S2/02. Bad Blood

2.8 Frank Cage

Spring 1998, Linda's house, Windenburg

Frank tried to wiggle the rocking chair's leg. Perfect, it didn't move nor squeak. It just needed a little bit of glue, a quick fix.

Just recently he'd finished with the last folder of Dr. West's research, and while he waited for Linda to return from work, he passed the time doing her a favor. Funny, that she was so sentimental over her late grandmother's old junk. Usually she was so rational, almost as if she had no feelings at all – except for her plants and science.

But she was more emotional than she gave away, especially when it was about her family. Frank got to know her pretty well lately, and even better since he spent more time with her while studying her father's theories on anti-matter. Here, in her house, Linda insisted, because she'd promised Dr. West that she'd never let someone else have his work. She'd even offered Frank a guest room which he politely declined as he didn't want to cause her extra trouble.

Studying them here turned out to be better than taking the files home anyway. There was always a party somewhere in Bedrock Strait and people came over to his place fairly often. It was more efficient to come here early in the mornings before Linda left for the lab as he could work all day in peace.

And it's been so worth it!

Thanks to Dr. West's discoveries, Frank could easily develop a new drive system for a spaceship based on anti-matter. Once the math was done, the engineering would be a joke. The power outcome should be gigantic – and it could be used for much more than just fuel! Too bad he had to promise Linda not to use the research to develop military equipment. With the dangers that awaited him and the team on Sixam, they could really use a gear upgrade. Just in case, he took notes of every tiny detail, no matter how unimportant it seemed at first glance. He didn't want to rely on a safer and faster ship alone when it was to protect the crew's lives. In a pinch he might put together something on the spot.

Whatever, he'd be forever grateful to Linda and Dr. West – and not to forget, Delilah.

If Frank's sister-in-law hadn't come over a while ago and yelled at him how he'd dare to hurt Linda with his "hypocritical, archaic principles" – of course she'd gotten it all wrong – he'd never guessed that Linda took his disappointment about her having had an affair so seriously that she believed their friendship to be over.

He himself hadn't thought much about it, it'd bugged him a day or two and then he'd almost forgotten about it, the more under the pressure to improve the spaceship before the departure.

By the time he'd be free to talk to her again, she might not want to talk at all.

Delilah might've saved his relationship with Linda, and definitely the next expedition to Sixam. It'd just be great if she'd stopped there and not keep pestering him to finally ask Linda out. Generally he didn't hate the idea, only Delilah trying to push him there.

It wasn't that he'd never thought about it himself, but he couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to or not. Linda was smart, pretty and fun to talk to. And he'd always been fascinated by her, sometimes she was almost like a strange, alien life form from another universe.

He did like her.

But she was also kind of distant, formal, and always closed up about herself, even though they'd known each other for quite a while now. And what he'd seen of her relationship with her former boyfriend he definitely didn't want for himself.

Though it couldn't be all that was about her, could it?

Either way, he had no idea what Linda wanted. They'd spent a lot more time together recently, but he still couldn't tell if she'd like to go out with him or not, so he just never pushed on it.

Just when he finished with the chair, keys turned in the door. 

"Good evening!"

Linda was a little later than usual.

"Hi. Your chair's fixed," he greeted her.

"Really? That's wonderful, thank you!"

She beamed so brightly; Frank almost asked if she hadn't more squeaky furniture to glue. Instead, he pointed at the box she carried.

"What's that?" 

"Oh – today is your birthday, isn't it? A birthday needs a cake," she said matter-of-factly. "I'm not very good at baking, I hope you don't mind one from the store."

Between all the work, Frank'd literally forgotten his own birthday. Today the guys would've certainly surprised him with the obligatory party when he'd be back home.

Though, Linda definitely topped that with her cake. Sometimes she surprised him with how attentive she was, despite often appearing as if she lived on another planet.

"I don't," he smiled and kept holding the door open for the pizza delivery that'd just arrived.

Every day he got dinner in return for Linda leaving the house and unlimited coffee supply to him. With pizza and beer, they watched reruns of Star Toads, their favorite childhood show, before he'd go back home.

Frank, who'd watched it many times with Leroy and Diana when they were kids, knew almost all episodes by heart. He often ended up watching Linda instead. 

She knew it too, but she'd missed a lot and had forgotten more. It was fun to see her watch some episodes for the first time. She laughed at all the silly puns and dumb slapstick jokes while she picked off the tiniest chunks of char from her pizza slice, and she wiped her hands meticulously every time she finished one.

Day after day, she'd loosen up a little and dropped some of her stifling formality that made her so unapproachable. Maybe she just needed more time to warm up to people than others.

Well, a lot more.

She wasn't shy laughing, though, and the longer the episode went on, the more she laughed.

Here she was maybe her most genuine self. She laughed so heartily she almost dropped her cake plate when she fell on the backrest. It was so contagious, Frank had to laugh too.

Until a soft bump against his left shoulder startled him, which became a light weight resting on it.

Linda had caught herself again, but she was still so immersed watching with her eyes glued to the screen, that she didn't notice her new position.

She looked so comfortable.

Maybe it wouldn't be bad if she'd get used to this. Frank at least didn't mind.

He smiled and gently wrapped his arm around her.

Immediately, she shot up.

"Oh! – I didn't mean to –"

Frank chuckled, just pulled her closer, and continued to watch the TV.

Linda shifted a bit in her place but eventually relaxed again. Slowly, carefully, she leaned her head back, but not before she took a deep breath; he could hear her inhale sharply. As if she was afraid to do something wrong.

His smile grew wider.

She was so shy, it was kind of funny.

She'd calm down eventually, they weren't school kids anymore.

Or not.

Eventually she started moving around again, and he could feel her eyes resting on him.

On her face was a huge question mark. 

What was there to explain?

He answered her silent question by letting his hand wander up her neck, and stroke through her hair. Soft, silky, and thick. Her bun was almost dissolved.

He leaned forward, and she closed her eyes.

Just before their lips touched, he froze.

What the hell was he thinking?

This was Linda, for god's sake, not just a random hook up!

He had to be careful with her, the last thing he wanted was to hurt her – way to go, going along with the heat of a moment!

If there was one thing he was sure about, it was that he wasn't exactly the relationship type of guy – on the contrary.
The last time he called someone "girlfriend", was in college; almost ten years ago, and it ended anything but well. 

Rosa's jealousy was a pain in the ass, though Frank wouldn't have won a trophy for best boyfriend either. 

He had so many other, more important things on his mind. His classes, paid by the military, his part-time job, and of course his family; Leroy and Diana always came first. And Diana in particular had a rough time after he left San Myshuno, which Rosa couldn't understand. 

The relationship had been a disaster.

Both were better off without each other; and strangely relieved when it finally ended.

But now times were different. 

Both of Frank's siblings did so great.

Leroy had his own little family and a safe job at a catering company, and Diana too, stood on her own feet – instead of letting some asshole "boyfriend" keep and abuse her in one way or another.

His siblings didn't need him anymore.

It was kind of bittersweet, but Frank wouldn't have it another way.

Now he had all the time in the world for a relationship.

He just – didn't have one.

Not for lack of chances, and maybe the women he saw weren't even bad choices. But somehow he'd always avoided knowing them well enough to find out.

Guess he just wasn't made for it, even though he was a family man through and through.

Not only his siblings but also his niece Lana was his world; he'd been there since she was born and he couldn't imagine loving his own kids more than her.

Maybe he should try and find out?

Maybe it was time to give real, serious dating a chance again, instead of finding excuses for why he shouldn't ask Linda out. He certainly liked her well enough – but because of that, he also had to be one hundred –  no, one thousand percent sure that it could work between them.

He needed more time to think.

"I have to go to the lab."

Wait – what did he just say?

He never lied!

"At this hour?" Linda was surprised, and rightfully so as he'd just killed the mood.

"Yeah, I need to start building the prototype before I'll leave... I don't have much time left."

Okay, it wasn't exactly a lie, but it was such a lame excuse –

"I see."

She held her composure well.

It tasted bitter.

Couldn't he just be honest?

If she was the right one, he shouldn't be afraid to tell her the truth: that he just wanted to take it a little slower. No big deal, right?

"Let's have dinner together again soon," he said.

It was a genuine invitation, but under these circumstances it felt more like the half-assed attempt to soothe a very awkward rejection.

Of course she felt it too.

"I would like that," she he mustered up a small smile, very politely, as she always was.

Closed up.

"Good night, Linda."

"Good night, Frank."