(TAWW!Week) DAY 6: SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Summary: Second wakes up to find Alan is still awake, he worries.
It was rare for Second to wake up to any kind of noise. Not because he was a deep sleeper—far from it—but living with the Color Gang had effectively desensitized him to most sounds. They were loud, chaotic, and utterly unpredictable, but he’d learned to tune them out. Survival instincts, probably.
Still, as he cracked one eye open, the clock above his bed glowed 4:00 AM. And yet, there it was—that faint, incessant click-clack of a keyboard, piercing through the silence. He groaned, tempted to kick the wall dividing his room from Yellow’s. Why does he type so damn loud?
Yellow was either a nocturnal maniac or just suicidal. Second was honestly leaning toward the latter because, as far as he could tell, the guy never slept. Always hunched over his laptop, obsessively typing away. And now, at a most ungodly hour, that rhythmic tapping was starting to grate on Second’s nerves.
Not that Second didn’t love the gang. He really did. He didn’t even care when they raved at 3 AM or when Green decided to set things on fire for no reason. But sometimes… sometimes, he worried about their well-being. Did they sleep? Did they eat? Did they even breathe half the time?
With a sigh, Second sat up on his bed. His legs dangled awkwardly over the edge—curse these stupid Minecraft-sized beds—his knees pulled up to his chest every night just to fit. One of these days, he told himself, he’d build a bigger bed. But not today. Today, he had to deal with Yellow.
Getting to his feet, he stretched lazily, his joints popping faintly in the silence as he shuffled out of his room. The hallway was dark, the torches removed—Blue’s doing, no doubt. Second stifled a yawn and trudged toward Yellow’s room, the persistent keyboard clacking still ringing in his ears.
But as he approached Yellow’s door, he paused. The sound wasn’t coming from there. Still, for good measure, he cracked the door open.
Yellow was curled up in his bed, his laptop hugged tightly to his chest, blanket kicked halfway off the mattress. Even in sleep, the guy couldn’t let go of his precious laptop. Second sighed, stepping inside to pull the blanket over Yellow’s shoulders. The other stirred briefly but soon settled, his breathing steady and deep once more.
Second exhaled softly, relieved, and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door with care. But the tapping noise still lingered, echoing faintly in the quiet house.
If it’s not Yellow, then who?
He checked Green’s room next. Nothing. Green was snoring softly, sprawled across his bed like a starfish.
Blue’s room? Also a no. Blue didn’t even own a laptop, and Second doubted he’d ever touch one.
Finally, he peeked into Red’s room. Red was fast asleep, curled up with Reuben, the pig snoring loudly beside him.
Scratching his head, Second stood in the dark living room, baffled. His brain, still foggy with sleep, struggled to piece it together.
His brain is still fogged with sleep, and all he wants is to crawl back into bed and drift off again. But that incessant tapping noise isn't helping, and lack of sleep has always made him easily irritable.
Who's making that noise? The thought nags at him as he drags himself toward the door, his steps sluggish. He cracks it open slightly, only to wince as a blinding flash of white light hits him right in the face. A Google tab is open, set to Light Mode, and the harsh glow stings his eyes. He quickly shuts the door, rubbing his face in confusion.
Everyone else should be asleep by now. It’s late—no, early. Too early. Which means there’s only one possible culprit.
Alan must have forgotten to mute his mic again.
Second mutters under his breath, still groggy as he pulls the door open once more and steps out. The glow feels even brighter now, and he squints, focusing on the scene ahead. Sure enough, it’s Alan. The teen is hunched over his desk, tapping away at something.
What on earth is he doing at this hour?
Second crosses the desktop, his irritation giving way to curiosity. It’s 4 in the morning—no kid should be awake at this time, let alone working on something.
“Alan?” Second calls, his voice sharp enough to startle the teen. Alan jerks upright, his head snapping toward Second, his face pale in the light of the monitor.
“S-Second? Why are you still up?” Alan stammers, his eyes wide.
Second tilts his head, arms crossed like a disapproving parent. His foot taps rhythmically against the desk. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
Alan winces under Second’s gaze, his hand flying to the back of his neck as he rubs it awkwardly. Now that Second’s eyes have adjusted to the brightness, he notices the dark circles under Alan’s eyes. They’re heavy, like bruises, evidence of more than just one sleepless night.
When was the last time this kid even slept properly?
Second tilts his head. He doesn’t know much about school, not firsthand anyway. Between everyone in this computer, Red is the only one who’s experienced it—and even then, it was monster school, which Second doubts is remotely the same. But he does know this: school shouldn’t push someone to the point of exhaustion.
“What’s got you so stressed that you’re still awake at four in the morning?” Second asks, his tone softer now. He hops onto the google tab to peer over on what Alan is looking at. A few landscape images are open in separate tabs, scenic views of mountains, beaches, and forests.
Alan’s face darkens, his shoulders slumping under the weight of Second’s question. “A-Ah… how did you know?” he mutters, his voice barely above a whisper. He buries his face in his hands, his words muffled as he continues. “We have this project for school… We’re supposed to illustrate a place that holds our best memory.”
Second waits for him to talk again. He doesn’t interrupt, letting Alan explain.
“But…” Alan hesitates, his voice cracking slightly. “I don’t really have a place like that. I’ve never been anywhere that meant something to me. So I’ve been… searching for pictures. I thought maybe I could… I don’t know… fake it.” His cheeks flush with shame as he admits it, his fingers fidgeting nervously in his lap.
“Oh… Does it have to be somewhere outside?” Second asked, his gaze flicking between the images on the screen—pictures of forests, beaches, and other scenic outdoor locations. There was a distinct pattern.
Alan tilted his head, seeming to consider the question. “Ah, well… She didn’t explicitly say it had to be outdoors,” he admitted, his voice tinged with hesitation. “But I kind of assumed it would be.”
Second snorted, shaking his head. “If she didn’t explicitly say it, then why not draw something different? Like, I don’t know… the interior of your house?”
Alan fell silent at that, rubbing his forehead as if the idea hadn’t even crossed his mind. “That’s true… But what if I get it wrong?”
Second sighed. “You said yourself that she didn’t say anything about it having to be outside. So, let me ask you this: what’s a place you really like?”
Alan hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “I guess… home? I mean, Mom is here, you guys are always around, and DJ drops by more often than not.”
Second chuckled, leaning forward and smirking. “Then there’s your answer. You don’t need all this,” he said, standing up and closing the images Alan had been browsing.
Alan blinked, then let out a small laugh, his shoulders visibly relaxing as if a weight had just been lifted. “Ah… You’re so right, Second,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck while adjusting the glasses on his face. His tone carried a mix of relief and embarrassment.
Second raised a hand, cutting him off before he could say more. “But first,” he said, voice firm, “you need to go to sleep.”
Alan froze, blinking in surprise before blushing. “I guess… I was overthinking it a little too much,” he admitted, his voice shaky as he scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
“You don’t say,” Second replied dryly, tilting his head.
Alan giggled softly, covering his smile with his fist. “Good night, Sec.”
“Good night, Al,” Second said with a fond sigh, waving him off. “And go to sleep right away—it’s already four in the morning.”
Alan gave him a sheepish thumbs-up as he stood from his chair. “Sleep well,” he added as he moved to his bed on the far side of the room. Second watched as Alan straightened his blankets and lay down, finally reaching for the lamp beside him and switching it off. The room dimmed, leaving the faint glow of the computer screen.
Second allowed himself a small smile. “Mission: Make Alan sleep—success,” he whispered, pumping his fist in triumph. He felt a flicker of pride in his chest.
But the moment didn’t last long.
“What are you doing?” a groggy voice asked behind him.
Second let out an undignified shriek, spinning around to see Red standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. Reuben, nestled in Red’s arms, let out a loud, snorting yawn.
Caught red-handed, Second froze, his face heating up. “…Nothing.”
Red stares at him, unimpressed.