Onyx walked up to his dresser to grab a framed photograph that sat on top. There was a family of three presented in the picture. A man who looked to be in his late twenties with fair skin, shoulder-length blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, brilliant eyes that were a mixture of blue and gray, and a pair of glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. The woman in the picture was more pale with brown eyes that matched her brown hair and she smiled brightly to reveal perfect, white teeth.

The kid in the picture is what caught Onyx’s eyes the most. With pale skin that matched his mother’s and blond hair and blue eyes that matched his father’s, he looked like a mirror image of the two of them combined. He didn’t look to be anything older than five and he looked so happy. His face was smudged with what looked like dirt and his hands and clothing were covered in it but the kid grinned up at his parents as if they were the source of all of his happiness.

“You’re blond, huh?” Onyx asked to break the silence, turning to Day who sat on the edge of his bed and only smiled at him.

“Naturally,” Day nodded. “I didn’t like the way it looked on me so I dyed my hair black.”

Onyx glanced a little closer at the photograph, noticing the arm Day’s father had around his mother and the veins that remained dull. “And your parents aren’t soulmates…”

Day paused and chewed his lower lip before admitting, “no, they weren’t, but they would have been a hell of a lot happier together if they were.”

Onyx stared at Day, trying to figure out exactly what parallel he was trying to make. Was this his subtle way of saying he would be better off with him rather than Alyssa? Onyx couldn’t bring himself to care enough, so he didn’t bother asking.

Or maybe he just didn’t want to hear the answer?

“What’s the story on that?” Onyx asked him after the silence stretched on for long enough.

Day shrugged. “There isn’t really a story. My dad never found his soulmate and neither did my mom. They hit it off, I guess.”

“You said your dad is here… What about your mom? Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“What does that mean?”

Day ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. “It means what I said. She and my dad aren’t together anymore. She moved out a few years ago and I have no idea where. She visits on special occasions and calls me at least once a week, though. She’s not perfect but neither is my dad and I love them both.”

Onyx had to fight the smile pulling at his lips. “Well, isn’t that just fucking sweet.”

“Why are you actually here?” Day asked for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. “I mean… I know you wanted company, but why? What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” Onyx said. “Shouldn’t you be studying or some shit?”

“Technically, I should be sleeping,” said Day with a yawn, “but now that you’re here, sleep doesn’t feel as tempting.”

“I had something I wanted to finish, actually.” Onyx shrugged his bag off from around his shoulder and set it on the ground before kneeling down to rummage through it. 

Day stood up to peer over his shoulder. “What?” 

“It’s a surprise.”

“A surprise for me?”

“Sure,” Onyx shrugged. “It’s the painting you wanted so badly to see. I started it during work so I’m almost finished.”

Day smiled and placed a hand on Onyx’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

Day once again moved to take a seat on his bed. Onyx watched as he grabbed the many papers scattered across his bed and returned his attention to them in order to study. He noticed how Day’s eyes would occasionally flicker up to take a peek at what he was doing but chose to ignore it. Instead, he gathered the necessary art supplies needed with the aim of completing what had been started.

It didn’t take long despite how careful Onyx was with every stroke and every color choice. It even surprised him that he had managed to finish it so quickly, but he supposed that was just how it went.

Time really did fly whenever he was finding joy in whatever he pursued.

Onyx briefly glanced at his phone for the time and couldn’t find it within himself to be concerned at the fact that the time had just surpassed half-past twelve o’clock in the morning. Judging by the soft snores coming from Day, he assumed he’d finally passed out at some point while studying.

Onyx approached Day cautiously for fear of waking him up before glancing down silently at the teen’s resting face. He had fallen asleep with his face pressed into a rather large book he’d been using to study and his mouth was just barely open and a slight trail of drool ran out of the corner of his lips to slightly drench the book’s papers.

“Heathen,” Onyx muttered but couldn’t help the amused grin that crossed his face.

Onyx silently cleaned up around Day and placed his papers and books on the raven’s backpack. He gently nudged the raven until he rolled over with an indecipherable murmur to grab the book from beneath him and set it on the floor beside the bed. Placing his painting on Day’s nightstand, he was fully prepared to grab his bag to make his exit when Day suddenly reached out to grab his arm and squinted pale gray eyes at him.

“You can stay,” Day offered, just barely slurring the words. “You can leave in the morning. It’s too late for you to walk home alone.”

“I can handle myself.” Onyx attempted to peel Day’s hand from around his arm but the raven only held on tighter. Onyx let out an annoyed sigh. “Day, I need to go. I have work in the morning and you have school.”

“I can drive you—”

“No, Day.”

Day sighed, letting his eyes slip shut and relinquishing his grip. “Then let me walk you home, at least.”

“I’ll see you soon.” Onyx crossed the room to grab his things and threw his bag over his shoulder. “Get some sleep. The painting’s on your nightstand.”

With those final words, Onyx exited the house as quickly, but also quietly, as he could. It was a slight letdown returning to his piece of shit home after visiting Day’s, but he pushed those troubling thoughts to the back of his head. 

It wasn’t until he finished his shower and climbed into bed that his breathing finally slowed and he felt entirely at peace.