Shy Apologies, Shy Showers, Shy Kisses

The last thing Alex was expecting when walking into the photoshoot was Edmund kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate himself while touching his head to the floor. Glaring down at him with angry faces were Nami and Rumi, the former with her arms crossed and the latter having his hands on his hips. Was this dogeza?!

"Um... is everything okay?" Alex asked, immediately concerned.

"Of course not!" Rumi shouted, then pointed to the guilty man on the floor. "He admitted to outing you to the enemy! It's completely disrespectful!"

"Absolutely," Nami said, nodding her head in agreement. "You never out someone without their permission, especially an ex. They can use that against you!"

Realizing they were doing this for her sake, Alex quickly ran over to try and break it up. "No, no! It's okay! I appreciate that you're defending me, but we talked about it already and he apologized. It was a simple mistake."

Both punishers turned their heads away with a huff, only half-satisfied with that.

Meanwhile, Edmund rose his head up and said, "No, they're right. I should have respected your privacy. I'm sorry if what I did hurt or offended you."

Alex smiled a little and knelt down to extend a hand to him. "You're forgiven. Now get up, sir. We've got a shoot to do!"

Everyone else was smiling as well, and after their boss was on his feet again, it was back to work.

Other than that minor incident, the rest of the week progressed smoothly. Val was still missing in action, yet the texts she was sending made it clear she hadn't been kidnapped or anything. The white blob might have been a mannequin after all since it looked like it was covered in some kind of fabric and lace in the newest photo. Was she helping someone in the fashion industry? Hopefully not a rival of hers.

I'd love to have your feedback when it's done, was the last message Val sent before going radio silent. Not much else Alex could do but wait and see the results.

Finally, it was time for Alex to get ready for her overnight stay at Edmund's apartment. She triple-checked to make sure she had everything she'd need, from a change of clothes to her preferred toiletries, and managed to stuff them all into her small suitcase. It was the kind that was perfect for carrying into airports, though she hadn't had a chance to do that yet. If what Edmund said was true, it might come in handy soon enough. Just the thought of traveling on a plane with Edmund, sharing a drink while looking out at the city lights below, was so romantic.

When she reached the apartment, Oliver was the one to greet her at the door this time, staring up at her with those innocent eyes of his.

"Hello, Miss Alex," he said, clearly mimicking his father.

Deciding to play along, Alex happily replied, "Hello, Oliver. Is your dad home?"

"Yeah. He's cooking right now."

As soon as Alex stepped inside, her nose picked up on the familiar scent of pasta, olive oil, and seafood. "Is that... shrimp scampi?"

"It is," Edmund said while popping his head out of the kitchen. "I know you're fond of dishes like it."

"I like shrimp too," Oliver quipped.

Alex clutched her suitcase handle tighter, having to hold back from getting emotional over something so mundane yet thoughtful. "Wow, that sounds great! I can't wait!"

While Edmund was finishing up, Alex helped keep Oliver entertained by talking about his monsters some more. Since a new version was coming out, Oliver had already begged his mom to get it for Christmas, which was still months away. Alex wondered if she should get it too so they could play together. She had played plenty of video games herself when growing up, though it was often whatever she could get her hands on from secondhand donation stores. She was a grown adult who could spend her money on whatever she wanted. Why not take advantage of that by reliving the joys of her youth? It was something to consider, and she shelved it away to think about later as Edmund called them over for dinner.

The evening was a fun, small event with the three of them sitting at the dinner table as they enjoyed their food. Oliver shoveled down his food messily as expected from a hungry kid, while Alex made sure to lovingly savor each bite. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was deliciously buttery, and the shrimp was nicely plump. The side salad was good too, made with fresh tomatoes, black olives, and cucumber slices all covered in a light vinaigrette.

"Why were you taking me out to eat when you're such a good cook at home?" Alex asked.

Edmund shrugged his shoulders and answered, "It's easier. I also needed to access your taste preferences first by providing you a variety of options."

"Well I sure hope you learned enough, because I'm going to expect this more often."

"I have. And if that's what you want, then sure. I don't mind."

They cleaned their plates in silence, appreciating the peaceful atmosphere. It was different from the noisy chaos Alex would endure at her childhood dinner table, but it wasn't unwelcome. Sometimes just being in each other's presence could be enough, as Alex was being to learn.

Dinner was followed by dessert, which was strawberry ice cream scooped straight from an ordinary container. Nothing special, but no one was going to complain. After making a mess of himself, Oliver left the table to wash up, leaving the two adults to converse about sleeping arrangements.

"You can borrow the bed," Edmund said. "I'll sleep on the couch."

As enticing as it was to be wrapped in sheets covered in Edmund's scent, Alex wasn't going to let him get away with that so easily. "No need! I'm good with the couch."

"No, I insist. It's the least I can do after everything that's happened. Besides, my room has the shower, so you'll be able to dress and change in private."

Ah, he had a point there. The bathroom Oliver kept using didn't have a shower. It was convenient for guests, but that was it. It was easy to assume then Oliver borrowed Edmund's bathroom when he needed a bath.

"Alright, fine. At least for tonight," Alex said, trying to sound stubborn when deep down she was beyond excited.

The rest of the night was filled with joy and merriment as the three played some more board games, most of which ended with Alex coming dead last. When it was time to wind down, they all sat on the couch to watch a short movie, splitting a bowl of popcorn between them. Even after the movie ended, Oliver wanted to continue playing despite how droopy his eyelids were. Alex was confident he was about to pass out at any second. Fortunately, his father was able to coax him to bed, gently taking one hand while Oliver rubbed his eye with the other. Alex chose to sit and wait patiently for them to get settled.

Edmund emerged from Oliver's room a moment later, cautiously closing the door behind him before he said, "He really tired himself out. This is a first in some time."

"Probably from being so excited," Alex said more quietly than usual, being mindful of her voice volume. "Maybe we can do something interesting next week. Like go to the aquarium. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"I do like that idea," Edmund said as he sat back down beside her. "I'll discuss it with his mother. I believe he likes you enough that she may be willing to trust you."

Alex rolled her eyes at the thought. "God, I would hope so."

"She's not normally so difficult, so I'm optimistic that she will turn around eventually."

"You do seem to know quite a lot about her. How did you two meet anyway?"

Edmund leaned back with a sigh and folded his hands together. "It was in a college. We happened to have the same associates and would run into each other often. My colleagues told me that she was interested in me, so I should ask her out. Thus, I did, and we began dating when we weren't busy with schoolwork. I figured over time the proper emotions would develop, and to an extent they did. At least to the point where I wasn't against the idea of marrying her. My parents were going to find other suitors for me if I didn't marry soon after graduating, and that's when she came up with the idea."

"Wow, that's..." Alex shifted her gaze, unsure how to word her response. "I-I mean... it sounds like you were forced into it really."

"Not really forced so much as rushed. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, we could have held off with an engagement until we were more comfortable."

"She what?!" Alex's jaw was left agape from shock. "Wait, was this before or after her idea?"

Edmund paused to ponder over the question. "I don't know. It all happened around the same time. It's possible she came up with the idea because she was pregnant, or it could have been the other way around. She never told me."

"That's insane," Alex groaned as she deflated into the couch. "That means you two had to balance starting off your careers and raising a baby at the same time. No wonder it ended in a disaster. That's too much for anyone."

"In hindsight, you're correct. Candace insisted she could handle both the role of a young mother and a career woman, yet I imagine that led to more stress than she was letting on."

"And let me guess. You didn't do much to help?"

Edmund let out a strained noise, proving he was guilty as charged. "I did what I could when it was convenient for me and not her. I learned my lesson when someone explained it to me, yet by then it was far too late."

"Rumi?"

"No, but close. Someone on the interest board. I don't know their actual name, but they have a lot of experience dealing with people."

"Huh. Well it's something you'll have to keep in mind for the future. Not that I'm planning on having any babies any time soon." Alex giggled thinking about how silly it would be, then stretched back up from the couch. "Alright. It's getting late. I'm going to head to bed."

"Alright," Edmund said. "Good night."

Alex looked at him with a playful pout and teased, "No good night kiss?"

He blinked. "Do you want one?"

Alex blushed intensely, not actually expecting her teasing to get her this far. "I-If you want..."

As soon as she said that, she felt a soft pair of lips brush against her cheek. It didn't take long for her to realize Edmund had leaned in to give her a kiss as promised. This made her blush even redder, and she stood up to start to head into Edmund's room.

"Thanks, good night!" was all she could spit out in her flustered state, leaving a confused Edmund behind.

Once the door was closed behind her, she rushed into the bathroom to cool down her heated face, washing off her makeup while she was at it. She was too tired to shower, so she decided to put it off until the morning. Edmund was kind enough to give her the luxury of choice. Thus, she dressed down just enough to sleep comfortably and hopped into the bed, letting the masculine, earthly scents coming from the sheets lull her to sleep.

---

Edmund was not a sociable man. He did not know how or why people did what they did, but he was trying his best to understand regardless. There were many obstacles however, and it did worry him on occasion. For example, he wanted his new relationship to go well, yet he didn't know if he was doing it right. Was he rushing again? There didn't seem to be exact rules to dating, and those that claimed there were tended to try and get to the intimate parts as soon as possible.

Alex was different, that was certain. A different person with a different perspective that he very much needed. On top of that, it seemed that she understood his feelings on complicated matters, and never once judged him negatively for it. In fact, it seemed that she sympathized with him and was willing to provide her honest input. That type of person was valuable. She also checked off most of what he presumed he liked in a woman, so there was that.

When he awoke from the couch the next morning, Oliver was already up and watching his usual favorite cartoons. After greeting his son, Edmund reset the couch back to its original state and decided to check in on Alex. However, when he entered his bedroom, Alex wasn't there. That was strange. He then noticed there was no light coming from the bathroom. Yet if Alex wasn't in the bedroom, shouldn't she be in there? If that's true, the door should be locked. He might as well check.

The door was not locked. He was able to open it was ease, and what he saw on the other side caught him completely by surprise. There stood a pale, lithe figure with straight, shoulder-length blond hair. It wasn't a dark honey color like his ex-wife or a heavy vanilla shade like Rumi, but instead a platinum shine that was nearly white in its brittle and misshapen state. The figure turned to look at Edmund with familiar blue eyes that were dull and plain without any eyeliner, their petal pink lips slightly parted open.

In the midst of this sudden discovery, all he could say was, "Who are you?"

"IT'S ME, YOU IDIOT!"

The voice confirmed his suspicions, but he received a smack in the face in exchange. A fair punishment for being so rude as to walk in on someone.

"Jeez! You could have knocked!" Alex scolded while covering herself in a white towel. "I thought you said I could change in here!"

"You're right. I'm sorry," Edmund said while rubbing his cheek, realizing now that his behavior had been inappropriate. "I was confused because the lights were off."

"It's a bad habit of mine. I'm trying to cut back, but I guess I did it without thinking."

Edmund tilted his head quizzically. "Why would you do that?"

Alex gazed down at her covered body with a saddened expression. "Well... you know. Look at me. I'm not exactly presentable like this."

"I didn't know you even wore a wig," Edmund said, missing the point completely. "Did something happen to your hair?"

"Oh, that?" Alex glanced over to the head prop on the counter sink, where her usual haircut was sitting and waiting. "I've always had hair problems, and there's no way I can get the look I like with it. So having a wig saves me time and effort."

"It's a very good wig."

"Right? My college roommate's a hair stylist so he hooked me up."

Edmund reached out a hand to tenderly push the loose strands of Alex's hair behind her ear, exposing more of her naked face. "That's fine. It's your right to wear what you feel is best for you. On the other hand, I think I can get used to this face if I see it more often."

Having no idea what that could possibly mean, Alex could only blush as she replied, "Maybe you will. If you're lucky. Anyway..." She then raised herself up on her toes to give him a brief kiss on his wounded cheek, grinning as she pulled back afterwards. "...I owe you a good morning kiss."

Edmund placed his hand on his cheek once more, this time from the happiness radiating from it. "Good morning to you as well."

And that was the beginning of their first morning together.