Ant and Dec One Shots

Between The Silence

Dec had been feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders for the past few months. The constant buzz of Ant and Stephen's social media posts filled his mind, each picture and story a reminder of the fun and laughter they were sharing. Meals at new restaurants, spontaneous trips to the cinema, and nights out in the city-decided as a trio without him. It stung each time he scrolled through their photos, each smile from Ant and Stephen sending a deeper cut into his already fragile heart. He knew they were close, but the growing distance between them was unbearable.

It wasn't that he didn't understand their bond. He loved Stephen, and he understood how special their friendship was. But something inside him shifted when he started feeling like the third wheel. They seemed to have their own language now, their own world, and Dec was becoming an outsider. He watched them from the sidelines, forcing a smile, nodding in agreement when they invited him along-only to feel like he was intruding on something too perfect, too tight to fit into. Slowly, it wore him down. He didn't know how to share his feelings without sounding jealous or needy, so he stayed silent, retreating into himself.

The loneliness gnawed at him, spreading from his heart to his body. He began skipping meals, overworking to escape his thoughts, and the sleep he did get was restless. His clothes grew looser, his energy faded, and soon, the weight of it all became too much to bear. Every morning, he would look in the mirror and see a stranger staring back-someone who felt so empty, so distant from the person he used to be. He didn't know how to reach out anymore. The words tangled in his throat, and he felt trapped in his own silence.

One afternoon, Dec was sitting in his living room, staring blankly at his phone, when the dizziness hit him. His vision blurred, and he could barely focus on the screen before him. His body felt like a burden, his limbs heavy as if every movement took everything he had left. He tried to stand, but his legs were weak, betraying him. His head spun, and before he could catch himself, he collapsed to the floor. The pain in his body was sharp, but the emotional ache that followed was far worse. He felt like the world had cracked open beneath him, leaving him helpless and exposed.

He couldn't move. Couldn't summon the strength to pick himself up. The isolation was suffocating, and suddenly, he didn't know who to turn to. His thoughts spiralled, frantic and out of control. He thought of Stephen, but the thought of disturbing him felt like an intrusion. He thought of calling his therapist, but even that seemed too far away. His mind whirled, and then, like a lifeline, Ant's name flickered in his thoughts. His best friend, living just two doors away. The very person who had always been there, even when everything else felt uncertain.

With a shaking hand, Dec grabbed his phone. His fingers hovered over the keys as he stared at the screen. Should I call him? He couldn't help the lump that rose in his throat, a mixture of fear and desperation. But despite the ache in his chest, he tapped the call button, feeling as though he was about to do the most vulnerable thing in his life. His throat tightened, his heart hammering in his chest. The weight of it all felt too much to carry alone, and for the first time in months, he let himself reach out.

Ant answered immediately. "Dec? Where are you? You don't sound-"

"I can't get up," Dec whispered, his voice breaking, small sobs choking his words.

There was a pause, and then, the sound of hurried footsteps. "I'm coming over now. Just hang on. Don't move."

Minutes later, Ant was at his door. His face was a mask of concern when he saw Dec lying on the floor, his best friend pale, dishevelled, and barely able to lift his head. Dec looked like a shadow of himself, fragile and broken in a way Ant had never seen before. The sight of him made Ant's heart ache.

"What the hell's going on with you?" Ant asked, kneeling beside him, his voice tinged with panic. He gently lifted Dec into his arms, cradling him carefully as though he were the most fragile thing in the world.

"I don't know," Dec whispered, his voice cracking with pain. "I've just felt... so alone lately. You and Stephen are always together, and I just feel like I don't fit in anymore. I don't know where I belong."

Ant's heart broke for him. He didn't speak at first, just held Dec tighter, as if trying to pour all the love and understanding he had into that one embrace. "I'm so sorry, Dec," he murmured. "I had no idea you were feeling like this. You're my best friend. You'll always be my best friend. No matter what."

As Ant guided Dec to the couch, he made sure to take everything slow, not rushing him, not pushing him. He ordered takeaway, trying to offer some semblance of normalcy, but his mind was consumed by the hurt he had seen in Dec's eyes. Ant stayed by his side, refusing to leave. They ate together, but Ant's gaze never left Dec, silently watching for any sign that his best friend was still in pain.

After the meal, Ant moved the dishes aside and sat down beside him, his eyes meeting Dec's. His voice softened. "Dec, I'm not going anywhere. We've been through too much for me to just disappear. But I need you to talk to me. What's been going on? I know I've been busy with Stephen, but I never meant to make you feel abandoned. I can't fix everything, but I'll try harder. Just tell me what you need."

Dec's voice trembled as he spoke, his body wracked with emotion. "I've been so... so lonely. It's like I'm invisible. You and Stephen, you've always had this... this closeness, and I get it, but I feel like I'm just tagging along. And then, when I look at myself, I feel like... like I've lost myself."

Ant's hand found Dec's, and he squeezed it gently, reassuring him. "You haven't lost yourself, Dec. You've just been hiding. And you don't have to. You mean everything to me. To us. You're not a third wheel. You're not an afterthought. If anything, you're the heart of all of this."

Dec looked at him, his eyes searching for the truth in Ant's words. A flicker of hope returned in his gaze, the first glimmer of light in weeks. "I don't want to be a burden. I don't want to keep feeling like this."

"You're not a burden, Dec," Ant said, his voice firm yet filled with emotion. "You're my best friend. I'm here for you, no matter what. And I'll do better, I promise. I'll spend more time with you. I'll help you through this, every step of the way. You're not alone. You never have been."

The quiet moments that followed were filled with a sense of understanding and tenderness that Dec hadn't realised he was missing. Slowly, his strength began to return-physically and emotionally. His smile, once so hard to muster, became more genuine. His laughter, too, was starting to surface again. With Ant by his side, Dec knew he could heal. It wasn't instant, but it was a start.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, mate," Dec said one evening, as they sat together, a bowl of popcorn between them.

"You never have to find out," Ant replied with a grin, nudging his best friend affectionately.

And in that moment, Dec knew everything would be okay. They would face the ups and downs together, like they always had. He wasn't alone anymore. And this time, he believed it.