I just realized all of my Ducktales fics so far have included Louie not being able to sleep xD whoops
But yeah, this has been in my head since the first episode. Hope you enjoy :)
Louie was frustrated.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep. What frustrated him though was the fact that he was in the coolest bedroom he'd ever seen and he was having trouble sleeping. Of course.
He flicked the lamp on beside his bed and sat up. He surveyed his room, trying to find the reason behind his developing insomnia.
The room Scrooge put him in was larger than the houseboat and coated in a shiny gold cover. That and the fact that the bed was super bouncy was the reason why Louie approved. The room had an everlasting scent of pumpkin spice and apples. It made Louie's stomach growl for apple pie. To his right, a pair of glass windows led onto a balcony, overlooking the backyard.
It was everything he'd been expecting from Scrooge McDuck's mansion: Large, fancy, and quiet.
Louie snapped his fingers. It's too quiet, he realized. On the houseboat, Louie had to share a room with his brothers. He grew up listening to steady snores and rhythmic breathing. Occasionally, Dewey would talk in his sleep.
He slipped out of bed and raced across the floor. The wood was cold on his feet and he shuddered. When he reached for the door, he froze. He couldn't just admit to missing them. Louie was supposed to be the cool, laid back one.
He'd have to come up with an excuse.
Louie crept into the hall and gently shut the door behind him. He tiptoed to the next room over and cracked the door opened. Light poured into the bedroom, highlighting a small figure tucked into the bed.
Dewey glared at the light streaming on his face. He rubbed his eyes and pushed himself up. He squinted, trying to figure out who just interrupted his sleep.
"Dewey," the duck whispered. Dewey rolled to one side of his bed and flicked a lamp on. Louie stood with his hands in his sweatshirt pocket, sheepishly glancing around the room. It was just as big and nice as Louie's decorated in the same style except Dewey's room had a strong vanilla smell.
"Louie?" Dewey yawned. "What're you doing?"
The younger mumbled something under his breath as he pushed the door shut. He turned and walked over to Dewey's bed, pursing his lips. "I realized you owe me five bucks."
Dewey was not amused. He rolled his eyes. "Dude, it's like midnight."
"Yeah, well, I had a dream about it and then I remembered."
"Wow," Dewey snickered, "you can't lie when you're tired."
"Shut up, okay?" Louie scowled. "I can't sleep." He jumped on the bed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Neither can I," Dewey admitted.
"You were asleep when I got here."
"Nah, I was just beginning to doze off."
Louie rubbed his neck. "Oh… Sorry."
"No biggie. Why can't you sleep?"
With a sigh, Louie gazed around the room. "Dunno… This place is weird."
"If by weird you mean totally awesome, then yes." Louie rolled his eyes. Dewey frowned and raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you?"
Louie looked at his feathers. "I miss… The houseboat."
"You do?"
He didn't really. The houseboat was smelly and never quit rocking and always made his head hurt. His brothers knew it too because Louie was constantly popping ibuprofens and complaining.
"No," Louie admitted.
Dewey rolled his eyes. He felt like the conversation was going nowhere. "… Then why'd you wake me up?"
"It's too quiet in my room."
Dewey squinted as he searched his brother's face for more of an explanation. Louie glared in return, cheeks burning. "Don't make me say it, dude."
Then, it clicked. Dewey grinned and threw his arms around Louie. "Oh Lou-Lou, you miss us!"
Louie shoved him away. "Don't call me that."
"Aw, but you're adorable!"
The younger was having regrets. "I should've went to Huey."
Dewey laughed as he released his brother. After pushing himself to safety at the end of the bed, Louie asked, "I'm probably such a dork, right? Can't even sleep in a room by myself."
"Don't beat yourself up. I mean, you are a dork," Louie rolled his eyes, "but it's not so crazy…" Dewey didn't want to admit how many times he accidentally spoke to a brother who wasn't actually there.
"I though I'd like having my own room, but…"
"I get it." Louie looked up at him. Dewey laughed sheepishly and rubbed his neck. "We've never been split up before."
Louie nodded slowly. "I kinda hate it."
"Me too. Kinda."
They stared at each other. Dewey suggested, "Let's go bug Huey."
"Okay!"
•••••
Huey was jolted awake by a loud thud at the end of his bed. He gasped, "Ah! Who's there?!" The only answer he received was laughter near the door. Huey relaxed; he'd recognize that anywhere.
"Dewey?" the oldest spoke to the darkness.
A light shone in Huey's face. "Morning," Dewey replied with a grin.
"Dude, where'd you get a flashlight?" Louie asked from somewhere in the room.
"Oh, it was on the floor. Your room's messy, Huebert. I'm so disappointed."
Huey rolled his eyes. He turned his lamp on and crawled to the end of the bed. Louie sat on the ground, rubbing his ankle as he glared at a discarded backpack. Dewey flicked the flashlight off and put it back where he found it.
"Here's your stupid book," Louie said, holding up the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook.
Dewey snickered. "That's what you tripped over?"
"Shut up, Dewey," Louie groaned.
"Why're you guys up?" Huey asked, swinging his legs over the end of the bed. "It's…" He turned and glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. "… Two in the morning."
Dewey smirked. He walked across the floor and leaned on Huey's leg. "Our baby brother misses us."
"What?" Huey said, looking to Louie.
Louie pushed himself to his feet and huffed. "Fine, fine! I can't sleep because my room's too quiet without my stupid brothers. Happy?"
Huey pressed his lips together as he fought back a smile. He looked at Dewey and Dewey teased, "Adorable, isn't it?"
The youngest groaned. "That's it, I'm leaving." He began to storm out. Huey jumped off the bed and caught his arm before he could reach the door.
"Louie, it's no big deal," Huey laughed. "Sleeping alone didn't feel right to me, either."
"You were sleeping just fine a second ago," Dewey argued.
Huey's cheeks flushed. "I, well… I was really exhausted today. That's why my room's messy. But, it still felt weird. I've never had a bed to myself before."
Dewey slid off the bed and joined his brothers. "I might've, um, kinda, been feeling the same way."
"Well…" Huey glanced at his bed, "if you guys want, you can stay in here. I'm sure that bed is big enough for the three of us."
Louie and Dewey glanced at each other. In unison, they broke out into grins and raced for the bed. Huey spun around and followed them, laughing as he watched his brothers settle under the covers. He crawled in next to Dewey and turned the lamp off.
"Night guys," he said, rolling onto his back.
"Night," his brothers whispered.
They fell asleep peacefully even with the snoring, mild sleep talking, all of it. And they'd never slept better.