So Tired

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 4th May 2011

Characters: Wirnan, Kaya
Description: The lack of sleep finally catches up to Wirnan.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 23 of Turn 6

Wirnan

The quarters were immaculate. Kaya had gotten to work early in the day, but
she had started with looking at what was there and how it might be better
utilised. She wrote up ideas on how to better organise the furniture to make
the room seem more spacious. Then she had gone about reorganising the
various effects. The clothes were better situated, neater and in a way that
seemed to make more sense. To her at least. She then started sweeping and
scrubbing the floors, but dinner had caught up with her before too long. So
she went to to dinner. Wirnan hadn't been there and she hadn't tried to get
into a conversation with anyone. She was sure her name was still on the
lips of the gossips and she didn't really want to be asked questions. After
dinner she had gotten back to work and stood back to admire the shiny floor
and the brightness of the newly cleaned rugs that still hung for they
remained a little damp. Well, she wouldn't have to do _that_ deep of a
cleaning for a while. And now it might be easier to find things. What time
was it. It had gotten late! But Wirnan wasn't back.

Kaya cast a nervous glance at the door, but then slipped into the bedroom. She was tired and it was close to bed time. She set about taking a bath, washing her hair, then braiding it. She dried off, hanging the towel to dry, then pulled her night gown over her. She had just settled into the bed
when she heard the door open.

He knew he could have come home sooner, but he really didn't have all that
much to look forward to. While he and Kaya had managed to agree to some
silent truce at times, at other times it was nothing but one argument after
another. He hadn't wanted another one of those. He was too tired to be able
to suffer through one tonight. His sleep was less than ideal as he
alternated between the rather cold floor, the short couch and the upright
chair most nights. In fact, he didn't think he'd slept a full night since
before everything had happened with Kaya.

His shoulders slumped forward he pushed open the door to their quarters and
dropped the small bag he'd carried. He almost swayed on his feet from
fatigue, but he managed to keep himself upright. His eyes were heavy and he
didn't think he'd even make it to the sofa before he fell over. He wouldn't
have noticed the floors were clean or that the room was tidy. All he could
think about was putting one foot in front of the other, which didn't end up
working as his foot hit the newly polished floor. With his balance off
slightly, his foot shot out from under him and he hit the floor with a thud.
"Shards," he cursed as his shoulder slammed into the wall. Wirnan didn't
rise right away, but rather contemplated sleeping right there where he'd
fallen, at least then he wouldn't have to try and exert any energy to get
up.

The sound of him falling and the following curse sent Kaya to her feet.
Immediately she stood in the doorway, then cried out, her voice strident,
"Wirnan!" Her feet moved and her balance was better than his so she managed
to keep from slipping, sliding, and falling, at least til she got to him and
fell to her knees. "Are you all right?" Even with all the issues between them,
she didn't want him _hurt_ for Faranth's sake!

"I slipped," he muttered, wincing only slightly as he moved his shoulder.
**Just bruised,** he thought, **not broken.** "I'm fine," he told her, his
eyes staying half closed. "Go back to bed, but maybe you could throw my
blanket over here before you leave." He mumbled. At least then he wouldn't
have to get up to get it. He'd slept on the floor many nights, tonight would
be no different it seemed.

"What?" Kaya blinked, her hands remaining on his shoulder and arm as she
stared down at him. "Here? On the floor?" The light cast a dim shadow over
the prone form of the man. "I do hope you're joking..."

He blinked up at her. The fatigue clearly evident on his face. "Where do you
think I've been sleeping?"

"I thought...on the couch." She looked up at said furniture, then back down
at the man. Obviously, wherever he was sleeping, Kaya could see he wasn't
getting enough. "Come on." She murmured as Kaya did her best to tug the
man to his feet.

"I don't want to sleep on the couch. It's short and my legs ache in the
morning when I sleep there. I'd rather just stay here." Wirnan shrugged off
her grip. "Just go back to bed. I'll be fine here." He tired to shoo her
away so he could try and get some sleep.

"Get _up_." Kaya demanded and his attempts to shoo her away were in vain.
In his current condition he was far to addled to do anything but annoy her
with his wispy attempts. "Get up now."

"What?" He protested at her tone, opening his eyes to attempt to glare at
him. "I don't _want_ to sleep on the couch. Why can't you just leave me in
peace. At least here I might get a few hours sleep. Better than the couch or
chair." Wirnan sounded like a whiny child, but he didn't care. He was tired
and wanted to rest. So far he'd managed on under three hours sleep most
nights, but it had started to catch up to him and the best sleep he'd had
had been the few nights he'd opted for the cold floor.

"You're going to sleep in the bed tonight." Kaya corrected him. "Now come
on and get up or am I going to have to grab your feet and drag you?" Kaya
may not have been able to do that, but she would certainly try! "Now." She
demanded, then allowed her tone to soften, "I'll help you."

She was inviting him into the bed? He wouldn't argue with that one. Moving a
bit clumsily, Wirnan managed to get to his feet and head in the right
direction. "Thank you," he mumbled, trying to stay awake long enough to not
fall over onto her. When the reached the bed, he sank down onto it with a
sigh of contentment. He'd missed his bed, far more than he'd care to admit.

Kaya helped him, though it was a bit wobbly going, but finally they made it
and there he collapsed. She sighed and heaved his legs up onto the bed,
then unlaced his boots and pulled them off, then his socks. She moved up to
the head of the bed and fumbled with the ties briefly, then decided to leave
them. Perhaps it would be best. She didn't need to..to touch him. Again.
No. She gaze down upon the face of the man, eyes closed. The fatigue
seemed less acute that way. She reached out to brush a tendril of hair away
from his brow, then pulled back as if he had stung her. Quickly, she turned
away and began to head into the other room.

He grabbed her arm before she could get away. "Where are you going?" He
asked, his eyes now open wide. He'd liked the way it felt when she'd brushed
her fingers against his brow. He wanted her to touch him again, but he
didn't dare ask such a thing. He could feel his fingers tingling where they
held her arm.

There was a light jerk at the sudden tension on her arm and Kaya was forced
to turn and look back at him. "To the couch." Of course. Surely he didn't
expect her to be in the bed when _he_ was in there, did he? Did he?

He sat up quickly, blinking at the flickering lights that seemed to dance
around his vision for a moment. "Nay," he frowned. "I won't have it. The bed
is yours. I will not force a woman to sleep on the couch." He pushed off the
bed, planning to leave the room and take up his spot on the floor once
again. He wobbled slightly, but managed to keep himself upright. "Move out
of my way," he barked.

"No." Kaya wouldn't have it. As angry as she got at Wirnan at times, she
would not have him suffer so. She drew closer, her hand flat against his
chest as she tried to push him back onto the bed, hoping he was too tired to
withstand her efforts. "You need the sleep more than I do. Besides, I'm
shorter than you. I will fit better."

He was _not_ giving in on this. It was a matter of his upbringing. His
grandparents had always taught him that his own comfort came second to those
around him, _especially_ the women he might meet. He was already shaking his
head no as she spoke. "I will not allow you to sleep out there whilst I am
in here. That's all there is to it!" He might have crossed his arms and
glared down at her if he hadn't been so bone weary and tired.

"You have no choice." Kaya pressed against him with all her might, willing
him to go down. Why was he being so stubborn! The man needed sleep! She'd
had plenty and she could probably sleep better in there than he could!
"Now...LIE DOWN!"

"No," he replied calmly, shaking his head all the while. "I won't sleep in
the bed if you are not afforded the same luxury." Even though he wanted
nothing more than to lay down on that very bed and fall into a blissful
sleep. He was struggling to keep his eyes open even as they spoke. "Get a
blanket," he murmured. "Shove it against my back. Divide the bed in half. I
won't touch you. I promise." All he really wanted was to sleep. "Otherwise
I'll go sleep outside. If that's what it takes to get you to sleep where you
belong." He was _not_ looking forward to following through on _that_
particular promise, but he would if she pushed him.

"Lie down you sharding idiot!" Kaya's voice was raised and she kept pushing
at him. How could someone so tired be so strong? Surely she wasn't _that_
weak, but compared to her, Wirnan was a wall. "You need your sleep. You
can't be a good Steward without sleep! Now lie down on the bed and go to
sleep! I'll be fine!" Why did he care any way? Oh yes, that's right, the
way he was raised. He didn't actually _care_.

"Please," he spoke softly. "I won't sleep well even _in_ the bed if I know
you are sleeping somewhere else." He wanted to cry with fatigue and finally
allowed himself, after much poking and prodding to slip back down on the
bed, though he remained sitting up. His voice cracked, "Please? I don't want
to argue anymore." He looked down at the floor, tired and spent, yet he
fought the urge to sleep. His grandfather would have rapped him over the
head if he'd fallen asleep and allowed a lady to give up her bed for him.
His heart squeezed at the thought of the man he'd grown up to adore. Wirnan
thought he might _actually_ cry in that moment as his fatigue mixed with the
memories.

Kaya sighed. The man was insufferable. And yet...he needed sleep. She
turned and before he could stop her, whisked from the room. And before the
poor, exhausted Steward could get up any energy, any at all, to stand up and
try and go after her, she returned, the linens that had covered the couch in
her arms. She walked around to the other side of the bed and settled them
there, separating her sheets from his, save for the one that covered their
mattress. "There. Happy?"

"Aye," he mumbled, laying down and falling asleep almost instantly.

Last updated on the May 8th 2011

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So Tired