Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Look Billie! Why don’t you go play with the kid over there? He seems lonely, why dont’cha keep the kid company?” Euclid pushed baby Billie along the ground, his large sneakers squeaking as he walked. Billie swatted away at Euclid’s hands, walking on his own with some difficulty. Billie spotted another yellow triangle in the near distance, soon noticing he had the same ‘deformity’ that he had. His hopes skyrocketed and he walked faster, seeing the kid on the ground and kicking around a toy car with his foot. 

“Do you see the stars, too?” Billie immediately asked once within speaking distance, and the other turned to him.

“The little white things?” He asked, seemingly unbothered. 

“Yes! You see them too?” The other’s eye crinkled and he hummed in agreement.

“Mhmm! I like that big one right there.” He pulled his arm out from behind him and pointed to the largest and brightest one in the sky, Billie wringed his hands together in joy.

“If you look really closely, you can see another star close to it. They’re circling each other. I like to think they’re in love.” Billie giggled and so did the other triangle.

“I’m Steven. You can call me Steve!” Steve extended his hand, wrapped in a blue glove. Billie took his hand and shook it, beaming.

“I’m Billie! Well.. I like to be called Bill, but my ma and pa forget to use it..” He chuckled softly and Steve brought him closer by slinging his arm over Bill’s back. 

“Well, you’re Bill to me, now!” Steve laughed, pointing at another star, beginning to speak about it. Bill listened intently, sitting on the ground with him as they took turns pointing out various constellations. The day went on as such, up until Bill had to go home, running into his father’s arms in joy as he talked about how Steve saw the stars just like he did.

“I’m sure you did, Billie. Have you taken your medicine today?” Bill’s joy depleted at the mention of it and he hesitated.

“..No.” He confessed and Euclid hummed.

“Why not?”

“It tastes weird.. And it makes my eye feel funny..” Bill complained and Euclid laughed.

“Don’t be silly, Billie! I’ll mix it up with some apple juice when we get home, alright?” Bill scrunched up his eye in dislike, but caved.

“Okay. Can I see Steve tomorrow?”

“Sure thing, honey! I’m sure he’d love to see you too!”

Chapter Text

“Billie, are you going out?” Bill turned to his mother, white pearls gleaming in the soft kitchen light as he passed by. She was making a sandwich.

“Uh.. Yeah. Just with Steve.” She blinked her three eyes at him, he could see them crease up and her blue bricks glow slightly brighter, indicating her joy at the mention Steve. 

“Oh! In that case let me make him a sandwich! I was just making you one, I even cut the crusts off for you too, just the way you like it with raspberry jam-”

“Ma. It’s okay. He’ll survive.” He chuckled, making a move to leave the kitchen when his mother spoke again.

“Are you sure? You don’t even want to take yours? You havent eaten-”

“Ma.” Bill warned, “I’m fine.” There was a pause for a moment before her eyes narrowed.

“Billie, what’s going on? You aren’t usually like this. You’ve been going out more and more, and you’ve been distant. What’s happened?” She rested her hand on the edge of the counter, Bill could hear the frown in her voice. Suddenly, Bill felt bad for being rude.

“It’s nothin; mama. I’m just.. I’m dealing with some stuff.” He softened his voice and Scalene found herself sighing.

“Alright. Take the sandwich, at least ?” She pleaded, the nearly packaged sandwich sitting in the  lunchbox he always took and had been for the past 18 years. He knew she had packed more, but he kept silent. 

“Okay. I’ll see you later tonight, mama.” He hugged her from the side and tucked the tin lunchbox under his arm and left the room. He sighed softly once the front door clicked behind him, fixing the hat on his head. He smoothed out the edges of his thin bow tied out of ribbon, something his mother had convinced him to start wearing since she thought it made him look nice.

He headed off in the direction he and Steve were supposed to meet, traversing through the wooded area before spotting him sitting in the distance. He flagged him down and Steve turned, rushing over to him.

“You ready?” Bill beamed and Steve nodded. 

“As I’ll ever be, Bill!” Steve’s eye crinkled and Bill grabbed his hand, tugging him along to the weak spot in their dimension, a small tear that made it easy for them to leave with minimal difficulty. Bill squeezed through first, pulling Steve out with him as they were sent out into the vast depth of space. It had been the 4th time since Bill had first been able to see the stars in this light, and he couldn't help but be wowed more and more each time.

He turned to Steve, gaze turning mischievous. 

“You bring the things?” Bill asked and Steve turned to show his backpack full of spray paint. They had found out there were multiple establishments all over the area, more than Bill had ever seen in his life. The first night they found the weak spot they travelled all over, restaurants, grocery stores, practically anything you could think of, it was there. They had recently discovered a small convenience store close by to where the tear was, one that kicked them out the first night all because they were “too hard to see from the side” and the guy up front considered them shady when all they were trying to do was buy some chips and drinks. 

“Great. Let’s go show those assholes what for.” Bill snickered and Steve chased after him as he headed towards the area, sneaking behind a dumpster overflowing with garbage. He waved Steve over, digging into the bag behind Steve’s back and pulling out a can of yellow spray paint. He shook it a few times as Steve got his own, heading over to the far back of the store and beginning to spray a crude image of himself flipping the owners off as he giggled. Steve watched him for a few moments before he decided to draw a simple picture of himself with his one blue eye staring at Bill’s drawing committing the act. He added a few hearts to the drawing and Bill rolled his eye. 

“Sap.”

Steve just blushed and chuckled to himself. 

“Hey! What are you two-! It’s YOU!” The creature who had been running the store last time spotted them out back, and Bill dropped the spray paint can and turned to the side, urging Steve to do the same so that they would be harder to see in their 2D forms. 

“What the–!” Bill snickered, telling Steve to keep moving sideways as they disappeared behind the other corner and booked it once the man was thoroughly confused. Bill laughed out loud as Steve chased after him, hand grabbing onto his as they successfully evaded capture. As they got further away, another establishment came into sight, a bright sign flashing with yellow, red, and green reading Burrito Paradox Interdimexican Restaurant. Bill’s stomach grumbled and he thought to the lunch box he had shoved into Steve’s backpack, sandwich forgotten. He pondered for a moment before fishing out his wallet and pointing to the restaurant with his thumb. 

“You wanna grab some grub?” He asked, and Steve nodded. 

“I could really go for an empanada right now.” Steve commented, and Bill laughed.

“Lucky for you they got infinite ones here.” 

“.. I’m not THAT hungry.” Steve confessed and Bill laughed again, louder this time. 

“How about we just get some tacos?” Bill offered and Steve shrugged. 

“You paying?”

“Of course I am, you’re unemployed.”

“It’s not my fault your grandma doesn't want to hire me at her flower shop.”

“You probably shouldn’t have tried to eat her daisies out front.”

“They looked tasty!”

“You know Tad dared you to do it.”

“..nuh uh..”

“The fuck you mean ‘nuh uh’, I was right there!” 

“I’m a weak man!”

“For two dollars?! I would have at least made him cough up a 20.”

“.. fair point. Counter point: He also gave me 3 coupons for Eddie’s.”

“Seriously? Eddie’s is the worst . His burgers taste like actual ass.”

“How would you know what ass tastes like?”

“It tastes like a guess, and my guess is ass .” Steve snickered and Bill rolled his eye.

“Come on, dipshit, let's just go.” Bill grabbed onto Steve’s hand yet again, a small gesture that never failed to make Steve flutter, and Steve followed Bill into the front doors. Bill ordered their food and paid, choosing a spot outside so that he would still be in view of the stars. 

Their food came quickly, steaming hot as Bill unwrapped his tacos from the foil and immediately shoved one into his eye turned mouth. Steve watched as Bill scarfed down the food with little awareness of his surroundings, or maybe he just didn't care. Either way, as Bill ate, Steve watched, chuckling as Bill licked the remnants of the food from his face and eye with his blue forked tongue. 

Bill blinked, eye shifting up to the plethora of stars above and all around them, then back to Steve.

“You haven't even touched your food yet? Oh don’t tell me that you’re not even hungry anymore, those tacos cost me like 15 bucks!-”

“No, no- just.. Lost in my thoughts.”

“Well, stop it and eat your damn food.” Bill lightly sassed with a laugh, leaning back in the chair floating outside and staring back up at the stars. As Steve took bites of his food, he would periodically peer back at Bill silently, then go back to his food. Once he was done, Bill had already started rambling about how many of the stars he couldn't see back at home, pointing them out idly. Even though Bill was pointing them out for Steve to see, all Steve could focus on was Bill and how happy he looked out here and away from everyone else. 

“There’s so many stars here that I haven’t seen back home. They’re so radiant.” He mused, and Steve sighed softly.

“I see a star here that shines brighter and more radiant than any other star in the universe.” Steve said softly, watching as Bill looked to him for a brief moment and back up.

“Where?” Bill asked, eye searching the cosmos and suddenly Steve felt embarrassed. 

“Uh.. I lost it.” Steve muttered, rubbing the back of his angles awkwardly before letting his arms disappear again.

Bill chuckled softly, peering down at his watch and groaning.

“I told my ma I’d be back before 9pm. Let’s head back.” Bill griped, shuffling out of his chair and yet again dragging Steve along with him. 

As they squeezed through the tear again back into their dimension, Bill grabbed his unused lunchbox from behind Steve’s back, tucking it back underneath his arm. They walked for a while until the trees finally cleared, showing their town once again. 

“Guess I gotta head off, now. See you tomorrow?” Bill asked, turning to Steve. The other triangle nodded and leaned in for a hug, one that Bill was quick to reciprocate and then pull away. It left Steve yearning for more. 

“Alright, big guy, I’ll see you Wednesday.” Steve waved as Bill left, muttering a small goodbye as Bill rushed back towards his house. Steve was left alone at the edge of the forest, sighing. 

He looked up once to the stars and thought back to what he had said earlier. 

‘A star that shines brighter and more radiant than any in the universe.’

How foolish of him to think that Bill would get it that time. He pondered to himself as he made the trek back to his own home, unable to stop thinking about Bill. Every thought was about him, his laugh, anything and everything was about him . Bill was amazing, how could he not think of him? He was smart, witty, artistic, things that Steve simply.. Wasn’t. He had a job, he had friends, he had everything that he could want, and yet he stuck with Steve. Steve didn’t understand why.

How could someone so amazing be stuck with someone as mediocre as him?

He sighed, finally finding himself at the front door of his house. He stepped inside and headed straight for his room, not finding anyone in the house yet again. He flopped down onto his bed, exhausted after all of his mindless thinking.

At least Bill wanted to see him again tomorrow.

Bill unlocked the door to his house, seeing his mom and dad in the living room waiting for him. His mother immediately went up to him as she always did, checking to see if anything was out of place, or if anything was amiss. Bill simply rolled his eyes as she searched him like the worried mother she was before she told him that dinner was on the table.

“You’re ten minutes late, Billie.” Euclid commented, starting to pick at his food. Bill grumbled softly.

“I know.” Bill muttered, not even hungry since he had eaten not even 30 minutes earlier. He picked up his fork and shuffled the macaroni on his plate.

“We were worried.” Scalene interjected, her eyes blinking at him from across the table.

“I know .” Bill repeated, brow furrowing.

“You should have told us that you’d be late, you know.” Euclid said.

“ I. Know. ” 

“Maybe we should make your curfew earlier. I would hate for something bad to happen-” Bill suddenly pushed out of his seat and slammed his fork on the table.

“Cheese and crackers, guys! I’m 18 years old! I don’t need you to coddle me! I have a job, I have a car, I should be allowed to leave whenever the hell I want!” He snapped, groaning in frustration as he turned on his heel and left the house entirely. Scalene attempted to stand up and go after him, but Euclid pulled her back down gently.

“Euclid, she’s-”

“I know, dear. Let her go. She’ll be back eventually.”

Bill grumbled to himself as he walked back in the direction of the rip, having grabbed his hat on the way out. 

“I can’t get a MOMENT of peace, can I?” He asked aloud to himself as he stepped out of the rip, deciding to cool off outside. As he roamed around the cosmos, he stumbled upon a clearing, nothing but stars and nebulae all around him. 

I’ve been expecting you, Bill.

Bill whipped his head around, confused.

“What? Who was that? Who are you?” The voice chuckled, the sound reverberating off of seemingly nothing.

Over here, dear.

Bill turned again, face to face with a giant axolotl, shimmering in the purples, blacks, and blues of space.

“Holy Euclidia..” Bill muttered, astonished.

To answer your question, I am the almighty Axolotl. I have known you for millenia, known every version of you, and what you have done and what you will do. You are the first i have met who has not suffered a fate such as the rest. You still have your home. 

“What do you mean? Versions of me? Fate? My home?” Bill’s mind was reeling, almost unable to keep up with what the Axolotl was saying.

In every other timeline, your home had been destroyed. You were the last of your kind. In every other timeline, you thought of yourself as a monster, and sought out to destroy everything that you could. In every other timeline, you hurt more people than you should, because you were hurting, too. But I've done it. I’ve found you. The one that could change your own fate, change the suffering that you have caused yourself and others. Somewhere closeby, is a man waiting for you. In every other timeline you have hurt him, but you can change that now. You can treat him kindly, and maybe, just maybe, you can create a timeline in which things turn out.. Good.

Bill took in the information. Him, a bad person? What exactly had he done? Why was he the only one in which this hadn’t happened? 

I know this is a lot for you to take in, Bill. I pray that you trust me, heed what I preach. If you stumble upon the north, just past those stars, you will find another rip. It is a weak spot in which you will be able to communicate with the man I speak of. You will not be able to reach his dimension, but when he is asleep, you will be able to contact him as if you were there. He has been waiting for you. I must go now, my dear. If you need me, invoke my name and I shall find you.

With that, Bill blinked and the salamander was gone. He looked around, so many questions left unanswered. 

“Holy shit..” He mumbled, looking the way that the Axolotl pointed before he left. 

With some thought, he pushed forward, towards the second rip.