"Fight Henry."

"You must fight this."

"Promise me."

"Pez."

Henry mumbles in his sleep. Slowly, he finally flutters his eyes opened and surprised when the first thing he saw is Nora sitting besides him on the bed.

"Hey." Henry whispered before he winced at the feeling of sharp pain strikes his throat and his shoulder as he raised from his pillow. "Easy." Nora helped him stacking his pillow higher for him to lean back.

"Nora, I'm- "

"No. Don't say anything. Just rest Hen." Nora assured him pulling the blanket higher over Henry's chest. He noticed how Nora barely could lift her eyes to look at him and Henry felt guilt rushing over him for causing her pain.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered staring at Nora lowered face before she finally raised her glistening eyes at him. "How could you not tell me Hen. I trusted you." Nora whimpered hiding the tears that starts flooded in her eyes.

"I know. I'm sorry. I wish I could take it back but- " Henry paused lowering his gaze down.

"I wish you didn't say anything either. I wish you didn't tell me that she's gone. At least I could still dream that maybe she would still be alive and we might- " Nora lifted her gaze back at Henry in bed. Her eyes red and filled with tears of betrayal that Henry hoped never to witness.

"You took away that dream Hen. I know I asked you before and I know I should have just let her go. It's been ten fucking years but I can't Hen. I can't let her go. I love her that much and imagined what Alex would do if he finds out." Nora starts pacing by Henry's bedside in tears as Henry kept his gaze low in silent.

"I wish I didn't either. I wish I didn't see her. I wish I never had to see any of them. I wish-"

Henry paused looking up meeting Nora's gaze by his bedside.

"I wish I was never born Nora." Henry whimpered in tears as Nora stops from her pacing shooting her gaze sharply at him in bed.

"Henry- "

"I wish I died at that place. I wish I never escaped but I did. The one person that took me out from that hell is now dead and I have nothing to live for anymore. I don't want to be here anymore Nora." Henry sobs lowering his gaze back on his clasped hand over his lap.

"I'm sorry about your friend. But Henry, that kind of thought is dangerous. Don't think like that ever again." Nora stepped closer to Henry side before taking her seat on the edge of the bed. She raised her hand cupping Henry by his cheek before Henry lifted his gaze back at her with tears covered eyes.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid." Nora asks and hoped that Henry would at least nod or answered her but instead he just stared into her eyes with his face dropped.

"We'll get you something to eat alright." Nora says wiping her tears away rapidly before pulling her curly hair back behind her ears. She cleared her throat before leaving the bedroom with Henry still in bed staring into spaces before him.

.

"You are not killing him!"

"What choice do I have?!"

"He's my brother!"

"I don't see you give a crap about him for five fucking years, why the fuck now?!"

"Because I said so!"

"Henry is not safe here and we need to get rid of the messenger Cassius! Otherwise there is no place on earth would be good enough for Henry to stay. He will live his life in fear! I can't have him living like this!"

Nora came out of the bedroom finding Alex and Cash at each other's throats fighting about something. She cleared her throat to gain their attention back to the room and immediately Alex turned his head sharply at her.

"Is he awake?" He asks her as soon as she stepped closer between them in the middle of the living room.

"He is but-" Nora paused twisting her head behind towards Alex's bedroom where Henry is right now.

"I'm worried about him." Nora told him and Alex frowned back at her. "Don't we all?" He asks her confused.

"This is different Alex. He talks about-" Nora paused again lowering her gaze down on the wooden tile floor. "What?" Alex asks her impatiently.

"He talks about ending himself. That's suicidal Alex. I'm worried if he might-"

"Hurt himself?" Cash interrupts but Nora nodded agreeing with him.

"That's it. I'm gonna kill him." Alex says marching over to grab his coat when Cash pulled him back by his elbow. "You are not! Alex listen to me!" Cash kept his gripped strong over Alex's arm preventing him from leaving.

"No! You listen to me Cash! If Henry got hurt because of him, I won't hesitate to take it out on you!" Alex seethed in anger and felt Cash tightening grip over his arm loosen.

"Guys, enough." Nora stepped in between the two males pushing them apart with her palms. "Alex! Don't be stupid!" Nora pushed him by his chest from charging at Cash.

"You killed him then what makes you think there won't be others? The only thing important right now is taking Henry someplace safe and lay low for a while." Nora suggest and both of them shot her a look.

"That's a smart thing to do." Cash agreed with her suggestion but Alex still contemplates.

"It doesn't solve anything Nora. When we got back, they would probably be waiting for him then. I would sleep better at night knowing if the threats are somewhere six feet under the ground!" Alex raised his voice again at her and Cash but she clicked her tongue at him in disagreement.

"What about Henry then? Do you think he would be able to sleep knowing you killed Cash's brother because he was paid to find him? He was just doing his job Alex!" Nora smacked him on his shoulder but he didn't even flinched by her abuse.

"So what then?" Alex asks raising his arm above his head.

"I can distract Charles and give him false info about Henry to divert him elsewhere while we hide him someplace else." Cash suggested and Nora agreed with him.

"I know just a place to bring Henry." Alex says shooting his gaze back at Nora.

"Austin. The lake house." Alex suggest but Nora's face dropped. "Oh."

"That's perfect. No one knows the place except us and I'm pretty sure I can divert my brother up north somewhere." Cash claimed but couldn't help noticed the sudden drop of conversation between them.

"What?" He asks and Alex lingered his gaze over Nora besides him. "Nothing." She replied before turning her body towards her hung coat by Alex's couch.

"You're leaving?" Alex asks. She sighed desperately while draping on her coat over her shoulder. "I'm tired. It's late by the way. Can you get Henry to eat something and also please don't let him be alone." Nora mumbles on whilst trying to slip away from Alex but he grabbed her by her wrist.

"Nora talk to me, what is it?" He asks her. His eyes filled with worries and Nora felt guilty putting more on Alex's plate.

"Nothing Alex. It's been a night. Keep an eye on Henry would ya?" She told him before she rushed to Alex's door and left.

The door slammed shut turning Alex's attention back to Cash standing next to him. He sighed still had his eyes at the closed door. "I'll take her home." Cash offered grabbing the door knob in his grip.

He turned to face Alex still standing behind him with the door opened, "The only thing right now is for you to convince Henry to go with you to Austin." Cash told him and it dawned on Alex that all of this plan won't matter if Henry declined. He needs to make sure Henry is safe and this is the only way for him to do right now.

He stride towards the bedroom after Cash left and softly knock on the door before he entered. He knew it felt weird when he had to knock on his own door but with Henry, he didn't want him to feel that his boundaries and his privacy were affected while he's here.

Alex stepped inside his bedroom to see Henry in bed asleep on his side with the blanket covers his body.

Alex pulled hem of his shirt up and above his head tossing it in the hamper by the corner before he undid his belt and pants off and climbed in bed wearing only his brief. He exhaled an exhausted breath facing Henry's sleeping gaze listening to that soft snores escaped his lips.

He eyed every detail he could find on Henry's face. The way his blonde hair had few dark roots in between. His wrinkled line formed on Henry's forehead for furrowing too much. The scar he had in between his left eyebrow that splits it in half that made him look fierce. The sunken dark circles that rested below his eyelids from lack of sleeping. His thick, plump lips that cracked with dryness from losing his appetite to eat or drink for days.

His heart sunk at the thought of Henry, having these struggles that Alex himself unable to fix. He tried to understand how this stranger in his bed had that kind of power to make him feel such way. How much he had changed Alex for the past months since they met turning Alex's cold beating heart into someone that care about him simply for not eating, or sleeping.

His thought went to June and how she would had laughed herself off and endless teasing of watching her little brother care so deeply about someone other than himself.

"I wish you were here June. You would know what to do." He whispered bringing his fingers over Henry's hair pushing it back behind his ear. He sighed before raising himself to lean closer and pressed a kiss over Henry's forehead.

Henry didn't stir nor make any signs of movement and stayed asleep next to him when Alex felt himself drifting into his dreams.

.

"I can make you some soup. Name your favorite." Alex had offered countless times since morning Henry woke up and sat by the window hugging his knees close to his chest where Alex found him.

He sat there like a statute staring at the world outside, completely ignoring Alex in the room trying to convince him to eat. He had brought his toast in the morning with couple of jam for him to try and a piece of butter but Henry won't even looked at it. His usual Earl Grey tea he'd love most was untouched and ended up cold on the tray as the hours went.

"Henry you must've been starving. You haven't eaten and Zahra had to give you that sugar thing yesterday. Unless you want me to force fed you my workout drinks into your mouth then I suggest you eat something." Alex was frustrated at this point, but it caught Henry's attention back to him.

"I wanna go home." Henry told him in whispers and Alex winced at the sound of his voice croaked from the dryness of his throat.

"You can't. Not until you're safe." Alex told him but Henry turned himself back to the window next to him.

"I don't care anymore. He can find me if he want. He can do anything he want. I don't care if he'd kill me." Henry voice breaks with tears glistened in his eyes. Alex frowned, remembering how Nora told him yesterday about Henry suicidal ideas after he woke up.

"I do." Alex voiced sternly.

"I care about you and I don't think you should give up right now. I can protect you Hen. Trust me." Alex says palming Henry's knees with his hand but Henry pushed his hand away from touching him.

"Please. I can't." Henry whispered shutting his eyes closed letting his tears fell on his cheek.

"Hen please. Don't give up on me. I need you." Alex's sounded so broken and pathetic when he said that but he couldn't care less. He needed Henry and he couldn't imagined his life without him.

Henry stayed silence ignoring every plea and every promises Alex made to him. Alex had offered to make him some chicken and mushroom soup for lunch in hope it would get his appetite to at least eat a spoon or two.

Henry stared at the blank grey wall before him when the thought hits. He remembered the time he found Alex's gun under the bed when he lifted himself off from the ground and headed to Alex's side of the bed.

Just as he expected, he found the black holster that Alex had taped under the bed holding his gun in place.

Henry undid the button on the side pulling the heavy metal device in his hand tightening his grip over the soft rubber on the sides.

The gun was heavier than he thought. In his life, he'd always fear at the end of the barrel facing him but at this moment, his lowest moment kneeling over Alex's side of the bed with the gun in his hand, he felt that feared disappeared.

The metal near his thumb had engraved on the handle that carved Alex's initials.

AGCD

Henry knew G stands for Gabriel as he heard Nora might have called him multiple times just to spite him. His hand trembled as he hold the gun closed before slipping his index finger over the trigger hole and pressed the end barrel over his temple.

His life flashes before his eyes and remembered the time he was trapped in Broadmoor. The officer that did guard duty at night had slipped through his room and took his advantage on him. Henry remembered the first night he'd protest that made him pulled his gun and shoved it inside Henry's mouth.

The gun was a lot slimmer and thinner compared to the one Henry had in his hand right now. But he'd remembered the fear he had from the gun blasting through his skulls shattering his brain if he didn't obeyed him.

But this time, he felt nothing. He felt numb and the only thing he felt right now is pulling the trigger and ended it all.

So he did.

A click.

But nothing.

Not a blast nor a gunshot sound sending his eardrums piercing in his brain or any sign of splattering blood over Alex's satin grey sheets or the carpeted covered floor. So he pulled the trigger again, and again before Alex's voice surprised Henry from behind him.

"You'd think I let you around a loaded gun after what you told Nora?" The gun dropped over the floor from Henry's grip as he turned immediately in shocked from Alex finding out his attention.

He couldn't say anything or denying anything cause he knows Alex saw him pulling the trigger over and over and failed.

He watched Alex from leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest and later stride closer and kneeled next to Henry on the floor. He grabbed the gun and placed it back into the holster before offering his hand for Henry.

Henry eyed his palm opened before him before lifting his gaze back at Alex's disappointed look on his face.

"Let's get you back to bed." Alex offered but Henry pushed his hand off and stood abruptly from the floor in anger. "Go away!" He yelled as he pushed Alex by his chest causing him to stumble on his back right on the floor.

"Hen." Alex followed Henry when he rushed out of the bedroom and feared starts crippling inside him worried that he might grabbed a knife from the kitchen to complete his mission but his worry disappeared when Henry decides to sit on the couch with his legs crossed and his breath huffed in anger.

Alex exhaled a rather breath of relief before he decides to take his place in between Henry's leg on the floor. He kneeled right between Henry's spread legs on the couch sighing desperately gathering his thoughts to say something appropriate.

"Hen listen to me." He says wrapping his arms over Henry's waist with his eyes staring deeply into Henry's hazel eyes.

"I know you might feel like you're hitting rock bottom right now but I need you to believe me when I told you I got this. I know who found you yesterday and I already told Cash to send him away." Henry's eyes burn bright when he heard Alex pushing himself forward and closer with his arms cupping Alex's shoulder.

"You'd killed him?" He asks and Alex's jaw dropped before he could answer. "N-No. Not exactly." He replied and Henry pulled back lowering his arms back on his lap. The pain on his shoulder had become immune and Henry welcomed the pain like a burden on his shoulder.

"Then what part of it is making me safe?" Henry says angrily with his eyes focused on Alex's tightened lips.

"Cause it's Cash's brother and I know you won't forgive me if I'd killed him." Alex explained but somehow Henry wasn't even shocked when he heard him.

"Blood doesn't make you family." Henry adds causing Alex to frown.

"What do you mean Hen?" Alex asks curious.

"The one who's hunting me. It's my own brother. My eldest siblings." Henry explained, unsure if he did the right thing about telling Alex this but he can't hide it anymore.

"Tell me his name and I will kill him myself." Alex offered but Henry lowered his gaze down on his lap where Alex's hand rested right on his thigh.

"I can't. He has family. A wife, I think he has children too." Henry defends causing Alex to click his tongue at him. "He's hurting you Hen and you worried about his family?" Alex asks and Henry finally looked up meeting his brown gaze with his teary eyes.

"Yes! Because I can't bear the thought of taking a husband away from his wife or a father away from his children. I'm not a monster Alex!" Henry yelled.

"But you rather have him took you away from your family and locked you in prison for years?" Alex defends.

"What family?" Henry asks him back causing Alex to stop talking.

"My parents are dead, so does my sister. I had no family Alex." Henry cries.

"What about me? What about Nora? Or Shan? That's your family right there Hen." Alex tries to reason with him but Henry shook his head disapproved.

"Shan had his own family. His past with mine doesn't make us family. Nora is your family, not mine, and you- you don't even know me and last that I recall, you'd tried to kill me when we first met." Henry states and Alex clicked his tongue again at him.

"That's the past and I'm pretty sure I would rather kiss you than kill you right now baby." Alex smirked leaning closer to Henry's lips but Henry pushed him forward on his chest.

"My point exactly." Henry says causing Alex to frown again.

"I am just your current obsession and once that feeling past, you might want to find someone else to fill that void." Alex could sense that fear in Henry's words worried of this relationship or whatever they're calling it is temporary and he worried Henry might be right.

"There's no one like you baby." Henry furrowed his eyebrow at him with such disgust.

"How many times you'd said that to someone else other than me?" Henry asks him and Alex was about to protest his loyalty at Henry when he realized his words might sounded unfaithful.

"Look, I might not be the loyal one in the past and I know I might have multiple partners to entertain me but it's all change now because of you Hen. I love you and I meant it." Alex defends again but Henry shook his head at him.

"Love fades Alex. When are you going to grow up and realized that? Stop thinking that we might live happily ever after at the end. It doesn't exist! This is real world not some movies!" Henry spat pushing Alex by his chest trying to escape from his grip but Alex was faster when he pulled Henry by his waist and slammed him back on the couch.

Henry huffed with his back hits the couch harshly and before he could fight Alex's from clutching on his grip, he straddled him instead and locked Henry's arm with his thigh.

"Stop fighting or you're gonna pop your shoulder again." Alex warned him and Henry finally stop squirming in his grip.

"Baby listen." Alex told him cupping Henry by his cheek to face him.

"I love you. I never tell anyone that and I can assure you that this is the closest thing I had for real stuffs. I know you're scared Henry. I'm scared too." Henry stared at Alex's brown eyes staring down at him sensing the truth in his word.

Alex is beyond terrified. He feared that Henry might not love him back as much as he does love him. He fears that one day Henry might actually leave and never comes back. He feared that one day he might know about Henry's past and he was too late to save him. But he didn't say all of these to Henry cause he didn't want Henry to think he was unsure of his feelings. He knows he was beyond hundred percent in this and he is committed.

"I'm scared that one day, I might lose you. That I don't get to wake up and see you. That smile of yours when you blushed at the stupidest thing I've said." Henry smiled crept on his lips as Alex softly brushed his thumb over the corner of his smile.

"I'm beyond terrified that when that day comes, I can't save you Hen. Worst of all is that I'm scared I disappointed you by breaking my promise." Alex's voice were soft but sounded so defeated.

"Can I have my arm back?" Henry asks and Alex scoffed pushing himself off for Henry to release his arm freely but he was surprised when Henry pulled his waist back down straddling him.

"I'm scared too Hen cause I never felt this way before to anyone. I'm scared that I might not experienced this in my life again if I lost you. So please. I beg of you. Fight for me at least, for us. For your future." Alex whispered closely cupping Henry's cheek in his hand firmly.

"Okay." Henry's voice soft, like a gust of wind but it was enough for Alex.

He sighed pressing his lips over Henry's trembling one and they both sighed melting into one another.

"I love you too." Henry whispered when Alex finally released their lips to catch a breath. Their forehead rested on each other with their eyes closed when suddenly Henry's stomach grumbling breaking their soft moments into a small chuckle.

"I'll take that as a sign you're hungry. Name what you want baby. Anything you want." Alex told him and Henry smiled. He wasn't sure what would fill his appetite but he settled on a simple New York pizza that Alex was pretty sure Henry's current favorite.

.

"So.. there is my parent's lake house in Austin that I wanted to bring you for the mean time." Alex starts. There were both in bed with Alex's arm wrapped around Henry's back and Henry's head resting perfectly on his shoulder with his face pressed close against his neck. Alex could feel Henry's warm breath puffed against his neck especially when he sighed tiredly.

Henry's finger reached over Alex's bare chest touching the key rested right at the center before he looked up meeting Alex's eyes. "This house?" He asks tapping on the key on Alex's chest. He chuckled softly shaking his head at Henry.

"No. That is my first house we grew up. My childhood home. This is my parents house that they bought like few years before they'd died. It's inherited to me and I haven't go back since-" Alex paused mid sentence causing Henry to raise his head to face him.

"Since June?" He asks and Alex swallowed his throat dryly before he nods.

"It's actually a safe house. After June was threatened, my father thinks she would be safe there and she did, if she didn't returned to New York she might still be alive." Alex explained and Henry noticed the longing stare from Alex's eyes filled with regrets.

"Nora blamed herself cause June came back because of her. If only she didn't, she might still be safe and sound." Alex could remembered how much Nora was the first one that breaks when June disappears. How she intended to find her but as those years goes by, she had given up hope but Alex knew she still blames herself for what happened.

"They need to stop blaming themselves for what happened."

Henry gasped at the sudden whispers in the room and Alex noticed. "What?" He asks but Henry shook his head with a fake smile on his face.

"N-Nothing. Just- the shoulder, it's starts paining again." Henry lied but Alex was already up pulling his arms off from hugging Henry. "I'll get you some pain meds. Wait here." He jumped out of the bed before Henry could protest and disappeared into the living room to find Henry, his painkillers leaving Henry alone with June at the corner.

"Stop doing that." Henry told her and she scoffed.

"Why? You think I would stay if you both starts fucking around?" She chuckled and Henry smiles. Nora was right when she said she had a great laugh and Henry couldn't deny that.

"I might tell him soon." Henry starts and saw how June's face dropped.

"No, don't Henry. Not yet. Not until you are cleared." June begs and Henry could feel his chest tightened when she got further upsets.

"I can't hide this anymore. He needs to know the truth." Henry say raising himself into a sitting position when he felt his chest getting heavier.

"Wait Henry. There's is a storm coming. Don't cloud his mind just yet." June replies.

"What is it?" Henry asks pressing his thumb deeper into his chest.

"I can't. You're hurting." June says but Henry won't budge.

"Tell me please." Henry begs.

"Someone will get hurt. That's all I could tell you." June says and just as Henry was about to say something else, Alex barged in rattling the pill bottles in his hand.

"Found it!" He chirped happily and Henry still had his gaze locked at the corner where June were earlier and now disappeared.

Henry smiled when Alex climbed back to bed and handed Henry his pills on his hand when he noticed the cold trembled from Henry's fingers.

"Babe you're okay? Jeez! You're freezing." Alex says cupping Henry's cheek before he handed Henry a glass of water that he kept on his bedside.

"I'm fine." Henry says ignoring the fact that he is definitely opposite of what he's feeling right now.

"Come here." Alex pulled him by his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Henry's clothed body letting his warm spread though Henry's shivering body.

"Better?" He asks stroking his arms up and down Henry's shoulder to raise friction so he could warm him up. Henry smiled chuckling softly at Alex's attempt to make him warm like they'd live in North Pole of something.

"So is that a yes on the lake house? We could swim in the dock, I could make you my famous barbecue grill. We could laid under the stars of Austin sky at night. What do you say?" Alex was already imagining his life with Henry at the lake house and had things planned out while Henry contemplates on his decision.

The thought of being alone with Alex in the lake house and June's word haunts him. The thought of Alex saw his marks on his wrist that made him too vulnerable despite Alex had seen all his scars on his back made Henry's stomach churned.

He was lost in his thought deeply when Alex softly shakes him and instead of answering him, Henry shuts his eyes pretending that he had fallen asleep in Alex's embrace.

He could hear Alex's sighed desperately before pressing his lips over Henry's forehead mumbling goodnight wishes. Henry wished he could answered him but the thought scares him deeply that made him lay awake staring at Alex sleeping next to him.