Chapter Text
Bill laid there, staring at the ceiling, thinking, predictably, about Ford. Ford hadn’t trusted him, not when he asked him too, and that hurt even though it made sense. They’d come a long way but their initial relationship started on a lie, and he remembered when Stanley came and he remembered how hard it was to start a romantic relationship with Ford.
He closed his eyes and drifted back into the 80s.
Bill sat at the kitchen table, Ford and Stan had been arguing in the next room for an hour now, maybe two? He didn’t know. Time was irrelevant now that he’d fucked up his end goal. His eye kept drifting back to the stairs that lead down to the lab. He could turn it back on, he could cause Weirdmaggedon and not even blink his eye at it but that was a lie wasn’t it? Because the awful and harsh reality was that the pain in his chest when Stanford Pines had tried to jump through the portal was too big to ignore. Bigger than his plans and even him, somehow he’d been manipulated by the thoughts and feelings that came with this body.
Manipulated by Ford and the space lizard and his own treacherous body. He touched his fingers to his lips, the memory of Ford and his kiss seared against his skin and into his mind. He thought about his fingers digging into his scalp and through his hair, about six fingered hands tenderly placing pyramids on a shrine meant for him. About devotion. His tone when he called him muse.
He was startled out of his thoughts by a door slamming and Stanley Pines stormed past and out the front door. Ford appeared in the doorway after him, looking more tired than Bill had ever seen him. “He needs time.” He explained, going to make a cup of coffee.
“Why are you telling me that?”
“Well I assumed you’d be staying, it isn’t as if you have anywhere else to go m- Bill.”
Bill bared his teeth at him “Just because I…” The words were bitter on his tongue “Certain feelings towards you does not mean I’m staying permanently. I have other plans besides this whole portal thing Fordsy. I just need some other genius.”
“Some other genius?” Ford asked, his voice breaking in a way Bill didn’t want to deal with. He didn’t look at him because if he looked at him he would crack. “Yeah Ford. Some other genius.”
“I thought we-“
“What? You thought we what Ford? Would have some storybook ending? News flash smart guy, you’re a liability to everything im trying to do.” He turned his head, just to see him out of the corner of his eye, and his expression nearly made him fold. “I.. I’ll stay until I can find a way out of this town. Then I’m gone.”
“But-“
“I don’t want or need a weakness.”
Ford stepped up close to him, his knees knocking to his “I don’t believe that.”
“You should!” He snapped, only to feel fingers gently cradling his jaw, and his head being turned towards him. He stared up at Ford “You should stay. With me. In this town, because I want you here.” Bill frowned “But you shouldn’t.”
“Bill Cipher you saved my life. I think you should at least try to do something about that.” He leaned in and Bill started to shut his eye, until Stan’s voice suddenly filled the space and Ford jumped back.
“That’s kind of gay.”
Bill snorted and opened his eye. It wasn’t easy after that, it still wasn’t easy. He had to unlearn behaviors, be honest, develop something with Ford that was still going strong. He turned and watched Ford breathe, reaching out to push his hair back out of his face.
He just hoped that Ford would accept his choice in the end.