Frank had already been waiting for Evie for five minutes in the battlements of the Broken Tower, smoking a cigarette.
He just wished that this time there was no misunderstanding and she didn't leave him hanging.
Time went by slowly, and the anticipation was making his stomach twist. He didn't want her to arrive, because the last time they were both here, she got too emotional, and he didn't really know what to do.
But he had to stay.
If she was feeling bad, he would be there for her, no matter what.
The sound of a grapple shot made him turn.
There was a hook stuck in a merlon.
She was already here.
The sound of the metal cord retracting came, there was a sound that cut through the air at full speed, and then she emerged. She rose above him, and it looked like she was floating like an angel. She flipped quickly, landing gracefully in front of him.
Her stiletto boots clicked with the impact.
"Sorry I'm late," she fixed her short black hair, looking into his eyes...
Hers were beautiful!
"Evie... This outfit is... And you're smiling! And... I, I don't know... Wow! Your eyes are like mine!" Frank gulped as she placed her grapple gun inside an electric blue purse in her hand. She looked smiling, radiant, so alive. And she was wearing the same clothes as the day they both kissed for the first time.
She made Frank's heart beat faster.
"I'm here to talk to you as myself, not my character," she said, walking towards him determined and confident, "Because I've decided to give us a chance."
"What do you mean?" he asked nervously.
"I'm tired of hiding behind a mask," She reached up and put her hands on his cheeks, squeezing lightly, and pulled him close to her.
There was no further warning or words.
She just kissed him.
He felt a warm sensation spreading through his body.
His eyes were open as her lips pressed against his, but soon, he closed them, holding her close, too close against him, kissing her back so deeply, so desperately, their tongues sliding together, tasting one another, tasting the desire between them...
This felt right. This felt wonderful.
When they finally broke apart, he opened his eyes sheepishly, and found her smiling. That was something new. She never smiled, and he never expected it to happen when she kissed him like this.
They were both breathing hard, staring into each other's eyes.
"I don't want to be jealous or sad anymore, Frank," she whispered softly, stroking his cheek lovingly, "I want to love you."
And there was nothing that he wanted more than that.
"I now understand that it was all a misunderstanding. The date, the room, Everett's 'Just Date' with Jade, it was all confusing but it was all in my head and we didn't know how to communicate well." She whispered.
"Evie... God... I love you so much." Frank put his hands on her waist and kissed her stupid again. Evie put her hands around his neck, letting him explore her mouth with his tongue, letting herself go, losing control and giving it to him. "No way," He breathed after breaking the kiss, shaking his head, trying to make sense of everything. "No fucking way, Evie. No fucking way. After so many years I finally kissed your lips again!"
"I love you so much, Frank," she held him by the cheeks and kissed him again.
God! She had been dying to do this for so long! His lips were soft and full, just like she remembered. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, seeking out his, savouring the taste of him.
Frank kissed back, moving up his bionic hand to stroke her face, his thumb brushing away a strand of hair.
"You're my first love." Frank whispered against her lips, his voice hoarse from passion.
"You're mine too," she kissed him once more. A feeling she'd missed terribly rose within her, a sweet tingle, the kind that always came when she remembered their last kiss, and she smiled against his mouth.
Finally, she pulled away from his lips, placing her hands on his firm chest, looking up at him with eyes full of love and desperation to be his again.
He swallowed nervously. She was so beautiful, her black hair framing her face perfectly, her pale skin shining like porcelain.
How could anyone resist her?
"Let's have fun, okay? Let's forget about your past and just live our lives normally. Let's pretend we're normal people who date." Frank begged her, caressing her cheek, holding her close to him with his other hand on the small of her back.
"That sounds like heaven." Evie chuckled, pressing her face against his pecs, listening to his agitated heartbeat, finally in his warm embrace, "I love you, Frank. I have never stopped loving you. I need you in my life, in my arms."
"I've loved you for so long, Evie," he held her head close to his chest with a hand, "So please, tell me you will be mine, for good."
"Of course I will," she nodded against him, closing her eyes tight to stop her happiness tears, "I'll be yours, forever, as long as we both shall live."
Frank let out a shaky sigh of relief.
"Evie, I'm so... I don't know how to say it!" He laughed and she moved away from him. Frank looked at her strangely, "You okay?"
"I want to show you something," she said, bending over sexily to unzip her left boot, "Have you ever wondered why I always wear mid-thigh boots?"
"I don't know, but you didn't wear those boots in college, not every day like you do now," Frank shook his head, but then, he caught the hint.
He looked down.
"Look," she tossed away the boot.
Frank froze.
Her left leg was metal from the knee down, a prosthesis, almost as advanced as his. The foot was shaped like a Barbie doll's though.
"Oh my god," he gasped.
"Yeah, I know what you are thinking," she grinned, standing proud and with her hands on her hips.
"What happened to you?" Frank blinked rapidly, his mouth falling open, "How? Why?"
"I call it karma" Evie said simply. "When I heard that you hadn't died, I was ready to meet with you again, but fate delayed me."
"Your leg?"
"Yeah, my leg." She nodded, "I was on the run. I stopped by my fake grave and told BC-13 that I had blown all my covers and needed new ones. We drove up to a safehouse, BC-13 set me up in my new location and brought a set of new identifications for me under the name 'Evie' and gave me intel about the hospital you were taken to. That night, I dressed in my best, decided to drive out and visit you, but my car was hit with an explosive."
"A bomb?"
"Worse." Evie said, "He was a hunter dressed in a robot suit, I never saw his face because he had a helmet on. He wielded poisoned knives and was very agile. He punched me into my car after some hand-to-hand combat, kicked it off the bridge we were standing on and blew it up with a bomb. My grapple gun saved my life that day, I was left hanging under the bridge and made him believe I was dead, but my dress had an open leg. I spent days treating the cut, but the poison from his blade began to gangrene the wound. I didn't know that was possible, not being of the species that I am, so BC-13 was forced to amputate. But here I am now, in front of you without masks or lies, without fear."
"Evie, I never knew you and I were so similar," Frank approached her, looking into her mismatching eyes, "You are a monster too?"
"I am a descendant of a Lesser House of Lightning Strike. My real name is Eveline." She said, "Now I am proud to say I'm a monster, a real one. And I'm glad to be like you, free and proud of myself, of my body and my love for you."
"Evie, you're so perfect," he said, looking her up and down, "You know, I used to want a sitcom life. A wife, a lot of kids... Now I don't know, I think that's too old-fashioned for me," Frank rubbed the back of his neck and yeah, he looked so handsome when he blushed.
"Frank, I can't..." she looked down, about to succumb to her negative side, but no. She wouldn't do it. Frank always chased away the shadows. Frank was always sensitive to her and she was sure he wouldn't judge her, so that's why she decided to talk, "Frank, I will never be able to have children. We Hunters, men and women, are always sterilized."
"Are you..."
"Hysterectomy," she nodded, "My whole uterus was removed, my fallopian tubes and ovaries too. I no longer have periods and cannot get pregnant. But I can have sex without problems, I mean, you and I did it once and there was no problem, you didn't even notice it and..."
"Sex?" Frank raised an eyebrow and laughed.
"I thought you'd ask about that."
"No! I mean yes but, that's not what matters to me! I only care about being with you," he pulled her to his body and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head, "It feels so weird having you hugging me like this. Like I'm some sort of teddy bear."
"I like prince charming more," she laughed, "Everett is the teddy bear."
"Yeah!" He laughed, "That is so damn true."
They stayed silent for a while, enjoying the moment.
Everything was fine now.
And Evie felt safe for the first time in forever.
She always got used to having everything she wanted or what she was told to get. But this? This was the only thing she could never have, and now Frank was here, in her arms. With her.
After a while, she spoke up again.
"I love you, Frank."
He lifted her head with a finger on her chin, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes.
"I love you, too, Evie," he kissed her forehead, "I am glad to know the real you now."
"Can you kiss me again?" Evie asked, biting her lip, "I'm just addicted to your lips, Frank."
"Anytime."