Okay, longer chapter this time. I've finished writing the story now so I can update as quickly as you guys want. Keep reviewing that's why I keep writing.

Thanks for reading. Sisi xx

Vince came crashing through the door of the flat.

"SHHHHH!" he hissed loudly at the door as he promptly fell over a plant pot. Smash went the table as one of his flailing arms crashed into it breaking it in half.

"SHHHHHHH! You'll wake Howard!" shouted Vince again.

"Vince?" said Howard appearing out of his room rubbing his bleary eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Oh! You woke Howard!" said Vince angrily to the plant.

"Vince, you're drunk."

"No I'm not." said Vince standing up indignantly and then flopping on to the floor in a heap. He began to giggle uncontrollably.

"Vince" sighed Howard walking over to the smaller man and hauling him to the sofa. Vince was still giggling and shushing everything that made even the slightest noise. Howard placed a blanket over Vince and then smiled at him as his eyes closed.

"Howard?" whispered Vince sleepily

"hmm?"

"I love you."

"Night, little man."

The next morning Howard crept quietly into the living room. He looked over to where Vince was just starting to stir. He looked so helpless and pathetic that Howard couldn't help but smile.

"Couldn't be a little quieter could you Howard?" moaned Vince grabbing his head.

"To be honest Vince I'm not sure I can." laughed Howard "Where were you last night?"

"New club in town. It was horrible. I had to do a few songs."

"So, what was horrible?"

"I had to do some songs"

"And what, they didn't like them?"

"Are you kidding? They were lapping it up like thirsty puppy's."

"Sorry Vince, what exactly was the problem?"

"I didn't want to sing."

"You feeling alright."

"Well, I've got a blistering headache and…"

"Apart from the hangover."

"oh yer, I'm fine."

"So why didn't you want to play?"

"I don't know. Didn't feel right."

"Right." said Howard sceptically, going to make them both breakfast. A nice piece of toast and some butter for Howard and a glass of water and a Paracetamol for Vince.

After a few slow and whingeing hours Vince started to feel better. Howard was pleased, he hated Vince being down but if he was honest he quite enjoyed looking after him. Howard would look after Vince for as long as Vince needed. In fact he'd been so pleased to find that Vince had come home alone last night that he would happily do anything for him this morning.

After a while, Vince began to take advantage of Howard's generosity and started to give him more and more obscure demands.

"Howard, can you get me a glass of water?"

"Howard, can you get me a Flirtiny?"

"Howard, can you get me a cactus?"

"Howard, can you get me a sombrero from Mexico?"

"Howard, can you get me a jumbo jet?". Eventually Howard told him to get lost. Vince giggled to himself as Howard stormed off to his room to listen to jazz.

Half an hour later Vince decided to go and cheer Howard up. He went to his room and knocked on the door. Then without waiting for the reply he bounded in. He looked around but Howard wasn't there. He looked around the rest of the house but couldn't see him anywhere. He must have gone out shrugged Vince sitting back down on the sofa. No sooner than he turned the TV on there was a huge cheer from outside. Vince walked over to the window and peered out.

"There he is!" shouted someone from the crowd. "Never mind the old guy, it's Vince Noir! In the window, look." With that they let go of what Vince could see was Howard as he rushed frantically to the door. Vince gave the crowd a tired little wave and then shut the blind turning to see Howard with a ripped jacket and scruffy hair. Vince failed to stifle a laugh and Howard glared at him. Then Vince noticed something more than just anger in Howard's eyes

"Howard? Are you okay?"

"Yes." snapped Howard "I'm fine."

"liar" smiled Vince cheekily "have you been crying?"

"no." choked Howard the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Howard?" Vince gulped reaching out to touch his arm "You can tell me."

"No, Vince. I'm just not feeling very well. I'm going to my room." Vince went to talk but nothing came out. He had no idea what to say and as Howard shut his door Vince could clearly hear Howard crying.

Vince didn't know what to do. Howard was always so strong and stable all the time. What was Vince supposed to do? Then he heard a particularly loud sob from Howard's room and realised he couldn't wait anymore. He knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"Howard?" he called softly. No answer.

"Howard, you okay?" the reply came in the form of a loud sob. Right, that's it thought Vince and he opened the door.

Vince hadn't been sure what he had expected but it certainly wasn't what he saw. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and even longer for him to spot Howard who was hunched in the corner.

"Howard, what's wrong?…Howard? Talk to me."

"I'm lonely Vince."

"What?" asked Vince surprised. Howard didn't get lonely he was alone because he chose to be. Howard turned to look at him, tears in his eyes.

"Vince," he whispered "It's all getting too much for me. I-I… lo…" A loud cheer from outside cut through his words. "Listen to them," he said growing angry "They love you."

"They don't love me." sighed Vince

"They do! They copy your fashion trends. They listen to your songs. They worship the ground you walk on!"

"That's not love! You should no that better than anyone."

"But at least they notice you. No one notices me."

"I notice you."

"You don't count."

"Why not?" asked Vince offended.

"Oh Vince. I just want to be loved."

"I love you."

"No, I mean really loved. I want someone to spend my life with. Someone who's there for me, good times and bad. Someone to hold at night. Someone to hold me. Someone to grow old with. Someone who loves me for me."

"I love you Howard. Always have…always will. Come on, think about it. If I didn't you'd have been long gone. It's not really cool to be seen with a tall jazzy northerner, however hard I try to make it so. Everyone tells me to leave you behind, but I can't Howard. I can't because I love you. And not in the way I love sweets or even Gary Newman. I love you for you. I want to spend my life with you I want everything you just said. And I want you to want it too."

"Vince." Howard said softly "I'm so sorry. I'm not gay."

"b-but…but…" Vince stammered wide eyed and confused "But Scotty said, he was so sure that you were…"

"Sorry. You're my best friend and you always will be but I…"

"So why are you so jealous when I bring girls home, eh?"

"Oh Vince," said Howard sorrowfully "I'm wasn't jealous of them."

"But, you said… he said." sobbed Vince heavily

"Vince. Please don't cry" said Howard reaching out a sympathetic arm.

"Don't touch me!" shouted Vince "Don't you ever touch me. I hate you. It's your fault I feel like this."

"Like what?"

"Lonely."

"But you're always surrounded by people."

"Yer Howard, but without you, surrounded by all those people is the loneliest place in the world." sobbed Vince running out of the bedroom door.

He took off down the stairs and pushed the front door open.

"Look, it's Vince Noir!"

"AHHHHHHH! Vince you're so cool"

"Vince, I want to grow up just like you."

"Vince. Vince. I love you!"

"No you don't" shouted Vince "You don't love me. Nobody does." He pushed through the crowd of people running down the road. Tears ran down his cheeks.

"Vince, come back." shouted Howard out of the window but Vince was to distraught to hear him.