Work Text:
Pacifica is one of Dipper’s friends, really, and sort of one of Mabel’s, in the way that they share everything and Mabel tries to get along with Pacifica because they’re both girls and Mabel has a real thing for burying the hatchet. Wendy thinks it’s amusing to see the Northwest heiress show up at the Mystery Shack whenever the twins come to visit—usually she avoids the hell out of the place, not her kind of scene. Her parents don’t like her there, and while Pacifica has a rebellious side, it’s hidden under several layers of carefully conditioned snob. It’s always fun to see that little rebellious side come out, but it doesn’t happen often. And it really only happens when the Pines twins are around.
The first time Wendy even has a prolonged conversation with Pacifica is years into their acquaintanceship. It’s the summer Wendy has gotten home from her second year of college. She’s twenty now, and Pacifica is eighteen. And Pacifica stops by the shack to say hello.
“Dipper and Mabel won’t be visiting for another three weeks,” Wendy tells her. They’re off high school just like Pacifica, but there are delays. Heck, they might not come at all this year if they manage to get a job.
“I didn’t come by to ask about them,” Pacifica says haughtily. Which, really? After all these years she’s still going to pretend like they’re not her friends?
“Okay, why did you come by?” Wendy asks, propping her feet up a little higher on the counter.
“I…” Pacifica swallows. “I came to shop.”
It’s a blatant lie of an excuse, which becomes obvious when Pacifica starts looking at the post cards with a terribly fake expression of interest. Wendy watches her because she has nothing better to do. Pacifica seems to have changed since last summer, at least a bit. She wears darker makeup now, and her hair while still in the same cut as ever has a single pink streak in it. She’s wearing the same valley girl clothes as ever but only one earring, and it’s on her right ear. Wendy wonders if she knows what that means. Either way, it’s the most lowkey mix of rebellion and conformity Wendy has ever seen and it’s interesting how Pacifica balances on the line.
“Nice streak,” she comments.
Pacifica jumps. She looks up to reveal a slowly reddening face. “Oh, it’s nothing. I had to bribe my mom’s hairdresser to do it for me and swear on a Bible that I got it done somewhere else, or Mom and Dad would have sued the shop.”
Wendy laughs (inwardly a little concerned). “Nice going.”
At that, Pacifica smirks a little, the smug rich girl again. “Thank you. I love your plaid shirt.”
It’s a shirt Wendy’s had for maybe five years now (all her clothes used to be oversized back in the day) and it’s hardly fashionable and Pacifica’s never commented on it before. Wendy nods. “Thanks. It’s kind of old.”
“Your fashion is very unique.” Pacifica holds out a random postcard. “Can I buy this?”
Admiring Wendy’s fashion, specifically commenting on the plaid, literally bribing someone to get a streak in her hair. Wendy nods and rings up the postcard.
Definitely gay.
Not that that has anything to do with Wendy. Taking on a baby gay—and a baby gay Northwest, no less? Mm, not her thing. And she’s never been interested in Pacifica.
When Pacifica leaves, she asks Soos, “Have you heard any rumors about Pacifica Northwest?”
“They say she made someone cry last week by…”
“Has she dated anyone?”
Soos frowned. “I don’t think so, no. Oh, there was that time she and Dipper…”
“That was a platonic ghost investigation and I was there for it. Anyone else?”
Soos thinks no.
After that, Pacifica just keeps popping up. The Pines twins still haven’t shown, but Pacifica wanders over to the shack time and time again. Sometimes she asks about Dipper and Mabel (as if she isn’t in contact with them herself). Sometimes she asks about upcoming events. Mostly she just browses, talks a little about the weather or town gossip, and then buys a postcard. She ends up buying the same post card three times in a row but Wendy doesn’t call her out on it.
One day Pacifica comes by just as Wendy is getting off work. She says, “Sorry kid, I’m heading out.”
“I didn’t come to see you.”
“Yeah, well. You doing anything?”
Pacifica says no.
It’s a stupid idea but damn it, Wendy at least feels bad for Pacifica coming out all this way for nothing. And it would be nice to talk to Pacifica somewhere else. “Want to go for a hike? I want some fresh air. Been cooped up in here all day.”
“These boots are not good for walking,” Pacifica informs her sternly. But when she leaves the store Pacifica follows her anyways, straight into the woods.
They follow an easy trail, one that they walk on all the time when the Pines twins are around. When they get to a clearing where Wendy recently made a bench out of a couple stumps they stop and sit down. Wendy rustles around in her bag until she finds her weed, her bowl and a lighter. The lighter is red, the bowl made of glass with swirls of indigo. She lights it up and takes a hit. Nice. She doesn’t do this all the time—especially since it's a bit trickier to get weed in Gravity Falls than at college—but when you're sitting with a cute girl, it's at least one way to break the ice.
She holds the bowl out to Pacifica, who gapes at her. “Want some?”
“I don’t smoke.”
“It’s not tobacco.”
Pacifica wrinkles her nose. “I know. Mom and Dad will kill me if they smell that on me.”
“Dude, I’m smoking right next to you. They’re going to smell it already.” Wendy hands her the bowl and she takes it. On her first inhale she chokes and coughs, doubling over.
“Shit. Too deep. Take some breaths. Here, I have some water…”
Pacifica resolutely drinks the water and tries again. She says, “I don’t think it’s doing anything.”
“Well, it’s not like it makes you see monkeys. Maybe it doesn’t affect you so much.” Wendy takes the bowl back and takes another puff herself. “So you don’t smoke. Do you drink? Party, like, at all?”
“Parties are boring. Mom always makes me wear the same colors as her and I look terrible.”
“So not what I meant. But hey,” time to cut to the chase, “if you don’t party, do you ever make out?”
Pacifica turns bright red. She says, “Well, um…I guess not…very much.”
“Dude, calm down! I’m not going to judge you.” Wendy puts the bowl down. “Want me to kiss you?”
Pacifica doesn’t respond. She’s busy staring.
“It’s chill if you don’t. I just thought you seemed pretty cool, kinda gay. With the streak and all…”
“Does the streak make me look gay?” Fashion brings Pacifica back to her senses.
Well, not too too gay but, “A little. For a Northwest.”
“You’re gay, right?”
“I’m bi,” Wendy says. “I went out with Robbie Valentino, remember? And a couple dudes since then.”
Pacifica hmphs at this, but when Wendy gives her a look she says, “Robbie Valentino is not even slightly in your league.”
“I used to like him back in the day,” Wendy says. “These days I mostly date girls. And kiss girls. It’s pretty rad.” She stretches her legs out. “So, if that’s what you’re about…”
“I don’t have any experience with girls. But I’m a lesbian.” Pacifica rushes the last part out in one breath, and adds with a hiss, “Don’t tell anyone.”
“Hey, you don’t need to worry about me.” Wendy mimes zipping her lips. “I get that. It’s not easy around here. So…did you want to talk about…”
Pacifica crosses her legs. She looks up with tight lips. “Do you really want to kiss me?”
“If you want.”
“Well, I want,” Pacifica snaps. “If you want.” She sits up straight, clearly expecting Wendy to take the initiative.
Wendy does.
When you’re with a kid like that you need to take it slow, so she gives Pacifica a nice gentle kiss, only sucking a little bit on her lips before pulling away. Pacifica nonetheless looks thoroughly rocked. Blown away. Destroyed. Her lips remain in the kissing position for a solid minute before she shakes herself out of it.
“You can’t tell anyone about that,” she says again, urgently.
“I won’t, if you don’t want me to.”
“No, really. You can’t tell anyone about us, ever. If my parents found out…”
She’s still the same sheltered kid as ever, really, but Wendy gets it. And she thinks it’s a little funny that Pacifica already assumes there’s an “us.” But hey, that’s fine. For the summer at least. Wendy has nothing better to do.
She mimes zipping her lips again but this time Pacifica leans in and kisses them almost as soon as she brings her hands away, and she is a mess of aggressive tongue. She might have no experience but she has a lot of enthusiasm and heart, and Wendy takes it in. She puts her hands around Pacifica’s waist but doesn’t ride up her shirt. Gotta take this one slow, no matter whether Pacifica suddenly wants to take it fast.
They talk and kiss on and off for a few hours maybe, and then Wendy walks Pacifica home. Home to Northwest manor, and it’s odd to drop Pacifica off at the door. Pacifica steals a kiss so fast that Wendy hardly knows what hit her, then mutters, “I’ll be at the shack tomorrow.”
The summer looks like it’s going to be interesting.