Can I request a shadow milk and dark cacao with a reader who has severe insomnia? The reader stays up nearly the whole night up until either 5-9 in the morning and sleeps until 6, and they're still super duper tired even after fully waking up? Ty! :3
☆ Late Nights on Earthbread — Shadow Milk and Dark Cacao (separate) x Insomniac!Reader HCs ☆
Genre: Fluff || they/them pronouns for reader || No warnings needed
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ᯓᡣ𐭩 Shadow Milk doesn't understand the needs for things like sleep at first, at least while he was in his incorporeal form. Natural instincts like hunger and fatigue caught up with him when he was back to a physical form quickly, though, and once he got back into regularly nurturing his form, he noticed you weren't doing the same
ᯓᡣ𐭩 In the beginning, he just assumed you were as dedicated to his plan as Black Sapphire and Candy Apple, but he began noticing when you'd be more tired during the day or have health side effects due to the lack of rest
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Doing what he does best, Shadow Milk put together his best act— being a massive pest. In specific, if he deemed it was time to go to bed, he'd start whining and nagging and acting like he was just oh so sleepy and couldn't bear the thought of being left in a big cold bed all alone.. if only there was someone to share it with.. to give some warmth..
ᯓᡣ𐭩 It ends up working like a charm every time. Who can resist his big, sad, exaggerated eyes and insistent pout? Not you, evidently, as every time the azure jester requested a nap partner, you'd fallen into the habit of joining him. He'd snicker to himself while tucking you in and squeezing you in a full-body cuddle against him
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Dark Cacao is admittedly prone to overworking himself, so the concept of burning through a late night isn't new to him. It became comforting to have you there by his side, and it seemed like a peaceful routine. That is until Dark Cacao began noticing how it was affecting you
ᯓᡣ𐭩 From that moment on, there became an unspoken rule between you two. When he felt it was time for bed, it was non-negotiable. He'd make sure you'd be in a place to comfortably stop your activities beforehand, though. He was never cruel in his enforcement, he simply instilled an unspoken curfew
ᯓᡣ𐭩 You could usually tell when the time for rest was coming up, as Dark Cacao picked up the habit of cleaning up his bed the way you like it a few minutes before you were due to retire for the night. Pillow organization, blanket spread, any and everything would be tended to so it'd be perfect when you'd need it
ᯓᡣ𐭩 When curfew hits, the Cacao king simply tells you gently that it's time for bed. He guides you away from whatever you're working on, soothing your mind with gentle touches and soft pecks until you're curled up in bed. Then you usually have to convince him to do the same for himself, despite his insistence that he can keep working. You always win out in the end, Dark Cacao holding you atop his chest as he falls asleep with you being your reward
Hello! Me again😭 practically live in your inbox... I hope its okay... I would want to read about insomniac MC and Xavier. Lately due to hypomania I just... I go to sleep at 4am but wake up at 6am, or sleep at 2am and wake up at 4am. Its frustrating, and even more frustrating if we add nightmares i started to get. I just cant seem to sleep more than 2 hours and I wonder how Xavie would react to it
Thank you for doing so much for my requests, have a nice day! Sending kudos
Thank you for another request! It makes me happy to see you so frequently in my inbox. Please enjoy!
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ🖤ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Xavier:
Xavier had always been able to fall asleep almost anywhere. On the couch, in the backseat of the Linkon subway, even sitting upright during long missions. It was one of the many things you envied about him.
Tonight was no different. The two of you climbed into bed just after midnight, exhaustion lingering after a particularly tough mission. Within minutes, his breathing had evened out.
Meanwhile, you rolled onto your left side, then your right. You fluffed your pillow, kicked the blankets off, pulled them back over yourself, closed your eyes, and opened them again. You checked the clock. 1:47.
With a quiet sigh, you rolled over again. Maybe if you laid on your back. No. Your side. No. You stared at the ceiling, your thoughts refusing to slow. Every time you felt yourself drifting, you startled awake again.
Eventually, you gave up. Trying your best not to disturb Xavier, you reached for your phone on the bedside table. The soft glow lit the room, and you'd barely unlocked it when a sleepy voice murmured beside you.
"Can't sleep?"
You looked over. Xavier was blinking at you, his hair messy, eyes still heavy with sleep.
"I'm sorry," you whispered immediately. "Go back to sleep."
Instead of answering, he pushed himself up onto one elbow. "You've been awake this whole time?"
You hesitated. "...Yeah."
Concern replaced the last bit of sleep in his expression. "When is the last time you got a full night of sleep?"
You shrugged. "A while ago, I don't know. Don't remember."
"You don't remember?"
You looked down at your phone. "I don't know...weeks? Maybe longer."
Xavier frowned. "How much have you been sleeping?"
You laughed quietly. "Depends."
He waited, brows furrowed.
"Usually...two hours." His expression didn't change, so you added, "...Sometimes less, maybe a little more." You waited for him to respond but when he didn't, you elaborated. "I wake up after a couple of hours, sometimes I can't fall asleep at all." You forced a small smile. "I've kind of accepted that's just how it is."
Xavier's brows drew together. "No."
His simple rejection caught you off guard "No?"
"You don't have to accept that."
You looked away. "I don't really know what else to do."
He reached over, gently taking the phone from your hands before setting it back on the bedside table. Then he turned the screen off completely, and the room fell into darkness once more.
"You should've told me."
"I didn't want to keep you awake."
He looked genuinely puzzled. "So instead you've been awake by yourself?"
You didn't have an answer for that.
Xavier sighed softly before opening his arms. "Come here."
You blinked. "What?"
"You're cold."
"I'm not."
"You are."
There was no arguing with him when he used that tone. Slowly, you scooted closer until he wrapped both arms around you. His chin rested lightly on top of your head.
For several minutes, neither of you spoke. The silence felt different. It wasn't lonely like the last few weeks.
Finally, Xavier interrupted it. "Nightmares?"
You nodded against his chest. "Sometimes."
"And the rest of the time?"
"I just..." Your voice broke. "I can't get my brain to stop."
His hand slowly rubbed up and down your back. "You've been carrying this by yourself for too long."
A lump in your throat made it difficult to swallow. "I didn't want to be difficult."
"You aren't."
His answer came quickly. "You deserve sleep."
His fingers threaded gently through your hair. "And until you get it..." He held you a little closer. "you don't have to spend your nights awake alone."
You listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, his breathing, the warmth surrounding you. For the first time in what felt like forever, you weren't lying awake counting the hours. You were simply resting.
Sleep didn't come immediately. It still took time. Another hour passed, maybe even two. But Xavier didn't say anything, never let go. Even as his own eyelids grew heavy again, he continued tracing slow circles across your back.
Sometime before dawn, your thoughts finally quieted. Your breathing evened out. The last thing you felt before sleep claimed you was Xavier pressing a gentle kiss against your hair.
When he heard your breathing deepen, a small smile tugged at his lips. "Good," he whispered. "There you are."
And with you sound asleep in his arms, he finally let himself drift back to sleep, too.
“Rest your weary head, my dear, and I will stay here”
Tags: Dan Heng x Reader, Jing Yuan x Reader, Zhongli x Reader, Insomniac!Reader, Comfort, Soft Care, Slow Burn, Gentle Touch, Emotional Support, Quiet Moments, Fluff, Quiet Affection.
Warnings: Mentions of sleep deprivation/insomnia, Mild exhaustion, Emotional vulnerability.
Requested by: @2ofjhearts
A/N: Thank you so much for your kind words! 🤭💖 It truly means a lot to me that you enjoy my writing! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my work, and I appreciate you taking the time to share that with me! 🥺💕✨
It had been days since you’d slept properly. The night had become a time of quiet solitude, where the gentle hum of the Astral Express lulled everyone into peaceful slumber—but not you. As the others rested, you’d sit in the corner of the train, reading or catching up on any work that required focus. But even as exhaustion weighed on your shoulders, sleep never came. It was too fleeting, too elusive, just beyond your grasp.
Dan Heng had noticed. Though his stoic nature often made it hard to read him, your lack of rest hadn’t escaped his attention. The others had fallen asleep one by one, but you were still awake. He'd caught glimpses of you moving around in the dim light, a faint glow from your tablet or a book lighting the area. His concern was quiet, but it was there, and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.
One night, he rose to check on you. His steps were soft, the silence of the train carriage making his movements even more deliberate. When he found you curled up in a chair, eyes red from lack of sleep and focused intensely on a book you hadn’t even realized you were barely reading anymore, he sighed quietly.
“[Name],” he said, his voice low but gentle. “You need to rest.”
You blinked, surprised by his sudden presence, but you offered him a tired smile. “I’m fine, really. Just a few more pages.”
Dan Heng didn’t respond with words but instead, with a rare softness, he approached you. His hand gently brushed the book from your hands, setting it aside. You hadn’t even realized how tight your muscles were until he helped you stand up. His steady presence and the comforting warmth of his hand on your back guided you toward your room. His calm demeanor contrasted with the exhaustion that clouded your thoughts, and you felt a fleeting sense of relief.
Once you were settled, Dan Heng sat beside you on the edge of the bed. “Get comfortable,” he said. His voice was a whisper, like a secret meant only for you. Slowly, he rubbed your scalp with a quiet, steady motion, his touch firm but soothing. You felt the weight of your worries and fatigue slowly begin to dissolve under his care.
“Rest, [Name],” he whispered again. “You’ve done enough tonight.”
And, for once, your body listened, surrendering to the soft lull of his presence and the calm of the moment. As your breathing steadied and your mind drifted toward sleep, you finally let go.
The night had slipped by unnoticed, and you once again found yourself wide awake. You couldn’t help it—sleep had become a distant concept, something you could never quite reach, no matter how much your body begged for it. The weight of unfinished work, the quiet sense of unrest, it all kept you anchored to the present.
Jing Yuan had noticed your quiet restlessness on several occasions over the past few nights, but tonight, his concern was more evident. He woke to find you still sitting at your desk, staring at a piece of paper that hadn’t seen any progress for hours.
“[Name],” he said softly, leaning against the doorframe. His eyes, sharp as always, softened with concern. “You’re still up?”
You turned your head to face him, a tired smile tugging at your lips. “Just finishing up a few things…”
Jing Yuan let out a gentle sigh, stepping into the room with the kind of authority that made the air feel lighter. “I don’t think you’re finishing anything tonight,” he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.
Before you could protest, he moved towards you, his large, warm hand resting on your shoulder. “Come on. You’ve done enough for one day.”
He didn’t give you much room to argue as he gently guided you from your chair, his touch firm and reassuring. His calm demeanor was a balm for your frazzled nerves, and, though you resisted a bit, the weariness was catching up with you. Jing Yuan led you to the bed, where he softly coaxed you to lie down.
Once you were settled, he took a seat beside you, resting one hand on your scalp and rubbing it gently. The motion was slow and deliberate, designed to bring comfort and calm. His deep voice, filled with the kind of quiet wisdom only time could provide, began to speak softly, his words flowing like a lullaby.
“You’ve been carrying a lot,” he murmured, his fingers tracing patterns along your skin. “But tonight, you don’t need to carry it all. Let it go. You’ve earned this rest.”
You felt his warmth seep into you as you listened to his words, letting the calm settle over you like a soft blanket. Slowly, your body relaxed, and the exhaustion finally caught up to you. With a final, soft whisper of reassurance, you closed your eyes, letting Jing Yuan’s steady presence be the last thing you remembered before sleep finally took you.
[Header credits]
The flicker of candlelight was the only sound in the room, save for the occasional rustling of papers as you worked late into the night. Zhongli had retired for the evening hours ago, yet still, you sat at the desk, eyes glazed from too many hours spent staring at the same documents. You hadn’t realized how tired you were becoming, or how much your body was protesting until you heard his voice.
“[Name],” Zhongli called softly from the doorway. His amber eyes, always kind and filled with wisdom, held a hint of concern. “Why are you still up?”
You smiled wearily, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “There’s just so much to do…”
Zhongli stepped into the room, his presence like a steady wind, gentle yet unwavering. “You’ve done enough for one night.”
You opened your mouth to argue, but he gently laid a hand on your shoulder, stopping you. His grip was firm yet comforting, as though to reassure you that everything could wait. “Come now, let’s get you to bed.”
With his guidance, you found yourself standing and following him, your body moving on autopilot. Once you reached the bed, Zhongli didn’t hesitate. He sat beside you and placed a hand on your scalp, his touch soothing and methodical, as though he had done this countless times before. The sensation of his fingers gently rubbing your scalp, combined with the soft sound of his voice, was like a lullaby you had long forgotten.
There was no need for more words; his calm presence enveloped you. He didn’t rush, didn’t push. His steady hand continued to soothe you, the warmth of his care melting away the stress that had clung to you for days.
As the minutes passed, you could feel the exhaustion that had been building up finally catch up to you. Your mind quieted, and the world seemed to grow softer with each passing second. When you finally closed your eyes, Zhongli’s steady presence beside you was the last thing you felt before sleep claimed you fully.
I've been thinking about sending more, but I haven't had ideas that I could do, I really love your writing there !!🩷
So so sooo! I got the idea of agian shiver x frye with a partner that's an insomniac? Like they act energetic like they had sweets, but they often can't sleep they just don't talk about it much, they're sweet, loving, and love affection, bur often fake being asleep late at night if one of them are awake :3
Kyaaa!! Hello vivi! Thank you thank you thank you for the support ^^
I'm glad you've got ideas again! Just like 🍊 anon, your requests are always super interesting :0
For this one I'll be doing headcanons since it seems like the best formatting (if that's alright)
Now onto the thingy
‧₊˚✧[ Shiver and
Frye w/ an Insomniac!
Reader ]✧˚₊‧
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(🔫🎨👩❤️💋👩💭) - splatoon headcanons
(reader type) - gender neutral
(‼️warnings) - none ✨️
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
♨ You, Shiver, and Frye have been dating for about 2 years
♨ Which means that Shiver and Frye have both somewhat memorized your sleep schedule by now
♨ you've got a reaaaallyy bad case of insomnia that started when you were in your teens and followed you into adulthood
♨ you don't often talk about it, though, which Shiver actually hates
♨ Frye does the job of monitoring your caffeine intake to make sure you get to bed on time
♨ ❝ AH—! Hold it! That's your 3rd cup today. Give it here. ❞
♨ sometimes, if one of them is up late, you'll fake being asleep so they don't worry
♨ let's say that Shiver was up late at night, badgering their producer about their latest gig on the phone
♨ you were in bed, facing the door and staring at basically nothing. every time Shiver passed by your door, you'd quickly shut your eyes and pretend to be asleep
♨ eventually, you'd fall asleep for real
♨ Shiver usually asks you about how you slept in the morning
♨ ❝ Morning, (N/N). How'd ya sleep? ❞
♨ Since you don't really like talking about your sleep schedule, you always give a lazy response
♨ ❝ Good. I slept well. ❞
♨ Shiver was, like, so surprised to learn you have insomnia considering you're as hyper as Frye
♨ Like, energetic in a way that she needs to put you both on a leash and keep you at an arm's distance away from each other because you enable one another
♨ but trust me when I say that these two are pretty concerned for your well-being
♨ you are their s/o, of course
♨ going back to what i said earlier, Shiver and Frye both caught onto your little "fake-sleep" ploy due to a little slip-up on your part
♨ cue the montage
♨ they'd like. stand over you to make sure you're actually sleeping
♨ ❝ (Y/N)... (Y/N)! Are you sleeping? ❞
♨ ❝ I WAS. ❞
♨ while Shiver tried to pry details about your insomnia, Frye went out and bought melatonin gummies for you
♨ being honest, Big Man gave her the idea
♨ Since she knows you like gummies and sweet things, she thought these were perfect for you
♨ so, while you were getting ready not to go to bed, she popped her head into the doorway and gave you the gummies
♨ you didn't think much of it, so you took them
♨ you slept. like a ROCK.
♨ soooo despite you not really being used to sleeping so well (and not really liking it), they were really proud of you!
hmmmmm maybe a few headcanons for Bruno with a partner who has terrible insomnia? like the... "I've gotten maybe 7 hours of sleep total over the past three days because I just cannot get my brain to calm down enough to let me sleep" type???
Request brought to you by your Local Insomniac who has to work 8 hours in 3 hours and hasn't been able to sleep at all.
Thanks, Bug!
Absolutely I can do that for ya!
Also please take it easy on yourself at work today!!
You deserve a rest :]
ANYWAY! I PRESENT:
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Bruno x Insomniac!
•*.┍━━━━━━━★━━━━━━━┑.*•
•*.┕━━━━━━━★━━━━━━━┙.*•
He understands the feeling, as he would often loose sleep from paranoia, so he definitely feels for you.
He’ll bring you warm milk or light snacks
Will always leave a light on if you’re scared of the dark
If it’s an ongoing problem, Bruno will try his hardest to make his partner’s space as comfortable as possible, with lots of blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals, if you like them!
If he happens to be awake late at night and sees you up and stumbling around, he’ll drop whatever he was doing and bring you back to bed, and lay with you until you fall asleep!
If YOU are struggling with paranoia, and would prefer Bruno stays with you, he will happily do so!
He knows you like to fidget with things, so he’ll let you play with his hair in bed while he reads.
(This is a callback to the hc that I have where Bruno can light his eyes up on command) if you’re scared to fall asleep, he’ll sit up and have a “vision” about how you’ll sleep, and tell you that you’re gonna have good dreams!
Too much energy to fall asleep? Night walks!! Bruno will let you wear his ruana, and take you out on a calm evening walk around the Encanto, maybe even packing a little picnic!
If he can tell you’re having a bad dream when you finally do get to sleep, he’ll turn around and hold you, planting light kisses on your head, letting you know that he’s there.
If you manage to sleep through he might, he’ll be so proud of you when you wake up!
“Good morning mi vida! Did you sleep ok?”
———
I HOPEBTHESE WERE ALRIGHT!!
Again!! I hope you take it easy on yourself today anon! I know you can make it through your shift!! >:D
if you write for him, sage of truth x insomniac reader? Little cute eyebags under their eyes and dozing any chance they can, these can be hcs
Ty
☆ Burning Midnight Oil — Sage of Truth x Insomniac!Reader HCs ☆
Genre: Fluff || They/Them pronouns for reader || Very light warning for implied mental health struggles
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ᯓᡣ𐭩 You had always had some issues with sleep. Whether that be falling or staying asleep, rest didn't come to you as easy as it did for other Cookies. You usually took the opportunity to get ahead on work— there wasn't much else to do in the dead of night anyways
ᯓᡣ𐭩 These habits sometimes led to you falling asleep in odd places, which the Sage of Truth never minded. He always kept a spare blanket around, tucking it around your shoulders to make your brief rest as comfortable as possible. It was cute, really, seeing you rub your eyes and yawn as you tried to stay up, only to curl up whenever you could
ᯓᡣ𐭩 That is, of course, until he realized where the issue stemmed from. Sometimes your sleepy gestures manifested in a shorter temper or a drop in your work ethic, which the Sage picked up on instantly. As clear as the scrolls he teaches, he could see the truth of the matter. You weren't taking care of yourself, at least not in this regard
ᯓᡣ𐭩 This was the beginning of the Sage insisting on late-night study reviews with you. You'd both go over the topics he'd plan to cover the next day, and every hour you were awake, Sage would be up with you. He began keeping track of a curfew in his head, gently ushering you to your room to rest whenever the time would come
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Over weeks of this routine, the Sage began utilizing what he'd learned to help you get drowsy faster. A warm environment, low lights, making sure you always sit propped up on a pillow or two, small things like that. He'd even read to you if you were having a particularly hard time
ᯓᡣ𐭩 You'd always wake up the next morning apologizing for falling asleep in the middle of work, but Sage brushed it off every time. The mind must be kept sharp to teach the Truth, and sleep was the best way to ensure that. Don't worry your little head over it, dear scholar. Cookies are beings of habit after all
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Any time you fall asleep with your head on his shoulder he has to try very hard not to be outwardly giddy. As calm as he tends to appear, you bring out a much less composed side of him. The kind that wants to grin like an idiot with his cheeks already flushing a deep blue at the contact
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Little by little you slowly realize the Sage tricked you into having better sleeping habits. You confront him on it, but all he does is give you a smile that's as loving as it is smug. "I hope you can forgive me, I just couldn't bear to see one of my favorite scholars unable to stay awake!" He proclaimed dramatically "Just go easy on a poor Sage" he added, grinning as you laughed fondly at his ridiculous act
I loved your insomniac reader and I wanted to ask...can you give me hcs of Caramel arrow and affogato (separate) with a reader like that? Just ngl the insomniac is relatable lol! I find myself staying up till 3-4...learned hard way that staying up till 4:30 is the absolute limit I can stay up till...once I hit limit, I end up feeling like shit lol! And to add onto this version...usually only sleep for 5-6 hours so imagine them trying to keep reader asleep so they get a full 8 hours lol! Think it would be fun! See em not only make reader fall asleep but make sure they stay asleep lol!
☆ Burning The Midnight Oil — Affogato and Caramel Arrow Cookie (seperate) x Insomniac!Reader ☆
Genre: Fluff || they/them pronouns for reader || No warnings needed
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ᯓᡣ𐭩 Caramel Arrow was always one of few members of the Dark Cacao Kingdom who actually managed to keep a healthy sleep schedule, and she began worrying for you when you confided in her about feeling terrible
ᯓᡣ𐭩 She'd help make sure you'd keep up with taking care of yourself in general, sleep especially being a part of it. But on top of that, you always seemed to be up much too early. Seeing the efforts remaining stagnate made Caramel Arrow worry all the more
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Once finding out the root of the issue was not only struggling to get sleep, but also not getting enough sleep, it was a little easier to approach. And after all the trial and error, you were both at a place of finding something that could really work
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Caramel Arrow would let you work as much as you wanted, until it reached the time you'd usually feel bad. Then you'd be cuddled close, tucked into the archer's bed with her. When you got to the point of trying to wake up, she'd pretend to still be asleep, caging you under her weight. When you'd finally fall back asleep, she'd kiss your cheek while tucking you back in
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Affogato always was a cookie who preferred to sleep in wherever he could, on the other hand. Beauty sleep was important, and he didn't want his dough looking anything less than perfect. He did make a few comments here and there about how your exhaustion was beginning to show physically, but you always figured he was just being snarky as usual
ᯓᡣ𐭩 One evening, to your surprise, Affogato came to you with a blend of ingredients mixed together, insisting that you should try it. You had to do a lot of reading between the lines to figure out what he was getting at. As you came to eventually find, he had attempted to make a traditional medicinal blend to aid with sleep
ᯓᡣ𐭩 But that wasn't all he'd done. Once you took the medicine, he also got into the routine of pulling you to bed to rest. Though he pretended to fuss up a storm and feel put out, he willingly offered his room to you. It was kept as warm as possible, with fragrant scents meant to aid sleep always tinging the air
ᯓᡣ𐭩 What was the most surprising was him offering his own clothes to you as pajamas. It became commonplace to spend the night in his room, the comforting environment and presence of the shaman lulling you to rest. Affogato complained when you'd try to get up early, claiming that he was still tired and needed your comfort to rest well. He'd smirk slyly when you agreed, pampering you to make up for the extra time spent in bed together
