Sweets

“Howard? Howard? Howard? Howard? Howard?”
“What?!”
“Can I have a candy cane now?”
“No, Vince. They are for the customers.”
“But Howard!”
“But nothing. Now make yourself useful and help me decorate this tree.”

Howard glanced over at his best friend with an annoyed look on his face, but it soon turned into a small smile once he noticed that Vince’s pink tongue was sticking out as he concentrated on hooking a Christmas bauble onto what was perhaps the weakest branch on the tree. It was the eve of Christmas eve, and the snow outside was falling lightly and sticking to the windows. Howard was trying even harder to attract customers for the holiday season. The last time Vince tried doing that, Howard got a not-so-lovely visit from Eleanor. (Howard Moon does not bum people silly for loose change!) So this time, Howard was taking over the advertising. They haven’t gotten many customers, and as Howard assumed, they were all shopping online now.

“Stupid lazy pricks,” thought Howard. Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea.
“Hey!” he exclaimed loudly, causing Vince to jump in fright and drop the decoration, which shattered on the floor. He winced.
“There’s another mess I have to clean up,” thought Vince woefully, still glancing at the candy canes from time to time with longing evident in his eyes.
“What is it, you batty crease?!” Vince interjected, clearly perturbed.
“We should make a website for Nabootique. That way customers can order things from the comfort of their own homes!” Howard beamed at his friend who looked as if he was going to combust at any moment.

“Stupid lazy pricks,” was all Vince had to add before reaching toward a candy cane hanging from the utmost branch. He grabbed it and held it securely in his hand.
“Hey, hey, hey!”
“What? It’s not as if anyone’s coming in here anytime soon! Why can’t I have just one?”
Howard rolled his eyes. “Give it here, Noir.”
“Make me,” Vince smiled slyly.

Howard growled in frustration. Without warning, he charged at Vince who was backing away toward the door. He tried to grab the treat from behind Vince’s back, but since he was pressed against the door Howard had to reach for it from the front, resulting in the two men becoming very close to each other. The older man tried once more to reach behind his friends slender back, but to no avail. Howard frowned, putting his face closer to Vince’s in an attempt to intimidate him.

“Oh, don’t squint your eyes like that Howard, you look even more like a crab!” Vince giggled nervously, hands still behind his back clutching the candy cane. Howard looked down, clearly hurt by this statement. He was really getting sick of everyone poking fun at his features. Especially Vince who was completely perfect in every way. Howard’s eyes focused on Vince’s lips. They were unlike any Howard has ever seen, and paled in comparison to his thin, winter-chapped ones. He realized his own were now slightly parted as he continued to admire his friends beauty. He felt Vince’s fluttering heartbeat against his own chest, and forgot about whatever it was that made him mad in the first place.

“Howard, I’m sorry,” Vince offered him with a sympathetic look, all the while trying to ignore his irregular heartbeat and the strange feelings brewing deep inside of him. He thought back to the roof times, where he and Howard kissed to save his own head from being chopped off. He snapped out of his reverie when he felt himself fall backward. The door he was leaning on had opened. Before he could hit the cold pavement, Howard caught him and pulled him up.

“Bollo!” Howard and Vince said in unison, now extremely irritated that they were interrupted by a stupid ape.
“Sorry to break up gay fest. Need to find potion.” And with that the gorilla left them alone, stealing away to the back room.
“Ugh! Fuck that animal!” Vince said angrily.
“You don’t mean that,” Howard said.
Vince sighed, brushing off his glimmering jumpsuit. For a moment they both had forgotten what they had been previously arguing about. Howard smirked when he remembered, and grabbed the crushed sweet off the floor. When he stood up again his smile vanished as he found Vince missing, as well as the box of candy canes.

“Damn it,” thought Howard who began searching the space for any sign of his friend. He then realized that he was probably upstairs. Howard made no attempt to sneak as he hurried up the creaky staircase, barreling into Vince’s bedroom when he reached it. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring wide-eyed at Vince, who was sprawled out on his silk sheets, a candy cane placed between his lips. He sucked on the sweet merrily, winking at his friend. Howard’s anger receded like an ocean and the feeling was replaced by sheer astonishment.

He found himself looking Vince up and down. He subconsciously moved toward the Queen sized bed. Vince simply smiled at him and patted the space next to him. Howard slid beside him in no time, shamelessly dismissing all the questions running through his mind at the moment. All he seemed to be able to concentrate on were Vince’s sticky, red stained lips and his sweet peppermint breath blowing in his face. Finally, Vince spoke.

“Open up,” he giggled girlishly, shoving the already wet sweet into Howard’s slightly open mouth. Howard closed his eyes and relished in the taste. He allowed his tongue to slide about it, and sucked on it perversely, glancing at a grinning Vince. Suddenly he pulled the candy from his friends mouth and set it aside His mouth crashed against Howard’s with absolute desire. The inexperienced man gasped , giving in to Vince’s charm immediately. He melted into the kiss and his hand shot up to caress Vince’s hair. Normally Vince would have qualms about anyone touching his hair, but this time he didn’t mind.

Vince was the first one to slide his tongue along Howard’s bottom lip. Howard opened his mouth and let Vince’s tongue in, and all inhibitions were lost when Howard felt an indescribable sensation coursing throughout his whole body. After a few seconds Howard’s tongue found it’s rhythm and began fighting with Vince’s for dominance. Howard felt a hand caress his chest lightly, and he let out a small noise like that of a kitten. The two men broke apart to intake sharp breaths. Vince let out a breathy laugh and Howard’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Did that really happen?” Howard panted, looking directly into Vince’s eyes.
“It’s not a dream anymore,” Vince said, brushing hair out of his friends face tenderly.
“W-what do you mean?” Howard asked, although he knew exactly what Vince meant.
“I’ve heard you, in the middle of the night, calling my name. You wake me every time, and it’s a wonder why anyone else didn’t hear you. Howard I know how you feel about me. And I just proved my own point: you love me,” Vince said knowingly.
“Of course I love you, you’re my best friend.” He tried to cover it up with a fraction of the truth.
“I know what you want, Howard. And I want it to. Can’t you see?” Vince said imploringly as he looked up into Howard’s rugged face.

“But---”
“But nothing! Why are you so afraid? Just accept it, Howard,” Vince almost pleaded.
“I just need time to think,” Howard gulped nervously.
Vince nodded, “Fine. I’ll give you until Christmas to make up your mind.”
The butterflies in Howard’s stomach were fluttering around uncontrollably as he rose from the bed reluctantly to make his way toward the door.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Vince added, making Howard pause for a moment.
“Y-yes?” Howard stammered, not turning around for fear of getting caught in Vince’s gaze once more.
“The sweets were delicious…” Vince said “And so are you,” he added as an afterthought.
Howard's heart jumped out of his chest at that last statement, and his heart was beating so loudly he thought Vince could hear it. And it was beating for Vince.