Ant and Dec One Shots

Seven Months Strong

Two months had passed since Ant had returned to work after his time away in rehab, but the cracks in his confidence only deepened with each passing day. The silence between him and Dec had become a constant companion, growing louder in its stillness. Every glance, every word felt weighed down with unspoken tension, and it was as though they were both walking on fragile ground, unsure of how to navigate the space between them. Though Dec tried to reassure him with warm smiles and gentle words, they felt like an echo of the bond they once shared. Ant could feel the difference. Something had changed.

Ant couldn't help but notice the ease with which Dec and Stephen interacted. Their connection seemed effortless, as if they'd always known the rhythm of each other's thoughts. They shared looks that spoke volumes, conversations flowing like an intricate dance, seamlessly transitioning from one topic to the next. Ant watched from the periphery, feeling like an outsider in his own life. When Stephen and Dec spoke, the words poured out of them effortlessly, filled with laughter and shared jokes. Meanwhile, Ant struggled to put two sentences together for a script, his mind always a step behind. The gap between them felt as vast as an ocean, and Ant was drowning in it.

At the end of every day, Ant returned home in silence, the weight of his isolation settling in. His flat, once a place of solace, now felt cold and alien. The thoughts of his inadequacy, his spiraling anxiety, pressed down on him relentlessly. He could feel himself slipping away, the person he used to be, the one who once had a place at Dec's side, fading into the background. The fear that Dec didn't need him anymore gnawed at him-he wasn't the same, and he couldn't help but feel that he had been left behind.

That night, Ant couldn't sleep. His body was exhausted, but it wasn't physical weariness that kept him awake. It was the relentless ache in his chest, the haunting feeling that he no longer mattered. He had lost himself somewhere along the way, and in the quiet of his flat, he couldn't escape the emptiness that surrounded him.

The next morning, Ant sat at his desk, his hands shaking as he rubbed at his tired eyes. He had been wearing makeup for weeks, desperately trying to conceal the hollowed look in his face-the dark circles under his eyes, the gauntness of his features. He knew Dec had noticed, but neither of them dared to speak about it. The silence between them had grown thicker with each passing day, an invisible wall they both refused to acknowledge.

It was during a rushed makeup session before a live show of Britain's Got Talent that everything came crashing down. The makeup artist, intent on her work, began wiping away his concealer before Ant could stop her. His heart stopped in his chest as he froze, but it was too late. The damage had already been done.

She gasped loudly, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God, Ant... what... what's happened to you?"

The room fell silent. Ant could feel every eye on him, the weight of their stares like a thousand tiny needles prickling his skin. His heart hammered in his chest, but he couldn't bring himself to explain. The words wouldn't come. He couldn't say it. He was too far gone.

As soon as they saw Ant, Simon sent the rest of the crew, the makeup artists, the stylists, everyone in the room out on a break with just a glance, leaving the room full of just the four judges and the three presenters.

Dec, ever the worrier, was the first to approach. His brow furrowed in concern, and there was an unmistakable tightness in his voice. "Ant," he said softly, but Ant's hands trembled as he reached for the makeup, clumsily applying it with shaky fingers. His voice was barely a whisper when he spoke, each word feeling like it was dragging through thick mud.

"I'm fine, Dec," Ant muttered, the hollow emptiness of his words echoing in the room. "Just tired, that's all."

Dec's heart sank as he watched Ant, seeing him for the first time in what felt like forever-the fragile shell of the man he once knew. Without thinking, Dec placed a gentle hand on Ant's arm, but Ant immediately recoiled, his eyes wide with a mix of panic and pain.