Candace wasn't surprised she was the first one to wake up. Not even slightly. Jerry was probably going to have one hell of a hangover if his throwing up was enough of a sign. She groaned and let go of his hand to roll over and out from under the blanket, slowly rising to her feet. She should help him...she was mad but she still...ugh, Jerry. Why?

She left, stealing Jerry's coat before she headed out. And it was about an hour later that she returned with a tray from the cafeteria; she had a bottle of aspirin, a bottle of water, a banana, a styrofoam box containing scrambled eggs and a juice box.

What? Candace knew how to ******** party don't judge her she's just not stupid about it. "Jerry, baby. Wake up." She nudged him with her foot as she sat down on his bed, putting the tray down beside her. "You need to eat something." She nudged him again. He was still in the doghouse, he got footnudges.

"Nrrrrgggglle..." Came his competent reply as he blearily unglued his face from the pillow. A few blind blinks up at her, and instinctively reached for his glasses on the bedside table- which wasn't where it usually was. Wait. Was he on the floor? "G'morning..." He smiled weakly, as though oblivious to what had happened the previous night.

"Morning." She answered shortly, not looking at him and unpeeling the banana enough to be eaten before holding it down for him to eat. "Eat some of this first. Then you can have some aspirin." Candace was mad. She wouldn't be terribly surprised if he didn't remember why.

"Where'm'glasses go?" He noticed something long and phallic wagging in his face and immediately recoiled. And then immediately regretted it with a hiss of pain.

Candace groaned as Jerry flinched away from the banana. "Jerry, it's a banana. Eat it." She wasn't taking no for an answer. "Do you want the eggs first?" Compromise, she would do. At his question she looked up until she found his glasses. They were on the bed. She sighed and grabbed them, moving to put them on for him so he didn't have to fumble and possibly poke himself in the eye.

"A banana?" The glasses indeed helped clarify, although he wasn't sure he had an appetite for much of anything, "Er... thank you," He swallowed, "I had... the weirdest dream, ahahaha-ooh..."

"...Do tell." Candace still didn't look amused.

"I dreamt," He took a bite of banana, chewing thoughtfully as he tried to remember, "You're gonna' laugh."

She crossed one leg over the other and popped open the box of scrambled eggs, grabbing a fork and idly stirring them up so they didn't get gross while waiting to be eaten. She also needed something to do with her hands. "Try me."

"Ok so... it's... all pretty hazy but... but I think... now this is just silly... but... some guy kissed me." He tried to remember, but his head was throbbing. There was more to it than that, drifting in and out of recollection. But he couldn't quite grasp it yet.

"Ah." Candace continued to stir, but she held the fork tightly with a trembling hand. "And is Jordan a good kisser, darling?" She stopped stirring.

"Well, it's not like I've ever-" He stopped short, mid chew of banana before his pained expression went blank.

"Have too. Robert kissed you at the Gala." Candace shrugged, setting the eggs aside to pop a couple aspirin tablets into her palm, open the water bottle and offer both down to him. "Now take these." Again, she wasn't taking no for an answer.

He obliged, taking the pills but still a bit confused as he tried to digest, "Maybe... that's what inspired it?"

Candace rolled her eyes. God Jerry. How much did you drink? "Why are you on the floor right now, sweetie?" Make him think, Candace. Make him realize on his own it wasn't a dream.

"Um," His brows furrowed, swallowing, "I er..." His eyes shifted up to the bottle still sitting on the table.

Her eyes followed Jerry's gaze to the bourbon and they narrowed, picking it up. "Where did you get this? Don't lie to me. You know I don't like it when you drink, Jerry. And...and to hide it? What happened to having a drink together? No, instead you hide it from me like some...shamed..ugh!" She shoved it away, putting it down on the table again. "I'm not angry Jordan kissed you. I'm not..it's...it's the drinking, Jerry. Why?" Candace stood, her hands burying in her hair and grasping at her scalp as she ruffled her hair. Why did he have to hide it from her?! Moderated drinking...fine! Fine, she'd relent! But...but he hid it from her!

His face went red, mouth opening and closing a few times as she picked up the bottle, a hand rising as panic overtook his expression, "I... because... it... I was just... trying to relax and... it was a gift! I would have shared! But... but if everyone knew I.. I had it then..."

Okay, trying to relax. She got it. She could understand that. Hell, Candace's way of relaxing was...just as bad as him hiding a bottle of bourbon from her! But...but how could he hide this from her when he knew how she felt? "..A gift." Was she right? Had it really been H? "Jerry, I'm not 'everyone'. I...I'm okay with social drinking and...a glass..but Jerry. Two years sober?" She turned to him with a look of defeat. Why did he do this? "Why did you hide it from me? Did you think I'd be mad if I knew?" What went through his head sometimes? Goddamnit, Jerry. "How relaxing can it be when it has you throwing up uncontrollably in your trashcan? Or when you can't even walk properly?"

"That's... that's not all the time! Jordan just came over last night and... and I thought we'd have some... some bonding time and..." He seemed to derail as his brain tried to connect a few facts, "Wait."

"Bonding. I see." She crossed her arms. Was that just how he bonded? Really? If she hadn't walked in would he have <******** him? Ugh. "Waiting."

"J-jordan... jordan kissed me." His face had gone white.

"He did." Candace sighed. She gestured to the food, pacing idly around the room. "Please, keep eating. I got foods that specifically help with hangovers." She rubbed her face as she walked, making a very unhappy noise.

"Ah... thank you," His voice was distant, still trying to process everything. "I'm... I'm sure there's... some logical explanation..."

Candace blinked. "You two were drunk. Explanation achieved." She wouldn't bring up the questions she'd heard Jordan asking. It could break Jerry's mind. She walked over to sit on the bed again, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. "I came over to tell you I was feeling better. Wasn't exactly a great sight to walk in on but...he apologized...a lot." She frowned behind her hands.

"I s-swear, ah... K-k-k-kissing boys isn't ... isn't something I usually... I mean... I hadn't... uh!"

"I knooooow. I know." Candace groaned, rubbing her temples. "Just..ugh." She dragged her hands down her face until she was just holding her chin in her hands, her fingers tapping at her cheeks. "First Robert, now Jordan..." She grumbled under her breath, flopping over to lie on her side.

"I... I need-" He started, eyes darting suspiciously to the table before settling for, "To sit." Besides the fact he was already sitting. He shifted to weakly sit on the end of the bed, taking the eggs to poke at even though they had gone cold.

Jerry sat on the bed and Candace peered up at him through hair that had fallen over her face. She sighed, pulling herself over to put her head on his lap and make herself comfortable. She shrugged out of the coat she'd borrowed from him and pulled it around herself like a blanket, a hand idly rubbing his thigh. "I'm getting sick of sharing your kisses and affections." She mumbled, tilting her head back against his stomach. "And bourbon is my favorite." She gave his thigh a squeeze and closed her eyes. A petty whine to try and lighten the atmosphere; her stomach hurt, she wanted it to stop.

"I wasn't... planning on sharing it with anyone, really..." He shifted uncomfortably, shoving a mouthful of eggs into his mouth to chew despite his lack of appetite. "Please.. don't.. don't take it personally..." God, what was even happening.

"I know.." Candace sighed, looking up at him with a small frown. "I'm not..." She snuggled close against him. "Doesn't mean I can't complain."

"And um. I really... don't um. Um. Mean to be uh. K-k-kissing my friends uh." His face had gone bright red as he forced himself to swallow the eggs.

"Jerry, I already said I wasn't mad about that." Candace mumbled, rolling over onto her back and pouting up at him. "It was the secret drinking."

"You... you just... always give me such a hard time over it and... and it's nothing! We've got such bigger issues to worry about!"

"Yeah because whenever I see you drink you overdo it. If you just did..no more than two glasses I wouldn't get so mad." Candace sighed, playing idly with the orange and gold-trimmed edge of his coat's sleeve. "What's the bigger issue?"

"Like the fact every time we go out we could die?" His voice sounded bitter, as though it was stupid they were even talking about this.

"...That's not.." Candace frowned. It was a bigger issue, yes. One she didn't want to think about. He was avoiding the subject! He was intentionally changing it away from...ugh! Why?! "That's not fair." She rolled over onto her side again with her back away from him, pulling the coat up over her head. "I don't ever want to think about you dying. Ever." Her grip on his thigh tightened and she closed her eyes. "You're mine. I don't intend on losing you or letting that opportunity arise." Her voice softened as she spoke, burying her face against his lap. She didn't want to think about it. She wanted to think about fun things when she was around Jerry; he was the most normal part of her life, she wanted to keep it that way.

"Then what IS this about?" He grunted, finally setting the container down.

Candace groaned. "Jerry what are you talking about?"

"Every time I DO try to relax, you're all... making me feel bad! To the point I have to HIDE it from you! Alright so... so last night was... not really according to plan but..." he shifted, finally scooting away from her. He felt sick. He needed a shower. And maybe another nap before they missed him at any drills or ... missions or... whatever.

"What?" Candace sat up to stare at Jerry, completely thrown off by the accusation. Every time?! But..but how?! Only every time she saw him drinking too much! Did..did she do it any other time? "I..what? Jerry if you want a glass or two I'm not going to...but it's when you have too much I..have there been other times?" He moved away from her and she followed on her hands and knees, eyes wide and apologetic. She genuinely felt bad now. When had the tables ******** turned here!? "Baby there's other ways to relax than with alcohol, too...if you want to relax I know lots of ways to do that." Candace frowned.

"I shouldn't have said anything about it," He huffed, "You think I'm some... some..." He didn't say it, but it was written on his face, "You were already accusing me after one glass on Christmas." With a huff, he grabbed his towel, "I need a shower." And probably to find Jordan. They could talk out the awkward evening and things would go back to normal.

Some..? Oh god. Was that what he had been getting at last night? Candace stopped following him and just watched him walk away, looking and feeling floored. She..she was glad he was saying something, but it still hurt. He really felt that? Was it really one glass? "Because...you.." He'd said it himself! He'd practically confessed it! That wasn't fair! He grabbed his towel and she climbed off the bed, following him to the bathroom and slipping her arms around his middle in a tight hug from behind, burying her face between his shoulder blades.

"I'm sorry." She began, hugging him tighter. "I'm sorry I made you feel bad. I won't do it again. I promise. I'm sorry." Candace leaned up to kiss the back of his neck. "Let me join you. I won't make it into sex or anything, I'll be good." She was being honest, actually. "Please? I'll wash your back for you. I'll be good, I swear."

"I just want to be alone for a bit, alright? Just... give me some space. I'll be fine after I have my coffee." He sighed, rubbing his eyes under his glasses wearily. Were relationships always this difficult? It wasn't like he had much of a track record.

"...Alright." Candace frowned and stepped off, rubbing her lips together. "O-okay." She began to back away, fidgeting with her fingers. She was starting to remember why she didn't do relationships; they were hard to keep up. "I'll...I'll see you later, then. Um...just give me a call or something whenever you're ready..." Candace's voice was quiet as she picked up her own coat, putting it on and clearing her throat. "..Jerry?" She turned her head enough to see if he would still acknowledge her despite needing his space.

"What?" At least he didn't sound quite as annoyed as before... just tired.

"I.." Candace cleared her throat, her heart pounding. "Er well.." Eh? Why did her cheeks feel so hot? She had something she wanted to say, damnit! Oh god, why did it feel like her throat was closing up? She couldn't breathe! Well, no. She could breathe but..oh god it was so hard! "I...uh.." She looked away and ruffled her own hair, biting down on her lip. Say it, Candace. Say why you were so hurt. Say it. "N..nevermind. Forget it. I'll see you later." Candace said in a rush of breath, her chest feeling tight and her heart heavy. The very thought of even trying to say it was enough to get this kind of physical reaction? Nevermind. She just wouldn't say it. She'd just keep..caring about him. "Have a good shower, sweetheart." Candace said as she fled the scene so she could hyperventilate without an audience.

Jerry watched her go, brows knit as she stumbled over her words. What? Was she about to nit-pick his behavior again? He was a grown man, thank you, and if he chose to get drunk some evening when he was... was having fun with friends... er... well friend... and it was fun until the world had turned upside down and gotten a lot more confusing... well, that was his prerogative.

With a sigh, he glanced to the tray that had been left, his lips pursing. She did care. There was no question there. But she didn't need to... fret over him.

Slowly, he walked to the bottle, lifting it up to sloth the contents of the bottom with a look of displeasure.

It wasn't like it was going to be a problem for much longer.

When it was gone... he wasn't sure what he was going to do.

He took a fresh swig anyway before tucking it back into its hiding spot.

For now, he was happy.