First chapter. Patty has trouble falling asleep. It was never that big of a deal before, but everything must turn into a big deal with kid around

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.

Patty hated sleeping. More than she hated rude people, and spinach. People talked about it as if it were relaxing and refreshing. But ever since she was little, sleep came difficult for her and her sister. Liz would stay up for hours guarding the both of them while they still lived on the street, gave up any food they got to her first, before finally eating when patty had her full. Never mind the nightmares, the guilt was enough to keep her up for weeks.

There was only one thing she hated more than sleep, and that was beds. They were so god damn soft and promising, but each one let her down, and failed to rock her to sleep the same way mama did. It didn't comfort her in anyway. All it was was a steel trap that kept her at bay for the monsters to come and eat her. She didn't mean the monsters Lizzie is so afraid of, the ones that existed in her own mind, the ones that WERE her own mind.

She had learned a long time ago that doing something kept her mind off of the scary thoughts, kept her form getting mad and screaming at the stupid bed that was failing epically at it's job. If she did that she'd wake Lizzie up, and Lizzie already worked hard enough for her, sleep was the only thing Patty could give back. Most nights she would sit up, petting her Onee-chan's hair and soothing her as the dark circles grew under her eyes. When they had enough stolen money to rent a hotel room, that would lock and keep her sleeping sister safe until she got back, she would go out to clubs, fully capable of protecting herself. Besides, the pair were less noticeable when they were by themselves. The soft thump of the clubs music reverberating against the walls was comforting, like a heart beat, and even though she probably looked like a zombie, dancing limply next to a guy (or was it a girl), she didn't feel so panicked over the fact that she could not sleep.

Then HE Came. The little reaper, he took them in and gave them food enough and a house they didn't have to pay for in stolen money. In a way, a large burden had been taken off of them, but another had been put on. It no longer was a necessity to fight for food and shelter on the streets, but they had to pick up these things called responsibilities. That meant patty couldn't sit up in bed anymore, or she'd be too tired to go on a mission the next day and retrieve souls. She couldn't go out an party at the best clubs even with her sister because the best clubs were always the dangerous ones. He even made Liz stop smoking, which made her crabby right along Patty with her lack of sleep. But no matter how many times the younger blonde screamed in his face, demanding that he get out of her way and let her out or she'd kill him, that same blank and unimpressed look stayed glued to his face.

"Patricia, " He'd being sternly, "You live a different life now, I promised when you became my weapons that I'd watch out for you while you watched out for me in battle. And a reaper always keeps his word."

Finally, one day after she tried to go out, in her nice mid-drift and miniskirt to one of the less dangerous clubs, lost it. Because there was kid standing in front of the door, crossing his arms and forbidding her to go out, along with the usual speech. Forbidding HER, the girl with the freest of spirits that probably existed in this town!

Patty stomped her foot childishly and growled at him, "Patty thought that meant you'd give her food when she was hungry, and give her Onee-chan a place to sleep. Not keep Patty in a cage!"

Kid simply moved un-blinkingly and stared into her face for a moment, "Why didn't you include yourself?"

"Patty doesn't know what you mean." She huffed, glaring at him and backing away, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Kid placed his hands inside his pockets, "You said I gave you food and your sister a place to sleep, but you didn't include yourself.."

"…" Patty didn't like this, he was fishing for something Patty wasn't ready to face.

"Patty…is that why you always want to go out at night?"

"Non of your damn business brat. Patty does what she wants, she's a Thompson sister." His expression didn't change, and it seemed to fix her commandingly to her spot, so she couldn't walk away.

He looked at her, his gold eyes sharp, but faintly sparkling in concern, "Patty, how long has it been since you've slept?"

Patty felt her mouth go dry, she couldn't lie to kid. Liz she could, because Liz wasn't intuitive enough to catch an enigmatic person like her lie. Kid's hawk eye's would take in every little shrot breath that oculd give her away.

So instead of answering, she simply made a noise of disgust and stomped with her cowboy boots back up the stairs. Kid didn't follow, only stared up after her with a concerned and thoughtful expression.

/

It was 1:am, way past the symmetrical time of 11 pm, and patty knew that her Meister had long since gone to bed, along with her sister. She crept down the corridor of the kids mansion and slid downt he banister of the tall stairs to save herself from the creaky steps. She landed with a soft thump onto her knees, and tried not to snicker at how cunning she was, she skipped lightly over to the fornt door, and was just about to turn the skull shaped knob when-

"Eh-he-hem." A voice coughed form behind her. Patty felt herself freeze and the hairs o the back of her neck prick.

She turned slowly, to see a very agitated looking kid in a bathrobe and black slippers, tapping his foot impatiently from his place in the living room. Where he had been patiently reading a book, waiting for her.

For a split second all they did was stare at each other. Next she was ripping the door open, being the impulsive person she was, and trying to make a break for it. He was prepared for this. Of course he was.

Patty felt his strong arms around her waist and yank her back, and heard him close the door quietly behind him and finally squawked when he hoisted her over his shoulder. Kid might have been a shrimp in size, but he was like a shrimp on steroids when he wanted to be, must be the shinigami part of him.

Whatever the case, she knew where he was going to take her as he started ascending the steps in the direction of her room, and she pounded feebly on his back and kicked her legs painfully into his ribs. But again, shinigami, means he's slightly more durable than the normal human. He simply ignored her screams of fury and feeble attempts to get down until he reached her room, and plopped her down on her bed.

His agitation was pushed aside when he saw that patty didn't fall into her bed like most did, like greeting an old friend. The younger of the twin pistols actually looked like a cat that had been dumped into a tub of water, stiffly moving her arms one by one and sitting bolt right up, as if to keep as much of her off the plush cushion.

He knew this needed to be solved. He was quite tired, and he couldn't stop Patty form running herself ragged every night if they didn't get to the bottom of it. He moved slightly, and suddenly the once furious pistol let out a terrified and gut wrenching wail.

Kid jumped and glanced at her worriedly, had he hurt her in some way?

"Don't weave me!"She screamed, and kid could hear Liz's panicked feet thumping down the hallway, until she burst into the room breathless, her hair in disarray after sleep.

"What..in hell..happened?" she asked between gasps, as Patty continued to sob like a five year old being who got her toy taken away.

"You're sister has insomnia Liz! She needs to sleep, I was trying to get her to do that instead of going out, but she-I mean this-I" Kid was not very good at situations lie this, at least when it concerned the ones he cared about. Strangers where standard and could be dealt with in their angst attacks easily, but Patty was a different story, a VERY different story.

Liz froze a the word 'Insomnia' her eyes softened and looked sad. I made Patty wail again.

The elder of the two slowly walked to her sister and hugged her to her chest,

"Patty, why didn't you tell me you were an insomniac?…I don't want you to deal with something like that alone, it can make you really sick."

"P-Patty knows." Patty sniffled, hugging her sister, as kid pulled up her desk chair to sit beside the two as she continued, "Patty knows, but no matter how hard she tries, she never gets sleepy enough to go beddie bye! Patty doesn't like being awake all the time, it doesn't make her feel good, and it makes her yell at Onee-chan and Kid! But She doesn't like the nightmares either, Patty doesn't like being alone in the dark where they can get her. Patty doesn't know what to do!" A fresh round of sobs made kid jump, as he wrung his hands nervously at the sight of her tears. He didn't like it when girls cried, especially if it was a girl he cared for, it made them asymmetrical.

He handed her a handkerchief which she blew into noisily, and he soundlessly tossed the linen into the nearby garbage can.

"Patty, I know this is going to be difficult, but you need to trust me and your sister to help you through this. Talk to us when something is bothering you, instead of waiting to worry about it alone at night. And eventually you'll feel well enough to sleep on your own again.."

Patty sniffled and rubbed her eyes ,which were dark and sleepy, but still afraid, "But Patty's too tired to talk right now."

"Then we will in the morning" the serious young reaper placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "For now, I'm sure your sister wouldn't mind spending the night with you."

Liz nodded, and patty seemed to breath a sigh of relief, her crying finally stopping as she hugged her sister, "thank you Onee-chan."

Kid smiled at the two, and stood form his chair, happy to be able to go to sleep himself again, when he felt something strong clamp onto his wrist. He looked to see Patty pouting at him.

"Kid-kun too!" She demanded, tugging on his arms so he was sent sprawling in between his weapons with an indignant yelp.

Before the boy could stand up, he felt arms wrap around his neck and stomach, Patty's legs wrapping around is so he couldn't even sit up. He blushed heavily in embarrassment at the invasion of his personal space, as Patty snuggled closer to him, and liz chuckled behind him in his ear, hugging him like a pair of children with a toy.

"Unhand me at once." He demanded, squirming in Patty's vice grip. She wasn't a shinigami, but against his weary body already tired form fighting her up the stairs, it was enough to keep him pinned in between them.

Patty sighed contentedly and nuzzled the top of his head, "No, for tonight, kid kun is Onee-chan and Patty's teddy bear."

"I most certainly am not!" the boy snapped impatiently, then Patty shook her head.

"But kid kun is nice and protective of his family like a bear right?"

Kid froze and blinked, blushing in embarrassment, "I..I guess."

"So there you go." Liz said, patting his head, "Just go to sleep you two, we've got a mission tomorrow."

Patty giggled, feeling her eyes droop dangerously, but this time she wasn't scared, and she hugged kid tighter which made him gasp for breath,

"And Kid is cute and cuddly like a baby bear, he's gonna get a good girlfriend someday."

"What? I'm a BABY bear now?"

=^^=, read and review please! Next chapter will come soon.