A Box Full Of Memories

AN: The boys are not famous (anymore) in this story and they're 41 years old, like they are now :)

Dec whistled a random tune as he got himself ready to clean the attic. "You're way too happy." Ant mumbled. Dec laughed and pecked Ant on the cheek. "You love it though." Ant smiled lightly and changed in more comfortable clothes as well.

*

"This are boxes full of paper, old household stuff, and I have no idea what this is. I guess we can throw all that away! And oh, we should sell this garden furniture." Dec rattled as he passed Ant a chair. "What? Why?" Ant asked. "Ant, we don't have a garden." Dec answered.

"No, love, why do we have to throw away everything, especially without taking a closer look at it." Ant said. "I'm sure we can't use that garden furniture anymore, love." Dec answered. Ant hit the palm of his hand against his forehead.

"Please sit down, pet, I'm gonna show you something." Ant smiled. Dec did what he was asked and sat down on the old sofa, in the middle of the attic. Ant searched in between all the boxes until he found one particular box.

"What's that?" Dec asked curiously as Ant sat down next to him. Ant only smiled and draped his arm around Dec's shoulders. Dec cuddled up against his husband.

For a moment, they only looked at the box. Dec studied Ant's face and smiled. His husband was the most handsome man on earth, that was for sure! That little smile, that beard, his beautiful eyes that were shining...

"My mum gave me this box when I was 10 years old. She told me to keep everything in it that was important to me." Ant explained. Dec only smiled. Ant opened the box and took a piece of paper. "This is the first football match I've ever went to." Ant told his husband. "My uncle took me the day after my tenth birthday."

Dec smiled and pecked Ant on the cheek before listening to what Ant wanted to tell further.

"This is from the first holiday we did." Ant explained as he showed a balloon. "We got the balloon when we arrived at the camping. Sarha and I got each three, and we played with them all day long." Dec smiled again. He just felt the warmth radiating from his boyfriend as he was telling these memories.

"Is that...?" Dec asked carefully as he saw a card he recognised. "That's the first card you ever gave me." Ant smiled lovingly. "You've got it for my 13th birthday. I already knew back then that we would be really close, I really liked you." He answered. Dec hugged Ant tightly. "That means so much to me." He whispered. Ant pecked Dec's head. "From then on, most things are related to you, if I'm honest." Ant said. Dec smiled. "Really?" he asked cutely.

"This is the ticket for our first date, the football match on Boxing Day." Ant said as he showed the entrance ticket. "And is that a script from Byker Grove?" Dec asked as he took a bundle of papers out of the box. Ant smiled and nodded. "It's the scene." He said. "He cannat see man!" the two boys said in unison and they laughed.

"And this is the bill of our first official date." Ant said as he gave Dec a faded bill of the pizza place they'd went. "This is amazing." Dec whispered, tears in his eyes as he thought back to that day.

~

They had only been 16 years old. Ant had come to his house, dressed very smartly, no cap on his head. Dec had worn a button-up himself, he didn't had a date every week! And certainly not with his best friend, the guy he'd been in love with since the day they had met.

"You're dressed so smartly!" his mum had said. "Yeah, Ant and I are gonna celebrate our 3 years of friendship somewhere fancy." Dec had told his mum. She hadn't known that he was gay yet, and Dec hadn't wanted to tell her either. "Have fun with Ant, love. And home before 10!"

It had been an amazing night: having pizza together, sharing a dame blanche and talking about everything and nothing. Things they'd always done when they were together.

Nevertheless, ever since Ant had asked Dec on a date – a romantic date – there had been some tension between the boys: they had known from each other that they had feelings for each other.

After the pizza date they had went to the park and they had sat down on a bench. The bench where they'd kissed for the first time.

~

Dec blinked and came back to reality. He looked Ant in the eyes and kissed him tenderly. "I love you." He whispered. "I love you too." Ant answered.

"No, you didn't keep our albums, did you?" Dec asked suddenly enthusiastic as he took Psyche and Top Katz in his hands. Ant laughed and nodded. They had been pop stars in the 90's, before they said goodbye to showbiz. Officially cause they wanted to have a life in peace, but honestly because their manager didn't like that they were in a relationship.

"God, Ant, there are so many good memories in here." Dec said as he looked at the photos of them both. Photos of them as teenagers, a photo with the cast of Byker, photos from different photoshoots during their pop career, photos from them in their first apartment together, even a photo where they kissed each other lovingly near the quayside in Newcastle.

"And this is the most beautiful one I think." Ant said as he showed a photo.

Anthony & Declan, 5 May 2016, Newcastle

"Our wedding photos." Dec smiled, tears in his eyes again.

Ant put down the box full of memories and took his husband in his arms so Dec could rest his head on his chest. "I love you so much, Declan Donnelly." Ant whispered lovingly. Dec looked up and looked Ant in the eyes. He pushed his lips on his husband's for a long and tender kiss. "I love you too, Anthony McPartlin." He whispered.

"We should get back to work, shouldn't we?" Ant asked after a ten minute silent hug. Dec shook his head and rearranged his body so he was there were only more parts of their bodies that were touching. "The attic can wait." Dec mumbled.

Ant smiled. He was still completely head over heels in love with his husband, even after a relationship of 25 years.