Work Text:
"I'll make you talk, it's only a matter of time."
Implications danced in the air between the man and the demon - a negative space that drew in Ford’s imagination. He dared not speak a word. He did not want to bring those thoughts to life.
Fear was an unusual feeling for Stanford Pines. His sense of self-preservation had always been lacking - a fact he was proud of. The emotion was illogical after all, an evolutionary holdover from a time when humans were hunted by apex predators. It served little purpose in the modern age, only hindering rational decision-making. And yet it was fear that gripped him now, his fight or flight response finally surfacing despite the metallic blue cuffs around his limbs and neck rendering it useless. The irony was painful.
Bill's eye was wide, unblinking. The force of its gaze held Ford's body suspended in the air. He was twisted into an unnatural position by possessed chains. They flexed. Ford felt his bones pop under the strain. It hurt, but it was also distracting. It reminded Ford of previous interactions he'd had with Bill. Nightmares that had been just as painful, if not worse.
Yes, he'd suffered worse. Ford held that fact clear in his mind. It was enough to prevent Bill's demands from being met. The look in his eye told Ford that the demon agreed, and was perhaps remembering their shared experience.
Bill looked away. Flames flickered in his eye as he watched the fireplace in contemplation. The chains suddenly evaporated, leaving Ford to face-plant the tacky rug at the room's centre. "Hmm, maybe?..." The demon leant against the glossy grand piano, pondering out loud. Ford whipped his head up at the words, just in time to see Bill's thumb and index finger meet. He could see sparks of static flitting around his digits "Wait!" He shouted, but Bill had already snapped them.
Ford was jolted with 200 volts of electricity, causing him to scream in agony. He writhed back and forth, his body arching into the air. Bill watched intently as the smell of burning hair filled the room, a scent he was partial to.
Another snap. Ford's seizing halted, his body becoming limp on the floor. Bill waited, his pupil following Ford's heaving chest. A minute passed. It was enough time for Ford to have gathered himself. The man was now refusing to speak. “I think I preferred you when you weren't so stubborn.” Ford clenched his fists at the words, proving the triangle's point.
He was braced for another shock, braced for worse than that, even. Ford hadn't realised how high his pain tolerance had become after years in the nightmare realm. If Bill continued this way, Ford's body would break long before his mind. The annoyed look in Bill's eye confirmed that assessment. The demon would go on to shock Ford anyway, just for the hell of it. Again, the man twisted in pain.
When the current finally ceased, all Ford could hear was Bill’s cruel laughter. It was more annoying than anything. Ford was a proud man, he didn’t appreciate being demeaned. He rose to his feet, casually brushing off his coat as he did so - an indication of how inadequate Bill’s torture methods had been. It was a act, of course - he was actually in a lot of pain. Unfortunately for him, the demon believed his performance, interpreting Ford's body language as a challenge.
Bill's sudden appearance at his side failed to make Ford flinch. Disappointed, Bill learned onto Ford's shoulder “I guess I could work with the whole 'stoic hero' thing.” Ford grimaced and stepped out from under his arm.
"If you're not going to kill me, then just let me go."
“Wow, you've really got it nailed!” Ford looked unamused. “Fine, we’ll cut to the chase. What’s it's gonna take, Sixer?”
The man narrowed his eyes.“It’s going to ‘take’ you leaving my universe, and never coming back.” Ford replied sourly.
“Ugh, why do you care about this place so much? It's not like this world was ever good to you.”
Ford wasn't listening. He'd been recalculating his odds of escaping ever since the chains fell from his limbs. Ford surreptitiously felt his holster. No gun. But to his surprise, his knife seems to have been overlooked. Ford always hid one on his person. It was discreetly sheathed in his back pocket for moments like this. Well, maybe not as weird as this.
Ford touched the hilt behind his back as he scanned the room. There were no doors that he could see, just slick stone walls. However, there was a large triangular window, offering panoramic views of the apocalypse. Ford watched the Lovecraftian silhouettes on the horizon carve destruction into the landscape.
A soft, velvety hand was suddenly holding his chin. With mild annoyance, it redirected Ford’s attention back to Bill. “You know who was good to you?” Bill didn't wait for a response, “That's right, me.” Ford's brow furrowed, but the demon continued. “I gave you my wisdom, told you my secrets. I don't do that for just any scientist, you know!” the hand tightened its grip on Ford's chin, pursing his lips. “Don't you think I deserve a little thanks?” An indignant look flashed across Ford's face as he tore it from Bill’s grip.
“Thanks? You want me to thank you?!”
“Yes, I do, IQ.”
“You tricked me!”
“I helped you.”
“You used me!”
“You wanted to be used!”
Suddenly, Bill's hand was on his chest, pinning Ford against the wall. The other was behind his head, cushioning its impact with the stone. He stifled the urge to push the demon away, instead opting to tighten his grip on the knife behind his back.
Ford didn't like this. He didn’t like the way Bill was looking at him. He didn’t like how close he was. He didn't like how gently the demon held his hair. He… was confused to feel another pair of hands gripping his coat collar. Ford blinked and counted each appendage - one, two, three, four. How curious. It seemed that Bill's poly-brachio abilities were just as potent in the physical world as they had been in the dreamscape. “I won't ask you again, Sixer,” Bill growled, snapping Ford out of his inquiry. “What do you want?”
“I want you to let me go! Or I’ll-" Ford was flustered, and a little embarrassed at how easily his mind had wondered.
“Or you'll what?” The triangle taunted. Ford tensed as he moved even closer, the golden brickwork only millimetres away from Ford's skin.
With precision aim, he unsheathed the knife and plunged it directly into Bill's slitted pupil. It fit perfectly. The demon let out a piercing, inhuman scream so loud that it shook the room. He immediately let Ford go, needing all four hands to steady the quivering hilt now sticking out of his eyeball. Ford didn't stay to watch. He was already at the window. Stepping back a few paces, Ford steadied himself. Then, with a running jump, his shoulder hit the glass with brutal force. The window flashed white with a million intricate cracks. The pane did not collapse, however. It must have been thick glass, the kind meant to keep people captive.
Bill shakily pulled the knife from his eye. It made an unsettling noise as it broke suction with Bill's retina. The blade clattered to the ground before being showered with blood. Through pained grunts and expletives, Bill pushed his eyelid closed, spilling red tears onto his fists. He buried his face in four, six, of them. It was an attempt to stifle the white-hot rage building inside the demon. Despite the lack of lungs, Bill tried to calm down by taking deep, shuddering breaths. But arms continued twisting outwards from his sides, indicating that the anger was only getting stronger, deeper. His form grew larger with each exhalation.
Anxiety pooled in Ford's stomach as he wondered how many hits this window could take, or if it would break at all. It was too late to change tactics. Ford only had a few seconds before Bill regenerated his eye. Stepping back, he ran at the window a second time. But as his feet left the ground, Ford heard the familiar clink of chain links. His progress was violently halted as his right leg was pulled out behind him. Ford span 90 degrees and hit the floor, hard.
His chest ceased up in pain, having had the wind knocked out of it. It took Ford a moment to regain his senses. Then, he shakily flipped onto his back to investigate what had happened. The scene that greeted him was nightmarish. Bill's eye, livid and bloodshot, watched him from across the room. Behind his triangular body, at least a dozen arms curved into the shadows. The demon invoked the imagery of a giant spider, waiting in ambush for his prey. Ford looked down to see his ankle in a metallic blue cuff once more. His eyes followed the thick, heavy chain trailing from it, and to his dismay, saw it run through Bill's black satin hands before spooling on the floor. Ford gasped as he was suddenly jerked forward. He slid on his back into the centre of the room.
“Oooh, you're gonna pay for that one, Fordsy” Another hand lifted the chain behind Bill. He ran his palm over it, caressing it, before quickly winding it around his fist. Between the three hands, Bill pulled the chain taught. The demon had made it clear what was about to happen. The warning gave Ford a desperately needed moment to prepare.
With thunderous force, Bill whipped the chain over his head. It came crashing down, tearing through the carpet and shattering the stone floor where Ford had been just moments ago. Shards pummelled against Ford's back, but his roll to the side had saved him from the full force of the blow. He cautiously peered between his arms which had instinctively been protecting his face. The action wasn't a moment too soon, as he saw the demon lifting the chain once more, aiming at Ford's new position. Another deafening smash. Ford dodged in the opposite direction, missing the chain by mere inches.
“You know, I could give you anything?” Bill raised the chain again. “Everything.” It hurtled downwards “And all I want is,” - a booming crash. "all I want is-‘
The demon lowered the metal whip for a moment “Dammit Ford! Would you hold still?” Ford used this opportunity to scramble to his feet. More nimble and confident now, Ford readied himself. Bill lifted the chain again, whipping the tail end behind him as he poised to strike. But instead of raising it overhead, Bill moved his hands backwards. Too late, Ford realised what was about to happen. The chain swooped in from the side, connecting with his chest and immediately breaking two ribs. The remaining force hurled him across the room as he ploughed into the grand piano. Dissonant notes exploded into the air as wood splintered and piano wire snapped. Ford could hear laughter, smell dust, taste blood.
Then nothing. His consciousness had slipped away, plunging Ford's vision into darkness.
The precursors of dreams began forming around the edge of the void, filling his thoughts with nonsense shapes and colours. Ford sensed an intense emotion submerged deep in the darkness. To his relief, it did not surface. His psyche remained in thoughtless bliss, as the pretty colours began to take shape.
Before dreams could manifest, however, Ford was reluctantly pulled back into the world. His eyelids fluttered open.
There was a high-pitched ringing inside Ford's head. His body was completely numb. The only sense that worked was his vision. Even that was blurred, as his glasses had been knocked askew. Ford could see the ceiling of the penthouse slowly inching past.
'Sixer...' a low purr drifted through the fog. Ford tried to concentrate. He was on his back, his limp body being slowly dragged across the floor by the ankle. 'Sixerrrr...' Still dazed, Ford moved his arms, which had been trailing behind him. With all his might, he pushed his palms against the floor, lifting his body upwards, but the unrelenting force pulling him forward caused his hands to slip on the glossy stone. His torso met the ground with a sickening crunch.
“Sixer, I want you.” Ford tried to process what was being said. He raised his chest again, this time it was enough to see what lay ahead. Something unrecognisable. His blue cuff's unyielding chain stretched across the room until it was completely engulfed by a giant, writhing mass of black tendrils. It had been eagerly awaiting Ford's unwilling arrival, bubbling with anticipation. “I want to be in you.” Bill's voice was low. It took a sharp breath, followed by a longing exhalation. “I want you in me.”
Ford's heart jumped into his throat. The meaning behind Bill's words finally sank in, sending the man into a fevered panic. Ford shivered violently as he frantically pulled against the cuff on his ankle. But it was no use. Hundreds of long, black, velvety arms had filled the room. Some reached out to Ford, wrapping around his chained leg, while others began collectively forming a massive, undulating body - powerful and serpentine - behind Bill's triangular head.
Ford's inching progress across the floor was cut short with a violent jolt. He was dragged beneath Bill, the demon’s new body flexing with excitement before arching over him. "When I'm done with you, we won't know where I start and you end." Bill finished weaving his desires, leaving a silence that was soon filled with the whispers of twisting arms and Ford's own quivering breaths.
A moment passed. Ford's expression remained that of a deer in headlights. Bill's, however, was unreadable. But as the demon's gaze continued to hold Ford's, the man could have sworn he'd seen a hint of melancholy. His breath caught as Ford felt satin fingers gently tracing his wrists and ankles. Before he could respond, the intrusive digits had interlaced with his. Bill slowly but forcibly raised Ford's hands above his head. Shadow moved across his face as Bill came closer. The action filled the man with dread. He turned away from the triangle and shut his eyes tight, bracing himself for pain.
It never came. Instead, a warm metallic sensation tingled pleasantly against Ford's skin. He cautiously opened his eyes to see the demon gently pressing his triangular forehead to Ford's cheek. Bill stayed like this for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Then, he raised a half-lidded eye to meet Ford's perplexed gaze, brushing eyelashes against Ford's cheek as he did so. It was a movement so intimate that it made Ford blush. The eye scanned Ford’s face before closing and pressing against it, a gesture that was simultaneously a kiss and a nuzzle. Ford couldn't help but notice the demon's expression beforehand. There was no mistaking, bill had looked desperately lovesick.
A pang of feeling tied a knot in Ford's stomach. No. Bill was a heartless monster. Surely this was just a game to him? Ford was transported back to high school, failing at social interactions as other children sniggered behind him. Yes, Ford wasn't good with people. He found their emotions hard to interpret. And that statement did not exclude himself and his own feelings. Bill's heartlessness had been Ford's rock, his sanctuary from the chaos of the human condition. Bill did not ask for the emotional labour that the other kids wanted, that Fiddleford wanted, that Stan wanted. Bill wasn't a person, he didn't need it.
As it happens, Ford may have been wrong about that.
A dozen more hands played with the hems of Ford's clothes, pulling the fabric aside, slinking beneath it. He watched helplessly as they moved under his red sweater like sub-dermal parasites, caressing his neck, his stomach, his tender chest. 'Bill, I..' Ford began, but his voice wavered in uncertainty.
“Yes?” Bill encouraged the man to finish the thought. Ford gulped, then tried again.
“I didn't know... I-I didn't think you wanted this, that you-“
The hands under his sweater fell still. Ford waited for a response, but none came. Instead, the triangle began to warm, quickly becoming so hot it almost burned. Ford pulled away in alarm, but one of Bill's hands was suddenly against his cheek. It crushed Ford's face into his own. “Don't play with me, Ford.” the demon hissed. Ford desperately regretted his own words. He could feel Bill seething with rage.
The triangle's sinuous body pulled back, towering over the man. His glowing eye bathed Ford in angry yellow light that momentarily blinded him. “You.” Still pinned by the wrists and ankles, Ford struggled helplessly as satin hands slowly wrapped around his neck. “You adored me.” Their grip began to tighten, shooting panic down Ford's spine. “You worshipped me.” Bill's thumbs pressed hard against Ford's adam's apple. He began to choke and splutter. “You touched every inch of me.” Tears streaked Ford's cheeks as he felt his windpipe close. “Don't tell me you did it all for ‘science’.”A moment longer, and Ford would surely pass out. "You knew. You fucking knew.”
Release. Air tore at Ford's windpipe as it rushed into his lungs. His bones cracked as his ribcage rapidly expanded. It was painful. It was wonderful. The relief didn't last long, however. Bill started to laugh. A few chuckles at first, that slowly escalated into a fit of hysteria. “See!” There was madness in his voice “If you play with me, you’ll always lo-“
“Bill,” Ford's voice was hoarse. “Stop this, please.” The crazed smile behind Bill's eye disappeared abruptly.
“Sixer, come on now. Don’t-"
“Bill, please,” Ford begged, “I don't want this.” Bill paused, an incredulous look in his eye. Then suddenly, he was screaming.
“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP, YOU’RE LYING!”
Ford was about to continue his plea when two satin hands pounced at his mouth, pinning it shut. Bill was on top of him again, his serpentine body colossal now. “Shut your pretty little mouth, you ungrateful, petulant, BRAT!” The indignity of the words felt like a slap in the face. Ford was ready to meet Bill with equivalent rage. Twisting his head beneath Bill's hands, he tried to find the perfect angle to inflict maximum bite damage. The two struggled like this for at least a minute, Ford throwing muffled insults through the triangle's fingers.
However, the odds of winning were inevitably stacked in Bill's favour. Ford eventually began to tire. His attention slowly drifted to Bill's body, swirling and rippling hypnotically above him. It called forth the imagery of slow ocean waves. Random, yet rhythmic. The motion caused the tendrils to part in small places every few seconds. This phenomenon was fascinating. In these fleeting moments, he caught a glimpse of the beast's insides. They were dark, warm, labyrinthian. It stirred something inside of himself. He felt claustrophobic, for sure, maybe even thalassophobic. But this feeling was different. It made his cheeks flush and forehead sweat. Ford gulped involuntarily, again becoming aware of his mind’s tendency to wonder.
Bill's hands fell from Ford's mouth, sensing the man's surrender. The demon sighed deeply, relaxing his body. “I don't want to hurt you, Fordsy.” Bill began gently running his fingers through Ford's silver hair. “You're a good boy, really.” he cooed, tenderly massaging his scalp. “You're so brave, so clever.” Ford was disappointed by how well this worked on him. Even after 30 years, Bill's words still relaxed his mind into a near trance-like state, leaving Ford open and vulnerable.“But you have to understand, I can't just let you go, not after what you've done.”
Bill gazed deeply into Ford's dark eyes, seeing a man in conflicted, exhausted, submission. In return, Ford saw a demon that softly glowed with bittersweetness. The contradicting feelings mixed between them, forming a warm but volatile tension. “You loved a god, Stanford." Bill gently held Ford's cheek, tracing a thumb over his soft lips. "And, well, now your god loves you.”
From between the waves, black tendrils dripped onto the floor on either side of Ford. These did not end with velvet hands, like the others. They wrapped around Ford's waist, hips, and upper thighs, lifting him slowly towards the eddying current. Hands unbuckled Ford's belt, whipping it off with a supersonic snap. Ford hadn't noticed that his own hands were free until he was running them over the thick black tendrils, exploring them tenderly as they moved beneath his clothing. They were warm, slick, and muscular against Ford's skin. Bill shuddered with pleasure, causing them to thicken a little. The stitching in Ford's clothes popped. More slithered around his neck, back, calves, pulling upwards until Ford was suspended like a marionette, inching ever closer to Bill's body.
Bill's eye had closed tight, his body, arched and quivering, his triangular head buried in Fords hair. Multitudes of hands were clenched against the walls, the floor, grasping fistfuls of tacky carpet. Bill spoke in a whispered, painfully strained voice. “You're mine, Stanford. You understand? Mine.”
Ford stared into the abyss above. Was he going insane? Every nerve in Ford's body screamed, begging him to escape, somehow. And yet he was still drawn to oblivion. Ford wanted to drown in it. “I was yours, once.” he corrected Bill with a wistful smile. It was a move so dangerous, it all but confirmed his insanity. Bill let out a guttural moan of pure anger.
“Oh You’re- You’re gonna pay… for…" Bill could barely speak.
The demon couldn't contain his lust for a moment longer. Fevered tendrils immediately tightened eagerly around Ford, halting his shallow breaths. The sadism in Bill's painful grip shocked Ford out of his trance by forcing adrenaline through his veins. He panicked - a last ditch effort from his survival instincts. It was tragically too little, unfortunately too late. Bill's hunger undeniable now. With speed and veracity, the tendrils dragged Ford into their beckoning depths. He was engulfed by the waves, plunging into total darkness.
Once fully consumed in Bill, Ford immediately lost all bodily autonomy. He could feel the demon's power moving against every inch of his skin. Hands, arms, everything was undulating, caressing, drawing him deeper inside. Bill entered him too, thrusting muscular tentacles deep into Ford. The shock of the motion brought tears to his eyes as Ford gripped Bill's body in pain. The tendrils ignored his plight, continuing to swirl around his insides deliciously.
Ford tried to breathe. There was almost no air in here. The little that had been trapped inside was already hot and humid. Another quivering breath. Something grabbed his chin, holding his mouth open. The thing felt ribbed, flexible, and wet. It wrapped around Ford's neck, its tip flickering against his lips in excitement. “Are you ready?” Bill's voice was close in Ford's ears. He couldn't reply. The thing had slipped past his teeth and was now lapping at the tip of Ford's tongue. Another slithered up Ford's thigh, finding him painfully aroused. It began whirling around him, squeezing, stroking, exploring every vein and crease. There was no use trying to corral his thoughts. All Ford could manage was a weak nod. 'Goood..' Bill's deep growl sounded positively evil.
Bill pushed hard and deep into Ford as the sinuous walls of his prison began to contract. Stars popped in Ford's vision as he was simultaneously compressed so tightly, he thought he might suffocate. Panic bubbled up as he imagined being crushed to death in the pressing dark, but it wasn't long before Bill's body relaxed, and the tendrils retreated. From here, Bill conducted a slow, unrelenting rhythm. Constrict, release. Thrust, withdraw. The pace was tortuous, like the ocean before a storm. Ford moaned in frustration as he was pulled between the tides.
Hints of ecstasy began to flicker inside of him, but they refused to fully form. He needed more. Maybe holding the demon tighter, digging twelve nails into his flesh, would make him go faster. Bill chuckled wickedly, thrilled by Ford's eagerness. The demon obliged, and Ford felt an almost imperceptible change in speed. It was nowhere near enough. “Bill-” Ford tried to speak, but Bill hushed the man with a million whispers. They tingled in his ears, indistinguishable at first. But in the warm, humid darkness, sentences soon began to separate.
“I’m going to liberate this universe,” The rhythm quickened. Ford moaned in anticipation. Flexing his muscles, he gripped Bill’s tendrils desperately before synchronizing his body with their movement. The voices grew louder “with you by my side.” The tendrils throbbed with hunger, growing larger and larger, wrapping around Ford and squeezing until they were monstrously turgid. Their dominating hold forced Ford to struggle for space. But the more he pushed, the more he stimulated them. The tentacles craved his resistance as they oozed with arousal. “We'll be unstoppable.” Faster. As Bill's voice became clearer, Ford could hear the ecstasy in it. His body was pleasuring Bill’s in ways Ford could not comprehend. He didn't mind. His pride and apprehension had melted away, leaving him with an intense desire to satisfy the demon. The way his constricting body pulsed at Ford's skin made it clear that he was. “All-powerful.” Every wet and disgusting part of Bill vibrated against him, inside of him, saving him, ruining him, drowning him. “You and me.” He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. Ford cried out, he was so close.
“From now, until the end of time.”
Together, they found rapture.
After a peak so high, there was a moment of stillness. Bill's body began to sway and stagger, his resolve quickly fading. It wasn't long before he collapsed into a disorganised mess, his many hands falling limp to the floor. Bill's pupil had dilated to its fullest extent as he gazed at the ceiling in giddy bliss. Echos of pleasure were still reverberating through his body. Or maybe it was just Ford, who'd begun moving inside of him.
Bill unfolded his body to reveal his precious cargo. Ford rose unsteadily from waves. His knees were shaking, his clothes, torn to shreds, his body drenched in sweat and other fluids. Bill glowed with affection at the sight. Ford tried to stand, but the ensuing rush of dizziness caused him to lose balance. He stumbled backwards, falling into Bill's satin arms once more. Ford gazed at the ceiling like he'd just witnessed his own death. They lay together for a while, as breathing and heart rates slowly reached a modicum of normality.
Ford was the first to break the silence “Bill... I know I've made mistakes. And I'm sorry.” It was an unexpected, mournful tone “But the man you want is dead. He died 30 years ago. You killed him.” Bill pondered the words for a moment,
“You know, maybe I like this new guy. He's feisty. I like a challenge.” Ford rolled his eyes. “See, that's exactly what I mean.” Bill followed up the words with a one-eyed wink. Ford groaned frustratedly.
“It doesn't matter, you won't win. No amount of fucking is going to give you that equation.”
Bill raised a few arms and let them fall, a motion resembling a shrug.“Eh, I'm not sure if I even want it."
“Really? Why?” Ford was incredulous.
"Well, I'm going to kill you the moment you give it to me.” Ford was taken aback. The hairs on his neck prickled as he looked at Bill with sudden caution. “This way, I get to keep you around.”
Bill began to move, forming a current that swept Ford towards the triangle. His body reformed anew, coiling around Ford’s like a boa constrictor. Only now did Ford realise that he'd been letting his guard down. He cursed himself for his foolishness. Anger began to build as Ford desperately tried to parse Bill's sentiment. “I don't understand. You won't let me go, because you want something from me. But I can't give you want you want, because if I do, you'll kill me?”
Bill began to laugh. It was a cold, joyless thing that trailed off into a deep sigh. “Oh Sixer, I don’t want you to give me anything. I want to take it from you.”
The despair in Ford's voice was mounting "And what? I'm just supposed to fight it? Fight you? Forever?”
The soft glow of the fireplace flickered in Bill's eye. “Forever.”
Satin moved against Ford's skin. Hundreds of arms began retreating, slithering back to their master. They retracted into the triangle until he'd returned to a simple floating shape - just four limbs, a hat and bowtie. Ford's eyes followed Bill closely, but as they did so, his vision seemed to glitch. The room darkened as static crackled around the demon. Bill steadily ascended, returning Ford's gaze with a dangerous expression. Then, like a flash of lightning, he was gone.
Ford was alone, almost. Bill's final word remained in the room with him. It played on Ford's mind, pushing it towards the edge of a deep, dark abyss. Ford noticed the blue cuff around his ankle once more.
"Forever." He spoke aloud to the cold room. There was no one to hear him.
fin -
If you're here from tumblr you've probs already seen this but, as a thanks for reading, have some art I did of spaghetti bill:
