The End is Just the Beginning (a Bad End Friends story)

Chapter 29

Bipper knew it was early when he woke up, but he didn't want to fall back into the black nothingness of sleep nor to leave the quietness of his warm bed.

All he could hear was the soft sounds of Mabel's breath and of snow hitting the window when he turned to see the clock.

2:17 a.m.

Bipper lightly sighed and placed his feet on the cold wooden floor, sending a chill up his spine. He blindly threw on a jacket he found on the foot of his bed.

It was the only one Morty owned before Bipper stole it in reprobation for the eyepatched teen taking one of his own. It was well worn and smelled like Morty: anesthetic and body wash.

Bipper stood abruptly, needing to get out of the room for a second. He contemplated stepping outside, but he didn't want to put shoes on, and it was far too cold.

So he walked through the house, letting his feet take him wherever while his mind wandered.

Maybe it was the smells of chemicals radiating off the jacket or maybe it was the looming threat of his death, but soon enough Bipper found himself in front of Morty's room.

And maybe he would miss him, or maybe Bipper was just lonely, but Bipper went in, scaling the stares into the basement in the dead of night.

No one was there when he got into the basement.

Bipper didn't know whether to be relieved or not. He hadn't thought through what he would do if Morty was asleep, or, worse, Bipper had woken him.

Instead, the room was empty, and Bipper was free to wait for Morty to get back from his meeting.

He settled himself on the cold concrete floor and leaned against the bed. He didn't want to sit in it lest he fall asleep and get kicked out instantly.

The cool temperature under him also helped Bipper focus on steading his irregular breathing. He felt trapped and frightened, and he didn't know why.

I should be better than that, Bipper thought, I should not be falling apart from some boy dying. Yeah, he's your best friend, and, yeah, you really do care for him, but you were Bill Cipher. You should not be sitting on a basement floor having a panic attack.

But I'm not Bill Cipher anymore, he thought. And we are a family, and I love my family and I have a right to care if they die or not. I know it's my fault, and I feel... bad about it? And it's okay to feel guilt. I still have to go through with it to take over the world; it's the only way.

Isn't it?

___

Morty tried to focus as the same two voices filled the air: his own and Rick's, but even as he gave a small speech over symbiosis, something or another, his mind kept flashing back to the conversation he had with Bipper before he left.

Something was going to happen, something big, something that left Bipper worried.

Once the meeting adjourned, it was all Morty could do to not sigh in relief.

He quickly pulled away from the table and to a portal room before anyone could pull him aside and talk to him for another ten, fifteen minutes.

Morty just wanted to fall into his bed and sleep.

When he made it through the bright green portal and into his room, though, he could tell that wasn't going to happen for a while.

Sitting on his floor in pajamas and wrapped in a hoodie was Bipper, staring at the green portal with no emoticon on his face.

The lack of it was more concerning than anything.

Morty let the portal close behind him as he sat next to Bipper on the floor, shoulder to shoulder. "Tell," he said, letting the unspoken words fall in between them.

Tell me what's wrong. What's happening?

Let me help you.

Bipper didn't say anything at first, but he got out an explanation of a nameless attacker coming in the day to take away what small amount of power they had gained in the past ten months.

After he explained, everything was still apart from Bipper's knee nervously bouncing up and down.

On impulse, Morty put his hand on his leg to stabilize it. "Stop, that's annoying," he said with no real bite.

On impulse, he left the hand there even after Bipper's leg had stilled.

Bipper blinked a few times in confusion, eyes flitting down to Morty's hand. He looked back at his face with a peculiar look in his cat-like eyes.

Suddenly, Bipper shot up to his feet while he ran a hand through his already tufted hair. His hand stayed tangled in the mess as he stumbled back a few steps. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this," he muttered and disappeared into the darkness.

Morty vaguely wondered if he just got rejected as he crawled in bed fully clothed. It was three in the morning, he decided he didn't care.

Morty fell asleep quickly, but the one who just left wouldn't be sleeping for a long time for one reason or another.  

______

I have coined a ship. I shall call it Mortbip, and no one shall stop me.

I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far! There is only two chapters left so get ready for some action and drama!

That is all, so have a good day, and I bid you adieu!