Title: Resolutions

Author: Concupid

Rating: R

Pairing: Howard/Vince

Warnings: semi-graphic manlove, sappy fluff

Summary: Howard and Vince make New Year's Resolutions.

Author's Note: Basically wrote it in my head New Year's Eve but work got in the way of me writing it down on time! Look, I can write one-shots!

Vince gnawed on his pencil and tried to follow Howard's guidelines. There had to be five resolutions, he couldn't begin working on achieving them until midnight, they had to involve doing things he'd never done before and they had to involve facing at least one big fear.

And they couldn't involve clothing. Howard had been unfair but clear on that point.

Vince wrote one resolution.

He made a slight amendment to make sure it would count.

He wrote a second resolution.

Same amendment.

Three, four and five followed naturally. He wasn't sure Howard would approve. They didn't have to show their resolutions until (or if) they completed their list. They both had a year but Vince knew Howard would try to finish his list first. Vince wasn't feeling competitive. He'd just be happy to complete his list, however long it took.

xxx

"Took you long enough," huffed Howard as Vince climbed onto the roof.

"Calm down, Small Eyes. It takes longer to get ready when you actually brush your hair," Vince snipped back.

"I'll have you know my hair is the envy of Yorkshire."

"I guess it looks all right," Vince conceded, "If you've only got sheep to compare it to."

"You're looking more like an owl than ever. I'm not complaining, we haven't had a mouse in the apartment in months," Howard added before pulling a piece of paper from his breast pocket, "Got your resolutions?"

Vince nodded and pulled the list partway out of his boot.

"We're on the honor system here, Little Man. No changing your resolutions once the new year begins," warned Howard.

Vince shrugged, "I'm not changin' mine. If I can't do them then..."

Vince shrugged again. He didn't want to think about failing. He could feel Howard's eyes on him but he kept staring at his boots. It was nearly midnight.

"Something troubling you, Vince?"

Vince flashed Howard a smile, "Just nervous about the new year, is all."

Howard looked at his watch, "Two minutes. Nothing to be nervous about. You didn't put anything crazy on your list like give a perm to a lion, did you?"

Vince thought of his list, the lion perm might have been easier. He knew how to speak the language of lions. He was imagining what he could do to an actual mane when Howard shoved a glass of champagne in his hand.

"Almost time, Little Man."

They clinked glasses at midnight and the sky immediately filled with fireworks.

Howard watched the lights with a sweet and unguarded expression on his face, like a little kid... watching fireworks.

"Howard?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Vince."

"Thanks, Howard."

Vince almost let it go.

"Except, I don't just mean I love you as a mate. I mean I love you like... I love you."

Howard was still staring at the fireworks but his expression had locked down. Vince would have needed a crowbar to get behind Howard's current mask and know what his friend was thinking.

"Can you be more specific?" Howard asked after what seemed like a very long time.

Vince threw one leg over the other side of the roof for better balance and pulled Howard in for a kiss.

xxx

They were both shivering from the cold as they made their way back inside. Vince held Howard's hand as they walked to the bedroom they shared.

"Vince, just to be clear, I feel at this juncture I should really ask... What are we doing?"

Vince pulled off his thick cape and sat on the bed, "Whatever you like, Howard."

Howard looked unconvinced but took off his parka and sat down when Vince patted the bed.

"Vince, have you really thought this through? You know what will happen if we..."

"Make love?"

Howard flinched at the phrase, "When Howard Moon falls in love with someone, it's forever."

"Are you afraid that if you have sex with me, you'll fall in love with me?"

Howard gave a tight smile and ruffled Vince's hair, "Something like that."

Vince tried to protect his hair but then Howard started kissing him again and his coiffeur didn't seem so important any more. That was apparently what love did to a person, it made them not care if they looked a mess. Howard was always in love with someone and he always looked like he just woke up.

Vince positioned them so they were lying side by side on the bed. Howard had gone from a hesitant hand on Vince's hip to a full-on groping of his ass but he froze up when Vince went for his belt buckle.

"S'all right, Howard. It's just me," Vince assured the taller man as he rolled him onto his back. His previous experience with men was limited to drunken feel-ups in the clubs with strangers or with friends who were really just strangers with names. No one had ever been so sensitive to his touch before. Even the lightest caress made Howard grimace like he was in pain. When he finally pulled Howard's cock out of his pants, he had barely begun stroking when the Northerner swore and came on Vince's new shirt.

"Sorry about that," Howard said stiffly as he stared at the ceiling.

"No problem. I'll soak it over night, it won't stain."

"I wasn't talking about your... You're really worried about your clothes at a time like this?"

Howard wasn't angry yet but Vince knew he was treading on thin ice, "I bought this shirt 'cause you said this color suits me. Brings out my eyes."

Howard narrowed his narrow eyes, "When did I say that?"

"When we was in primary school. I had a jumper this color."

Howard didn't look almost mad any more, instead he was kissing Vince's neck and running his hands under the navy blue, sequined top.

"It does suit you," Howard said between kisses, "But I'd like to take it off now."

"It zips in the back."

Howard shook his head, "Men's shirts don't have zips in the back, you know that, right?"

Vince raised his arm like a little kid while Howard peeled off the tight fitting shirt.

Howard ultimately had to ask for help with the gold pants that he declared would baffle the Great Houdini. As Howard kissed his way down his chest, Vince assured his filthy brain that there was no way Howard was planning to give him a blow job. Howard yelled about germs when Vince drank from his cup. There was no way he was...

And then he was and Vince was trying to think of anything else but the soft, warm and wet feeling of Howard's mouth. His best mate, band mate, flat mate, work mate; half knight in shining armor, half lovely damsel in distress. His Howard.

His Howard, looking like a porn star (mustache and all) as he worked Vince's cock like it owed him money. When ran his fingers through Howard's longish hair, the taller man stopped for a moment and looked a bit awkward - like he'd been caught in the act of... well, going down on another guy. Vince never had a head for metaphors, Howard always looked Howardy. He always had and that was part of why Vince loved him since they were kids. Howard never tried to be normal or even particularly likeable.

Vince watched Howard and when those little dark eyes held his gaze, it was all over. He barely had time to warn Howard before sacrificing his new shirt to protect his friend from the full porn star treatment.

Howard was still fully dressed and a little stiff in his arms but he didn't refuse Vince a cuddle - in fact, he wrapped a big warm arm around Vince's back.

"Does that count, d'ya think?" Howard asked, breaking the silence.

"Whad'ya mean?"

"Am I not a virgin? It's on my list. Number four."

"How was that not number one?"

"Number one is learning German."

"That is the ugliest language there is. Learn French. You could talk French to me in bed."

Vince kept his tone light but the silence lasted too long to be comfortable. Vince decided to put it all on the line. He was supposed to be facing some fears here.

"I'm almost done with my list. Three out of five."

"It's only 1am! What were your resolutions? 1. Drink champagne, 2. snog on a roof, 3. destroy a new shirt 4. make Howard fall in love with me 5. buy a new top to replace the one covered in bodily fluids?"

Howard was joking but there was a real edge in his voice. It was time to tread carefully. Howard was getting paranoid and Vince was feeling a bit too vulnerable for a tirade if he said the wrong thing, so he found his list on the floor next to his discarded boot. He handed it to Howard before snuggling back into his armpit.

"You pretty much got two of them right."

Howard read the list quietly, "1. Tell Howard I love him (not just as a friend but in love-love) 2. Get Howard to say it back (in love-love not just matey) 3. Kiss Howard properly 4. Make love with Howard 5. Be in a monotonous relationship with Howard... Vince, I think you mean monogamous."

"What's the difference?"

"Monotonous means doing the same boring thing over and over."

"And monogamy?"

"Being intimate with just one person."

"And the difference is?"

xxx

Howard's vicious assault on Vince's hair became the start of something much more pleasant that apparently left Howard confident he could scratch "4. lose my virginity" off his list.

"Not that it matters, I'll never be able to complete my list now," Howard sighed as he collapsed on top of Vince, sweaty and panting.

"You can still do it, I got a head start on mine but we both got a year."

"Head start? In two hours you finished the whole thing!"

"You haven't said you love me, not romantically."

"Every time I've said I love you, that's... I've always loved you that way."

Howard's pained expression didn't match the sentiment he expressed but Vince wasn't offended. Howard didn't like talking about feelings and now he had a whole new wonderfully non-verbal way to express himself.

"So, we're in a monot- monogamous relationship?"

Howard laughed quietly, "I think so. As long as you want me,,, er, this. Me."

Vince smiled and fashioned Howard's sweaty hair into a rather rakish style with his fingers, "This year is going to be genius. I'll help you with your list. Even the boring stuff."

Howard rolled off of Vince, leaving him cold, as he rooted around for his parka. When he produced his own list, Vince quickly pulled him back under the covers for a bear hug. How had he not died of hypothermia long ago without having Howard to keep him warm?

"I don't think you can help me with number five," Howard explained with exaggerated ruefulness.

Vince looked at the list and with a few folds, tore a small section off.

"There you go. '5. Fall in love with someone who loves me back'. Now you've done two things on your list."

Vince took the piece of paper that said '(and stop mooning over Vince)', and tossed it in the trash.