For Life

part 11

"Reward?" Ant asked confused "what do you mean?"

"Use your imagination Ant" Dec replied "favour for a favour,they certainly didn't want me to take them out for a cup of tea"

"You mean...they...?" Ant didn't know how to word what he was thinking,but Dec knew exactly what that was and just nodded.

"Those bouncers?" Ant continued angrily "those men?they took advantage of you?a fourteen year old boy?a child?"

Ant couldn't help a tear from falling at the thought of Dec feeling like he had to do things with grown men because he was looking for a way to feel normal just for a few hours.

"NO" Dec startled Ant out of his thoughts "they wanted me to...you know...pleasure them in the men's toilets,or an alley way...that went on a lot during the gay nights,always someone doing something,but I always managed to sneak away before they noticed"

"Thank God for that" Ant replied relieved "so you were never forced to do anything against your will?"

"Absolutely not" Dec smiled "didn't stop them trying though,I was young,fresh meat"

"Fuck Dec" Ant shook his head despairingly "your poor parents,they must have been worried sick,what if something had happened to you?what if some guy bigger and stronger than you wouldn't have taken no for an answer?it doesn't bear thinking about"

"Nothing happened though" Dec pointed out "and that period of my life is over now,but I have no regrets"

"How did your mum find out?" Ant asked curiously.

"She caught me sneaking in at 3 o'clock in the morning once" Dec recalled "she hit the roof"

"I'm not surprised" Ant nodded "she must have been terrified for you"

"Ant" Dec laughed "have you never just let your hair down and gone out and enjoyed yourself?"

"Not by doing that I haven't" Ant frowned.

"You've never been clubbing?" Dec asked shocked.

"Not when I was fourteen I didn't" Ant replied.

"Should have" Dec grinned "then you might not be so uptight"

"I am NOT uptight" Ant snapped.

"OK,OK" Dec laughed "I was kidding...look,I get what I did might not have been great,but nothing happened and I'm fine,so stop worrying ok?"

"So did your mum lock you in every night after that?" Ant mused.

"Not exactly" Dec replied "but she had a serious talk with me"

"What did she say?" Ant asked curiously.

"She said that people like me either end up famous,dead or in prison" Dec said seriously "and over her dead body would a son of hers end up in prison"

"Wow" Ant replied "that's pretty blunt"

"Yep" Dec nodded "but it was what I needed to hear"

"So you never went back after that?" Ant asked.

"To the nightclub?" Dec replied "no,I didn't,I missed it to start with,but I decided to knuckle down and concentrate on my music...I'd spend every break and lunchtime hiding from the bullies in the music room...until I could get out of the nightmare that was high school and the rest,as they say,is history"

"Pretty boy like you wouldn't have lasted five minutes in prison anyway" Ant grinned.

"Yeah" Dec laughed "I fear you're right"

Ant was still loving learning more and more about Dec,no matter how surprising it was and he was endlessly fascinated by this charming man.

Later that evening,when tiredness caught up with them both,Dec held out his hand and led Ant to the bedroom.