A/N: A fic for Jamie's birthday! Including a party, as requested. Hope you enjoy the first chapter, hun!

This story is AU. Vince and Howard aren't completely canon, and have not yet met.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but very sadly, I do not own the characters or anything affiliated with them. Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding have that pleasure. Jamie owns herself. Or does she? Mwah ha ha.

xxxx

Vince leaned tiredly over the counter, his elbows sliding along it until his arms were stretched out and his head was resting on the cool surface. He sighed loudly, then, after a few seconds, he sighed again.

A girl sitting over by the window rolled her eyes and closed her magazine. "Vince, seriously. It's chucking it down and getting late; no one's gonna come in now. Just close early. If I have to hear you sighing one more time, I'll -"

"All right! Fine. But if I get moaned at by the manager, I'll... tell your mum," Vince finished, lamely.

The girl smirked. "No you won't – I'm your favourite cousin."

"Pain in the arse, is what you are." Vince pulled himself up from the counter and wandered over to the door of the coffee shop. His keys were half-way out of his pocket when he was nearly knocked off his feet as the door was shoved open, a body running in and knocking into his shoulder. Vince reeled round, trying to keep his balance, helped by a firm hand gripping his upper arm.

"God, I'm so sorry!"

Vince looked up to see a tall, soaking wet man, his hair plastered to his head and water running from it in small streams down his face. The man blinked rapidly and wiped a hand over his face, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, 'm fine," Vince stammered, before pulling himself together and moving to close the door to stop the torrent of rain that was driving into the shop. As he moved, the man's hand fell from his arm, and the man blushed, not realising it was still there.

"Sorry," he said, again. "Water in my eyes; couldn't see. Are you about to close?"

Vince stepped away from the door and smiled politely. "Well, I was, but only because it's been dead in here. Coffee?"

"Just a tea, thanks. I mean, if that's okay? If you want to get home..."

Vince waved a hand nonchalantly. "Not a problem." He moved back round the counter and started to make the tea, humming to himself in the quietness. Normally he'd have the radio on, but it didn't seem to fit with the stormy night. He looked over at the man, who'd sat himself by the window a few tables away from his cousin, and found himself smiling slightly. Despite his bedraggled appearance, he was quite handsome in a rugged, man-of-action sort of way. Vince shook his head and concentrated on the tea, although he couldn't help shifting his gaze back to him every now and again, watching as he shrugged off his wet coat and propped his chin up on his hand, staring out of the window and up into the black, star-less sky. There was something about him that Vince couldn't quite place. He felt a pair of eyes on him, and turned his head to see his cousin staring at him, humour evident on her face. He quickly got a grip and stared right back at her, acting as if she hadn't caught him staring at a complete stranger. "Another drink, Jamie?"

Jamie smiled knowingly at him. "Yeah, all right."

Vince continued to noisily make the tea, and when he turned to take it over to his rain-soaked customer, was surprised to see Jamie seated opposite him, nattering away, the poor man looking ever-so-slightly bewildered. "One tea," he said, placing it on the table with a bowl of sugar and a spoon.

"Oh, great. Thank you."

Jamie looked up at Vince and grinned. "Vince, this is Howard. He's a writer! How cool is that?"

Vince smiled at Howard apologetically. "Sorry about her; she's always been nosy."

"Oi!"

Howard chuckled. "It's fine, really. Jamie was just telling me it's her birthday on Friday and that you're throwing a party for her.

Vince frowned, but was cut off from saying anything when Jamie stood up suddenly, her chair scraping harshly across the floor. "Why don't you get yourself a drink and join us? And can I have some of that chocolate cake?" she said, steering her cousin towards the counter.

"What are you doing?" Vince hissed, as Jamie clutched at his arm.

"Shh! He's cute, don't you think?"

"Jamie..."

"Oh, come on! You haven't had a boyfriend since Lewis left you for that Brazilian guy last year and -"

"Yeah, thanks for bringing that up."

"Vince, you're beautiful – he was clearly mad. And he was always being mean to you, the bastard. I always said you were too good for him."

Vince sighed. "Yeah, I know. But still – what's this about a party?"

"It'll be genius! You throw me a party, invite your mates, so it's not just full of teenagers, and then that way Howard won't feel so awkward when -"

"Woah! What?"

"Give it up, Vince – I saw you glancing at him while you were making his tea."

"So? I don't even know him! You can't just go inviting strangers to non-existent parties."

Vince poured out his tea, trying to ignore Jamie, who was hanging on his arm and looking at him with big eyes.

"Aw, come on, Vince – please? Be spontaneous. Throw caution to the wind. He's nice. And he's got twinkly eyes. I was getting good vibes from him – you know I'm good with first impressions. Look it can't hurt, can it?"

Vince sighed and plopped a few sugars into his drink. "How do you know he's even single? Or gay, for that matter?"

"I asked him."

"You what?!" Vince said, choking on the sip of hot liquid he'd just taken.

Jamie smiled, trying not to laugh at the wide-eyed look on Vince's face. "Not if he was gay, obviously, but I did casually ask if he was single, just, you know, making polite conversation."

"It's not polite to ask someone you don't know about their love life."

"For goodness sake, just come and sit with us." Jamie grabbed a slice of cake from the cabinet, breaking a piece off and shoving it into her mouth as she wandered back over to Howard.

Not having any choice, Vince followed her, all the while glaring at her back.

"You don't mind if Vince joins us, do you?"

Howard looked up at Vince and smiled. Vince felt his heart involuntarily skip a beat.

"Not at all. It's nice to have company, actually – I've been shut away all day trying to write my book."

Vince pulled a chair out and sat down, his hands wrapping around his mug for warmth as a cold rush of air whistled through the gap in the door, rattling it slightly. "Is that why you decided to risk suicide by venturing out in a storm?"

Howard laughed. "Something like that. So, do you work here full time?"

"No, just a few days a week."

"He's got a stall at Spitalfields on Wednesdays and Sundays," Jamie chimed in. "He's gonna be a famous fashion designer."

"Really?" Howard asked, looking genuinely interested.

Vince blushed. "I doubt it. It's just something I enjoy."

"Rubbish. Vince designs all the clothes he sells himself, and he'll customise anything you want. He's really popular."

"Well, you know, I do all right."

Howard smiled his smile again, and Vince couldn't understand the instant effect this man was having on him, how that smile was doing funny things to his insides.

"Is that one of yours?" Howard asked, indicating the purple, almost skin-tight t-shirt Vince was wearing, which was decorated in glittering silver paint splatters.

Vince returned the smile brightly. "Yeah, it is"

"It looks great."

"You should stop by his stall some time," Jamie said, around a mouthful of cake. Vince kicked her under the table, and she responded by digging the heel of her boot into his foot. Howard remained oblivious to this little exchange and he swallowed a mouthful of his tea.

"Perhaps," he replied, politely.

Vince doubted this, only because, in the nicest possible way, Howard's style was nothing like his. He was wearing black trousers with a green polo-neck, and Vince was glad, because Howard was very refined looking, and he had the feeling that drainpipes and bright, hip-skimming t-shirts would just look ridiculous on his broad frame. Not that he'd been studying him that intently, obviously.

"What's your book about?" Vince asked, eager to steer the conversation in another direction.

Howard looked mildly shocked, as if not many people ever bothered to ask him about his work. "It's a thriller, but it still needs a lot of work. My deadline's looming ever closer and it's all getting a bit manic."

The three of them chatted companionably for a while, Vince shaking his head solemnly when Howard revealed his love of jazz, a friendly banter breaking out between them as they argued their points about their tastes in music.

"You know, Howard, after all that work you've been doing, sounds like you need a well-earned break. Fancy coming to my party?"

"Jamie!"

"What? Everyone likes a party. Vince throws the best parties in London. It'll be fun. Please?"

"Well, I..."

Vince fully expected Howard to decline, he wouldn't have blamed him, so what he said next came as somewhat of a surprise.

"...I guess I could take some time off. Sod it – I deserve it. Of course, if it's okay with you, Vince?"

Vince smiled happily "Do you have a pen on you?"

"Oh, um..." Howard patted down his pockets, eventually locating what he was looking for. "Here you go."

Vince took the pen and scribbled his address on a napkin. He pushed it across the table towards Howard. "See you about eight?"

Howard grinned and pocketed the napkin. "Great." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Wow, it's late. I'd best get going." He stood, pulling a face as he slipped on his damp coat. "Urgh. Well, it was nice meeting you both, and I guess I'll see you Friday."

"Awesome. See ya, Howard," Jamie said, giving him a little wave.

Vince got up and walked Howard to the door. "I'm sorry if Jamie was a little forward. She means well. Meeting new people is one of her favourite things. She gets a bit over-enthusiastic."

Howard rocked on his heels slightly, the corners of his mouth tugging up. Vince's stomach flipped again. "Don't worry about it. I've had a good time."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Vince snapped himself out of it and opened the door.

"Be careful getting home."

"You too. Goodnight, Vince."

"Night, Howard."

They shared one last smile, and as Howard disappeared round the corner, Vince turned to his cheeky cousin and stared at her in irritation. Jamie stared back, knowing full well what the look on Vince's face meant. After what seemed like forever, Jamie suddenly bolted across the shop, Vince reacting instantly and chasing after her, running around tables as he tried to catch her.

"You're dead!" Vince yelled, although his faux-seriousness was ruined when he laughed.

"But he so likes you. It's obvious!"

"It's not!" Vince cried, lunging forward, and then swearing as he caught his elbow on the corner of a chair.

Jamie jumped out of his way. "I think you'll find it is."

"Whatever. Go and clear up that mess you made with your cake so we can go home."

As she moved away, Vince couldn't help but grin behind her back.