. Bill watches for a moment longer, enjoying the sight of his selkie holding Gideon to the ground.  And then he decides that he should probably pull them apart before his most regular customer suffers from a severe injury… Although fixing a severe injury would mean Gideon owing him a significant amount of debt… He could exploit this- He looks at Dipper again, at the

Before he can make up his mind, Dipper is pulling away from Gideon, eyes burning with disgust. Gideon turns to Bill, an indignant expression on his face. “Dang it Bill!” He stamps a foot on the cave floor, scrunching up his face like an angry child. “Can you not keep that thing on a leash? I told you it shouldn’t have been in the room! It’s not even doing anything except listening in on business and apparently assaulting customers!” He shoots a glare in Dipper’s direction, who happily returns it. They both look so pouty and childish Bill can't help but laugh.

“Well, as glad as I am to see you've got some fight in you, pup, I'd appreciate it if you didn't fight my customers - even if it is Gideon!” Gideon grows at that, tilting his head down and doubling the number of chins he has. He looks like he wants to start yelling again, but thankfully thinks better of it and instead take a moment to compose himself.
“Well then Cipher, do we have a deal?” He spits through gritted teeth. Bill stares at Gideon, considering his offer-

A warm and grips his arm like a vice.

“Bill, please.” Dipper’s voice is quiet, on edge, like he is preparing himself for the worst. Bill turns to look at Dipper. His expression is pleading, but a gleam defiance burns in his eyes that sparks brightly in the moonlight. Dipper will never forgive him if he accepts this offer. He loves his sister fiercely, Bill notes, in the way that only the closest of family members do. Dipper would throw all their progress together away for her in a heartbeat.

Silence. It seems to Dipper like the distant sounds of waves crashing hesitates, the quiet song of the wind pauses. The world waits with baited breath - or maybe just him. Bill slowly turns to Gideon. His hand flashes blue and Dipper’s heart clenches. He grits his teeth and lets the sinking feeling in his stomach descend. Bill looks down at his burning hand, and then up at Gideon. Dipper glares at him, a grim betrayal darkening his eyes. He sighs, triangular body glowing a little brighter as he does so. The cave walls gleam yellow for a moment, turning the cave gold.

“Sorry Gideon, but no deal. Come back when you can strike a deal of actual value with me. I'm not here just for you to have me fulfil every whim you h-”

He’s cut off by the feeling of two warm arms wrapping tightly around his body, the feeling of gentle waves of heat radiating off one body to another. Bill’s eye is wide, shocked. The selkie’s flesh is soft and warm against his form, trembling slightly. Bill can see it all from here, every thought, every feeling, every choice. He remains perfectly still, not wanting to say something that would make the selkie want to pull away.

Gideon turns red. Then purple. Bill rolls his eye, here we go…
“I cannot believe this Cipher! You would turn down me -your most loyal of customers- just because your damned whore said so?” Dipper flinches. Bill feels the selkie grit his teeth, tastes the tang of his disgust deep in his veins. Gideon screams loudly, like a toddler who hasn’t gotten his way. He storms from the cave hurling insults and curses at them both.

Far away, a distance greater than a mortal can even comprehend, but clear as day to Bill, he sees a star explode. Dipper pulls away, arms lingering a second longer.
“Thank you. For doing the right thing.” The demon looks into his eyes, and everything fades away, the constant buzz of his ancient mind dulling as he has a brief, blissful moment of clarity. He knows now what he needs to do.

Chapter Text

It’s not until Midsummer’s morning that Dipper realises. As he slides from his place beside Bill that morning to pull on his tunic, he rubs his eyes. They’re not sore. Dipper can’t pinpoint when, but at some point, he’s stopped crying as he falls asleep. A sharp ache of guilt hits him in the gut- is he forgetting about his family? He cares so much about them, he loves them, but now-
“Good morning Pup!” Bill’s voice ghosts the back of his neck, and he yelps, jumping away from the demon. Dipper turns to face Bill, whose grinning at him in such a pleased manner that Dipper honestly can’t help but laugh. The sound takes Bill by surprise for a moment, before his face relaxes and shifts into a much more genuine (although admittedly still a little too wide) smile.

“So, what are we doing today? Anything in particular?” Dipper asks as he slides on his boots. By now they’re well broken in, and wearing them feels perfectly normal. Bill taps his nose and lets out a short laugh. Then his expression softens, just a little.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, pup.” They fall into silence after that. They don’t speak again until much later, when the shop is full of people. The solstice is a busy time for the shop, and business has been steadily increasing these last few days. Dipper frowns. He doesn’t want to know what kinds of deals Bill is going to be making tonight.

Wendy saunters up to the counter later that day, smiling happily when she sees him. His brooding expression breaks into a beaming smile.
“Hey Wendy!” He pretends his voice doesn’t crack a little, and thankfully, Wendy doesn’t seem to notice.
“Hey Dipper! How’s life?” Her smile twitches and wavers a little. “Is Bill treating you ok?” Dipper’s gaze drops, his smile becoming smaller. He looks back up at her, a small blush colouring his cheeks.
“It’s been… Okay, actually. He’s been fine. Still annoying,” He pauses to laugh a little, “But fine. Really.” He looks up at Wendy who smiles back not quite convincingly enough.

Bill, who had been enchanting some armour for a warrior called Robbie, steps out from the work room. A spell of déjà vu hits him as he sees Red leaning against the counter, and Dipper -his Dipper- smiling at her and blushing. His features are soft and relaxed, a gentle smile on his lips, a faint red dusting his freckled cheeks. He looks so happy, his expression bordering on moony. Bill’s teeth click together and his jaw grows tense. His magic, swirling around the selkie tightens its ever-present grip just a little. Dipper suddenly blinks, looking around nervously like a startled deer. He can feel the shift in the air, Bill’s magic growing bitter and oppressive. He makes eye contact with the demon, who is staring at him unblinking, face almost blank. Almost. Underneath that cool persona, Dipper can see how angry Bill is, the air filled with his frustration, rage barely veiled.

He quietly excuses himself to Wendy and moves towards the demon.

Bill’s cloak flutters around his ankles as he steps back into the workshop, leaving the door ajar. He knows the selkie will follow. Dipper silently slips into the room, and quietly shuts the door behind him. Bill draws a deep, careful breath and slowly makes his magic loosen its grip on Dipper.
“Kid, do you know how hard I try?” Bill speaks through gritted teeth, his voice strained. Dipper cocks his head and nervously bites his lip. “You're always so damn sad, and I try and I try but then Red shows up and you're all smiles then!”

Dipper’s jaw locks. “Well this could have been totally avoided if you didn't kidnap me in the first place!” Bill is across the room immediately, somehow starting Dipper down despite being shorter. The selkie stands his ground.
“Damn it pup, you think I don’t know that? I know more than your puny mortal brain could possibly even begin to comprehend!” Bill is yelling now, a manic snarl of a grin splitting his face. “I could destroy this pathetic, worthless planet in an instant pup, in thousands of ways! But instead I’m here with you, just trying to get you to smile!” Bill grabs hold of each side of Dipper’s face and the selkie freezes.

There’s a moment of silence as they both stand there, Bill’s magic lashing around violently between them. Slowly, it settles again as Bill’s hands fall from Dipper’s face. The selkie squints slightly, trying to decipher the expression on the demon’s face.
“Why do you care, Bill?” The words are quiet, and his voice breaks a little. Neither of them notice, or particularly care.

Their eyes meet. Bill sighs, and he suddenly seems older and much wiser.
“I don’t know, Dipper.” He steps forwards, the question rattling around his head, dissolving into the static of questions mortals ask that they’ll never know the answer to- that even he will never know the answer to.

He leans forwards, and their lips touch.

Neither of the two is a very good kisser, and neither are sure what this means. Dipper stands rigid, eyes open and staring into the eye of the demon’s tattoo. It blinks at him, and he stumbles back into the wall. Bill mutters something to himself and shakes his head.
“Come on pup. There’s somewhere we have to be.” Without another word he walks out of the workroom, leaving Dipper leaning utterly shocked on the wall.

Chapter Text

Dipper emerges from the workroom some time later. There’s nobody in the shop (they all presumably left when they heard Dipper and Bill arguing) but the place is still humming with magic. It seems to coax him towards the front door, and still feeling dazed and utterly confused, Dipper allows his legs to follow the guidance whilst his brain scrambles to make sense of the events that had just occurred. Bill’s been leery since day one, and they share the bed yes, but this is the first time anything’s actually… Happened. Red blooms across his face as he steps through the open gate of the garden, not even noticing it slide shut behind him. He should be angry, furious that Bill kissed him.

But he’s not. Something inside him feels warm and bubbly when he thinks of what has just happened, and it makes Dipper wonder if he’s sick. He’s heard of similar things happening to others who have their skin taken: selkie women who have returned home to the sea, only to suffer heartbreak after losing their human husbands. However, this is worse. Dipper has no excuse, Bill is a demon, and he has treated him well, yes, but-

The smell of the salty sea air hits him. Shaking away his thoughts, Dipper takes in where he is standing: almost at the crest of the grassy hills surrounding the beach. He looks up, and there is Bill, golden cloak billowing in the wind, looking down at him with a grin that grows slowly the longer they make eye contact.

“Took ya long enough, pup!” He calls over the whistling wind. With it comes the sound of laughter and talking from the beach. Dipper freezes. Bill’s grin reaches breaking point. “It’s time for the big surprise, Dipper!” Bill reaches out a hand and tentatively, Dipper takes it, expression still shell-shocked.

They look down at the beach together and Dipper can hardly believe his eyes. Dotted around on the pale, moonlit shores is a familiar group of figures, some are dancing, some are standing and simply watching. Dipper sucks in a breath- his pod. One of the standing figures steps forwards, her face now basking in the moonlight- The Earth stops spinning for Dipper.

“Mabel.” He whispers.

He’s off immediately, skidding through sand and stumbling in his boots.

“Mabel!” He calls breathlessly, and she immediately turns around to face him. Her face lights up instantaneously, and she runs towards him too, calling his name over and over. There are tears falling down both their faces as they clutch to one another tightly, as if scared of losing one another once more. Then suddenly, everyone’s there, his great uncles and the rest of the pod surrounding him in a warm embrace. He’s never felt so loved, so relieved, so happy.

“You.” His Great Uncle Stan’s voice is angry and bitter, and Dipper’s moment of joy recedes. Dipper looks up, still hugging Mabel close. Bill stands there, sneering nastily at Stan, in the way he used to sneer at Dipper. The selkie is suddenly hit by how genuine Bill’s grins had become over time. “It was you, wasn't it? You’re the sick son of a bitch who took my nephew, weren't you?” Stan stalks across the sand and grabs the front of Bill’s tunic, lifting him up so that his toes barely touch the ground.

“Yup! That’ll be me!” Stand growls and before anyone can move, he punches Bills square in the jaw. He falls backwards into the sand and there’s a moment of shocked silence. And then Dipper feels it. He takes in a small gasp of air as the feeling of Bill’s magic presses down on him, the moon’s comforting glow seeming to waver. Bill’s human body rises up until he’s floating above all of them, the air around him dark and oppressive. The demon slowly sets himself back on his feet, the aura around him still black and enraged. “Well, that was just rude, Stanley!” Bill’s laughter echoes off into the waves. The colour drains from Stan’s face as it dawns on him that he’s just punched a literal demon. In the face.

“Now, seeing as we’ve got business to attend to, I may as well dress for the occasion.” Bill snaps his fingers and with a burst of blue fire, his human vessel falls to the floor. Mabel gasps, holding onto her brother even tighter. Dipper, who has now seen this spectacle enough times to have overcome the initial terror, suddenly comes to the realisation that Bill is performing, showing off like a child with a shiny new toy. The corner of his mouth twitches up, barely noticeably. The thing about being an all-seeing demon is that Bill notices everything. Literally. “Aww, pup, don’t laugh at me! Now come on over here, we’ve gotta make an arrangement here, you see.” Mabel scoffs, tugging Dipper towards her.

“The only arrangement that’s being made here is for you to release my brother you evil triangle! I would punch you in the face if Stan hadn’t done it first!” Bill laughs at her, wiping an imaginary tear from her face. Dipper can feel how it pisses her off, and he remembers when it did the same to him.

“Oh I would love to see you try, kiddo. But first, let's get to the matter at hand, should we?” He turns to Dipper, his expression ever unreadable.

“Dipper, let’s make a deal.”

A lot of things happen at once. Great Uncle Ford, from seemly out of nowhere, dives at Bill, who easily floats out of the way without even sparing him a glance. From then it’s chaos: Members of the pod stand between him and the demon, yelling protectively about him, Stan is gathering up the strength for another punch, and Bill is laughing that terrible, awful laugh. Dipper looks around him at his family and friends, his pod, and sighs. Steeling himself, he looks at Bill, his mouth a line of grim determination. “Ok, Bill. Let’s make a deal.” Mabel turns to him, a horrified expression on her face. The demon stops laughing and looks at him, eye wide. His harsh yellow glow seems to soften.

There’s a snap of Bill’s fingers, and everybody falls silent, staring between the two. “So here’s the deal pup. You get to visit your pod on this night each year, and the rest of the time, you’ll stay with me. But here’s where it gets real interesting…” In a burst of flames, a bundle appears in Bill’s small black hands. Dipper knows what it is immediately. With a flourish, Bill rolls out Dipper’s skin, and the selkie can’t help but stare helplessly. “You’ll get this back on the nights you’re with your family-”

“Hold it right there, mister!” Mabel stomps forwards, a determined expression on her face. “Once a year? That’s dumb. Dipper should be seeing us way more than that! Bump it up to every full moon and you've got yourself a deal.” Bill lets out a laugh and turns to Dipper, his eye sparkling with amusement.

“Boy, I like this one, pup! She’s funny.” Dipper gulps and steps forwards, puffing out his chest.

“I agree with Mabel. Bump it up to once every full moon and you've got yourself a deal, Bill.” His voice only cracks a little. Bill looks down at him with a newfound sense of respect. There’s no reason, of course, for the demon to agree to these terms, he holds all cards - and he knows it. He looks at Dipper, whose hand has joined with his sister’s in a white knuckled grip. They cling to one another, determinedly

His hand bursts into flames, blue light flickering on the faces of the selkies and dancing on the sand below. Many of then step back, but Dipper, his sister and his great uncles remain. Standing in a line, Bill sees just how strong their similarities are.

“Just for you Dipper.” Relief washes over the selkie’s face, and a small smile tugs at his lips as he steps forwards. Bill certainly does not glow a little brighter at the sight of it. Stanford calls out in protest, stepping forward to get between them, but it’s too late. Their hands connect the flames icy cool against Dipper’s warm skin. There’s a bright flash and then-

They’re still on the beach. Tentatively, Mabel reaches out and gently places her hand on Dipper’s shoulder. Slowly, he turns to her, her shining with concern as she stares intently at her brother.

Bill gazes up at the full moon - both of them remarkable and confounding and unblinking. Dipper’s eyes flicker to his sealskin, still suspended by Bill’s magic, then back to the demon.

“You’ll have this until dawn, pup. After that, I’ll meet you here.” Bill floats down so he’s barely inches away from Dipper’s face. “Don’t be late.” Dipper nods rapidly, and with a snap of Bill’s fingers, His skin is in his arms once more.

The selkie looks at Bill and he beams.

It would be a lie to say Bill didn't glow gold at the sight.

Bill disappears in a flash of blue flames, but Dipper’s sure he’s still keeping an eye on him (pun intended). Stan steps forwards, and pulls him into a rough hug.
“We uh, didn’t think you’d be coming back, kid.” He says roughly, and Dipper pretends he can’t feel the older man’s tears on his shoulder.
I think the demon’s gone for now… Dipper, how could you make a deal with a demon? You know how dangerous those are!” Ford walks towards him, but his harsh tone is betrayed by the relief on his face at seeing his nephew once more. Dipper reaches out an arm, and and silently, Ford joins the hug Dipper and Stan were sharing.

“Mabel’s turn!” Dipper’s sister yells, running towards them and  throwing herself on Dipper’s back, promptly causing them to all fall down into the sand. Then they’re all laughing and crying and Dipper feels so happy he might just burst.

Later that night, when the initial excitement over Dipper’s arrival has died down, he and Mabel are sitting in the shallow water, allowing Dipper to revel in the sensation of the ebbing tides once more. There is an underlying tension between them, and he knows Mabel well enough that she’s doing her best not to ask him questions he may not want to answer.
“If you want to ask me questions, Mabel, you can.” She looks at him, the pale moonlight making her face glow.
“Does he- How does- Is he treating you well, Dipper?” Once the first question is out, the next fall out like a landslide. “And why is he a demon - What’s up with that? And are you ok?”

Dipper thinks about it. “He- Bill treats me… Ok. He’s annoying and rude and sometimes terrifying but… He’s ok. Really. As for why he’s a demon, I have no idea. I didn’t find out until nearly a month into knowing him.” He doesn’t want to use the word kidnap, even though he knows that’s what happened. “And I’m… Ok. I’m better now that I get to see you.” he pauses to smile at her. “It’s not so bad, I’ve made friends who live in the village, and Bill is, well you know…” Mabel looks at him carefully. She doesn’t know. She knows nothing about this demon and how Dipper’s managed to live with him safely. But this goes unsaid, and the two sit side by side until they throw on their skins, and swim about like they did when they were young.

Dawn comes too soon.

The golden streaks on sunrise appear on the horizon, and sure enough, Bill’s figure awaits for him on the turf. It would be a lie to say that the selkie family didn’t all cry as they wished Dipper farewell.
“See you in a month then, I guess...” Dipper trails off unsure how to say goodbye. Mabel shakes her head.
“I’m walking up with you. I’ve got a thing or two I need to tell that demonic creep.”

The following conversation about Dipper’s ‘maidenly virtue’ is one that he does his very best to immediately forget. When he looks at his sister and Bill chattering, he can’t help but realise that they are the two most important people in his life.

He waves his family farewell as they begin the walk back to the cottage, and silently, Bill’s hand links through his.

Chapter Text

The year is 2011, and Dipper and Mabel Pines are eleven years old, and visiting the UK from their home in Piedmont, California with their parents.

Mabel scampers ahead of her parents, happily singing as they walk through the historic british village. Dipper pads along behind her, snapping photographs with his camera, a map of the area tucked under one arm and a book of British folklore under the other. They walk down the trail until they come across a plaque outside an ancient house, sunken deep into the ground, looking almost like it’s about to be swallowed by the Earth. A peculiar feeling come over Dipper, almost like he’s been here before.

There’s a low creaking sound, the rotting wood of the old gate slowly swinging open. Dipper takes a step forwards, unsure of what he intends to do, but somehow certain of his actions.

“Wow, would you look at that!” The sound of his dad’s voice brings him back to reality. “It says here this house supposedly belonged to some kind of mage or healer… Apparently rumoured by the locals to be a demon in disguise. Huh.” Dipper listens to him and can’t quite shake the feeling of familiarity.

As they walk away, he looks back over his shoulder and feels an inexplicable pang of homesickness. Out of the corner of his eye, he swears he sees a small flash of gold.

When he turns to face it, there’s nothing there.