Vince sat, crossed legged, elbow on knee, head resting on his hand. He'd never been so bored at a party in his life. He blew his fringe out of his eyes and sighed heavily. Next to him, Howard slumped right back in his seat with a whiskey in his hand, sipping it slowly. He wished he was anywhere else but here. He hated parties, he had no idea how Vince ever managed to convince him to go to them. Well, in this he hadn't taken much persuading. The thought of Vince alone with that obnoxious Chad character had been enough. Howard didn't want to be one of those weird possessive boyfriends but he couldn't help it. He'd been hurt in the past and he loved Vince too much. He could stomach the thought of losing him.

He glanced at the thoroughly bored younger man, who was watching everyone else dancing and having fun longingly. He'd asked Howard to dance three or four times but the older man had refused, claiming that dancing was for drunkards, idiots and the sexually deprived.

"I love dancing." Vince had mumbled in protest.

"Well…" said Howard noncommittally.

"You're so boring!" Vince sighed loudly and downed his third drink. "I need another one."

"No you don't."

"I do." hiccoughed Vince, getting laboriously to his feet and strolling confidently to the bar.

Howard watched on as every set of eyes in the room were drawn to his boyfriend. He watched as the man behind the bar flirted shamelessly with Vince, who's only response was to grin and wink. As the barman went off to mix his drink, a girl came over and whispered seductively in his ear. Howard watched as Vince shook his head at her and then pointed in Howard's direction. The older man, embarrassed at being caught staring gave a self-conscious little wave, which made Vince laugh lovingly. The girl talked some more, presumably trying to persuade Vince he could do better but he wasn't having any of it and eventually she gave up and tried her luck with a different (slightly less famous) rock star. The barman returned a moment later with a bright purple drink for Vince. He was just about to get out some money, when Chad stepped in and paid for him.

Howard watched Vince say "Thank you." with a kiss on the cheek and inside him, the jealousy bubbled up threateningly but he squashed it with memories of Vince telling him he was the one and other moments like that. He'd just about managed to get rid of the envy when Vince returned with Chad in tow.

"Hey Harold." drawled the American.

"Howard." The moustached man corrected him.

"Yeah, whatever." he turned to Vince "This party rocks!"

"Does it?" Vince asked, draping himself over Howard.

"Yeah! The music's brilliant and the atmosphere on the dance floor is incredible! I ain't seen you up there much though Vince. What's up?""Got no one to dance with." he shrugged, glancing moodily at Howard.

"I'll dance with ya." grinned Chad. "If that's okay with you Howard?"

"What?" The man, who'd just been daydreaming, in a feeble attempt to block out Chad's grating voice, asked on hearing his name.

"Can I dance with Vince?" repeated Chad as though he were speaking to a particularly stupid person.

Howard wanted to say 'No, get away from him. Find your own guy to drool all over.' But he knew he couldn't stop Vince from doing anything. So he just shrugged and mumbled something about it being a free country. Vince beamed up at his boyfriend and kissed him gently on the cheek, whispering "Thanks Howard.". Then he smiled at Chad and said,

"You don't have to ask him anyway. I ain't his bitch."

"Nah. You're my bitch." joked Chad, tapping Vince's arse as the two walked towards the dance floor.

Howard gritted his teeth angrily, watching as Vince danced gorgeously. Arms in the air. Head thrown back. Sending out mixed signals of innocence and debauchery. Howard had never noticed before but Vince danced rather like a girl. He just let go and let the music take him, swinging his hips. None of this awkward man on a dance floor routine, where they haven't got a clue or are trying to emulate a favourite brake dance move. No, Vince did his own thing and, in the spotlights, the rock star seemed to be positively glowing. He revelled in the attention that he was drawing from the others in the room. Howard noted moodily that this was the happiest he'd seen Vince for a while.

After a few moments, the American began to dance in sync with Vince and the older man could neither watch, nor take his eyes off the ridiculous display they were making of themselves. He knew that he was shooting daggers at Chad, as the good looking American span Vince around but he wasn't going to try and hide it. He was angry as hell and he didn't care who knew. The worst thing was, he really didn't have the right to be. After all, he had given his 'permission' for this wanton display to go ahead.

The song ended and Vince looked ecstatic as T-Rex's '20th Century Boy' screamed through the speakers. Howard wished he was up there with Vince now claiming him as his own, being part of the thing that made Vince so happy but he knew he danced like a dad at a wedding and he didn't want to embarrass Vince. The rock star had always insisted that Howard could never embarrass him, no matter how bad his dancing was but Howard didn't want to risk it. Not whilst the Sword of Damocles hand perilously over their relationship.

Vince chose that moment to beckon sexily to Howard but the older man shook his head gently, feeling like a sullen parent being nagged to play by an excitable child.

'Please' mouthed Vince pouting slightly, only reinforcing his childishness.

Howard shook his head again and Vince visibly sighed and rolling his eyes he returned to dancing with Chad.

After a couple more songs, Howard began to shift uncomfortably, all too aware that Chad was pressing closer and closer to Vince. He'd watched in pride, when Vince had pushed him away the first few times but now Chad's advancements seemed to be working.

'Oh, maybe not.' the jealous man chuckled to himself, as Vince slapped the American's wandering hands away, half playfully, half seriously. Chad wasn't to be deterred. He kept dancing closer and closer, until he was close enough to grind his hips provocatively against Vince. The rock star pushed him away angrily and was just about to tell the American he'd crossed the line when Howard stepped in and flattened him with one simple fist to the face.

Chad hit the floor with a crash. The music stopped. The room fell silent everyone turned to look at the red faced, moustached man, standing menacingly over the bloody nosed drummer. Then their gazes turned to an embarrassed looking Vince Noir who was glaring at Howard, hissing venomously,

"What the hell are you doing?"

"He was all over you."

"Yeah, I know but it was fine. I could handle him."

"I'm sure you'd have loved to handle him."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means!"

"We were just dancing!"

"That was not 'just dancing'! That was sex with clothes on. It was embarrassing. He was practically drooling over you and you were acting like a slut! Inviting him on."

Vince almost died of embarrassment. He couldn't believe Howard was doing this in public. He was usually so guarded about everything, banging on about how he liked his privacy but now he was inviting everyone to watch them during one of their most intimate rows.

"I wasn't acting like a slut. You're just paranoid wanker." Vince hissed, trying to stop everyone from hearing.

"Oh typical! You're sticking up for him!" Howard bellowed.

"I'm not sticking up for anyone Howard." Vince soothed "You're being unreasonable."

"You decided to dance with some American playboy instead of me. You're a slag!"

"What are you talking about? I'd have danced with you but you said you didn't like people looking at you. That was a lie though, wasn't it? I mean look at this stunt you've pulled." Vince pointed at Chad, who was being helped up by a couple of people. "Now everyone's looking at you Howard! I hope you're happy!" Then, he became suddenly serious. He stopped shouting and said, "You say you don't want to embarrass me but I've never been more embarrassed in my life than I am right now."

Howard glanced around and realised in horror that the younger man was right. What was he doing? Why had he destroyed their evening for the sake of satisfying the jealous monster in his brain that had been urging him on? He wanted to disappear into the floor. He wanted to be anywhere but in the middle of this dance floor. In the middle of this crowd. Vince with look in his eye that said he'd never been so disappointed. Howard ran. He didn't know where he was going to go, so he pushed through the crowd of people and hid in a dark corner of the club, fully expecting the rock star to follow him.

Vince watched him leave, his jaw clenched and his fist so tight that his nails were leaving marks in his palm. Then, realising everyone was still looking straight at him, he glowered at the DJ and snapped,

"Play you're music then!"

The young DJ, jumped, fumbled nervously with a record and threw it onto the decks quickly. The music blared through the speakers and people began to dance reluctantly. Most still with their eyes on Vince, not wanting to miss anything. Vince cursed at them under his breath before slumping onto the sofa next to a bloody nosed Chad.

"Sorry." the rock star mumbled.

"Ah, it ain't your fault that your boyfriend's a nutter, is it?"

"He ain't a nutter." protested Vince weekly, though as he looked at Chad's slightly mangled face, he began to doubt his own words.

"Yeah, well… it ain't your fault anyway."

"Mmm."

"You look really great tonight Vince."

"I know."

"He doesn't deserve you."

Vince turned to look at him, their eyes meeting properly for the first time that night, for the first time ever. "Mmm."

"You two don't exactly suit."

"Opposites attract."

"Yeah, for a while maybe but eventually… you'll move on." Vince suddenly realised that Chad was moving towards him. He was really close now. Their noses almost touching. "Move on to someone more like you Vince, someone who understands you. Some more like you. Someone like… me." Chad moved in for the kiss.

From the dark corner, Howard watched his boyfriend like a hawk. Or watched him as closely as he could through the sea of dancers. He watched as Chad made his move. He watched as Vince and Chad's lips got closer and closer, until… Howard looked away. He couldn't watch Vince kiss someone else. It would kill him. He knew it would. He looked down at the floor and felt as though his heart ached. He wanted to just rip it from his chest to stop the unbearable pain. He didn't need it anyway. It belonged to Vince. If Vince didn't want it, it had no purpose. He couldn't handle this anymore. So, he stood up and left, knowing full well that this was the end for him and Vince. There was no going back after this. The ultimate betrayal.

--

"What are you doing?!" Vince exclaimed, pushing Chad away roughly.

"I thought…"

"Thought what?"

"I just figured this was what you wanted."

"I love Howard."

"Really?" Chad looked genuinely shocked. "I didn't think that was serious."

"I've been living with him for a year Chad! I love him! How could that not be serious?"

Chad shrugged. "But the papers say."

"Why do people keep believing the papers?!" Vince screamed, all the dancers near by stopped. Everyone wanted to watch the moment, the sweet, light hearted, fun-loving, roguish rock star Vince Noir finally lost it. "Why wont people believe me? I'm in love with Howard. I don't want anyone else. I don't need anything else."

"Come on Vince. No one believes that."

Vince shot him with a look of pure hatred and said calmly, "Chad,you're fired."

Vince raised himself to his feet slowly, ignoring everyone around him. Ignoring the whispered gossip. Ignoring the silent rumours. Ignoring the flashes as photo after photo was taken of him. 'The paparazzi' he thought, 'you're best friend until you reach the top and then nothing pleases them more that to pull you back down. Destroying your world as you go.' He went to the bar and ordered 'something strong'. He didn't care about the taste, or what it would do to his health or how awful he would look when he left the club. All he wanted to do was drink himself into sweet, sweet oblivion.

Howard sat on a bench outside the club, waiting for the taxi to arrive. He was defiant and angry. He'd taken his final hit and he was ready to leave yet another rather disastrous chapter of his life behind him. He refused to cry. He didn't want to waste his tears on that rock ponce anymore. His knees shook and he wasn't sure if it was because the night had turned piercingly cold or because of the adrenaline that was still roaring through his veins. He was furious, ready to kill Chad if he ever saw him. Chad, the man who'd finally made Vince realise he was too good for a jazzy loser like himself.

"Moon magic." he laughed bitterly. "What a joke?" He knew he'd just been a stop gap and now Vince could go back to what he did best, playing the field. Screwing who he wanted when he wanted. He wouldn't have to worry about hiding it from Howard anymore.

Howard exploded with frustration as image after graphic image of Vince with someone else (Chad) came into his head. He wanted to turn his imagination off but he couldn't. The images kept coming like a slideshow, each slide more disturbing than the last. He kicked the bench and immediately regretted it as pain, magnified my the intense cold shot through his foot. He swore loudly.

Thankfully, it was then that the taxi decided to turn up. Howard got up stiffly nursing is injured toes. He climbed slowly in the back seat and gave the address. Then recoiled in horror as the driver turned around, sneered at him predatorily and said,

"Hello Howard."

"What the hell are you doing here?" he gasped.

"Saving you from your life."

Howard panicked. He pulled at the handle. Locked. That didn't stop him trying though. Desperate. He thumped the window with his fist. He screamed. He yelled. The driver, who didn't seem at all phased, just tore off down the road, smirking, "Don't try and escape Howard. This is your destiny."

Apologies for the long chapter!
Please review!
Love ya all!

Sisi...xx