Bent Part 3

[concupiscence66]

Title:  Bent
Author:  Concupid
Pairing:  Howard/Vince
Warnings:  mild violence, coercive sexuality, language
Rating:  PG-13
Summary:  Vince weighs the pros and cons of being a total dick

Comments

[bluestocking79]

“What?” Vince cried. “Just because I’m a little on edge, you think I’m going to start hitting Howard? Or I’m going to try and rape him as soon as we’re alone? That’s bullshit!”

...oh, VINCE. The fact that this is the first thing his mind goes to, along with the stray thought about his dad having said that nice guys finish last, combined with, like, everything else he's exhibiting... yeah, his dad was definitely, as Bollo would say, a massive ballbag. And yet, it's really interesting to watch him wrestle internally with the conflict of recognizing, on one level, that he's acting like an asshole, but also that it seems to be (superficially) paying off more in terms of getting results. For the first time, he feels like he's the one with the power, and after a lifetime of trying to please others and sometimes feeling like a doormat, that's definitely appealing. Especially in the way it applies to Howard and that sparking sexual tension between them that seems to constantly be two seconds from turning into a raging forest fire.

Naboo and Bollo's reaction aside, I love the ending, with the hand-holding and Howard tending to Vince's injury. Vince's defensiveness dies down at least temporarily in the face of all that attention and doting from Howard--which is, after all, what he's always wanted. And it was nice to see him react to Howard's discomfort and not give in to the temptation to go too far over the line, to a place that would just humiliate Howard. Vince's dad was obviously a bully, but Vince isn't, and it's a nice little reminder that that part of him in still there. There are all these tiny little Vincey moments here, in between the unfamiliar changes.

And Howard is lost in Vince-ville! He's still struggling to get a handle on how to regain his footing in their dynamic, while sorting out all this new-found observation and attentiveness to people's feelings. The push-and-pull between them (so to speak) as they try to work out their new dynamic is just completely fascinating, and it promises to only be more so when they hit the road.

Last, but not least... it's a small thing, but one that really caught my eye: Vince looking for COMFORTABLE AND PRACTICAL clothing to pack?!? Just throwing his things in a bag? Old t-shirts and flares and trainers? That speaks to the shift in his gender as profoundly as all the uncharacteristic aggressiveness and lack of patience with Howard does.

*eagerly awaits next chapter*