Vince kept the smile plastered to his face as he crossed the street. Howard and Sebastian were sitting at a table for two and holding hands. Vince could think of a million good reasons. Maybe it was a hand strengthening exorcise for playing the bass.
xxx
He woke up alone - the smell of Howard everywhere - and feeling not quite sore, but very aware that last night had been real. He and Howard had leapt across the physical boundary. Several physical boundaries, in fact. Vince pulled his sheet around him and buried his face in the pillow, not quite ready to wake up and face the day. He wanted to remember every second of the previous night, rehearse every word Howard had said, before his over-active imagination started to interfere and change things around. There couldn't be a better version. Last night had been perfect.
It would have been nice to wake up in Howard's arms (or at least near his arms) but last night had been just right.
Maybe Howard had somewhere really important to go. A jazz emergency.
He snuggled the pillow Howard had slept on and closed his eyes until his phone buzzed again.
It was a text from Sebastian inviting Vince and Howard to a cafe down the street so he could hand over Vince's zoo jacket. The message had been sent over an hour ago.
That answered the "Where's Howard?" question. Howard had crawled out of bed without waking Vince to run down and meet with Sebastian alone. Vince could think of dozens of perfectly good reasons for Howard to do such a thing. Maybe Howard had a bad dream and wanted Sebastian to analyze it. Perhaps Howard was afraid Vince wouldn't be able to resist the call of coffee and would fall back into the grips of addiction like he had that one day when he was in a band.
Maybe Howard wanted to show Sebastian all the things he'd learned about gay sex last night without Vince getting in the way.
Lots of good reasons for Howard to leave Vince's bed to hold hands with Sebastian.
He kept smiling as he approached their table. It didn't matter. Sebastian would go back to America and Howard would sulk and Vince would be there.
Unless Howard followed Sebastian to America.
If that was the case, Sebastian had better be prepared to have Vince sleep on his sofa because he wasn't getting left behind again.
xxx
Sebastian tried to pull his hand back but Howard was gripping it in terror. Damn, the man was so damaged he was nearly non-functional. Sebastian was definitely in love.
Vince was getting closer so Sebastian yanked his hand back, spilling his coffee flavored cream and sugar in the process. He leapt away from the table before it touched his clothes.
"All right?" Vince asked in a friendly tone.
"Yeah! It didn't get me," Sebastian explained, knowing he was speaking too fast and loud, "We need a waitress any way. Vince, you don't look like shit this morning, why don't you try flagging her down? She could give a fuck about me and Howard."
Vince obligingly looked around with a friendly and inviting smile and two waitresses arrived immediately to clean the mess and supply them all with hot beverages. Sebastian ordered more sugary coffee, while Vince and Howard ordered tea. Vince ordered an herbal tea. Starting a day without caffeine? After a night like they'd had? Absurd. Vince must have been powered by sunshine.
When he went to sit down, Sebastian belatedly remembered someone had swiped one of their chairs.
"Here, Vince, you sit here and I'll get back our chair." Why was he talking so loud? Sebastian grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat next to Vince, "We had three chairs but someone stole one. Howard said you wouldn't wake up this morning. You were dreaming about Bryan Ferry? I love Bryan Ferry. Especially, "More than This". I used to sing that song when I'd do the guitar and singing thing."
Sebastian strummed his air guitar, "I could feeeeel at the time, there was no way of knowing..."
Vince and Howard were watching with interest and Sebastian felt suddenly self-conscious. He was a good singer, for a bass player. He'd always had a lot of girls telling him his voice was beautiful. That had before he cared about being a 'good' musician. Everything had been easier when he was just trying to get laid.
Their actual waitress arrived with their order and gave Vince a look up and down.
"Brothers?" she asked, pointing between Sebastian and Vince. Sebastian threw his arm around Vince and pressed their heads together, giving the waitress a flirtatious smile, "Only in spirit and love."
He could feel Howard's little eyes boring into his flesh. He let Vince go and wrapped his hands around his coffee where they would do no more harm. Vince and Howard were carefully not looking at each other and Sebastian felt a responsibility to fix things. He was an American, sticking his twice broken nose in where it didn't belong was part of his make-up. He would fix Vince and Howard, leaving them in great shape like Vietnam or Afghanistan.
"I have your jacket and couple other things I thought might be important."
Sebastian grabbed the bag and pulled out the green jacket. Vince's eyes were hidden by dark glasses but he was biting his lip as he held the lost item. Howard had a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"And there's this jacket with a flyer in the pocket..." Sebastian pulled out the colorful jacket and Vince laughed aloud.
"That's from when Howard fought a kangaroo! That was genius! You can keep the jacket if you like but this flier... Oh, this needs framed."
"What does the T. J. stand for?" Sebastian asked, looking at the flier upside down as he took back the jacket. It was pretty gorgeous.
"Tom and Jerry," responded Howard.
"Thomas Jefferson," Vince said at the same time.
The roommates shared a smile then averted their eyes.
"You guys are so funny with your double act. I would watch a show about the two of you," Sebastian said, trying to break the tension.
Vince smiled, "It would be genius! 'Oward says we 'ave a show, it just ain't showin' yet 'cept to us. When 'e wuz dead, an' 'e come give me a 'aunting - I knew it were 'im cuz 'e made a joke 'bout spendin' the budget on me 'air an' it were such a 'Owardy joke - I knew it weren't from my imagination."
"I understood that whole sentence!" Sebastian exclaimed, "Wait. Did you say when Howard was dead? Was that during the accident?"
Howard shook his head, "No, that was a long story. Just a bit of confusion, it all worked out in the end."
"We 'ad a fun'ral 'n effrefing."
"Vince played Thomas the Tank Engine instead of Blue Train."
Sebastian laughed but a serious look crept across Vince's face.
"Sorry, 'Oward. I couldn't find it, my mind was all confused."
"Wait," Sebastian interrupted, "Was there really a funeral? Is this still shtick?"
"Next time, maybe you can tell my parents, yeah? Be nice to have someone show up at my funeral..."
"I toldju, I wuz upset..."
"Really? Cause you didn't seem fussed at the time..."
"Seriously, was Howard really dead? I'm totally confused."
Vince and Howard were staring at each other. Vince pushed his sunglasses up so reveal his tired eyes, "I made a mess of fings, I'm sorry but I wuz right. It weren't perm'nent. We fixed it wiffout making you a zombie er nuffin'."
"Did you just think Howard was dead but he was missing?" Sebastian asked, desperately trying to make sense of the story.
"No, he wuz dead on the groun' an' I 'ad to do CPR an' effreyfink and go to 'ospital for shock. Deaf is well 'orrible. No wonder me dad was so..." Vince made an expression of dramatic sadness. Sebastian remembered what Howard had said about how little Vince was always trying to cheer up his old man.
Sebastian put his arm around Vince who moved in eagerly for a hug. Howard wasn't even glaring, he just looked saddened by Vince's words.
Vince gripped Sebastian tightly before suddenly pushing him away, "Wot else you got in that bag?"
Vince dug through the bag and laughed and told the story behind the two other jackets and a pair of bondage trousers but went silent when he pulled out a simple black sweater vest. There had been nothing special about the vest but it said Howard Moon on the breast so Sebastian assumed it went with the How? Moon jacket. It hadn't been tailored like the jacket and when Sebastian tried it on, it hung down to his knees. He was a little shorter than Vince but the sweater must have hung off Vince as well.
Vince stared at the sweater, his face unreadable.
Howard leaned forward, "Is that my jumper from school? You were really into the schoolboy look back then, weren't you?"
Vince looked Howard in the eye until the bigger man looked away, "No. You was leaving for the zoo and Tommy. I just wanted some of your fings so... I just wanted to have'em is all."
Howard was staring at his tea, his cheeks flushed.
Sebastian was quiet as long as he could manage - roughly five seconds - before blurting out, "I'm going to sing on Thursday at the Velvet Onion. I haven't sung in front of people since college. The two of you should come. I could use some friendly faces in the audience... I'm sorry. I can't stop talking. Anyway... it was great meeting you guys. Thanks for the pancakes. Sorry I got shitfaced and made out with everyone."
Sebastian nearly fell over standing up.
"What time?" Vince asked.
"What?"
"When are you on? I'll come see you."
Sebastian touched the side of Vince's face, he really was lovely. Then he pulled back awkwardly, "12:35. I know that's odd but that's what Uncle Bob said..."
Sebastian pulled his velveteen jacket around him protectively as Howard and Vince yelled, "What?" in unison.
"12:35?"
"Is Bob Fossil your uncle?" Vince asked, his eyes impossibly wide.
"Yeah," Sebastian admitted as he squirmed in his seat. Uncle Bob was a bit of a touchy subject, "I don't really know the guy. I guess he came to England to avoid the draft even though the war had been over for a decade... Mom says he's special and I need to be nice to him so I'm going to sing and hopefully not suck and Uncle Bob won't have to come at me like a nun sandwich or whatever the fuck... Wait, you know my Uncle Bob?"
Vince and Howard exchanged looks and Howard responded, "Unfortunately."
Vince added, "No offense."
"He's the crazy brother of my estranged d-bag father. We're not exactly close but my mom... I'm just trying to be a good son. To her, not the d-bag. Good-bye, Vince. Howard. I hope things work out. You guys... Howard, I'm pretty sure you have PTSD and you really need a specialist for that but otherwise, you guys are really good together. Bye!"
Sebastian grabbed his bag and ran before he could say another awkward thing.
xxx
Vince watched the American retreat. The beautiful Sebastian Fossil.
"The scary thing is, I can see it. It's the eyes. He's got Fossil's eyes and cheekbones. Remember when he started at the zoo and he was skinnier? He had them cheekbones..."
"Were you the one who found me in the ape enclosure?"
Howard looked so serious, Vince couldn't look him in the eye, "Yeah. Shocker, that. Your week to buy an'all."
Howard tossed some money on the cafe table and stood up. Vince stood as well, clutching his zoo jacket and Killeroo flier. Howard didn't seem in the mood to be teased about nearly shagging a Fossil.
Vince followed Howard in silence to the crosswalk and waited until it was safe-ish to walk. Howard was staring into space and when Vince touched his elbow to prompt him to cross the street, Howard pulled away, "Don't touch... Sorry, Vince. Maybe Sebastian has a point."
"Maybe. You been through a lot, right? I mean the accident and monkey hell and..."
Vince stopped talking when Howard's mouth closed over his. Vince tasted toothpaste and Earl Grey with no sugar. Large hands tangled in Vince's hair and Howard's stubble scratched his skin as the taller man deepened the kiss. Vince grabbed at Howard's Hawaiian shirt as best he could without dropping his flier or jacket and went on tiptoe - unable to get close enough to Howard. He wanted to climb him and set up camp on Mt. Howard and live there forever.
Or at least until Howard realized he was kissing another man in public and retreated in horror.
Howard kept his grip on Vince's hair as he pulled his mouth away and whispered in Vince's ear, "It scares me to love you so much, it always has," before returning lips to Vince's.
A random passerby muttered, "Bloody poofs," and Vince had to wrangle Howard across the street as his mate threatened to rearranged said passerby's entire anatomy. Howard had never learned to fight properly, always being so much bigger than the other kids in school, but he could swear like a champion. Vince laughed as the man went scrambling and the cafe waitresses applauded. The whole scene reminded Vince of when Vince Smith has looked at Howard's gift bookmark and called Vince a poof. Howard had simply stood up and looked down at Smith until the boy wet his trousers and ran. Mr. Passerby was lucky to be leaving with only slightly dampened pants. Howard wasn't coordinated and couldn't throw a punch to save his life but he had crazy eyes and a Cockney Bitch for a best mate. Vince knew how to come at someone from the side, above and below - all at the same time. He was like the Connect Four of cock-punching.