Spotlights II

Chapter 11: Broken-Hearted

I've been in two minds about posting this all day but here goes 🙈❤️

"I'm sure Liam. I've got this." Dec assured the boy and headed over the the cooker.

Ant's eyebrows rose suddenly and he instantly slipped between Declan and the burning hot barbecue.

"Oh yeah, no. Not a chance, I know you. I'll handle the barbecue, you go play in the pool."

"Hey! This is my barbecue. I can handle it." Dec stropped, his hands on his hips and eyes in narrow slits but Ant didn't find it threatening at all.

"Dec you can't even cook pasta without burning it..." The presenter stepped up close to the older Geordie so he could v speak quietly, "I just don't want you hurting yourself yeah? Lemme handle it."

Dec scoffed and shoved past the taller man, "That was one time, ages ago. I don't need a man to help me cook."

Ant sighed and looked at the smaller man's back as he pulled all the sausages out of the packs with confidence. The dark haired man felt slightly disheartened, Dec was right, he'd grown up, he didn't need him anymore.

On Dec's end he flopped the long string of sausages into the grill assuming somehow they'd split apart when he cooks them. Next he stared at all the spiky metal things in confusion wondering what he was supposed to use for what. He decided it didn't matter, he didn't want Ant to see him struggling and picked up a stabby thing and impaled one of the burgers only to pout when it crumbled and dropped back on the plate.

Dec chanced a look at Ant who was facing the other way, laying out the salad bits and tipping the crisps into the bowls. Dec watched as the younger man used two spoons to mix up the big Greek salad and the Geordie quickly turned back to the barbecue, grabbing the prongs and picking up the burgers with ease.

The brown haired man grinned to himself and stuck out his tongue in excitement as he concentrated on lining all the meaty things on the grill before nodding to himself and looking out at Liam and his friends who were laughing and splashing about happily, soaking up the hot summer air.

Grabbing a beer, Dec popped open the lid and payed absolutely no attention to his cooking project.

"You need to turn them by the way. Or else you'll have one burnt side and raw everywhere else." Ant stated simply without looking away from the cheese and pineapple surprise he was setting up.

"Well duh. I knew that." Dec furrowed his brow and pouted again, sticking his tongue out at the taller man's back.

"I saw that Declan." Ant smirked and laughed as the singer immaturely pulled his baseball cap down over the taller man's eyes as he tiptoed passed to flip on the food.

"Little devil." Ant muttered to himself, adjusting his hat and trying not to mother the smaller man as he started turning the sausages.

He heard Dec hiss and couldn't help but look at the smaller man and wince, "You've got too much meat on the grill, the fats gonna start spitting and if a lot drips onto the flame then it's gonna flare."

"Just trust me with this okay." Dec rolled his eyes, while turning the last sausage, not noticing how Ant's face fell and his heart guttered unsteadily in his chest.

"Right. I'm sorry." He murmured, looking at the porch, "I'm gonna go get some glasses for the champagne."

Dec hummed nonchalantly and frowned, his eyes flickering from the sausages to the salt and pepper sellers. Biting his lip, he shrugged and decided that the meat would need some kind of seasoning so started grating it all over the food.