Oneshots and Other Things

Tired ~ Part 1

Tired - series of 6 oneshots
AKA 5 times one or two of them fell asleep and one time they all did

(*~*)

Part 1: Dec (SNT 2021)

He'd only been gone five minutes. Really, it was quite impressive that Dec had managed to fall asleep in such a short space of time, given the hustle and bustle of the studio continuing around him.

But he had managed it and Ant had spotted him, slumped over in the front row seat he'd left him in. The sight left him with a fond smile, his route back to the other man only diverted momentarily by Chris, the director.

"He must be tired if he can sleep with this racket going on."

"Dec can sleep anywhere when he puts his mind to it," Ant replied with a grin, "Do you want me to get him out of the way for you?"

He watched Chris look over with a faint smile and shake his head. "Only if he's still there when we need to start filming."

Ant laughed, wandering over to the seats and dropping into one next to Dec as gingerly as he could.

He did look tired, the tension that had been running through every waking expression notably absent now that he was resting. It didn't quite wipe the shadows from beneath his eyes though, a clear sign that he'd spent more of his night stressing about the opening show than he had actually sleeping.

"What are you like, Declan?" Ant muttered under his breath, carefully prising the script from the other man's loose grasp and setting it to one side. "You don't sleep all night – in your own bed – but you can manage a nap in the middle of the studio, eh?"

"I don't think he can hear you."

Ant glanced around sheepishly, deflating at the sight of Stephen's teasing smirk. He was stood at a distance, like he had to be, but the understated fondness beneath his joking expression crossed the space between them effortlessly.

"Nice to see you too," Ant retorted, still keeping his voice down.

Stephen toyed with the straps of the mask in his hands for a moment and then glanced around Ant to look Dec over. "He must be shattered to be sleeping in here."

"You know, you're the first person to mention that," Ant replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes when he was met with nothing more than another grin from the younger man.

"I'll have to catch up with you later. I've got to go and sort some things for the show," Stephen said, albeit reluctantly. He pointed at Dec. "Say hello to the other one for me, if he ever decides to wake up?"

"Will do," Ant said, smiling at Stephen's retreating figure.

He was pleased that Stephen had come over, knowing that no one else would. There were a few knowing glances in their direction but no more interruptions and Ant was content to sit on his phone for a while as Dec caught some much-needed minutes of sleep.

It didn't take long for Ant to get a little bored, shifting in his seat to look Dec over again, like he might miraculously look less stressed after such a short nap. It was the first time he noticed the other man's glasses, tilted precariously on the bridge of his nose and knocked off balance by his slumped position.

Ant was torn between taking them off to stow them safely in his pocket and rebalancing them, knowing how much Dec hated wearing them any longer than he had to. Ant thought he looked fine, even when Dec was adamant that they made him look old. And he'd only panic when he woke up and didn't feel them resting against his face.

In the end, he took too long deciding what to do and Dec began to stir on his own, forehead instantly gaining a few lines as he screwed his face up and yawned widely.

"Morning," Ant teased softly, once he was sure Dec was aware of his surroundings.

"Oh," Dec blinked a few times, glancing around the studio with his glasses still endearingly skewed over his nose. "Sorry."

"You needed it," Ant said easily, reaching over and adjusting his glasses like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Thanks," Dec murmured automatically, still half-asleep and not registering that he was still wearing them without needing to read anything. He even reached up, brushing them further up his nose in a single, uncoordinated movement.

"Your script's on the seat next to me," Ant said knowingly, when he started to look around again, momentarily flustered. Dec nodded slowly and cast his gaze out wider, watching the crew move around the set, making final adjustments to everything. "Oh, and Stephen says hello."

"He's arrived?" Dec asked, perking up a little.

"He seemed busy so we probably can't wind him up," Ant said ruefully. Dec deflated back into his seat over-dramatically but then swiftly looked wistful.

"How long ago was he here?"

"You'll see him later," Ant replied knowingly, not really answering the question he'd been asked. He knew Dec had missed working with everyone – they both had. And it was still strange not having BGT to see Stephen more regularly at the start of every year so these few weeks had suddenly become all the more important to them.

"It'll be strange, him keeping out of our way," Dec said spontaneously.

Really, it was no stranger than everyone else having to do the same but Ant knew what he meant. In the same way that only Stephen had wandered over to them as Dec had his brief nap, there were other things that made the younger man different to the rest of the crew.

"A lot of things are going to be strange this year," he pointed out regardless, hoping to get rid of the newly instated frown on Dec's face again.

"I don't normally fall asleep in the middle of the day," Dec pointed out jokingly.

"Exactly," Ant replied, grinning more easily at Dec's answering smile.

It didn't take long for him to wrinkle his nose and surreptitiously pocket his glasses though, the brief disruption to his more relaxed expression not lasting long.

Ant sighed to himself but decided not to make a comment. Some things just never changed.