(No pov)
-Two weeks later-
Wilbur had been acting different ever since that strange criminal mentioned Shift all those weeks ago, he'd been more distant and started to take more patrols and other missions.
No one knew why he had started doing it, but to Wilbur, it was the thought of being too weak to protect his family, his boyfriend, and his city.
After all, wasn't it his job? Shouldn't he be one of the strongest heroes? Was he failing his city? A simple criminal nearly managed to break his voice-changer, was he too weak to even protect himself?
He knew that everyone had noticed his new attitude and slightly different personality- his family had been trying to keep him away from his patrols as well! Wilbur took great offense to that, didn't they want him to be the best that he could be? Didn't they want safety as well? Wilbur could potentially find Shift and everything would be alright again!
It was angering, that's what it was! His family thinking they could keep him from his job, all their attempts weren't any good anyway. It was annoying and angering nonetheless though.
Dream had also sent him quite a few messages saying how his knew attitude was unhealthy and that it was hurting him to see Wilbur like this.
It was all about protection now, wasn't it? It was all about seeing Dream again and finding Shift, wasn't it? Wilbur was going insane, his thoughts confused him and he became obsessed over the idea of safety, happiness, and finding Shift.
I mean- if he spent more time protecting- Gods, he was beginning to hate that word- the city now, Dream should be happy! He could return to Wilbur soon and they would never be apart!
Dream never saw it that way though.
No one did.
Not a single soul.
And it pissed Wilbur off.
_____________________________
Siren stood on the edge of a building, as usual due to his new schedule. He was rarely home now, and even then he was training and researching.
Siren let out a frustrated sigh, everyone was being do annoying, they didn't see the clear facts that if you took more patrols then the city would be safer! Wouldn't that be good?
Granted, his organized sleep schedule had shifted a lot and he was currently surviving off of a shit load of coffee, espressos, and other types of caffeine.
...
Yeah that probably wasn't the healthiest.
Another downside from his absolute genius sleep schedule was that he now had dark eye-bags and had very little patience, you could tell that he hadn't had a good night's rest in days, if not weeks.
It was dark out now. Siren couldn't wait to go home and get the few minutes of rest only to leave the next day, maybe he had time to talk to Dream? Or get actual food?
Siren couldn't remember, he looked up and scanned his vision across the rooftops, a familiar silhouette caught his eye. Siren shook his head before running towards them.
Mellohi stopped once he noticed the approaching hero, he instead just sat on the edge of the building and faced Siren.
Siren stopped on the opposite edge of the building, Mellohi looked up at him and snorted in amusement.
"You look like proper shit, Siren." Mellohi quipped in his crackly voice, Siren narrowed hid eyes at the vigilante as Mellohi went on.
"When was the last time you slept? You look like you could collapse right now king." The vigilante added as he pushed himself to his feet.
"Why does it matter to you?" Siren demanded, Mellohi raised his arms in defense before speaking again.
"Well, if you're a too hero then you should probably be saving people while being awake." He stated and put his arms down, Siren stared at him judgingly.
Mellohi rolled his eyes and tilted his head at the hero, "How are you a top hero when you don't know how to rest?" The vigilante asked in a confused tone.
"I am protecting my city, I don't have time for that." Siren replied, Mellohi scoffed and threw his arms up.
"Oh you're protecting nothing!" Mellohi announced loudly, "You're just blinded with the idea of protecting! There's crime, yes, but it's not major enough for you to be called in!" Mellohi continued as he gestured to the city around them.
Siren glared at Mellohi, "I could arrest you right now." He spat angrily, Mellohi raised his hands defensively again, "Relax! I'm just saying that it's surprising that," he took a deep breath, "The great Siren is neglecting his mental health." Mellohi said dramatically.
Siren glared at the vigilante, "Your treading on thin ice Mellohi." He said warningly, Mellohi stared at him before sighing, "What I'm say is that you should take a break, I've literally seen you out on patrol for the week and a half, and you look more and more tired each time." Mellohi said with a hint of worry, Siren blinked his surprise away, had it really been a week and a half?
"You probably don't know anything about what I'm talking about." Wilbur said instead, "You're just a vigilante." Mellohi flinched back at that statement.
Mellohi sighed and turned away, "Well, hero, if you're going to keep insulting me, I should leave." Mellohi spat out the word 'hero' as if it was rotten and gross. "Your patrol has ended anyway." He added.
Siren rolled his eyes, "Go do that. I'll be going home then, and then after that maybe I'll protect my city legally." Siren snapped, Mellohi visibly flinched at the. Siren didn't know why he was so mad- Mellohi was right anyway, he really did need a break-
NO, his city needed protecting and he was doing it! Some dumb vigilante was not qualified to be lecturing him about his sleep schedule! It's disgusting of him to even slightly believe what Mellohi had said.
Siren turned away swiftly and walked off- he could feel Mellohi's eyes following him as he jumped from roof to roof back to his house.
-Forty five minutes later-
Wilbur walked up to the front door and stepped inside his home, he didn't announce that he was finally home, he just quietly took of his shoes and voice-changer.
He then headed to his room, he heard someone go to the front door, but he didn't get to see who it was.
Wilbur then locked himself in his room and set his phone on his nightstand before changing into his regular clothes, he relaxed his wings as he sat on his bed and took a deep breath before a familiar notification sound caught his attention.
Wilbur reached for a phone and picked it up, the screen lit up brightly, earning a hiss from Wilbur as he turned the screen brightness down.
It was a text message from Dream, Wilbur discovered. Wilbur quickly opened the message to reply.
Dream :)
____________________________
Wilbur.
11:49
I've been informed by other
heroes that you haven't been
taking care of yourself.
11:49
Dream I'm fine
11:49
Stop worrying about me
11:49
I will never stop worrying
about you.
11:49
Dream, I'm fine.
11:50
No you aren't, Sapnap says
that you look like you haven't
slept in weeks.
11:51
Dream, I can promise you
that I'm fine.
11:51
Wilbur this isn't healthy!
Your personality is changing
completely!
11:52
No it hasn't, what are you
talking about?
11:52
Wilbur look at the messages
you've sent me from two weeks
ago, and then look at the ones
sending me now.
11:53
There's a clear difference...
11:53
Dream I'm trying to help
keep this city safe.
11:54
I don't have time for this
nonsense, it's a waste of
time and I should be out on
patrol.
11:54
____________________________
"Shit." Wilbur whispered to himself after he clicked send, he tensed at ran a hand through his hair, nervous to see how Dream was going to respond.
The three dots appeared, disappeared, and reappeared numerous times. Wilbur's worry grew each time they reappeared, it went on for what Wilbur thought was hours.
____________________________
Wilbur what the actual fuck.
12:09
Do you really not have time
to talk to me but you have
time to call me worthless?
12:09
Dream that's not
what I meant
12:09
Really? Cause it sure seemed
like you meant it.
12:10
You haven't replied to any of my
texts in days! I know you're
stressed but you're ignoring me
and it hurts to hear about what
you're doing to yourself.
12:11
Dream I'm sorry, I've just
been... busy lately.
12:10
Sapnap told me that he heard
Angel and Ares saying that your
depriving yourself of sleep and
that they haven't seen you eat.
12:11
I'm speaking from past experience
of having to do that, you need
to stop Wilbur, please.
12:12
If I go to sleep then I'll miss
my shifts, I can't do that
Dream!
12:13
I need to be out on patrol for
as long as possible as well!
12:13
If there's something
bothering you, please tell
me Wil, you're not thinking
right.
12:14
Dream, nothing's going on.
12:14
You're saying insults and
then saying you didn't mean
it. Something's going on.
12:15
Dream I'm sorry, but it's
nothing!
12:15
Talk to me again when you're
ready to say what's wrong, I
know you're lying. Love you.
12:19
Dream it's nothing, I
promise.
12:19
Dream please reply
12:20
I'm sorry
12:21
Are you there?
12:22
Please reply
12:23
Dream?
12:24
Love?
Read 12:25
____________________________
Wilbur began to frantically text Dream, he was panicking and full of the anxiety that Dream was going to leave him- but Dream would never do that, they loved each other a lot! Right?
Right?
Wilbur didn't realize the tears that were spilling from his eyes until one hit his phone screen, his hands shook and more tears rolled down his face.
Dream wasn't going to leave him! He said that he loved Wilbur! Gods Wilbur was rude to him! He had every right to be mad!
Wilbur began to type out frantic apologies to Dream, all of them were left unanswered as quiet sobs tore through Wilbur's throat.
Wilbur turned off his phone and wiped his tears away with his sleeve, he put his phone on his nightstand as the tears continued to fall from his eyes.
He regret what he'd said to Dream, he really was a shitty person, wasn't he? Wilbur hoped that Dream was okay. He really should've been more considerate to his boyfriend's worry.
Wilbur picked up one of his fluffy blankets and brought it over to his computer- perhaps research could distract him from his feelings.
It helped, somewhat.
The only downside is that Wilbur stayed up all night researching all the current criminals and unsolved crimes in the city, he occasionally looked over at his phone to see if Dream had replied yet.
He didn't.
And when Wilbur saw that, he would start silently crying again.
His heart was slowly cracking. He wanted to listen to Dream and go to sleep, but if he did than he wouldn't research anything at all!
So Wilbur never went to sleep, he stared at the too-bright computer screen as his eyes threatened to close, but the second he could feel his eyes droop, he would jolt back up and continue typing.
Hours passed and soon the sound of continuous typing was the only thing heard in the dark and quiet house, Wilbur's family had gotten used to it at this point, but it didn't stop their endless concern.
Soon the sky started brightening, little by little, as the moon slowly crawled down the sky and behind the tall, distant buildings.
Wilbur's brain couldn't take the sleepless night anymore. His eyes became heavier and heavier by the second, until he couldn't help but give into the welcoming darkness of sleep.
The last coherent thought he had as the sun rose was cancel his patrol that he had later that day, his head hit his desk after he hit send, and he was out like a light.
(2053 words)