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In all her five thousand years of existence, nothing has ever captured Cleo De Nile's attention as much as Frankie did just by being Frankie Stein.
Not even the 600-carat diamond in her jewelry collection, or all her interest in human traditions, could make her heart beat as fast and as hard as Frankie could. Cleo has already wondered if, if she got her heart back, her feelings for Frankie and all those sensations would get even more intense. However, she chose not to, as if that were the case, Cleo would have a heart attack and return to a dark sarcophagus within the pyramids.
“Cleo, can you get me a wrench?” Frankie lifted their welding glasses and looked at Cleo with her heterochromatic eyes, the greenest and bluest she had ever seen, the clearest and most beautiful eyes.
Looking into those glowing eyes, the mummy's stomach quivered, as if thousands of scarabs were stirring inside. Frankie looked at her as if Cleo were the only thing in the room, filling her with intense heat. Especially when Cleo knows that Frankie could’ve asked Watzie for help, or could’ve used their bionically modified body implants to reach the distant objects, and yet... They specifically asked Cleo to get the tool.
She had no idea what a wrench was, but from the bright smile she got from Frankie, which outshined even Ra's light, Cleo figured she'd got it right.
“Is this the one?” She asked, just to be sure.
"Yes, it is, thank you." Frankie thanked her, reaching out to take the grease-smeared tool from Cleo's clean, delicate hands.
The mummy touched the undead scientist's hand as they handed the tool to her, feeling several shocks run through her body at the slightest touch. However, it wasn't Frankie who set off the sparks, but Cleo, who vibrates every time she accidentally touches the blue skin.
The feeling was inevitable, the shivers, the shy and embarrassed looks, the affectionate smiles. By Ra, Cleo had never felt anything like that.
She was terribly in love with Frankie Stein, and that was a fact. In love with the multicolored eyes with that innocent glow of someone who was still discovering the world; in love with the white, black, and electric blue strands of hair; in love with the smell of metal and grease they carried from staying too long with their inventions; in love with every spark that escaped Frankie's screws whenever they got too excited or too nervous; in love with how they always had an interesting, or completely useless, fact right at the tip of their tongue. The latter was particularly Cleo's favorite trait. She could spend hours listening to Frankie explain how cows can go upstairs but can’t go down; how mosquitoes have 47 teeth, or about bees being able to detect explosives.
They've been spending more time together since the horoscare fiasco with Pearl. Frankie has been so sweet and kind to Cleo ever since, doing simple things such as having lunch together during breaks and offering to carry Cleo's purse or her heavy books. Sometimes Frankie would drop the books when their arms ended up coming off, but they were so apologetic that it was impossible for the mummy to be upset. Not that she was going to be mad anyways, but it was adorable nonetheless.
“Well, I think I'm done,” Frankie announces, showing all their teeth with the excited smile they gave. “Sorry for making you wait.”
Cleo didn't really mind waiting, she liked watching how Frankie bit their bottom lip when they were concentrating, how they frowned trying to understand what went wrong with one of the inventions, or how their cute nose wrinkled when they sneezed because of all the smoke.
"No problem." Cleo smiles gently, moving closer curiously. “But I really want to know what you've been up to these last few hours.”
“Oh, I was hoping you’d ask!” Frankie sparkled with happiness while bouncing. “That, my dear Egyptian queen, is a jewelry organizer robot! I haven't come up with a creative name yet, but anyway, let me demonstrate." The scientist approached the mummy. "Can I…?"
Cleo felt the blood rush up her neck and into her cheeks, leaving her hot and flushed. Frankie had been pretty creative about nicknames for Cleo, always calling her something kind and adorable that would make her blush without fail.
Was it a mirage, or was Cleo De Nile really blushing? Definitely, something you would never see. Unless you are Frankie Stein.
"Of course." She nodded in agreement.
Frankie walked over, gripping Cleo's wrist as gently as if she were made of porcelain. The shocks ran through Cleo's arm again, causing her to shiver as the inventor removed the gold bracelet, which had a lightning bolt pendant, from her wrist. They also took their hands to the mummy's neck, intending to remove the emerald necklace from it.
Cleo lost her breath again.
Frankie was so close Cleo could feel their hot breath and static electricity. She watched Frankie's excited face, with the soot mark around their eyes, where the welding goggles used to be a couple minutes before. There was also an oil stain on their cheek that Cleo's hand was itching to wipe away.
Cleo casually shifted her eyes to their mouth, and couldn't help but notice the height difference between them. If Cleo wanted to kiss Frankie, even in the platform heels she was wearing, she would need to stand on her toes.
When Frankie finished removing the necklace, and also her diamond earrings, they turned excitedly and walked away towards the invention, leaving Cleo completely ecstatic behind.
“Tired of spending hours and hours organizing your accessories and unraveling them?” Frankie placed Cleo's jewelry on the table, shuffling it around. If it was any other monster doing this, they would know the full fury of the De Nile curses, though since it was Frankie, Cleo made an exception. Just cause it was them. “Do not fret, this little friend here will help you! Just turn it on, and it takes care of everything for you.”
Frankie pressed the big button on top of the robot's head. Cleo watched the little huddle of rusty metal wake up and wave its hooked right arm at her. The left arm, which looked like a vacuum cleaner, began vacuuming all of Cleo's jewelry. She would normally be worried about a walking tetanus carrier, but Frankie had such a bright, confident smile on their face that Cleo could do nothing but trust.
She trusts Frankie. Even when the robot started to smoke and vibrate like it was going to fall apart at any moment.
“Three, two, one…” PLIN! The robot made a bell sound before a door opened on its belly and on a tray, Cleo's jewelry was no longer tangled. "There you go! I still need to configure the organization by size and color, but I can solve that quickly.”
“Frankie, this is amazing!” Cleo laughed, walking over to the robot and picking up her accessories again. “It will definitely be helpful for you to organize your prostheses."
“Oh, that's not for me! Well, yeah, I'm not that organized, but…” Frankie smiled sheepishly, playing with their fingers. "I did it for you." They casually moved closer to the mummy. “I know you have an extensive collection of jewels, gems, and treasures… so I thought I might build something to help you.”
“Oh, Frankie…”
"B-But if you don't need it, that's okay!" Frankie stepped forward nervously, looking away and fumbling for words. “Y-You are completely capable of organizing your things, don't get me wrong… I-I just hmm…” They groaned in frustration. “I wanted to do something nice for you.”
Cleo could’ve sworn she could hear her heart beating faster and harder in the jug in her bag, so she hoped Frankie weren't listening. The feeling of heat returned to fill her interior and her cheeks, making it impossible for Cleo to contain the silly smile that insisted on appearing on her lips.
By Ra, she was completely in love with Frankie.
“Oh, my treasure, I loved it.” Cleo couldn't help but bring her hands to Frankie's cheeks, keeping her face toward theirs, and stroking the soft skin.
"Really?" They asked, still unsure. "I still have to set up a few things, tighten a few screws, make it more aesthetically pleasing, and-"
“Yes, and I know you did a great job.” The mummy laughed, stroking their cheeks. "Thanks."
Cleo watched Frankie melt in her hands, sighing in relief as her blue cheeks reached a rosy hue, and sparks escaped through their patches.
“Oh, y-yes, well… I guess for my great work, I deserve a kiss, don't I?” They smiled and closed their eyes, waiting for Cleo to plant a kiss on their cheek, or their forehead; like she always did when Frankie did something kind to her.
However, Cleo remained for a few seconds pondering what she had just heard. Her gaze dropped to Frankie’s pink lips, automatically wetting her own, remaining completely enthralled by the other. She caressed the blue cheek and wiped away the soot stain, running a thumb over the smooth skin and finally resting it over the inviting lips.
“Cleo?” Frankie opened their eyes, clearly confused. "What is it?"
"Nothing." She sighed like it really was nothing; as if her whole body wasn't vibrating and pulling towards Frankie's like a magnet.
“And what about my “good job” kiss?” Frankie whimpered, jutting their bottom lip out in a sad pout.
Screw it!
Cleo surpassed all the barriers of her own limits at once, moving closer and placing a chaste kiss on their lips.
The mummy melted and her legs got wobbly as she got rid of the weight that was the urge to kiss Frankie on the lips. And so she did. After a few seconds of traveling to the sky and back, Cleo finally pulls away, her cheeks burning like a thousand suns. Frankie looked immobile and completely flushed, with sparks flying everywhere signaling that their brain was processing what had just happened.
Cleo, for a moment, considered apologizing for kissing Frankie suddenly and without warning. However, Cleo didn't regret it one bit. She should have kissed them a long time ago.
“Hmm, shall we get going?” Cleo cleared her throat, turning around and picking up her things. "The free time before lunch break is almost ending, and I thought you’d want to have lunch with Clawdeen and Draculaura in the library."
She hurried to the lab door, turning to Frankie and waiting for them to follow her out. However, the undead remained static in the same place where Cleo had left them, only awakening with the sound of the door opening.
"WAIT!" They exclaimed, calling for the other. "I-I think they…don't need to wait for me to have lunch with Twyla in the library." Frankie laughed nervously. “I think I'm going to stay here, you know… doing a good job. And I think it would be nice to have you here, you know, analyzing with your great critical sense.”
It was inevitable not to contain the smile growing on her lips. Cleo closed the lab door again and walked back to Frankie, dropping her bag on a nearby table.
“Yes, I think it's a good idea.” Cleo smiled, wrapping one hand around the fabric of the undead’s jacket, pulling it slightly closer to her. “I think you better keep working then.”
"Yes, definitely," Frankie says breathlessly, before leaning in and kissing Cleo.