The music seemed to fill him and carry him over to where his sad, lonely friend was sitting, following Mrs Gideon around the room with his tiny brown eyes and sipping a brown, sick looking (In Vince's opinion) drink.
He had to shout to be heard over the upbeat music
"Alright, Howard?"
"Fine. Do you think Mrs Gideon will...ehrm..."
Howard made a weird little gesture with his hands and spilt some of his drink on himself, but Vince knew exactly what he meant, he wasn't smart, but he knew his best friend like his own hair.
"You wanna know if she's kissin' anyone at midnight?"
Howard went a little red and nodded, which surprised Vince a bit, Howard was usually very open about his feelings towards said Mrs Gideon.
"D'ya want me to find out?" Vince grinned and didn't bother waiting for an answer before bouncing off in her direction and striking up a conversation.
He came back about five minutes later with a smudge of bright pink lipstick on his face and Howard looked distinctly hurt, Vince caught sight of it in the mirror near the bar and laughed before wiping it off, "When I went over there this girl was all over me, Howard, she kept callin' me Colin, though,"
Howard relaxed his agitated expression and looked at Vince eagerly.
"Well...?"
"Oh yeah, Gideon, she said she's gonna try an' get joey moose, imagine that? I didn't think he was really her type, but it turns out he is, anyway, I don't think he'll go for it, so she'll probably be alone when it turns twelve," Vince grinned brightly and pulled up a stool so that he was sitting beside Howard and ordered a drink for them both.
"Hey, if worst comes to worst, you can kiss me at midnight," Vince grinned again and patted Howard on the back. He didn't really know why he'd said that, but it earned him a filthy look from Howard and a wink from the short moustached man behind the bar.
"Thanks Vince. I feel much better. The only reason I came to this stupid party was to get to Gideon and it doesn't look like that's gonna happen, does it? I feel like a tit."
Vince was slightly taken aback, but he got over it and was slightly offended.
"It's not my fault though is it? An' you could do worse than me Howard,"
Vince gave him a funny look before wandering back into the crowd and disappearing.
After half an hour Howard began to feel guilty and decided to go and look for Vince. Maybe go home, he wasn't feeling too good, he could feel himself wobbling and his vision wasn't exactly brilliant at this point. He could hear a countdown and, for a moment, he forgot what night it was, before he remembered what day it was and what he should do.
7...
He caught sight of Vince's head...
6....
Nope, someone else's head....
5...
He tripped over a chair....still no sign of Vince or Gideon....
4...
A shout of Vince's name, useless really, noone was really paying him any attention...
3...
He tripped. Again. This time hitting the floor...
2...
He pulled himself up...
1...
He saw them. Kissing in the corner. Not a proper kiss, it looked as if Vince was trying to pull away, but bad enough that Howard's throat went all tight and he thought he was going to be sick all over the dance floor until he gathered his senses (well, maybe not ALL of them, his inner voice commented, 'cause it's Gideon you're jealous of, isn't it?) He argued with it for a while until he gave up, he had been feeling funny about Vince for weeks now, and his alcohol induced brain had onlyforced it to the surface as he watched them, Vince still struggling. He wanted to be on the end of Vince's mouth like that. Not Gideon's.
He stormed over and grabbed Vince's wrist to pull him away and, to no small protest by Gideon, he managed, somehow, to get him outside.
"Howard, I didn't mean for it to happen, she just grabbed me, I did try to pull away but...Howard?"
He didn't look angry at all, he looked...Well, Vince couldn't quite place the look on his friend's face.
He then realised that there was still a hand clamped around his wrist.
"Howard? Could I have my arm back-?"
He didn't really have a chance to get anything else out, as he was now pressed against the wall, his mouth welded to Howard's. He had his arm back, and it was somehow grabbing onto his shoulder, holding him to the taller man's level.
As suddenly as it had begun, it stopped and Howard slumped onto the wall, his eyelids fluttering shut.
"Howard? HOWARD?"
He had passed out and was now on the floor, propped up by the wall.
Vince rolled his eyes.
"I'm gonna have to get you home now, aren't I?"
Eesh. That was quick and painless (I hope)
lol
I was bored (as per usual) and this just came to me. T'was like an epiphany.
:D
I would like to mail you my eyebrows as a token of my appreciation of you reading THIS far. But they won't let me buy stamps anymore...
xxx