Second update in one weekend! I'm exhausted but proud of myself.
Disclaimer: Boosh is owned by Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding.
The songs Noel and Vince listen to are "Don't You Want Me Baby?" and "Don't You Know I Want You?", both by Human League.
Hawley Arms was a real place (it's been burnt now but this is set before) and I don't own it.
Alexandra is mine.
Notes: As I warned, this chapter contains some weirdness. I hope no-one minds but in case anyone does, I've decided to do what Beechwood0708 did in her "Secret History of Howard Moon"... I've put dashes on either side of the slash scene (it's not explicit or anything, but the pairing is, well, unsual). You don't have to read it, then, if you don't want to. All you need to know is that they got off.
Again, I am not trying to offend anyone, and this is all my imagination. If anyone wants me to up the rating to "M", I will do, just let me know.
I'm not too sure about some of this chapter, but oh well.
This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful beta Lizzi (LixiPixi), for encouraging me to put it up.
Chapter Ten
"Mods do it better"
Naboo and Bollo were exhausted. They'd been travelling around London all day, going into bar after bar (well, Naboo had been going into the bars; he left Bollo outside so no-one would freak out at the presence of a gorilla), asking if anyone had seen Howard and Vince. Well, actually, mainly asking if anyone had seen Vince. Howard had quite a forgettable face.
Now it was late. They were soaring over the glimmering lights of London, and Naboo just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. But the thought of what had happened earlier, and the danger they were all in, spurred him on.
"We gotta keep going, Bollo," he said.
"Bollo not mind," said the gorilla behind him.
Bollo wasn't having a bad time. He had a beer in one hand and a girl he'd picked up outside one of the clubs in the other.
He hoped Naboo wouldn't turn round. Naboo had a strict "no girls on the carpet" policy.
But Naboo seemed too tired.
"Right, where next?" he was muttering to himself, looking at his Shaman Sat-Nav. "Camden…"
"Vince like Camden," Bollo said, as the girl stroked his fur.
"Yeah. Next place is called the Hawley Arms."
They landed a few moments later, with a soft bump, round the side of the bar, near the bins.
"Right," said Naboo, struggling up and straightening his turban. "I'm going in… wait here, Bollo."
"Of course," grunted the gorilla, winking at the girl.
Naboo disappeared down the alleyway.
The bar looked quiet. It was still relatively early, only about nine. Naboo brushed down his robes, drew himself up to his full height, and went inside.
There were people at tables, laughing and chatting together. There were others lounging against the bar, drinking.
Naboo went over to the bar.
As he came up, a few people blinked, and drew backwards, staring.
Trying not to show that he felt quite uncomfortable being stared at like this, Naboo hauled himself up onto a bar stool (he wouldn't be able to see if he stayed on the floor), with as much dignity as he could manage.
There was a girl with very long, black hair turned away from him, making a drink.
Attempting to ignore a group of men who were peering at him unsubtly, Naboo tapped on the bar top. "Excuse me…"
The girl turned round.
Heavily-outlined blue eyes met large brown ones.
There was silence.
Suddenly all the rest of the bar seemed to disappear. It was a bit like being sucked in to listen to someone, but she wasn't saying anything…
Naboo's head whirled. He felt like he'd flown off the ground. More magic? He didn't like this world at all. Strange magic kept happening…
"Hey," said the girl, finally. She was staring at him, her eyes wide.
Her voice was like Siren song. Naboo had heard Sirens in his travels through the universe. Siren song. Maybe even more beautiful…
"Are you a Siren?" he asked. Perhaps he should run away, blow powder at her, before he got hypnotised.
The girl's face split into a beautiful smile. She shook her head slightly. She was still staring at him, but she was looking a little shy now.
She still reminded Naboo of a Siren. He felt giddy, as though he was about to fall over. He wanted to get out of here… but her delicate lips, her ivory skin, her long luscious black hair… and those eyes, with their eyeliner…
"A Seraph, then?"
The girl blushed. "I'm Alexandra."
Alexandra…
Naboo suddenly remembered why he was in this bar.
Who know what sort of creature she was? He couldn't allow himself to be distracted. They were in danger here. He knew nothing about this world. He cleared his throat and attempted to gather his words. "Um, look, I was wondering…"
She blinked, looking slightly surprised. As if it wasn't enough to have two people who looked like television show characters coming in within one week! And this man actually seemed to be dressed as Naboo and everything. Had one of her friends put him up to it? He'd also got in rather fast. Mind you, what he'd said hadn't been sleazy or perverted like a lot of men… in fact, he was clearly intelligent, mentioning ancient Greek stories and angels…
"I'm looking for… I don't know if you've…" He coughed and tried again. "A man, a man who might have come in here –"
Now Alexandra was very confused. "What man?"
"A man – long, dark hair; high cheekbones; blue eyes. Probably wearing something bright and sparkly. Called Vince…"
Alexandra suddenly started.
"Vince? Vince… Noir?"
-----
Next morning.
Vince stirred angelically in his sleep, his dark lashes fluttering against his sculpted cheek bones. He was slightly flushed from being under the warm duvet – and possibly from whatever he'd been dreaming about. His eyes opened and took in the bedroom around them, and Howard, still fast asleep in his own bed. This was a first. Normally Vince slept hours later than Howard did.
Vince stretched a little under the covers, remembering what had happened last night. He shuddered delicately as he thought of those men who had attacked them – but then he thought of Noel stepping in to protect him. And then he thought of himself and Noel on the dance floor…
He didn't want to get too carried away when Howard was in the room, so, to make sure he couldn't, he got out of bed, wrapping his duvet round himself, and went across to Howard's bed. He poked his friend's shoulder. "Morning, Howard."
Howard groaned like an extra in a zombie movie. "Urgh…"
"Alright?" Vince asked, settling himself on the bed.
"No…" Howard moaned.
"What's up?"
"I think… think I'm gonna die…"
Vince suddenly remembered Howard had drunk vodka. "No, Howard, you just got a hangover…"
"Is that another word for a brain tumour? Cos that's what I feel like I've got…" Howard whimpered.
Vince giggled lightly, but he reached out and patted Howard's arm. "Nah. Just means you drank too much."
"Too much what? Cyanide?"
"Vodka, Howard." Vince patted his friend's arm again. "Look, I'll get ya some water…"
He got up off the bed and padded through the bathroom. There were some glasses in there, provided by the hotel. Vince filled one with water and went back into the bedroom. Howard was holding his forehead, looking rather pale. "Thanks…" he mumbled, as Vince reappeared.
Vince helped Howard drink some of the water, and then put the glass carefully on the floor. He settled back on the mattress.
"What happened last night?" Howard asked. He sounded like he was in very serious pain.
"Well, we went out…"
"I remember all that… I remember up to passing out on the club floor…"
"We got you back to the car." Vince hesitated, wondering whether to tell Howard what had happened. He knew the other man would only worry. But he didn't want to feel like he was keeping secrets… "I almost got assaulted by these guys –"
"What?" Howard asked, sounding alarmed.
"– but it was okay, Noel protected me, and then Julian beat 'em up!" Vince's eyes shone as he recounted this.
Howard studied him. "Really?"
"Yeah!" Vince looked down at the jazz maverick. "Howard, I know you're freaked cos they look so like us… and it is a bit weird, I know… but I was thinkin'…"
"You were thinking? You know how to do that?"
"Oi!" Vince gave Howard a playful punch, but he was glad his friend seemed to be recovering slightly. "Yeah, actually. I was thinkin', maybe, in this parallel world or whatever, there's, like, parallel people."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, I mean, like, there's a parallel each one of us. So Noel's like the parallel me, and Julian's the parallel you… and there'll be a parallel Naboo and a parallel Bollo somewhere, and parallel everyone else too!"
Howard was about to make a cutting comment, and then realised that Vince's idea was actually quite good.
"Did you come up with that on your own?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Vince grinned.
"You know," Howard said, "Perhaps you're right… so they're like us but they're different, because they're from another world…"
"Yeah!"
"I think you're onto something, little man."
Vince grinned.
"Just as long as we don't meet a parallel Bob Fossil…"
Vince laughed.
-----
Next door, Julian woke up to see Noel standing by the window, muttering, "Fuck…"
"What?" he asked.
Noel turned round. "Oh, you're awake…"
"Fuck what?" Julian asked, pushing his hair back off his face, feeling, as usual, slightly shoddy next to glamorous, made-up Noel. Now, he normally wouldn't bother to ask what was bothering him. But after last night…
Night, Ju.
"Fuck what?" he asked again.
"Nothin'."
"Oh, come on. What is it?"
"It's nothin' to do with you," Noel snapped.
Julian rolled his eyes. Did he dream what Noel had said last night? "Did you just realise that you spent the whole of yesterday evening in a club practically getting off with yourself?"
"You shut it!" Noel snarled. Then he sighed. "No," he said, probably because he wanted to stop Julian asking questions more than anything else, "I just remembered that show I'm meant to do… I forgot all about it cos of all this crap…"
"What show?"
Noel flapped something he was holding at Julian. A flyer.
"Ah," said Julian, seeing what it said. "Another pretty man for you to make out with."
Noel pulled a face.
"At least he isn't you this time."
"Fuck off, you're just jealous," Noel growled, and stalked out of the room.
Julian sighed and rolled over and looked at the ceiling.
The bitch, it seemed, was back.
But…
Night, Ju.
-----
Howard seemed to be in a better mood that day.
Once he'd finally got up and had been plied with painkillers by Vince, that was.
He sat on the sofa next to his electro friend, at first looking a bit like a rabbit about to be eaten by a fox – but at least he was out of the room – but gradually he got more talkative.
He and Julian started chatting about jazz again.
Vince watched them, almost wistfully. He knew nothing about jazz so he couldn't join in the chat. From what he could work out, Julian was telling Howard about some jazz club in London.
Noel had only appeared for breakfast (in the room, as usual – they didn't risk going downstairs to eat). Then he'd gone back to his room, muttering about phone calls. Now it was almost lunchtime and he still hadn't reappeared.
Vince missed him.
He missed his face, his soft-looking hair, his smile and his laugh…
Vince thought about last night.
How he and Noel had danced.
How it had felt so… so… so like nothing he'd ever felt before.
Maybe Noel didn't feel like that.
But, just as he was thinking this, the door rattled, and Noel came in.
Vince almost leapt up off the sofa – but Noel wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Julian.
"Julian."
Julian looked round. "I'm kinda busy at the moment, Noel."
"Julian, it's important."
Julian groaned. He was such a pushover. Noel said, "Jump." Julian jumped.
He got up off the sofa, telling Howard he'd be back in a minute. Howard was okay, actually. Julian had thought he was a bit boring.
Sad, he thought, when he's me. That must mean everyone who knows me thinks I'm boring. If you met yourself and were bored by him, it was a sure sign something was wrong with you.
Noel was holding the bedroom door open. He wanted them to go out into the corridor. Julian stalked out and Noel followed, shutting the door behind them.
"What do you want?" Julian asked.
"Look," Noel said, "This show. I can't get out of doing it. It's for charity. They say I've been listed on the bill and people have booked to see me –"
"Not just you," Julian reminded him.
"Me and everyone else." Noel glared. "They say people will want their money back if I'm not there, and obviously they can't have that, cos it's for charity…"
"So what's the problem?"
"It's tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Julian yelped. "And you only just thought about it now?"
"I told you, I forgot! But will it be okay, for you to stay here with Howard and Vince, if I go tomorrow evening?"
Julian sighed, and nodded. "Yes, all right – I'll baby-sit."
To his surprise, Noel suddenly laughed. "It did sound a bit like they're our kids, didn't it?"
"Yeah." Julian smiled at Noel, and Noel smiled rather tentatively back.
Night, Ju.
-----
"Vince!"
"Whoa, Howard!" Vince spun round. He'd only come into the bedroom to re-do his hair. "What're you following me for? You sneakin' up on me, hopin' to see me naked…?"
"Julian wants to go out!"
"What?" Vince was totally confused.
"He wants us to go out – me and him, I mean – he wants us to go to that jazz club he was telling me about!"
"Oh!" Vince grinned. "You should go!"
Howard bit his lip.
"What? You love jazz!"
"Yes, I know, but…"
"Don't you like him?"
"It's not that…"
"C'mon, Howard! They're okay! I know they freak you out but they really are okay, honest. Julian, he beat up those guys last night, I told you."
Howard still didn't look happy.
"This is why you have no friends!" Vince said.
"How dare you?" Howard said. "I do have friends!"
"You got me," Vince said. "I mean, of course, I count for more than one, but…"
"I don't want to leave you on your own, if you must know!" Howard snapped, going red.
Vince blinked, thrown off-beat.
Howard was turning even redder.
"But…" Vince said eventually. "I won't be on my own… I'll be with Noel…" He tailed off a little as the full meaning of this took weight, and his stomach turned over.
Howard was looking at him. Vince guessed what he was worried about.
"Howard, what d'you think we're gonna do? Make out rampantly all over the sofa?"
"Vince…"
"Well, of course," Vince said, smiling, "We might. Mods do it better, you know, and as there's two of us…"
"Vince, please!"
"Howard, I'm jokin'!" Vince thought he was joking. "It'll be fine! Go!"
Howard swallowed hard.
-----
That evening.
"Remind me again why you suggested this little trip?" Julian muttered to Noel.
"Cos he's terrified," Noel said. "And if they're gonna sit tight with you tomorrow night, I really think it's better if he gets used to you."
"Yeah, yeah," Julian sighed, "But still… suppose someone notices?"
"Ju – Julian, they won't notice. They didn't yesterday." There it went again, the nickname. Noel cursed himself silently. Fortunately, again, Julian didn't seem to have noticed. And at that moment, Howard and Vince appeared.
"Alright?" Vince said, grinning.
Julian, feeling nastily as though he was going on a date – with himself – turned to Howard and said, "Ready?"
"Yeah," Howard said, looking as uncomfortable as Julian felt.
"Have fun," Noel said, smiling.
"Noel…" Julian muttered. "Don't…"
"What?"
"Never mind."
"Bye, then!" Noel tried to get them out of the door. And, after about five minutes, Julian and Howard were gone.
--------------------------
"Thought they'd never leave," Noel sighed, as the door closed.
He turned back to Vince, who was smiling at him – but not his usual huge grin. Now he looked a little shy. He reached up and curled a strand of his silky black hair round one of his fingers. He blinked, like he'd made the decision to do it: momentarily shutting off the light from his big blue eyes with his sooty lashes…
"Let's do something," Noel said, thinking this staring at Vince in silence had gone on too long. He didn't really trust himself. He wiped his hands on his trousers – just because, not because he was sweating, of course – and stood up.
"'Kay," Vince said. He looked at Noel expectantly.
Great. Now he had to think of something for them to do. This was difficult, when Noel's mind was only screaming one thing…
Vince ran his hand down over his hair self-consciously, his coy little smile flickering, as though he might break into his usual cheeky grin at any moment. The tension of waiting was almost unbearable. Noel swallowed – and then watched as Vince's big eyes suddenly got bigger. "My hair's gone wavy!"
"No, it hasn't." Vince's hair looked perfect.
"It has, at the back – I can feel. Look!" Vince turned round. He was right, one bit of his hair had un-straightened itself a little. "Yeah, you need to go over it with the straightners or something," Noel said.
Vince sighed. "It's at the back so it's always so awkward…"
"I'll do it!" Noel didn't know where that came from, but it was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Instantly he wanted to take it back. He didn't trust himself with Vince's perfect hair – even though it was kind of his hair – he still didn't trust himself not to mess it up. Vince's hair was very beautiful – and anyway, he'd have to touch those shiny, black strands…
But Vince was smiling again. "'Kay," he said, like he wasn't really bothered, but his blue eyes twinkled.
There was a short silence.
"Can we play some music?" Vince asked.
"What?" Noel asked, jerking himself back to vague levels of awareness.
"Can we play some music?"
"Oh. Yeah. I'll plug my iPod in the stereo… you get the, um, the…"
"Straightners."
"Yeah. Those."
"Okay." Vince skipped off towards the door to get the straightners from Noel's room, while Noel cursed all the things he could think of to curse that he'd got into this situation and set about plugging his iPod into the stereo. Maybe this staying with Vince hadn't been such a good idea after all. He should have thought about it before. You idiot, he thought. What had he been hoping would happen? What? What?
Vince came dancing back in just as he put on some music. A familiar beat filled the room.
"Human League!" Vince said happily.
Noel grinned, too the straightners from Vince and went to plug them in.
"You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, when I met you…"
"We can play decent stuff without those jazz idiots around," Vince said, going to sit down on the sofa.
"Yeah."
"Though Julian, he likes Gary Numan…" Vince shook his head wonderingly, still struggling to believe that someone who looked like Howard could like anything as cool as Gary Numan.
Noel chuckled a bit at his expression.
"Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet, success has been so easy for you…"
Suddenly, he thought about Julian properly. This was the longest amount of time they'd spent together in quite some time. A month? Two months? Longer? How long had this all been going on for? Noel couldn't remember. It felt like forever.
"Don't, don't you want me? You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me. Don't, don't you want me? You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me…"
But at the same time, it really didn't. Noel could remember what it was like before as clearly as if it was yesterday.
And talking of yesterday, when he'd used the old nickname yesterday, and again today… it had almost – it had felt so… so natural.
"It's much too late to find, you think you change your mind, you'd better change it back or we will both be sorry…"
"Let's listen to something else," Noel said, leaping up.
"What? I thought you liked Human League," Vince said, looking confused.
"Yeah…" Noel struggled for a reason. "This song's so commercial, though. Everyone knows it." He flicked forward a few tracks.
Vince recognised the drum beat and grinned, nodding his head.
"It's a beautiful night, the cold breeze in the air…"
"Genius," Vince said.
Their eyes met. They didn't smile this time. Noel could almost see the sparks between Vince's lashes…
"I've got one thing to say to you (I guess you just don't realise), when you see me look at you (There's more than friendship in my eyes)"
"I guess those straightners are warmed up by now," Noel said, hurrying across the room.
Vince leant his head back on the sofa and put his hand under his hair. The back of his neck was hot. He trailed his other hand on the carpet, trying to remind himself the earth was still there. His fingers touched something and he brought it up.
"Hey, you doin' a show?"
Noel, who had been looking at the straightners, turned. Vince was holding up that flyer he'd shown Julian earlier. It must have fallen out of Noel's pocket. "Oh, yeah. Tomorrow night."
"So you won't be here tomorrow night?"
"No, sorry," Noel said, wanting to turn away from those big blue eyes that seemed to be trapping him, pinning him where he was crouched by the straightners.
"Oh," Vince said softly.
"Don't you know I want you? Don't you know I want you?"
"The straightners are ready!" Noel said, too loudly. He leapt up and brought them over.
Vince's stomach was starting to knot up and he wasn't entirely sure why. Noel sat down on the sofa next to him, making it dip towards his weight. He held the straightners in one hand. Vince saw him swallow. "Right. Turn round then." His tongue played on his lips, nervously.
Vince could only look at him for another few seconds.
Then he darted forwards and kissed him quickly on the mouth.
For a few seconds there was total silence. Vince moved his lips away but their faces were still close, so close their noses touched and their eyelashes almost got tangled together as they blinked. Noel looked at Vince rather blearily, eyes not entirely focusing. He took one breath, another breath…
Then he dropped the straightners with a clunk on the floor and his fingers dug into Vince's face, and his lips went over Vince's, and they were soft but they didn't feel soft, because the kiss was hot and wet and gasping, and Noel's tongue went into his mouth… Vince wondered if his head was going to explode, but he didn't care, and if it did he only had a few moments left to enjoy himself, so he kissed Noel back as hard as he could. Noel's chest came down on top of his as he pushed Vince back against the arm of the sofa, which was hard against Vince's back in a way that just made this more exciting. Vince let his tongue slide over Noel's and Noel gasped, hesitating for a moment, and then his hands seized the collar of Vince's shirt, their bodies twisting against each other as they gasped and trembled. Vince's hand got under Noel's shirt and his nails scraped down Noel's back, lower, lower…
Noel pulled back for a moment and looked down at the man underneath him. Vince's hair was rumpled, the layers falling over each other untidily, but still sexily. His eyes were slightly wild and his mouth was redder usual and wet. He looked up at Noel, breath rushing in and out. He reached up and pushed Noel's fringe back from his forehead.
"'Kay?"
"Wow," was all Noel could say.
Vince sat up a little. His nose bumped against Noel's affectionately. He put his hands behind Noel's head and he started kissing him again, properly, one kiss, another, down over his jaw, another kiss on his mouth… Noel could almost here that stupid music they'd played on the TV show… was this how Howard had felt? Or was it Julian? He was confused and it was hard to think straight with Vince's lithe body pressed up against his, one leg twining round his…
"What 'bout your hair?" he asked, against Vince's mouth, his words humming a little because of the closeness.
Vince gave a faint giggle. "It's all mucked up now anyway, innit?"
They sat close together in silence for a second.
"You can do it anyway, if you want…"
Noel felt for the straightners on the floor. They'd heated up quite a lot since he'd dropped them, so the heat went through into his hand. "Come on, then…"
Vince turned round, shifting back up against Noel, sitting half on his lap and half between his legs. Noel swallowed and tried to focus – but he couldn't stop himself pressing his mouth against the back of Vince's neck. He heard Vince laugh again, softly.
They sat close together in silence for a second.
"You can do it anyway, if you want…"
Noel felt for the straightners on the floor. They'd heated up quite a lot since he'd dropped them, so the heat went through into his hand. "Come on, then…"
Vince turned round, shifting back up against Noel, sitting half on his lap and half between his legs. Noel swallowed and tried to focus – but he couldn't stop himself pressing his body closer to Vince's, his mouth against the back of Vince's neck. He heard Vince laugh again, softly.
He put his hand in the silky strands of Vince's hair and closed the straightners around it. Vince leant back against him. Noel pulled the straightners down through his hair – and then stopped. Vince's head was against his shoulder. He ran his fingers over Vince's hair, stroking it. Vince wriggled eve closer, right up against him, making a faint purring sound.
"Y'know, I think your hair's fine…" he muttered, voice slightly lowered.
"Mmm…" Vince tilted his head up, eyes fluttering shut, and Noel kissed him. One kiss. But one kiss became another kiss, and another kiss – Vince brought his hand up to Noel's face, holding them together – and another kiss – Vince turned round properly to face him, and lay against him, kissing Noel's neck… Noel's hands slipped under Vince's shirt and found his stomach and stroked it. Nice stomach… Noel had forgotten it was his own. Vince smiled and kissed him again…
--------------------------
There was a sudden crash, and they both jumped and almost fell off the sofa in a tangle of limbs.
The door of the hotel room had burst open, and Howard staggered through it, eyes wide, hair all over the place, clutching something in his hand. Julian rushed in behind him, looking panicked.
"Vince!" Howard shouted – and then saw the two men on the sofa.
"Get away from him!" he yelled, rushing over and seizing Noel's arms, dragging him off the sofa, away from Vince.
"Get off me!" Noel struggled away, on his knees, on the carpet.
"Howard, what the hell are you doin'?" Vince asked, struggling up into a sitting position, his lips slightly swollen.
"What are you doing?" Howard yelped back. "With – with – oh God, Vince."
"It's none of your business!" Vince snapped, red in the face.
"Oh yes, it is," Howard said.
"What are you on about?"
Howard threw something down in front of Vince. "That's what I'm on about," he snarled.
Vince peered at what Howard had thrown down in front of him.
Julian was staring at Noel.
Noel glared at him, and then crawled towards Vince. "What is it –? " and then he saw what it was.
Vince was holding a DVD case, peering at it. It was purple. The words "The Mighty Boosh 3" were visible on the front cover.
Vince's eyes widened.
"Oh my God…" Noel muttered. He glanced quickly at Julian, who was looking helpless. Howard was clutching his hair. "You see now? You see now, Vince?" he said.
"I'm on TV!" said Vince suddenly. His face split into a huge grin, and he waved the DVD case at Noel. "Noel, look, I'm on TV!"
"Vince!" Howard exploded.
But even Vince seemed to have realised there was something wrong. He was frowning again. "But… how… how am I on TV…?" He flipped the DVD case over.
There was silence while Vince's eyes darted along the lines of text on the back.
Then he looked up. His eyes were suddenly very huge and confused.
"Now do you get it?" Howard growled.
But Vince didn't look at Howard. He looked at Noel. "Noel… Noel, why does it say… why are our names listed together like that? Noel?"
Noel didn't reply. He didn't know how to reply.
Howard, completely sick of Vince's constant bleating of "Noel, Noel", and wanting to get Vince away from both of these men, seized his friend by the wrist and pulled him up off the sofa. "Come on, Vince, we're leaving."
"No!" Julian sprang forwards at that. "No, you can't! You can't walk around; what if someone sees –?"
"What? Sees your television characters in the street?" Howard shouted, holding Vince behind him. Vince clutched Howard's arm, looking frightened.
"Julian, what did you do?" Noel yelled.
"We were early to the jazz club," Julian growled. "I thought maybe we'd go into HMV, look at some CDs… big mistake; they had that on this stand…"
"Oh yeah, big mistake."
"Vince, come on."
"Noel, do something!" Julian cried.
"Vince – don't go," Noel said, stepping towards Vince.
Vince hesitated.
For a horrible moment, Howard thought he was going to go back to Noel.
But then Vince's eyes went back to the DVD, still lying on the sofa.
He grasped Howard's wrist. Howard nodded, rather triumphantly – and pulled Vince out of the door after him. Neither of them looked back. The door banged.
"Oh, Jesus Christ," Julian groaned. He looked at Noel. "And what the hell were you doing, rolling all over the sofa with – Noel? Noel, are you all right?"
Noel didn't answer. He was staring at the door where Vince had disappeared.
Teehee. Thanks for reading.
Once again, if you want me to up the rating, I will!
violence x