Last one. I swear! Canon Divergent where Anthony did win the Streamys and he uses that opportunity to announce his relationship with Ian. Au where Anthony and Mykie broke up in 2021 but still remained friends.
Ian/Anthony - Winner's Speech
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Anthony really didn’t think he’d win the Streamy. He was so sure that he wouldn’t win -not because he didn’t believe in his show, but because of the amount of insanely talented people he was up against- that he didn’t bother to rehearse the speech he had jotted down on an index card earlier in the week. He had written it, read it out loud to himself once in the mirror, his face red in embarrassment as he practiced, holding his brush as the trophy, like he was a teenaged beauty queen. When they were getting ready, he had tucked the index card into the interior pocket of his suit jacket.
Anthony is two and a half glasses of champagne deep when they announce the winner for show of the year. Ian is about the same and he smiles at Anthony. Under the safety of the table Ian’s hand finds Anthony’s knee, squeezing firm and protective.
“It’s going to be you,” Ian says, leaning in just a little, keeping enough space to avoid any suspicions. Ian’s eyes are so warm as he talks, his face just a little red from the alcohol.
Anthony longs to brush the stray strands of hair from Ian’s face, but they’re in the middle of a crowded awards show that’s being livestreamed, and it would be pure insanity to do such a thing now. Instead, he lets a hand drift under the table, settles it on top of Ian’s for a moment, returning the smile.
“I really don’t think so, but I appreciate your confidence in me,” Anthony says, rubbing his thumb over the back of Ian’s hand.
On stage MatPat is guiding the audience through collecting letters to spell out the winner’s show title. Ian and Anthony had looked when he first announced the rules, but they had nothing hidden at their table.
“Okay,” MatPat says, corralling the letter finders into a line on stage, “I think we got it. On the count of three I want you all to turn around so the audience can read the winner,” he instructs.
Ian snorts next to him, “This is so convoluted.”
Anthony nods, and though, like he said, he’s sure he’s not going to win, there’s still a nervous edge to his heartbeat, there is still a lingering hope somewhere in the pit of his stomach that is anxious to see what is spelled out with the black letter tiles on stage.
“One.”
“Good luck,” Ian whispers.
“Two.”
Ian smiles at him.
“Three.”
Ian quietly, barely, mouths three words to Anthony that mean everything in the world to him.
The assembled scavangers on stage turn, revealing their letters, the letters that spell out ‘I Spent A Day With’.
MatPat is on stage clapping, the audience breaks out in cheers. Anthony feels Ian’s hands on his shoulders, shaking him just a little in excitement.
“Oh my God!” Ale says, grabbing her phone and pointing it at Anthony.
“Where’s our man of the hour?” MatPat says from stage.
Anthony sees a camera pointed at their table and then Zoe is poking him in the side, grinning.
“Stand up,” she tells him.
Anthony stands on shaky legs, disbelief filling him.
Ian stands too and he’s excited, but he’s also aware of the crowd, the cameras, the audience watching from their devices, eyes focused on every little detail. Ian gives Anthony a quick hug, nothing that could be perceived as anything strange. He releases Anthony and nudges him towards the stage.
Anthony is grinning as he slides past tables full of creators who are clapping politely, some who pat his back as he passes them, as he makes his way to the stage where he and Ian had presented earlier in the night. Anthony makes it up the stairs and to the stage, passing by where the group has his show’s name spelt out in front of him.
MatPat offers his hand and Anthony shakes it. Then it’s all a blur of being handed an award, a Streamy, and he’s being put in front of a microphone.
Anthony stares out into the massive crowd, familiar faces, and strangers, the house lights so bright it’s hard to see properly. He’s waited for this moment for years. He feels pride well inside of him. Don’t fucking cry on stage. Anthony thinks. Through the lights and the chaos, his eyes seek out the one thing that never fails to calm him down.
Ian.
Ian sitting there in the audience, clapping for him, smiling so wide, looking so handsome in his emerald, green suit. Ian who believed that Anthony would win even when Anthony himself did not. Ian, his best friend. Ian, the very love of his entire life.
Anthony’s jotted down speech is long forgotten in his suit pocket, and he fumbles for what to say while on mic.
“I, wow, thank you,” Anthony says, “I, have a lot of people to thank. My team, my friends, everyone who lets me interview them, and trust me, I appreciate it and you all, but I honestly don’t think I would even be standing on this stage if it wasn’t for one person out there.” Anthony’s heart is beating so fast in his chest. His mouth spilling out words that he is only barely able to keep up with. He knows, he knows in his heart what he wants to say, and for a moment he closes his eyes, follows that gut instinct.
“Ian Hecox.”
Anthony sees the camera pan to Ian in the crowd. Ian is clearly taken aback, his eyes confused, but he’s smiling and clapping, and underneath Anthony can see the small amount of panic in Ian’s face that he’s hiding away.
“Everyone here knows…or should know that Ian’s been my best friend since I was twelve years old. I grew up with him. No one knows more about me than Ian. We split for six years, and then reunited.”
The crowd applause, Anthony earned some whistles. He can’t stop the huge smile on his face. He can feel the support in the room. The camera pans between his face on stage and Ian in the audience, Ian watching in slight wonderment, waiting to see what Anthony will say.
“He’s more than just my best friend. He’s the most important person in my life. So, there is no one I would like to dedicate this award to more than my wonderful, handsome, amazing boyfriend Ian Hecox.”
Anthony feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes and he quickly wipes them away with his sleeve before he hefts the Streamy up over his head, like a victor with their trophy. The crowd around them is quiet for a second before it erupts in laughter, in cheers, in applause.
The camera is on Ian and he’s stunned, biting back a smile, ducking his head, his face pink.
“So, thank you. This is for you, Ian. I love you,” Anthony says. He gives an awkward bow at the mic and MatPat is there to pull him into a hug as the music plays to transition him off the stage.
“Wow, bud,” MatPat whispers into his ear, “I’m willing to bet you’re going viral right about now.”
Anthony glances out at the crowd, at Ian, before he turns and heads off stage to re-take his seat.
“He’s worth it.”
Backstage they take a photo of Anthony holding his Streamy award before they send him back to his table during a ‘commercial break’. Again, people in the crowd pat his arm, his back, give big smiles, yell congratulations, only a few of them whisper and point, but Anthony pays them no mind.
He finds his table, he finds Ian. Ale and Zoe pull him into a tight hug before Anthony turns to face Ian. He really isn’t sure how Ian might feel. They had talked about being out in the past, and Ian seemed open to it if Anthony was, it was always just that Anthony was too afraid, wasn’t ready, had every excuse in the book to not go through with admitting that between the past and the present their dynamic had taken on a new and romantic form, and that Anthony couldn’t be happier about it.
“Are you pissed?” Anthony asks, as he takes his seat, setting the award on the table between them.
Ian’s mouth is a flat line, but he shakes his head, “No, not pissed. I’m surprised as fuck.”
Anthony shrugs. “I didn’t want to pretend anymore. I wanted everyone to know exactly what you mean to me.”
“You fucking sap,” Ian says fondly. He takes Anthony’s hand, not under the table this time, but on top of it. Their fingers laced together atop the pristine tablecloth. “You do realize this is going to blow up and it’s all people are going to talk about?”
“I’m sure Twitter and Tumblr are aflame right about now,” Anthony says with a laugh, “as long as you aren’t mad at me for publicly outing us then I don’t really care what anyone else thinks.”
He’s spent too long doing that, too long caring what others would say, would think, would write. When all along the only person whose opinion he should have cared about was right in front of him.
“I know you hate PDA,” Anthony begins, “but the Streamy award winner would really like to kiss his boyfriend right about now.”
Ian smiles, huffs out a laugh. He glances around and there are eyes on them. He sighs.
“God, consider yourself lucky that I love you,” Ian says before he leans in, Anthony meets him half-way and they kiss, light and sweet over the table. Anthony can feel Ian’s smile against his lips.
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