As we fall apart

Eyes Down ~ May 2014

Dec could feel Stephen's discomfort all over again the moment they all sat down, looking around the room at everyone who thought they should have an opinion on the current situation: Ali and the rest of the management; Stephen's agent, Dan; Simon and far too many members of the BGT production team. And in the middle of it all, Dec was sat awkwardly with Stephen, Ant at his other side.

"We think the live shows could be the perfect opportunity to address what is happening." A member of the production team had been trying to sell them this idea for some time and it made Dec's skin crawl a little to think that there were people trying to benefit from a situation they'd been thrown into against their will. "You'll have the attention of the country."

"I'm not sure they wanted the attention of the entire country," Ant spoke up drily, pointedly ignoring Ali's disapproving stare. She'd only let him sit in on the impromptu meeting because he'd managed to persuade her that he wouldn't interfere. So far, he'd gone back on that promise more than once. Dec was the one who was used to being on the receiving end of those glares; the one who tended to lose his temper in meetings.

"Well, you picked the wrong time to make a joke – or pull a publicity stunt, then," an ITV executive interjected, whose name Dec had already forgotten.

He subconsciously patted Stephen's hand under the table, infinitely reassured when a set of fingers wrapped around his own lightly. It stopped his blood from boiling quite so much at the suggestion they'd had anything to do with the article or that it could even have been one big prank.

"This didn't come from us," Ali interrupted smoothly, very possibly to stop an almost irate Ant from doing the same.

"Or us," Dan chipped in, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have known about it if Ali hadn't informed me last night. And it definitely wasn't a joke."

The executive didn't look convinced and Dec held himself back from speaking up. He wondered if Stephen felt the same but one glance to the side, at his slightly bowed head, suggested that the younger man didn't want to draw any attention to himself. It was that same shame, fear of judgement, that Dec hated seeing so much.

"You have a platform for the next few days," Nigel said, another BGT producer. It was hard not to feel downhearted, having people they knew talk like this. Dec had known Nigel for a number of years and they'd worked together frequently as a part of Syco. "We could work something in."

Dec glanced at Simon who hadn't said anything since they'd started. In fact, it was unusual for him to turn up to a meeting like this, especially when it was taking place hours before he was needed at the theatre. Dec wanted him to make it clear that he didn't agree with them, that he wasn't out to use the two of them for better ratings as well.

"I think we'd rather get on with our jobs as normal," Dec said eventually, when it became clear they were waiting for one of them to talk. "This has all come out of nowhere and – and we'd rather concentrate on the job that needs to be done."

The ITV executive frowned. Dec tried not to glower at him, finally recalling, in his attempts to distract himself, that he'd introduced himself as Paul. And Dec quite decidedly did not like Paul.

"ITV are concerned that doing nothing would put across the wrong message," he said, voice too smooth and void of sympathy. "We're worried the public would think you were being silenced in some way. They expect a response."

"We don't have to give them one if we don't want to," Dec fired back, careful to keep his voice even.

"This has come as a shock to both of them," Ali interjected swiftly. "Surely the priority here is getting everyone through the next couple of days, putting on a good show. Not milking this for ratings when we could just let it go quiet on its own."