Thought More Than Candles

It was past 7:30. The sun was finally setting. Cars were finally slowing down on the roads. Porch lights were coming on one by one. Children were parking themselves in front of television screens.

And Edd was in a panic. How could he have forgotten? The most important part of a candle-lit dinner… Was candles! But in his haste to study every famous candle-lit dinner scene in cinematic history, from Valentine's Day to Lady and the Tramp, daydreaming and doodling about how the supper would go, and spending hours online to find the perfect recipe for roasted spiced lamb and the best red wine he could afford, the lighting had completely slipped his mind.

Now, he pulled into the front drive, looking at his house in despair, the walls lit with the yellow light of the headlamps. He had been out for the past half-hour, searching fruitlessly for candles, and none of the stores he had the time to visit had tall candles. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he muttered under his breath, banging his head softly on the steering wheel, then leaning on it with a sigh. What a failure, he thought dejectedly. What a pathetic excuse of a boyfriend. Can't even make a dinner without messing up, can you?

He had been looking forward to this for almost two weeks. Two weeks of hard work and nervous breakdowns and excited late-night conversations. Tom and Matt were so much better at this sort of thing, at… At wooing women.

But she had seemed so excited that night. All eight of them had decided to have a movie night together. It was some cheesy chick flick, Edd didn't remember what. But there has been one scene where the main characters had gone to a fancy restaurant and had shared a candle lit meal.

And Tamara, who so rarely gushed over anything, did just that. The four girls had left giggling and tittering over that single scene in the movie, absolutely taken. And Edd had noticed.

Perhaps he should have settled for something less extravagant; after all, it was just a one month anniversary. Not a big deal, right? Well, maybe to any normal girl it was, but Tamara wasn't a normal girl. She didn't care about those sorts of things. Right? Right?

He groaned again. She was so… Mysterious. He knew she was like Tom, that they had similar ways and looks and interests, but she was also so different from him, Edd had no clue what to expect from her. Just… Gahh… It was so difficult.

So, a sinking feeling in his stomach, he turned the key, locked the car, and entered into the house.

There was the enticing, aromatic smell of cooking lamb. He had left it roasting in the oven, just as the instructions told him. Tom, Matt, and Tord weren't there to keep an eye on it, so Edd had needed to leave at precisely the right time, and return in time to take it out. He scrambled around, setting the plates, taking the roast out of the oven, finding his nice shirt. And still, he searched everywhere for candles. He searched the cupboards, the boxes, Matt's room, even under Tom's bed.

But for all his work, all he had to show for it were now-dusty trousers, some old birthday candles, and a few very obviously electric tea lights. However, desperate times cashed for desperate measures, and he was certainly that.

The clock chimed eight. And before it even finished, Edd was positioned in front of the magic mirror, waiting.

She took his breath away when she stepped out, however cheesy and cliche it sounded, standing before him in a black and white dress; not fancy or overstated by any means, but beautiful in its simplicity. Her empty eyes reflected bemused amusement as Ell and Matilda led her out of the mirror towards him, and said goodbye.

"Hey, Edd," she said slowly, obviously puzzled. Edd smiled weakly.

"Hey… Tamara."

Her brows suddenly knit together. "Edd, are you alright?"

"Huh?"

"You look ill."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," he said, waving his hands in front of her, eyes wide. Jeeze, why did he have to panic now?

Tamara raised an eyebrow, then took a deep breath. "What is that?"

"Dinner," he stated, an underlying nervousness not hidden by his matter-of-fact tone.

"Dinner. Like… A dinner date?"

"Yeessssss…?" Tamara snorted with laughter at his hesitant answer, and rubbed her arm. They stood in an awkward silence for a moment, neither of them making eye contact. "So… I, er, I suppose you'll be wanting to…" His voice trailed off as he gestured vaguely behind him.

"Yes, let's." The two made their way into the kitchen when Edd saw her slow down in the entrance before the dining room. Heart sinking slightly, he watched as she took in the scene; the nice plates, the tall glasses, the shiny silverware, the near-perfect lamb roast and bottle of wine, and… The dozens of tiny birthday candles and tea lights.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. Tamara turned to him, surprised.

"Sorry for what?"

"I just… I wanted this to be perfect and then I go and screw it up and forget the… The candles, and I just… I just…" He sighed and looked away, shame reddening his face.

And then she laughed. He turned and stared, mouth open. She laughed and laughed, eyes brimming with mirth as she leaned forward. She was far too close just to be... To be…

Oh…

"It's perfect," she said against his lips, kissing him once and hugging him fiercely. It was a simple, perfect, pure bliss that made his stomach drop like he were on a roller coaster, and left him frozen in surprise as she broke away and reached for his hands. He grinned too after a moment, chuckling in relief and confusion before gripping her hands tightly.

She truly was the right girl for him. It didn't matter if he couldn't be like a movie. With her, it's the thought that counts. He was just enough on his own. And she loved him for it.

A/N Hurhur. That was kinda cute. Also a write your OTP prompt that I REALLY drew out. Eh, oh well. It'd be easier to draw than write :T

This was a request from whitefluffywolf. Thanks broham :P lolz

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