Howard sits at home, waiting. Waiting for what he knows will happen. Waiting for what always happens.
Vince is out, again. He'll be at a club somewhere. He'll be getting drunk, again. He'll come home in a few hours, hardly able to speak, completely incapable of standing up, let alone walking in a straight line.
Howard will be there, like he always is. He'll be there to clean off the makeup, pull off the boots, and lie his friend down in bed.
Howard will be there, watching as Vince sleeps, waiting. Waiting for the inevitable. He'll be there, waiting for when his friend wakes up screaming. He'll be there to comfort him, hold him and chase the nightmares away. He'll always be there, like he always has been.
He'll always be there, and he always will be, because he loves Vince. Vince, of course, will never know. He never can. But Howard will stay there, no matter what, because Vince needs him, and he needs Vince.