Disclaimer: I do not own Queer as Folk, neither the UK or US series. Forgive any liberties taken with the characters.

Vince slid into the seat next to Stuart's while people stretched to fit their hand luggage into the overhead compartments, or made sure that their seats were in their correct upright position for take-off. Vince was in a daze, still finding it hard to believe that he was actually doing it. He was leaving. Not actually beaming up or zooming off into the horizon the way he'd always imagined doing it, but still, leaving was leaving. He was abandoning his flat, his job, his mum – his responsibility. All for Stuart – no, that was just his excuse. He was doing it for the adventure. How very selfish. As if sensing his thought, Stuart turned to look at Vince and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze on the arm rest. This served to pull Vince out of the daze that he'd been in since Stuart had pulled the Jeep away from the curb outside of his flat and headed to the main road, out of town.

Vince had packed an old duffel bag with an armful of clothes, his wash kit, sunglasses, his passport, wallet and any cash he had lying around. He didn't even bother to change out of the suit he'd worn to work that day. He'd packed his phone too. Stuart may have gotten rid of his, but Vince had still felt he needed the little tie to reality, for now at least. Then he'd stepped out of his life and pulled the door to his flat shut firmly for what seemed the very first and last time. Hazel could sort the flat, he didn't need it anymore. He'd thrown his bag in the back of the Jeep, swung himself into the passenger side and let out a whoop of relief, excitement and joy as Stuart sped away from the curb-side. After that it had been clear roads and darkening sky all the way to Manchester Airport.

They'd headed straight for the ticket counter to purchase the first flight that headed out into the world, away from the tiny pond in which they'd spent their lives.

"Where do you want to go?" Had asked Stuart in his lilting Irish accent.

"I don't know. Spain's always nice, not that I've ever been there. Or how bout Italy? Lot's of pretty Italian boys for you to sink your teeth into there." Joked Vince.

"Hey, I thought I was supposed to be giving you that shag you've always wanted," Stuart had replied, snaking his arm around Vince's waist and pulling him in to rest hip-to-hip. "Or don't you want me now?"

Vince had blushed bright red and pushed away a cackling Stuart while the girl at the ticket counter stared at them with her mouth hanging open. She'd obviously heard their whole conversation.

"You're the one that's been everywhere," said Vince cattily, "You pick somewhere good to go."

"Two first class tickets to New York then, please" Stuart had said to the counter girl, slamming his Visa onto the counter. Then he'd yanked Vince by the shirt and kissed him full on the mouth in front of everyone. It hadn't been any different to their normal 'friendly' kisses, but it had been in front of all the straight people in Manchester airport, just to piss them off.

"Stuart!" Vince had yelped, pushing him off.

"For being such a cheeky bastard" was the reply he'd got. Vince had thought that he'd have to be cheeky more often.

So here he was, sat in first class on a ten hour flight direct to New York, holding Vince's hand as the plane took off. Vince had never been on an aeroplane before and Stuart could tell he was scared.

"You'll be fine once we're up in the air" he told Vince. All he got in reply was a drawn smile on a pale face filled with worried blue eyes. The word 'coward' nearly formed on his lips, but then Stuart remembered how brave Vince was being in leaving his tiny world behind and thought better of it. The plane levelled out and Vince relaxed, giving Stuart no reason to keep holding his hand, so he reluctantly separated their fingers.

The next few hours passed by, filled with Vince's aimless chit-chat about how nice the food was, how comfy the chairs were, how cool the flip down telly screen was. Stuart let the sound of Vince's words flow over him, not really listening but basking in the calming effect that the endless chatter always had upon him. The words "cost too much. You shouldn't have spent so much on me" broke through the haze, bringing the automatic response of:

"Nothing's too expensive when it's you" Vince looked at him, stunned into silence for a few seconds. Shit, thought Stuart, why'd I have to say it like that?

"Oookaaaay then. Anyway, you better let me pay something towards my ticket, and the hotel. I can't believed you booked us into a four star hotel in New York city too." He laughed nervously and Stuart picked up that Vince was uncomfortable.

"Anyway, I've got to go to the toilet, I drank too much of the free Champagne, goes right through me that stuff does" babbled Vince before getting up and heading down the isle to the on board toilet. Stuart watched him go, admiring how cute Vince's arse looked in his well fitting suit trousers. Stuart had bought him that suit two Christmas's ago especially for the view it awarded him.

Stuart sighed to himself. It seemed that Vince still wasn't taking the hint. He'd always been a little blind and too quick to put himself down, never noticing when people took interest in him. Always too quick to laugh off anything Stuart did to show his interest. Stuart wasn't any good at expressing emotion. It had taken him years to figure out that he cared more for Vince than just as a friend, and he still hadn't managed to tell Vince that either. He'd hoped that the comment he'd made about Vince's world being enough for him would have done the trick. It sort of did, seeing as Vince broke up with Cameron so soon after that, but still nothing had happened between them. He'd tried to make the first move, in his own way, but Stuart being Stuart, he'd messed it up. He had known in the back of his mind that Vince wouldn't want to share his first intimacy with him with a third person, so by repeatedly suggesting they have a threesome, he realised, he had confused and all but crushed Vince. Maybe he should do something clearer to show Vince what he could never say. An idea crept into Stuart's head and the customary predatory grin crept onto his face.

The Occupied sign lit up on the side of the airplane toilet as Stuart stood up out of his seat and headed down the aisle in the same direction that Vince had headed. There was only one toilet on this side of the first class section, so there'd be no mistake as to who was in the loo he was loitering outside of. A minute later he heard the loud sucking noise of the toilet itself and Vince giving a little yelp, startled by the unexpectedly loud noise. Another minute later, after washing and drying his hands, Vince opened the toilet door to find Stuart leaning languidly across its entrance. He looked as sexy as he did when on the prowl in Babylon, and Vince was surprised to see what he had come to call 'Stuart's seduction smirk', slithering across his face. There was something in Stuart's eyes that made Vince shiver a little, before he remembered he was standing in the entrance to the toilet for which Stuart had obviously been waiting to use. He went to step past Stuart, mumbling an apology as he did, when Stuart shoved him back into the toilet and quickly followed. Stuart shut the door behind himself and the occupied sign relit.