The bed came at him fast, but at that point it was welcome to. Allen didn't remember having drunk enough to feel this fucked up, but there he was. The still, solid embrace of the bed was comforting, steadying, reassuring. He gave himself over to it and to the sleep that promised to come mercifully soon ...and resigned himself to figuring all the rest out in the morning.
Just before he slipped into the blissful black of sleep, he imagined that a warm, soft voice whispered in both of his ears at once...
I will show you! You will be... amazed
.
Strange and strangely erotic dreams threaded their way through Allen's slumber without ever waking him. When he did finally rise to consciousness it wasn't his usual lurch into sunlight; it was more like coming up from a long, deep dive. Light slowly suffused his consciousness, lifting him towards the surface, towards the waking world.
Allen reached out and drew a pillow over his face to staunch the brightness that was attacking his eyes through the closed lids. He breathed deep and tried to doze just a bit more. The pillow, though: It wasn't right. It... it didn't smell right. It wasn't his. It wasn't a pillow he'd expect to find on his bed. It smelled like... like flowers. And Jen. It smelled like Jen! He must still be dreaming. Reassured, he let it go and dozed some more.
Fuck! Something was just
not
right. Something was really wrong! Something demanded he wake
up
... get up. Now!
Allen shot out of bed and stood unsteadily in the dim light of a room that seemed strange to him. He knew this place, knew this room, knew that splash of morning light that pierced the drapes. But....
But it wasn't his room! It wasn't where he'd crashed last night - he knew that! A lot of shit from the night before was a fuzzy mess but one thing he knew for sure: He'd crashed in his own room.
Fuck! This was... this was Jen's place. Her room. Had he...? No. He'd remember; he was certain. And if this was... then where was Jen? It was her he'd smelled on the pillow. Of course!
Fuck this is a fever dream! I'm sweating and burning up in my own bed and dreaming this!
His balance wobbled. The room tottered. His chest wobbled. Wait. His...what?!
The room swam and threatened to crush him to the floor. He reached out and found a wall sort of where he expected it. The jiggly feeling in his chest didn't subside, but at least his knees stayed under him.
"I'm okay," he told himself. "I'm at Jen's," he admitted, working through what he knew, trying to put back together a world that could make sense to him. "I don't know how I got here, but I'm okay. I'm gonna be okay. I just... okay."
Bathroom!
Now!
his bladder suddenly demanded.
Okay, he thought. First things first. Go sit, have a nice morning pee and think things through. He made his way to the bathroom, step by mostly steady step. He found the light by touch. And suddenly, there was Jen in the mirror! Everything was gonna be okay! Alright! He smiled at her and kept moving towards the toilet, obeying the insistence of his bladder. Jen would help him figure this out. He just needed to sit and pee and then he and Jen could make sense of the world together.
Allen sat and reveled in the relief as he felt his bladder let go. Physical and emotional comfort washed through him as he heard the splash of his tinkle strike the water in the toilet bowl.