I would start a riot

Breaking Down ~ May 2015

As the show started to wrap up, Ali led them wordlessly to the studio. They slipped in at the back, only drawing the attention of the nearest crew members. It was quite a young team that worked behind the scenes on BGMT, plenty of aspiring producers and recent recruits eager to learn. Ant had always admired Stephen for the atmosphere he created for the crew, getting to know all of them even in the midst of the hectic schedule they were forced to follow. So it was no wonder when their appearance was met with some grim expressions. Stephen would have deserved a BAFTA if he'd managed to fool all of them too.

Ant had forgotten that the studio went on existing during breaks, that everyone would have been able to observe Stephen as he filled the two minutes he had to breathe with whatever coping mechanisms he needed. Had it been as quiet as the auditorium must have been? Had the silence felt suffocating?

Stephen delivered his final link to camera as Dec shifted restlessly from foot to foot. He and Stephen had been fairly private when it came to showing their relationship to the crew working on the shows. Stephen would eat lunch with both of them whenever he wasn't working through his break and always appeared to say good luck at the start of a show, spending so much time in their dressing room over his own that people tended to come looking for him there first. But very little had changed since they came out; the majority of their time spent together still seemed to be dedicated to making fun of each other.

The director confirmed that they were off-air, prompting Stephen's shoulders to slump of their own accord. Ideally, he probably wanted to get somewhere private before he let anyone see it had got to him, but there was only so long a façade like that could hold up under scrutiny.

"Good job, everyone," the director said as Stephen deposited his cue cards on a nearby table and started to fiddle with his earpiece. "That was a tough one." Stephen nodded, steeling himself one last time and glancing around at the crew.

"Thanks, guys." His voice had been sapped of the energy he'd kept up for the camera but there was still a sign of life, a real flicker of gratitude. "I know you all gave one-hundred percent today; I really appreciate it." The sentiment was echoed through the crew as Dec continued to hover at Ant's side, suddenly plagued by uncertainty.

"Go on, Decs," Ant murmured as Stephen untangled his microphone wire and passed it over to the sound operator, his hand shaking slightly. The rest of the crew were starting to clear up, messing with equipment or wiping down whiteboards as an unusual heaviness smothered the typically upbeat atmosphere, but they moved out of the way easily as Dec shuffled towards the younger presenter.

Without him there, Ant felt Ali bristle with unbridled anger. A similar feeling boiled beneath the surface of his skin, the protectiveness only intensifying as he watched the relief blossom on Stephen's face when he saw Dec. Dec embraced him without a word, visibly sapping the tension from Stephen as he dropped his head to rest on Dec's, his arms wrapping tightly around the other man. They stood like that for some time, the crew tidying up around them with no more than a couple of shared smiles. Ant regretted suspecting any of them for being responsible, warmed by the genuine care they all seemed to share for Stephen and, by extension, Dec.

Ali glanced up from a text she'd got and said, "He was already pleading guilty for breaking in backstage before the police even arrived." Ant felt a little better until he saw the dark look on her face. "Says he doesn't think anything else he did was wrong."

"Bastard," Ant grumbled, wary of the people around them and keeping himself in check. "People like that still exist, aye?"

"Unfortunately so," Ali agreed. "He'll have to accept that they're trying to charge him with more than just breaking in though. Maybe he'll change his tune then."