I worked silently cleaning Ash’s wings. Wiping gently with a wet cloth. He seemed fine, until he seemed to start breathing heavy. His shoulders and the wings attached to them starting to quiver.

I could hear his labored breathing from the moment it started.

I quickly turned him to face me. He looked like he was freaking out. I asked “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” He looked at me in amazement.

I just looked back at him with clear concern. He started laughing. Laughing! He was coughing out this completely maniacal laugh.

I began to get worried. He looked at me and between laughs choked out “Pain? You think I’m in pain?! No, I’m not in pain. I’m just thinking about how I can never leave this apartment again, without getting locked up in a lab.”

Then it hit me. How hard this would be for him. How hard his life had to become because of the gorgeous wings sprouting from his back.

I looked at the now clean wings. I realized the color of them. They were the exact same color of a crows. A beautiful black that turned colors in the light, the same colors as his hair.

I kneeled to the height of the small bathroom stool. Looked straight into his silvery eyes. Noticing how the red was flecked in, but not a truly prominent color in the beautiful spheres.

I let my simple brown eyes bore into his. Then said “We will figure something out, I promise”.

He looked near tears. He breathed deeply and straightened his back.

I pulled him close to me. Into a warm embrace. Being careful of his sleek black wings. I pulled away and as I did he mumbled “You are scared of them aren’t you?” I was appalled.

How could I be scared, his wings were amazing. I stuttered out “I’m not afraid, I think they are beautiful”

He looked at me, seeing the sincerity in my watery eyes. He looked near to tears for the compliment. It was the simple truth, the color was the exact same as his hair. I had always loved his hair. I would have loved to run my fingers through it....

I shook off the thought. No time for that right now.

He looked at me with those gorgeous eyes, looking like a scared child. He looked as if he expected his entire life to fall apart. Which I guess to him it probably felt like it already had fallen to pieces.

I cupped the side of his face with my hand and said “Your eyes are gorgeous too.”

He blushed furiously, his face turning tomato red. I was surprised, Ash was not usually the one to blush.

It here he was turned red as a fresh picked strawberry in summer, over a tiny compliment.