Catching Fire (Billdip AU)

Chapter 10

(Dipper pov)

The ride down the elevator to the training center is mostly silent. This is like the worst case of de ja vu I've ever had to suffer through. Bill holds my hand as his voice finally breaks the silence.

"You ready to find some new allies?"

"Not really."

"Can you try for me at least?"

"Fine, but not because I want to."

"Don't forget about what Stan said about showing off your skills this time instead of hiding them."

"I know, Bill. I was in the same room as you when Stan said those things."

"I am just making sure. You know I worry about you."

"I know."

"You sure you're up for this?"

"Not like we have much of a choise otherwise, so I kinda have to be ready."

He kisses my cheek as the elevator doors open, all the other tributes at different stations. Bill and I split up as I join Beetee and Wires at the fire making station. I think they're from district 8, I've heard people call them 'Nuts and Bolts'. It seems like a mean nickname to me. I watched th tape of their games and interviews. They seem nice enough and they are both literal geniuses.

"Seems they took extra precautions with you." I look up at Beetee confused.

"What do you mean?" He points towards where the gamemaker is watching and I catch a glimpse of something glimmering near him. "A force field."

"Can't shoot arrows at them this time."

I let out a dry laugh at his joke as I leave the station.

"Dipper, come over here!" I go over to Bill by the archery station. "Dipper, this is Mags."

I go to shake her hand but she takes me by surprise as she hugs me.

"Should have warned you that she's a hugger." She let's go of me and smiles. An old woman like her really shouldn't be in the games. "I was just telling her how skilled you are with the bow and arrow, she insisted on seeing you in action."

"Sure, but be warned if it takes me a minute to get used to the bow."

I pick up the bow and am surprised at how it feels easier to draw the sting back than the one I used last year.

Taking a deep breath in and out I nock an arrow taking am and release, the arrow sticking into the forehead of the target.

I nock arrow after arrow, aiming with exact precision and every arrow hits square on to the foreheads of the targets.

I put the bow back and to my surprise some of the other victors had stopped their training to watch me.

Bill gently grabs my arm leading me away. "Come on."

I groan slightly as he takes me to the hand-to-hand combat station.

"Seriously Bill?"

"You have something against sparring with me? Besides, you still need to work on this until you're able to beat me." He hands me a pair of sparring gloves.

"That's fucking impossible."

"Only with that attitude."

"I'm better skilled with a bow."

"You won't always have time to aim the bow. Remember how Jess had to save you last year?"

"Yeah, but-"

"I am not letting a close call like that happen again. So like it or not we are doing this." He pulls his gloves on and sighing I do the same.

"Can you even do this with one eye?"

"Fucking stop making excuses and come at me already."

I throw a punch at him but he easily dodges it and grabs my wrist throwing me over his shoulder. My back hits the ground hard making me groan in pain.

He puts his knee on my chest and his hand firmly holds my throat.

"Your neck just got snapped and you are now dead." He gets off me and I sit up as he backs away slightly. "Get up, we're going again."

"Bill-"

"Get up. Now."

When he looks at me, his eye looks cold and dead. Like all of his love and happiness was sucked away, and he's a completely different person. This isn't the man I married at hom ein front of my stupid fireplace.

I get up and barely have time to dodge his fist.

We go like this for a while, him kicking my ass and making me get up again. We're both drenched in sweat at this point. What is going on with him?

"Get up. We're going again."

"Bill, can we please stop? We have been at this for hours and I'm exhausted."

"I said we're going again."

I sigh as I painfully get to my feet and barely manage to dodge his attacks. I punch him hard in the chest and he stumbles back with a hand on his chest. He falls to one knee and looks to be in pain.

"Bill? A-Are you okay?"

Without warning his leg kicks out sweeping my feet out from under me. I hit the ground hard and he gets on top of me pinning down both of my wrists. He is holding so tightly that it hurts.

"That is how you get yourself fucking killed. You can't take pity on anyone. If they see weakness they will not hesitate to end you." He gets off me and doesn't even offer me a hand. "Again."

I stand up and take the gloves off tossing them at his feet. "I quit."

"What?"

"I am tired and sore and hungry. I get why you're being like this but you're trying to turn me into someone that I don't want to be. Have fun finding someone else's ass to kick."

I don't give him a chance to say anything as I get in the elevator and ride it all the way up to the 12th floor.

Ford is surprised to see me and Stan is nowhere to be seen. Probably getting drunk.

"Where is Bill at?"

I just ignore him as I head into my room and flop down on my bed.

Everything hurts. Pain flares up at the slightest movements. Fucking damn you, Bill.

The door opens and seeing it's Bill I turn so that I'm facing the wall.

"Dipper-"

"Go away."

"Look, I'm sorry for pushing you that hard."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am." I feel him sit on the bed. "I shouldn't have forced you to keep going like that. It's just....I can't stop thinking about how many close calls you had last year and I can't lose you. That thought of living in a world without you terrifies me."

"....I'm scared of living in a world without you too....that thought has made the past a year a living hell...."

He says nothing as he lays down behind me and wraps his arms around me pulling me closer to his chest.