The party dragged on for what seemed like days. Candy and Grenda wasted hours flirting with boys, scaring them away with their dumb, cheesy flirtations. Dipper spent the entire night on the coach, his mind elsewhere, or more exactly, on Bill. He watched Mabel and Pacifica be gross together, or at least what he teased her to be gross. They had grown to be a cute couple, honestly. Maybe Dipper needed that kind of relationship.

Maybe he needed it with Bill.

It shocked him, the idea of Bill having a crush on him, the very kid he tortured with both physical and mental jabs every chance he got. But a crush? Is this how he tries to show it? By abusing him? He sighs to himself quietly. If Bill was serious about liking Dipper, well, the entire situation will become a bit creepier, and a bit more awkward. Maybe he should keep an open mind, maybe he should try to except the demon's emotions. He was snapped out of his considerations by a bounce of the cushion beneath him, his sister popped up in his peripheral vision.

"Hey bro-bro!" She shouted and leaned a bent elbow on his shoulder. "Why are you sitting all alone and boring. This is a party!" She poked him in the stomach and giggled.

"You know I'm not fond of parties, Mabel." He rested his head in his hands, his fingers on temples. He ran a single hand through his hair.

"Are you still stressing out over Bill's dork crush? It isn't that big of a deal."

"No, Mabel, it's a huge deal. Why, why would a demon, probably older than the planet itself, have a crush on me? The kid he's patronized everyday since his return to Gravity Falls? Did you think about it past the whole crush thing? It doesn't make sense!" Mabel tugged on his sleeve half way through his confused rant.

"Love is a weird thing, bro. It doesn't make sense. Maybe that's how demons show their affection." Dipper cringed.

A demon. He didn't want to think about that phrasing. It's weird, thinking that sociopathic freak loving him. Loving. Did he really love him? Should he love him back? Should he actually consider the demon's emotions? Does he even have emotions?

It was scary, but it was the only thing on his mind. Not the party, not Mabel's dumb romantic acts with Pacifica, not the fact that Waddles started eating the bottom of his pants, just Bill and his dumb emotions. He didn't know if he should anticipate the talk he and Bill were to have, or to fear it.

The party ended after hours of blasting music, bright colored lights, and dancing girls. Mabel and Pacifica passed out on the couch next to Dipper and he quickly got up, shutting off the music and lights, shooing off spare party guests to leave his home. It was around 3:00 am by the time he hobbled his tired, romantically confused body up the stairs. He opened the door to his room, planning on passing out on the bed the second his head touched it. He entered the room, and shut the door behind him, turning back around to face the bed.

He wasn't the only one in the room. On his bed, sat a tall, far too familiar man. Bill. The sudden presence of another living thing almost made him have a heart attack.

"Listen, Bill-"

"No, Pine Tree, we need to talk." Bill cut him off with his echoed voice.

"I'm really tired and I don't want to do this now." He said, rubbing his eyes with balled fists and yawned.

"You say that like you have a choice." The demon hissed and the room became the black and white of the mindscape, the place Bill preferred to talk there, a place away from interruption and distraction.

Dipper sighed and stood in front of the bed, keeping a fair distance between him and the seemingly glowing demon.

"Anyway." The demon leaned back onto the pillow, pressing his blond hair against the wooden fixture. It was weird not seeing him smile, he always smiled. The bored, almost pained expression was close to sickening to see. He seemed slightly discolored, his hair less golden, his eyes a pale yellow. "This whole love thing isn't my forte. But I do know that you don't feel the same about me."

Dipper felt the pressure of his unrequited love push against his chest, or was that guilt? Did he feel guilty for not loving a damned dream demon? As if he knew what he was thinking, the blond sighed out remorse, regret. Honestly, he probably did know exactly what he was thinking.

"Pine Tree. Would you ever consider liking me back?"

There it was. The question hit his ears, causing his heart to momentarily stop.

"I-I don't know, maybe?" He couldn't help but let his words hitch. Bill's eyes perked up, his color sparked.

"Wait really?" They were both surprised by the answer, maybe Dipper more so than Bill. The dream beast's so quickly changing mood swings seemed to pulse through Dipper's eyes, going from his previous state of remorse to such hopeful excitement.

"Yeah, I mean..I guess." Bill stood off the bed and grinned widely, grabbing Dipper by the wrist and pulling him close. The fifteen-year-old stumbled into his chest, his ear pressing against his body. It was weird, there was no heartbeat on Bill's end.

The tall man's arms wrapped tightly around the head and shoulders of the boy. Dipper was stunned, shocked. He stood, frozen for seconds before beginning to look up at the man's grinning face and slowly hug him back. The world regained it's color and it was obvious that they were no longer in the mindscape.

"Consider it, kid." The demon smiled wider and took Dipper's face into his hands, planting a kiss on his lips. Dipper's eyes closed on the kiss, to his surprise. There was a flash of light on his eyelids and the hands and lips of the man were gone from his. He opened his eyes slowly to see no one standing in front of him, but a blush still stained his cheeks. He stood in silence for minutes, contemplating what just happened and wether or not it actually happened.

Mabel's voice called something inaudible from the downstairs, followed by excited footsteps. "Hey Bro-Bro!" She skidded to the front of him. She eyed his stunned expression. "What's wrong?"

"I think I like a demon."