UnWanted Reunion (UnWilling Roommates book 2)

Chapter 2: I'm Different Now

Because of you.

(Bill's POV)

I barely noticed Will leaving the room, still scouring my book for anything I might use to gain an advantage over Tad Strange.  A few minutes later, I heard him scream.

My gloved fingers dug into the book as I tried to ignore it, pretending the sudden ominous silence didn't bother me.

Whatever that crybaby just got himself into, it's his own fault, I thought.  Why would I care?  I shouldn't care.  I DON'T care!

I slammed the book shut and went in search of Will.

I found him curled up on the floor outside his room.  He cringed away when I approached, whimpering when the movement jostled whatever injuries he had.

"Jeez, you didn't even make it back to your room?" I asked sardonically.  He didn't respond, hiding his face in his hands.  I surveyed him for a moment in silence.

What's the big deal? I asked myself.  I've seen him worse than this plenty of times.  Hell, I've been the cause of it more often than not.  I remembered walking indifferently past him many times, bleeding and crying, maybe even throwing a casual kick his way.  I remembered the time I'd set him on fire for fun. I'd even helped the Gleefuls set up the portal that would have killed him without a second thought.  And yet, looking at him now, all I could see was Y/N's face, her expression simultaneously disapproving and worried.

"What, are you just going to leave him there?" she asked inside my head.

His breath caught when I picked him up off the ground, hissing in pain.  Broken ribs, then?  His nose was also bleeding profusely.  I teleported back to my room and set him on my bed, mindful of his injuries.  He stared at me uncomprehendingly as I scanned him with my magic, healing his ribs and nose with a touch.  He didn't react, as if he was waiting for the punch line.

He finally spoke up as I turned back to my desk, intending to get on with my book. "W-why?"

"You need to be more careful, Blue," I said shortly. "I'm going to try to reach Y/N's dreams tonight and I need you to boost my power."

"Oh..." He said. "O-okay."

"Besides," I muttered quietly as I opened my book, "Y/N would kill me if she found out I let anything happen to you while she was gone."

He didn't respond. Glancing over, I saw that his visible eye had filled with tears again. I rolled my eye in exasperation and went back to my book.

Will left my room again soon afterward, since he apparently had some chores to do. I didn't offer to help and he didn't ask.

My contract with the Gleefuls was a bit different from Will's. I wasn't a slave and they didn't treat me like one. I provided them with tidbits of my infinite knowledge and occasionally a power boost, and they assisted me in return when I required a vessel other than my own human-looking magical construct. I didn't have chores or other responsibilities, so I spent the day searching through the Gleeful's extensive library for any texts that might hold useful information.  They might know a little too much about my kind... I thought to myself, scanning a journal I hadn't known existed.  

Dipper and Mabel were both in the library, studying magic techniques.  When I reached to grab a book on a high shelf, my sleeve rode up.

"What's that?" Dipper asked suddenly.  I looked down to notice that the edge of my tattoo was visible. 

I shook my sleeve down.  "Nothing."

Mabel stood up and crossed over to me, grabbing my wrist and yanking my sleeve up.

"Hey!  No touching!" I snapped.  She ignored me.

"Nyan cat?  Are you kidding me?" she guffawed.  "Where did this come from?"  To my embarrassment, the usually stoic Dipper was laughing as well. 

I reclaimed my arm, hiding the tattoo once again.  My face was burning.  "I... lost a bet.  It's none of your business."  Mabel was in stitches, clutching the bookshelf to keep from falling over.  I was reminded painfully of the time we had destroyed Y/N's kitchen trying to make breakfast and she'd almost fainted with laughter.  I grabbed a book and stomped back to my seat, ignoring them both and trying to focus on reading.

When I left the library, I passed by Will in the hallway, struggling to carry a tower of heavy boxes into another room. Without thinking, I held the door open for him. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Dipper standing nearby.  He had stopped what he was doing, staring at me with eyes narrowed suspiciously. Immediately I kicked Will's legs out from under him and he went sprawling, boxes tumbling every which way. Dipper chuckled. I forced a laugh in return and he went on his way.  Somehow, such casual cruelty just wasn't as appealing to me anymore.

As soon as Dipper was out of sight, I crouched next to Will, who was trying to stack the boxes with tears in his eye.

"Sorry about that," I muttered. "Dipper was watching."

He dropped the box he was holding, looking up at me with utter shock. "Did... did you just apologize to me?" he asked. "You've n-never done that before... Ever."

I paused, a little shocked myself. Did I? What was that? I started to chuckle, slightly chagrined. Will watched me with mild alarm. I'm Bill Cipher, insane murderous demon fiend!  I don't apologize to anyone, especially not to this waste of demonhood!  The only reason I'm even in this dimension is because I laid waste to my own, then got bored of it!

I sat back, running my hand through my hair, still chuckling. Will looked at me like I was nuts.  Which I was, of course.   

I'm pure evil! I insisted to myself. I delight in pain and suffering! Don't I? DON'T I? The words sounded hollow even to me. What's wrong with me? I asked myself. What changed?

I didn't answer, even in my head, because I already knew. Somehow, centuries of unapologetic monstrousness had been completely undone by one insignificant human.

And now she's gone. I stood up, stacking the boxes and shoving them into Will's arms before taking off running. He stared after me, completely perplexed.

I hurtled back into the library at top speed, throwing myself back into the books with frantic energy.  There's got to be something here that can help.  I'm an all-knowing demon!  Surely I can come up with a plan!

Somehow, though I knew it was irrational, I found myself angry at Y/N.  How dare she show up out of nowhere and force me to change!  I was happy being evil!  What gave her the right to make me feel things like remorse... and regret...  and then just disappear!  She should have known better than to make that deal.  She'll pay for this.  As soon as I get her back, she'll answer for her crime.

My fingers gripped the book so tightly I heard it start to tear.  I felt an unfamiliar pricking sensation in my eye.  I raised my hand, wondering if I had an eyelash stuck in it, and my glove came away with a patch of moisture.  I stared at it, uncomprehending, because I never cried.  Not once in thousands of years.

I'll find her. I don't care what it takes.

I have to.