35 Ways to Say 'I Love You' | Joanne (One Shot Series)

Running (Quality Time)

The sound of the alarm pulled Joe from his comfortable sleep.

"Alexa, shut up" he said, his voice gravelly, "I'm awake."

Dianne rolled away from the sound and pulled her pillow over her head. Noticing her movements, Joe snuggled into her back and rested his hand on the patch of bare skin where her top had ridden up in the night.

"Morning" he said, his greeting acknowledged with a groan. "Are you still sleepy?"

Dianne slowly lowered the pillow and leaned back into her boyfriend's body, enjoying the warmth. "No" she said quietly, beginning to open her eyes, "'m awake. I'm just... adjusting."

Joe leaned closer and kissed her jaw. "Well, take your time. We've got a whole day to ourselves. No rush."

Once she was back in the land of the living, Dianne rolled onto her back, smiling as she realised Joe had anticipated this and placed his arm there ready to hold her. "What do you want to do today?" she asked, looking at him in the corner of her eye.

"I'm not sure," Joe replied, rubbing his girlfriend's soft, warm skin under her top as he spoke, "what do you fancy doing?"

"I don't want to laze about and do nothing. Can we, like, go somewhere? I feel like, now that we've got a day off, we need to make the most of it. We're both so busy- any time we have to ourselves should be important."

Joe nodded at his girlfriend's words. "True" he said. "The weather looks pretty nice today. I was going to suggest doing a class at the gym, but what about a run?"

"Sure" Dianne said. "What, run to the park and then maybe have breakfast?"

"Perfect. I might have a quick banana now, then, just so I've got something to burn off. Do you want a protein bar or anything?" Dianne nodded and smiled at Joe's suggestion. They had got into such a good routine together; it was amazing how often Joe had picked up on little quirks and habits Dianne hadn't realised he knew. Like, for example, the fact that she couldn't stomach a banana before a morning run. "Can I please have one of the carrot cake ones?" she asked as Joe sat himself up and stretched before getting out of bed. "Thanks. Love you."

///

"Jesus, Dot" Joe exclaimed as, half way through their usual route, Dianne seemingly had a burst of energy and overtook him. Fighting the urge to race her, Joe kept his head down and focused on the beat of the music in his ears.

By the time they got to the park, Dianne had slowed back down to run by Joe's side. They reached the turning towards their favourite café and, with a quick glance towards one another, set off into a sprint. Joe couldn't help but laugh as he watched Dianne celebrate when she touched the fence- their designated finish line- jumping with her arms in the air.

"I reckon I need to get on that protein bar hype" Joe said, shaking his head. "Well done. I guess that means I'm buying breakfast?"

Dianne grinned. "It definitely does. Anyway, I don't think it was the protein bar. I've been training more so I guess my stamina's improving."

"Don't give me that" Joe said with a smile, "for my own sanity, I'm going to say it was the protein bar. You're already better looking than me, and more talented than me. I don't know if I can deal with you being quicker than me. What will it do to my self-esteem?!"

Joe laughed as Dianne shoved him lightly. "Pack it in" she said in a tone that didn't quite match her words. "And deal with it. I'm amazing. You should feel lucky that I'm your girlfriend. You shouldn't need to compare us. Just be glad that I'm still with you, even though you're punching."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Remind me again why I put myself through this?"

Dianne blinked, her eyes wide. "Because you love me" she said in a cartoonish voice.

"I do" Joe said quietly. "I really, really do. Anyway, what do you want to eat? Hurry up and choose. I'm hungry."

Dianne quickly made her choice and sat watching the birds on the lake as Joe went in to place their order. The café in the park was a place that had become very special to them. The relaxed atmosphere, the delicious food and the amazing coffee were all factors as to why it had become part of their regular routine, but the main reason was its location. It was a good running distance from Joe's house and promised an enticing end; it had become the dangling carrot on a stick.

By the time Joe got back to the table, it was clear Dianne was lost in thought. She was staring out onto the water, but Joe could tell she wasn't really watching the wildlife.

"Hey there" he said loudly, causing her to jump. "Sorry, I just noticed you were miles away."

"I was" Dianne admitted, blinking as she tried to get her vision back into focus. "Sorry, I think I've worn myself out. Hopefully that cup of coffee will help with that."

Joe nodded. "Definitely."

One of the regular waitresses came out with their drinks and put them on the table. "Awwh, are you two on one of your little running dates again?" Both Joe and Dianne smiled and nodded. "I don't know how you do it. Or why, for that matter. As far as I'm concerned, you're both mad. What's wrong with dinner and a movie?"

Joe laughed. "Well, at the moment, we both work in the evenings. So, this is the time we have to spend together."

"And you decide to spend it running?!" The woman shook her head. "Crazy."

Dianne took a sip from her coffee almost straight away, ignoring the burning sensation in her throat. "Why... why do we run together?"

Joe shrugged. "I'd get lonely if I went by myself and I knew you were at home. We both like running, and we both need to keep fit, so why not do it together?"

"Exactly. Plus, it's not like every waking moment I'm around you we need to be touching or talking or being all romantic. I think it's nice that we can do stuff like this."

"True" Joe said. "Anyway, we don't need to analyse what it means in terms of our relationship. The fact is that we have a similar enough pace, we both like being outside and, if I end up lagging behind, I get to stare at your arse."

"Joseph!" Joe couldn't help but laugh as Dianne's jaw dropped. Leaning in, she smiled as she looked into his eyes. "Is that really why you didn't try to catch up with me today?"

Joe shook his head, his hand resting on her thigh under the picnic table. "No, but it is an added bonus."