the i n s o m n i a meme

[bababooey]

the i n s o m n i a meme

It happens to everyone - sometimes, you have nights where you just can't fall asleep, no matter what you do. It could be for a number of reasons, or no reason at all. And this is what's happened now: you've been laying in bed for what feels like hours, just tossing and turning, and nothing seems to help. So what's left to do? Get out of bed and go wake someone else up, of course. If you're not getting any sleep, then why should they? i n s t r u c t i o n s • Post with your character (note the name and fandom in the subject). • Other people reply to you by generating a number from 1 to 10. • Have fun! o p t i o n s 01 • FEAR. Maybe you're hearing strange, indeterminable noises; maybe there's a severe storm happening outside; maybe you watched a scary movie before bed? Whatever the reason, you're terrified and it's keeping you awake. You just want to wake someone else up so they can protect you from the monster in your closet. 02 • HUNGER. Your stomach is growling and it just won't stop. Or perhaps your throat is so dry you could cough up a tumbleweed? Well, you've gone to the kitchen to remedy this and hey, that was a pan that just dropped on the floor. It was loud enough to wake the dead! Oops. 03 • PAIN. Your body is completely worn out, be it from exercise, battle, sickness, or what have you. Either way you're in enough pain to keep you from sleeping, so maybe someone else has a home remedy or something, or can at least help you take your mind off of it. 04 • SOLITUDE. For some reason, your bed just feels so empty at the moment. You're feeling terribly lonely and really just want someone to keep you company for a while. Maybe it'd be easier to fall asleep if you're with them... 05 • DISCOMFORT. Your room is an oven. Either that or a freezer. Or maybe this bed is just really uncomfortable? Who knows why you can't get to sleep, it feels like it could be anything. Why even bother trying? Maybe someone else can preoccupy you until you feel tired enough to ignore your discomfort. 06 • PENSIVE. Something's on your mind, and no matter how hard you try to focus elsewhere, it's just not going to work. Your body may be tired, but your mind is incredibly busy and it's virtually impossible to get to sleep. Surely, talking it out with someone else will help? 07 • SADNESS. Something terrible has happened that day, perhaps; or you could just be severely depressed. Either way you're trying your hardest not to cry yourself to sleep, and it's not working at all. Better find a way to get it out of your system somehow; you need a shoulder to cry on. 08 • ANGER. You are just... fuming. Who knows why - that annoying dog is barking again, or maybe the people next door are getting busy and keeping you awake. Whatever the reason for your ire is, you'd better put an end to it so you can get some damn rest already! Go wake up a friend so you can complain to them. 09 • RESTLESS. You're far too energetic to sleep right now. Maybe you're just trying to do so out of necessity - you have to be up early tomorrow! But you just don't think you'll be able to fall asleep for a while now, so why waste the time trying to sleep when you could be doing something else? Namely bothering someone else - you're totally jealous because they're getting more sleep than you. 10 • WILDCARD. Choose one of the options above, or make up your own scenario.

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[transfuge]

Booker held his tongue for a moment. He had learned patience raising three boys and it came in handy when dealing with her. Definitely wasn't going to compare her mixing up Chandler stories with trying to get three children to actually do their reading.

"Chandler reused a lot of themes and story elements," he agreed with a little nod. "That's what people wanted to read in a Marlowe story. Intrigues, scandals, and sex. Not that there are any actual sex scenes, I believe. It's been awhile since I read all his work."

But now he's got one book to read, at least.

[orgilotes]

That got a little chuckle out of her, half-closing her eyes when she felt Booker nod, his cheek shifting her hair. "Not too far off what we do," Andy said quietly, reaching up to tilt his chin down to her.

"Let's skip the intrigue part. Come here, Book." Andy stretched up to reach him, tilting to press a kiss to his lips. Neither of them were in a hurried mood, and it was finally starting to warm up between their body heat and the blankets. Even if all they did was cuddle up and talk, it would have been worthwhile to kiss him.

[transfuge]

"What scandal have we been involved in recently?" Booker didn't think anything they had done recently had caused a scandal. Andy had caused a few scandals with her behavior in the past.

The world was much more accepting now.

He snorts softly before he kisses her lightly. "You're going to be bored if we don't have some intrigue once and awhile."

He rubbed his hand against her back to get some more warmth back into her. She did feel a little cold even though it was warming up under the blankets.

[orgilotes]

"Depends on your definition of recently," Andy murmured in reply, lips brushing against Booker's skin as he rubbed her back, very nearly getting a purr.

She liked being warmed up. "I think I can handle some boredom now and then, thank you," she chuckled, but it was genuinely soft and lacking in any irritation. Andy just let him kiss her, sighing against him and loving the way Booker held her close and wrapped himself around her. It was comforting.

"You know I love you. Intrigue or not."

[transfuge]

They could certainly all use a little peace. Booker would argue he liked boredom more than the rest of them but he was never a warrior in the first place.

"I do even though you crawl into bed with freezing cold feet." He trapped her feet between his and rubbed them together trying to get some warmth into them.

His wife had the same problem. At this point, he assume it must be a thing for women. "It's a cruel thing to do to someone."

[orgilotes]

She had to laugh at that, and flexed her bare toes: they were cold, though she normally wore socks. She loved socks, liked having warm toes. "Blame Nicky," she murmured, nuzzling up and tilting her head so her nose was buried in the crook of Booker's neck and shoulder.

"He stole my socks."

Her fingers threaded into Booker's hair, tugging gently and scratching at his neck. "You love me anyway. Because you're good like that."

[transfuge]

"Stop having interesting socks." Booker glanced over his shoulder but no, he couldn't see Nicky's feet. They were hidden under a pile of blankets and probably also tangled with Joe's.

"It's not the first time I've loved a woman with cold feet," he said dryly but his eyes drifted closed and he relaxed in contentment. Especially when his hair was long he liked having it played with.

Booker was essentially a dog. He liked getting pet and pleasing the people around him.

[orgilotes]

"You bought them," Andy protested with a soft snort. "They were the dinosaur ones. From that movie." Said socks were bright yellow and patterned with raptors and the near-eponymous clever girl. Few people ever guessed that she loved silly things like that, but socks were one of Andy's simple pleasures, along with little sweets.

They all had their loves, each other, and their gentle enjoyments. And right now Andy had all three, snuggled in with Booker as she petted his hair and wriggled up just enough that she could kiss him more easily. Things were good right now, right here in their little cozy blanket-nest. It was almost enough for her to forgive being stuck in the cold weather for another night.

"I like the way you taste right now."

[transfuge]

"They made me think of you." Booker was not a fan of movies. In general the technology was incredible but he'd much rather read and use his own imagination. The phrase and the dangerous creature? Very much reminded him of Andy.

He hummed softly against her lips. "You are full of compliments when you're sleepy."

Andy was clearly more relaxed than usual and full of sleepy affection. Booker didn't mind. It was nice but it always amused him when she let her guard down like this.

[orgilotes]

"I'm scaly and eat people? Thanks," she chuckled, happy and content to tease and be teased. Yes, she'd let her guard down around him; it was impossible for her not to love Booker. He understood her when she wanted to just be taken care of, rare though the sentiment was, and still respected her abilities when she didn't. He could make love to her all night, and still follow her through anything they could face together, no questions asked in the face of her fury with her axe.

"Maybe. Maybe you just bring it out in me," Andy murmured.

[transfuge]

"Hey, you're also clever."

Andy was a vicious, merciless hunter and a fearless leader. Well, not really fearless. She worried about all of them because she loved and cared for all of them.

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "I like to think you're more honest when you're sleepy."

A very different energy than tired. Tired made Andy quiet.

[orgilotes]

She chuckled against his skin, snuggled close and stretching lazily. "Clever too? How flattering," Andy murmured.

Sleepy Andy was honest, open, and unguarded; a rare circumstance for her, but it made her attitude all the sweeter when it happened. "I love you when I'm not sleepy too," she whispered softly.

[transfuge]

"Never doubted it." Booker might struggle to believe any of them loved him at times but right now he knew it was true. Andy loved him whether half asleep or fully awake.

"But you should get some sleep anyway. It won't help if we're both tired." Booker could be her space heater and keep everything warm while she slept.

He would go back to dozing though maybe with Andy here he would sleep. Sometimes all he needed was another body warm against his.

[orgilotes]

"You should too," she argued, pushing at his shoulder until he laid back where she could settle down on top of him; it was fairly often she slept best with some kind of weight--like a solid body--on top of her to force her muscles to relax, and it stood to reason having her in his arms and her head on his chest would help Booker. Andy could drift off with his heartbeat in her ear, and his hands on her back.

But not before one more kiss, slow and humming as she settled down and carded her fingers through his hair, over the shell of one ear.

[transfuge]

Booker grunted when she pushed but he didn't fight it. He settled on his back, folding one arm behind his head. Them other he draped around her.

"Don't worry, I'll get some sleep." He pressed another quick kiss to her lips. "Just takes me awhile, you know."

Next to Nicky, he was the worst at actually sleeping. Sometimes, it just didn't happen no matter what.

[orgilotes]

"Was it this bad before us?" Andy asked, letting herself be moved however Booker was the most comfortable; she rested her cheek on his chest just below his shoulder, hearing his breathing and his pulse thudding below where her head rested.

She knew they all had sleep problems: Nicky barely rested at all sometimes, and Andy herself had insomnia more often than not, though given enough quiet she could drift off to the edges of sleep. Usually while traveling, when one of the others was driving.

[transfuge]

"Yes. It was always bad. Worse after Russia." Booker wouldn't mention the nightmares of drowning that also fucked up his sleep. He had plenty of other nightmares about his son and war to mention instead. "I think too much. That's all."

At least over the years he had learned to make those sleepless nights somewhat meditative. He got rest that way though it was never true sleep. As long as he was awake enough to protect everyone the next day it was fine.

It was ironic considering he could also sleep anywhere and in any position if he was tired enough. Beds were just... not good for sleep.

[orgilotes]

Andy drew her fingertips along the line of Booker's jawbone, listening and watching his face as he spoke. "Will you tell me what you're thinking about tonight?" she asked.

"I was thinking about the last time we can this far north. That job in Oslo," she murmured. "You remember that bar we went to afterward, where that blonde girl was trying so desperately to hit on Nicky?"

[transfuge]

"To be fair Nicky was one of the more handsome men in that bar." Booker chuckled softly as he rubbed his fingers along her back. "He was fine once Joe stepped in."

Booker had tried to run interference but she had no interest in an "old man". She had no idea Nicky was the much, much older man.

"I've been thinking about Paris and the Resistance." World War Two was probably the longest he spent away from the group. While the others where all over being a pain in the ass for Nazis he had stayed most in Paris working as an agent for them.

[orgilotes]

Andy shook her head. "She was selectively blind. You were there too," she murmured with a hum. "And Joe, neither of whom she was stuck on."

Andy might be biased, though.

"I remember. We were worried about you," she said softly. "Would you want to go back to Paris with us?"

[transfuge]

"He's the prettiest of us." Nicky had the softer features and the warm eyes. Booker didn't blame the girl for getting hooked on that.

Booker started to circle his touch around the small of Andy's back. More and more he was trying to soothe her into sleep.

"I was fine. The resistance was a good group." Booker had really liked those people and their passion for their country. His country. "We could go to Paris."

It's Marseille that Booker couldn't handle. It hurt even to think of his home.

[orgilotes]

Andy stretched, toes pointed, and relaxed with a yawn as Booker rubbed circles against her back; he knew the repetitive gentle touch was one of the quickest ways to actually lull her to sleep short of sex or driving. She felt safe in Booker's arms, in the rapidly-warming nest of blankets and with his heartbeat thudding gently beneath her cheek.

"We could go back there," she hummed. "It's been a while. It's warm in the summer," Andy sighed.

[transfuge]

"We could." Booker wouldn't push for it though. There wasn't much of a reason to go back. None of them were very good at playing tourist. If there wasn't work, what was the point really?

But if Andy wanted to imagine Paris in summer that was fine with him. Booker did love his home country even if they rarely spent any time there.

"It's also very crowded in the summer with tourists and you hate crowds."

[orgilotes]

"Not if you're all there," she murmured sleepily, eyes drifting closed.

She could handle anything the world threw at them, with the boys around her, and now Nile. They were the reason she felt capable of even waking up in the mornings. "Could kiss you. On the...mmm. Anywhere." Names of landmarks were just not going to come to her right now, but she didn't mind. Couldn't bring herself to care about it.

"Making me sleepy."

[transfuge]

"Uh huh. I'm doing it on purpose."

Andy clearly needed sleep. Booker probably did too but it was harder to get there. Probably easier with an Andy shaped blanket lying on top of him but he wasn't there yet.

"Don't make me hum." He had a decent enough singing voice. He could hum a fair tune. A little lullaby would just push her right over the edge into sleep he was certain.