Sorry for onslaught of one shots ATM... I'm just soooooooooo bored!
D/C: It's NOT mine!
xx
Vince sat waiting patiently on the end of his bed. He'd already had a shower. He'd already had a shower. He'd done his make up and fixed his hair. Now he just had to wait for cheekbone to tell him what was going to be in for the next three hours. That's what Howard didn't understand. It actually only took Vince twenty minutes to get ready, it was just the hours of waiting for cheekbone to tell him what was cool.
"Cheekbone." growled a ninja.
"Thanks." Vince took it and flicked through the first few pages. His heart stopped and he swallowed thickly. Surely not. He wrapped his pink dressing gown tightly around his shoulders and skulked out into the living room.
"Hey Howard!" he said a little too enthusiastically. The older man looked up from his sudoku and frowned.
"What have you broken?"
"Why would you assume I've broken something?"
"Well, it's either that or you need money."
"No, neither. I just thought you could come out with me tonight."
"What!?" Howard spluttered, putting the puzzle down, getting to his feet and pressing his palm to Vince's forehead.
"Ahh. Get off my hair! What are you doing?"
"Checking to see if you're burning up. I mean, you're clearly ill."
"Shu'up!" grumbled Vince, "I like to go out with you sometimes."
"When?"
"D'you remember that time when erm… oh that was Leory. Oh, oh. What about that roller… no, wait. That was Bollo. Ooo, hang on. The time we… erm…"
"There's isn't one, is there?"
"Ummmm… no." Vince admited. "But I'm trying to correct that. Come on. We're can go to that new jazz club."
"Okay. Now I know something's up."
"Ahh. Don't be silly. Are you gonna go out like that?"
"Why? Is this not fashionable enough for you?"
"No, it's fine." Vince said, quickly. "Give me two minutes and I'll be ready too."
--
Howard had almost finished his puzzle, when Vince returned. His jaw dropped. Vince was wearing brown. BROWN! And nutmeg and a hazel and a roll neck! Okay, so it was fitted and looked decidedly more fashionable than Howard's own attire but it was still brown. Howard almost fainted.
"Ready Howard?"
"I, erm… yeah."
The older man got to his feet stiffly and they walked down the road to the new jazz club.
Howard was grinning like a giddy goat when he opened the entrance saying,
"Now Vince. There's a code of conduct for a jazz club. You can't just whoop and leap about in the middle of the room dancing like money on speed."
"What like them you mean?" Vince asked, pointing to the centre of the room, where hundreds of people were crammed into a tiny space throwing themselves around to the soft jazz. Howard didn't understand. This place was usually vitrually empty.
"VINCE!" cried a couple of people that Howard didn't recognise.
"Hey." grinned Vince, hugging and kissing all of them on the cheek. "Erm, this is my friend Howard."
"Wow." said one girl, with pink hair. As she took Howard's hand quickly and shook it flirtily. "I love your outfit. Where did you get it from?"
"Erm, Primar-"
"It's retro, isn't it Howard?" Vince leapt in quickly.
"Er, is it?" Howard asked.
"Yeah. Howard's had this in his wardrobe since jazz was last cool in the 20's."
"20's! How old do you think I am?!"
But the girl wasn't listening to Howard's protests.
"Wow. Jazz and retro?" the girl gasped, fingering the material in awe. "You know Howard. You can buy be a drink if you want."
"Erm… thanks." he said.
"Howard." Vince hissed in his ear, elbowing him sharply in the small of his back. "Go buy the girl a drink!"
"But I…"
"Just go!"
--
About two and a half hours later, Howard found Vince on the dance floor, swinging his hips slowly to the jazz band.
"Hey." he whispered in the younger man's ear.
"Howard." Vince beamed, wrapping his hands around Howard's neck.
"Don't touch me."
"Oh shoosh! You enjoying yourself?"
"I am actually." Howard said, putting his hands awkwardly on Vince's hips. And he was. He was strolling around being himself and everyone loved him. He'd even been scatting to a crowd of avid listeners earlier and people had cheered when he'd finished. He understood now why Vince enjoyed going out and being popular.
"Good." Vince smiled, grinding against Howard a little to get him to start dancing too. "It's alright this jazz stuff you know."
"Well, this isn't real jazz. This is the soft jazz."
"Maybe you could play me some real jazz when we get home."
"Maybe, little man." Howard said, a jolt of excitement shooting through him.
"Hey Howard." said a girl. "Come and dance with me."
"No… no. Dance with me."
"No. With me." Suddenly, Howard and Vince were surrounded by a load of jazzy girls all wanting Howard to themselves.
"Erm, actually girls. I'm here with Vince tonight."
"See," one girl muttered to the other. "I told you he was gay."
"I'm not…" Howard started but Vince just pressed a finger to his lips.
"Stop talking Howard."
"Why?"
"Just dance, yeah?"
The song was just about coming to and end. Vince reached up on tiptoes and leant forward so their lips were tantalisingly close.
"Kiss me Howard." he whispered. And Howard did. Everything else in the club was forgotten about. The jazz faded to nothing, the peoples' chat disappeared and all that mattered was them and the moment. Howard couldn't believe it. It was like all his dreams had come true at once. Jazz was fashionable and Vince was his.
Suddenly, Vince felt a tap on his shoulder. He pulled away from Howard and found himself faced with a ninja brandishing cheekbone.
"Oh thank god." Vince grinned, taking the magazine and tearing it open. "I knew it." he cried when he found the desired page. He immediately started ripping off his clothes to reveal a astronaut costume underneath.
"Intergalactic-chic is in!" he screamed to all the fickle jazz fans, showing off his outfit. And then, there was panic. People running everywhere, trying find a new outa-space outfit.
"Come on guys! Next club." Vince grinned, bounding away.
"Wait." Howard grabbed his arm. "Can I come with you? What about our jazz evening?"
"Yeah. Jazz isn't in anymore Howard. I'll see you later when I get home. If I get home." he added as a astro-clad girl walked past winking at Vince. "See you Howard."
"Yeah. Bye Harold!" called a few of the girls he'd spoken to earlier as they pushed roughly past him.
And before Howard knew it, he was stood alone in the club watching Vince bounce away with his arm around a girl as they all went on to the next club. He kicked himself for ever thinking it would last.
Jazz never stayed in fashion long.