A Matter of Perspective

Chapter 1 - Zoe

"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.

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"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.