@kingdonmicrofic (thank you so much for organising this again, mods, it's been fun!) | july 31: balloon | 500/313 words | warnings: none | ao3
Frank likes to think he knows the Pitt nurses pretty well. He knows they’re very different from the doctors, much more open and much more a tight-knit group that stands up for each other, but he believes he’s built quite a good rapport with all of them.
So, to say he was surprised when Princess announced her engagement is an understatement. He’s never expected her to settle down, with all the stories of her sexual exploits and her complete lack of interest in long-term commitment. But apparently, she’s fallen madly in love with a radiologist and now can’t imagine living her life without him.
Frank is happy for her, really, but her wedding is quite something and that’s saying a lot, because he’s been to a lot of different weddings, ranging from his own elegant and Instagram-worthy wedding to Abby – although he did spill some wine on his suit, which should have been an omen in hindsight – to elopements in barns to destination weddings on the beach. However, he’s pretty sure that Princess’s wedding takes the cake, pun intended.
Everything is over the top, to the point where he wonders how she can afford it on her nursing salary, from glass swans on every table to her giant puffy dress to a giant, colourful balloon arch under which she’s said her vows.
It’s not a wedding he would ever plan for himself – if he would ever marry again, that is, which is something he’s surprisingly found himself seriously considering lately –, but he’s decided to just go with the flow and indulge in all the festivities that have been planned, even attempting to join a cringy flash mob that some of Princess’s friends have been planning until Perlah banned him from participating for ‘having possibly the stiffest hips known to man’.
However, due to the flurry of activities, it’s been hard to spend enough quality time with his date, even though that was the thing he’s been looking forward to most of all.
Therefore, he’s more than happy when he feels a soft hand wrap around his bicep when he’s talking to one of Princess’s many cousins, smiling down softly when he finds Mel looking up at him expectantly. Excusing them, he ushers her to the closest private spot he can find so they can finally spend a moment alone, kissing the top of her head when they find themselves under the balloon arch.
“Enjoying yourself?” he murmurs, even though he already knows the answer – this is Mel’s personal hell – and he laughs when Mel glares up at the balloons petulantly.
“Well, at least I know what I don’t want for our wedding,” she states, her body stiffening and her eyes widening as she realises what she’s just said. Slowly, carefully, she looks him in the eye nervously, almost scared, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
He just beams at her, though, kissing her softly and feeling her go pliant in his arms as he whispers against her lips, “Duly noted.”