The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the cracks in the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. I was still in bed, though I’d been awake for a while, listening to the gentle hum of Pacifica’s snores beside me. She’d fallen asleep in my arms, and I had carefully disentangled myself before sitting up to check the time. It was still early, and the hangover was evident even before she had fully awoken.
I glanced over at Pacifica, who was stirring now, her face scrunched up in discomfort. She let out a groan, a hand reaching to shield her eyes from the light.
“Mmm, my head…” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep and regret.
I chuckled softly, trying to keep the mood light. “Good morning, Pacifica. How’s the hangover treating you?”
She blinked slowly, trying to focus on me. “Dipper?” Her eyes widened in confusion, then narrowed as she remembered the previous night. “Oh no… I didn’t…”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling despite the situation. “You’re in my room. I didn’t want to wake you up, so I let you sleep in.”
Pacifica groaned again, rubbing her temples. “Ugh, I feel awful. Why did I think drinking so much was a good idea?”
I shrugged, standing up and stretching. “You were having a good time, I guess. Mabel’s downstairs making breakfast. Maybe some food will help.”
“I hope so,” Pacifica said, wincing as she sat up slowly. She looked around the room, trying to piece together the previous night’s events. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to be so… well, you know.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” I said, giving her a reassuring smile. “It happens. Besides, you were pretty entertaining.”
Pacifica managed a weak smile, then slowly got out of bed, still looking a bit unsteady. I handed her a clean shirt I found in the closet. It was one of my old, oversized shirts. “Here, put this on. It’s not much, but it’s better than waking up in yesterday’s clothes.”
She slipped into the shirt, which hung off her like a dress. It was so big on her that the sleeves almost covered her hands, and the hem reached midway down her thighs. I couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she looked. “Thanks,” she said, trying to adjust the shirt to look a bit less like a tent.
I nodded and led the way to the kitchen. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Mabel was bustling around, humming to herself as she cooked.
“Morning!” Mabel called cheerfully, not noticing Pacifica’s disheveled state. “I made pancakes and bacon! You’re just in time!”
Pacifica sat down at the table, looking more than a little frazzled. Mabel placed a plate of food in front of her, then handed her a cup of a bright pink, frothy concoction.
“And I made Mabel Juice!” she declared with a grin. The drink had a few plastic toy dinosaurs floating in it.
Pacifica eyed the drink warily, her nose wrinkling. “Uh, what’s in this?”
Mabel giggled. “Oh, it’s a special blend of who-knows-what and some fun dinosaur toys!”
Pacifica took one look at the cup and pushed it away gently. “I think I’ll pass on the Mabel Juice.”
Mabel pouted but shrugged. “Suit yourself. It’s an acquired taste.”
Pacifica gratefully accepted the plate of food instead, taking a bite and visibly relaxing as the pancakes and bacon started to settle her stomach. “Thanks, Mabel. This is actually amazing.”
I took a seat next to Pacifica, who was slowly starting to look more like herself with each bite. Mabel sat down beside her, clearly pleased with her breakfast efforts.
“Thanks for being such a good sport,” Pacifica said as she finished up. “And sorry again for causing so much trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I replied with a smile. “Just glad you’re feeling better.”
As we finished breakfast, Pacifica’s earlier discomfort had faded, and she seemed to be in good spirits. We chatted about the party and laughed about the night’s events, the awkwardness of the morning slowly melting away.
With Mabel and Pacifica deciding to head out for a walk to help Pacifica clear her head, I waved them off, feeling a mix of relief and curiosity about what the rest of the day might bring.
As they left, I couldn’t help but think about the night before. Despite the chaos, there was something about Pacifica’s vulnerable, honest moments that made me think maybe, just maybe, there was more to this than I’d been willing to admit. But for now, I’d let things settle and see where they went.
