Rainbow connection

Kitchen chats

"No don't mum please, you can't show him those ones."

Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell were in Bunbury, Western Australia for Christmas looking through all the childhood photographs Mark and Rina had kept for all these years.

The photos in question were of Andrew and Dianne in the Australian Open series which they had come second in, the day before Dianne joined Burn the Floor. Andrew woke up to the fact he was also involved and whilst he'd previously been laughing along with the others, suddenly changed his allegiance.

"Mum have you seen how orange I was then?And the hair, you can't show the hair mum" Andrew whined.

Whilst the two dancers squabbled with their parents, similar to when they were children, Joe took a step back and watched the pleasant exchange. He was relaxed, in what had come to be one of his favourite places in the world, his girlfriend's mother's house. Birds were chirping outside and if he concentrated hard enough, he was sure he could hear the waves crashing on the beach outside. Maybe it was real, or maybe his imagination, whatever it was, he felt so comforted, and considering he was thousands of miles from his actual house, he felt so at home.

A few hours past and many laughs were shared among the family, reminiscing about the many competitions the siblings had entered.

"Dot, have you ever shown burn the floor to Joseph?" Rina questioned, noticing a full recording of burn the floor 2014 in the boxes of photos.

"No, I've actually never watched it back myself you know!" Dianne exclaimed, she'd loved dancing on burn the floor but it had been nonstop for 7 years. She hadn't seen the point in watching back a show she would perform the next evening.  

"Do you wanna put it on before dinner, it's only about an hour?"

"Wow yeh, I'm excited now" Joe giggled, he sat on the grey velvet sofa and signalled for his girlfriend to cuddle into him.

"Wow the black hair," Dianne murmured into Joes chest. She was sat perpendicular to the YouTuber, but turned her head comfortably to see the television.

"I like the black hair, though to be fair I'd still fancy the shit out of you with no hair"

Dianne giggled and pushed her boyfriend slightly who smirked to himself. Said the right thing there Joseph.

The couple played spot the strictly pro as the show went on. They found Aliaz, Jeanette, Johannes, Kevin, and Karen in this particular show, although Joe was aware that nearly every strictly pro had toured with burn the floor at some point.

Something bothered Joe as he watched his girlfriend glide across the stage. She looked beautiful of course, she always did, and the video wasn't the best quality. But Joe first noticed in Dianne's eyes the lack of sparkle, excitement, her face simply wasn't lit up in the same way it usually was when she danced. Her face was pale too, at first the YouTuber thought it could be the darker hair washing her out, but even under the layers of fake tan, her lighter skin was noticeable. But upon further inspection and he knew to never mention it, he noticed  how skinny his girlfriend looked. Sure she was slim at the moment, being a dancer she had to keep in shape, but this Dianne from 2014 didn't look healthy.

Joe suddenly put the pieces together, remembering how Dianne had revealed her past struggles after the interview with happiful magazine. She always wanted the story to come directly from her, not an article, however well written and accurate it was. But seeing Dianne in this state only made the situation seem more real. His girlfriend really had struggled, for so long and he wished he'd been there to help her, more than anything.

Joe looked down Dianne, who was still leaning heavily into his chest and kissed her head. Smiling up at him, she giggled.

"Pay attention Joseph, you need educating before the Joe and Dianne Show!" She scalded lightly.

"I am, I am" Joe whispered gently, glad Dianne had found help when she did.

Joe tried to return to normal over dinner, joining the conversations between all the Buswells. Nevertheless, the look on his girlfriends eyes lingered in his brain, she had looked so tired and fed up, a far fetch from the giggling bubbly personality sat next to him at the dinner table.

"Here I'll help you Rina," Joe offered as she began cleaning up. Only the two of them remained in the kitchen after Andrew suggested a walk to the beach.

"Oh thank you Joseph, you really don't have to."

"Nonsense, you cooked a lovely dinner, it's the least I can do."

The two washed up in a comfortable silence, Dina recognising that her future son in law needed some time to think.

"Rina, that burn the floor video, that was from that time, wasn't it?" Joe tentatively asked.

Immediately Rina knew what the brunette was talking about as he meekly looked at his feet. The boy stood in front of her was a shell of the man she had come to love, and she instantly shut the kitchen door for some privacy should the others return.

"Yes, Joe it was. Do you wanna talk about it? While dots out I mean?"

Joe shrugged, he couldn't really explain how he was feeling, it shouldn't have shocked him yet here he was moments away from tears in his girlfriends family home. Sensing the new wave of emotion Joe was emitting, Rina pulled him into a loving and motherly hug.

"I know it's hard to see her like that but it's all in the past now, it really is."

Joe nodded pulling away from the hug and slightly embarrassed of the emotions he'd displayed. Rina examined the man who stood in front of her, Dianne's boyfriend at the time of burn the floor was toxic and encouraged her damaging habits. Nothing like the gentlemen who appeared in front of her now.

"I know she had a tough time and all, I think the video just made it seem more real, I don't know," Joe said quietly, trying to explain his complicated thoughts.

"I know it does, but Joseph, it shows how much you care about her, because you noticed. And I never really notice the weight difference, as scary as it is, it's all in the.."

"Eyes" Joe interrupted, his voice cracking.

Rina nodded sadly.

"But Joe she's absolutely fine now, I'm not worried at all, and you know why?"

Joe shook his head, if Rina had seen Dianne in that state in real life, Joe wondered how she could ever truly relax.

"Because she's got you," Rina replied simply, "and I know that if she ever felt that way again, with all those toxic thoughts, she'd talk to you and you'd help her." Rina's hand now rubbed the side of Joes shoulder, hopefully relieving some of his tension.

"I'll never let her get like that again, ever, I promise!"

After a few minutes of comfortable silence as the two comprehended the conversation they'd just shared, the kitchen door swung open alerting Joe and Rina of the others' return.

"Hey," Dianne called as she cuddled into Joe's neck.

"Hi Darling," Joe whispered kissing the top of her head, "nice walk?"

"Yeh lovely, we missed the sunset though"

Joe shot Rina a knowing smirk and walked out into the hall way hand in hand with the dancer.

"I love you dot," he said quietly.

"I love you too, where's this come from?" Dianne giggled, "are you alright?" She asked, suddenly slightly concerned.

"Never better!"