The loud clomping of Vince's cowboy boots gave away his arrival back to the flat to Howard, who was stretched out across the sofa. Vince staggered a little at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall with one hand while he pulled off his boots, swearing softly. Howard, who was in a jazz trance, said nothing. Pulling a face at the soft strains of jazz, Vince padded to the kitchen on socked feet, where he drank a glass of water before returning to the living room to hurl himself across Howard's legs. Howard was too deep in the trance to notice, so Vince poked at his soft stomach until he had his full attention.
"Howard? Howard. Howaaaard. Howard!"
Startled out of his trance, Howard scowled at Vince before turning off the CD player with the remote left on the coffee table.
"Vince! You know you should never disturb me in a jazz trance. It could be dangerous."
Vince rolled his eyes. The amount of times he'd heard that! The most dangerous thing that'd happened was that Howard had hit his head on a shelf, and that really wasn't as dangerous as it was funny. Grumbling about Vince's weight on his shins, Howard pulled his legs up and swung himself around on the settee, allowing Vince to creep closer to him, curling up at his side. Howard froze for a moment before relaxing, stretching his arm across the back of the sofa and allowing Vince more space to get comfortable. He still hated being touched. It made him uncomfortable, irritable. He was likely to snap and push people away, but with Vince it was...different now. It was comforting. He felt strangely content, and slid his fingers through the soft mess of Vince's hair as he leant his head on Howard's shoulder.
"Drunk again, little man?" he asked, quietly amused. He felt Vince smile against his shoulder.
"Aw, it was wicked. Everyone was there. Kept buying me drinks, I didn't spend a penny all night. Not that I took anything out, got nowhere to put it."
Howard glanced down at Vince. He was wearing the tightest pair of red jeans Howard had ever seen. They clung to his slim thighs, and Howard certainly couldn't see anywhere that he could put money. His fingers momentarily stilled in Vince's hair, andVince butted his head against Howard's shoulder gently in protest.
"Leroy's mate was there," he said, a sly tone colouring his voice, "you know, that girl with the hair? The one you creeped out?"
"The one with the creamy skin? She was just overpowered by my poetry and prose. Howard Moon is never creepy, sir."
Vince laughed and arched his back, stretching a little before snuggling back down.
"Whatever. His mate was there, too. Another one. Well fit."
Howard hummed a little, not really interested in his friend's love-life. He felt strangely jealous whenever Vince bought it up, and tended to try to avoid talking about it. He watched his fingers thread through Vince's silky black hair, hoping that he would drop the issue.
"Mm. Called Mick, like Jagger! We got off."
"Funny name for a girl, that," Howard muttered, frowning a little.
Vince laughed, turning his face into Howard's side to muffle the noise.
"It's not a girl's name, Howard!"
Howard froze, his hand stilling in Vince's hair. Vince felt his body stiffen and sat up, peering at him curiously.
"Howard...?"
Howard stared at Vince, a strange look on his face.
"You alright, Howard?"
"You...kissed a boy, Vince?"
Vince pulled a face at him, unsure, and moved back a little on the settee.
"Not exactly a boy, Howard. He was very much a man."
Vince attempted to leer a little, but it didn't quite work with the uncertain expression that was crossing his face.
"Vince," Howard began, unsure, shaking his head, "you can't--"
"It's called being bisexual, Howard," Vince hissed, arms crossed protectively across his chest, "it's well fashionable these days, although you wouldn't know much about that."
"Now Vince, don't start--"
"God, Howard, you're so old--"
"I''m just worried for your soul!"
Howard clapped his hands over his mouth, and they both stared at each other in the ringing silence that followed.
"My...soul?"
"Your soul, Vince! Homosexuality, it-- it's wrong!"
Vince stared at Howard for a minute, wide blue eyes locked on to intense, small brown eyes.
"What are you talking about, Howard? It's well cool now."
Howard moved towards Vince, grabbing on to his arms to keep him in place.
"No, Vince! It's wrong! God doesn't condone it!"
Vince frowned, trying to wriggle away from Howard.
"What're you going on about, Howard? There're gay priests and everything now."
"It's wrong, Vince. They're not true Christians! True followers of Christ know that homosexuality is a sin! It says so in the Bible."
Vince slumped a little, looking frightened.
"It really says that?"
"Yes, Vince, it really does. Wait here for a second."
Howard left Vince sat on the settee, looking small and afraid, and returned with a King James Bible.
"It's in Leviticus, chapter 18, verse 22," he continued, thumbing open the well read Bible. "Here, look."
He passed the open book to Vince, who read the passage aloud.
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. What does that mean, Howard?"
"It means that you may not have sexual relations with men like you do with women, that it's disgusting and unnatural. Christians do not believe in these things, Vince. It's a Sin."
He took the Bible back from Vince and flicked through it.
"Here, read this, Vince. It's the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Ever wonder why they call them Sodomites? Because they came from Sodom, and it's wrong, Vince."
"But--" Vince hesitated, sounding unsure, "it didn't feel sinful! Why would it feel so good?"
"It's called temptation, Vince. We are imperfect beings, and Satan knows this. He tries to tempt us."
Vince looked miserable and horribly lost. Howard felt a horrible pang in his chest, and clasped his friend's hands between his own.
"Pray with me, Vince. Pray that God forgives you, because God does forgive us when we do something wrong -- even something as wrong as you did."
Vince hesitated, but curled his fingers around Howard's.
"I-- I've never been a Christian, Howard. But if what you say is true, I-- I'd like to try it."
"God loves you, Vince," Howard replied, smiling at his friend, "Even if you're not a Christian, God loves you. We can change your sinful ways."
"I'd like that, Howard. I'd really like that."
That night, Howard and Vince prayed together, and it was beautiful and pure. They spent hours reading throught the Bible together, and Vince wondered at this wonderful thing that he'd been missing from his life. He felt complete and whole, and he and Howard visited their local church every Sunday.
The next Friday, Vince received a phonecall. It was Leroy, asking Vince if he was going down to the Velvet Onion that night.
"No, Leroy, I cannot," Vince explained. "Howard and I are staying in tonight to read the Bible."
Leroy laughed at Vince and called him sad, but Vince's mind could not be changed. That night, while Leroy danced and sinned, Howard and Vince laughed together about how when they died, Leroy would be condemned to eternal damnation, whilst their souls would shine on forever, in God's wonderful kingdom.