It seemed to take forever for the sun to set. The summer days were warm and long. But the night was peaceful and quiet. Denis fluttered up to Sub's small cottage. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Sub had already gotten out of work, so Denis assumed he was home like he always was after a shift.
He pushed the door open. There was no light in the tiny three room house. Denis went around to find a match to light a candle that was cut from a larger match. He finally found it and lit the stubby little candle on the table.
Sub obviously wasn't in the main room which was used as a kitchen and dining room. So, Denis went over to the bedroom door. He poked his head into the room.
He saw Sub's figure curled up on the round bed with his back facing the door. It made his wings sparkle in the light from the candle. Denis sighed and walked over. Sub didn't move other than slight shaking.
"How are you doing?" Denis asked as he pulled over the chair he'd sat on that morning. Now that he was closer, he could hear Sub's hiccups and sobs. He sat up and turned to his friend sitting in the chair. Tears dripped down his face. He had his dreadlock down. They covered up his watery face. He looked like a mess. He'd changed out of his work uniform though. But it was tossed on the floor instead of hung up or in the hamper.
Denis moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Sub tried to wipe his face that best he could. Denis simply opened up his arms for a hug and Sub quickly took the opportunity.
"Was it that bad?" Denis mumbled. He felt Sub nod as he buried his face into Denis' shoulder.
"Someone's son isn't coming home tonight..because of me," Sub wept. He held Denis tighter. Denis sighed and rested his head against Sub's.
"You did everything you could. I'm sure the family understands that. You have such a difficult job. Stuff like this happens. It's part of life." Sub shook his head and moved back. He tried to wipe away his tears again but it wasn't working.
He hugged his knees to his chest and looked out the window at the night sky. His eyes looked tired. Denis noticed something about him.
His wings' slight green tint slowly faded away. It was replaced by black and his wings drooped more than before. It happened all the time when a fairy was sad. The darker the color, the more upset they are.
Denis held his friend's face and used his thumb to lightly rub his cheek. "I don't understand what you're going through right now, but I'm here to help however I can." He smiled. Sub smiled back and hugged him again.
Denis felt Sub's full weight as he fell asleep in his arms. Denis stayed perfectly still so he didn't wake Sub up, even though it hurt his back a little. He did however move to grab the sleeping cap Alex had made for Sub because he always got angered when his hair was messed up.
The next day, Denis woke up with back cramps, but that was nothing a croissant couldn't fix.
He sat at Sub's table as he watched his friend wander around the kitchen. He eventually came over with a plate and placed it in front of Denis.
"This one will work quickly since it's a simple issue. And lock the door on your way out. I have to go to work." Sub untied his apron. It was made of cloth so it absorbed anything that was splattered on it. Same with Sub's work clothes.
Denis nodded as he wiped crumbs from his face. "Got it, yeah." He took another bite. Sub came over and pulled Denis' shoulders back to make him sit straight. It was a habit of his to hunch forward and a habit for Sub's to fix it.
He left, closing the door behind him. Denis went back to finishing the breakfast Sub had made for him, trying to sit as straight as possible. He heard a soft knock on a window and looked up.
