Flip the Coin [BL]-Chapter 269. Now and Then (by Sjowgren)

Henry’s POV

I have been terrified since last night.

So terrified that I feel unable to breathe, unable to make decisions, and unable to do the right thing.

Today is Kenny’s birthday, and although I knew the date itself, I didn’t pay attention to the days that had passed by since we had come here.

Instead of planning a gift or a party for him, I sat all night on my bed and watched Kenny, asking myself who would wake up inside his body the next day.

The only bit of relief I received was that the giant inhabiting Kenny was able to talk to me and that he said he would find me when he woke up again.

Naturally, I wouldn’t leave Kenny’s side, but in the off chance it happened, my biggest fear was that he would decide to take off, hurt the body he was in, or hurt others, for Kenny to then have to face the consequences for his actions.

Why, why, why? Why did he survive? How does this make any sense?

"Kenny." I pulled him up, gripping his arms. He was frantic, totally out of it, whispering about things I couldn’t understand, seemingly near a breakdown.

"Kenny." A distraction; what can I say, what can I do?

"Chocolate cake, how does that sound? It’s your favorite, right?" I asked, desperate to come up with something to pull him out of his state. He didn’t react, didn’t even look at me.

I grabbed his jaw with one hand, like he had grabbed me today in the changing room, forcing him to look at me.

"Are you lactose intolerant?"

"No." Kenny said quietly, his face wet again from new tears, as he tried to focus on me.

"Good. Because there will be a third cake today, got it? Do you want a necklace as well?"

"No." He whispered again, a tear falling from his lashes.

"Why not? Don’t you want us to be known as the necklace brothers?" I asked, voicing out anything that came to my mind.

His lips twitched, and his red eyes became clearer, not as dazed as before, as dazed as they always were during one of his paranoia fits.

"If somebody misses jewelry, they will announce it through the center: ’Oh no! The necklace brothers have struck again." I continued, and when I saw him laugh, I chimed in.

He grabbed the arm I used to hold him while he wiped his face with his sleeves.

"But the necklace brothers don’t only steal jewelry, do they?" He asked after looking up at me again, and I finally started to relax a bit.

I held his shoulders and put my forehead against his.

"You are right, in the deepest, darkest night, when nobody is awake and where nobody is seen, little handbags disappear as well," I said, chuckling.

"Bahahhaha!! Behind, they only left the contents of the bags; though they are thieves, they are not interested in money." He continued weakly, and I broke into a smile.

"That’s right, the necklace brothers are fighting for justice and virtue." I rubbed my forehead against his, bringing his body closer to mine before hugging him tightly.

"And jewelry and bags." Kenny concluded, hugging me back.

"Better again?" I asked him after laughing.

"Mhm, thanks."

We stood there for a long time, like the last time we hugged, only this time we weren’t interrupted by something unsightly.

Eventually, Kenny patted me on my back before he let go and looked at his smartwatch.

"We still have another two hours."

I watched him closely, not daring to ask anything so as not to trigger him.

I needed to stabilize him for some time, not only a few hours but for a few days or weeks, before he would be able to talk openly about whatever it was that was constantly tormenting him.

I needed to get him to relax, feel safe, and not care for anything.

"Fuck the lessons." I don’t know why they are so lenient with us, but Kenny now needed to have some fun.

"Let’s go to our room." I grabbed his hand and pulled him back inside and then to the elevators.

"Oh? Is that about the third cake?" Kenny asked me, sounding better again.

"Yep." It should have been a surprise, just like I was surprised by his grandmother’s action—not only her smashing the cake but also her bringing one in the first place.

It was a very nasty experience to miss the birthday of your... well, I wished I had thought of it first, before anyone else had, as well as having the chance to congratulate him first; give my gift first.

Regarding robbing his ex-girlfriend, I still feel justified because, first, they weren’t together anymore; it had been centuries since they even saw each other. Second, that bag looked expensive—what gall did she have to let him buy her something so pricey? And third, had she lost her mind to come and show off her present in front of me?

So, after taking back what should not have been hers in the first place, I went upstairs alone to call Ethan.

I demanded that our room should be full of balloons, a big chocolate cake, and birthday decorations in red and blue—the full package. I also insisted that he had to find a way to get the camera down for at least today so that Kenny could have fun without feeling monitored.

Ethan said he would be finished in two hours, and those two hours are already over. Well, Kenny is his savior, and I am unable to go out right now, so it was the least he could do.

After we entered the elevator, I pulled Kenny back into my arms, hoping he would be happy when he saw what I had prepared for him.

Regarding a gift, I had to decide quickly on something that Kenny could enjoy, so I chose an old-school handheld game console. We still hadn’t found the chance to get the game boards from inside the doctor’s office, but this was even better.

Kenny could play and jump on turtles or ’catch them all’, while I could lean on his shoulder, watching him have fun. I am excited just thinking about it.

Yes, it was also Ethan who had to buy and bring it, but it was me who chose a blue one that was see-through, so you could see the cables and circuitry inside.

And it was me who decided on the games; Ethan is so old, he wouldn’t have been able to know what people our age like.

When we came to our floor, I couldn’t wait anymore, so excited about how he would react that I nearly forgot the horror I felt during the night and throughout the day.

The two nurses in front of the room looked strangely at us but opened the door anyway.

Before Kenny could see something, I stepped behind him and held his eyes shut. When the door was open, I steered him inside.

"Is this really necessary? I have already seen a few cakes in my life, just today even." Kenny asked me with a chuckle.

"Necessary." I confirmed and waited until the door behind us was closed again.

Ethan had done an excellent job; above the window, a big poster said,

"Happy 18th Birthday, Kenny!" The background was blue, and the writing was red.

Blue and red balloons were on each side of the poster, but not only there; our beds were full of balloons, the floor was as well, and because of the wind from the corridor, they were floating around happily.

My nightstand had been pulled into the middle of the room, and on top of it was a big chocolate cake with three layers and red and blue roses on it; a few presents were stacked on the floor beside the cake.

I couldn’t wait anymore.

I kissed his neck while praying, ’Please, please like it; please be happy!’

Then I simultaneously lifted my hands from his eyes and congratulated him,

"Happy Birthday, Kenny!"

Thank you for being born; thank you for coming into my life.