My Ant and Dec One shots

💙 Promiseland

So every instalment of this lil mini series has come from a song and despite all the songs out there about gay love, I really struggled to find one that was dark but also radiated hope.

Then AntandDeclove infected me with the Mika bug and I discovered this song, 'Promiseland' and it fit so perfectly in guiding me to completing this update. So here it is.

It's not the dramatic and overly angst ending I had planned but I think it's simplicity is what the characters deserve.

Work felt long and arduous, it had completely destroyed the high I was riding from having a shirtless Declan in my bed and having him cradled in my arms all night.

I was kept after hours for a few behavioural meetings and when I finally got out and into my car I couldn't drive home fast enough. I wasn't sure what would be waiting for me when I got back. When I'd left that morning, Declan had still yet to wake up, he seemed exhausted and he had every reason to be.

I hadn't wanted to wake him so I'd left a short note, telling him I'd be back around 4. It was nearing 5 and I really hoped he hadn't gone back to the church before we got a chance to properly talk things through.

On arriving, my door was locked just the way I'd left it. That held promise, although Dec had a key he repetitively forgot to lock the door whenever he left.

"Dec? I'm home!" I called, kicking off my shoes and placing my keys in the pot loudly. Just saying those words put me in a fairly good mood. I'd always dreamed of calling out to my partner when I got home from work, and secretly I'd always dreamed it would be his name.

I hung up my coat, listening out for any sign of the smaller man but none came.

I peeked my head in the living room and then the kitchen before extending my search to the bedroom.

That's where I found him, on his knees with his head bowed to rest on the edge of the bed in a prayer. I tried to be quiet, but no doubt my yelling and bounding up the stairs had already disturbed his peace.

"You can come in." He murmured, "Hard to concentrate when you're lurking at the door like."

The fact that he was most confident when he was practicing his faith was hard to ignore. It truly was a huge part of who he was. No wonder he'd been feeling so lost lately. I did as the priest said, dumping my year 7 test papers on the floor and making my steps light on their way to the armchair in the corner of the room.

My eyes didn't leave him, Prayer was a curious concept to me and seeing him so devote to speaking to his higher power left me curious. Left me wanting to write about what I was seeing, because this wasn't just a man kneeling. This was a man travelling, as though his body were here but his mind was absent. It no doubt took some practice, but his face was completely calm and his eyes didn't even flicker with the temptation to open- as though he felt perfectly safe in such a vulnerable position.

I wasn't sure how long prayer took, my prayers only lasted a short minute but Declan didn't seem to be finishing anytime soon.

"I'm Uh... I'm gonna take a shower." I muttered, and when it became clear I wasn't getting a response, I tiptoed away with my towel to the bathroom.

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After my shower I felt my mood was much better but I'd forgetten my flannel which I usually used to dry my hair. I had a towel wrapped snuggly around waist and did my best to ignore the drops of moisture dripping onto my face and down my back from my wet hair.