Mech X4 : Whump Within Oneshots {Discontinued}

Insomnia (PTSD Arc)

"Where have you two been?" Grace shouted, "I was worried sick!"

"We were at the M-" Ryan started, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Mark elbowed him roughly, finishing for him, "Mall. We were at the mall."

Grace's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, "You were at the mall... Over night?"

"Yes...?" Ryan tried, and Mark sighed.

"No, we had gone to the mall together but then Ryan's friends showed up so they left together while I ended up sleeping at Dane's house."

"Really?" Grace said, disbelief still coloring her tone.

She stared at her sons, neither one relenting as they returned the stare.

Grace sighed, crossing her arms, "Fine, go get ready for school."

The two boys ran off and she called, "Five minutes!" After them.

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It was late by the time the brothers got home, and their mom stood there, arms crossed, and a glare-scowl combo present on her face.

"Two days in a row. Two days," She spoke emphasizing the last two words as if they were each their own sentence, "That's it, you're grounded. Straight to school, straight home. Both of you."

Neither boy moved, shocked at their typically calm mother's snappy nature.

"Bed, now." Grace ordered, and the two marched to their rooms. The older sitting down at his desk and pulling out his phone 'At least she didn't take this.'

That's when Grace poked her head in the door, "No phones. Give it."

All Mark could do was groan.

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A room over, Ryan dropped his bag and flopped onto the bed, moaning into his pillow.

He laid there in an attempt to go to sleep as ordered by his mother.

He laid there. And laid there. And laid there some more.

He laid there as his mother went to bed. He laid there as Mark got up to use the bathroom. And he laid there as his brother and mother got up for the day.

Prying himself off the bed, Ryan sat with his head in his hands. A dull headache beating in rhythm with his heart, a pulsing of his brain that only comes from lack of sleep.

"Ryan," His mom called softly, clearly cooled off from the previous night, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Ryan called, looking up, "I'm fine."

Lies.

All night he had the memories of the past, memories of nightmares, memories in forms of flashbacks flooding his mind as he lay in bed, desperately praying for the pain to vanish and for the arms of sleep to grasp him.

He had no such luck.

Whenever he caught a glimpse of sleep, he's jerk awake for an unknown reason. It had been this way for over a month, ever since the nightmares began.

Needless to say, he was not well rested at all.

So there he sat, on a Friday morning, with his head in his hands and sleep on his mind.

"You sure, sweetie? You don't look so good," Grace commented, still angrily worried for her son's but more concerned for her youngest's condition.

"Yeah mom, like I said, I'm fine."

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"Ryan, come on! We're under attack!" Harris shouted, running down the hallway toward his friends.

"Hmph?" Ryan slurred, startling awake.

"Come on Ryan, we don't have time for this," Harris pleaded as they ran, Mark practically dragging his brother upstream against the flow of students.

"What's wrong with him?" Spyder asked.

"Lack of sleep," Harris informed, "But now is not the time!" He slapped Ryan gently on the face, having no effect, "Not the time for sleep!"

"You heard the man, Ryan," Mark barked, shaking his brother as he practically carried him on his shoulder, "Time to wake up."

They reached the Mech, running up and getting into position as Mark strapped Ryan in. Ryan fought feebly against his brother, whining from irritability.

"Marrrrrkkk, let goooooooo," He whined, slumping against the belt, sound asleep.

Mark let out an exasperated sigh, "No this again."

That's when the ground shook.

"It's here."

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Mwahahahahaha cliffhanger-ish!

Sorry for... well, everything. I've kinda been failing as of late so while I'll try to update more I might not be able to. And sorry if the characters are OOC. That wasn't my intent. This chapter is kinda a let-down. Oops.

I'm flat out asking, do any of you want me to write a battle scene to start the next chapter, of are you okay if I just start from where I want to start and have the characters remember it? (Option number two is easier for me but I'm willing to do option number one if enough people want me to.)

Thanks for reading! And don't forget to live long and love PINEAPPLES!!!