The first thing Rilon happened upon when he returned to his room was his sleeping brother. He smiled to himself, and reached out to ruffle Asiah’s hair without hesitation. A vague memory flashed in his own mind, but it was so blurry that it couldn’t have been significant.

His brother stirred, swatting his hand away with a groan. “No more… I’m going to die.”

“Asiah.” Rilon set his hand down upon his brother’s shoulder, startling him awake.

“How-how much did you hear?” Asiah rubbed his eyes, which were still rimmed with dark circles. At least he had slept after not doing so for the week Rilon had been out.

Rilon ignored the question. “Good morning.”

“You’re not wearing your-”

“Is me wearing my glasses or not concern you?” Rilon sighed and quickly gathered himself. “I said ‘good morning’.”

“Ah, no need to be rude.” Asiah got up, only to stumble and fall heavily back into the chair. “You’re letting me sleep when we get back… and you’re doing all the paperwork that I never finished.”

“I’ll… I’ll make sure Lear knows that.” Rilon hesitated as he spoke his father’s name. It gave him an uneasy feeling, but he didn’t know what for. He guessed the reason didn’t matter.

Quickly, Rilon went back into his room. He left the door slightly ajar, in case Asiah had anything further to tell him.

“Your clothes are on the dresser.” Asiah called from the hall. “I brought them from your apartment.”

“Oh.” Rilon had not taken notice of them, being too involved in other matters, especially that recent blackout.

He knew Hyde had done something then, if he couldn’t explain it. Yet, he felt that it didn’t matter.

Quickly he got changed, and was just fixing his hair back when Asiah spoke again. “You feel alright?”

“Yeah.” Briefly, Rilon adjusted his glasses. “Is there a reason?”

“Uh…” Asiah began to speak again, but faltered. It must have not been important enough to bring up. “No reason.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be deathly tired?” Rilon crossed his arms.

Asiah didn’t verbally, but sniffed to express his annoyance. Rilon didn’t need to see him to know that he pulled that ‘I lost an argument’ face, a twisted face of irritation when his brother lost even the smallest of arguments.

“Well, I signed you out while you were asleep. The nurses told me that your blood work was normal.”

Couldn’t he have told you this when he talked to you this morning?

“I doubt that he knew.” Rilon whispered back, then raised his voice to ask Asiah, “We’re walking home, aren’t we?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No...no.” Uneasily, Rilon bit back any further words that came to his throat. Unfortunately, around Asiah, he’d have to suck it up and deal with it. Any breakdown would make him look too stupid.

He took in a shuddering breath and stepped into the hallway.

“I’m guessing you don’t approve of what happens next.”

Rilon crossed his arms, swallowing back bile that rose along with the uneasiness in his throat. He nodded, a nonverbal yes to his brother.

It didn’t even take a verbal reply for the brothers to know what was on each other's minds. For Asiah, he knew Rilon was going to visibly protest going outside; for Rilon, he could tell his brother felt exasperated more than anything.

“I’ll at least try, alright, Asi?”

Asiah sent him a worried glance, but after a moment, he nodded with a loud sigh. “Alright.”

After several failed attempts at taking the elevator — mainly at Asiah’s fears of ‘getting stuck’ — they took the stairs… the entire way down.

It turned into a race around the seventh floor, and they made it a full five flights before Asiah nearly tripped and fell down a full flight.

On the second floor, Rilon paused to catch his breath, clutching at the railing.

Peering down, he felt fearless, dauntless, letting out a whoop of joy as it rose in his throat. He didn’t care if anyone heard him.

Asiah’s footsteps descended beside, snatching his attention from the view. He appeared to be more breathless, clutching his side and wheezing through his teeth. He was a sight Rilon could nearly laugh at, but he refrained, instead shaking his head.

“How the fuck do you have more stamina than me?” He, too, clutched at the railing, but for a rest rather than the fearlessness Rilon felt. “You’re locked in your room all day.”

“I don’t know.” Admittedly, Rilon was only half-listening, turning his attention back to the view down the stairs. Asiah followed his gaze, but didn’t speak.

Yet, a few moments later, he did. “We’re probably killing Lear, making him wait like this.”

“Agreed.” Rilon hung back on the railing, staring at the flight above his head. Seconds later, he smiled. “Why not make him wait a bit longer?”

Now engrossed in a silent conversation of glances, the brothers carefully made their way down the remaining flights of stairs. Rilon held in multiple forms of anxiety, anxiety that Asiah had likely noticed more than once.

Quietly — and mainly to himself — Rilon wished that he and his brother didn’t share that silent, telepathic, empathetic bond like most siblings did.

Still, they made it to the hospital’s lobby with no trouble. Asiah bade some passersby a good day as they made their way to the exit.

This is going to be harder than it looks.

Rilon stood in front of the door, completely still. The outside was right there, but he couldn’t just step out with a facade pretending that everything was okay when it wasn’t.

Are you just going to stand there?

Asiah, clearly impatient, pushed the door open; the look he flashed Rilon clearly said “You broke your promise.”

Uneasily, Rilon pulled at the cuffs of his coat. He was very aware of the scene he was making, of the burning eyes staring at him. In all honesty, he’d rather show this than his true self.

His brother stared at him through the door, no, glared at him. He just wanted this over with, Rilon knew that.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. Well, he had promised his brother he would at least try, so he couldn’t break that promise, as Asiah’s gaze had suggested moments earlier.

Forcing down any doubts, Rilon pushed the door open and stepped outside.

Immediately, a feeling of furious nervosity overtook him, forcing him past his brother onto the street.

Everything was so unfamiliar.

Everything was so dark.

He didn’t know his way around.

He didn’t like this feeling.

“This is why I’ve stayed inside.” He broke into a running pace, hearing his brother’s distant protests echo in his ears.

There were so many people. He didn’t know these people. He didn’t like this.

The breath was stolen from him, an overwhelming choking feeling rising in his throat. He still didn’t like this.

At the first chance, Rilon turned down an alleyway to hide. There was no chance he was getting to the Tower at this rate of rising panic.

He forced himself against the alleyway’s wall. His legs felt like thin sticks, breaking under him, falling to the ground. He hid his eyes behind a hand, has mouth behind the other.

He definitely did not like this feeling.

“Rilon.”

Instantly, Rilon’s hand went out to defend himself, although vainly. Another hand caught it, and held it tight.

“I’m here. Ri, it’s me.”

Rilon — still panicking — raised his head. Holding his hand was his brother, confirming whatever thoughts he had. He managed a weak smile, trembling uncontrollably.

“We need to get home… I don’t think… I can manage getting any worse.”

Asiah let out a huff of breath, which Rilon suspected was an attempt at a humorless laugh. “Do you want me to carry you?”

Rilon struggled to get to his feet, but eventually managed. “I think I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Asiah seemed to briefly look him over. “Because you look like you’re about to collapse again.”

“I’m fine.” The statement came out harsher than Rilon had expected it to; from the way Asiah had flinched, it was close to an extreme rebuke for him. “I’m sorry.”

He walked away from Asiah, impatiently muttering to himself.

What’s gotten into me?