Insomnia

Summary: Sequel to 'Sleepwalking.' Lucci leaves on a mission and Kaku finds himself left with a unique problem. (Implied JyaburaKaku and LucciKaku)

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters.

Kaku turned over and gazed at the wall. He turned again to look at the ceiling, turned, adjusted the blanket, turned, punched his pillow…

Kaku sighed. There just was no way to get to sleep that night. He'd been this way for awhile. In fact, he'd been this way since Lucci left on that mission. But no, Kaku doesn't dwell on this thought… or at least he tried not to. He can't sleep, so what else was there to do but think? He thought of the previous days' missions, mostly reconnaissance and one assassination—some idiots rebelling in Alabasta, thinking they might be able to snatch some glory for themselves by stirring up trouble. It hadn't really been a job for CP9, but it had merited national attention when they announced their plan to kidnap Princess Vivi.

Kaku had been going stir-crazy, so he immediately volunteered for the mission. It was easy and he was back home in a day.

That wasn't what was bothering him today. He thought about the paper work he completed about those missions. Kaku was always meticulous about his reports and they were returned without even a stray pen mark. As always his work was clear and concise.

Kaku turned again, letting out a deep sigh, if only to create some sound in the room. Sound… it was unnaturally quiet in the room. Something was missing. Kaku's eyebrow twitches in response to this thought. He knew exactly what it was.

Finally fed up, Kaku sat upright in his bed and let out an uncharacteristically low growl. Every night before this he had been kept awake by Lucci coming into his room, as a leopard, and sleeping in his bed. Kaku hadn't noticed, but apparently he had so gotten used to the habit that now he could not sleep without the gentle, deep purring that was Lucci's snores to lull him to sleep. 'That… bastard.' Kaku thought, completely indignant at the thought that he had come to rely on the older man to go to sleep. It was ridiculous! 'Probably did it on purpose. 'That egotistical, high-and-mighty cat.' Losing sleep was slowly but surely making Kaku a more and more irritable person. Now that he knows the cause of his insomnia, Kaku tried even harder to get to sleep, just to prove it wrong.

A sleepy and dark-eyed Kaku walked towards his room that night. These past few days had been utter torture for him. The lack of sleep was starting to show, and he was not pleased and had yet to find a solution. Now, more than ever, he missed his superior and wished he would come back. According to Spandam, however, the mission was due to last at least another week. Kaku had just gotten done with a bunch of paperwork that was not due for a few more weeks, the ultimate goal being to put off sleeping or become exhausted. Kaku groaned and rested his head against his door, almost unwilling to enter the bedroom just to start the process of not sleeping all over again.

"What's the matter with you, Kaku? Missing your stuffed cat?" Kaku's only movement was to pick his head up from the door and then put it back with much, much more force that was necessary. He turned his head and saw Jyabura standing there, his shirt and tie off and slung about his shoulders. There was an empty cup of what probably used to be green tea. He must've been sleeping in his garden before that, Kaku surmised. Grass stains covered his pants and shirt. He was walking around barefoot, which was strange considering the cold weather snap Enies Lobby was experiencing. 'Maybe he really is just very hot-blooded? He still looks sleepy. How can he be so tired looking?'

"Thank you for that completely useless inquiry into my health, lazy wolf. You think of that one in your sleep? On that note, I think I'll go." Kaku muttered absentmindedly. 'I bet that lug sleeps like a rock. Snores too.' Kaku's hand froze on the doorknob and his body went rigid as he was struck by an idea like a bird gets struck by heat lightning. It about had the same effect too. '… I'm going to regret this.' Kaku turned to Jyabura, who looked to have paused midway through a scathing retort upon seeing Kaku tense. Kaku, every neuron in his brain pleading against him, opened his mouth.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?"

There was a long silence during which Jyabura did nothing but stare at Kaku. The cup slowly slid from his fingers, but he was so numb with shock he didn't notice. Kaku did, however, and quickly used 'soru' to catch the falling object before it broke and woke everyone else up. He did catch the cup, but in doing so ended up far closer to the other man than he deemed comfortable. Upon seeing the 18-year old having bowed in front of him, Jyabura let out a yelp and backed away into the wall, spluttering something unintelligible. After a few seconds, Jyabura was finally able to find the words to relay his confusion.

"What the hell Kaku?! Where do you get off springing a question like that on a man? What about Lucci?" At this Jyabura shuddered. "Man, aren't you like 15?" Jyabura let out another shudder and looked decidedly unnerved. Kaku threw him a scathing look.

"You idiot, that's not what I meant. And I'm 18. You're only, what, 29? 30? What I meant was, will you just … keep me company?" Kaku blushed furiously. "Just on the other side of the bed. I just want to see if I can sleep easier that way… with someone else in there… Just until Lucci comes back. Please?" Jyabura was thrown off by the plaintive begging that Kaku slid in at the end. It was very uncharacteristic of the young teen to be so… well, meek, but he guessed that that's what losing sleep could do to a person. Jyabura wriggled his shoulders, as if to shake off a bad feeling or weight.

"I don't know. It isn't right… Besides, I'm just a replacement for Lucci. What would I be getting out of this anyway?" Kaku had a feeling the wolf would ask for something. He thought for awhile.

"I can do your paperwork for this week. Or your laundry," at this he looked pointedly at Jyabura's grass covered pants, "Or something. I don't know, I'll find a way to make it up to you, I promise!" Kaku, rather than looking helpless, was now starting to look irritated. 'I don't think this is worth the humiliation.' He thought firmly. Jyabura was thinking something along the same lines.

"Eh, I don't get that much paperwork… and I can do my own laundry just fine dammit… Well…" Jyabura looked uncomfortable, but a look in his eyes also said he was becoming more open to the idea. "Fine, just for awhile. You don't even know if it'll work anyhow," at this Kaku nodded. "I'll find something for you to do later… Let's get this over with." He nodded his assent. Kaku gave a relieved smile. Thankfully, Kaku wasn't looking directly at Jyabura at the time, for Jyabura's cheeks had gone red at seeing the completely relaxed smile of his younger accomplice.

It had worked. While Jyabura may not have been completely asleep (or at all asleep), his soft breathing was enough to lull the young man to sleep. Kaku had requested that Jyabura transform, so as to lighten up the awkward atmosphere. It also served as a reminder that Jyabura was a replacement for Lucci. Jyabura lay stretched out on his side. His paws rested close to his body. He took up a good deal of space, being much larger than a real wolf, so he'd had to compensate and try to make himself smaller. Occasionally his large, bushy tail thumped against the sheets. While he didn't know it, he was following Lucci's model to a 'T'.

Kaku breath ruffled his fur every once in awhile. It was nice having another body to warm him, but it was still sort of awkward. 'Still,' he thought, 'I guess I could get used to this. It's just like a mutual business transaction.' Or the sharing of body heat between lovers, but he didn't think that. Jyabura watched Kaku sleep and really looked at him. Dark rings circled his eyes. His hair looked unkempt, his face hollow and pale. Yet, despite all this, his expression was, for the first time in two weeks, completely relaxed.

They immediately fell into daily routine. Jyabura and Kaku would wake up in the morning. Jyabura left with an awkward wave, sometimes deigning to mutter a goodbye. They would go about business as usual during the day. At night, Kaku either waited for Jyabura to knock on his door (the only way he was different from Lucci) or Jyabura would be there with Kaku when he went to his room. Jyabura supposed it was some sort of pack mentality that let him accept this routine so easily, once he was over the initial shock.

Lucci's mission was apparently delayed indefinitely, but he was doing fine. He himself had called to say he needed some more time, but he would be on his way back soon. Jyabura felt almost glad that Lucci will be taking his time. Not that he could be bothered to care for that monster-cat anyway, but he almost enjoyed staying with Kaku. It wouldn't last long though.

Once again he lay down staring at the sleeping man. Jyabura feels that, for now, he can be content.

… :D I'm actually kind of happy with this one. There's going to be another. ^^

... It's OOC isn't it. D: I tried to make it just a little OOC, not too much. :