✧ sai ✧

Rain patters against the windows, the drops racing each other as they slid down the glass. Fingertips clack quietly against the top of the table, pressure accumulating between the brows as Silas knits them together in thought.

It's quiet..

Too quiet...

He clears his throat to break the silence, breaking his attention on the window to look at the person who was sitting across the table.

Well.. More like at the cushion of the booth behind him... He found it easier to speak to him when he wasn't looking directly at him.

"We haven't played our raindrop race game in quite some years.. Shall we have a go at it again? You know, for old time's sake," the doctor asks, a challenging glint in his honey-dipped eyes.

The other man perks up in his seat, glancing at the window before returning his gaze to Silas. "I'd love to! For old time's sake," he chirps, looking back at the window to find a pair of raindrops. "Ah- Here! I get the one on the right and you get the one on the left!"

Silas quirks a brow and leans in closer, eyeing the two raindrops. "Demanding as always.. Alright, this is how it'll be then!"

The two of them watch the raindrops as they slide down the window glass in unison, no signs of either taking the lead. They were perfectly in sync.

Falling.

Falling..

Falling...

Until the raindrop to the right takes the lead all of a sudden. Silas silently pleads for his own raindrop to catch up, wanting to avoid the younger boasting about the win for the next couple of hours.

The left raindrop speeds up, inching closer and closer to the right one. ..And in the blink of an eye, the one on the right dips into the left, swallowing it whole.

"Uh.. Well that's quite unfortunate... Do we consider this a tie in that case?" Silas looks back up at the other man, eyes fixed on his nose this time.

The younger chuckles and nods his head. "I guess that's only fair! But mine was in the lead for awhile soooo in my head, I won!"

The older male's gaze flickers down to the smile that dances across the raven-haired man's lips, his own lips twitching before mirroring that same expression.

"Why am I not surprised? Taking crumbs as usual, are you?" A breathy laugh falls past the doctor's lips, only to be cut off when a cup of coffee slides across the table and into his line of sight.

He looks up to meet the woman's gaze, picking up on the unease behind the oceans in her eyes. "Ah, thank you very much! Wait.." He pauses, glancing across the table with furrowed brows. "Where is the coffee for him? Surely you didn't forget..? That's not very polite, now is it?"

"It's okay, Silas! I didn't want the coffee that badly anywa-"

"I will have none of that!" Silas slams his fists down on the table, making the coffee cup clatter. The dark liquid spills down the side of the cup and pools around it, kept safe by the tiny plate it was resting on. "You will get this man his drink, do you understand?" He points at the woman, anger flaring across his eyes.

The woman squeaks, nodding her head before rushing away from the table. She better not make an insulting mistake like that again or she'll end up like-

"Silas, don't you think that was a little overboard..? You scared her out of her mind..." The other man cuts through his thoughts, making his brain go blank.

Silas' expression softens, his anger dissipating just as quickly as it had come.

"Perhaps I was a little too harsh.. I am simply just sick of people forgetting your orders! What a cruel world we live in," he sighs, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"It's okay.. I promise! I'm used to it," the younger mutters, reaching his hand out to pet Silas on the head. His fingers were feather-like against his head, gentle like a breeze.

"That's the issue," Silas mumbles, averting his gaze down to his coffee. It was useless to discuss this further.. The other male was just going to brush it off over and over again.

The silence rolls back in like fog after rain. Silas picks up his coffee cup, his nose scrunching when his skin comes into contact with the dark liquid that held onto the side of the glass. He takes a sip, letting the bitterness prickle at his taste buds. It wasn't amazing coffee or anything but it'll have to do. He just needed the caffeine.

Not long after, the waitress comes back over, stiff with every step she took. With shaky hands, she places the cup of coffee on the table in front of the brunette. The younger thanks the woman before she rushes off again.

How rude.. Silas would leave without a tip if it weren't for the other man... He could hear the pleas already, claiming that it wasn't her fault and that she deserved a tip.

The only tip she deserved was the one of a scalpel.

He would keep that to himself though..

The rest of the time that they spent in the café was in silence. A comfortable silence. They basked in each others' presence and that's all they needed. That's all Silas needed.

To look across the table and see the other man sitting right there, relaxed in the booth as he gazed around the café and out the window.. It's all Silas could ask for.

After they finish their coffee, Silas pays and then they both up and leave.

The doctor didn't think to bring an umbrella when he left his house earlier this afternoon. He didn't mind the rain though, as much as he should considering how much of a health freak he is.

The younger didn't mind the rain either.. He never did. When they were little, he used to drag Silas outside every time it would rain, ignoring their parent's pleas to stay inside so as to not risk getting sick.

He wasn't a health freak like Silas or their parents were. He was different. Despite the facts and warnings that were thrown his way, he claimed that he'd be fine.

In fact, he was fine.. All but one time.

Their parents were out for the weekend, on a trip a couple of hours away to a different hospital. There was a cancer patient there that wasn't taking too kindly to the medications that she was being given. Their parents were well known doctors, relied on by many across the country. Hearing of this, despite the woman's old age, they decided to go visit and see what they could do.

There was a thunderstorm that had passed through that weekend.. His brother, being the free spirit that he is, dragged Silas outside to play in the rain.

They'd done this many times before.. Silas was sure that this time would be no different.

But he was wrong.

His brother fell ill that very night. If it weren't for Silas, he could have fallen into critical condition. Luckily though, the older caught it early and quickly went into medical mode.

It was after that that he heeded their parent's warnings, being cautious about going out in the rain and always making sure to properly dress and bring an umbrella.

That wasn't for long though. Bad habits are harder to break just as good habits are harder to keep.

"Are you cold, Tobias?" Silas questions as they walk down the empty sidewalk, passing by shop after shop.

"The answer is the same as always.. Of course, I'm cold," the younger replies, although giggling through it as though it weren't a big deal.

A small smile tugs at the corners of the white-haired man's lips. "What a silly question to have asked.."

"Hey, Silas? Where are we headed? There was a purpose to this trip, right?"

"Of course, of courseee! There's a flower shop about two minutes from here, by foot. That is our next stop," the doctor replies, his voice strung with gentle sorrow. Tobias doesn't question further, choosing to instead hum as a response.

Navigating through the rain, the shop finally comes into view; A little building with a pink and green awning hanging over the front of the store. Silas grabs onto his brother's arm and pulls him inside, smiling at the workers that he knew all too well.

"We weren't sure if you'd come by today considering the weather! Nothing gets in your way though, huh?" The worker at the front of the shop asks, a sympathetic smile pulling at her lips.

"Never. I wouldn't miss this date for the world," he exhales, shaking his head.

"The usual?"

"Of course."

With that, the woman makes her way to the back and starts to get the flowers ready for him. It was a routine at this point. Silas comes in once a month, asks for the same flowers and whoever is working will put it all together for him.

A comforting routine in the middle of the chaos that is his life.

Just like always, he makes his rounds around the cozy shop, looking at the variety of flowers and bouquets. Some of the flowers changed with the seasons, others stayed all year around. No matter what they brought in though, he always got the same thing.

"I'll meet you at the counter!" The woman chirps, pulling him out of his thoughts. With a nod of the head, he makes his way over to the counter. He leaves Tobias to his own devices in the meantime, giving him the time to gaze at the pretty flowers as much as he pleased.

Tobias loved flowers.. Their mother always argued, claiming that they didn't need gardens around the house because they were a waste of time. Tobias thought otherwise though, going as far as to take matters into his own hands. Despite what their mother said, they ended up with gardens.

Gardens that Tobias tended to more than he tended to himself.

Silas pays for the bouquet before it's put into his scarred fingers. He looks down at the arrangement, making sure that it was all correct.

Hot pink roses, carnations, orange Asiatic lilies, yellow spider mums, purple statice and white monte casino.. A colourful bunch, suited for the occasion.

"It's just as beautiful as always. Thank you for your hard work," Silas mutters, sending the florist a genuine smile.

He looks over his shoulder to see Tobias eyeing the sunflowers, his eyes glimmering just as brightly as the soft yellow petals.

"Tobias, we're finished here," the older says, to which he perks up and makes his way back over to him.

The woman's smile shifts into something much more sorrowful. Silas catches the expression out of the corner of his eye, yet doesn't comment on it. Instead, he leads Tobias out of the shop.

Their last stop for the day wasn't too far away; a few streets down, a left and then a right. It was simple. Much more simple than the visit could ever be.

They walk the streets in silence, save for the splash of the puddles with every hop that Tobias did right into the dirty bodies of water.

Silas couldn't find it in him to scold him today.

Fog rolls in ominously as they enter through the black gate, coating the ground in a hazy white. The two of them pass by stone after stone, some littered with flowers while others were covered in moss, not to have been touched in many years.

Neither of them say a word as they walk through. Tobias' puddle jumping at ceased, reduced to quiet pitter patters with every step taking along the concrete path.

"We've arrived," Silas mutters when he stops in front of one of the stones.

"A grave.." Tobias' tone had turned melancholic, dichotomy from the usual cheery tone that his voice held.

"Yes.. The grave of someone dear to me," the doctor sighs, kneeling down in front of it to place down the flowers.

The stone was free of any dirt or moss. It looked as though it was new.

"How long has it been?"

"Fifteen years now. Have you lost track of time, Tobias?"

"I'm afraid that I have," Tobias murmurs, crouching down beside Silas to look at the stone. "You've kept it clean all of this time.. The flowers you picked out are really pretty too."

Silas exhales a shaky breath and brings a hand up to run his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it back and out of his face. "Of course they are.. They're some of your favourites, after all."

"Ah- That's true..! So the grave.. Was keeping it clean for me or was it a selfish action for yourself?"

"That.. Was most definitely a selfish act. I couldn't bear the thought of moss growing across it and covering the name," he chuckles to himself, moreso to make him feel better than anything else.

Silas reaches out and brushes a finger over the name, reading it in his head the way he always did.

Tobias Akamine

2005 - 2025

"You want people to remember my name..?"

"What kind of question is that?! Of course I do! Your name is to live on for as long as I'm alive and breathing."

"...Even though you're the one who killed me?" Tobias' voice is shaky now, as if he still had lungs and required oxygen.

Silas breaks his gaze away from the grave, bringing his honey-dipped eyes to meet his brother's. An unsettling amusement dances behind them, something that nobody but him could ever understand.