One last crack of thunder roared from above. The sun peeked through the clouds above, casting rays of light down onto the dirt and grass below, slowly but surely coloring the lands in light.
WALL-E leaned out from within the open tailgate of his vehicular home. A drop of water plopped down onto the top of one of his eyes.
His head jerked up, "Woah"
He turned back just as EVE hovers to his side and laughs at his reaction.
WALL-E sighs in hearing her angelic voice, his eyes sagging and eyelids half-lidded as he stares at her in awe.
EVE hovers back inside and returns with an umbrella pointed up towards the sky. She opens it and hands it over to WALL-E.
WALL-E's metal eyebrows raise up, and a finger along with them, "Evah!"
He shoots forward out into the side of their home, he beckons her to follow with a wave of his fingers.
He leads her onto the rooftop above and peers out, his head swiveling from one end to the other.
The lands of the outskirts of the city that had once laid barren with the boring bland brown WALL-E had come to loath, were now vibrant with the much darker almost black patches of moist dirt and fields of unending green plants.
Each day they passed over the same fields and each time they were reminded of that fateful day of their meeting.
EVE shook her head out of the stupor that always overcame her when looking at them.
WALL-E waved a hand in front of her face, his body bouncing in excitement as he pointed out into the city.
EVE's head tilts in intrigue.
Every once in awhile WALL-E would lead her out into a little adventure deep into the labyrinthine roads and train tracks of the city, showing her a new trinket or location each time.
She didn't mind, of course. She'd do anything if it meant getting to spend time alone with him.
WALL-E swoops her hand into his own and leads her back down.
They could fly there, but then she wouldn't be able to hold his hand as he excitedly guided her through their journey, his hand gently pulling at hers, fingers wrapped around each other. Occasionally, WALL-E would wiggle one of his fingers against her own in an attempt to caress her. EVE would always take notice no matter how minuscule the movement, and in response she would caress his hand in return.
She looked up at WALL-E as he called her name and glanced back over his shoulder. They were once again flying through the open roads of the city. Usually, he'd lead her to a different place every time but she recognized this location immediately. Off in the distance and to the left, she spotted big white letters that read 'BNL Supermarket'
EVE turned her eyes back to the back of his head.
Why was he taking her here of all places?
She shook her head. Even after so many years of being together, WALL-E would always find some way to surprise her. And still she didn't understand him completely. Sometimes their lack of a true voice frustrated her. But that was fine, it only served to bring them closer, physically and mentally.
WALL-E stopped at the top of an escalator leading down into the recesses of the market. The shopping carts that had once pinned him against the rear entrance were still bunched up into a ball of silver metal.
WALL-E hums a low-pitch, his eyes staring at the mass of carts.
EVE hums in response and scoops up WALL-E into her arms. They fly down and out of the sliding doors. She puts him back down onto the ground.
The chimney of a factory further down south looms overhead, blocking parts of the sun where they stood.
WALL-E points out toward it, "Evah!" He grabs her hand once again and continues to lead her down.
EVE looks around. She recalls flying through this area when she first landed. It was a few hours after they'd first met.
And when she'd almost blasted him to pieces. Her eyes scrunched up in regret.
WALL-E pulled at her hand, "Evah"
His head sagged and softened, the inner lens of his eyes whirred as he zoomed in on her face. His treads slowed to a crawl as they reached the tail-end of the factory. In between a giant dome-structure swallowed nearly whole by the earth, and a set of cylindrical structures, sat the small statue WALL-E had made of EVE on the second day of their meeting.
WALL-E let go of her hand and rushed forward, he extended both arms out, displaying his masterpiece to her.
"Ta-da," He said.
EVE laughed. She moved in closer to inspect it, hovering around and above it. It was small and hastily made from the trash around him. Her eyes curved upward at the sight of the blue Christmas ornaments he'd used to represent her eyes.
WALL-E tapped his fingers together.
She looked back to him, hovering closer and closer to him until their heads met. A short burst of electricity shot out from her head as she gave him a kiss.
WALL-E sighed, his entire body melting to the ground.
EVE laughed.
She enjoyed seeing his reactions. Truly. But sometimes, such as now, it would remind her too much of what had happened back on the Axiom. When he'd nearly been crushed to death in the center of that ship.
She brought her hand into his own, their fingers intertwining once more. EVE clenched tight, afraid he'd let go. She brought her head down onto his own. WALL-E nuzzled against her, his eyes shut tight as he recalls his recovery after his near-death encounter, when they'd first truly held hands.
They both pulled back a moment later, albeit reluctantly.
WALL-E's neck joint whirred back to life as he looked out into the clouds overhead, the sun shining through them with twinkles of light.
His head whipped back around to her. His eyelids shooting fully open.
"Evah," He said, pulling her once more.
They winded through the twisting paths of the city, EVE once again curious of where he was leading her.
Eventually they came upon a pipe in the underbelly of the city. Water flowed out from it, leading into a small lake further out. A tire sat at the top of a stairway leading down into the water. Rusty pipes snaked through the area overhead, a few stairways covered those that crossed the body of water.
WALL-E pushed the tire until it rolled down the stairs and landed with a splash onto the water below. He grabbed a shovel from the ground and sped forward straight onto it.
"Evah!" He said, gesturing for her to follow.
Eve's head tilted in confusion.
Why would he want to go out into water? It could damage him if he were to fall in. She shook her head, her eyes curving down in worry.
"Evaaah," WALL-E his head sagging.
Eve sighed. As much as she worried about him, she couldn't stand seeing him so sorrowful.
He survived thousands of years on his own, he must know how to safely navigate around water.
She floated down to be beside him.
His eyes lit up, "Evah," He cooed.
He paddled down the stream, eventually letting the water carry them further down the corridor.
WALL-E pulled her closer until their heads clinked together. He nuzzled her again, eventually turning his whole body to face her. EVE did the same. With their eyes half-lidded, hands held tight, they waded down the stream. The sound of the flowing water accompanied them down the way.
EVE gave WALL-E a brief electric kiss.
WALL-E shivered and let out a small warble in response, sinking deeper into her floating head. He brought his other arm up and wrapped it around her side as best he could.
EVE hummed a familiar tune, WALL-E hummed it back. Their voices meshing into one.
He let his arm fall down her side until he took her other hand into his own. Their heads still pressing together.
WALL-E sighed.
If only he could've spent those thousands of years picking up trash in EVE's embrace instead. In fact, he might just do that.
A droplet of water plopped down onto the top of his eye. He pulled back and looked up.
The sun had disappeared behind a wall of gray clouds. More rain drops fell to the water around them, sending out waves in the still lake.
EVE scooped up WALL-E into her arms before he could look back down. She flew at full speed back to their home.
WALL-E sighed as he tumbled back to the ground, and watched as the rain began to pour outside, drumming against the roof overhead.
Suddenly from behind him, he heard a familiar tune.
"Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and out~"
EVE stood next to the projected screen of the IPod and waved him over.
He yelped in surprise and sped forward.
The rest of their date could wait till tomorrow.