"I can't believe Joe has a girlfriend. Can you believe Joe has a girlfriend and he's bringing her away on a weekend trip? With us?" Zoe chattered excitedly as she slammed the car door, turning to gaze at her boyfriend when she received no response.
"Alf, can you believe it?" she reiterated, holding in a giggle at Alfie's exasperated expression as she repeated the question for a fourth time.
"Sorry," she laughed sheepishly, "I forgot about your throat."
Alfie nodded sipping on his giant mug of tea and waving his hand for her to continue with a smile. He had woken up with a touch of the sniffles, and Zoe had forgotten in all of her excitement that he had told her he was going to nap in the car to try and save his voice. Clearly though, he had resigned himself to listening to her chatter for now as they drove to Chewton Glen to meet Joe and Dianne.
"Right, so I want to see what they're like in private you know?" Zoe continued, giggling again as Alfie's eyebrows shot up toward his hairline.
"Not like that, you perv. I mean I want to see what they're like when the camera is off. And when they're not surrounded by Strictly people," Zoe watched as Alfie nodded thoughtfully, clearly agreeing with her. "I've just never seen my little brother with a girlfriend. Joe has never, ever, brought a girl around us before. This is just a whole new thing for the Sugg sibs. It's like...like a new chapter is beginning."
Zoe felt Alfie's smile before she turned her head to look him in the eyes. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, and she tried hard to blink them back. It was true - this was a very new thing, Joe having a girlfriend, and it was bringing out some unexpected emotion in her.
Zoe had never really taken the time to think about what Joe's future looked like beyond his current phase of chronic bachelorhood - although to call it a phase was probably an understatement - he had been single for 27 years, and Zoe wouldn't have been surprised if it had continued on forever. She and Joe had always been close - probably a closer brother/sister relationship than most, due to a variety of factors. First, being their parents' divorce, and second being their similar career trajectory that YouTube had launched all those years ago. Plus, they were close in age, less than two years apart.
Zoe had known she was a bit unique - finding her forever person in Alfie at such a young age. She had always hoped the same would happen for Joe, but he had never been too keen on following the same path. Girls were a distraction from the good times with his mates, and all of the projects YouTube had introduced him to. She knew he wanted someone - it would go against human nature not to - and he had tried his hand at dating apps off and on over the years, without much success. Zoe had always felt it was because he wasn't good with emotions - he was terrible at expressing himself. Feelings were hard for him to process...so he just avoided them - or at least that's how it looked to Zoe.
She watched as Alfie's eyes closed, but not before reaching out to rest his hand on her thigh across the center console of the car, squeezing in a comforting fashion. She turned up the music, the tears suddenly dried, and the smile spreading across her face. Joe may have not been good with emotions or feelings for his entire life, but something had changed in the last three months. She had seen it. Their mum had seen it. The entire bloody UK had seen it. And that something, Zoe knew, was actually a someone. In the shape of a small, energetic, redhead from Australia.
---
"Joe just texted me, they're already here!" Zoe bounced excitedly in her seat as she pulled into a parking spot and grabbed her bag. "How's your throat, gorgeous?"
Alfie smiled, before croaking out, "Not too bad, now. That nap helped."
Zoe grinned, knowing deep down Alfie was just as excited as she was. He and Joe had been mates for years - and Alfie knew Joe in a different, non-sisterly, way. He had been just as pleased when Joe had mysteriously started dropping hints that Dianne was more than just his professional dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing, and she knew he was dying to witness their relationship in person too, sore throat and all.
"Let's go, little one," he mumbled, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward Chewton Glen's reception area. As they walked closer, Zoe could feel the anticipation bubbling in her stomach. As they walked through the door, shaking hands and saying hello to the staff that they had grown to know over their frequent visits, she instantly caught a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she finally took in the sight in front of her - her brother seated on a large sofa, clinking his glass of champagne with Dianne's, who was leaning comfortably against him, her legs resting on top of his, and her arm stretched out on the sofa behind his shoulders. Her fingers reached out to brush a lock of his floppy hair out of his eyes, and she watched as Joe spoke quietly into her ear - surely cracking one of his usual jokes - as Dianne threw her head back and laughed.
"Oh my god," Zoe whispered, as Alfie came to stand beside her. "This is real."
"Of course, it's real," Alfie chuckled. "Come on."
"Zoe! Alfie!" she heard Joe shout as he turned his head, catching sight of them standing somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the lobby. "A bit of champagne, after your long journey?"
Zoe grinned at the weird voice he put on, as he gently lifted Dianne's legs and stood and bowed like a waiter. She watched as Dianne covered her mouth to hold in her giggles, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks as she turned her attention toward the ground, smoothing any wrinkles out of her clothes before standing up and turning toward them shyly.
"Dianne!" Zoe squealed, unable to hold it in anymore, as she jogged forward and pulled the redhead into a tight embrace.
"Alright, glad to see where I rank now," Joe grumbled beside them, but as Zoe peeked out over Dianne's shoulder, she saw a smile spreading across his face, light practically beaming off of him as he watched his sister hug his girlfriend.
"Sorry Joseph, I would say you're still number one in my book, but Di is rapidly rising in the polls," Zoe teased, letting Dianne go and turning toward Joe to pull him in to a hug. "She deserves the high ranking, putting up with you and your two left feet for twelve weeks."
Joe shoved her playfully, hugging Alfie, before flopping back on the sofa and grabbing Dianne's hand to pull her down next to him. "Seriously, guys, drink that champagne. Otherwise Di and I will fall asleep before we even make it to the tree houses."
Zoe watched as he tried to hold back a yawn, clearly still knackered from the whirlwind that was Strictly Come Dancing. She also noticed he hadn't let go of Dianne's hand, his fingers slowly locking and unlocking between hers. Zoe realized Dianne still hadn't said much, and she felt the sudden urge to make her feel as welcome as possible.
"Good drive here?" Alfie piped up before Zoe could say anything and she fought back the urge to roll her eyes. Such a boy thing to ask.
"It was nice," Dianne smiled, "We sang all our Strictly songs like the weirdos that we are."
Zoe laughed, "You're not sick of them?"
"It wasn't my request," Dianne jerked her head backwards toward Joe, laughing as she winked. "Someone seems to be missing it a bit."
Joe rolled his eyes, nudging her with his elbow before whining, "Don't tell them all my soppy secrets."
"Soppy Sugg," Alfie mused, "Never thought I'd see the day."
Zoe beamed, watching as Joe turned red, with a wide goofy smile on his face as he gazed at the woman seated next to him. She felt a weird warm sensation in her chest watching her brother like this, with his hand grasping Dianne's tightly, and his heart eyes on full display.
"Well, shall we go to the tree house?" Zoe finally broke the silence, standing up to gather her things, looking up curiously as she heard Dianne groan and Joe exclaim loudly.
"Yes! I told you! I knew they wouldn't drink the champagne even if I told them to, you owe me a fiver," Joe did a little dance as they both stood, teasing Dianne who had her head in her hands.
"That's not fair, you know them way better than I do," Dianne retorted, pouting her lips. "You forced me into that bet Joseph Sugg!"
"I don't make the rules," Joe shrugged, before grinning and leaning in to peck her pouted lips before wrapping his arms around her shoulders tightly. "But I guess I'll let it slide this time."
Zoe didn't realize she had been staring with her hands clasped over her heart until Alfie nudged her toward the door, chuckling under his breath. "Did you just see that?" she whispered in disbelief. "My brother is officially the soppiest sop there ever was."
---
"Dianne? What are you doing here? Where are you sleeping tonight?" Joe talked dramatically into his vlogging camera, letting Dianne chime in with a joke here and there. Alfie was busy making coffees, and Zoe sat back and watched, an amused look on her face.
"What?" Joe asked her, as he turned off his camera. "What's that look for?"
Zoe shook her head, "Nothing."
"You can't hide anything from me, Zo," he retorted, flopping down onto the sofa beside her. Zoe looked up and noticed Dianne and Alfie were bonding over their coffees, so she decided to take a chance and have the conversation with her brother she'd been dying to have.
"How long are you going to do that for?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Do what?" Joe asked, confusion apparent on his face.
"That thing you just did. Pretending you and Dianne are just friends on camera. That you're not sharing a room."
"I'm not pretending we're just friends," Joe shrugged. "I posted that photo on Instagram yesterday, I think it's pretty clear we're more than friends."
"Okay, so then why not be open about it on your vlogs?" Zoe pressed.
She watched as Joe considered her question carefully, and a slight flush appeared on his cheeks. "I...I'm not sure. You and Alfie never were that open on camera...you still aren't really."
Zoe nodded, "That's true. But we got together when we were so young. I was in such a different place then than you are now. I think it's quite obvious you're more than friends too, but the mixed signals might be a little confusing...or irritating...to your audience."
Joe sighed, reaching up to scratch his neck, a nervous tick he'd always had since they were kids. "I don't want to freak Dianne out. She's new to this whole thing...I mean yeah she's a public figure by being on Strictly, but her Instagram followers absolutely skyrocketed because she was partnered with me - that's a lot more prying eyes. I come with a lot of weird social media baggage, you know?"
Zoe nodded, remaining quiet as Joe checked over his shoulder to ensure Alfie and Dianne were still far enough away from the conversation at hand.
"And it's not just social media...the press are all over us. We were followed here," he added in a hushed voice, the discomfort evident as he shuffled in his seat.
Zoe felt herself gasp. "Are you serious?"
Joe nodded, "I had to turn off the road to lose them. I think it kind of shook Dianne a bit. She acted like it was fine, but..it's just a lot, Zoe."
Zoe sat back, watching as Dianne laughed out loud at something Alfie had just said, her facial expression clear of any stress or discomfort. She turned back to her brother who looked quite opposite - his eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was turned downward into a slight frown. Reaching out, she rubbed his arm before replying, "Don't let it get to you. I know it's a lot. Our lives are...a lot. But Dianne is tough. She knows what she's getting into. She would have told you by now if she was uncomfortable with anything."
"Would she though?" Joe asked in a quiet voice. "This whole thing is new, Zo. I mean, sure, we obviously bypassed the friend zone a long time ago, but we weren't officially official until really recently. In fact, it wasn't even really a conversation...it just sort of happened. One day she was my dance partner and the next she was my...girlfriend. God, it's still so weird to say. It's just...it's just all really new. I don't know if she's being open with me about those types of things."
Before Zoe could respond, Dianne appeared behind Joe, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning down to kiss his cheek before murmuring quietly, "Are you okay?"
Zoe watched as Joe instinctively leaned back into her, letting his head drop back and rest on her shoulder before turning slightly to connect their eyes, smiling slightly and nodding his head.
"Are you sure? You seem tense," she whispered into his ear, giggling when he turned his head even further to tickle her cheek with his nose, pretending to bite her ear. Zoe could tell Dianne knew better than to push him on it now, as she stood back up and walked away, but she could tell by the look in her eye it was a conversation they'd be having later. She was glad. Glad she had witnessed that moment, and glad her brother had found someone who seemed to be able to read his emotions, even from across the room.
---
"Dianne, stop! Come back! DIANNE, STOP!" Joe bellowed out across the beach, his words instantly getting sucked up into the harsh wind that whipped around them.
"Joe, she's fine!" Zoe exclaimed, holding back laughter as she watched her brother lose his absolute mind at Dianne's childlike frolic through the waves crashing on the shore, about a mile from the tree house. She heard Alfie's hysterical laughter behind her and she turned and met his grin with her own, stepping back and turning off her own vlog camera as Alfie continued filming.
"They're so bloody cute," Alfie's hoarse voice whispered into her ear once he had finished filming the clip, and Joe had completed his rescue, dragging Dianne back up the sandy beach with a vice-like grip on her hand.
Zoe nodded, giggling again. She hadn't realized her brother could be so protective. Dianne hadn't been in any actual danger, but Joe was hellbent on making sure she didn't get so much as a scratch on their whole walk through the blustery England afternoon. She could tell by the sly grin on Dianne's face, she knew exactly what she was doing by running into the choppy water minutes earlier, and it only made Zoe love her more. She pushed his buttons - kept him on his toes. Zoe knew she was exactly what he needed.
"You're crazy," Joe lectured Dianne, but his voice still had a soft tone underneath it. "Do you want to get yourself killed?"
Dianne smirked, "Of course not. Maybe I just wanted to be rescued by a big and strong man."
Joe let out an exasperated sigh, "Too bad there's none of those around."
Dianne giggled, throwing her arms around his neck before burying her face in his chest. "You're my big and strong man, Joseph," she mumbled, just loud enough for Zoe to hear. She watched as Joe blushed, before lifting her up and spinning her around before placing her back down onto the sand, staring at her with a look of intensity. Suddenly, without warning he took off on a run as fast as his Wellington boots would let him.
"Race ya back," he shouted, as Dianne shot off after him, her giggles echoing through the windy beach. Zoe looked at Alfie, confusion apparent on her face.
"What the hell was that?" she asked. "One minute they're nearly snogging, the next they're racing down the beach like little kids."
Alfie laughed, "Two weird peas in a pod, I reckon. Two peas in a bloody pod."
---
"Hiya," Zoe greeted Dianne in a soft voice as she sat down on the sofa, the two of them zipped up into warm onesies, staring at the fire Joe had just lit in the main room.
"Hi," Dianne murmured back, her voice equally as soft, and suddenly sounding a bit shy.
Zoe stared at the fire, wondering what to say next. She rarely ever felt at a loss for words, but sitting here next to Dianne for the first time without the boys, she found herself grasping at the questions she so desperately wanted to ask. She didn't want to scare her away, but she was so curious about so many things. She decided she had to start somewhere, so clearing her throat, she turned to face Dianne who was sat a few feet away from her.
"Are you having a good time?"
Zoe watched as Dianne's face lit up, turning to look her in the eyes, "Oh, Zoe, I'm having the best time. The absolute best."
Zoe smiled, feeling her honesty. "Good. I told Joe this would be a good weekend away. I hope you don't mind me and Alf tagging along...I just haven't seen Joe much over the last few months, you know."
Dianne nodded enthusiastically, "Oh of course. I'm...I'm actually really happy you're both here. I've been...wanting...hoping to get to know you both better. You and Alfie are obviously so important to Joe..."
She trailed off, and Zoe studied her facial expression closely. Dianne nibbled on her bottom lip, her eyebrows knit closely together as if she was thinking over her next words carefully.
"I just want to make sure I get to know every part of Joe, including his family," she continued timidly. "He's...really important to me."
Zoe felt her heart melt at her words.
"Oh Dianne, and you're so important to Joe. And to us...our whole family, really. I know you haven't met everyone yet, but we're all buzzing. Honestly. I never thought Joe would find a girlfriend," she giggled as Dianne's face blushed. "And I never in a million years thought he'd find someone as amazing as you."
"Oh, no, I'm not --" Dianne started, before Zoe cut her off.
"You're amazing Dianne. You really are. I know it, Alfie knows it, and Joe certainly knows it. I haven't seen him this happy in years...maybe his entire life, if I'm honest."
Zoe watched as Dianne's face turned as red as her hair, and a small smile began to spread across her face. "Well, he makes me really happy too," she mumbled. "Like, happier than I've ever been."
Zoe leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Dianne's shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug. Pulling back, she wiped an errant tear from her eye, laughing as she noticed Dianne doing the same thing. "We're just as soppy as Joe, Jesus Christ,"
Dianne laughed out loud, "He is a soppy boy, isn't he?"
"He never used to be," Zoe shook her head in disbelief. "Honestly, I used to rip on him for never showing any emotion. And getting him to be empathetic? Forget it."
Dianne quirked an eyebrow up, "Really? He's been soft since the day I met him."
It was Zoe's turn to lift her eyebrows in surprise, "From the first day? You can't be serious."
Dianne giggled again, "No really. We did this practice dance when he was still trying to make up his mind on whether he was going to do the show or not. He accidentally tripped me, bless him, and my bum had barely hit the floor before he was scooping me up and setting me down on a bench, feeling all of my limbs to make sure I hadn't broken anything. And he just kept whispering, 'I'm so sorry, Dianne, please forgive me.'"
Zoe gasped out loud, "You're joking."
"Actually, I'm Joe Sugg," Joe's voice echoed over her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly.
"Ugh, Joe, you're an idiot, why do you always have to sneak up on me," Zoe exclaimed after her heart rate slowed down and Joe had come around to the other side to settle into the cushions next to Dianne, resting his hand lightly on her knee.
"What are you two talking about?" he teased. "Should I be nervous?"
Zoe grinned as Dianne shot her a pointed look, "Yes, you should be very nervous."
"Why?" Joe looked between the two women, gulping audibly. "What have you told her, Zoe?"
"Oh, we haven't even gotten to my stories," Zoe waved her hand dismissively, "But Dianne just told me something very interesting."
"What?" Is it that I fart around her? I told her I'd try and stop but now I just find it funny, sorry Di," Joe rambled. "Oh wait...is it that I eat really slowly because I'm afraid I'm going to choke? Or that I refuse to take public transportation without hand sanitizer? Dianne calls me a granddad...sorry that I just like to be SAFE..."
Zoe shared a look with Dianne and before she knew it they were both laughing hysterically, tears rolling down their faces, as they rolled around the sofa, clutching their stomachs as Joe looked on, confusion evident on his face.
---
Zoe walked from the bathroom on her and Alfie's side of the tree house to grab a mug of hot tea from the common room. She could see a sliver of light from Joe and Dianne's room, and she could just barely hear their voices echoing through the little hallway. She hadn't even realized she was eavesdropping until she noticed her hands had stilled on the mug she had pulled down from the shelf.
"Are you having a good time?" she heard Joe's voice ask, sounding softer than she had ever heard it.
"The best," Dianne responded with a happy sigh. "I absolutely love your sister. And Alfie, too."
"Good," Joe replied happily, and Zoe heard him leave a loud smacking kiss somewhere on her face.
"Your sister said I've made you softer," Dianne's small voice teased him after a few seconds of silence.
Zoe heard Joe groan, and she had to bite her lip to hold in a giggle.
"I told her you already were soft," Dianne giggled, "Remember the first time we met?"
"Yeah, I knocked you over and thought I was going to be arrested by the Strictly police," Joe mumbled, and Zoe thought it sounded like he had buried his face into her shoulder.
"There's no such thing you weirdo," Dianne laughed out loud. "Remember you picked me right up and checked me out for injuries? That was the sweetest thing ever. You barely knew me, and I was your sole focus in that moment. You've been soft with me since day one, Sugg."
"I just remember thinking, 'way to go Joe, you've injured the most beautiful woman you've ever seen,'" Joe replied, and Zoe could hear the shy smile in his voice. "I had to make sure you were okay. You're right, in that moment it was all my brain could focus on."
"Has your brain focused on anything else, since?" Dianne whispered so softly, Zoe could barely make it out. "Because my safety seems to be your top priority this weekend. Not that I'm complaining."
"Well you don't make it easy on me," Joe retorted. "Especially when you're falling into ponds and running straight into the sea."
Zoe heard Dianne slap him lightly as Joe chuckled to himself. "You also protected me from that guy that was following us on our way here," Dianne whispered. "Which you didn't have to do."
"What do you mean? Of course I had to," Joe responded quietly. "I'm not going to let you get harassed and scared by the press."
Zoe listened intently, but the pair remained quiet, clearly deep in thought.
"I wasn't scared when it happened. Uncomfortable, I guess. But not scared," Dianne suddenly spoke, her voice soft. "Because I knew you were with me. I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to me. I feel so...safe with you, Joe."
Zoe heard the bed shift, and she wasn't sure who had moved, but it was clear that they were now laid very close together, as Dianne giggled and she heard soft kisses being planted on bare skin.
"Maybe Zoe's right...you're getting softer by the minute," Dianne giggled.
"You're all I think about, Dianne Buswell. Every minute of every day. If that makes me soft, then so be it," Joe mumbled, before continuing his kisses.
Zoe felt her jaw drop, and she slowly set down the mug before it slipped out of her sweaty palms, quickly forgetting the tea as she heard some rustling of covers and soft noises of approval as Joe and Dianne clearly began to communicate in ways that didn't require words.
Sprinting back across the tree house, she burst through the door and launched herself onto the bed, causing Alfie to jump back in surprise.
"Jesus, Zo," Alfie groaned. "It's nearly midnight, why are you so amped?"
"Alf, Dianne is THE ONE," she squealed, rolling over and curling up in his arms.
"Are you sure?" Alfie's sleepy voice had a hint of excitement in it.
"Positive," Zoe grinned, staring up into her boyfriend's face. "Remember the first few months when we started dating? And you told me I was all you could think about? Every minute of every day?"
Alfie nodded, smiling as he remembered those first few months of their relationship, when things were exciting and new, but full of serious feelings, deeper than he had ever felt.
"I just heard Joe say those exact same words," Zoe beamed.
She watched Alfie's eyebrows narrow, "How did you hear that? I thought they were in bed."
Zoe blushed, looking down, before mumbling, "Um, I kind of stood outside of their room...I was going for some tea, but got distracted...they left the door open so it was kind of their fault."
Alfie laughed and pulled her close, "My little eavesdropper. I'm surprised you were able to pull your nosy self away.
Zoe blushed a deeper red, burying her face in her boyfriend's chest, "Well, um, they stopped talking...and started...um..."
Alfie interrupted her with a loud snort, "Gross Zoe! I didn't need to know that."
"I'm just glad he's found her," Zoe sighed happily, pulling the covers over them both and turning off the light, before snuggling back into his side. "Let's maybe leave the TV noise on for a little while though...just in case."
---
Ahhhh, I'm back. I am still beyond busy with work commitments, but I had this idea last week and went on a bit of a writing binge. Thought I'd get this chapter up today so I could see what you all think. I have a few others started, but probably won't update again until next week. This story will be shorter - 12 chapters - so the updates won't be daily. But each chapter should be pretty lengthy as they're stories in themselves. I hope you all enjoy!!