Shokutello - Late Night

💗💜🩵✨️

The slow rise and fall of Shoku's chest was the only movement present in the dimly lit room. A faint buzzing lay behind the sound of stillness in the room, machines expecting to be awakened. She was curled around herself in a small, sufficient cluster of cushions that made a pleasant bed for her. The soft, prickly furs from her tail brushed against her nose as she let out a steady exhale, deep in slumber.

Near the doorway, a small hiss came from the entrance as air escaped the contraption, and the two doors slid away from each other, casting a new shadow over the room. Her ears flicked, acknowledging the sound as the shadow advanced into the lab. It wasn't enough noise to wake her, however. The figure maneuvered through the lab, reaching the main desk Donnie usually spent all his time. The smooth sound of metal rolling against metal and the drawer slid open without waking Shoku. A large hand began rummaging through the contents of the drawer with the goal of making a minimal amount of noise. Thanks to her superior hearing, her sensitive ears picked up on the displaced noise. Now unable to excuse the small shuffling, she raised her head and blinked her eyes open, adjusting to the dim purple lights.

"Donnie?" The fox confirmed with a soft yawn. The purple turtle straightened himself out and glanced at the clock. It was late, and he had been caught. Shoku stretched out her tired limbs before getting to her feet and approaching him. "What are you doing?" she asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Shoku knew he couldn't lie to her, especially not about something like this.

"What? I'm completely normal and totally not suspicious right now," Donnie huffed, crossing his arms. "Like I haven't been bringing stuff from my lab before you go to sleep so I can keep working on my projects at unholy hours without you trying to change my unhealthy habits. You ray of stupid sunshine."

His words ran together, but she understood what he was saying. He'd been moving things from his lab to his room because she'd been taking over his lab. The item in his hand was something he'd forgotten for his project.

“How much sleep do you usually get?” she inquired, her tone teasing but with a hint of genuine care. Donnie was caught off guard by her compassion and insisted on pushing it away. “Nothing absurd amounts of coffee can't fix.” He shrugged with fake confidence, insisting it wasn't an issue. Shoku, however, didn't buy it for even a moment. She knew how much caffeine he consumed, and it definitely wasn't healthy. “Alright. Off to bed, mister.” Shoku commanded in a motherly tone. Donnie chuckled defiantly in response. “I'll stay up if I want to.” He retorted, but he had an underlying feeling that she wouldn't accept that answer. Shoku's fingers gripped onto the purple fabric on his wrist, dragging him out of the lab. He didn't put up a fight, letting her lead the way.

She yanked him into his room. He wasn't whining, but his attitude and annoyance remained stubbornly unchanged. She pointed to his bed that stuck halfway up the wall. “Up.” She ordered. Donnie chuckled, finding her obstinate nature to be adorable rather than threatening. He climbed up the stumpy ladder, plopping himself down in a seated position. He expected her to leave, but she followed close behind. Shoku kneeled next to him, her stubbornness holding strong. “I do hope you know,” he grumbled, “Sometimes you're too nice.” His eyes darted away from her innocent gaze. Shoku gave him a mocking tone and countered, “You know you need it.” She smiled, her tails swishing softly behind her. “I'm an insomniac. A lack of sleep is the usual.” He argued, taking notice of her swishing tails. “But it's not a good usual.” She emphasized in response, tilting her head and testing his logic.

“First of all, English, please.” He scoffed, absolutely baffled by her diction. “Second of all, I, quite frankly, don't care.”
“Well, whether you care or not, you're staying here and sleeping. And you're not going to do that if I leave, are you?” The fox leaned on her palms, raising an eyebrow. “No. After you leave, I totally won't go back to the incredibly brain stimulating project I've been working on.” He hindered her argument with a flat and heavily sarcastic tone.

A grin spread to her fluffy face, her tails lashing with more energy. “Then we're having a sleepover!” She cheered, much to Donnie's surprise. “We are NOT having a sleepover.” He told her sternly, his body tensing. She giggled softly, clearly persistent on staying with him. “Yes we are.” Shoku's paw gently poked his nose, a sweet look on her face. His eyes flicked around her face, taking in her features before he let out a soft sigh, accepting his fate. Donnie forced his glance to the side before speaking. “Intriguing how it's called a sleepover, yet no one ever sleeps. I guess that's a win on my end. No sleep, and I get a floof.” He repressed a smug smirk, but a look with so much pride like that was difficult to conceal. “Well, we're going to sleep. So, this is really a sleepover.” Shoku giggled in response, scooting closer abruptly. Donnie flinched as she wrapped her comforting arms around him, her snout nuzzling into his shoulder.

There was a lengthy pause as he attempted to process his emotions, and the fox gave him all the time he needed to do so. His heartbeat sped up recklessly and without warning, but he was eventually able to pull his gaze down to her body, which was carefully curled against him. As if she could read his thoughts, the fox spoke up. “Finally figuring out that hugs aren't that bad?” She inquired without opening her eyes. She held a subtly teasing tone, but it was easy to tell that she cared about him. “Maybe.” Donnie grumbled, allowing his limbs to relax. His arms rested lightly around her, his gaze shifting back to the side. Having her for comfort was much more serene than he originally thought, and it was beginning to put him at ease.

Shoku gave him extra time to settle. There was no doubt that she wanted to get him to open up, but she didn't want to push a negative reaction like before. She allowed the silence to sit for a few more moments until she spoke up. A small breath left her nose. “Can you please tell me why you won't sleep?” The fox could tell that he clearly wasn't even trying since he usually would just stay in his lab. What surprised him, however, was how easily she could decipher what the problem was. It was as if she knew the exact words to say, the exact soft tone. He gave in, letting out a small sigh before building up his stubborn persona once more. “Fine. I’ll give you a reluctant answer.” He gave her a sharp, clear tone.

“I can accept that.” Shoku shrugged a bit, lifting her head and peeling her eyes open. His mouth lay agape for a few moments, the words caught in his throat as he struggled to put his thoughts together. “I don't… like turning off my brain.” He finally sputtered. It was a perplexing concept to Shoku, so she paused for a moment to digest his words. “What don't you like about it, Donnie?” She prodded with a careful tone. He tensed at the idea of explaining himself, especially his emotions, but he'd try for her.

“I guess I like being busy because I don't have to think.” Donnie tried, still trying to avoid her large eyes. “You don't like to think?” Shoku asked, her arms squeezing him slightly. She was perplexed, that was for sure. He was a scientist who didn't like to think. “About… emotional stuff, yes.” He exhaled, his body tense again. “I'd rather keep myself busy.” He attempted to explain but felt as if he were failing. Thankfully, Shoku understood him well enough. She smiled warmly at him, showing she understood. “It stresses you out, doesn't it?” She confirmed. He nodded in response. “Well, you don't have to think around me. I can do that for you.” She offered, still smiling thoughtfully. “Okay?” She nodded to him, urging him to respond verbally.

“Okay.” He looked down, pulling her closer almost on instinct. His nose buried into her fur, his movements still cautious. Donnie was starting to believe her, despite the fact that he didn't want to. Allowing his body to lean back into the pillow, he kept her close. The turtle was more terrified of being vulnerable than he'd like to admit, but maybe that was okay.