The Terrace on Winlick Ave.

It was dark when Jack called Reeya. The Waynon was at work with Belkazar, but the shop was closed and the beefy grey alien had long since gone home. Reeya had stayed behind to total up the profits of the day, and then Jack had called her.

"The rooftop terrace that's across the street from the noodle stand. Meet me there after your off work," the alien had said.

Reeya had gazed at the recorded message on her comm, it had been off while she worked. Jack's rough and scarred face looked back at her, and she traced her short-nailed fingers over his holographic face.

When all the money was accounted for, Reeya locked it in it's box that was kept in the small office that was behind the stand. Locking the door Reeya took her coat from the stands only storage area, then slipped onto the sidewalk. She gazed across the street at the terrace in question, a small quaint place that was on top of an apartment building.

Reeya drifted across the street then, the night fairly quiet. Only one car rumbled past, one that still drove on wheels and grumbled exhaust from the two pipes on its backside. There were streetlights a plenty to help Reeya see, and she gazed at the building in longing. Jack was just on top of its roof, waiting for her.

The Waynon let her high, worn-in black leather boots carry her onto the sidewalk across the street. She came up a short flight of four, then five steps, to reach the front door of an apartment building. Reeya remembered that building, and the terrace she was bound for. She'd gone on her first date with Jack there, before he was a raider who dodged the law.

When he still worked with Maver-Tech, the first time he'd stopped by Rimbla's, Jack had taken an immediate liking to Reeya. The Waynon, who hadn't been in a committed relationship for the past four years, told Jack this fairly up front.

Jack only held up his hands then and said,

"Hey, I'm just an average-wage making guy. I work at a tech company," he gestured to his shirt with his grey hands, "but it doesn't allow me a lot of time to see girls, ya know?"

Reeya smiled at Jack then, and set a bowl of noodles and some kind of alien meat down in front of him. Jack took the set of chopsticks he'd been given, and wasted no time in tucking in.

"Mmmm," the Titan swallowed a chunk of meat before saying, "I'm Jack by the way. I always see you here, sometimes when I stop by after work. Glad to have finally met you."

Reeya turned as shade of red then, but leaned against the counter, laying her forearms over one another.

"I'm Reeya," the Waynon said.

Jack smiled at her then, a bead of broth clinging to the end of his nose. Reeya giggled, but pointed it out to Jack.

The Titan used his tongue to free the bead of warm broth, and Reeya smiled at him.

"Do you have a last name, Jack?" she asked.

"Brenner," Jack nodded, "and Jack's short for Jackhayel, so everyone calls me Jack..."

..."You came."

That was Jack's voice. Reeya turned, suddenly on the terrace at the roof of the apartment. She had drifted through the stairway of the building, completely absorbed in her daydream of meeting Jack.

She saw him, the Titan sitting on a couch that was in a small fire pit that helped make up the terrace. There was an overhead covering for the door that lead outside from the apartment, and just beyond that were two couches and a fire pit that sat in a shallow area in the terrace. There was a pathway that wrapped all the way around the couch pit, and hanging potted plants decorated the glass railing around the terrace.

"Of course I did," Reeya said quietly.

"How was work?" Jack asked as he stood up.

Reeya only shook her head, letting her feet carry her from the terrace entrance to where Jack was sitting. Reeya came down the one step into the couch pit, and dropped her bag next to the unlit fire pit. She came to sit next to Jack, and gazed at him.

"We came her on our first date," Reeya said with a smile.

Jack smiled back, turning to face the Waynon.

"Yeah. I thought it'd be fitting. I don't know if i'd call this a date, but if you want it to be, then it can be."

Reeya only smiled at Jack, reaching out a hand to lay it on top of his. His left hand was cold, but the metal was smooth. Reeya looked at Jack, her deep brown eyes gazing it has own.

Jack looked back at Reeya, the muted grey colors of her face seeming almost dull in the dark light. Her fur was brown, Jack had seen her in color before. Her nose was black, and almost always cold. She was beautiful, her dark brown hair falling down her back and hanging over the front of one shoulder.

"So what's up?" Reeya asked.

"I have something for you," Jack didn't waste any time replying.

He paused then, but reached into one of pouches on his belt. He withdrew a small velvet box, and held it out to Reeya. The Waynon reached out to trace the smooth fabric, and took it from Jack's hand.

"What is this?" Reeya asked.

Jack only smiled at her then, and stood up with a quiet grumble.

"Open it," he said softly.

Reeya looked up at Jack, his black vest helping to camouflage him in the night. His grey pants a a hole in one knee, and his boots, as Reeya looked him over, had a little mud on them.

Looking back at the box Reeya opened the lid. Inside the box, nestled into a little nook that was made out of another smooth fabric, was a ring. A ring made of red metal, to be exact. There were words etched onto it, and Reeya removed the ring from the box, dropping the container.

"Jack..." Reeya whispered the Titan's name.

"I love you," was Jack's reply.

Reeya swallowed, looking up at Jack. His words drifted into her ears like the softest music she'd ever heard. Jack didn't break eye contact with the Waynon as he drooped to one knee, taking Reeya's left hand.

"I've loved you since the first time I saw you," Jack said, "you charm, your charisma. Your personality. Everything about you drives me up the wall in the best was possible, and I..." he paused, gazing at Reeya.

Reeya looked back at Jack, holding the red ring in both of her small hands.

"I want to know," Jack's eyes looked lost as he spoke, "if you would marry me."

Reeya gasped then, her mouth coming open to stare at Jack. She gripped the ring in her hand, and reached out her other hand to trace Jack's scarred cheek.

Jack stood up then, leaning over as he moved his face closer to Reeya.

The Waynon stayed where she was, and without thinking closed the distance of her mouth and Jack's, kissing him. She'd never kissed the Titan before. She had thought about it, wondering how soft his lips were. What they would feel like.

They were warm, and as the pair kissed again, Jack took the ring from Reeya's hand. Without breaking their first embrace, the Titan slipped the ring onto Reeya's fourth finger, and put both of his hands on her face.

Reeya started to stand up, her hands moving from Jack's face to wrap around his neck. His lips got hotter, and Reeya moaned at the touch of his cold metal left hand.

It had happened so fast, but Reeya felt the cool metal of the ring around her finger, and the warm press of Jack's lips against hers. They stayed like that a second more, and then Jack stopped, pulling away just so slightly.

Reeya left her mouth open, as if she was expecting it to happen all over again. Jack stayed where he was though, his thumbs starting to caress Reeya's smooth face.

"I love you," Reeya said with a swallow.

Jack let himself almost giggle then. The night air was cold, but Reeya felt all the heat in her face at that moment, as Jack gazed at her like she was the only woman left in the galaxy.

"I have to go somewhere," Jack said then.

Reeya only gazed at him, and she nodded. She understood, without knowing anything at all. Jack was an outlaw. A raider. A criminal. Scum even, some would surely say.

"I know," Reeya nodded, "but your coming back, right?"

Jack only leaned forward then, pressing a more aggressive kiss against Reeya's soft and warm lips.

Reeya pressed her body against Jack's, feeling his body heat and the rough touch of his hands on her face.

As soon as the kiss had started it stopped as Jack leaned his face back, resting his forehead against hers.

"I will always come back," Jack whispered, "always."