Alex could slapped himself for saying those words to Henry. The truth was, he never had his conjugal visits like he used too anymore after he met Henry. The last one was on New Years and he was interrupted by Henry himself.

But nowadays the idea of being with someone causing nausea filled in his stomach. The idea of kissing someone other than Henry is sickening him and the image of Henry kissing someone other than him is even revolting. He can't bear the thought of someone else is holding Henry affectionately or the thought of Henry looking at someone so dearly made his stomach churned.

But never in his life he would have to swallow the ache in his chest when he witnessed the look on Henry's face after Alex blurted out his lothario lifestyle. He knew Henry is aware about his past or his crazy lifestyle and his obsession in finding his sister. But it also confuses him why Henry reacted such way after he had heard him.

But he respects Henry's wishes for not taking whatever it is between them further. If Henry chose, Alex respected it as he wishes it.

Alex showed up the next morning to Nora's shop expecting Henry's usual smile greeted him but he never expects Henry's lowered gaze hiding his hazel eyes from looking directly at Alex and not his usual morning sweet soft voice wishing him. He was greeted by him with silence and tight lipped carrying the tray like his life depends on it passing Alex's side like he doesn't even exist.

"So no good morning too?" Alex chirped thinking it would create some light easing some tension between them. But Henry still keeping his gaze forward at the buns in the trays as he loading it graciously. "Morning." He says almost a whisper without turning his back around. Alex frowned at his sudden coldness but as he was about to say something else, Nora pulls him back.

"Don't." She shake her head at him. Alex clearly see she meant Henry and not to disturb him but he wonders why she stopped him from talking to Henry.

She pulled him towards the back room leaving Henry alone filling up the trays in silence when Alex finally bombed her with questions.

"What the fuck? Did something happened?" He asks her as if last night never happened. Alex figures she doesn't know what happened or the conversation he had with Henry so she won't look at him like he's to be blamed.

"All I know is that he told me this morning to keep you away from him from now on. I don't ask why and I think I don't want to know why either." Nora whispered with her head tilted to face Alex still craning his neck to see Henry still had his back turned focusing on his task in hands.

"I fucked up." He whispered but Nora raised her palm at him. "You don't have to explain yourself Alex." Nora says lowering her palm on her side before Alex turned his gaze back at her. "Give him space. He'll come around." Nora squeezed his arms letting him know how much it meant to Alex that she is there to support him and Henry.

Alex obeyed, although it hurts him deeply the one person he tries not too think about somehow lingers like a shadow that keep chasing him. He tried to forget Henry since the day they met, occupying himself in finding June and focusing only on finding her but somehow Henry opened up a whole new side of him that he never knew existed.

The part of him that he had shut down years ago with no intention of pulling it back. The part where he opened his heart out for someone in hope he would get the same love returned. But with Henry, he never needed him to return this feelings for him, he just needed him to understand that he is there to help him from whatever hell he crawled his way out from. He knew somehow, deep down, Henry knew too.

He sighed lowering his tense shoulder when Nora gave him his coffee and his bag of usual pastries that Henry used to wrap it up for him each morning with a little of small message hidden inside the folds that Alex had grew to like them no matter how small he tried to hide it.

Sometimes, it was just a smiley face or a occasionally 'have a good day' or 'can't wait to see you tonight' message that would make Alex's heart bloomed the whole day waiting to see him again.

But as soon as Nora handed him the paper bag, he unfolds it with his fingers to see the empty clear package with no cursive handwriting hidden underneath it. His breath hitched, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat as he turned to head out of her store without glancing back at Henry still facing the trays in front of him.

.

The door slammed shut ringing the bell above, as Alex leaves in hurry and Henry finally turned his head to the large glass window to see Alex jumped into the car and his driver drove away seconds later. He exhaled a breath of relief knowing he doesn't have to face him or his handsome face that Henry would one day had to live the fact that Alex deserves someone better than emotionally damaged person as him.

The days goes by as usual. Henry minding his own business whenever Alex stopped by to see Nora, chatting alone at the back without even acknowledging Henry in the shop like how it was before he even show up in their lives.

Henry began to feel the coldness that Alex gave him due to his own fault. He never catches Alex staring back at him anymore or admiring everything that Alex does, including putting on his expensive suits and complimenting Alex for how good he looks and he will say the same thing he said to him, "Looks better on you." The winked, the smile, Henry misses it all and sometimes in his dreams, he could see him smiling back at Henry like he used too. But nowadays, all Henry sees is blunt stares like he's just a fly on the wall. It hurts him the most when Alex walked passes him like he's some stranger that he doesn't know and refused to at least look at him.

"Would you please tell me what's wrong Henry? What happened between you and Alex?" Nora asks one day during lunch after almost eight days of seeing her best friend acting cold towards her other friend that days ago couldn't help keeping themselves off from kissing each other.

"He deserves someone better Nora. I'm not that person." Henry whispered hiding the break in his voice with a cough. Nora frowned edging closer to his side as they had lunch on the back room while Emily mending the counter alone. Jacob had stopped doing shifts at Nora's shop nowadays since he had exams and too much assignments to finish.

"Why would you say something like that?" Nora asks and Henry sighed poking on the noodle she ordered for him.

"I can't give him what he wanted Nora. I can't move beyond kissing him without thinking on the past. I'm fucked up." Henry's head low with his shoulder slumped staring at the steamy brown noodle in the white package in front of him.

"Do you love him?" She asks causing Henry to shot his head abruptly at her. "What? No!"
Henry shot her question down but somehow she smiled back at him. "You do!" She chirped happily but Henry scoffed shaking his head at her.

"Don't be ridiculous Nora!" Henry stood leaving his meal untouched before grabbing the apron and tied it around his waist. He can see Nora still sat on her seat bending her elbow over the metal table with that smile on her face.

"There is nothing to be afraid of Henry. Love is not that complicated. Only you are the one making it complicated." She says.

"My life is complicated enough with or without love Nora. It's better this way." Henry says before he went back to counter to help relieved Emily for her break.

Nora sighed rubbing her temple with her manicured fingers before pulling out her phone out to text Alex.

"No luck. He seems confirmed about staying away from you." Nora typed. It took her seconds to see the bubbles popping up underneath her text before Alex replied.

"Try harder. Make him break if you have too. I'm not giving up on him."

Nora stares at the screen when an idea popped in her mind before she replied.

"Make him jealous then? Nothing makes someone wants anything more than having that person realized somebody else's wanted it more." Nora typed rapidly.

"Are you even speaking English right now?" Alex replied which Nora sighed grunting at his stupidity for unable to understand her idea.

"I mean make him jealous. He kissed you after saw you with Miguel, maybe that would triggered something in him." Nora replied watching as those bubbles floating and disappearing knowing Alex is taking time to reply to her.

"You are a freaking genius! I love you!" Alex replied and Nora smiled happily before clicked the side button to off the screen.

.

Henry was sweeping off the floor when the bell chimed and he turned to face the person. It was evening, almost seven and an hour later, they can close the shop so Henry is happily greeted the person unaware of the two men standing by the door facing him.

Henry froze holding on the broomstick in his tight grip when he sees Alex walked in wearing his long black coats and his woolen grey scarf wrapped around his neck with a shorter guy wrapping his hand around his arms on the side. He recognized that guy immediately. It was the same guy that Henry caught sucking Alex's off in his New Year party.

"Why are we here babe?" The small guy whined next to him before Alex unwrapped his scarfs still gazing at Henry for the first time in nine days.

"I need a coffee." Alex says before pulling away from the guy's grip.

"I thought you said you're taking me to dinner?" He asks again and Henry cringed at the changed in his voice assuming it was sweet for him.

"Later, baby." Alex returned stroking his temple making Henry rolled his eyes far behind gagging at their sweet act of love.

Henry walked behind the counter and waited for Alex and the short guy to finally order something. He flipped the menu and thought of his decision like it was his final exam on earth that sends rage in Henry's heart. But he couldn't care less about him, the one that annoys him the most is Alex deliberately letting the guy touching him all over and kissing right in front of him.

"If you're not gonna order then don't waste my time here. Go fling your happiness elsewhere. It's nauseating to see where that mouths has been." Henry snide making Alex stopped and leaned himself forward on the table closing their distance together. Henry didn't flinch this time and instead letting Alex do what he wants.

"Why? Is it turning you on darling?" Alex tempted which Henry scoffed back at him.

"You making out with Oompa Loompa here? Yeah, so riveting." Henry says sarcastically but he could see it made the guy triggered.

"Excuse you? The fuck you talking too?" The guy asks pointing his finger at Henry.

"A Santa helper I presumed. Christmas had passed, go back to North Pole lad. There is no overtime pay in making money sucking people cock after Christmas." Henry snide and he could hear a snorted sound coming from Alex next to him. The guy was not amused by Henry side comment about his height or the fact Alex is laughing his ass off next to him. But Henry never expects he would reached across the counter to pull Henry by his collar but luckily Alex stopped him.

"Okay! Enough, both of you." Alex stopped him by wrapping his arms around the guy's waist. Henry smirked at the guy failed attempts watching as Alex guides him towards the door. "Wiped that smirk off your face! You'll be sorry! I watched my back if I were you!" He yelled threatening Henry from the door before Alex closed it after he left.

"That was fucking hilarious!" Nora chirped behind him as Henry turned around to see her standing on his side smiling ear to ear still cackling at Henry's comment on Miguel's height. But her cackled stop when she saw Henry's face dropped swallowing his throat up and down. "Nora." He called, eye still gazing on the closed door where Alex had left.

"Did I just make a new enemy?" He asks whispering next to her as his eyes still fixed on the door. "Don't worry about him. He's barely a no one. Just Alex's boy toy." She says tapping his back softly before she left.

Henry didn't say much except continued back his sweeping in silent. His mind replayed Miguel's threat over and over. His heart thumping as he swept the floor cleaned in hope Nora is right.

.

"Don't shove me!" Miguel fought Alex's tight gripped over his arms as he pushed him inside the car. Alex rolled his eyes back and continued to shove him inside and slammed the car door shut after he dragged him out of Nora's store.

"What happened?" Cash asks as soon as he heard Alex and Miguel's voice. Alex sighed shaking his head before jutting his chin out as he stares at Cash circling around the SUV. His arms are free now but his shoulder still tense after the bullet wound that almost healed up. Alex's stomach is almost healing and the stitches are gone now which he's glad for a change.

"The bastard threatened him." He says softly knowing how Miguel can hear him from inside the car. "Should I stick around for Henry?" He asks. Alex took a moment to think, contemplating whether he should but later shook his head weakly at him.

"Nah, he's harmless." Alex dismissed him before opening the car door again to find Miguel's eyes blazing with anger at him. Alex glared back unaffected by his threatening eyes, completely ignoring him. Cash joined right after on the front seat before the car starts pulling out into the streets.

"Where are we going?" Miguel asks.

"Taking you home." Alex sighed pressing his elbow on the door with his fingers cupping his temple. "You said you'd take me to dinner!" Miguel squeaked with his high pitch voice. Alex inhaled sharply without glancing at his side.

"I'm not in the mood right now." Alex says briefly.

"So you would just dump me like I'm some kind of a wrapper? This is only to make that guy jealous isn't it?! That fucking low class server! Then you dare used me! You bastard! How fucking-"

Alex had enough of Miguel's annoyed voice shouting next to his ear especially when he threatened Henry earlier making Alex's heart boiled. Alex refused to listen to him insulting Henry or him anymore so he grabbed Miguel by his neck shoving him forward into the middle console. His forehead knocked on the metal box with his body bent lower with a guttural groan escaped his throat but Alex couldn't care less. He needed him to stop talking for now.

"Say one more word, I'll have you thrown out without even stopping the car. You hear me?" Alex's words seethed through his teeth in anger. He still had resentment for what he did to Henry and he won't let him think it was alright for him to threaten Henry like that especially bad mouthing him in front of him. He could feel him nodded in his grip before Alex released him.

He could feel his forehead burning in pain but before he could recover, Alex gripped his curly hair hard in between his fingers, snapping his head back. He groaned another sound of pain from his roots being ripped by Alex's strong grip.

"You fucking dare talk to me like that again, I will stitch your fucking tongue on your disgusting lips! You got me?" Alex whispered into his ear watching as his lips trembled with tears falling on his temple. He nodded frantic at Alex's threat before Alex finally released his tight grip over his hairs. He whimpered trying not to break into a sobs next to him but Alex can see the fury in his eyes building as he stares at the world outside the car window as the car droves down into the streets.

.

"Thank you for today Henry." Nora sighed in tiredness when Henry locked the door for her. He handed her the key which she smiles accepting it. "Come on. I'll take you home." She says leading towards her car when she realized Henry is still standing behind her.

"It's alright. I could use the walk." He says with a soft smile on his face. He kept his hands scrunched up in his sweater pocket to warm them. Nora exhaled tiredly not wanting to argue further knowing how much Henry loves his walk even if he's freezing to death. She waved him goodbye before getting in her car and noticed Henry still waiting on her to leave safely before he starts walking.

Henry watched as Nora droves away into the streets before he walked home. He kept his fist closed in the pocket as he stride his legs on the pavement. He counted each stone on the sidewalks as he walked when suddenly he felt the chillness running through the back of his neck.

His breath hitched, he stopped few times to turn and see if anyone or anything is following behind him but each time he did, it was empty. The sidewalks are empty at this hour especially at his neighborhood so he figures it was nothing but his own mind playing tricks on him again.

Henry was close almost few blocks left when he heard another footsteps behind him. He turned again to see no one but him and the sidewalks with trees on the side hiding the moonlight shining the path. He felt cold began to send shivers down his spine or perhaps his own heart is beating out of his chest that made him feels this way.

He didn't want to waste anymore time and tries to speed up when he felt a hand shoved him on his back and he stumbled on his knees down on the dirty pavement. Henry turned to look at the person who shoved him but the moment when he did, a force hit him on his head sending darkness into his vision and he couldn't remember the rest.