I would start a riot

Outside Influences ~ May 2015

"I don't want him arguing with people on my behalf," Stephen muttered, not opening his eyes to see who it was. "I can fight my own corner." Ant smiled sadly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"He wants to look after you, mate," he said gently. "It's shaken him, having to watch that last night. I think he just wants to do something." Stephen still didn't look convinced. He also looked vaguely embarrassed, like he was regretting being so open with Ant last night. Ant tried not to think about that too much. "It's not like David holds grudges over things anyway. Even if they have a bit of a bust up about this, they'll be back to normal tomorrow."

"If?" Stephen echoed, finally looking at him. "You mean when, right?"

Ant laughed under his breath, shrugging. "He's Scrappy Doo, isn't he? It wouldn't be Dec if he didn't lose his temper sometimes."

As if on cue, a suddenly raised voice reached them from through the green room door.

"And when did you get to make that decision for him?"

Stephen winced again, not having to wait long for David's reply.

"Do you think any of us want to sit through something like that again? You have to make a stand or people think it's alright. Or they'll think we were alright with it."

"Is he right?" Stephen asked softly, letting his walls back down briefly. Ant opened his mouth to reply, cut off by Dec's irate response.

"You don't know how that made him feel, David! Maybe give him a day or so to just get through a show in one piece, eh?"

"You don't have to do anything until you're ready to," Ant said, registering David's voice re-entering the fray but straining to hear anything he was saying. Even then, it was inaudible. Stephen nodded jerkily, closing his eyes when Dec started up again.

"I know you're trying to do what you think is best here and I get that you want to help. All I'm asking is that you hold off on the social justice until Stevie says he's alright with it, okay?"

There was a pause. Ant hoped that would be the end of it but another Geordie rant followed the latest patch of silence.

"He's had homophobic abuse yelled at him on live TV, David! I think this is already the last place he or I want to be today, without having to deal with the thought that someone might spring what happened on him all over again this evening. Now, I don't want to watch that and I'm pretty damn sure he doesn't want to deal with it – not after everything else. So, please, just consider how you are going to make him feel if you derail the show for the second night in a row – even if you are trying to help."

Ant risked a glance at Stephen, the coil in his chest loosening when he saw just the flicker of a smile play on his face. Dec had a protective streak you could probably see from space, something that Ant was always oddly proud of. His loyalty couldn't be denied, even if he did sometimes have a short temper when people around him were hurting the ones he cared about the most.

When he emerged from the green room, he took one look at the two of them and started to look guilty, realising that it had all been audible. Maybe he was remembering how Stephen had asked him not to, that he'd called him back a couple of times. Or maybe he was running the shouting match he'd just had back through his head, pinpointing every bit that might have upset Stephen.

So, it was fair to say he looked surprised when Stephen embraced him tightly, kissing his forehead and then holding him at arm's length, leaning down to kiss him properly.

"Thank you," Stephen said, an almost shy smile playing on his face. "You really didn't have to do that."

"I think he's got the idea," Dec said sheepishly.