Hi! Sorry this took so long! Hopefully everyone likes it! Thanks to Stars of Andromeda for picking up a tiny mistake in the first chapter :)
Disclaimer: See the last chapter's disclaimer
At about 6 in the evening, Howard decided it was time to check on Vince. He crept down the corridor and opened the door gently. To his surprise, Vince was awake, but he was curled up on Howard's bed again.
"Hey little man, you awake?"
Stupid question…
Vince nodded morosely, staring down at the duvet and fiddling with the worn down corner of it.
"What?" Howard asked, feeling slightly concerned.
"I just, feel kinda...well, stupid" Vince mumbled half to Howard and half to the duvet. Howard was genuinely shocked. Vince wasn't exactly the brightest trumpet reed (A/N I was thinking of saxophones, I don't know whether or not trumpets have reeds) but he wouldn't call him stupid. Anyway, Vince never felt he was stupid. Especially in these circumstances, 3 year olds don't feel stupid do they?
"Er, why?"
"'Cause I ate that jelly, 'cause I'm acting like this, 'cause you rocked me to sleep..."
"Vince there is no reason for you to feel stupid ok? Just... wait, you shouldn't feel stupid about that stuff at all, 3 year olds don't"
Vince looked down, slightly pink in the face,
"Well, I just don't want you to laugh at me, so I'm trying not to do all this stuff that I actually want to...". Howard was wide eyed and thinking hard. Was Vince resisting whatever power that jelly had in it? He obviously wasn't a shaman, but he didn't think that was a good thing. As well as that, he was a bit touched that Vince cared what he thought of him. His eyes going back to normal (For him) size, he went, again, to sit on the bed next to Vince and put his arms around the younger man.
"Look Vince, I would never laugh at something like this, I mean, you can't help it can you? And plus, just relax and do the things you want, I don't think it's safe to resist it"
Vince looked up at Howard, smiling and his eyes bigger and bluer than ever before. Howard had to smile back, and said,
"Well, do you want some tea? It's," Howard had a quick look at his watch, "Quarter past six" He finished.
Vince nodded and asked, in quite a childish voice, (At least he isn't resisting it Howard thought) "What is there?"
Howard thought for a moment before answering, "Actually, I don't think we have that much, I can make you a sandwich, or cheese on toast?" Vince grinned and nodded his head so much Howard thought it might fall off.
"Right, come on then, you can grate some cheese if you want" Howard marvelled at how bright Vince's eyes were when he smiled. Howard walked out of the room and signalled for his younger friend to follow. He was surprised when Vince crept next to him shyly and clutched at his hand as they walked to the kitchen.
"Howard, can I put the cheese on it? Please!?"
Howard chuckled at how excited Vince sounded at the thought of something as simple as making cheese on toast. Well he thought wryly he is like that normally, maybe this won't be that difficult.
About fifteen minutes later, they were both tucking into huge slices of cheese on toast (Well, more like toast on cheese, as Vince went overboard on grating). Howard was examining the way Vince was trying to cut his slice up, inwardly laughing at the crumbs flying everywhere. He stopped as soon as Vince looked over, looking slightly guilty, but pleading. Howard immediately responded and cut the slices up into strips with his knife and fork. Vince beamed at him and set to work.
--
They were both sat on the sofa later, Howard putting on an old disney video. He watched Vince giggle at some parts in it and thought that he could probably manage this. Vince was like this normally. Just a little more childlike. He would be fine.
The video finished and Vince looked over at Howard.
"Hoowwaaarrdddd..." The man in question rolled his eyes and looked over. Vince smiled at him manipulatively. "Can we play hide 'n seek?"
Howard laughed a little, but quickly stopped as Vince was looking at him with hurt in his eyes.
"What? Did I do something wrong?" Howard cursed himself silently
"No little man, it's just..." He looked around, trying to find a reason for the laughter, but caught sight of the clock
"It's half eight Vince, I think you should go to bed" He rolled his eyes as his friend furrowed his eyebrows
"But I'm not tired!" He half yelled. As soon as he said that a sly yawn found it's way out of his mouth. He looked betrayed and instantly closed his mouth.
"Of course not," Howard sighed, there was no other way. He would have to use bribery. "Tell you what, if you go to bed now, tommorrow, I'll get a cake or something for lunch, ok?"
Vince grinned for what seemed the hundredth time that night. "Ok" he simply said happily, and insisted on holding Howard's hand down to the room. He didn't mind in the least that Howard was in the room while he was getting his pyjamas on. However, Howard minded a bit and busied himself with sorting and resorting his duvet cover.
"Finished!" Vince laughed triumphantly, and Howard turned to find him stood there, forever smiling, waiting for the next instruction.
"Well done," Howard praised him, making the younger man glow, "Ok, get into bed, and I'll see you in the morning". He turned to go, but heard a small,
"Ohh...". He turned back again to see Vince sat in his bed with an odd look on his face.
"Are you ok Vince?" Howard asked, losing patience a tiny bit.
"There isn't a nightlight". Howard's eyes made the shape of a normal person's, all of his impatience and slight anger vanishing.
"Well, erm...no there isn't. Ok, as well as cake, tommorrow we'll buy a nightlight. In the mean time, I'll leave the door open and keep the light in the hall on, ok?"
Vince gave a small smile and nodded again. But before Howard even had a chance to turn around this time, he blurted out,
"Will you read me a story?". Howard smiled. Vince like this was just so cute. He agreed, but remembered that Vince didn't even have any books, and the only ones he had were about jazz, and he was sure, even as a three year old, Vince wouldn't like that.
"Actually Vince, we don't have any good stories, so how about we buy one of them as well?"
Vince was too tired to argue or add anything this time, so he just smiled and lay down. True to his word, Howard left the room, but kept the door open slightly open, with the corridor light on.
With nothing else to do, he decided to call Naboo and ask him how it was going. The phone rang for quite a while, and just as Howard was about to hang up, Naboo answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Naboo, it's Howard, have you found it yet?"
"Er, yeah, bit of a problem.." Howard's heart plummeted but he tried to sound casual.
"What's wrong? You can still get it can't you?"
"Yeah, but it has to be made at a specific time in a specific place on Xooberon"
"What are these specific times?"
"Next time I can make it is in a week"
"A week?! Naboo, didn't you have some from when we drank some of the water?"
"Yeah but I had to use all of it, you jerk-off". Howard exhaled tiredly and replied,
"Fine, just hurry back here will you?"
"Look I'll try, but it might take a while to find the right ingredients. By the way, how is Vince?"
"He's fine, he's in bed"
"Right well I'll see you later then"
Naboo put the phone down and Howard sat down on the sofa. It didn't really matter, did it? He survived tonight, he could surely survive a week. It's not as if he had any plans was it? He sat on the sofa, wrapped in his own thoughts until half eleven, when he deemed it safe to go into the bedroom without waking his friend. Said friend was curled up under the duvet, just his hair showing over the top of it. Howard got into bed and was about to close the door, but remembered Vince's fears. He sighed and left it open. He couldn't stand light in the room while he was trying to sleep.
This was going to be a long night.
Woop! I did it! Please review! Sorry if you don't think it was worth waiting for :s
There we have it, a week with little Vince :) If you have any ideas of what you think should go in that week, message me or add it in your review :)