Joe and Dianne: Life away from you

Almost as we were

Narrator's POV:

Dianne had been away for well over a week whilst she was completing the next section of her busy life. The here come the girls tour was taking a break, and Dianne was off again with her new family - the other Strictly professionals. Now to most people, the thought of the person that you love most in the world going away and fulfilling the dreams they had had since they were a child would excite you. Knowing that the person you care for most is in a happy place in which they can advance their life and make you proud would warm your heart, but to Joe it was an unfortunate series of goodbyes and buffered face time conversations that was keeping Dianne away from him. Of course he understood what Diannes job entailed - after all, if she didn't go on tours and be the most incredible dancer on the planet, then they wouldn't have met in the first place - and Joe knew all to well that the way some of Diannes ex-boyfriends had gone about dealing with the long periods of time they had to spend away from each other is what broke them apart in the first place. But Joe was determined to make what he had with Dianne work. After all they had been through in the past month or so, their relationship was still very much on the rocks, and the time they were forced to spend apart due to Joe's commitments in London, and Dianne's commitments anywhere but London, or so it seemed, was definitely just another factor that was giving its very best to end what they had.

But today was the day in which Joe wished that all that would change. If not for a lifetime than at least for the week that Dianne had off from any tour, any commitment, and in any place that wasn't by Joe's side. So this was Joe's mission. Over the past few weeks Joe had done everything within his power to ensure that he could have a week free of meetings, filming schedules and late nights out with the lads, all of which were Jack or Mikey's suggestions in an attempt to 'cheer you up you lazy sod' in their words at least anyway. But having succeeded in this, Joe was more than looking forward to having 7 whole days, 168 care free hours, to spend repairing his relationship with the Dianne, and proving to her just how much he still loves her. Of course he wasn't going to do anything as serious or propose or make some grand over the top gesture of how much she means to her, but Joe definitely had something up his sleeve for later this week.

But now, with 40 minutes until her train got in, Joe gathered his phone, jacket and keys before ordering an uber and heading to the very same train station that he did last time Dianne had come back from tour - however this time a lot had changed since when he last headed out of the door. As even now, some of their conversations were still staged, some were still awkward and every now and then, the simple action of holding her hand, or kissing her forehead like he used to still felt wrong to Joe. It was as if they were starting from square one again... Having to hide what was really going on between them from the rest of the world, having to think twice before they made any move with each other, and most heartrendingly, having to go to bed every night not being able to hold each other, but having nothing but one another on each others minds as they did so. It was an odd place to be with the girl he had known for well over 8 months by now, but Joe was confident that if the next 7 days he had planned would go as he hoped, he could get their relationship off of the rocks and onto the ocean, where anything can happen and life could take the two of them anywhere, as long as they were together.

A full hour and a half had gone past by the time that Joe was able to head back through the door of his beloved home. But this time he was grateful to not be on his own, as following him through that very same door, balancing what seemed like several hundred gift bags, a large suitcase and a rucksack, was a very tired looking red head.

"Thanks for helping me with my bags Joe" Said Dianne sarcastically as she pushed her heavy suitcase across the wooden floor with her foot, clearly struggling with it all.

"No problem what so ever" Joe replied back sarcastically, earning himself a glare from Dianne. That glare however soon turned into a loving smile from the red head. Despite the fact that she was clearly exhausted from tour and from travelling here, there and everywhere, for the past two weeks or so, Joe was still amazed at how she had the ability to light up every room she walked into, and in recognition of that, Joe replied her loving smile with one of his own as he walked over to her, taking the many bags out of her hands, and wrapped his arms around her, smiling at himself as her head slotted underneath his chin where it was meant to be. And finally feeling able to relax in his home properly as he inhaled the sweet scent of her grapefruit shampoo - a smell he seemingly could never tire of.

It was the moments like this that told both Joe and Dianne that everything in their relationship would be okay - even if it were for the still awkward moments and occasional stuttering of sentences between one another so not be seen as rude or unsympathetic towards the situation they had barely made it out of alive. Moments like this where they could stay in each other's arms without having to avoid eye contact, or apologise for something that before hand would have been absolutely nothing at all, made it all worth while. And in recognition of their apparent calmness and love for one another, Joe took the opportunity to say what has been on his mind all the time that Dianne was away.

"I love you Di."

It was a simple phrase... One he had been fortunate enough to say millions of times to her. But by now it was almost alien to his vocabulary. And although it was nothing but the truth, Dianne couldn't help but smile uncontrollably at the admission of Joe's love for her.

"I love you too." She replied before she pulled out of his chest and wrapped her arms around his long neck. Smiling at each other once again, the two leaned in and kissed each other for the first time in over two weeks, and for the first time in what was definitely far to long, everything felt as if it was almost back to normal.

A/N Hey people, sorry that this wasn't the best chapter, I kind of had to have it as a filler. Thank you so much for all the reads, comments and votes, each one genuinely means so much to me and I can't thank you enough xx