Boyfriend

[Edgar Kane]

Edgar Kane was glowing. It was almost embarrassing, well for everyone around him it was, but to him this hight that he was on was brilliant. Kalani Mauven the beautiful and intelligent blonde was his girlfriend, he was her boyfriend, they were dating. Eddie had come up with just about a hundred different ways that he could say it, but it still hadn't lost it's meaning for him. The smile could not be wiped off his face all of that day as he went about preparing for his first date with Lani. He already loved her, but they had not yet had an official date due to their busy rehearsal schedule for the production of Swan Lake they were starring opposite each other in, so this night was very important to him. He had to make everything absolutely perfect, after all it was the young woman deserved, in fact she probably deserved more than perfect, but for now she would have to settle for what he was giving her. Although Kalani and her twin sister Riley were fighting, Edgar had called Riley on her cellphone to ask her very politely what Kalani's favourite meal was, and he had learnt from her twin that it was in fact Phat Thai and stuffed bell peppers. Edgar had investigated and found this to be a Thai meal, and had attempted to decorate his apartment accordingly. Oliver was out for the night and Elvira would be helping him out with the start of the date, so as he stepped back to admire his handywork, the nineteen year old was sure that everything was ready for his beautiful girlfriend's arrival. Holding the photo of a Thai restaurant he had found on google images against the backdrop of his apartment he smiled a little. It didn't look exactly right, but he felt he had done his best. He stood in bare feet on a small strip of red carpet he had borrowed from the ballet company's prop closet which stretched from the door to the modest table dressed in red and gold. The window seat and window sills were scattered with tea lights and across the window hung shapes cut from gold construction paper.

To be less than modest, Edgar Kane was proud of himself, bringing a Thai restaurant into a small New Zealand apartment, and he so hoped that Lani would like it, and that Riley hadn't lied to him about her food preferences out of spite. Now all there was to do was put shoes and socks on, his full tuxedo looked more than a little out of place against his bare feet. The ballerino pulled on his black socks and then gently but firmly laced his black patent leather shoes. Standing in front of Elvira's mirror he adjusted his bowtie and practised his best smile, trying not to have it look corny and nervous as usual. The finishing touches then came as he turned on the music and put the lights down low, beckoning for Elvira to come into the dining/living/kitchen room. She was dressed as a waitress in a red and gold Thai dress that Edgar had borrowed from his sister, it was a little large for his room mate, but it would have to do. 8 o'clock was drawing near, so Edgar positioned himself by the apartment door, taking a deep breath and hoping that the meal he had cooked for her himself was not going to end up burnt, or under cooked for that matter. He was hopeful that Kalani had cheered up since he had spoken to her on the phone, the twins had been fighting over the arrival of their birth father into their lives, and he wanted tonight to make her forget all about Sebastien and Riley. The doorbell rang and he ran his fingers through his hair one last time before turning the door knob and facing his gorgeous girlfriend. ​

 

[Kalani Mauven]

Kalani needed to relax which normally meant spending hours upon hours in the studio but her body had reached it's limit and it was really just a ruse to spend more time with Edgar. Thankfully Edgar seemed to understand all of this and had asked her out for their first date. So now she happily prepared herself in her bedroom's vanity mirror where she would take off the excessive make up that was put on her each night before she would either talk to Edgar on the phone or text him before the first person fell asleep, it was nearly always her. With this in her mind as she placed the flowered headband in her blonde tresses Kalani couldn't help but be grateful that her ballerino boyfriend and partner bullied her into admitting her feelings for him, feelings that she couldn't even quite grasp yet. She even happily apparated to his apartment in New Zealand instead of where ever they were going so it could be kept a surprise and this was certainly saying something because if there was one thing widely known about Kalani Ingrid Mauven it was that she loathed apparation and that it made her ill. Kalani flattened her hair after she had collected herself and found that she was going to be able to keep her stomach. She walked up a short flight of stairs, the ones that she had weakly let Edgar lead her up after their first kiss all those months ago and smiled at their progress, at her own progress and what this date might bring for them.

Only now as Kalani brought her graceful hand to the door and knocked did she find that she was nervous. Despite knowing that it was ridiculous she felt her heart beat a little harder, her hands a little shakier and her smile a little too wide until Edgar opened the door. It had not been the first time she had seen Edgar in a suit and it wouldn't be the last but each time she had to admit, he looked ever so handsome. She stepped close to him and leaned in, about to kiss him when she said softly, "Hi," before their lips met gently only to tug away one moment that had escaped them both too quickly. She hadn't noticed the backdrop that Edgar had constructed yet, instead wondering if it would ruin his plans if she just wrapped her arms around his lean torso until her arms wouldn't stay up any longer. She cared very deeply for Edgar so when she asked, "Where are we off to?" it was clear that she was just happy to be with him and that they could be at work and she would be just as happy but if she knew Edgar it would only continue this way and that her spirit would brighten continuously as more of their time was spent together. Kalani's hand straightened Edgar's bow tie as she gently smiled up at him, looking like a love sick puppy as her hand found his slowly. "You look so handsome," she said but thought that he nearly always did. Even when Edgar's brow was lined with sweat he still managed to be attractive. Perhaps it was his personality because with everyday they spent together she found herself around the most handsome of people unlike people who were attractive immediately and their personality was dull enough to make one loose interest in their looks. Kalani had been with both of these types of people and was determined that she would keep Edgar Kane if she could because she found herself trusting so freely which was something she had never done so she thought that maybe, even if she couldn't say it, she loved him.​

 

[Edgar Kane]

Edgar's eyebrows twitched slightly as Lani asked him where they were going. He had asked her to dinner, but had not informed her that he would be cooking it himself. The question threw him off and he hoped dearly that she would not be too upset about not getting to eat in a fancy restaurant, he was beginning to doubt his cooking skills just a little too late. When she straightened his white bow tie her fingertips grazed his neck causing his pulse to hitch, only worsened by the compliment she served him so gracefully as always. It seemed that his girlfriend was eager to go out with him, in public nonetheless, so he smiled nervously and rested his hands on her hips, "Well, we can ah, go out if you want?" he asked her, completely unsure of what she would think of the way the apartment had been set up. Stepping back into the apartment, Edgar pulled Kalani inside of the door with him, his hands still steady on her hips as he leant in and kissed her tenderly on the lips, hoping she wouldn't mind his sweat lined brow so close to her delicate skin. "It's supposed to look like Thailand," he began so nervously and uncertainly, he had to explain as he knew she would have noticed the decorations by now. The ballerino could almost hear Elvira's eyes rolling in the background, but right now he couldn't have cared less, he had a lady to impress, and impress her he would.

Edgar truly had gone to so much trouble to prepare the night for his girlfriend, so while he waited to hear whether she wanted them to go out, he may as well lead her to the table and show her what he had in store for her at home. The memory of the night he had lead her up there, tears streaming, seemed to come back to him stronger than ever as he pulled out a chair for Lani and waited for her to seat her petite frame on top of it. With a subtle nod to Elvira, he noted to her that they were ready to begin dining in Edgar's home-made restaurant. Picking up the bottle of red wine from the centre of the table he looked Lani's way, a look seeking her approval in the highest. "Is this okay?" he asked her, he had come prepared if not, and had gotten Oliver to pop the cork for him, so that he didn't get Kalani in the eye, a very real fear of his. He only poured a small amount of the liquid into her glass, he had seen her drunk, he would never forget the first time that she made a pass at him and he had nobly ignored his urges and tucked her safely into bed. It had all paid off now though, the beautiful young woman was his girlfriend, and he was madly and hopelessly in love with her. Taking a small sip of the drink from his own glass he reached across the table and took Kalani's hand in his, the pad of his thumb rubbing the top of it. "I love you." he said in the most sincere of ways, anyone would have been able to see in his eyes that he meant it with every bone in his body. It wasn't that he wanted to show Kalani that he could say it, because he knew that her history had not allowed her too just yet, it was that he wanted her to know it. In fact there was not a moment that went by that Edgar did not want to remind Kalani Mauven that he loved her, with all of his heart. He glanced around the room from his chair facing the young woman, and took it all in for the first proper time since he had set it all up, he now had to rely on Riley to ensure that she had given him the right advice in the meal he had cooked for his girlfriend, everything had to be perfect, no exceptions. ​

 

[Kalani Mauven]

Only now did Kalani get a glance inside Edgar's elaborately decorated apartment. "Edgar," Kalani said breathlessly and her jaw slackened ever so slightly when she saw all the hard work Edgar had put into this and wondered briefly why he thought that she was worthy of all this attention and care. She hadn't even remembered telling Edgar about her love of Thailand or even of the trip she had taken without her mother's permission all those years ago. Side-aparating with strangers so she could get to Thailand and then back to New Zealand shortly thereafter. Anyone who put so much detail into this, even if they insisted how much they cared and loved her, was someone she thought would soon leave so as she found herself sitting across from Edgar with a poured glass of wine before her Kalani's haze lost her and she leaned over the table and kissed him feverishly as if they were going to be separated because of an epiphany he might have about her character and the true worthlessness of her company. As their lips parted she knew that she might as well have been a red as a tomato because she wasn't used to being so desperate with her affections but she brushed away a strand of her blonde hair as if she didn't feel embarrassed about her actions and then picked up her glass of wine and lazily swirled the liquid with light turns of her wrist whilst she looked into Edgar's eyes as he told her that he loved her. It, along with the gentle touch of his thumb, completely unnerved her and caused goosebumps crawled onto her fair skin.

Whenever Edgar told her that he loved her Kalani always felt guilty because she couldn't say the words back but she hoped that he knew that she wanted to love him the same way he loved her. "Thank you," she said and squeezed his hand gently and looked pitifully at the glass, hating herself for what she could not say. It probably hurt Edgar each time she didn't return it even if he knew she couldn't yet. It hurt that she was not bold enough to wear her heart on her sleeve like Edgar seemed to. She raised the glass to her lips and sipped quietly, noting the name and year of the bottle so she may pick herself up some because not often did she drink and when she did it was a nice glass of wine and this was just that. Pushing this away from the forefront of her mind, Kalani looked back up in Edgar's eyes and pursed her lips before opening her mouth and saying, "I lo-" but the four letter word was caught in her throat before she had the chance to finish it and grimaced inwardly, feeling defeated, because she wanted to love him and to be able to tell him that she loved him as much as he told her. Instead of bringing it up Kalani said nothing about it and hoped that Edgar could pick up the conversation.​

 

[Edgar Kane]

Kalani seemed suitably pleased with the effort that Edgar had put into their first date, which, if he was completely honest, did make him start to feel a little smug. This feeling wasn't usual for him, but he was proud of himself, and it seemed as though his girlfriend was too. With the fevered kiss she planted on his lips, the nineteen year old became quite alarmed, he hadn't been expecting it, nor did he think he deserved such affections, but he kissed her back all the same. He was truly in a trance whenever the beautiful blonde was around him, and as she sat straight across from him he watched her, transfixed on the way she swirled the wine gently in her glass. She was always graceful, Eddie was not used to be around such a graceful young woman, both of his sisters, especially Bailey had given him a run for his money as a male, climbing trees and coming home with cuts and bruises while he walked about on tiptoe in his leggings. (just for practice of course) He hoped Lani would not be put off by the way he was watching her so intensely, but he really could not get enough of her no matter how much time they spent together, which hadn't been enough for him lately, though he did know they needed their own space every now and then. But it was only natural, they had become accustomed to spending so much time in each other's company, meeting early in the morning for rehearsals and working late into the night, not to mention how late the actual shows went. Without a doubt, Edgar would never forget landing the role of Siegfried, it had led him to meet his Odette, his beautiful girlfriend who was sitting right before him. And she was sitting right before him, probably wondering why he was staring out into space, not saying a word, so quickly he sat up in a more stiff position and motioned for Elvira to come over to the table with the first part of the meal.

When she thanked him, he blushed ever so slightly, something that his brother would have endlessly teased him for, according to Oliver he was constantly acting too gay to handle, he was just a soft touch though, he knew that. She was grateful, and that was all he needed from her, the almost forced, but cut off declaration of her love was too soon for her, he knew that and wanted to protect her. Quickly he nodded and as her vowel cut off, his cut in, "-ove, this wine! I know, it's great! The guy at the store helped me pick it out." it was a good save on his part, and he would do it any time for her. He knew that she had strong feelings for him, and he had to admit that when his affections weren't returned it hurt a little but he knew that when she was ready she would tell him and waiting would only make it feel more special. Moving swiftly on from the awkward exchanging of words, Elvira served the first course and Edgar smiled nervously once more, his finger fiddling with the napkin on his lap. "Riley told me that this was one of your favourites, I hope she was right?" he questioned, knowing the twins' current relationship was rather strained, but he knew that Riley loved her sister and wouldn't do something so immature as to tell him something incorrect simply out of spite. Leaning back in his chair Edgar relaxed a little with a sip of wine from his glass, the hardest part was over now and he didn't have to be so nervous for the rest of the night, everything was going to plan.​

 

[Kalani Mauven]

Kalani would be lying if she hadn't noticed the way Edgar looked at her so intently but it wouldn't be the first time. In fact, the first time was when she had danced before him after a few snide comments thrown towards one another. It had lead to her fleeing the scene very quickly but she couldn't say that she would not remember the first time she had soberly met Edgar Kane. Normally Kalani acted as if she hadn't noticed but the pair of eyes watching her, taking in almost everything about her, became sort of comfortable in the way that she had grown accustomed to the way their bodies fit together when they held each other. It had been much easier when they were dancing because it was what she had worked toward for years but when it came to their relationship she had to adjust to the affection and like now Edgar had been patient with her.

When the moment of severe discomfort between them was passed over Kalani couldn't help but appreciate Edgar more because even if she knew it must hurt him he was understanding enough to know that one day she would be able to say it. All Kalani hoped was by that time Edgar would still be around to repeat those words. Not able to say much more on that subject but smile nervously Kalani looked up as Elvira gave them their plates. "Thank you Elvira," she said as her mind was brought back to when she met the strange and misguided woman who would make her first 'walk of shame' with Edgar forever amusing. After a quick exchange between the trio, Elvira left them and Kalani looked up at Edgar who seemed shaky about the first dish to which she had a wicked thought. The ballerina glanced down at the stuffed pepper and said in a sad voice, "I knew Riley was mad at me but I didn't know she wanted to kill me." She paused and looked up at Edgar as she added, "I'm allergic to peppers." This, of course, was a lie. Edgar had been told correctly as she absolutely loved the dish but she didn't want Edgar to get upset so after letting the words set in for a few seconds Kalani muttered quickly, "I'm joking." She giggled lightly before adding, "She was right." Kalani hoped that Edgar wouldn't be distressed about her joke because truly he had gone above and beyond what anyone she had ever dated had and that was a large number. No one had ever known her as intimately as Edgar and wanted to stay around so she slid her hand across the table and laid it there open palmed so she could hold Edgar's hand which might seem extremely innocent compared to how they touched daily but their work was not all that their relationship was. In fact, she and Edgar might know each other's bodies better than the average person but they knew how each other's minds worked more than that and it was all that mattered to Kalani after years of pushing people away from her.​

 

[Edgar Kane]

Edgar nodded towards Elvira when she served them the first course, it was his way of saying thank you to her, for more than just the dinner, she had been such a great help with the whole set up and giving him advice. Edgar would admit very freely that he wasn't the most knowledgeable when it came to dating females, being friends with them sure, but what he had with Kalani was more than that, and that was what made him so much more nervous around her. It was funny to think that he had been so comfortable around her to begin with, fighting her in rehearsals and always trying to beat her, but now that they were dating they seemed on more of an equal plane, which was comforting in a way, though also nerve racking because their relationship had changed, and he was still settling into it, no matter how long he had dreamt of it. It was obvious that Edgar was nervous about the night, he knew Kalani could sense it. He loosened his collar a little, he was beginning to sweat, so he tried desperately to relax. But this was only escalated when a wicked look flashed in his girlfriend's eyes, and her words made Edgar almost jump out of his seat, sweat was beading on his forehead, he didn't believe Riley could have done such a cruel thing, "I-" he began, not knowing what to say, Lani truly was messing with him, letting the admittance of her fake allergy linger in the air for a moment, just long enough to make Edgar want to burst into tears. But then came the admittance that it was all just a joke, and that light and delicate giggle slipped from his girlfriend's lips, a wave of relief came over the ballerino and he caught his breath, trying to force a giggle, as if he had known all along and was playing along with her joke. As her palm reached out, Edgar's did so in turn and he took hers in his. Even though they danced together so intimately, and did much more than hold hands in doing so, this simple act seemed so tender when in this situation, because in that night they were boyfriend and girlfriend, much more than just dance partners.

Edgar began to eat his meal, he was starving after spending most of the day preparing for the dinner as he hadn't had time to eat anything more than a peanut butter sandwich. But all of this had paid off, for now Kalani was eating her favourite meal cooked by him, and so far it didn't seem that it was undercooked or tasted foul, so he had done his job well. "How is Riley?" the nineteen year old asked in between mouthfuls while they were on the subject of the young woman, he was testing the waters, as he still didn't know fully how the twins' relationship was going, but he knew it was on icy ground. With the discovery of their birth father and Riley's pregnancy a lot had been going on with the Mauvens, if Edgar had to say one thing about them it was that their family was much more exciting than his was, though he wasn't sure that was always a good thing. ​

 

[Kalani Mauven]

Kalani saw Edgar loosen his tie and she smiled understandingly. He had not been the first person who had felt the need to impress her but what she didn't quite know was how he would ever think he was in that group of people. Even when rejecting her advances Edgar Kane was a stand up person and ever so impressive so his anxiety was hardly necessary despite how endearing it was. She had a feeling it was because she had not completely given into the same emotions Edgar had but she trusted him enough to try it and that was more than anyone else had ever and would ever accomplish. When she had soberly met Edgar she would never imagine caring so deeply for him but the cut-throat remarks had ended and here they were holding one another's hand after a light joke. She looked into his eyes for a moment, watching him just as he watched her. Most of the time Edgar noticed the way she moved her graceful hands or the way she sucked in a breath after every performance as if gasping at the feeling of coming back into her inhibited shell that she abandoned when dancing but every so often she took in the way his muscles contorted or the way words slid off his tongue when he spoke. Something about the little things he did that he had probably never noticed made Kalani appreciate Edgar all the more and feel comfortable enough to divulge the parts of her psyche that she had only known about for a long time. It was like she could be her most private self in front of Edgar which was something that was not lost on the blonde ballerina. She wondered briefly if Edgar felt the same way, if he had a wall a mile high like herself but was more skilled at hiding it. It was entirely possible but she hoped that he was at least learning to trust her in the same way she was learning to trust him.

Kalani slowly pressed this out of her mind as she slid her fingers away from Edgar's. brushing the pads of her fingertips on his affectionately before she reached her side of the table and picked up her knife and her fork in the other, cutting into the stuffed pepper that she already knew was going to be much better than her mother's variation. The woman had little selection when it came to good tasting meals so there was no way Edgar would not be an improvement and it turned out this was the case when she put it into her mouth. Appreciatively she smiled at Edgar for putting so much care into everything as she tasted it completely. Just as Kalani was going to compliment Edgar's cooking he inquired about Riley. Truth be told, she didn't quite know how her older twin sister was. It was not a secret that her patience was not endless and the pregnancy was something that she could get over but inviting Sebastien into their lives was unforgivable. "Riley is..." she began pensively as she tried how to word what she wanted to so bluntly say, "Happy, I suppose." Kalani knew there was no chance that Riley was happy about her pregnancy but perhaps that she had found the person she imagined naively all of her life in the same way Kalani had as a child. "It's complicated. How is Oliver? Any better?" she asked. The last time Kalani had spoken with Edgar about Oliver he had explained the alcoholism the blond man faced and his denial of depression and while she didn't want to speak about depression so thoroughly on her first date with Edgar she was concerned in the same way he was for her little family.​