They went back to the hotel after seeing Vince's mum. Vince didn't cry. He just sat on the bed in silence. He hardly said a word for three days, just one word answers and shrugs of the shoulder. Howard tried to get him to talk. The silence was scaring him. He was worried that coming back to the village hadn't helped Vince at all, if anything he seemed to have become worse. He'd felt really bad when he said he wanted to visit his own parents on the second day.

"Do you want to come?"

"No thanks." He'd said emotionlessly.

"Right. Okay." Howard had sighed, picking up his jacket. He'd given Vince one last hopeful look and gone. It had been alright at his parents. He'd told him about Vince and they'd been surprisingly understanding.

"Vince Noir?" his mother had smiled, "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. How is he?"

"Yeah, he's holding up alright."

"He must be devastated he's lost his father."

"Yeah." Howard sighed, taking a sip of his tea to hide his true feelings. He couldn't tell his mother, the worlds biggest gossip, about what had happened to Vince.

When Howard got back to the hotel, Vince was in the shower. Howard led on the makeshift double bed and waited. Vince stepped out of the shower, wrapping a soft white towel around his torso as the steam enveloped him. He wiped the mirror clear and looked at himself carefully. He still felt the weight still firmly on his shoulder and weighting down his heart. He wondered if it would ever lift, if he'd ever feel he had closure from this.

He stepped out of the bathroom.

"Hello."

Vince jumped out of his skin. His hands shot to his chest. He could feel his heart racing.

"Oh my god!" whispered Vince. "I think I almost died."

Howard chuckled and tapped the bed next to him. Vince smiled and crawled next to Howard and rested his head on the older man's chest. Howard could feel the dampness of Vince's hair seeping through his shirt. He pressed a kiss into the messy black mop and they sat their in silence for a while.

"Howard." Vince whispered after a moment. "I'd really like to visit my dad's grave."

Howard nodded, "Okay." he agreed.

They walked. It wasn't too far and walking had taken them past the flower shop. When they reached the cemetery, Vince turned to Howard he said he wanted to it alone. Howard agreed and said he'd wait by the entrance to the cemetery. He watched Vince carefully as he stepped along the path to the freshest grave and knelt down, resting the flowers by the gravestone.

"Hi Dad." he said, feeling a little stupid at speaking to nothing but also feeling he needed to get this off his chest. "So, umm, I'm a DJ at a local radio station in London. They like my bubbly personality." He laughed a little, although nothing was funny, "I get to play all sorts of music; R&B, reggae, Rolling Stones sometimes. I even try and throw in a bit of Gary Numan. The producers always stop it getting aired though. They're boring. London's been really kind to me. I know you thought they'd chew me up and spit me out because I was a simple village boy but… they accept me there. I fit in. I never really fitted in around here but… you knew that." he smiled a bit, took a deep breath and said, "I'm dating Howard." The earth didn't shake. He wasn't struck down by lightening. He looked over to Howard, nope he was still alive too. It was already going better than he'd expected. "I know it's not what you wanted for me but… no one can change who they are. I tried dad." Tears fell down his face, "I really tried to change, for you. But I couldn't stop the way I felt about him." he sighed and picked at the leaves of his bouquet. "All I wanted was for you to be proud of me. Not ashamed. I guess… I guess I never managed that but… I know that you just wanted me to be happy and safe. So I want you to know, I am happy. Really happy, and safe. Always will be." he smiled tearfully. "And I do love you Dad and although you'd never ask for it, I forgive you for what you did to me."

He heard footsteps crunching the grass behind him and a hand squeezed his shoulder. Vince got to his feet in silence and slipped his hand into Howard's, using his other to dry his face.

"Bye dad." he whispered and they began to walk away.

As they walked solemnly, hand in hand, through the streets of their boyhood village, Howard and Vince heard the insistent, whispered beginnings of another twenty years worth of gossip and rumours but neither cared. They wouldn't be here tomorrow or the next day or ever again. The villagers could gossip all they wanted. They passed the vicarage, which had lots of burly men taking boxes from a removal van into the beautiful old house.

There was an attractive woman stood near the van. Her sleeves rolled up and her dark hair scraped back as she looked up at the vicarage. She smiled at Vince and Howard when they got closer.

"Afternoon." she smiled cheerfully.

Howard nodded his head politely and Vince smiled a soft, "Hi."

"This vicarage is beautiful, isn't it?" she sighed. "Though you'd know that, you live in the village."

"I used to live in the house."

"Oh." smiled the woman. "Are you the vicar's boy?" Vince nodded. "Pleased to meet you. Vince, isn't it?" She held out her hand.

"Yeah." He took it and they shook.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks."

"I'm Jane Green, by the way." She shook Howard's hand. "The new vicar."

"I didn't know they had women vicars." Vince said, sounding mildly impressed.

"Yes, it started about two or three years ago though we're still facing some prejudice."

"We'd know all about that." Howard said bitterly.

Jane's eyes flicked to their joined hands.

"Well, some people just don't see things the way God intended them to be seen."

Vince frowned.

"In my opinion," Jane explained, "If God makes everyone, then everyone is created to perfection. God doesn't make mistakes. All love is sacred, even that between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord." Vince nodded slowly and squeezed Howard's hand, smiling up at him. "So," Jane continued brightly, "Will I be seeing you at church on Sunday?"

"We live in London." Vince explained, "We only came here for the funeral."

"Oh I see. So all that preaching was for nothing then." she smiled in mock annoyance.

"It made me feel better." Vince said. "Really. Thank you so much." Then he hugged her. She made a weird 'oof' noise when he grabbed her but she hugged back and said;

"You're quite welcome Vince. I just hope the next time I see you both it isn't because of a funeral. Maybe a wedding." she grinned at them, raising her eyebrows.

"Same sex marriage? That will never be allowed." Vince laughed.

"Ah, you never know Vince. Keep the faith. Give it ten years, maybe fifteen. Things are changing, you never know what could happen."

Vince and Howard said their goodbyes. As they walked away Vince began to think about what the vicar had said. He didn't hold out much hope for the kind of change she was talking about. He was only thirty six but he thought if he lived to see a gay marriage it'd be a miracle. It just seemed too unreal, too far away from the things he'd seen when he was just a boy. He squeezed Howard's hand tight, to reassure himself more than anything, and rested his head on his shoulder. He doubted anything could go from being treated as a mental illness to being treated as equal in someone's lifetime but he could hope.

He could see himself marrying Howard. He'd get those totally genius white boots he'd seen in Carnaby Street not long ago and that belt he'd seen in Topshop. He'd look like a genius. He could just imagine Howard, dressed in a smart suit. He shook himself quickly free from his daydream. It could never happen.

"What are you grinning about little man?" Howard asked fondly.

"Nothing. Just, how perfect all of this is."

Howard thought about everything and felt it was far from perfect. The younger man hadn't had the best of lives but here he was happy about something that no one else, not even Howard, could see.

"How perfect all of what is?"

"This. Us. Me and you." he smiled, bringing their joined hands up so he could kiss Howard's hand. "I'd forgotten how good being with you in this village felt."

You were made to forget. Howard's brain supplied but Howard ignored it and smiled. "I know what you mean little man. Stood here now, with you; feels like home."

Vince nodded. "But I think it's more just being with you that feels like home. Not this place. We are still moving in together, aren't we?"

"I didn't think you wanted…"

"No. I do. I was just upset and angry. I know I'm far from perfect and I've got a lot of baggage but… when I'm with you it all melts away. Nothing else matters. It's just me and you and that's it. I just want to be with you always. Be there when you wake up, when you're happy, when you're scared. I want to sit down with you in the evening and watch TV until the white dot tells us to go to bed."

"That doesn't happen anymore Vince."

"Okay, well until late. I just want to go to bed and feel you next to me. And I'm terrified that you will never understand how much you mean to me." he whispered that last bit.

"I understand." Howard promised. "I love you too."

Vince stood, stunned for a second. He hadn't heard Howard say that before. He'd guessed as much but now it was official. Then Vince did something completely unexpected. He reached up and kissed Howard in full view of anyone who wanted to see. The older man almost gasped in surprise but Vince just took his opportunity to slip his clever little tongue between his parted lips. Howard almost laughed. He was so proud and so happy and so content with everything and, most importantly, Vince was returning to him. Vince was happy too, chuckling lightly as he pulled away, smiling up at the man he loved and running gentle fingers through his wispy hair.

After all that time, he had closure...

So there it is… the end! Woo hoo!!

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