WELLTHATESCALATEDQUICKLY: Things move forward at quite a fast pace in this ch, and once again I'd like to remind everyone of Howard's control issues and Vince's all around lack of reality. Enjoy, I just about sacrificed my blood to finish this. Heh.
Chapter 19
The look on the kid's face told Howard exactly how hilariously ironic he was finding the situation at hand. It was a freezing Tuesday night, and it was Vince's first turn on guard duty with Graham. Honestly, who in their right mind suggested such a stupid idea in the first place? Why did the kid have to be out there alone with that daft headcase for an entire night, tired and cold? Let Fossil do double duty if he was so hell-bent on assigning it to innocent children who only started working here a month and a half ago! Fossil and Graham can freeze into icicles together and be done with it.
All these thoughts and more curled and writhed about in Howard's mind as the man paced back and forth. He'd been doing so silently for the past ten minutes, while Vince watched on, expression flip-flopping between exasperation, humor, anger and fondness. He was already dressed in his Keeper jacket as well as a large black faux fur jacket and three pairs of socks stuffed into Howard's huge brown boots. He let out a heavy sigh through his nose, calling out to the man currently having a meltdown.
"Look, Howard, it's no big deal! I mean, c'mon, it's just for one night and you've already been twice now an' you can't just go an' have my turn, that's not fair and you know it! I'll be fine it's only cold air and Graham for christ's sake! Jesus Howard you'd think I were going to spend the night with Ming the Merciless or somethin'. 'M not a baby, I can go on my own-"
"No, no you can't! What if there really is some lunatic snatching animals from the zoo, what then! An-and what if he decides to come tonight? Graham, his- the man's mind is made of piddle! I've already gone twice; look, I'll just take your turn and you can stay here and we can all get on with our lives!"
The look Vince was giving him made Howard feel about two feet tall, but he wasn't backing down!
"Howard, first off, this thief guy ain't shown 'is face for two weeks now, since the marmosets. Hell, we don't even know if they were stolen in the first place! Second, it's just gonna be for one night, me an' Graham, guard duty. Yeah, it's gonna be cold and annoyin', but soon it'll be over an' we can all get on with our lives!"
Having his own words turned back on him was just another of Howard's pet peeves, and it made him even angrier as he scrabbled about for something to shout next at the stubborn little blight of his life.
"Well, then, if you're so set on going then I'll just go with you! We can both-"
"No, Howard. There's no use both of us being zombies come morning."
Now the boy was doing it on purpose. Mocking Howard's very words from a week ago; down to the way he stood and a mock of his accent, that would've made the man laugh under different circumstances. Now it only caused Howard's temper to kick off even more. A part of his mind knew he was being a big blasted baby, but that side was overcome by his short fuse, and before Howard knew he was kicking the small table holding their television violently, hurting his foot more than anything. The table lifted a little as it moved loudly, and the tv simply shifted in place. Vince moved away, going to stand beside the door.
This caused Howard to get ahold of himself. He took in a few deep breaths, eyes closed. Control; he needed better self-control than this! Howard again felt like a villain. He stood awkwardly in silence for another minute, looking over at the kid, who was in turn watching Howard with a blank expression.
'Right then, time to admit defeat.'
Howard hated, no, loathed not being in control of a situation; especially one involving the kid. But, if he had to concede, he'd concede on his own terms. Meaning, Vince wouldn't be out there with just two jackets and extra socks on, no flippin' way, sir!
The man wordlessly went to the first dresser on the other side of the room. There he dug about before removing his heavy brown coat. He walked over to Vince, who remained where he stood, to Howard's great relief. Howard handed the coat to Vince and then moved to the coat rack, taking down a long white scarf. Vince meanwhile was struggling into the large material. It was difficult, what with two jackets already on. His face seemed to portray that he thought Howard was being excessive, but the older man had heard news of possible snow soon, and the temperature outside attested to that. He wasn't waking up in the morning to an ill Vince.
Helping the kid into the jacket, which came down to Vince's shins and practically swallowed the teen whole, Howard began winding the scarf around his neck and head. Once he finally stepped back he had to suppress a grin at how the kid looked much like a bigger version of his long-past, seven-year-old self. Bundled into an oversized coat, mouth and nose hidden beneath a knitted scarf. Vince caught on to this, and he lowered his eyebrows at Howard as if to say, "don't you dare laugh."
Howard tossed and turned fitfully throughout the night. He kept drifting off, only to find himself awake and staring at the bed above him, listening to the wind whistle through the small cracks in the hut walls and wondering how cold it was outside. Fossil had to've done this on purpose, he had to. Giving Howard nights when it was only a bit nippy out and then assigning the kid guard duty just when the wind began picking up and the temperature plummeted. It was all Fossil's fault. He hated that slimey bastard.
Huffing for about the hundredth time, Howard settled back down on his back and stared up at the empty bed above his head. Since when did it become so hard to fall asleep without the sound of snores? Howard closed his eyes and finally fell into a steady sleep.
The first thing Howard became aware of was a strange cold sensation on his foot. He also figured it had to be quite early in the morning, as his alarm clock hadn't gone off yet. There it was again! That light, feathery feeling of cold on his feet...on his toes...
Howard made to move his foot, and was slightly paniced when something held it down tightly. In his foggy state of mind he didn't know what to think! He pulled harder on his foot, causing a voice to ring out over the silence, shattering all sleep from Howard's mind.
"Oi, watch it, you'll smudge!"
Hastily wiping the grit from his eyes, Howard leant up on his elbows and stared with blurry vision down to the end of his bed, where he could make out Vince. The kid was kneeling on the floor before the bed, and had one hand clamped down on Howard's right foot, while in his other he held a nailpaint brush. When Howard's vision was clear enough he could make out an annoyed expression upon the boy's face.
"Don't. Move."
Favoring Howard with a sharp look and raised eyebrows to show he meant it, Vince resumed his work, holding Howard's foot still and painting the last two toes with a light shade of purple.
'What the hell...'
Things finally clicked home in Howard's brain and he sat upright, jerking his foot out of Vince's grasp with a glare down at the boy. Vince glared back, sitting back on the floor and recapping the small bottle. Howard absently noted that Vince was also sporting the paint on his fingernails. The older man stood up from the bed, causing Vince to walk forward on his knees.
"Careful, wait til it dries!"
"And why would I do that? Get it off, now!"
"Why?"
"Because! Men don't wear nailpaint!"
"I wear nailpaint!"
'Yeah, but you're not a real man, are you?'
Howard kept that last one to himself, aware of how hurtful it sounded. He opted instead to silently glare down at his now purple toenails. He moved to sit on the couch, grabbing the remote and ignoring the kid as he continued to knee-walk toward Howard. He was flipping quickly through the channels when he once again felt Vince's hands on his right foot, lifting it up and blowing on it to dry the paint faster. He was sorely tempted to kick the kid in the face, and the mental image of Vince with purple smeared across his cheek brightened Howard's dismal mood. He decided to just let the boy be; after all it wasn't as if anyone would ever see his toes. He wore socks and shoes everywhere. The only one who would know was the damn kid. Ah well.
Finally satisfied with his handiwork, Vince plopped down on the couch with a smile, watching the channels flick by until Howard eventually settled on a World War I documentary. The comfortable silence shared between them stretched on for twenty minutes, Vince slowly scooting over until he could lean slightly against Howard. Howard went stiff when he felt the kid's weight on him, but after a while settled down. In fact, if he were to be honest with himself, the man might just admit that having the kid try to cuddle up to him was rather adorable, reminding him fondly of all the times he'd carried this very same boy around when he really was a little boy.
Howard's brain once again clicked off, refusing to dwell on such sentimental rubbish of the past. After all, those days were over, and he couldn't very well shrink the kid back down. Best to just get over all these paternal tugs and pulls that kept cropping up out of nowhere.
Lunch rolled around that day, and Howard came walking around the office building corner to see the familiar sight of the boy already sat upon their bench. He looked up at the older man when Howard settled down with his food, and full minutes passed by before the kid began to speak, which was unusual on its own.
"Hey, Howard...I know how you been in a bit of a mood lately, and...I got a little surprise set up for you."
Howard met the kid's eyes, wanting to first of all refuse the fact that he'd been 'in a bit of a mood', but his mind immediately skipped ahead to the 'surprise' part.
"Wait, what? What surprise?"
Vince's face broke out into a mischievous grin, and he went back to eating his own meal, voice light and airy, and filled with the cheekiness of a child who knew a secret.
"Oh, just a little surprise."
"...Well, what is it?"
"I can't tell you that. Then it wouldn't be a surprise!"
"Vinc-"
"Oh you'll find out soon enough. This Friday night, actually. Don't make any plans, cause we're goin' out that night."
Howard made several attempts in the next hour to get some answers out of Vince. He tried everything from pestering to intimidating to bribing the kid, but Vince just held his tongue as well as that goddamn smirk on his face. By the time their break was over, Howard sulked silently back to his post.
Howard had actually forgotten about Vince's surprise by the time he stumbled tiredly into the hut days later to hear the teen cursing loudly in the bathroom. Howard stood in the bathroom doorway and watched Vince struggle with their faulty water pipes, which often would refuse its owner hot water. After almost eight years of dealing with said plumbing, Howard was an expert, and pulled the kid aside with a smile. He gestured for Vince to pay close attention, and then turned the hot water valve. Predictable, icy water was all that streamed forth, but after a few precise smacks to the exposed pipes in the wall with a wrench Howard kept in the sink cabinet, steam began to fill the tiny room, and Vince gave Howard his "you're a deity" smile.
"Cheers, Howard."
Of course, everything turned sour when the damn kid with no shame began peeling off his trousers, and Howard ran from the room so fast he smacked his elbow on the doorframe. He stood with his back to the bathroom, listening to Vince step into the small space and closing the shower door, distorting his image to a pale blur. Howard clutched at his arm with a grimace, waiting in silence for the horrid rings of shock to recede. Once they finally did he moved to the couch and turned on the television.
To Howard's surprise, he heard the water shut off after barely five minutes. Usually the prima donna stayed in for around forty minutes, which only gave Howard a few minutes of hot water for himself. The boy came walking out, steam curling around him and covered in a towel, and walked quickly toward his dresser. Before Howard could get a word out, Vince looked at him over his shoulder.
"Make your shower quick, we gotta get ready."
"Ready for what?"
"For your surprise, remember? And people call me dense."
It all came rushing back to Howard, and the man mutely went into the bathroom, tripping over Vince's clothes he'd failed to pick up off the floor. Just another thing Howard had to put up with since the kid came along. He always got stuck doing the boy's laundry. Vince was quite incapable of doing much of anything for himself.
Howard was about two minutes into relaxing in the warmth when there came a quick knock at the shower slide-door. Howard leapt out of his skin, letting out a girly shriek as he looked at the blurred sight of the intruding kid with no shame at all.
"Howard! I forgot to say, make sure you wash your hair! And dress nice!"
With that, Vince left the bathroom, and had the courtesy to close the door behind him, leaving the man pressed awkwardly against the cold shower wall. Dress nice? What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Howard crept from out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, wet hair dripping everywhere. The kid was dressed up in a tight yellow shirt that was clearly for girls, and aqua skinny jeans Howard had never seen before, meaning that the boy had recently bought them just for this occasion. He was currently straightening his hair, and paid Howard no mind as the man rifled about for some 'nice' clothes to wear. He really didn't have much aside from work clothes. He eventually settled on a plain white shirt that was actually pale pink if you looked close enough. It was several years old and a little tight around the middle, but it was the best he owned. He pulled on a pair of loose light blue jeans, and felt quite stylish as he stood behind Vince, catching his reflection. The kid spent another ten minutes in silence as he finished his make-up, doning various rings and bracelets, looping a long while faux pearly necklace around him. He eventually turned to Howard and looked the man up and down, giving him and appraising nod, before grabbing him by the arm and sitting him on the small footstool before the mirror, turning on his blue hairdryer and grabbing a comb.
As the kid got to work on Howard's hair, the man was too lost in thought to put up much resistance. He was quite curious as to what his surprise would be, especially since Vince was extra dolled-up. He didn't want to be mean to the kid, but he just had to ask, after wanting to for a long time. Why on earth would someone who bristled if it was so much as hinted that they looked like a girl, go and dress like a girl!?
"Vince, um, now don't take this the wrong way, but if we're going out to a nice restaurant or something...what I mean to say is, erm, why do you...why are you dressed so camply?"
Vince paused in his styling, comb entangled in Howard's loose curls, but continued on after a moment of staring down at Howard. His face remained aloof as he visibly fished for a reply. Eventually he simply shrugged his shoulders, turning off the blowdryer and setting his things down, letting Howard stand up and inspect his hair.
Howard remained silent, expecting more of an answer from the boy, but when the shrug seemed to be all he would get, he couldn't dredge up the courage to restate his inquiry. Fine, let the boy be a mystery. As if he wasn't enough of an anomaly.
Howard watched his breath ghost out into the night air as he followed Vince down yet another street. They'd been walking in this horrific cold forever! The brat hadn't even told Howard where it was they were headed to.
"Vince, please, at least tell me what it is we're doing."
"Ah ah ah, Howard, just another block, I promise."
Soon they were standing outside a tall dark building. It seemed to be some kind of club or restaurant, but before he could read the title off the place, Vince was pulling him through the front doors.
Inside everything was darkly lit. There were many well-dressed people sitting at tables surrounding a small stage, on which a woman was singing in a light, lilting voice. Howard stood transfixed by her beauty in her lovely white gown, and looked over to see Vince also watching with a small smile. He then snapped out of it and led Howard toward a back hallway, where they eventually entered a room. It was much brighter in there, and Howard squinted around at all the people sitting before vanity mirrors, touching up their makeup and practicing on their various instruments. And that's when he spotted it. Over by an empty chair sat Howard's acoustic. He hadn't even noticed its disappearance. Hell, he hadn't played on it for about a week now. Oh god. Realisation struck, and Howard whirled around to loom over the boy, who looked back up at him calmly.
"What. The hell. Is this?"
"Well, you always sing an' all whenever it's just the two of us, an' those few times I got you to do songs in the zoo when others were around chattin', and I told you that you should do it live. You're really good, Howard!"
"But I can't perform in front of people! I...I don't even have a song to sing!"
"Oh c'mon, Howard, I know you know at least one song."
Howard closed his eyes and forced himself not to hyperventilate. Already the room felt much too hot. The room seemed to shrink in size, why were all these people pressing in on him!?
He felt Vince guide him to a dark corner beyond a clothing rack, and Howard was grateful beneath all the rage he currently felt for the kid. He opened his eyes, a million escape plans dancing through his mind. And then he looked down at the kid, who was holding Howard's hand in both of his own, thumb rubbing in an attempt at comfort. Vince seemed slightly regretful, but he continued on in a calm voice.
"I know you can do this, Howard. You're talented. You're amazing. You can play that guitar better than most bands I've seen, and you have a beautiful voice. You do."
It would be so easy for Howard to push this puny kid away and walk the fuck out of there, go back home and get some sleep. So why was it so impossible? Howard felt like screaming as his shoulders slumped and he lowered his head in defeat. Vince gave him a quick hug, and waited patiently for Howard to look at him again before continuing.
"Alright, um, you should be on in about ten minutes. Do you know what song you're gonna sing?"
What song he's gonna sing...holy hell, he was about to sing in front of a room of strangers.
"...Well, there's...kind of...only one song that I know...well, that I know the notes and words to, and that I can play on my acoustic..."
"...Which is?"
"Hurt, by Johnny Cash."
Vince stared up at him for a good long minute before a strange kind of disbelieving half-smirk came over him, raising his eyebrows at the man.
"Howard...that is the most depressing thing I think I've ever heard."
"Well it's all I've got!"
"I know I know, and I think it's great. Sad as shit, but it suits you. Go with it."
Howard sighed and couldn't help tiny waves of panic shift over him. He felt Vince pull his coat off, and faintly heard the music from onstage end. Before he could catch his breath Vince was grabbing his guitar and pulling him back down the hallway. Holy shit. He wasn't ready for this. And yet here it was. Vince gave him a small shove toward the steps leading onto the stage, and he could hear a man's voice announcing his name. Vince handed him his acoustic, which he held numbly in his arms. Oh christ he felt lightheaded. He couldn't help but look over his shoulder at the boy, who stood back and gave Howard his best sunshine smile, and Howard was somehow able to make it onto stage on his own.
And then he was alone, elevated before a shadowed crowd as a hot light was blasted onto him from above. On the stage there was a tall stool and a microphone, and Howard seated himself, feeling sweat gather on his palms as he positioned his guitar.
"Ah, hello. My name's Howard Moon. And, um, I'm going to be doing a small song..."
Shutting himself up before he began rambling, Howard caught sight of the kid's silhouette as he made his way to an empty table near the back. He felt more than saw Vince's great big smile up at him, and let his fingers glide over the strings, getting a feel for the notes before beginning.
The words came easily to him, even though he hadn't sang this song since he was about fourteen. Memories of his father playing Cash LPs on repeat, much to his mother's ire, echoed through his mind as his voice grew stronger, and before he knew it his fingers were playing out the final notes. He was almost regretful that it was over. Howard felt he could've sat up there and sang the night away, especially with how the crowd was applauding. Howard stood with a smile, filled with warmth at how these people seemed to like him- no, love him. Hey, even one person was whistling! Oh no, wait, that was the kid.
Yes, he could plainly see Vince amongst the shadows, standing now from his chair, whistling and waving at Howard. Howard couldn't help but laugh as he exited back off stage.
He didn't even make it completely down the steps before the kid was on him, knocking the guitar to the floor and squeezing the life out of Howard. The older man stiffened on instinct, but the fuzzy warmth was still bubbling inside him, so he wrapped his own arms around the small teenager, lifting him off the floor and hearing the sound of the boy's back cracking dully.
He held him like that for a few seconds before Vince began making dramatic wheezing noises, and so Howard lowered him back to his feet with a laugh. The boy was grinning so wide Howard was sure his face would split open.
"You were amazin'! Told you you would be."
"Yeah...thanks, Vince. I mean, don't ever pull something like this again, but thanks."
Vince laughed at that and once again pulled Howard by the arm, leading back toward his vacated table. There the two sat down, and Howard had to lean against the white cloth of the table. He still felt dizzy, and slightly nauseous. He was interrupted from his mental spiraling by Vince's hand on his own. He looked up at the boy across from him.
"Buy me a drink, yeah?"
Howard should've seen that one coming. He groaned and leant his head on one hand. He reallydidn't want to buy the kid alcohol. He really didn't want the kid pissed, again. But he sure as hell needed a drink himself. So he grudgingly gestured a waiter over and ordered a Bartles and Jaymes for himself and a raspberry martini for the kid, who snickered to himself as the man left.
"You remember what I drank the last time?"
"Well, yeah."
"You're so weird, Howard. That was months ago."
Howard gave Vince a baleful look that was only partly staged, and within moments their drinks were served, and the hours flew by for Howard as he and the boy enjoyed the other performers that graced the stage. Most were pretty talented, some not so much. By the time Howard checked his watch and realised that it was nearing 2 am, he had nursed three drinks, not wanting to get actually drunk. The kid had no such qualms, already draining his sixth glass, and looking more than bit bright-eyed. Howard was going to regret his decision to let the kid drink, he could feel it already.
"Alright, Vince, we have work tomorrow. Have you forgotten? We need to go home and get some sleep."
"Aw, Howard, c'mon! Just another hour, I swear!"
"No, Vince, now come on."
Howard waved over their waiter, quickly paying for their drinks, and then stood from the table and walked over to the kid. He pulled him up by his underarms and lead him back to the exit. The boy stumbled the entire way and had to lean heavily on the taller man, who grumbled and resigned himself to holding the kid up by his armpits, half-dragging him down the street.
Vince began singing softly as they rounded another block, halfway home, his words nonsensical and weird.
"I can't see, I can't breathe. I'm spiralling now in infinity, yeah."
Howard just let him be, not offering commentary, although the words were a bit disconcerting, if Vince was trying to tell Howard he couldn't breathe anymore. But the boy laughed airily and continued on, voice light and half-whispered.
"Oooh, look what you did, you came into my woods with your tiny little eyes and your hair made of wool..."
His voice dissolved into meer humming as he leaned heavily back into Howard, who was behind the boy, guiding him down the pavement. God, only two more blocks if Howard's guess was correct. He really, really didn't want to have to carry Vince the rest of the way.
Twenty minutes later and Howard was pushing the Lodge door open with his shoulder, arms full of snoring kid. Goddammit. The boy wasn't as heavy as Howard had feared, and the only true obstacle had been trying to keep Vince from squirming. As the zoo gates came into sight, the boy had gone completely limp in Howard's grip, snoring almost immediately.
Well, Vince may have grown vertically since the last time Howard carried him, but he still roughly weighed the same, which worried the man. He really needed to insist on making the kid's lunch for work days. Naboo and those others didn't have any clue what kind of nutrients a teenager needed, and the boy barely ever ate any dinner, and had recently declared breakfast obsolete. Hell, he devoured hundreds of smoothies that he made himself, but other than that Howard was surprised the child had the energy that he did.
Grunting, Howard lifted the child onto the top bunk, pulling his blue duvet over him. The boy immediately hummed lowly and curled up onto his side, arms coming around the duvet to grip it in a sleepy hug, snoring once more.
Howard shook his head and went to change into some pajamas before laying down in his own bed, making sure his alarm clock was on. Exhaustion hit him instantly, and he was out.
Howard had to literally pull the boy out of his bed the next morning, and would've let him drop to the floor, if he wasn't such a pushover. Instead he found himself once again carrying the boy, who muttered curses at him, begging Howard to just let him sleep and whinging about a blistering headache. Served the brat right.
Walking to the sofa, Howard let Vince drop with a bounce onto the cushions. Vince immediately curled up into a corner of the couch. Howard grabbed the teen by his legs to uncurl him. This earned the man more curses from the child. Howard was just glad he'd had the foresight to shower and dress before waking this nightmare of a teenager.
He sighed as he pulled off the kid's jeans and shirt, relieved that the younger male didn't completely flip, just furrowed his brow up at him through closed eyes. Once he was down to his pants, Howard scooped him back up and carted him into the bathroom. Once in there he slid open the shower door and lowered the boy onto the white cold tiles, still wet from his own shower a few minutes ago. Vince now had a hand over his eyes to shield them from the bright bathroom light reflecting off of all the white in the room.
Howard was just cruel enough to not give him a warning before turning the valves for the water. He turned the hot and cold tabs just so, in a way he'd perfected so that the water would be an acceptable temperature. He didn't want to douse the boy with an icy torrent, he wasn't that cruel.
Vince obviously didn't see how gracious Howard was being. The boy shot up onto his elbows, letting out a shriek and opening his eyes finally to look about him in confusion. Howard stood calmly at the door, looking down on Vince as the boy scrambled to his knees and sent a molten glare the man's way.
"Howard!"
"You have ten minutes."
That was all Howard offered the boy. Well, that and a small smirk as he slid the door shut and walked out of the bathroom, closing the wooden door behind him. He allowed himself a quiet laugh as he heard Vince bang against the plastic of the shower slide-door, before finally dissolving into muttered threats and occasional shouts at Howard.
Vince still looked hungover by the time Howard sat down beside him on their bench. He noticed with a wave of pity that the boy didn't have any food with him. He offered Howard a small nod before going back to staring at the ground. Howard felt sympathy for him; poor kid most likely still had a migraine from the busy day of work. He really should've made him stay in, take the heat from Fossil, even work both of their shifts. He could do it. The kid-
"Shut up."
"...I wasn't talking..."
Vince offered him a reprimanding smile.
"Oh please, I can see the steam risin' from your ears, can hear the cogs 'n wheels turning. 'M fine. Just a bit ill feeling, s'all. It's my fault anyway, shoudln't've drank so damn much when I knew we had work. Just felt so excited for you, I mean, you were really good, better even than I thought you'd be, and-"
"Alright, now you shut it. Do you need to turn in early?"
"No, definitely not. I'll be fine. Trust me, I've done myself in worse than this."
Howard didn't want to know, so didn't say anything more. Instead he began eating his lunch, offering some to Vince, who refused the food but drank half of Howard's tea. The hour passed in silence. Usually Howard and Vince spent their free hour conversing and even walking about the zoo, but with Vince in a down mood they stayed on the bench and enjoyed the quiet. Vince mutely leant against Howard, closing his eyes and drifting in and out of a light doze.
"Vince? Vince?"
Howard was currently walking up and down the zoo in search of his errant kid. He had left his post exactly two minutes early in order to jog to Vince's station, so that he could walk the kid back to the Lodge. If he remembered correctly, he had a some old migraine pills in a cupboard above the stove. However, when he reached the small glass cages, he found that the kid had also apparently left his post early. Now he was passing exhibits in search of the boy, more than a bit worried that he might be seriously ill somewhere.
Howard turned to march to the Lodge. Maybe Vince had gone there. Just then he heard the distinct sound of familiar laughter coming from around a corner. He should've known.
Howard came around to face the bars of Bollo's enclosure, and saw within it Vince and the gorilla, sitting against the wall and enjoying each other's company. He stood there in silence, observing Vince as he talked to the gorilla about apes and monkeys that he claimed to have known back in India. Even if Vince really could talk to animals, Bollo was nearly deaf, and probably heard only every other word from the kid's mouth, but the old animal seemed thrilled to have someone talking to him, and Howard felt a pang of sadness for the gorilla. If only he didn't have such a vendetta against men.
Vince took notice of Howard, and smiled up at the man, gesturing for him to come over.
"Alright, Howard. C'mon, get in here! Me an' Bollo was just swappin' stories of the good ol' days in the jungle."
Howard took a step away from the bars, holding his hands up and raising his eyebrows.
"No thank you. Last time I went in there that giant tried ripping my arms off. I'll not be repeating that experience any time soon."
"Ah, you're such a spoilsport, Howard! Besides, he won't hurt you, not while I'm in here. We're mates! And I told him you was alright, so-"
"Yeah still not going to happen, Vince."
"Pleeeease?"
"No. I'm going to the Lodge. You can join me any time you like."
Howard turned and made to walk toward the Lodge, head held high. He was interrupted when he bowled over the small body of Naboo. Goddammit. How could someone his own age be Vince's size? And what was he doing scuttling about underfoot like a rat!
"Oi!"
"Hey, watch it!"
It was no secret that there was animosity between them, and the two did their damnedest to avoid each other. Vince either didn't pick up on the angry static radiating in the air, or he ignored them as he waved brightly at the short man.
"Hi, Naboo! Where're you headed off to?"
Naboo smiled back at Vince, and Howard's mood plummeted. If he wasn't so petrified of Bollo, he'd go inside the cage just so he could sit beside Vince and glare hatefully at Naboo. Maybe if he sent enough evil thoughts the 'shaman's' way, Naboo would pick up on them and leave.
He didn't. Instead Naboo stepped forward, putting his hands on the bars, and Howard noticed with surprise that Bollo didn't growl at him, as he normally would have. Hmm. Maybe Vince did calm the beast down.
"Actually, 'm heading out wiv some friends. You wanna join? We don' have work tomorrow, so we're goin' all out."
"Sure! Been a while since I've gone to a party."
Vince smiled happily as he stood up, making for the exhibit door. It took Howard quite few moments to form a coherent sentence that wasn't something along the lines of "Fuck that hell no you're staying here with me Vince fuck you Naboo go die die die!" By the time he opened his mouth to speak, Vince was all the way around to their side and speaking with Naboo.
"Wait! Vince, you can't just go off with any stranger who offers you a good time!"
"But, Naboo's no stranger, we work with 'im!"
"Vince. I really want you to stay in tonight. We'll watch Colobus if you want."
Howard wasn't above bribery, and he knew how annoyed Vince became whenever Howard entered the hut only to turn off his favorite show. Vince looked torn and shifted his gaze between the two older men for nearly a minute, before giving Howard a beseeching stare.
"Why don't you come with us, Howard?"
"No!"
"Well, I'm going, alright?"
"No!"
"Howard-"
"Hey!"
Both arguing parties stopped to look over at Naboo, who stood beside Vince and looked up at Howard with a look one might give to a child unwilling to let go of his mother's skirt. He put a hand on Vince's shoulder, and Howard's own hand twitched where it hung at his side.
"Vince is a big boy, okay? If he wants to come and have a fun time wiv me an' me mates, he can. He doesn't need some greasy old man tellin' him off. Now, are you comin', Vince? Cause I gotta leave now."
"Um, yeah, I'm coming."
Vince seemed more than a little subdued as he followed Naboo, glancing repeatedly over his shoulder at Howard with a blank look. Howard immediately wanted to follow them. Hell, he'd spend the night with those slimeballs if it meant he could watch over the kid. But his stubborn pride wouldn't allow it, and the man found himself watching Vince disappear from sight in the growing dusk. Only when the cold wind began to pick up did Howard pull himself from his thoughts and head toward the Lodge.
Howard was resolutely trying not to fall asleep as he sat before the droning television. Looking down at his watch, he sighed in frustration when he saw that only one minute had passed since he'd checked it last. It was 3:45 am, and the kid was not home yet. Sure, it was their night off, and Vince and Howard often stayed up this late on their own. But Howard felt nothing but cold dread building up in his stomach as the minutes ticked slowly by and the boy failed to return. He was going to murder Naboo. He was going to march across the zoo to that motherfucker's kiosk, lean over the counter, and strangle him. Where was Vince?
Howard's eyelids dragged down once more, and he no longer had the energy to fight it. The worried man fell asleep, with his last conscious thought being that he'd develop ulcers before he was thirty.
A sharp crash woke him, and Howard fell over onto his side on the sofa as consciousness rushed back into him. He wiped his eyes and looked about for the cause of the noise. His tired eyes landed on Vince, who was lying on the floor in front of the dressers, his fisher's box having fallen to the floor beside him, spilling colorful items all about the unconscious kid.
Howard was up before his body had completely awakened, causing him to stumble and collapse beside the teenager. Howard's heart was already hammering, and he shook the boy, calling his name with rising panic. Vince was unresponsive, lying face down, limbs spread out. Howard lifted him up and turned him over in his lap, grabbing Vince by the face and shouting at him to wake up. He distantly realised that he should call an ambulance; the boy could be dying for all he knew! But Howard couldn't move, he could only sit there and call out to Vince and shake him.
A miracle happened then. Vince's eyes opened slightly. They rolled around, looking about himself as if in a dream.
"Vince! Vince, please, can you hear me!?"
Vince's voice came out garbled and intelligible, but it was a definite response, meaning he was at least a little alert. You couldn't be dying if you were alert, right? Right? Oh god, what were you supposed to do if someone was in a state like this!? Howard had heard once as a boy that you should stick a person in water, but wasn't entirely certain that was right. Aw hell, he was willing to try anything!
Howard picked Vince up and ran into the bathroom, knocking Vince's legs hard against the doorframe. This brought another string of sounds and half-words from the kid, but Howard made no attempt to translate them as he stepped into the shower. He didn't bother with their clothes, just sat cross-legged on the tiles and situated the boy before reaching up to turn the taps.
The hot water wasn't working, again. Freezing water drenched them both, but Howard grit his teeth and ignored it, hauling up the kid's upper body and holding his face by his chin.
"Vince! I need you to open your eyes. Please! Say something, tell me what's wrong!"
That's when Howard finally noticed it. Blood. Small flecks of blood along the front and right side of Vince's pale blue shirt. Howard yanked the top up and over the child so quickly he heard it rip. Vince would kill him for that later.
He looked up and down Vince's stomach and chest, and when he failed to see a wound he ran his hand along the kid's torso, as if his eyes were not to be trusted. Nothing. No cuts or bruises. Howard even checked along the teen's back. It wasn't Vince's blood.
Vince shivered in the cold, and opened his eyes, looking up at Howard with more awareness than last time. Howard felt relief kick him in the stomach so hard his voice came out in a hoarse squeak when he tried to call Vince's name. Vince did the talking for him.
"Howard?...where...um, what 'm I doing..."
His words trailed off in a string of noises, and Howard waited for him to finish before talking in a level voice, gripping Vince by the head and making certain the kid was looking him in the eye so he knew Vince was paying attention.
"Vince, you're in the shower; you're back home. How did you get back here? Where's Naboo? What happened?"
Vince didn't answer. His eyebrows drew together and he looked about him. Silence stretched out for a long minute, and then the boy met Howard's gaze again, his voice low and even.
"This is the second damn time you've put me in the shower."
Howard could've laughed. He also could've cried. There he was. That was all Howard needed to know that his Vince was back. More or less safe and in his right mind once again. But he still hadn't answered Howard's questions. Well, first things first.
"Can you stand?"
"Um, I think so..."
Howard pulled Vince up slowly and stood them both in the small shower, barely enough space for the two of them. He very slowly removed his arms from around the kid, and observed him for signs of collapse. But Vince stood on his own, even though he shivered and swayed pathetically, bringing his arms up to cross around his middle.
Howard turned off the water, and led Vince by the arm out of the still open shower door. Water was puddled on the floor, and Howard made careful not to let Vince slip as they walked. The older man led them back to their dressers, trying not to step on any of Vince's fallen things. The kid looked down on all of them as if wondering who on earth had spilled his stuff, and Howard gestured down at the tackle box.
"I found you...down there, on the floor."
"Oh..."
All restraints and idiosyncrasies on hold, Howard began peeling off his soaked-through clothing. He heard Vince doing the same, and both got dressed into warm clothes in silence. Howard donned a clean pair of pajamas, while Vince wore his customary top and pants.
Vince made to walk toward their beds, but Howard put a hand on his shoulder and directed him to sit on the couch. As Howard went to sit down as well, a glint caught his eye, and looking toward the door, he saw Vince's Keeper jacket hung up beside his own. Now Howard did laugh, although there wasn't much humor behind it.
"You collapse on the floor, go all dizzy on me, scare the living fuck out of me, and yet still you remember to hang up your jacket when you come in the door! Vince, you're...there is no word for you."
Vince pulled a strange face, something between a smile, grimace, and glare. He settled for staring down at his hands as they messed with his shirt.
"Hey, look at me. Where's Naboo? Where did he take you, and what happened?"
Vince was silent for a moment, before looking up at Howard with eager eyes.
"Have I ever told you the story of The Little Christmas Toy?"
"No, Vince. No stories. Please tell me the truth, for once in your life!"
The kid's face fell, and he sighed long and slow, closing his eyes, and Howard felt a shock go through him when tears started making trails down the boy's cheeks. He looked again up at Howard, pleading. His voice was thick and wavering as he met Howard's brown eyes.
"It weren't Naboo's fault! I swear, honest! I...I actually haven't seen him for hours now. We lost track, in the club...Please don't fight with him. He tried to look out for me, told me not-..."
"Told you not to what? Vince."
Howard gave the kid a warning stare, but the boy only breathed in and out slowly, a tear escaping now and then. Howard got up and paced quickly across the floor, trying desperately to vent out his rage in some manner that didn't involve screaming at or striking the kid. Howard looked over at Vince, who was watching him, and he came to a complete halt. He knew that look. That was the face Vince got when he clammed up. Howard wasn't going to find out what happened tonight. He would probably never know. The kid wouldn't tell him.
The parallel between this and a night long ago in a hospital room had the floor pitching up slightly, and Howard felt he needed to lie down.
The man turned and silently got into his bed, lying down on his right side so as not to have to see the kid. Vince remained on the couch long enough for Howard to start slipping off into sleep, before he was once again jerked awake by a small noise.
The floorboards creaked with the kid's steps as Vince padded toward their beds. He stood silently by Howard, who could feel his eyes on him. Eventually Howard couldn't take it any longer, and so looked up at Vince from over his shoulder.
"What is it?"
Vince had a completely lost and forlorn look in his eyes. He started slightly when Howard spoke, and visibly fumbled about for something to say.
"Um...nothing, nevermind."
He put a foot on the edge of Howard's bed and hoisted himself up, but before he could climb onto his own mattress, Howard grabbed his leg, stalling him.
"Hey, what is it? Come back down here, tell me. It's alright."
Vince lowered himself back to the floor, and directed his gaze somewhere around Howard's nose or chin, his words came out slowly, with almost three second's pause in between.
"Well, I just wanted to know if...if I could sleep in your bed, just for tonight."
The answer was on Howard's lips before he'd even fully registered the question.
"'Course you can, Little Man."
Vince didn't start crying again, nor did he smile at the nickname. He simply retained his blank expression as Howard scooted over to the wall and Vince climbed in underneath the duvet. Howard once again turned on his side, still fuming beyond words at this kid for hiding so much from him, but not able to turn him away when he clearly needed comfort. Even when he felt Vince press up against his back and drape an arm over Howard, his sharp cheekbone digging into Howard's shoulder as the boy cuddled up to him. Even with Howard's brain flashing red lights and screaming at him to move away, the tired man shut his mind down and let the kid curl up against him like a cat.
Howard had the mind to look at his wristwatch before sleep took him. The time read 4:54.
Thank god it was Sunday.
(Yeah I know Johnny Cash didn't perform Hurt in the 80s, but I really liked the image of Howard singing it as a teenager. As for the fiasco you just read, well, get used to it, cause Vince got himself into situations like that when he wasn't living with Howard, and is just going to keep doing it until Howard puts his foot down, so to speak. And the not telling, well, Vince has been doing that forever as well. Vince is basically living his life the way he did before living with Howard, and treating the man like he did his guardians. Howard's not fully realised what he's brought on himself by taking the kid in, and in the coming chapters will slowly come to grips with every unsavory aspect of Vince.)