Insomnia is (Friends?) with Exhaustion

Insomnia sat at the desk, scratching little tally marks into the wood with her pocketknife, each incision in the soft wood counting out the hours she would waste away night after night. She groaned at the snore behind her and Insomnia stopped, twisting on the chair kicking the sleeping body on the floor by her. He grumbled only shifting despite the nasty kick. Insomnia sighed rubbing her forehead.

“Come on dude, I can’t do this project all by myself, you’ve got to work a bit on it too big guy.” she said rolling her eyes as he lifted his head. She glared at his baleful, cold as stone gray eyes. The bags under his eyes seemed to look both attractive and repulsive all at once. Insomnia really didn’t understand why she felt so confused and into Exhaustion. She tapped her own eye bags, the concealer only doing so much. Exhaustion propped his head up and gave a sleepy smile tapping his own in return.

“You gonna help me?” he groaned but dragged himself up to sit on the chair with her. He pointed to the paper, and she looked over at him, effectively tuning out his words as she instead looked at his eyes, little sparks of blue coloring the gray irises. He must have stopped after awhile realizing she had stopped listening. Exhaustion stared into Insomnia’s own pale blue eyes, her blonde streaked hair messy and greasy from hours- no, days of no sleep.

They really had to finish this paper for tomorrow.

Exhaustion cleared his throat, and she snapped out of it blinking and shaking her head.

“Sorry- I uh…” he tapped his eye bags, and she glanced away embarrassed. Insomnia really needed some sleep; she was getting a bit too stupid with her actions. Side effects of weeks without sleep maybe? He sighed. He waved her over closer and Insomnia found herself very close to Exhaustion.

“You really need some sleep Insomnia.” he whispered. Exhaustion voice was always really quiet unless he was super tired of course, he was- Exhaustion duh.

She nodded blankly stuck in those big eyes again, bags and all. He cupped her face gentle and pecked her cheek. Insomnia grinned foolishly and nodded.

He grumbled and lifted her up, his body trembling ever so slightly with her weight, Exhaustion never worked out, he was always too tired. Insomnia didn’t mind. She loved him just as he was, the Romeo to her Juliet… who cared if it ended in tragedy. She grinned as she was dropped on the twin mattress raised off the floor by one of those super cheap bed frames. Two college kids living together really had no extra money to afford using. Exhaustion sighed content with himself as he flopped down by her, within seconds he was asleep, Insomnia running a hand over his arm with a wistful smile. her gazed turned up to the ceiling, the glowing words on the ceiling from the sleepless nights a few months ago. The feeling of emptiness had caught up that week. Exhaustion forced himself through torture and stayed up all night with her, the two of them scribbling stupid things on the ceiling with glow in the dark markers, the writing invisible at day, faintly shining at night.

Insomnia stayed with Exhaustion all night, unable to leave his side, but unable to sleep. Insomnia was just so tired.

The next morning, she was still by him and hearing Exhaustion waking was a joy to her ears, a different sound than the normal sounds of the dorm creaking, the suspicious sounds from next door, and the gurgle of the water fountain outside in the hall. She hated living in a dorm with other people. Insomnia didn’t mind Exhaustion- he was cool. Just other people got on her nerves. Of which were always tight and jumpy. She never got enough sleep for them to not be tight.

“Whaf timfuh iths its?” Exhaustion grumbled, his words muffled and incoherent.

“Huh?”

“What time is it dummy?” he said annoyed at the boldness of the sun daring to rise on a new day.

“Time for you-”

“Not again.”

“- To get a watch.” she finished triumphantly. He groaned and flung the pillow at her. She ducked missing it, instead letting it slam on the desk. She stared in half hatred, and half exasperation at the papers that were now scattered on the floor. She turned back to Exhaustion who blinked lazily back.

Insomnia positively glowered and pointed a finger at him shaking her head.

“You would think you’re sloth for how desperately you try to act stupid and lazy.” exhaustion furrowed his brow in mock anger shaking his head. “Now that’s just mean, Sloth is super nice, and you know it, I have her in lecture later today too! Take it back.” Insomnia tilted her head up and crossed her arms.

“Clean up the papers and finish them for me and maybe I will.” Exhaustion rolled his eyes and stood, cracking his back making her wince internally. He knew it made her uncomfortable. She grumbled and watched him diligently as Exhaustion threw on a new shirt and fiddled with a chain. She sighed and carefully stepped over the mess; her nimble hands helping clip the chain on his neck. He patted her arm in thanks. He ran a finger under her eyes, and she flinched a bit stepping back. he looked at his finger and back to her. her wiped it on a napkin from dinner last night.

He held up the paper threateningly.

How is paper threatening?

Never mind that.

“Did you sleep last night? "

Insomnia crossed her arms shrugging. Exhaustion sighed in character and pulled her to him hugging her. She practically melted into his touch. He looked down and pecked her forehead. Suddenly her head was spinning.

“Concealer won’t work forever.” He whispered and the next moment he was gone, his bag on his shoulders as he slipped out the door calling behind him that he would pick up a coffee for her if they met up at 9. She blankly said bye in the flurry.

When she came to, she looked around.

Insomnia blinked. Then blinked again.

The papers were still on the ground. Insomnia groaned and kicked the weak bed frame. She screamed when the frame broke and their bed fell the to floor, a small huff of dust rising up.

After a small psychotic break that was surely caused by weeks of little to no sleep - she couldn’t change who she was? Insomnia was Insomnia, and that was that. No matter how much Exhaustion threatened to make her go to sleep, she was still her. However much she hated it- she gathered up the papers and finished filling them out.

Another minor cussing out Exhaustion break later she slipped on her bag and applied her concealer.

Exhaustion was right about one thing for sure.

Concealer wouldn’t work forever.

But Insomnia would sure as hell make it last as long as she could make it.

And with that, she left to take up Exhaustion on his deal for that coffee.