Sleep was testing him, that had to be it.

He loved Anon. Truly, he did. But things were starting to get difficult with them.

They’d gotten into a fight. Again. Over the same thing. Sleep.

Anon didn’t believe in Sleep. Which Vessel didn’t like at all. The argument had escalated into a full blown screaming match, and Vessel had to leave before he did something stupid.
The night air was cold and burned his lungs as he breathed, but it was better than sitting inside and listening to Anon disrespect Sleep.
His shoes clicked softly against the sidewalk, hands tucked into his pockets. He was trying to calm down before heading back.
He looked up slightly, sighing. “Sleep,” he spoke to the air. “Is this your way of testing my faith?”

Eventually, he felt calm enough to return home. Retracing his steps, he found himself at the door of their shared home. He took a breath before opening the door, stepping inside.
“Anon?” He called out, locking the door and looking around for his partner. He wanted to apologize - though he didn’t know how much longer he could just say sorry and move on. At some point they’d have to address things.

He didn’t see them in the living room. “Anon,” he called again. There wasn’t an answer.
He was starting to worry.
He checked the kitchen, the bathroom, and the laundry room - they weren’t there.
Finally, he headed upstairs and poked his head into their bedroom. His heart dropped at what he saw.

Anon, sitting on the edge of their bed, bleeding. Hurt. Their head was in their hands and their body trembled.
“Oh, love,” he whispered, stepping inside quickly. He knelt in front of them, taking their hands gently and squeezing them. “What… What happened?” His anger was forgotten for the moment. All he cared about was making sure Anon was okay.