It Takes Two

Words: Dylan Muhlenberg | Photographs: Nick Gordon

"The bedroom is a strange place. There is no place within the house where we spend more time doing less, and doing it mostly quietly and unconsciously..." – Bill Bryson in At Home: a Short History Of Private Life

Bill, you’re doing it wrong! Our bedroom is a special place, a hallowed space, where only the most cherished guests are invited. Throw in a +1 and the bedroom becomes so much more than just a place to store clothing and catch Zs; it’s a warm and cosy cocoon to hide away from the outside world. Also, it's the perfect place to Netflix + chill.

Because these personal spaces are so personal, we couldn’t reach out to just anyone. Which is why we’re lucky to be able to call all the people we’ve photographed here our friends, friends of friends, and colleagues – all of them highly recommended as the couples too lovely to hate, even when they're inspiring pangs of envy. They're a diverse bunch, proof that love comes in all shapes and sizes, and we’re just sorry that we couldn’t convince our friend Annie to be photographed with the married couple she’s dating.

Sure, it can be awkward posing in the one room where you should be able to feel the most relaxed, but when you have someone who you love to hang on to, well, it’s that much easier.

Ike and Michelle

How did you guys meet? 

We met at &Union. I was actually there with someone else...

What’s your story so far? 

So far we still love each other. We’ve been together for two years this Valentine’s Day and we have a beautiful five-month-old boy who lights up our lives.

How do you complement one another? 

Ike complements me by always making me laugh even though I could punch him. Haha!

What was your best date? 

Our first date was pretty amazing. We saw Anchorman 2, which was a good icebreaker, and then we went for the best burgers in Cape Town at Sidewalk Cafe and we ended the night off with Ike playing a record of the most beautiful piano music and we had our first kiss. The rest is history.

When was the last time you had a fight? 

We fight every day, but about good things. Most of the time it's more like debating.

What’s been your most memorable experience so far? 

Definitely our baby boy’s birth. Nothing can compare.

What’s your song? 

The very cheesy ‘All of Me’ by John Legend.

What’s your favourite way to spend time together? 

I love going on a surf mission with Ike, but these days it’s not so simple anymore with our baby.

How would you describe the other in three words? 

Kind, crazy, kid.

What habit of theirs annoys you the most? 

I cannot stand it when Ike chews in my ears or when he slurps his coffee... Cringe! Ugh, I lose my marbles.

Emma and Zia

How did you guys meet? 

Through our mutual love of couple-themed questionnaires.

What’s your story so far? 

Some twee/thug-love shit somewhere between The Notebook and that Baby Boy film with Tyrese.

How do you complement one another? 

We’re the first to like each other’s pics on the 'gram.

What was your best date? 

Our three-year anniversary hip-hop-themed photoshoot.

When was the last time you had a fight? 

When Emma talked smack about Sherlock.

What’s been your most memorable experience so far? 

This questionnaire.

What’s your song? 

Slayer – 'Angel of Death'.

What’s your favourite way to spend time together? 

Kicking it on the couch thinking of ways to describe each other in three words.

How would you describe the other in three words? 

Lit like Bic.

What habit of theirs annoys you the most? 

Emma falls asleep whenever we watch anything ever. Zia doesn’t have any annoying habits, nor did he edit this answer at all.

Georgi and Lasse

How did you guys meet?

L: I moved down to Cape Town from Norway to finish my last year in film school and needed a good producer. I asked around and heard Georgi was the bomb. The rest is history. 

What’s your story so far? 

There was an instant connection from the moment we met, causing a bit of heartbreak in previous relationships, as we decided (knowing that Lasse was leaving back to Norway in 6 months) to waste no time and be together. After a year of long-distance and back-and-forth travelling, we pulled through and decided no more – we wanted to be together. So now we’re together in Cape Town until later this year, when we plan to move to Norway to start a new chapter of our lives.

How do you complement one another? 

We both have seriously good hair (haha), but no, really, we’re best friends and there isn’t really anything that we don’t complement each other with.

What was your best date? 

A week-long date where we we sailed through the fjords of Norway together.

When was the last time you had a fight? 

Right now, trying to answer these questions (damn you, Superbalist!).

What’s been your most memorable experience so far? 

Definitely those ecstatic airport hellos and heart-breaking goodbyes.

What’s your song? 

‘Baby’s Arms’ by Kurt Vile.

What’s your favourite way to spend time together? 

Any outdoor activities really, but big on beachin’.

How would you describe the other in three words?

G: Kind, Romantic, Beautiful.

L: Joyful, Adventurous, Gorgeous.

What habit of theirs annoys you the most?

G: HE CHEWS LIKE A MONSTER!

L: HER ROAD RAGE!

Montle and Natalie

How did you guys meet?

M: We met many years ago but never spoke, what with me dating Margaret Thatcher and Natalie teaching graffiti artists to spell. Then May last year on a shitty, empty night at Evol I saw this fine-ass piece of brisket dancing by herself. I didn't know if she was homeless or not... but I was into it.

N: I was there with the Barry Ronge of Cape Town, entertaining who I thought was Ru Paul at the time. Montle caught my eye, this glowing enigma, I touched his chin and then we danced. It was time to leave and in Montle's words, "I don't trust these Ru Paul-looking savages, I'm coming with." After a night of crusades he paid for my parking, closing with, "I'm going to stalk you to find your number because that is the romantic thing to do." 

What’s your story so far?

M: Blood, sweat, tears, shit, piss, saliva - BODILY FUNCTIONS BOI!!!!!!!

How do you complement one another?

N: "Your eczema isn't too bad today bbz." 

M: "Can I borrow R50 pls?"

What was your best date?

M: Rocking the Daisies because we realised that in an ocean of cretins, we were the peg-legged, trogolodyte Kings of the underworld. It brought us closer together...

N: …and taught us humility because we had to ask a guy in a wheelchair to help jumpstart our car after rinsing the battery from listening to too much Chief Keef. They were the nicest people there, even before we needed their help. 

M: Honourable mention, everytime we drop 5K at the Havaiana stores on slops. 

When was the last time you had a fight?

N: Yesterday.

M: I told her that her uterus is shaped like an obtuse triangle.

 What’s been your most memorable experience so far?

Dining and dashing from sushi specials. 

Fighting Namibian Capitalist sympathisers.

1-hour conversations about white guys with dreads, homemade jeans and dubstep.

Listening to Migos together.

Getting offensive tattoos.

Eating ceviche.

Making the best music video of all time.

Making lists.

What’s your song? Migos ‘Pop That’ and Frank Sinatra, ‘When I was 17’.

What’s your favourite way to spend time together?

M: Drinking. Fighting. F***ing. 

N: You know, comfort shit.

How would you describe the other in three words?

N: Rich in melanin.

M: Money. Money. Money.

What habit of theirs annoys you the most? 

M: How she never wants to watch the movie but keeps asking what's going to happen next like I'm f***ing Wikipedia or something. Babe, I'm just trying to watch Downton Abbey and get lit. 

N: He steals my socks, leaves crumbs everywhere and uses a different cigarette every time he needs mix. 

David and Kwadwo

How did you guys meet? 

D: Do you want the real story? We met in a grocery store. We were each with our respective housemates. I asked my friend to entertain his housemate while I talked to him.

What’s your story so far? 

K: We’re going on three and a half years now. It seems kind of like it was destiny – one guy coming from Germany and the other from the Eastern Cape, to meet in a store in Observatory.

What was your best date? 

D: Maybe our first Valentine’s Day together. For both of us it was the first time being with someone on Valentine’s Day and the relationship was still pretty new. He picked me up at my place and we went to Maynardville to see a Shakespeare play. He’d packed a whole picnic! I was surprised because we’d been talking a lot about “Oh, Valentine’s Day is overrated!”

K: I was going to say that one – and I wondered if you’d pick it too!

D: See how considerate I am? I even chose one that you organised!

When was the last time you had a fight?

D: It’s weird – we used to fight a lot more in the beginning. We argue less now.

K: There were cultural differences that we didn’t even know were cultural differences! I’m from South Africa, so if a braai starts at eight thirty, you arrive at, you know, ten. For him that’s so rude – in Germany, being late is like insulting someone’s mother! And, then, for me he was sometimes too direct.

What’s been your most memorable experience so far?

D: Probably all of the travelling we’ve done together.

K: For me, travelling to Germany and meeting David’s grandparents. I was really nervous. They’re from this small, conservative village in Germany… But they just introduced themselves like, “Hallo, I’m Ouma!” “I’m Oupa!”

D: They fell in love with him. I think they love him more than I do.

What’s your song?

It’s called ‘Voice in my Throat’ by Pearl and the Beard.

What’s your favourite way to spend time together?

D: We love to cook. We plan to make something simple… Then this escalates to the most absurd meals.

K: It gets pretty cheesy. Both literally and in that it’s like something out of Martha Stewart.

How would you describe the other in three words?

K: Intelligent, creative. Stubborn.

D: You took mine!

K: Come on. I’m not creative.

D: Okay. Determined, headstrong… And, what’s the English word for when you always make sure that everyone around you is okay and happy?

What habit of theirs annoys you the most?

K: That he hates music.

D: That he always needs to have music playing.