Sleepless✎

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ILARIA SLOPPILY BUT QUIETLY JUMPED OUT OF HER WINDOW. It was unnecessary she could've easily used the door, her mother was already knocked out and that woman was a dead sleeper. Truth is, she enjoyed the dramatics.

She patted herself down and quietly ran over to the car waiting across the street for her, when she got in Kai was looking at her amused "that was real smooth."

"shut up" she rolled her eyes at him but still smiled in the dark "can we get going? We don't have much time I have to be back before my mothers morning shift starts."

Kai started the car up "yes agent" and then it was just the two of them, off to Kais house since Ilaria's mom, being strict as she is would have a annerism if she ever saw Ilaria with a boy.

When they finally arrived at his house, Ilaria had all but gawked at how big it is.

"this is your house?" she asked, craning her neck "I thought your parents abandoned you" she said and immediately cringed at herself.

Kai shrugged with a small laugh, tossed his keys in the air and said "well, that doesn't mean they left me without a trust. What scandal that would be" he shook his head, amusement glinting in his eyes.

Ilaria grinned, grateful he never made things awkward. She mentally took notes to do this whole partner thing better, she didn't want to be invasive but she'd just been caught a little off guard.

"come on" Kai gave her a push with his shoulder and Ilaria, still slightly in a daze followed him inside.

although the house was beautiful, she couldn't help but think that it must be so lonely living in house this huge, now with his cousin gone.

How does he bare sleeping here, with ghosts and skeletons in every corner of this house. It seemed strange that he chose to stay but who was she to judge how he copes anyway.

She followed Kai up elaborate steps, looking around - careful not to trip and fall, she would certainly die if she tumbled down the staircase.

Kais room was on the very last floor of the house, Ilaria couldn't fathom why he would choose to make that long trip up the stairs everyday but alas, he seemed to be just fine.

He pushed the door open and gestured her in. To him, it felt like how it would feel if a complete stranger read your diary.

And then he remembered not everyone reads things as he does. The bookshelfs lining his walls and stacked high up on his floor, in neat arranged files could tell a person like him that he had no control on his life, so his belongings are always completely in order.

Ilaria swirled around "that's alot of books"

Kai scratched the back of his neck "yeah, I kind of read anything I can get my hands on. Have since I was little"

Ilaria nodded, still fascinated - she'd expected his room to be atleast a little messy, as all teenage boys rooms normally were.

"okay, agent - tell me what you've got" He said, throwing himself on his bed and balancing on his elbows.

Ilaria began pacing, a habit she had when her mind was working too fast " he goes for smart girls, like Ivy league bound type smart." she counted on her fingers "he strangles them. Takes them in pairs, 6 months apart"

"so he's not a sadist" Kai cut in and looked apologetic immediately "sorry, I shouldn't interrupt"

"its okay, we're a team now pretty boy" she grinned back at him and nodded to his previous question "no, not a sadist. He clearly has control a sadist wouldn't"

"strangling is pretty personal, he's inserting dominance" Kai offered "even more so if he's doing it with his bare hands which I highly doubt that."

"he's also a classic misogynist" Kai scratched the side of his jaw "asshole can't handle a woman smarter than him."

Ilaria blew out a breathe, ran a frustrated hand through her hair "I don't know why I have so little information - it's been 8 months. I could've gone through kennas things, I could've got her sister to get things out of evidence" her eyes pricked with tears, upset with herself.

"hey, you're grieving her. She was your bestfriend, all things take time."

Ilaria sunk down on the bed too "I guess, I thought the longer I delayed it then I could still feel like she wasn't really gone." she stared down at the converse on her feet "but I think I need to do it now."

Kai tilted his head, just listening to her, a sad frown on his face.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while when Ilaria perked up "we should break into the morgue!"

"Ilaria, what -" Kai began, his eyes furrowed and he shook his head "that's illegal."

"it's also fun" Ilaria gave him a mischievous smile.

"I am not breaking into the morgue, why do you want to do that anyway?" he asked, exasperated.

"it would give us better insight to this guy and more information, like if they were tortured or not -"

"Ilaria, no." Kai deadpanned "my cousin has a friend working there, I could just ask her for the files." his face had fell when he caught on exactly what he said and Ilaria tried not to look too sympathetic, she wasn't sure he wanted her pity. She also caught his use of the word "has" not had.

"no funnnnn" Ilaria pouted and Kai raised his eyebrows, she sighed "fine, pretty boy. But you owe me for robbing me of that opportunity."

Kai shook his head with a chuckle "you're crazy, insane, cukoo" he said tapping her forehead.

"I warned you" she shrugged in return both of them bursting into laughter.

"okay, so you get those files for us pretty boy and I'll go through Kennas stuff tomorrow?" she said to him and he nodded with a salute "yes, agent"

Hope grew in her chest because although things were going slowly, she realized that - that did not mean nothing was happening at all.

And she found, working with Kai wasn't all that bad - it was better than doing everything alone for certain.

She quite enjoyed his company and that says something considering she barely tolerated people at all.

The two sat side by side for the rest of the night, on Kais carpeted floor, taking down notes, cracking jokes, drinking way too many cups of coffee for it to be healthy and finally decided it was time to wrap things up considering it was 4am in the morning.