Work Text:
"Are you sure you don't want help."
"No. You put things back in the wrong places and it takes twice as long to fix."
"It's just... You started 'cleaning up' two days ago, and this place is a bigger wreck than when you started."
"I keep finding things that need to be reorganized!"
"Dark. Please. You need to sleep."
"Sleep is for the weak."
"Sleep is for everyone, and especially for you because you haven't slept in two days."
"You can't make me. Goodnight, Cho."
------
They've made multiple good points. All of which I promptly ignore.
Because why is the blueprints box so dusty? It's full of folders, how does the dust get in??
The folders are wrong, too. I think my intention was for them to be alphabetized, but I gave up on that a week in and just started shoving things in at random.
Ten minutes later, I remember why I gave up alphabetizing the blueprints: because it's hard as shit. It requires keeping track of so. many. letters. all at once, and in relation to each other. But I can't stop now because the blueprints are all over the floor.
Funny thing is, the blueprints are still everywhere when I relabel the display shelves. It's like the harder I try to do things, the less gets done.
------
Why is it that I can build an army of hundreds of robots in a week (albeit not a good week, for anyone involved. Not much sleep or hydration or food happens those weeks), but I can't organize a cursors-be-damned room? I know where all the stuff goes. Apparently to the point of 'deliberately ridiculously complicated' (Chosen has been banished from the lab because they mess things up, and is still mad about it).
But I cannot focus on a single task long enough to actually do it. At best, I finish it partially. At worst, I'm halfway across the room before I even realize what I'm doing.
A few hours ago, I made the mistake of thinking energy drinks were a good idea. Now I can barely keep my eyes open. This is not okay! Now Chosen gets to say 'I told you so'!
------
I regain consciousness inside a nest of blankets. Did I bring these in here? I don't think so. I seem to remember vehemently rejecting sleep as horrible awful bad bad no.
"Good two am, Dark."
Shit.
I hear the smugness in their voice before I ever see their face. I decide not to look.
"Do you concede that sleep is necessary and important now?"
No. Screw you. And also thank you for the blankets.
"I promise I didn't ruin anything while you were asleep, but-"
"You moved things. From where I put them. Even though I have told you MULTIPLE TIMES not to do that?"
"All I did was put things in piles. Blueprints there, random parts there, spray paint there."
That's.... Kind of helpful actually. Not that I will admit that. They don't need encouraging.
As a sad facsimile of a thank-you, I throw them a few blankets. It must be cold sitting on the floor for however long they've been there.
I consider getting up to sort through the spare parts pile. I throw my remaining blankets across the room to motivate myself to get up. Chosen watches with fascination. Easy for them, they always remember what they got up to do.
Which was...? Finish organizing the blueprints? In a less pain-in-the-ass way, of course. I decide on dates, that way I can just shove things on top and it won't screw things up.
Somehow, I finish the whole task! Victory!
Chosen snickers. I may or may not have forgotten they were there.
"What?"
"That's not what you wanted to do, remember?"
They point at the abandoned pile of blankets.
Crap. That was my original plan, wasn't it.
"Cursors, how are you still alive?"
Chosen sounds like they can't decide whether to worry or laugh.
"I don't know either."
They laugh.
"Can I help you? Not to organize things, of course. I know how you feel about that. But can I help you remember stuff?"
"I'm listening."
"Like, if you get sidetracked while doing something, I can remind you what the original thing you were doing was. Or if you say 'I'll do that in five minutes', I can make sure you actually do it in five minutes."
"Hmm. Worth a shot."
------
Of course, I end up finishing within the day. The system works better than I thought it would.
I owe Chosen a (real) thank-you and about ten apologies.
I decide on:
"Can I make this up to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've been an asshole to you."
"Yeah?"
"So how do I make up for that?"
"A start would be going to sleep every night."
"Every night?"
"A majority, at least."
"Done."
"Also actually drinking water when I tell you to drink water."
"I do-"
"Then why do you have five custom-LED water bottles designed to mimic normal human water consumption?"
"Okay. Drink water. I can do that."
"One more thing."
"What?"
"Please ask for help when you need it. You love to pretend I don't exist and try to do it yourself, but that sucks for both of us. I think today proves that."
Pile on the guilt, why don't you?
They're right, of course. Unfortunately, they're almost always right, as much as I hate to admit it.
"Fine. Anything else?"
"Donuts?"
------
And so we end up eating donuts on the couch, cocooned in blankets. We're both exhausted, sleep schedules screwed from the past day(s?).
I have made a lot of promises today I don't know if I can keep.
But Chosen looks so, so happy. And I refuse to ever be the reason that ends.
I will do my best. I doubt I will succeed all the time, but I will try.
I tell Chosen this, and they smile even bigger.
They're always right. Maybe that doesn't need to be a problem.