A/N: Yep, another one from me! Damn overactive imagination. I hope you like it!

Warning: Will, in future chapters, contain scenes of a strictly adult nature.

Disclaimer: Belongs to Julian and Noel. I just play with it and make them do things the boys have yet too (if ever!).

xxxx

Vince dragged himself through his front door and went straight to the bathroom, placing the plug in the bath and turning on the taps. He added some bubble-bath, then stripped off and sat on the toilet lid as he waited for it to fill. Steam started to rise in comforting tendrils around the room, and Vince could feel himself falling asleep as he watched it twist through the air, enveloping him like a blanket. Tonight had been exhausting, and Vince was sore and wanted nothing more than to slip into bed and sleep for an eternity. But he needed to wash everything away first. The guy, Gerry, had be inexperienced to say the least, but he certainly thought he knew what he was doing. Vince had, a few times, tactfully tried to make things a bit more comfortable for himself, but Gerry had mistaken his squirming for enjoyment, and had pounded into him harder and without grace. Vince had lain there and took it, then listened politely and with fake interest as Gerry complained about work and his wife, before doing the whole thing again. Vince couldn't complain – he was getting paid well for this, and, after all, customer satisfaction was the most important thing in this business.

Bath full, he turned off the taps and slid his weary body into the water. He thought he should be happy, or, more so, grateful, but it was at times like this when he wondered what the hell he was doing. During the day it was easy to pretend that everything was fine, but at night, when it was quiet and Vince was alone, he couldn't help but let his mind drift back to the past. He'd been happy then, hadn't he? Seemingly, yes, but in actual fact every day Vince had woken up, his heart had broken a little bit more, and this had come out as spite and bitchiness towards his best friend, leaving their relationship in near tatters until one day, Vince decided he couldn't take it anymore, so he packed what he could and left, fleeing like a coward in the middle of the night when everyone would be none the wiser until the morning, and by then he would be long gone. Only, Vince hadn't gotten very far at all. In the end, he couldn't bear to leave London, and he'd ended up in a bar in Soho. From there his life had turned into one giant rollarcoaster ride. He'd met his madam, Katherine, in that bar. She'd approached him with a business card and a seductive smile, and after Vince had spent the week unsuccessfully looking for work, broke and miserable after ending up in an area where no one knew him, he'd ended up dialling Katherine's number; he'd been desperate. It was safe – well, as much as it was possible to be safe when you were living the life of a prostitute – and all the clients were wealthy men and women looking to spice up their sex lives. Vince was never out parading himself on the streets. He had an appointment book and a list of things he would and wouldn't do, and Katherine never sent him anyone who she thought was dodgy, although, unfortunately, one or two had slipped through. Katherine had thought Vince was beautiful and innocent looking, and this had certainly made him a hit with both sexes – he had a long list of regulars.

Vince sunk down lower into the hot water and sighed as it worked at his tired muscles. He wondered what Howard would think of him if he knew. He'd be disgusted, he was certain. Vince wouldn't blame him; he too felt disgust and shame at what he had become, although he'd long since learned to numb those feelings. And even thinking that made him feel bad, because the girls and young men Katherine hired were all lovely. He'd even been living with one of the girls, Lottie, for the past year. Their flat in Kensington was large and sophisticated with expensive furniture and wooden floors and sumptuous décor. Even so, Vince missed the cosiness of the Dalston flat he'd left behind. He missed the roaring fires Howard would light in the little fireplace in the winter, and the way he would sometimes make him pancakes for breakfast and draw smiley faces on them with chocolate sauce, just to get the day off to a good start between them. And that was what made him feel the most ashamed; the fact that Howard was doing things like that not just because he wanted to be nice, but because he didn't want any arguments between them. He had wanted his life, for one day, at least, to be a little bit kinder to him. For that, Vince hated himself more than anything. He could sleep with every person on the face of the earth, but that would be nothing to the shame he felt over the way he'd treated his supposed best friend. He'd been thinking about Howard a lot lately. It had been almost a year and a half since he'd last seen him, and he missed him more with each passing day.

But he never had the courage to go back.

Vince dunked his head under the water, floating just under the surface for a few seconds before popping up again. He wiped the water from his eyes and decided he could do with a little more hot water. Using his foot to turn the tap, he relaxed back and breathed deeply as he felt the water slowly heating up around his body. Before he could make himself more melancholy, however, a knock at the bathroom startled him out of his reverie.

"Come in!"

The door opened, letting in a blast of cold air, making goose-bumps appear on Vince's exposed areas of skin. He moved his arm off the side of the bath and let it drop into the hot water. "All right, Lottie?"

Lottie smiled at him, closing the door behind her and sitting herself on the toilet lid. Her curled hair had come loose and was looking slightly limp, and her usually sparkling large browns eyes were looking dull and tired; but she was still beautiful. "Mmm. Just had a very interesting evening at The Ritz. Champagne cocktails in the bar with a very wealthy stockbroker, followed by me placing a saddle on him and riding him like a horse. A grand for four hours work – not bad. He even got his driver to drop me home in his limo."

Vince grinned. "Sounds like you had a better evening than I did," he said, letting his eyes close.

Lottie rolled her eyes. "Right – you had Gerry, didn't you?"

"More like Gerry had me," Vince snorted, blowing bubbles away from his face. "I don't think he's done that before, you know. How was he with you?"

"Clumsy," Lottie replied, without missing a beat. "But then, we're not paid to enjoy ourselves."

"Tell me about it."

Lottie stared at him a moment, thinking. She tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulder and then chewed at her lip. "What's wrong, honey?"

Vince cracked an eye. "Nothing, I'm just tired."

"Liar. Come on, tell me."

Vince sighed, and, opening his eyes, pushed himself upright in the bath. "I was just thinking about..."

"Howard?"

Vince hung his head slightly, not wanting to meet her gaze. "Yeah." He picked up a flannel and started to rub at his skin. Lottie knew all about Howard and why Vince had left him – she'd tried to persuade him to go back often enough.

"Vince -"

"Don't, please." Vince finished with the flannel and then stood up, holding his hand out for a towel - he and Lottie were perfectly comfortable being naked in front of each other.

"What about your hair?"

"I'll do it in the morning."

"Vince, don't be like this," Lottie said, handing him a large towel from the rack.

Vince sighed. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I'm just tired." He wrapped himself up and stepped out of the tub, his feet landing on the soft bath mat. He leant over and pulled the plug, then kissed Lottie on her forehead. "I'm gonna get ready for bed."

Lottie smiled softly at him. "You got anything on tomorrow?"

"Lunch time appointment at The Dorchester. You?"

"Lunch here, with a doctor with a schoolgirl fetish."

"Aw, that's always a cute look on you."

"Piss off."

Vince laughed. "Night, Lotts."

"Night, babes."

Vince padded away from the bathroom towards his bedroom, hearing the bath being rinsed and then re-filled behind him. Upon seeing his bed he almost didn't have enough energy left to dry his hair and take off his make-up, and its softness tempted him until he'd finally finished and all but fell onto it, instantly falling asleep on top of the red, satin sheets, images of a certain Northerner haunting his dreams.