Dark Days (BillxDipper)

LX

AN: Have a nice, really long chapter ^-^ Full credit to the artist~~

~Dipper's POV~

     Bill doesn't answer me, just turns to put what's left of the food from the tray onto the bedside table and turns to leave. I reach out and grab the back of his vest. He tenses and I worry that maybe I've upset him, but then decide that I don't care. "You are, aren't you..." I say to his back. "Avoiding me..." I refuse to let go of him. I just want to know why. Did I do something that made him mad at me? 

     "I'm afraid to hurt you Pine Tree" He says. This time I tense up. It's been a while since he said anything to me, and of all things I thought he would say, that wasn't one of them. I tighten my grip on him, making sure he knows I haven't given him permission to leave yet. "You avoiding me hurts" I whisper quietly. He goes rigid again and slightly turns to me, but I still can't even see his face. 

     "I've told you before, I was alone long enough in that dungeon... I don't want to be alone now, or ever again" I saw, looking down at the floor. It's true, during that last week I was left completely alone in my own cell, pinned to the cold ground. There was barely any light and the only sounds were of other people's agony and despair. I don't want to be alone, because I can still hear the echo of their screams in the back of my mind when it gets too quiet.

     Bill finally turns and looks at me. I can't quite read the expression on his face so instead I change the topic for a moment. "Will you sit down for a while?" I ask, tugging at his vest. He puckers his lips and I see the debate in his eyes but eventually he gives in, nodding lightly. I want to grin in relief, but I suppress the urge and scoot over as best I can. He sits on the edge of the bed, his legs hanging over the side. 

     "Where were you just now? I called for you" I say to him, genuinely curious. He remains silent and I fear that he will try to leave again so I wrap my hand around his wrist to keep him in place. He tenses at my touch. He's acting so strangely. I wonder if everything is alright with him. Before the demon took me, Bill was always snarky and quick to insult or throw jokes around, he was almost never serious. Now he seems almost timid, like a scared animal. He used to stare at me hungrily for hours, now he barely even looks at me. I'm not sure why, but it kind of hurts and I just want to know what happened. 

     "I was cooking your food. I didn't hear you... I'm sorry" He says, looking down at the ground. I go rigid at that. He's apologizing now? What's gotten into him? "Are you okay Bill? You've been acting very strange" I say before I can think. I don't regret my words, but it almost didn't seem like my place to point it out and I worry he'll shut me out further. I realize... I miss him. 

     I miss his touch. When he gave me my memories back from before, I remember how his touch turned gentle after a while, how he would just stop sometimes and stare at me. The way he talked to me in the last memory. I don't know why, but I miss it. Those maddeningly longs weeks I spent in that demon's dungeon I never knew a kind touch, the only kind words I received were from my cellmates. I miss the sound of Bill's voice, for some reason miss his touch. Maybe it's just any touch at all, but I miss it. I feel so alone in this room. 

     He finally turns to look at me, his eyes wide. I wonder if he had been listening to my thoughts just now, and he must have been because his eyes dart across my face, studying me. I furrow my brows at him. He can hear my thoughts whenever he wants, but I don't have that ability so I have no idea what's running through his mind when he looks at me like that. He shakes my hand from his wrist and I'm too lost in thought to grab for him again to keep him in place, but instead of running away he slowly runs his fingertips up from my wrist to my shoulder. His touch was so feather light it almost tickled. He cups my cheek and runs his thumb under my eye. I hadn't realized that tears had slipped out.