This delay simply comes from starting up school again. Sorry for the wait. And I realise that this one is, once again, a Sam and Ken fic, but I just couldn't leave them alone XD

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"Quit twitching, Ken. I can't sleep."

Sam's muted, monotone complain caused Ken to huff. It wasn't like he was trying to move around—the blankets were scratchy and Sam's mattress was so lumpy.

In a fit of madness, their mother had decided that it was that time of year when all of the rooms in their house needed a fresh coat of paint. It was decided that while she slaved away in Ken's room, her youngest would be forced to sleep in the same bed as her eldest; a decision that was not exactly working according to plan.

Sam had the ability to fall asleep on command. Ken, on the other hand, could be heard two hours after he'd gone to bed, going to the bathroom or getting a glass of water. It was also during these times between hopping into bed and slumber that he spent mostly reading books or playing with his action figures. It was seldom a time when he lost conciousness as soon as his head touched the pillow. Now stuck in Sam's room, he didn't have any of his usual activities to occupy him and he was stranded in his brother's room doing nothing while he waited for sleep to overtake his senses.

"For the last time, Ken," Sam's weary, dull voice said from the other side of the bed, "stop moving around."

"But it's hard!" Ken argued. "I can't fall asleep like you do, brother."

"Well, maybe if you'd calm down and quit kicking me in the back, you'd be able to fall asleep."

Ken sighed and curled over, facing his older brother, and tried to do as Sam had said. It was strange not wiggling his toes or shifting around on the bed or yanking the covers this way and that… it was quieter now, the only sound coming from their combined breathing and the mechanical clicks of the air-conditioning kicking on. Ken concentrated on the even patterns his breathing—in and out, in and out, slowly, slowly, slowly—until his mind had relaxed somewhat and his grip on the edge of the covers had loosened up. An owl might have hooted somewhere in the distance, but Ken was way too busy revelling in his new-found peace.

"… Would you please stop breathing on my neck?"

Sam was no longer being patient. He turned over, glaring menacingly in the darkness (where the effect was somewhat muted) at Ken and praying, praying that his little brother would stop bothering him and just go to sleep already.

Ken mumbled under his breath that Sam had ruined everything, but complied and turned to face the wall. They both settled again and normally this would be the part where Ken's legs would start to rub against the sheets and he might lift a hand to scratch an itch on his head. But not tonight; no, Sam would only be angrier if he did anything like that. Giving up, Ken became engrossed on shutting down his brain once more and entering that same calm he'd achieved before he'd been rudely interrupted.

The night wore on in its usual fashion, and eventually they both fell fast asleep on the lumpy, hard mattress with the scratchy, irritating covers wrapped around them. Side by side, the Ichijouji brothers slept.

It's not great, and I could have done more with it, but I'm just happy to finally be throwing something out there.

Reviews are appreciated. Thanks!