Ant and Dec One Shots

Dec's Struggles

Dec had been feeling off for a few months now. It started innocently enough-just a weekend trip Ant and Stephen took together, laughing about their getaway like it was no big deal. Dec had shrugged it off at the time, even teasing them for leaving him behind, but he couldn't quite shake the odd pang that lingered after they returned. It was strange, feeling like an outsider when he'd always been part of their little circle. But he brushed it aside, telling himself he was being silly.

As the days went by, though, the pang grew sharper. More outings followed-spur-of-the-moment lunches, inside jokes he didn't quite get, late-night calls that didn't include him. Dec began noticing how many little moments he wasn't a part of. The laughter he wasn't sharing. The texts he wasn't receiving. Each one left him feeling a bit emptier, as though he were slowly fading from view.

It started as a quiet worry, something he tried to reason away. But eventually, it became a gnawing ache, a whisper in the back of his mind telling him that maybe Ant and Stephen were moving on without him. The whisper crept into his dreams, waking him up with a racing heart in the middle of the night, his chest tight with the thought that perhaps he was being left behind.

Days turned into weeks, and Dec began withdrawing without even realising it. On set, he still smiled and joked, but his laughter lacked its usual warmth, hollow and stretched thin. Every morning felt harder to face than the last. Some days, the effort it took to leave his bed was almost too much, the weight of his loneliness pressing down on him like an invisible hand. His appetite dwindled, and food became a chore he barely managed, each bite reminding him of how empty he felt.

It all came to a head one afternoon during rehearsals. Dec was going through the motions, putting on his usual cheerful front, when the world started to tilt around him. He gripped the edge of a prop table, hoping the wave of dizziness would pass, but his vision blurred, the room spinning out of focus. Before he could steady himself, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to the studio floor.

Ant and Stephen were at his side in seconds, their faces stricken with worry. "Dec, mate, are you alright?" Ant's voice was thick with concern as he knelt beside him, one hand on Dec's shoulder.

Dec tried to wave them off, forcing a weak smile despite the nausea roiling in his stomach. "I'm fine," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. Someone handed him a few crackers, and he took a small bite, washing it down with a sip of juice to appease them. He could see the worry in their eyes, but he insisted he was okay, too exhausted to explain the truth.

After the show, Dec tried to slip out quickly, hoping to avoid further questions, but Ant and Stephen weren't about to let him disappear. They followed him, refusing to be brushed off. As he unlocked his front door, they gently but firmly guided him inside, steering him to the couch before he could protest.

Ant sat beside him, his gaze soft but steady. "What's going on, Dec?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. "Something's not right. You've been off for a while now, and today... today scared us. Please, talk to us."

Dec's hands trembled as he looked down, his heart pounding. He'd held this in for so long, not wanting to burden them with his worries. But as he finally met their eyes, he could feel his resolve crumble. "You two... you don't need me anymore, do you?" His voice cracked, the words spilling out before he could stop them. A tear slipped down his cheek, and he quickly looked away, embarrassed by his vulnerability. "You go on these trips, you share all these little moments I'm not part of... I didn't want to... bother you with how I felt."

Stephen knelt in front of him, gently placing his hands on Dec's knees. "Dec, mate, I had no idea you felt this way," he said softly, his voice thick with remorse. "We never meant to make you feel left out. We love you, deeply. You're a part of us-our family. We could never replace you."

Ant wrapped an arm around Dec's shoulders, pulling him into a tight embrace. "You're my best friend, Dec. I'm so sorry. I should have noticed something was wrong sooner." His voice was choked with guilt as he tightened his hold. "You're everything to me, Dec. I need you, more than you know."

Dec let out a shaky breath, his chest aching as the words he'd held back for so long finally found release. "I thought maybe... maybe I wasn't important to you both anymore."

Ant's embrace tightened, his hand gently rubbing Dec's back. "You are important. You're so important, Dec, and I'm sorry we ever made you doubt that. We'll remind you every day if we have to."

Stephen smiled softly, his hand reaching up to gently wipe a stray tear from Dec's cheek. "We never want you to feel like you're not wanted. You mean the world to us, Dec. Truly."

They stayed by his side that night, making sure he ate a proper meal, coaxing him to drink water, and wrapping him in the warmth of their presence. Every little touch, every gentle word, spoke volumes, reassuring him of the love they felt for him. As they laughed together over old memories and shared quiet moments on the couch, Dec felt the heavy loneliness that had weighed him down for months start to lift. For the first time in ages, he felt safe and loved, held close by the friends who would never let him go.