It takes two

Chapter twenty seven

"She's a lazy bones."

Joe chuckled, wondering that if she'd still be saying that, years from now. She probably would be, even when she would be a teenager and out with her mates.

"And you, missy." He tickled her side, hearing her giggle, shuffling backwards slightly. "You're a little sass pot." She shuffled back closer, grinning. "But she's certainly tired, but I have a feeling that if I don't say something, she will be awake all night."

Emelia shrugged, crawling over to kneel by Dianne's legs, looking at her mama. "I think you should wake her up. Then she won't be awake all night."

Joe nodded, shifting slightly and gently tapping her shoulder. "Love, it's time to wake up..." he softly repeated this a few times with his still croaky voice, seeing her open her eyes after the third time.

"Oh hey." She sat up, yawning and using her arms. Joe placed a hand around her shoulders, feeling her lean into him. "You feeling any better?"

"Still exhausted and I'm a bit hot, voice isn't the best but I'm not as bad, if you get the drift." She nodded, glad he was feeling better than he was before. Even if he wasn't completely better, it was still progress.

"Actually, maybe if we use tomorrow morning to bring a few things over like we said, then that's a job done, and you can get better and moving again, you know?" He nodded, smiling. This was a step into the future, a step into the unknown. But it was a step together.

Emelia have a confused expression. "What are we doing?" Joe and Dianne looked at each other, Joe nodding to the red head to encourage her to go on. Dianne coughed, patting her lap, to which Emelia sat in.

"We were thinking. Since we spend a lot of time here, we were thinking of bringing a few things over, so we don't have to go back and forth as much. Does that sound good?" Emelia nodded, beaming at both of them.

"Yeah. That sounds very good." She gave Dianne a hug, feeling her mum kiss her cheek before she leapt onto Joe. It took him a little by surprise, and he kissed her on the cheek with a loud 'smack' before she bounced off, saying "I really like it here."

Joe and Dianne grinned at each other. They were relieved that she loved it there, not that surprised but relieved. They laid back down, Joe laid sort of on top of Dianne, inhaling her scent, sweet perfume. She ran her hands through his hair, kissing his head every so often.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Dianne just smiled. "About bringing some things over, what I'd bring." she chuckled. He chuckled too, thinking about it all. "I would also just bring my coffee machine, then we'd have two."

He laughed. "His and hers coffee machines."

She laughed too. "Exactly." After a few moments of cuddling he lifted his head.

"Like, would you ever consider moving in with me, some day?" Joe asked, wondering. He hoped she would say yes, hoping with all of him.

She would more than consider it, she wanted to. It would mean the three of them together, officially. "Definitely. I mean, it's like we're half way there, if you know what I mean."

Joe grinned, kissing her head fondly. "Yeah, it does actually. It's like that Bon Jovi song, woah, we're half way there, woah, living on a prayer..."

She giggled before taking one of his hands in hers, singing the next line.

"Take my hand, we'll make it I swear..."

He smiled. "Dot, can we switch over?

She giggled again, him rolling off and holding out an arm, her going into it until she laid on top of him, feeling him play with the ends of her hair, something he always did.