The world, coming down

PR Nightmare ~ December 2013

Quick warning that there is a description of a panic attack in the third section of this chapter

(*~*)

The last few years had brought some new challenges. Ant and Dec's rise to prominence had led to an expansion of their management team. They had PR people to handle news stories and public image; all the things both of them hated most about being in the public eye. Dec especially found it hard not to overthink things at times, more than a little paranoid about the tabloids and what they'd do about his little secret if it got out.

You'd think having staff designed to stop that sort of thing would make it better but in reality it was two or three more people Dec was now having to hide from. Unfortunately, anyone whose job it was to cover up similar 'scandals' tended to have a knack for sniffing them out. They tended to be quite blunt too but frustratingly sly at the same time. The pointed questions about girlfriends and relationships had turned to subtle suggestions of at least faking it if he wasn't interested in the real deal. Dec had been stubbornly ignoring the steadily more persistent ideas that he needed to be seen in public in some sort of relationship sooner or later.

That brought them to today's meeting, the aftermath of which saw Dec slumped against the car window as they were driven back to their houses.

People were starting to speculate apparently and it didn't help that he was best friends with someone who had married his teenage crush. Next to Ant's picket fence, Dec was a steadily crumbling stone wall.

The only thing this hadn't taken a toll on had seemed to be Dec's relationship with Stephen. He was very firm about not wanting to play pretend with someone else, adamant that it was akin to cheating even if Stephen happened to be completely okay with it. Ant also got the impression that it would destroy Dec to be seen with anyone else, particularly when he was so happy with who he already had.

Ant didn't know what to say to disrupt the windmill of thoughts that was no doubt spinning at full velocity in Dec's head. He hadn't said a word since the end of the meeting, not except for formalities; saying hello to someone in the management office hallway, thanking someone for holding a door.

It was difficult to watch him try to process another reincarnation of those negative attitudes he'd grown up around. Ant knew he couldn't stop the self-conscious feelings it had surely stirred up. He knew Dec would be quiet until they got home, maybe still quiet the next day.

It made him angry too. But, unable to act on those protective instincts, he joined Dec in his silent ruminations, leaning his head on the window and already looking forward to the next time Dec bounded into the car with his usual enthusiasm restored.

(*~*)

Stephen got out of his car, locking the doors and setting off down the road towards Dec's house. He'd noticed himself parking further away again recently, having slowly started to park closer. Realising what he was doing was a little embarrassing, even if there was no one around to see him. Or, at least, he hoped there was no one around to see him.

He'd not been particularly surprised by the spontaneous invitation from Dec, used to them fitting in evenings together whenever they could both manage it. He just presumed Dec had been busy and that his old plans had fallen through. Not that he was about to complain; after the day he'd had, after Jeff, he could use any distraction he could get.

But he knew something was up as soon as he got into the house, barely getting his coat off before Dec had wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face against his shoulder with a weary sigh. Knowing not to ask, he returned the embrace, bowing his own head to press against Dec's.