Dangerously yours // Billford

IV - The deal

Over the next few days, Ford was able to progress through the project as he continued to draw up blueprints for the portal. Despite this, there was one thing on his mind. The deal. The deal that Bill offered him on the roof. It had lingered in his mind ever since. He felt helplessly conflicted about it.

On one hand, allowing someone else to control his body was insane to him and ignored all logic and common sense. They could do anything to him or get him to do anything. But on the other hand, this was Bill. He trusted Bill more than he had anyone else. Bill wanted to help him with the project. There weren't any secret evil motives, surely.

In relation to the deal, Bill had also been on his mind non-stop, Stanford couldn't figure out why. He'd even begun writing about his muse in his journal. It could've been his own curiosity or the fact that he hadn't had a real conversation with anyone else in what felt like decades (he felt like he was starting to lose it a little after being alone in that cabin for so long).

Stanford pulled himself out of his thoughts. He was forgetting something, and he knew it. He looked around for a moment before it finally came to him; he had to call Fiddleford today! His face suddenly twisted into a smile. He'd rather missed Fiddleford since their days in college together, and it wouldn't hurt for him to have someone to finally socialise with normally.

Ford walked over to his desk and sat down before he picked up the phone and dialled the numbers he'd almost forgotten. "Hello, Fiddleford computer majigs!" The familiar voice exclaimed over the phone.

Ford was almost grateful to hear him again before he was reminded of Fiddleford's new computer building career. God, the idea made him cringe slightly, the idea of someone so smart wasting his intelligence like that. Stanford went on to explain his idea and the blueprints he had been creating. "You say you're tryna' build a trans-universal poly-dimensional metavortex? Well, that's mathematically feasible, I reckon." Fiddleford responded, Ford gave him a few more details more details before he finally hung up.

Fiddleford would come down to Gravity Falls to help him in a week. "Yes!" He whispered under his breath, Ford didn't expect himself to have missed interacting with other people this much.

It wasn't long before Bill appeared behind him, Ford must have fallen asleep at his desk (he had been working very hard since he hadn't had any help previously).
"Sixer!" Bill exclaimed. Ford turned around to see his familiar muse. "Ah, Bill." Ford sighed as he remembered the deal. He still didn't know how to feel.

"So, have you thought about our little deal?" He asked with a smile. Ford looked him up and down. This was Bill. He trusted Bill. Surely, there was no way this could go wrong. He let out a shaky sigh and nodded. Bill's face lightened up as he looked over Ford intently. He offered an outstretched arm for a handshake, blue flames engulfing his hand entirely.

Ford looked over the flame nervously. How was it not burning Bill's hand? He looked between Bill's flaming hand and his face. His familiar face. Ford had grown to miss his face, his voice, his jokes. He couldn't believe he'd become so close with him so soon, within barely two weeks.

"Then it's a deal, from now until the end of time." Bill exclaimed in glee. Ford nodded as he slowly inched his hand closer to the blue flame.

"Just let me into your mind, Stanford."
Closer and closer, his hand inched towards his hand.

"Please, call me a friend."
Ford said with a smile as he finally grasped Bill's hand. Surprisingly, the flame was gently warm. He shook Bill's hand firmly, sealing the deal with him before eventually letting go.

As he let go, it was as if all the air had been sucked out of him. Ford sharply inhaled. He felt like he'd been punched hard in the stomach. "Woah, Sixer! Didn't realise it would take so much out of you." Bill laughed before he ran to help steady Ford, tightly holding his shoulders in place.

As Bill's hands gripped his shoulders, it felt as if electricity shot through him. His stomach felt weak, and his legs grew shaky. Ford had felt something similar when he was holding Bill on the rooftop, but this was far more intense. Sure, it was just nerves, intensified by the shock of making the deal?

He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by Bill holding him close to his chest and snapping his fingers in front of his face repeatedly. "Sixer? Sixer! Oh, finally, you're responsive!" He laughed. "You went all limp for a second. I thought you were gonna slip and break your neck!"
"O-Oh sorry Bill." He stammered, not even noting how close he was to Bill. He didn't realise that making a deal with Bill would be so physically demanding.

Bill smiled, "I think it would be best for you to get some rest." He said before he led him upstairs to the couch before he carefully laid him down and sat next to him. Ford frowned, "But I'm already asleep..?" He asked, a little confused. Bill nodded, remembering not everyone knew as much as him about how the mindscape worked.

"You're in the mindscape right now. Your body is resting, but your mind isn't. Making deals like that is both mentally and physically demanding for a human. You need to get some REM Sixer!" He said with a smile. Ford nodded in understanding before he attempted to get comfortable on the couch. It felt weird to be falling asleep while technically already being asleep.

As Ford drifted off, the last thing he saw was Bill sitting over him, beginning to slowly stroke his hair.