36 Questions: A Joanne Fanfiction

Question Thirty-One:

Tell your partner something you like about them already.

Joe had realised fairly quickly that the Argentine tango was going to be something he would enjoy, but he hadn't expected it to be like this. From the minute he'd met Dianne, he'd be lying if he was to say he hadn't noticed that she was absolutely gorgeous. Partly due to the time he'd spent with her, and possibly due to the questions, he was aware that he had fallen in love with her personality rather than simply her good looks. This must be the reason why, he reasoned with himself, that when it came to the Argentine tango, he felt as if he was seeing another side to her. He knew that she could dance, he wasn't blind, and besides she wouldn't be on the show if she couldn't but this dance was showcasing her talent to a degree that he found himself constantly astonished. The constant focus on their connection in the dance had caused him to fall harder and notice things he hadn't previously about her, and he found himself fascinated by her. She wasn't wearing anything special, only the same types of clothes she'd worn to rehearsal since the beginning of their strictly journey but now he found himself staring, he was certain she'd caught him a few times, although she had mentioned nothing of it.

Dianne too, was feeling the effects of the Argentine tango, although she'd been able to hide it significantly better than her partner. She felt his sharp intakes of breath every time they almost kissed, and found herself noticing the slight unconscious dilation of his pupils each time she swung her legs around him. She enjoyed this, watching her effect on him which let her entertain the idea that maybe, just maybe he might feel the same. In all honesty, the dance was making her attraction to him stronger, which she hadn't initially believed was possible. She scolded herself internally, remembering her vow to remain professional with him, not wanting to scupper their chances by making their friendship awkward.

The pair were currently sat side by side on a bench, their arms brushing slightly. Dianne had got used to them always touching, but the dances had made them both more aware of each other's presence, not that this was a bad thing, but the two were now conscious of the little amount of time they were actually physically apart. At the present moment, they were waiting for Trent to turn up to show him their progress. Despite knowing that they would be wasting valuable rehearsal time, Joe asked "can we do the next question?"

"If you think we have time to answer a question we definitely have time to go and run one of the dances a few more times before Trent arrives." She pointed out, clearly stressed about their lack of time to practice.

He smiled, knowing that this was exactly what she was going to say. "That's fair, which one do you want to do?" he asked his friend, despite the fact he knew exactly what she'd say due to the extent of their progress on the Viennese waltz.

"Viennese. I think we could change the end a little bit. Walking off is a little bit of an anti-climax don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess it is. What do you want us to do instead?"

Dianne blushed. She had an idea that she thought would be cute but she wasn't sure that Joe would be up for it.

"Just tell me Di, the worst that can happen is me saying no," he told her having noticed her hesitation.

She smiled, feeling more comfortable. "Well we'd have to discuss it with Trent, but I'll walk you through it now."

"Alright then." He said, and they started to dance.

As the dance drew to a close, Dianne gently guided Joe through the end sequence which led to them stood in the middle of the studio, foreheads gently touching gazing right at each other. She was drawn to him, taking the time to study every feature until she found herself drawn into his eyes with no escape as they stared at each other, unblinking. Joe found himself in the same position, smiling softly as he took in her smiling face. Eventually, she stepped backwards, the gentle intimacy of their dance and final position suiting them both much more than the previous ending. With slightly rosy cheeks she asked "is that alright if we do that?"