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They hadn't seen each other since they were forced apart. It wasn't their fault, of course. They loved one another to hurt the other on purpose. No, the threat of zombies and the apocalypse forced the two lovers into loneliness.
The woman had changed far more drastically in the five and a half years, compared to her partner. Her once bright eyes were dull and serious, no hint of her former joy and laughter. She was the leader of one of the largest group of survivors still standing, always putting them before herself. Scars littered her body from fighting the zombies and protecting what's left of the world. The once naive and happy soul had grown cold to protect herself from further pain. She worked herself to exhaustion to forget the pain from losing the love of her life.
The man had changed, as well, though not quite as dastardly. He had also lost the one thing that made his life worth wild. The smirk that he always had disappeared to be replaced with a frown of pain. He spent his days surviving alone with a heavy heart, not knowing how to find the love of his life again, for neither knew if the other was alive. Occasionally, there would be wind of her though short periods of time with other groups, but not enough to go searching. These are legends of her, at most.
The woman was now standing on the bridge she last saw her love on. She looked down the path of flowing water, unsure what to do next. She did not know if he was alive, dead, or zombied. He could be lost or even in another country, at this point. Not knowing scared her. Tears fell down her cheeks, silently landing on the stone wall of the bridge. This is the most emotion she's had for years besides anger.
Hopelessness overcame her. What if she never saw him again? What if he was already asleep among the stars? What if he had forgotten about her and moved on, finding a new love in this wasteland? These thoughts, among many, many more, plagued her mind.
She thought of the past. Days had turned into weeks, weeks into months. For five and a half years of fighting zombies and leading survivors, she heard word from him. Zombies were being cured, yes, but so much now has to be rebuilt into its former glory. The woman was one of the few who did not know how to continue with life, the work of a leader being the only thing she was focused on. Yet, she does not show weakness of her uncertainty, just like a hardened leader.
Little did she know that her love was watching her from afar. He had heard of her group and their leader: the largest group of survivors in the world and had led the world to a cure. He had heard the stories and the legends of this one woman, he love, leading the world to safety and peace. He scarcely believed it at first, but as more and more people told him of the news, and less zombies in the world, he couldn't wait to find her once more.
He watched silently as soft sobs finally broke from the woman. He saw the scars that littered her body, some fairly new. Her long, beautiful hair was cut short into a pixie cut. Her smile was replaced with a frown of pain, eyes dark with sorrow. She was harden, a true leader of war.
Slowly, the man walked closer to her, heart thumping painfully in his chest at seeing her so heartbroken. He was careful not to make any sudden movements, knowing she was armed. Her reflexes were quick, something that had to be learned quickly to survive. But the man knew she would never harm him on purpose.
The woman froze when she heard her name being called. It was a voice she had longed to hear for so many years, a voice that she missed so desperately. She turned around slowly, finding the man - her lover - standing behind her. He had a small, uncertain smile on his face. She stared at him with jaw slack. She couldn't believe it. Was this really him?
She whispered his name in disbelief. The man answered with a faint nod of his head, tears streaming down his face with the joy of reunion. She gasped faintly before launching herself forward, tackling him in a tight hug. Tears now freely falling from the both of them, the whispered sweet words to each other. Both of their hearts were finally at peace.
For a long time, they didn't let go. And why would they? They had found their soulmate after years of hardships faced alone. This was true love at work, bringing two beautiful people back together.