Joanne Suggwell One Shots 3

Stay Calm

It was gone nine in the morning when Dianne opened her eyes and stretched in her boyfriend's arms, the curtains, controlled by a timer that Joe had since set up and now struggled to use, were slowly opening; revealing the typical grey drizzly day that London had to offer at the end of April. She wriggled from his unusually tight grip onto her side of the bed, reaching for her phone, as she stretched again. Once she had replied to a few messages in various group chats, including one in the Strictly; the professionals tour chat about how sore everyone's legs were after their first week of training, she leaned back over to Joe and kissed his head and ruffled his hair. Then she climbed out of the bed and grabbed her yoga mat out of the wardrobe. Dianne rolled it out on Joe's side of the room so she had a perfect view of him asleep. There was something about him sleeping that made her feel fuzzy and warm, maybe it was because he always looked peaceful when he was asleep, plus it was the only moment she seemed to get in a day where she could properly study him because he wasn't working a million miles an hour.

Stretches complete, back clicked, she pushed Joe's hair off his forehead and kissed it again, her face mirroring the smile that grew on Joe's face, as he remained sleeping. Dianne then wondered through to the bathroom to do her business and brush her teeth, not bothering to shut the door. She started by brushing her teeth, to make up for falling asleep early and forgetting to do it the night before then moved onto washing her face free of the makeup that she had also forgotten to take off last night. Finally she sat down on the toilet, rubbing her eye free of the moisturiser she accidentally got in it. it was that exact moment that she also jumped out of her skin, crossing her legs, as a figure, that wasn't unlike a zombie walking, well not walking actually, more like tripping and stumbling, came into the bathroom. She nearly screamed but then realised it was just Joseph.

"Jesus scared me there, Love," she said with a giggle, as she stood up. Joe didn't respond though, he was currently messing with the tap, seemingly trying to turn it on. When he eventually managed he made sure it was flowing at full pressure and then dumped scoops all over him and his t-shirt that Dianne noticed was a darker grey on the back. She stepped forward as he looked in the mirror and sort of frowned, his hands touching his face, it looked like it was the first time he had seen his face and it alarmed Dianne.

"Joseph? You feeling okay?" she put her hand on the nearest part of him she could, just managing to duck, as Joe sort of aggressively shivered, his right arm nearly getting her in the throat before he stumbled back and turned back to the mirrors. She watched in slight fear, but mostly panic, as his hands went to his head and he sort of bunched his hair into his hand and pulled on it.

"Joseph? Stop." She was too scared to step forward so she just waited, holding her breath. His face changed, it turned from the frown to a panicked look, as his hands crossed around his body and his breathing started to quicken.

The change in his expression was all it took for her to work up the courage to say something again she changed it this time though, returning to her gentle tone, "Little One? Come here."

Then many things happened in either all at once or in careful succession. Firstly Joe turned towards her and she thought she might have to duck again but then he stumbled in her direction, arms sort of flung outwards, like he wanted a hug. He had heard her. She felt his body collide with hers and then she felt his breathing. It was quicker than it had seemed and when she moved her hand to his chest her own breathing quickened as she felt his heart going like the clappers under her hand. That's when Dianne knew she needed to get him to calm down and wake up from whatever had caused this. Maybe he was sleep walking.

"Yes, I thought a hug was a good idea too, you need to slow down your breathing though Joseph, you'll make yourself poorly." A rational part of her head was saying, 'he's already poorly wally,' she ignored it though and looked into his eyes, as her thumb slowly stroked over where she could feel his heart beat trying to make it slow down. Then his eyes closed and she felt his arms fall from her back, where they had been tightly holding. She took her hand off his chest and put one on his forehead the other hovering behind him, just in case he did what she thought he was about to do.