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A gust of cool air flew in front of Dipper and Pacifica's faces as Pacifica unlocked her bedroom door with the same key she used to lock the ballroom. As it settled in, Dipper opened his eyes to see a large bedroom with a warm, flickering fireplace. There was a purple colored four-poster bed laid in the corner, and a white dresser with a mirror built on it that was right beside the bed. There were other things inside the room, such as a large white closet, a purple sofa with a decorated coffee table, and a purple rug to sit on in front of the fireplace. Not far away was a set of two doors that led to the outside. Dipper has never seen a grand bedroom like Pacifica's before in his lifetime.
"Whoa," Dipper sighed, intrigued. He stepped inside. "Your room is really cool."
Pacifica raised her hand to switch on the lights, and blushed a bit. "Thank you," she replied after, entering into the room. "This isn't really my actual room where I sleep and live in, this is just my personal area in this old mansion. As you know, my family owns two mansions, one back at the town and this one." Dipper nodded, and started to roam the room with a curious look glued to his face. Pacifica admired and giggled at the intrigued young boy.
"But still," Dipper said, as he walked over to Pacifica's bed and sat gently on it. "You got to admit this is still cool."
Pacifica rolled her eyes, and locked the door behind her. Her door had about three locks to it, Pacifica locking all of them with precision. "Yes, it is, but I have more cool things back at my other house." she confessed. Pacifica walked over to Dipper and decided to stand for a bit, and enjoyed looking at Dipper, who was inspecting the fabric and pillows of her bed. He shortly jumped off the mattress, and traveled to the fireplace, eager to look around. He raised his hands to feel the warmth of the flickering fire, and sighed. It had been a long and rough night for the 12 year old, exorcising ghosts and being chased after Pacifica's parents and hiding from them. He would enjoy staying in this small room, and was sort of relieved to be hiding in such a safe place. Dipper turned his head to look at the night sky from the set of doors that led to the outside, glossy windows were displayed on each door, and saw the same glittering stars in the dark spectrum of night. It wasn't raining as hard as it was a few minutes ago, the rain returning to a soft shower. Each second the rain seemed to get weaker. Dipper felt neutral about rain, but wanted to know what laid outside. It seemed like a balcony.
Pacifica moved beside Dipper and sat on the purple rug, removing her shoes and placing them aside. Dipper noticed, but still kept his gaze at the fire. Pacifica curled her toes on the soft rug, and ruffled her dress a bit so she could sit down. She removed her gloves shortly after, and raised both of her hands to feel the warmth of the fire with Dipper. She sighed in content, and felt a nice warm rush go though her. After all the chasing, all the crying, and all the walking, Pacifica relaxed, and just released all her stress out of her system. She felt much more better than before, and jumped a little when Dipper sat beside her. It was just the two of them, sitting on a rug and feeling the warmth of a fireplace.
Dipper claimed his hands back a few minutes later, and smoothed each hand with the other. He held a warm and delicate smile that made Pacifica safe and relaxed. "Thank you, Pacifica." Dipper said after, and placed his hands to his sides.
Pacifica turned her head to look at Dipper. "For what?" she asked.
"The evening." Dipper replied shortly, and stared into the fire, it's bright orange shade reflecting off his eyes. "Even though it was so tiring, I had a lot of fun with you."
Pacifica blushed, red glowing in her cheeks and ears. She turned to also stare at the fire, and placed her hands to the side as well. "I had a lot of fun with you too," Pacifica confessed. "We... we should hang out together again sometime." Her heart was beating fast.
Dipper chuckled, and he raised a hand to cover his mouth to suppress the laughter. "Why would you want to hang out with me?" Dipper asked under his laughter, raising the same hand to state his facts. "All I do all day is hunt monsters and the paranormal. Doesn't that sound, I dunno... bland to you?"
"Far from it, actually." Pacifica replied, going along with their conversation. "It sounds so fun, and so dangerous- I would love to do that everyday! But everyday of my life is nothing but bitterness, full of many discipline practices and my daily routine of making people feel bad. I would love to do something different, y'know? But... my parents..."
Pacifica's face started to fade into a depressed expression, her eyebrows and eyes falling down. Dipper was fully aware of Pacifica's tie with her parents, and felt guilty whenever any of them bought Preston or Mrs. Northwest up. He had to deal with Pacifica for several hours now, so he felt used to it. Dipper raised a hand and stroked Pacifica's back in soothing circles. The fabric of Pacifica's dress felt glossy and thick, but her skin that was on top of it felt smooth against Dipper's palm and fingers. He blushed a bit every time he hit Pacifica's skin. "You don't have to worry about them," Dipper started, looking to the side. He returned his gaze back to the depressed blonde, trying to hide any red in his cheeks. "Your parents, I mean... I'll...I'll make sure you're always okay."
"Because we're friends, right?" Pacifica said, turning her head to stare at Dipper. Dipper noticed Pacifica's eyes were a bit watered, but still dry. "A true friend would protect their friends. And Dipper, you are a very true friend to me." Pacifica reached a hand to place on top of Dipper's hand behind her back, and took it and held it in mid-air. Her grip was somewhat strong, but it didn't hurt Dipper at all. At this point, both of their hearts were rushing, beating and hammering inside of them, like they have run a mile. Dipper started to warn in his head to back down, but he didn't want to. He wanted to hold hands with Pacifica's, forever. Dipper started to hold Pacifica's hand tightly, wanting to never let go.
"And you are a true friend to me, Pacifica." Dipper confessed, as he lowered their intertwined hands. "I want to forget everything I said about you in the past, because...I know you're something more."
"Same here," Pacifica said, holding tight. "I felt so bad of everyday of my summer of just taunting and mocking you and your sister, when I should've been more supportive and finally just step up to my stupid parents. Dipper, I'm... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for all the distress I have caused for you and your family..."
Tears started to form and drip down from Pacifica's eyes. Dipper's heart partially sank, but he knew that he was suppose to support her. Without thinking, Dipper reached his free hand over to Pacifica and dragged her into a hug, his heart almost up to the point of explosion. Pacifica's head was softly placed onto Dipper's shoulder as he reached a hand to stroke her soft hair, their hands still holding.
"It's okay, Pacifica..." Dipper wept, realizing soft tears dripping down his face. "You don't have to apologize anymore. Everything will be okay."
Pacifica took a few seconds to process the immediate action Dipper had just done on her, and she shortly returned the hug back. She smiled as she continued to cry, and held tightly onto Dipper's hands and snuggled her wet face on the fabric of his silk suit. Dipper reached over his head to place on Pacifica's shoulder, so both could have a wonderful and in more depth embrace.
"Everything will be okay," Pacifica echoed in a whisper. "Everything will be okay."
Minutes have passed, silence, existing between the two, and the both of them feeling like they were in a different dimension- both starting to feel something grow in their hearts.
After their embrace, Dipper and Pacifica continued to feel the warmth of the fireplace; Dipper, reaching his hands out again to feel the heat, and Pacifica, staring to the side while she tried to calm down herself. Pacifica rubbed her elbow awkwardly, tried to think of something to say to Dipper to start another conversation, but suddenly saw something that disgusted her- her dress had been stained with mud. And she didn't even notice it before.
That's what I get for running in the gardens, Pacifica complained in her head. But, I didn't really like this dress either.
She released a loud grunt, and stood up and walked to her closet with bare feet. Dipper shortly noticed and turned around and followed her. "What's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"My dress," Pacifica said, showing Dipper the large brown stain on the skirt. "I think I got mud on this thing when we were running in the gardens. It's okay though, I'll just need a quick change."
Pacifica walked closer to the large and white painted closet, and threw the doors open. A long line of dresses were unveiled, and different sets of different colored shoes sitting under each dress. Pacifica ran her fingers down each dress, eyeing and checking each of them. Dipper was intrigued; each dress that Pacifica passed by had shining real diamonds, or had the finest and rarest silk in the country. "No, no, not that..." Pacifica murmured while checking though the dresses. "Ah, here it is." Pacifica's hands stopped on a sea-foam colored dress with no straps, a diamond choker and a set of gloves hanging on the hanger. The shoes that were settled under it matched with the color of the dress, and had two diamonds glued on it.
Pacifica grabbed the dress from the closet with a pleased face, and smoothed the dress with her hand. "Bingo." Pacifica beamed. She then turned around to see Dipper, staring at the dress with a curious look. She looked to the side, blushing a bit. "Uh...This is the part where you turn around now," she peeped, her voice sounding embarrassed.
Dipper jumped, blushing back. "Oh.. o-of course," he stuttered, and made his way to another part of the room. Pacifica sighed and giggled a bit, and removed the black shoulder sleeves around her torso. "You didn't have to go that far, just one simple turn around would've done," she called. "But's that fine too."
Dipper chuckled back, and he made his way to the set of outside doors in the room. He noticed that the rain has stopped completely, the leftover rain staining and drying on the windows of the doors. It was a bit clear now, and he peered a bit into the windows to see what was outside. It was a balcony, majestic and made out of stone, the ones that were in medieval-like castles. There were a few potted shrubs hanging around outside, and two metal lanterns standing on the rail of the balcony, each on the end of the rail. Dipper wanted to go outside and smell the fresh air, but he even wondered if he was allowed to go outside.
"You can turn around now."
The sweet voice of Pacifica filled Dipper's ears, and he did was he was told. Dipper turned his body, and saw Pacifica a few metres away from him, wearing a completely new outfit. She looked way better in that dress, Dipper said in his head, and wondered why she didn't wear the dress for the party- she looked so good in it, rather than the other purple dress she wore. Her hair was tied up into a neat ponytail, however, with a green hairband with a diamond on it. Dipper had a better view on Pacifica's slender neck and her ears. Pacifica also wore glimmering diamond earrings, shining under the light of her room. She looked a bit embarrassed in the dress, and looked to the side, red glowing in her cheeks. "What do you think?" she asked, preforming a small and cute twirl.
"You look..." Dipper started, clearing his throat, as he walked a bit closer to get a better view. "You look beauitful."
Dipper's sudden words made Pacifica flush with red, as she started to rub her arms nervously. She tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and chuckled. "Thank you," she replied back, and she started to make her way to the balcony. Dipper followed behind her, and his eyes widened once Pacifica had her hands on the handles. Turning them, she threw the doors open, and strong, cold winds slapped their faces. Pacifica's ponytail flew in the wind, and Dipper closed his eyes to protect a growing sting from the gust. The wind settled in shortly after. Dipper opened his eyes, and saw Pacifica walk onto the stone balcony. Her shoes clicked on the cement as she took a big deep breath of air and out.
"It's so pretty outside," Pacifica breathed, as she leaned her arms on the cement railing. "Dipper, come."
The young boy did what he was told- he slowly stepped onto the balcony, his shoes also clicking on the material. He quietly closed the balcony doors behind him, and proceeded beside Pacifica. The night was pretty, more like majestic, Dipper thought, as he got a good glimpse of a deep but bright night sky with a stream of white, twinkling stars. The moon was glowing pure white, illuminating light around the two. Below him, Dipper saw the various gardens and flower beds, a hedge maze somewhere far away and a grand, marble fountain in the middle, depicting a woman holding a basket of flowers. Dipper noticed it was the same woman he had encountered at the beginning of his journey- Hope Northwest. Her gentle face and figure stood proud on the fountain.
"That's..." Dipper started, pointing to the statue on the fountain. "Hope Northwest."
"Ding ding ding," Pacifica chimed in, imitating a buzzer sound. "You got that right."
Both of them stared at the fountain and at the night sky, switching their gazes back and forth at the two. Their arms settled lightly on the thick stone railing, as they started to move and wander on their own. To Dipper and Pacifica's surprise, both of their elbows touched the other's gently, but they didn't react at all. The night was too breath-taking to take in, so both savored the majestic night breeze and the company of one another, and even wished if the evening would never end.