Dec wept quietly to himself for a good ten minutes,sat on the cold doorstep,not even bothering to ring the doorbells to the other flats,even if someone was in to let him in through the front door of the building,he still wouldn't be able to get into his actual flat,so what would be the point?Just sitting in a cold hallway for God knows how long certainly didn't appeal.

Eventually he dried his eyes,took a swig from the bottle of water that he still had from Eddie and started to think logically about a solution.

There was only one solution.

Ant!

Dec had no idea if Ant was coming into the office as it was a Saturday,but knowing what a workaholic Ant was,it was very likely.

So Dec started making his way to the office,more walking was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now,but what choice did he have?

He just took it slow and steady and not too long after,he arrived at his and Ant's place of work.

But another problem was that there was no one on reception at the weekends.

He didn't have a key card,so even if Ant was in the office,Dec didn't know how to get to him.

He stared blankly at the building for a moment,before running his hand firmly up and down the row of buzzers in the hope that there might be someone somewhere in the building who would hear him and let him in.

Luckily that was the case.

The building was made up of several businesses and offices and inevitably,Ant wasn't the only one working on a Saturday.

The person who let Dec in had seen him in passing during the week,so wasn't worried about giving him entrance.

"Don't ask" Dec mumbled as the man stared at Dec's shoeless foot.

After thanking the guy,Dec made his way up to where he knew Ant would be.

"Dec?" Ant stated surprised.

Dec smiled kind of nervously at his friend,as Ant looked him up and down.

"What the hell has happened to you?" Ant asked "you look dreadful...and where's your shoe?"

"Locked myself out" Dec muttered.

"What?" Ant asked confused "when?er...how?last thing I heard,you were safely tucked up in bed"

"Um...well...I...umm" Dec stuttered.

He stared at Ant's concerned face.

"Seriously Declan" Ant frowned "you're worrying me,Nick told me he had taken you home,so what the hell happened between then and now?"

Dec could only carry on staring at Ant,trying desperately to find the right words.

But he couldn't!

Looking at Ant's concerned face,how could Dec tell him what one of his closest friends had done?His business partner...his long term buddy...how could he break his heart after everything Ant had done for him?

"Well...I...um" Dec still couldn't find the words that he wanted to say.

"You were pretty drunk last night" Ant pointed out "guess you're not used to drinking anymore"

"Yeah" Dec nodded.

"I guess you must have got up again after Nick took you home" Ant tried to put the pieces together "and in your drunken stupor,you must have gone out again"

"Yeah" Dec replied,quite relieved at the fact that Ant was putting words in his mouth "I must have,how stupid am I eh?"

"Where did you go?" Ant asked concerned.

"Oh,not far" Dec lied "woke up on a bench down the road,then came straight here"

"Well,I'm glad you're ok" Ant smiled.

"It's not like I haven't spent a night outside before" Dec pointed out.

"A night?" Ant replied "Jesus Dec,I hope you weren't out there all night?"

"I don't think so" Dec tried to reassure him.

"Anyway" Dec continued awkwardly "I've locked myself out,lost my keys...sorry,don't suppose you have a spare set do you?"

"Yeah,I do" Ant smiled "but not with me,they're at home"

He was deep in thought for a while,weighing up his options.

"I tell you what Decs" Ant grinned "I'm not doing anything here that can't wait,how about we grab a taxi and go back to mine and get them"

"I can wait here" Dec suggested,not wanting to intrude on Ant's privacy.

"Absolutely not" Ant grinned "you're coming with me"

He placed a firm hand on Dec's shoulder and felt the dampness of his clothes.

"Then you can borrow some of my clothes" Ant frowned "you must be cold and uncomfortable,don't want you getting ill,do we eh?"

"I've been through worse" Dec shrugged,referencing the months of cold,wet nights he'd spent on the streets "I can cope with a bit of dampness"

"Nevertheless" Ant smiled "it will still be best to get you changed as soon as possible"

"Ok,thank you" Dec beamed.

Ant hailed a black cab from right outside the building and the two friends climbed in,chatting happily on the journey.

"I'm really sorry about all this Dec" Ant suddenly announced.

"What?" Dec asked surprised,what could Ant possibly have to be sorry about?He'd been nothing but wonderful ever since Dec first met him.

"I'm sorry for dragging you out last night" Ant frowned "I knew you weren't keen and I should have listened to you,so I'm sorry"

"Hey,it's ok" Dec smiled.

"It's not" Ant snapped back,surprising Dec with his abruptness "it was your first week at work,you were obviously tired and just wanted to go home and relax...I guess I was just excited to have you as part of our team and wanted to celebrate it"

"Please don't feel bad Ant" Dec replied "you've treated me so well and for that I can't thank you enough and last night wasn't your fault,you did nothing wrong,you were just being nice"

Ant nodded silently,trying to believe the words that Dec was saying.

"It was my own fault for getting so drunk" Dec said through gritted teeth,knowing that statement was far from the truth "and I could have been firmer in my refusal"

"Can we just draw a line under it now then?" Ant pleaded.

"Yeah,of course we can" Dec smiled "I'd like that"

He sighed to himself at his own words,what he really would have liked was to have been able to tell Ant everything,he just couldn't bring himself to do it,not yet anyway.

So Dec just had to hope against hope that Nick might now give up his hate campaign against him and he could get on with rebuilding his life.

"Here we are" Ant announced as the taxi pulled up outside his large home.

Dec stood and stared at the house in amazement.

"This is nice" he smiled,knowing that that was a hell of an understatement.

"Come on in" Ant invited,quickly punching in the code to the security alarm positioned just inside the front door.

"Er...do you mind taking your shoes off?" Ant asked "well...shoe"

Dec gazed around the sprawling living room that Ant had led him into.

"This is an amazing place" Dec smiled "you've really done well for yourself"

"Yeah" Ant laughed "all those years of studying and working every hour that God sends have finally paid off"

"Well,you deserve it" Dec nodded.

"Ok,first things first" Ant announced "let's get you out of those grubby clothes shall we?"

Ant led Dec upstairs and into his bedroom.

"Wow" Dec stated.

"What?" Ant asked,noticing the look of awe on Dec's face.

"A walk in wardrobe" Dec grinned "I've never known anyone who has one of those,you really must be rich"

"You could say that" Ant laughed,amused by Dec's absolute joy at something that to him was so basic.

"How about these?" Ant asked,holding up a pair of jeans and a warm,fluffy jumper "they'll probably fit you,although you might have to turn the trousers up a bit"

"Great thanks" Dec smiled.

"And here are some socks and boxers you can borrow" Ant announced as he rummaged through his underwear drawer "maybe keep them actually"

"Ok" Dec laughed.

"Do you want to have a shower or bath?" Ant asked.

"Oh,that would be lovely" Dec smiled "thanks Ant"

Ant led Dec to the guest bathroom and showed him where everything was.

"Use whatever you need" Ant offered,pointing at the toiletries on the shelf "I'll be downstairs when you're ready"

Dec thoroughly enjoyed getting clean, it was almost as good as that night in the hotel.

He didn't know how he'd gotten so lucky as to meet Ant,he just knew he would always be grateful and would do everything in his power to show Ant that.

"How are you feeling now?" Ant smiled when Dec made his way downstairs.

Ant couldn't help but giggle to himself at the sight of Dec dressed in his clothes,they were obviously slightly too big for him as Ant had predicted they would be as he was the taller of the two,but Dec did at least look warm and cosy in them now.

"Much better thanks" Dec smiled.

"Good" Ant replied,dangling the key in front of Dec's face "I've got your spare key,but would you like to hang out here for a while,or would you rather go straight home?"

"I don't mind hanging out for a bit" Dec grinned "I don't have much to do at home,but on one condition"

"What?" Ant asked curiously.

"I want a tour of this amazing house" Dec replied.

"No problem" Ant nodded "no time like the present,come on"

Ant proceeded to show Dec around his luxurious home and Dec marvelled at every single room,totally blown away bu the fact that all of Ant's bathrooms were singularly bigger than any bedroom he'd ever slept in.

"You really have got a beautiful home" Dec gushed.

"Thanks" Ant smiled "I tell you what,why don't you stay here tonight if you like,then we can go back together tomorrow...you can pick whichever guest room you like"

"You're gonna be working tomorrow?" Dec frowned "on a Sunday?"

"Sunday is just another day for me" Ant shrugged.

"Ok then" Dec grinned.

He had already been fantasising about diving into Ant's heated swimming pool,which he still couldn't believe was there.

"Good" Ant nodded "and I'm going to get some shoes in your size delivered"

"Really?" Dec asked.

"Yeah,of course" Ant replied "can't be hobbling around on one shoe constantly can you?"

"I guess not" Dec smiled "thank you Ant"

Ant and Dec did actually spend the whole weekend together,with Ant deciding not to go into work on the Sunday after all,which Dec was glad about,as he knew Ant needed some time for relaxation with the ridiculous amount of work he did.

Instead they spent the time getting to know each other better,with their friendship blossoming.

They talked a lot,laughed a lot and even cried a bit when speaking of things that had happened to them throughout their lives,both good and bad.

Thankfully,Ant managed to inadvertently take Dec's mind off of Nick completely and he was completely relaxed by the end of the weekend.

Although it was a different story on the Monday morning,when Dec's stomach was tied in knots at the thought of facing his nemesis once again.

"Good morning Declan" Nick sneered slyly into Dec's ear,his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Have a good weekend did you?"