16th September 2023
"Joe Sugg! I've missed you bro!" A distinctively Lutonian accent called from across the busy London street. Joe and Dianne were already stood waiting outside of the Italian restaurant, early for once.
"Dooley!" The man laughed, pulling her into a hug as Dianne greeted Kevin, not quite as enthusiastically having only just seen him earlier that morning.
"and King Kev!" Joe added as the couples switched over.
"Ah I've missed you Lady Di, it's been too long!" Stacey exclaimed into Dianne's ear, shaking the redhead in a hug from side to side.
"Too long Stace, definitely too long!" She smiled into the ginger's shoulder.
Pleasantries taken care of, everyone heading inside the dark restaurant through to the back room. Kevin had suggested to book a private area of the venue on the group chat, the celebrities still getting papped all these years on, especially when they were out together.
~~~
"So, how is everyone, I feel like we haven't done this in years!" Stacey started, their drinks just having been set down by the waiter. She had been a bit out of the loop with all things Strictly since rehearsals had started in the summer.
Kevin wasn't properly taking part in the competition, with him and Dianne choreographing for or dancing in most of the group routines. For their other halves, Joe was always at home or around the studios doing the podcast, so ended up immersed in the glitter no matter what he was doing, easily popping into Elstree to watch rehearsals as he pleased.
Stacey however, had been making hard-hitting documentaries around the world respectively. It was a miracle that she had even got the time off to be around for the Strictly season this year.
"Yeah, good, Izzy's just gone back to school, so at least the house is a bit quieter!" Dianne laughed.
"Yeah as much fun as she is to have home, it's nice to be able to edit without her shouting at the monitor next to me when she's eaten by a zombie on Minecraft!" Joe added.
"She's living the life there!" Kevin lusted, "I wish I could stay home and play video games all day everyday!"
"He would if he could..." Stacey muttered under her breath, everyone chuckling along.
"What about yous then, how's little Enya doing?" Joe asked.
Kevin and Stacey had adopted a toddler from Uganda earlier on in the year after Stacey had visited an orphanage on a trip for Comic Relief. She had returned alone, but soon after had convinced Kevin to adopt. They had been wanting to start a family for a while, neither of them ready to properly let go of their jobs, Kevin settling for a smaller contract, and Stacey having recently put off her travels until January, once Strictly had settled down for the year and the madness of Christmas had passed. Everyone around them had watched on over the year, the couple just seeming happier in every sense of the word. The three-year-old seemed to have completed their little family.
The strictly family tree was growing, and the group couldn't be happier. No matter who came and went, they were all linked together in some way. It was never a curse anymore, not to anyone but the press.
Everything that had happened within the span of the past five years had been a blessing, they had all survived it.
"She's great, loving the massive cuddly Yoda Kev made us get her for her Birthday, doesn't let go of it bless her—doesn't give a shit about anything else we buy her at this point!" Stacey exclaimed.
