Vince crept up onto the roof and sure enough Howard was there. He was huddled against the chimney sulking just like he had been the night of their first kiss. The thought made Vince shiver slightly, "What are you doing up here, Howard?" he asked sitting down beside him. Howard didn't answer he just flinched as if Vince's voice had hurt him.
"Howard?" Vince asked, touching his arm.
"Don't touch me!" Howard responded.
"What?" Vince asked, touching him again.
"Don't touch me, don't look at me, but most of all don't touch me. Ever again." Howard said.
"That wasn't what you were saying last night" Vince countered grinning.
"Forget about last night"
Vince's cheeky grin slid from his face in an instant. He felt like he'd just been stabbed in the guts. His first instinct told him to lash out back at Howard and get out of here. The stupid northern berk… Then he thought that maybe this had all been a mistake. He felt a sudden longing to return to the simple friendship that they'd had, to once again bury his love for Howard deep inside. But finally, he remembered what Naboo had said. This was it. This was Howard trying to ruin everything. This feeling was just the compulsion to return to normal that Naboo had mentioned. But he was a gifted child. He could stop Howard from ruining their love. He could change this. Vince took a deep breath and turned away from the voices telling him to return to normal, "I'm not going to forget about it Howard and I'm not going to let you forget either."
Howard snorted, "Oh I bet you're not. I bet you've been laughing about it with Naboo and Bollo already. You've gone too far this time, little man"
"Laughing about what with Naboo and Bollo? Howard, please start making sense."
"Laughing at me!" Howard shouted his face twisted in fury and pain.
Suddenly it clicked in Vince's mind, "Wait- you think I seduced you for a joke?"
Howard flinched at the pain of his fear being spoken out loud.
"You think I'm laughing at you for sleeping with me… Oh Howard…you berk…" and suddenly Vince was laughing…
Howard turned away from Vince and muttered, "You're laughing right now"
"Howard," Vince spluttered out amongst his laughter "I…you just…you make me laugh".
Howard looked furious, "Don't be laughing at me now!"
Vince managed to swallow his giggles, "It wasn't a joke, you berk. You really think I'd lick your balls for a joke? I mean, that's not even funny"
Howard shifted uncomfortably, "What was it then?"
Vince grinned, "I'm in love with you, Howard, always have been I think."
Howard frowned, "I don't believe you."
"Oh, Howard- it's me- Vince. Would I lie to you?"
Howard stared Vince down.
Vince laughed, "Ok, fair enough I guess I have lied to you before…But I wouldn't lie about something like this. I'm not lying now. I'm really in love with you and I think you love me too. I think we could be happy."
"I really can't take another joke like this, little man. You are going too far this time," Howard sighed and looked away from Vince, staring out to the skyline instead.
"Look, come down from the rooftop and I'll prove it"
Howard continued to stare at the skyline and ignored Vince's request.
"Howard? Howard? Howard! Howard? Howard!" Vince kept repeating Howard's name in every possible intonation until finally Howard turned back to Vince.
"Alright let's just get the rest of the prank over with. How are you going to prove that you're not lying anyway?"
Vince grinned and started climbing back into the flat, "Don't worry about that. I've got the perfect solution. It's genius."
Howard followed as Vince strode ahead into the lounge room calling out, "Naboo? Naboo? We need your assistance…"
They found Naboo in the lounge room with Bollo getting high. "What do you want?" Naboo asked then he saw Howard behind Vince, "Oh you found him? How are things working out?"
"Ah…still in process. You know that truth potion that you gave me? We need some more of it. Oh," Vince continued turning to Howard, "I was still under the truth potion when I told you I loved you. Naboo explained it to me."
Howard looked questioningly at Naboo.
"Yeah. At first I thought he was joking but he was still affected by the potion"
Howard's tiny eyes darted from Naboo to Vince, "You mean you were…I…I…you'd better not be lying still…"
Naboo said, "Ah, you want to take more truth potion to convince him to believe you."
"Yeah, that's it." Vince replied, "You got any?"
Naboo went into his bedroom and returned with a bottle of bubbly pink potion, "Here you go Vince. It'll only last for a minute this time so Howard have your questions ready."
Vince grinned at Howard, "I won't remember this, Howard. You'd better ask me if I love you, you berk." And with that he downed the potion.
Naboo and Bollo gazed at Howard who was a picture of nervous terror. He looked like a man who couldn't decide if this very moment was the best or the worst of his life. "Howard!" Naboo called out to him, "It is active now. Ask your question you ballbag."
Howard licked his lips and cleared his throat, "I..ah…do, do you love me Vince?"
"Yes"
"I don't mean as a best mate I mean are you in love with me?"
"Yes"
Howard began to weep. As the tears trickled down his face he managed to splutter out, "Why?"
"Why ever not? We're ying and yang. We're the perfect couple. We balance each other out. We make one whole person, together. You are a maverick. My very own man of action. That, and you're well sexy. I've always loved you I think. That's what this has been about all along."
Howard's weeping escalated and he collapsed onto the ground in tears, "Oh, Vince, oh little man…"
Vince giggled slightly and shook his head as if trying to clear it, "Howard, what's wrong? Did you ask the question?"
Howard nodded.
"And?"
Howard took a deep breath and wiped away his tears, "And I love you too."
Vince ran to Howard and gathered him up in his arms. Soon they were kissing fiercely.
"Oh, guys- if you are going to kiss like that go to your bedroom. We don't need to see it." Naboo said.
Howard smiled, "Good idea," and scooped Vince up into his arms. The man of action then took a giggling Vince to his bedroom as fast as he could. Naboo and Bollo soon heard Howard's bedroom door slam and the faint sounds of groaning begin.
Bollo turned to Naboo, "They are really in love?"
"Yes I expect they are," Naboo answered.
"I didn't think we had any truth potion left."
Naboo grinned, "We don't. Fortunately changing the appearance of a liquid and causing a bit of befuddlement and slight memory loss in someone like Vince is very simple magic, Bollo."
"So Vincey didn't just convince Howard that he loved him by taking a truth potion?"
"Not really- that was just lucazade."
