L̶o̶v̶e̶ Intrest of a Mortal

still salty

Dipper closed his eyes letting the smell of Bill's clothes surround him slowly leaning closer. He felt himself being intoxicated with everything he felt for Bill all at once.
Bill gently pushed Dipper back and he opened his eyes.
"Oh... I... I'm sorry ..."
Bill shook his head, "don't be." He moved away from the researcher. An action which took so much effort. There was nothing he wanted more then to let his lips meet his pinetree's but he knew why this was happening. Healing someone takes a lot of emotional energy. Bill had essentially traded Dipper's wound for how he felt. It'd rub off in a minute or so. There was no point embarrassing the man.
They both change at opposite ends of the tent in silence.
It was about five minutes later when Dipper finally slipped under his blanket and dimmed the lamp. Bill wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't like there was a lot of space. Even when they were on opposite sides, if he leaned over he'd be able to touch the other.
"Well, are you getting in?" Dipper asked, lifting up the blanket for the king too.
Awkwardly, he settled down. The lamp was turned off and Dipper lay with his back to Bill.
Once again, it wasn't like there was much room in the tent, Bill could feel Dipper without touching. He was cold.
Because they'd set up so far away, the fire wasn't close enough to be helpful.
Bill reached out his arms, pulling the researcher to him. He expected to be pushed away, hit, maybe to lose a finger. Instead, Dipper seemed to already be asleep. A skill developed by anyone who needs sleep quick, like soldiers.
To Bill's surprise and suppressed joy, Dipper curled into his arms. He fit so perfectly as if they were back in the castle. The sweet pain of something he lost.

If anyone ever wrote a book on the least sexy thing it would be ankles deep in bog water with the man you spent resisting the urge to kiss and yet here the King was, lugging along a sack of meat the smelt suspiciously human.
Upon setting off this morning, the other two hired hands congratulated Bill on his "conquest" as they put it. Pushing him around joking about him getting special treatment. That was until Dipper arrived and shut them up with a single look. This was the researcher Bill could easily see as the same one who shattered a blade at the castle a while ago the complete opposite of the gentle man he'd fallen for.
And yet, as the drag themselves towards almost certain death for any mortal, Bill found himself feeling the same feelings crop up again for this entirely different version of Dipper.
"Just beyond this stream will be the the heart of the siren's territory." The researcher with the map announces and Dr. Pines makes his way to the front of the group.
He'd make contact. He was the one who could. He'd said something about a letter from the west ocean sirens.
As they creep closer, Dipper gives the single to plug their eyes with the cotton and wax. This would stop their call from getting in. Bill didn't bother, he was a demon. He noticed Dipper had put tourmaline on the end of his and wrapped them in some herbs.
A soft calming song started to play across the salty swamp. In the middle of the day, fireflies of all colours danced around the party as bright as if it were night. These were the sirens of the salt swamps.

What felt like hours went by, Dipper had managed to negotiate some communication in exchange for the bag of meat and a gift from each of them, being a gold coin the Researcher had provided them all with beforehand as well. Now the researchers sat with a group of the glowing creatures.
They were nothing like the sirens out at sea. More like mosquitoes really, never really going into the water except to lay eggs.
The three hired men sat together away as the glowing things buzzed around them, curious about their visitors.
"Ya know how much we could get for a few these things?"
"Don't even think about it. Dr. Pines'll have ya 'ead on a spike before you can draw ya sword."
"Look a' 'im! He's all bone. He's so short he may well be onnna these things."
The second just shakes his head.
Bill watches carefully as the first man pulls a small beg out with discretion. He makes one quick swipe and the air with the bag and a commotion kicks up.
Hundreds of lights swarm the stupid man and a song starts up by the sirens.
Next the sound of a sword being drawn and a soft thump and just as quickly as it started, it was over.
Dipper was stood over the man, who clutched at the stump left at the end of his wrist. Blood rushing out and mixing with the sandy mud.
"You foolish bastard." Dipper's voice was low. Terrifying. To the man on his knees, he look twenty feet tall.
"I-"
Before getting another syllable out, his head joined his hand on the ground, followed by his body collapsing a moment later.
Blood splattered across Dipper's face, he picked up the bag, freeing the little glows.
He turned to see the other two researchers dead already, the drowned themselves to the siren's song. The last man was the other hired hand who just looked disappointed at the corpse slowly being covered by little lights.
"What an idiot..." He gets up, tipping his hat to dipper and starting the walk away. He was a well seasoned mercenary, he knew when it was time to go.
That just left Dipper and Bill.
After many apologies and some more discussion, Bill offers the teleport them home.
Tired and in need of a wash, Dipper agrees.