Don't stand so close to me |✔️

CHAPTER 13

Finally chapter! Thankyou everyone for reading ☺️

A Year later

"Hey Doo little!" Mandy shouted over the bar. "You guys done yet? I need to open up the bar!"

Dec gave an okay sign, grunting as he shoved the latest lump of set design in the backroom where Mandy was letting them store the stuff in prep for their troupes performance in a few weeks. 

The Toon's Drama Troupe was officially up and running.

Dec had quit the NICB, for reasons he didn't choose to disclose. Simon didn't ask, and gave him a glittering reference. Other correctional facilities were in dire need of good teachers all over the country. Declan declined them, opting instead to embarking on his own project with David, and work for Mandy at the 'Parrots Beak', bussing tables, working the bar and entertaining the crowds that packed the place more and more.

There relationship had grown deeper as friends. David had made some progress Pursuing the warden so was now trying to take their relationship to 'the next level'. Not that's Simon was making it easy for him.

Dec never really saw the need to commit when a large gaping hole sat in his heart. But he had plenty of distractions.

Things had been good, recovering slowly until... out of nowhere, the government tired to do what a century of drunken and occasionally belligerent patrons had failed to do: Level the place.

That's when they stumbled upon a solution, create a Drama 'school' in joint partnership with the bar. Dec and David became co-owners and the money to keep the place running started to flow back in. The whole entertaining the town thing had surprisingly been a big success.

They'd even had some surprise guests come in and ask for work once they'd been released from the NICB.

A year. A whole year, without hearing a thing from or about Ant, though Simon, who kept in contact through David, did say that he was rising steadily through the law enforcement community. Ant hadn't been seventeen going on eighteen. He'd been twenty-three going on twenty-four, less then a month younger than Declan, chosen specially for that job because of his youthful appearance.

Dec knew now that Ant's job had been precarious, months of planning and many people's lives had depended on him for secrecy. It was what he'd truly been sent there for, but Dec couldn't help but wonder why Ant, if that was really his name, had never trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

"So Dec, you got any plans for tonight?" Mandy asked, bringing Dec back from his thoughts with a slight bump.

"Well," Dec sipped his beer thoughtfully. "David  and I were planning on just doing some line readings with a few other cast members over a few pints?"

"Speaking of Where is David?"

"He had a lunch date that lasted longer than lunch." David smirked, swaggering into the bar and settled down, pecking both Dec's cheeks affectionately. "Heya."

"Hey David, took you long enough," Dec chided, not bothering to hide his smile.

"What can I say? Simon distracted me." He sent Dec a cheeky wink making the younger man cringe over dramatically.

"Don't tell me. I'd rather not know."

"Your loss."

"I'm sure," Dec smiled widely, David was always a pure pleasure to have around. "What did you have in mind tonight Mandy?" Dec returned to the subject, finishing off his beer.

"Well, I was thinkin' perhaps we could squeeze in the extra character we were talking about."

"Aw..." Dec groaned. "We don't have an extra performer and it's too much hassle to put someone in."

"Come on Mandy, you know how much work it takes to slot another actor into the main cast!" David whined. "Dec would have to re-learn all his lines so that Duncan's friend doesn't end up being a mute!"

"I know, I know! I just have another guy coming in, with little or no prior experience, who wants a shot at the job."

"Little or no prior experience, huh?" David snorted derisively.

"He said you'd consider him," she shrugged.

Dec frowned. "Who is he?"

"Me." They turned at the quiet voice to see Anthony, completely filling their doorway with his presence. He'd filled out some since Dec had last seen him, shoulders a touch broader, face carrying more lines of worry rather than laughter. David cocked his head at Ant before they both turned their gaze to Dec.

Dec froze, his mind going carefully blank. He waited for the sense of betrayal and hurt to seep back into his veins as it had a year ago. It didn't. Oh, there was still hurt, undoubtedly so, but there was also a small glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, there could be something here that was worth everything he'd gone through.

He schooled his face, carefully hiding everything he felt. Didn't want to put all the cards on the table so soon. Ant approached slowly, fingering the well-worn red cap he held in his hands. "Hey David," he said sheepishly. "Decky."

"Hey Antman," Davids voice was soft, eyes full of genuine warmth. Ant smiled back, almost heaving a sigh of relief, but the battle had only just begun.

"I... I quit the force, retired early, and was wondering if I could work here... with you guys..."

"We have no available positions." Dec said, voice even. David glanced at him, startled, as Ant's gaze turned bitterly to the floor. "Available at the bar, anyway. And you'll have to audition in front of a live audience if you want a spot in the Drama troupe." Dec felt a small smile crease his lips.

Ant choked out a laugh, moving forward to embrace the man he'd been wishing was in his arms ever since that day in the yard. Instead, Dec held out a hand. Ant blinked down at it before looking back up at Dec.

"Hi, my name's Declan Joseph Oliver Donnelly, this is my friend and colleague David Walliams. What's your name?" His voice was soft, his eyes sharp as they settled on Ant's.

Ant clasped the smaller hand in his, letting the older Geordie feel how much he wanted and cared. "My name is Anthony David McPartlin." He paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. "May... may I love you?" His gaze was reproachful.

Dec looked at Ant for a moment, feeling his heart fall in love with the dark haired man all over again.

Dec made up his mind and stepped forward. Ant closed the gap without hesitation and pulled the smaller man into his arms, kissing him deep and passionately whilst running his hands along his sorely missed slim body.  They lost track of time as they became lost within each other. The kiss was sensational and neither Ant nor Dec could believed they'd survived a whole year without that love and affection. Pulling a soft sob of relief from the taller mans lips Dec pulled away and rested his forehead against Ants. "I think I could live with that," Dec whispered, grinning.

The End!!

Although...

I think I'm gonna write an epilogue where Ant is reconnected with all of his buddies from the prison but I don't know how to approach it yet.