Conversations Between Moon And The Sunshine Kid (Mighty Boosh One-shot Book)

One of them

Synopsis: set in the 1970s. Vince comes out to Howard and didn't expect what was going to happen. But he knows he needs to leave. Howard absolutely does NOT pass the vibe check in this one.

Pls comment more ideas for fics, I'm genuinely all out of ideas.

TW: Homophobic slurs, Homophobic actions. Howard has hella internalised homophobia.

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"What's the matter with you? You've been acting skittish all day."Howard asked, looking over at him from across the kitchen table.

"Skittish? I haven't been skittish, have I?" Vince asked, looking up from the lukewarm tea he cradled in his hands.

"You have all day. Is there something on your mind? You can tell me anything, you know? I won't be upset"

Vince hesitated, then cleared his throat "You know what, yeah, there's something on my mind. To be honest, I didn't want to tell you this now but I know if I don't I might not ever."

He took a deep breath, before blurting it out "I'm one of them."

Before Vince could stop them, the words had already fallen out of his mouth. Now they were out there, and he couldn't take them back.

"What do you mean? One of who?" Howard asked, expression softening "Little man?"

Vince looked away, the softness in Howard's voice killing him.

"Vince?" Howard added, concerned by his silence.

He hesitated, but finally plucked up the courage to tell him.

"I'm in love with you, Howard."

Howard looked completely stunned, like a deer in headlights.

"What?"

Vince hesitated "I'm gay."

"...what? you can't be a gay." Howard shook his head in disbelief.

"Yes, I am." He insisted, standing his ground.

"But you're my best friend..." he insisted, clueless to how stupid that sounded.

He raised an eyebrow "What? That's ridiculous Howard. Being gay isn't gonna change anything."

"It changes everything! I can't believe you wouldn't tell me! You lied to me!" He

"I've been lying to everyone Howard! I was scared people would react like you did! I've been lying because I was scared! I can't even walk down the street alone at night because I was scared of getting beat up or killed!"

"You wouldn't be scared if you hadn't chosen to live- to live like that!"

"You think this is a choice? Of course it's not a choice! Why would I choose to love an old freak like you?!"

Howard couldn't deny that Vince's words hurt, but he could barely keep all of his feelings together.

How could his best friend be gay? How does he know that he's gay? Did he get turned? By who? Did he actually have sex with another man?

The thought made him feel ill. He wasn't disgusted, but the thought of Vince being with someone else without Howard knowing made him feel physically sick.

Before Howard could think about Vince's sex life more Vince snapped at him again.

"You know, just rejecting me would've worked, you didn't need to be an ass about it..." Tears were brimming in Vince's eyes.

"Vince... You know I don't mean it like that, I just- you just- being gay is wrong, you know that it is. It's perverse, Vince. I know you, and I know you just haven't met the right girl yet."