I Can’t Sleep - Dadvid Oneshot
*Maxvid Shippers (or any childxadult shippers), DO NOT INTERACT /srs, this is not a romantic story. There are no romantic undertones. Max is ten. Nasties.*
Max thrashes in his sleeping bag, his eyes squeezing tight. Maybe it was Neil’s snoring, or the fact that the young tween had too much on his mind. He groans, pulling his pillow over his mind. Maybe if he’d just lay down and relax, he’d be fine— but that seemed out of the picture. He worked himself up too much. He sits up, adjusting his eyes to the darkness before stepping out of the tent.
The smoke was still coming off of that night’s bonfire, and some of the umber was still lit. The stars shine dimly, and the moon made just enough light for Max to trail off to the counselor’s cabin. He stands at the heavy, wooden door- trying to listen if either David or Gwen were awake. He didn’t hear them talking, and almost turned away, but something rustled in a bush nearby and next thing the 10-year-old knew he was standing inside the main office of the cabin. He exhales quite loudly, looking around.
Nothing seemed off, or different and in another room he heard Gwen snore loudly. How late was it? Damn. He enters David’s room, just standing there, his hands at his side, hoping he could wake him up with only his eyes. No luck, David was sound asleep. Not even Max’s judging eyes could awaken him from his slumber. “David!” he hisses out into the dark room.
No response came from the adult man, he was asleep after all. “David! Wake up!” Max whisper yells louder. A grumble came from the auburn-haired man, and he stretches. He sits up a bit, adjusting his eyes to the darkness. “Max?” he realizes after a few seconds. The child was still just standing in the doorway, staring at him. “Max, why’re you not asleep? Are you okay?” his confusion quickly turning to concerned.
“I’m fine, man, I just can’t sleep,” he grumbles. “C’mere,” David sighs deeply, holding his arms out. Max shuts the door behind him as he makes his way to David’s bed. He sits up on it, and David runs a hand the mess of dark hair on the child. Max grumbles in protest, but quickly relaxes. “What’s up, kiddo?” David asks, his voice groggy and full of sleep.
Max exhales loudly, “I couldn’t sleep, Neil was snoring like— super loud,” he scoffs. David chuckles, “So, you planning in sleeping in here?” he asks, not forcing Max to even bring it up first. He knew that he wouldn’t. “You’d let me?” Max perks up, his eyes meeting David’s. David sighs, “For tonight, sure,” he laughs, “But this cannot become a routine thing. It’s getting late Max, lay down,” he encourages, standing his blanket in hands.
Max quickly scrambles to lay down in David’s bed. To be fair, it was much comfier to than his sleeping bag he was used to. “Comfy?” David hums quietly to himself, Max relaxes his body outward into a star-fish like position. David had to chuckle to himself, and Max’s face scrunches up into a snarl. “What’s funny, ginger?” Max snaps. “Nothing,” he laughs, draping the blanket over Max, causing him to close his mouth and shut his eyes.
Max is silent for a few minutes, and David pulls up a wooden chair. He wasn’t going to lay in bed with him, he didn’t want to make the child uncomfortable. He seemed like he was taking up too much of the bed anyway from how sprawled out he made himself. Bed hog to the core. Finally, the sleepy child speaks up. “David?” he grumbles. David’s eyebrows raise a bit, “What’s the issue, Max?” he asks quickly. “D-Do you think-“ he swallows, “Never mind, it’s stupid,” he decides. “No rush,” David smiles, watching him closely. “Do you think you could sing me to sleep?” he says quickly, with little breath in between the words. David’s eyebrows raise again. “Uhm,” he laughs to himself, “Yeah sure, just sing anything- or is there something in particular that you’re looking for—,” “Just sing man, I just want to sleep,”
David nods, “Oh,” he begins the campfire song he wrote for Camp Campbell, the tune now sang much slower and soft. By the time he breathed out the final ‘It’s Camp Camp!’, Max was seemingly sleep.
“Goodnight, Maxie,” David smiles, stretching back. “Night, Jerk,” the 10-year-old responds.
