Two Birds of a Feather

All I am is You

"Morning" Joe grumbled as he turned over in bed to see Dianne sat up against the headboard.
"Morning." Reaching across his body, Dianne placed her hand on Joe's bare back, smiling as he cuddled into her. Her fingers traced shapes lightly as she scrolled through her mentions- most of them being from yesterday's live show. Relaxed once more by the gentle fingers dancing across his back, Joe fell back to sleep.

Nudging his sleeping form, Dianne tried to wake up her boyfriend more than once but to no avail. Dianne sat back for a moment, thinking of the best way to wake him. Manoeuvring herself slightly, Dianne managed to lean down and press a kiss to Joe's head; his lips were out of reach and covered by his fisted hand. She watched with a giggle as Joe woke up, rolled on to his back and placed his hands on his chest as though he was Snow White. Pouting his lips dramatically, Joe opened one eye slightly to look at Dianne. He closed his eye once he had seen her looking and laid deathly still. Dianne leant down further than before and left a lingering kiss on Joe's lips, laughing as he took an exaggerated intake of air as he pretended to arise from the dead.
"You are so dramatic, you know that right" Dianne said with a smirk as he sat up slowly, running his hands through his hair. "Were you actually asleep because you moved pretty fast?"
"No." Joe shook his head, "I wasn't. I was just comfortable and cosy and I didn't want to move."
Dianne scoffed. "At least one of us can get comfortable." Yesterday came to the forefront of Joe's mind. How he had not caught her leg and had dropped her. On her neck. In front of a packed out O2 arena. Joe winced at the memory.
"Is it still really sore?" He asked quietly as he moved his hand to stroke over Dianne's cheek.
"Yes, but because I love you, I'll let you off."
Joe smiled softly. "Thank you." He kissed her cheek before climbing out of bed. "I'm going in the shower and then I'll put some of that arnica stuff on you, if you want."

"Do you want some on now?" Dianne had just come out of the hotel bathroom and was walking across to her case to dump her old clothes. Joe reached for the tube of medicinal cream the physio had given Dianne and waited for her to sit at the foot of the bed so he could massage it in properly. As she sat down, Joe squeezed some onto his fingers and began to massage it into her neck and shoulder delicately. He did not want to hurt her more than already.
"Is it bruised?"
"A bit. Not as bad as I would have thought though."
"Good. They won't have to go through the effort of covering it up now." Joe rubbed the last of the cream into his girlfriends shoulder before placing his lips against her skin, breathing in her homely scent.
"All done gorgeous" he said softly. Dianne swung her legs off the bed and stood up, tucking the wrapped towel around her more as it had loosened. Having been sat still in just a towel for a few minutes, she was mostly dry but the coldness of the room had hit her. As she rooted through her case for some clean underwear, Joe watched the goosebumps rise on her skin as she shivered slightly. Joe walked behind her and waited until she straightened up to wrap her in his arms. In his embrace, Dianne turned around so their fronts were pushed together. She felt the warmth instantly spread through her cold body as Joe held her tight.

"Keeeeep dancing!" The curtain closed. The last of the arena shows was over. Strictly Come Dancing 2018 was over. For Joe. For ever. He would never be able to get back on that floor and dance for the nation. He would never be able to spend his working week in a studio from 9-10 with his best friend, dance partner, side-kick and girlfriend again. He would never experience something so life-changing. Joe knew what was going to happen; that he, along with everyone else, had to go and sit in a room in the back and celebrate the last show- not in the way of a party though. Everyone was knackered after four shows in two days; Joe didn't think anyone would have really been up to a party and, if they had, assumed they wouldn't last long. His body still rushing with adrenaline, his emotions hadn't properly hit him yet- they were just waiting for a chance when he would be able to notice them fully.

This time when Joe left the arena, he and Dianne both had a full-size Glitterball each. It was therefore proving more difficult to get their cases from the tour bus that had to come to collect the members who didn't live as close. Having been away from home and on the move, Joe had opted out of one more night in a hotel, choosing to go back to his apartment so he could have a fairly good lie-in. Dianne had obviously gone with him. Once their cases were loaded into the boot, glitterballs pushed to the back to keep them safe, the pair climbed into the back of the taxi, having already said their goodbyes. They sat impossibly close in the back seat, Dianne's head resting against Joe's shoulder as they were driven back to their side of London.

Feeling a rush of cold air, Dianne began to stir as her support ie Joe, moved beside her. Sleepily, she climbed out of the taxi and helped Joe with their cases, following him inside and up to the apartment.

"Dianne, do you want any food?" Joe asked as he walked into the kitchen, having left the cases and glitterballs at the bottom of the stairs.
"What is there?" She asked, peeling her eyelashes off her eyes as she walked into the kitchen.
"Please don't leave them on the bench- they make me feel all funny." Dianne grinned and watched Joe's face as she left them right where he had told her not to.
"Are you serious?"
"No, I'm Dionnne."
"Not funny, you loser. Do you want any food. I think I've got some cereal? And the milk shouldn't have gone off yet."
"Please." Joe pulled a box of Wheetos from one of the many cupboards and the still-in-date milk from the fridge.
"Could you do it in a cup?" Dianne asked as she began to wipe away her makeup with some wipes she had found in the bathroom. "I don't think I should eat a bowl of cereal before bed."
"You are actually the weirdest person I know, Dianne." Nevertheless, Joe poured a small handful of chocolate covered cereal into a cup and poured some milk over. Putting a spoon into it, Joe passed the mug over to his girlfriend in exchange for her makeup-covered wipes.
"Thanks Joey."

"I can't wait to not have to get up early tomorrow" Dianne sighed as she slipped under the covers next to Joe.
"Neither can I. We can actually have a decent lie in."
"Love that."
"I love you" Joe said, catching Dianne's eye.
"I love you too."