Without You

55. It's Back

A/N - Hi, guys! Sorry about the delay in updating. Writing has been a bit of a slow process as of late, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. I'm a little bit apprehensive about publishing this chapter. Here's hoping it's not awful! 🤞 Thanks for reading/voting/commenting, as always! 😁 -H. x

Dec wanted him back.

"So you-" Both men spoke at the same instant, in complete sync, stopping when they realized they were speaking over each other.

"You want to-" Their two voices spoke as one again, and they stopped abruptly, both letting out a wet chuckle.

"Go on," Dec murmured, damp eyes trained on Ant and mouth slightly agape as if he was hanging on Ant's every word.

There was a kaleidoscope of emotions passing through Dec's eyes, and Ant found himself getting lost in them for a moment, trying to discover every feeling, every thought. Perhaps too afraid that he had misread the signs and would be cruelly disappointed. But there was no mistaking the glow of hope and love currently sparkling in his best friend's eyes. Still, Ant couldn't quite bring himself to say the words.

"Ant?" Dec pleaded quietly, desperately, "Please just say it. Please."

Ant hesitated a few seconds further, still studying Dec intently, his own insecurities running rampant and showing clearly in his features. But then Dec brought out his sad puppy dog eyes, and Ant couldn't resist any longer. He knew Dec knew. So he merely nodded in the end, answering with a single word.

"Aye."

The next moment, Ant was forcefully propelled backward and pinned to the sofa, his best friend wrapped around him in a hug so tight he could barely breathe. If it hadn't been Declan squeezing him so tight, he would have gotten claustrophobic, but the bundle in his arms was precious and familiar despite the discomfort radiating through his ribcage. Arms automatically coming up to gently pat Dec on the back, Ant felt hot wetness against his neck and realized Dec was crying.

Seconds turned into minutes, and still Dec continued to cry, shuddering breaths wracking his small frame. And he wasn't the only one crying in that house. Ant was in floods of tears, too. He'd been too shocked by Dec's assault at first to realize exactly why his best friend was clinging to him like a child clung to a beloved teddy that kept him safe from the monsters at night.

But slowly, ever so slowly, the penny had dropped. And that's when he'd begun crying, too.

In all honesty, he'd never realized quite how much he meant to Dec. Yes, of course he knew Dec loved him dearly – or he had done for the past 20-odd years – and was very clingy and hated being apart. But he'd never understood the extent of Dec's attachment to him.

And he'd certainly never realized just how much Dec clearly wanted, no, needed, him as his partner in crime on screen. The hot tears of relief currently wetting his jumper were answer enough, though, as was the incredibly tight grip of the arms wrapped around him.

Dec really and truly wanted him back. 

Not that it could, or even should, come to fruition, them getting back together on screen. Not now.

It was several minutes before Dec's tears slowed to hiccups, and then to those shuddery breaths that follow a period of hard crying. Slowly, ever so slowly, his grip on Ant loosened until he finally let go, sniffling thickly, his swollen, red-rimmed eyes finding Ant's.