Chapter Text
Zak let out a frustrated huff, tossing the blankets back and sitting up against the headboard. This was the third night in a row that he’d struggled to fall asleep. He was tired, and the more he thought about the hours ticking by, the more stressed he became. But every time he closed his eyes, dark and ominous images flashed through his mind, startling him awake again. It was a vicious cycle that left him feeling absolutely exhausted.
He was no stranger to nightmares. It kind of came with the territory of paranormal investigation. But this was different. At least with nightmares he got to sleep, however unrestful it was, it was still sleep. But now he was going on 72 hours of almost no sleep with a lockdown the next night. It was a dangerous combination. He needed to be alert for his own safety and for the safety of the guys. Wandering around pitch black buildings was hazardous enough fully rested. But throw in sleep deprivation and a pissed off spirit, and you’ve really got trouble.
His eyes stung with the lack of sleep and he rubbed at them tiredly. He reached across the bed, grabbing his phone from the nightstand. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t check the time, but at this point he was pretty sure sleep wouldn’t come. At least he could catch up on some emails.
He hit the button, lighting up the screen on his phone. It was a quarter to four. He decided if he wasn’t asleep by 5:30, he’d give up and hit the hotel gym. Maybe it would tire him out enough for a quick nap between breakfast and interviews. At this point, he was desperate for some sleep.
He flipped through his phone, checking his updates on Facebook. He smiled when he came across an update from Nick.
Getting excited about our lockdown tomorrow! This location has a crazy dark history. Lots of reports of spirit activity from credible witnesses. I can’t wait to get in there and see what we can document.
Zak smiled, hitting the ‘like’ button. Nick had been excited about this location for months. He’d spent countless hours researching the location and reaching out to previous owners and employees. Zak had lost track of the late night calls and texts he’d gotten from the younger man, excitement in his voice as he relayed the new information he’d discovered. And when their connection at the location fell through, Zak had pulled every string he could think of to get them access. He couldn’t stand to see Nick so disappointed.
He stared at the screen, smile pulling at his lips as he looked at the younger man’s profile picture. His face was so serious, arms crossed, chest puffed. So different from the Nick Zak knew. Sure, the younger man was tough and fiercely protective when he needed to be. But he had a gentleness to him that he rarely showed on camera. The Nick that Zak knew smiled more than he didn’t. He was like a ray of sun, lighting up Zak’s world whenever he touched it. And he was one of the best friends Zak could have ever asked for.
He clicked on the profile, scrolling through Nick’s pictures. Most of them had been taken on the road; he, Nick and the guys posing stoically in front of every haunted location they’d visited. But a few of them were more candid, some combination of the group laughing or joking around together. These were the pictures Zak loved the most. They reminded him that everything in his life wasn’t dark and gloomy.
He paused as he scrolled past a picture he hadn’t seen before. He clicked on it, enlarging the photo on his screen. It was a picture of him. No one else was in it, it was just Zak leaning on a guardrail, looking out across the ocean. The composition of the photo was beautiful. The way the light hit his body, the care-free expression on his face, it was almost as if the picture had been staged. But it wasn’t. He didn’t remember Nick taking it, but he remembered that day. They’d just wrapped up filming an episode and decided to drive a couple hours out of the way to spend the rest of the day by the water. It had been a particularly grueling investigation, and Zak remembered standing in that spot, looking out at the horizon and reminding himself to be grateful for all he had.
He smiled to himself. That had been a really good day. And somehow, Nick had managed to capture the heart of it in one picture. Zak ‘liked’ the picture before taking a screenshot. He wanted to save it so he could remember that day, and how for a moment, Nick really saw him. His phone buzzed and he jumped as he saw a text from the younger man.
Shouldn’t you be sleeping, Bagans?
Zak smirked to himself. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one having trouble sleeping. He typed out a quick retort, sending it off.
I could ask you the same question. What are you doing up?
He bit his lip as he watched the ellipsis dance on his screen.
Couldn’t sleep. Too excited. Then I heard the Facebook notifications come through. What are you doing awake right now?
Zak debated for a moment. If he told Nick about the dark images that were keeping him awake, he knew the younger man would stay up with him. He’d done it in the past. Talking or texting until Zak was relaxed and tired enough to fall asleep. But he knew it worried Nick to see his friend distressed, and Zak didn’t want to distract from Nick’s excitement. He was looking forward to this lockdown too much for Zak to ruin it for him.
Excited too, I guess.
Zak waited as Nick typed his response.
Well you should try to get some sleep. We got a long night ahead of us and I don’t need you being tired and grumpy.
Zak chuckled to himself. Nick wasn’t wrong. He got pretty grumpy when he was tired, or hungry or hot, for that matter. He smiled to himself as he conceded.
Yeah, okay. You too. Goodnight.
Goodnight Zak.
He looked at the screen as he settled back into the pillows. The glow of the phone washing over his face as he tried to let the brief conversation calm him the way Nick always did.