Sebastian hurriedly walked down the pavement. He was dripping wet, and he didn't need another reason for people to stare at him.

He still couldn't believe that he talked to her. For the first time in so many years. And then it dawned on him that he had no idea how to keep talking to her.

He felt like a teenager looking for an excuse to talk to his crush. He knew just the person who could help him with that.

He called Mackie on his phone, "I need you here right now."

"Hello, Anthony, how are you?
Why yes, Sebastian, I'm good and what about you?" His friend replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah, all that. Just be here in 10"

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything's more than okay," he smiled.

✵

Sebastian was about to strip down and step into the shower when he heard a knock.

"Of course, he chose to be early today," he remarked.

✵

Anthony was on his phone when Sebastian opened the door. On the sight of his friend, he erupted into a fit of laughter.

Sebastian looked at his friend with a confused look on his face.

"What is that? Did you decide to take a coffee shower?" Anthony asked in between his snickers.

"Yeah, very funny."

"I'm not complaining. At least you're out of your bed today."

Sebastian beamed at him.

"Someone's in a good mood. Did something happen last night?" Anthony raised his eyebrows.

"Grow up, man."

"Something did happen, huh?" Anthony was not ready to let that go.

"No!" he yelled, "I met Rayne." the last phrase was almost inaudible.

"You met her, as in you went to see her, in whatever you call a disguise, stayed for a good 30 minutes, just randomly staring at strangers in the hospital, probably thinking some shit like, 'at least I'm not in the hospital to see the doctor, I'm just here to see the doctor,' and you called me here to tell me this?" Anthony finished in a single breath.

Sebastian wore a puzzled look on his face, trying hard to comprehend whatever Mackie just said.

"No, you idiot. I met her, as in I actually talked to her," he sounded defensive.

Anthony turned to face Sebastian.

"You talked to her?"

"Sure did," he grinned.

"Took you long enough," Anthony smirked, when he saw Sebastian smiling wide, he continued, "Whoa, I can almost see your 32 teeth, can you, like, try not to scare me or something ?"

"Stop making fun of me and get ready, we've got some work to do."

"Get ready? You're one to talk. I'm not the one who's drenched in coffee."

"Fine, I'll be back in 10 minutes," with that Sebastian disappeared.

✵

"Now show me your hand."

Without another word Anthony extended his arm, only to be smacked by Sebastian.

"Owh! What the hell, Seb, have you lost your mind?"

"We're just hurting you ever so slightly, so that we could go to the hospital."

"What? Why? Why would I intentionally hurt myself?"

"So that we could go to the hospital," Sebastian sounded like a 5 year old.

"Okay, let's ditch your teenage mindset and think like two capable adults, yeah?"

Sebastian leaned on the bookshelf, giving up.

He had no good reason to go and see her.

"I should see her again," he whined.

"You will," Anthony tried to be supportive. But there's only so much you can do for a 5 year old in an adult man's body.

"Not if I don't go. In order to go, I need a reason"

"Looking at you right now, one would think you're some astrophysicist, you have such concentration on your face," Anthony tried to make him laugh.

"Oh, you don't understand, I need to see her," he grunted.

"Jeez, let me think for a minute," Anthony stared at a distance, "You know her favourite coffee place, right? Just go there."

"What if she spots me and thinks I'm a stalker or something?"

"Seb, she hasn't spotted you in 10 years. You have a pretty good chance, I'd say."

Sebastian glared at him, not saying anything.

"What?" Anthony laughed, "Either you're way too good at camouflage or that girl's dumb as hell."

"She's not dumb, she's a doctor, a surgeon, Mackie," Sebastian stated proudly.

"Don't get so ahead of yourself."

"And, good luck," Anthony added.

As he was about to exit the door, Anthony looked at Sebastian.

"What?" Sebastian questioned his friend.

"Take another shower, you reek of coffee"

✵