•°MPHFPC one shots°•

8 - Insomnia

#me rn

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"Y/n?"

The woman quickly snapped her eyes open, seeing a confused and worried Miss Peregrine looking back at her. Disoriented, it took her a moment to realize she was at the dinner table, noticing the looks the other children shared with her before returning to their conversations. Y/n quickly sat up in her seat, her cheeks red from embarrassment and looked down at her meal, suddenly not very hungry.

"Are you alright?" She glanced back at the ymbryne and managed a smile.

"Yes of course, I'm sorry, I must have dozed off." She replies, Alma noticing how she picked at her plate.

"Are you feeling well?"

"Yes, I am. Just a bit tired." She admits, Alma seeing the bags under her eyes and frowned slightly.

"Why don't you retire to bed early. I can handle the dishes and reset." The older woman says and y/n tried to protest but eventually gave in. The woman went to take her plate, but Alma stopped her hand and gave her a gentle look.

"I can handle with the dishes, dear. Go get some rest." She says in a firm but caring tone and y/n nodded, walking out of the dining room. The headmistress knew she hadn't been sleeping well and decided it would be best to send her to bed as soon as she felt even a little more tired than usual.

Y/n made her way upstairs, making her way to her bedroom and shutting the door behind her, falling back on to her bed with a sigh. She shut her eyes for a bit, feeling extremely worn out but her body just wouldn't give her the satisfaction of sleeping.

Y/n heard everyone gather outside, reset was especially loud as she stared at the ceiling, giving up on trying to sleep. She couldn't it.

The woman heard the ymbrynes heels go down the hallway as she tucked everyone in for the night and y/n scolded herself for not being asleep yet. Alma even let her skip doing the dishes too for absolutely nothing.

She heard the door to her bedroom quietly open, the ymbryne hoping she was asleep but was both surprised and disappointed when she seen the woman staring blankly at the wall.

"I can't sleep." Y/n says quietly. It's been like that every night when Alma would visit her. The older woman has tried everything in her will to try and help her fall and stay asleep, but it's all failed.

"I'm sorry." The younger woman says softly, Alma removing her gaze when she seen she was staring for too long.

"No, don't be dear. We'll figure out a way to help you sleep." She says softly, shutting the door behind her and taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "Have you tried reading?" The headmistress asks, running her talons through her hair.

"Yes."

"What about closing your eyes for a while?"

"Yes." She repeats, looking down at the floor.

"Would you like to try a glass of warm milk? That would work for Horace when he would wake up from his dreams." Alma offers and the woman shook her head.

"It didn't work last time."

"What about-"

"Nothing has been working." Y/n snaps, Alma removing her hand and glancing over at the wall as she thought. The younger woman sighed, scolding herself for yelling and gently took her hand.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I've been so irritated."

"It's the lack of sleep. When I had to go to multiple council meetings on only an hour of sleep for three days, I became quite miserable." Alma says with a light chuckle and y/n managed a smile.

"Let's see." The ymbryne says softly, returning to her thoughts, her thumb running over the top of y/n's hand. "Have you ever tried taking a bath about an hour before you sleep? I've heard that helps you relax which makes it easier to fall asleep."

"No, I haven't." She replies and Alma glanced over her.

"Well, I suppose it's too late at night for you to try one now. How about tomorrow you begin doing that?" Y/n nodded and Alma hummed a pleased response. "Good, now we just have to find something to do tonight."

"Maybe ask me a million questions till I start feeling tired?" Y/n jokes, Alma chuckling.

"Darling, that won't work." She says gently. "Your mind will just start racing again."

"What about a story? You can be quite a bore with them sometimes." She jokes and the ymbryne sent her a playful glare.

"You used to love my stories." She says and y/n smiles, gently squeezing her hand.

"I do still. I'm just teasing."

Alma chuckled, glancing at her pocket watch for a moment before back at her.

"My head feels tired, I really want to sleep." Y/n says softly, Alma listening intently. "But my body won't let me."

"That's what insomnia is, darling." The ymbryne says softly, her voice almost like a gentle whisper as she frowned slightly. "I wish you could sleep."

"I do too." Y/n says quietly, not thinking much when she took the woman's hand and moved it up to her chin, hugging her arm close against her.

"If you'd like, I can stay with you." Alma offers, her voice quiet and a small spark of hope in her features. The younger woman glanced at her, a faint blush in her cheeks but neither of them had noticed by the candle light.

"Alright."

Alma got up from the edge of the bed, her heels faintly heard against the floor before she slipped them off by the nightstand, y/n turning to lay on her other side. She glanced over right when Alma slipped off her jacket, a blush spreading over heels face but managed a smile when the ymbryne seen her, the older woman returning it. She set her jacket down, nearly folded beside her heels and sat down on the bed, checking her pocket watch once more before setting it on the nightstand.

"Alright, come here." The headmistress said with a light smile, holding her arms out and resting her back against the pillows. Y/n didn't hesitate, moving towards her and getting comfortable in her hold, the woman bringing the covers over both of them.

Miss Peregrine felt some of the tension leave from the woman as she rubbed her back, eventually seeing her shut her eyes and relax against her.

"Is this all you needed?" Alma said with a teasing look and seen the woman's small smile.

"I suppose." She says quietly, but the ymbryne heard the exhaustion in her voice.

"Get some sleep, dear. You need it." Alma whispers softly, the younger woman moving further against her with a sigh, her breathing eventually slowing as she fell asleep.