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"Alright, we've arrived. Hey, Kyryll! Wake up, idiot."
Kyryll had dozed off in the passenger seat and when he is rudely awoken by Illuga shaking his arm, he finds himself looking over a valley dotted with broken-down wooden houses. So that's what Illuga was talking about earlier.
"Kyryll? Come on dude, we have setting up to do. I'd prefer if we were done by sunset, so hurry it up."
"Mhm…", Kyryll stretches as best he can in the cramped car seat, then gets out to trail behind Illuga to the trunk.
"Alright, Sir Flins, we shall now commence the operation. You do remember what I told you about the location, right?" Illuga unpacks their equipment while Kyryll pulls out a can of coke from their cooler and cracks it open.
"Of course", he clears his throat and takes a sip. "The ghost village of Pakakos, abandoned. It is said to have been haunted by a vengeful spirit a hundred years ago, leading to the eradication of its inhabitants."
"Yeah, you're on the money so far… continue."
"A few of them fled to nearby settlements, leading to this story to survive until the present day. Although…", Kyryll chuckles, "My home village is older than this entire country, I've seen old, and this isn't really… Well," he leans to Illuga's ear and lowers his voice, "want me to tell you of the ghost stories we have at home?"
Illuga pushes him away, "Not the time, man! Jeez, these houses give me the creeps!"
A gust of freezing cold air blows through the trees, and Illuga clutches his arms in a shiver. Kyryll covers his frame with his own dark coat immediately.
"Hey, what are you doing? You‘ll be cold, Flins."
"Please, Illuga. Do not concern yourself with my comfort, for I am quite sturdy. I have endured far harsher conditions in less clothing."
"Are you not taking this seriously? Real paranormal investigators don't use their first names, Sir Flins! Were you not paying attention to my explanation earlier?", Illuga accuses while pulling the coat closer around his shivering shoulders.
"Hmm… well, since you're leading the investigation, should I call you master? But I'm your senior… young master it is, then."
"Stop messing around, Flins", Illuga hands Kyryll a thermal camera to attach to a wall higher up. "I've staked out the prime locations for cameras, and you'll help me put them up."
"Why, of course, young master."
Once their work is done for the day, they return to headquarters, Illuga's old van. It's a bit of a tight fit to sleep in, but this is nothing Illuga and Kyryll haven't done before. Although their previous times were in the summer and not the crispy spring, on a night where the temperatures dropped quite low rather unexpectedly.
After work well done, the boys soothe their empty stomachs with the sandwiches they prepared before heading off earlier that afternoon. Now fed, they settle down to sleep across the backseats, with the backrest tilted back to allow for more space.
The cold is still giving Illuga trouble. He had packed a thick blanket as a precaution, but he ends up needing the blanket, their jackets on top of it and Kyryll‘s arms around him to stop shivering. (This is why you always pack a friend to go ghost hunting camping with you.)
"Young master, are you comfortable? Should I ask the housekeeper to fire on the stove?"
"K-Kyryll, please…"
Below starry (and some would say: haunted) skies, two friends drift off into a dreamless sleep, together.
Kyryll wakes to the sun hitting his eyes. It must've taken pity on his poor companion and warmed the car to allow for a comfortable morning. Speaking of comfort, their blanket settled on top of them and Illuga's arms around him come with a considerable weight, grounding Kyryll in place. Illuga's gentle breathing fans across the skin of his neck, almost unnoticeably so. He must still be asleep, then. Kyryll allows himself to indulge in a little caressing of his hair, he doesn't often get the opportunity of having an unconscious Illuga in his arms.
"Wah?", Kyryll startles at suddenly being rolled over and pulled on his side by Illuga's arms around his torso. Despite his size, the guy has some serious force, even in sleep, apparently. Illuga shuffles more, groggily coming to, and lets out a little hum before burying himself in Kyryll's chest once again. Kyryll can't help but chuckle.
"Good morning, my dear."
"Mmh…" Illuga shuffles, but doesn't seem to want to wake yet. Kyryll resumes his hand's movement in Illuga's hair. Illuga inhales and rubs his arms across Kyryll's back. "Thank you for coming on this trip with me, Kyryll. I hope you don't find it too boring…"
"As long as I can spend time with you, I am content. You know that."
Illuga preens under Kyryll's touch. "Aww man, you're such a good friend…" Kyryll's heart falls a little at the term. "The best one I've had", Illuga yawns.
Kyryll hums, his fingers falling from the other‘s head. "You're precious to me as well, Illuga."
Illuga sighs into Kyryll‘s chest, "I'm glad… hmm, why‘d you stop?" Illuga sounds pouty.
"Hmm?"
"Your hand in my hair. It was nice", Illuga admits.
"Haha, a very demanding young master, I see. Very well, your wish is my command, as it always is." Kyryll continues scratching the pads of his fingers across Illuga's scalp in circular motions. He likes it best that way, Kyryll had learned.
Illuga's grip on Kyryll's turtleneck sweater tightens, his breathing growing more sporadic. When Kyryll scratches a spot in Illuga's nape he whines out a little "Right there…mmh…" into the non-existent space between them. Kyryll's heart can't take this, although he'll be damned if he doesn't abuse his new tactic of coaxing adorable noises out of his little nightingale right then and there.
Before they can lose themselves in the throes of scalp massage-induced pleasure, they get rudely interrupted by an alarm clock Illuga had brought to make sure they get up in time to retrieve their cameras and return home before lunch.
Illuga grumbles and rolls out of the embrace. "Who set this alarm?", he says groggily while fumbling to turn it off.
Free of his clingy bed-partner, Kyryll sits up to stretch his long limbs. After a night of indulging in his friend's sleeping positions, a tall guy like him ends up quite sore. Kyryll doesn't mind it, though. He yawns. "You did."
After eating a humble breakfast (consisting of packaged snacks) and washing up at a stream lower in the valley, they retrace their steps from last evening, picking their equipment back up. The time to review the footage will come later, after they transfer the data into Illuga's computer at home.
"I'm not sure wether I should hope we caught something, or hope we didn't…"
"Getting cold feet now, young master? I had been under the impression you were set on finding and proving the existence of something supernatural, or was I wrong?" Kyryll trails behind him, diligently carrying the thermal cameras and whatever else Illuga hands him.
"You know what I mean, Sir Flins."
"So, you are scared, I see."
Illuga glares at him, although the effect it has is slightly dimmed by how absolutely adorable he looks from Kyryll's height, all furrowed brows and pouty lips. What doesn't help is a strand of hair sticking up from Illuga's usually dashing hairstyle, probably owing to them lacking a bathroom for proper styling this morning. The car's mirrors are unfortunately not very reliable for getting ready.
Kyryll reaches for the offending strand, and brushes it down. A few months ago, he would have resisted this urge to touch his dear friend, out of fear of being perceived as rude, crossing a line. Until he learned through gradual exposure that Illuga actually never rejects his advances — welcomes them, even.
Just like earlier, when they woke up, Illuga often enough expresses delight at Kyryll's rather touchy habits to make him doubt his hesitance. Casual caresses, parting hugs, a wordless hand-holding on Illuga's bed while they watch sappy movies. They never speak about it. A silent agreement to touch and be touched, Kyryll can't say he minds it. Rather that he takes and takes instead of jumping ship and potentially ruining their dynamic.
The moment is broken by Illuga turning away and walking toward the car. "Alright, we've got everything."
Once everything is stowed away securely, Kyryll settles in the passenger seat to pull out their map to navigate home. He sees Illuga throw another glance towards their site of investigation before they drive off toward the rising sun.