No updates for a little bit.
Gotta finish writing yeah? :3
Longish chapter before longish break!

Enjoy!

Howard 'awoke' only a few hours later. He found that he couldn't move and guessed it was the result of exhaustion (hoped, to be truthful). He stared at the glowing, plastic stars on the ceiling that Vince had pasted everywhere when they first moved in. Howard just didn't have it in him to tell Vince that the stars were keeping him awake so he took them down and hid them behind the tweed fabrics in the storage room and blamed it on the 'Star Fairy'. He thought about the banter they shared about it over his special chicken tikka masala.

If he could, Howard would smile at the memories then frown at the dying star.

Howard fell fully asleep this time, thinking of Vince's laugh and a craving for Indian food...

###

He blinked awake to the sound of rushing cars and bright headlights flew across the wall. Howard tested his arms and legs before swinging over the side of the bed and standing. His arms and chest were a little numb and he lost his balance. He tried again and with ease, he stood. Howard wondered what he was going to do now that he was up. All he knew is he had a strange feeling to be outside.

Howard checked his watch: 1:22 AM.

He went over to his drawers and looked for some trousers. "Shoot. Tomorrow's laundry day."

The only pair he had left were fitted and black. Not as tight as Vince's but a close second. Howard groaned annoyed and he pulled them up. He noticed they were looser than he remembered. He smiled smugly at that.

"Okay. Shirt. Shirt..."

Howard dug through his other drawer. All Hawaiian shirts. Even he knew they didn't mix. He looked over at Vince, who was still sound asleep. He shook off the need to refold and organize the shirts by color.

"Surely he wouldn't mind..." he mumbled, under his breath as he tiptoed over to Vince's closet. He pushed past the feathers, the sequins, the capes, the skin tight tees, the skinny jeans and the coats til he reached what he was looking for. Howard grabbed the black, long sleeved button-up and pushed past the fabrics. Vince had whined about how boring the top was so he shoved it to the back of the closet, more in embarrassment than anything else. He stepped into his converse and headed down to the shop. He took his jacket off its hook but stopped when he heard a steady thump thump behind him.

"Where d'ya think you're going?" He could recognize the lisp anywhere. "You've to open the shop today."

He shrugged on his jacket. "Relax, Naboo. I'll be back before you know it."

As he turned the knob, a sort of anxiousness ran through him. He swung the door wide and strode out, strangely energized.

###

He inhaled the cold air and exhaled hard. Howard always liked this time of night. Usually, he would be deep in sleep til morning. But sometimes when Vince came home late and was just loud enough to wake him, Howard would wait til he went to sleep before sneaking up to the roof and stare up at the dark sky until the birds would start singing. He'd head back inside a few minutes before his alarm would go off and get ready for a long, exhausting day.

Howard found himself standing by the door of a new club called, The Black Streak. It wasn't a jazz club, he knew, but his last experience in a jazz club wasn't very savory, was it? He wondered the urge to enter the club, let alone any club ever again, but something made his worry fade. He slipped his hands into his pockets and walked in.

###

To match its name, The Black Streak's decor consisted of black-streaked, marble floors, black-valeted ceilings, along with streaked, blood-red walls.

Blood-red.

Howard was frozen in that spot. The empty, hollow feeling in his chest returned, joined by a maddening thirst, pulsing at the back of his throat. He began to shake as his surroundings blurred around the edges...

Someone tapped on his shoulder. The strange feelings disapparated.

"Hello?"

He turned towards the melodic voice. "Uh, what?"

The girl crossed her arms. "I asked you if you wanted a drink. You alright, mate?"

Howard stared. Unlike the goths he'd seen, her skin wasn't sickly pale, her Hazel eyes were surrounded with eyeliner and her long, black hair was tied back in a ponytail to the side. Her attire was most definitely familiar. Tight, black drainpipes with a studded belt slung round her hips. Her crossed arms rested on her black croset top and had a black fingerless glove. Her skull choker twinkled in the dimmed lighting. She was quite beautiful and quite young. How young?

The young goth's hand was waving in front of his face. "Have you gone into the future?" She questioned, with a smile. She had a pretty smile.

He shook his head. "Sorry about that. Just thinking," He replied, smiling back. Oddly enough, she had a sort of calming aura about her. He felt at ease with this girl, yet he know not her name.

Perhaps, he pondered, perhaps the reason is because she reminds me of...

"So!" The young women clapped her hands together. "How's about that drink now?"

Howard wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. His nervousness had creeped up on him. Beside the fact that he'd been approached by a pretty goth girl, in a goth club, at bloody 2 in the morning, he was perfectly fine.

The goth girl placed her hand on his arm. "I'm Devi, by the way," she beamed at him. They started waking towards the bar. Howard laid his over hers and felt her blood running through her veins. But he wasn't focused on the fact that he could feel that. Devi the goth's smile had stolen all of Howard's attention.

"I'm Howard. Nice to meet you."

I sorta kinda cringe at this chapter. i admit its a bit...not good. lol Reviews for continues anyway!
(ha! review if you found "###" annoying XD)