cages or wings

my mind turns your life into folklore. ✾ joyce. 30s. she/her.

[gabriellabolton]

You're here! In the flesh. Melissa King and Frank Langdon in The Pitt (Season 1)

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 18: parade | 500/347 words | warnings: none | ao3

“Do you think this is a good picture for my Tinder profile?”

Mel looks up from her phone in slight alarm as Frank holds up his own to her face. They’re sitting on her couch, his legs spread out beneath him while hers are curled up against her chest. They’ve been hanging out in silence until he decided to drop that bomb.

“You’re creating a Tinder profile?” she asks, feeling slightly embarrassed at the wariness in her tone, but he doesn’t seem to notice it, just shrugging in response.

“It’s been a while since the divorce, and I think I’m ready to move on,” he says, and there’s something unreadable in his expression as he stares at her. “I guess this is the first step, right?”

She feels slightly disappointed, maybe even a little heartbroken at the idea, but she covers it up with a smile as she grabs the phone from him.

Looking at the picture, she purses her lips and frowns, before shaking her head. “This is blurry and half of your face is cut off. Also, there’s a stain on your shirt.”

Frank groans playfully, before reaching behind her and tugging at her braid. “Way to rain on my parade, King.”

Swatting his hand away from her, she hands him back his phone. “Sorry, it’s the truth.”

Looking down at the photo again, Frank grimaces. “No, you’re right. It’s just difficult to find a picture without my children or which isn’t my PTMC headshot.”

“Wait, I might have one,” Mel says, quickly swiping through her own phone to find the picture. Her heart aches a little as she texts it to him, because it’s her contact photo for him, a photo she cherishes a lot. Part of her feels possessive of that picture and doesn’t want to share it with other women. But it is a good one.

He’s sitting on this very couch in it, his dog next to him, a hand behind his head and a bright smile on his face as he stares at someone behind the camera – at her. His shirt is riding up slightly, revealing his happy trail. He looks gorgeous.

She watches him carefully as he stares at the photo silently, thoughtfully, and fidgeting a little, she tells him, “Trust me on this one, the ladies will all swipe right.”

He looks up at her, indecipherable expression on his face again as he moves a little closer to her. His eyes flick to her lips as he asks, “Would you swipe right?”

Feeling her face heat up immediately, she lets out an awkward laugh. “I don’t have Tinder.”

Frank hums in response, and she notices there’s a dangerous glint in his eyes as he murmurs coarsely, “You should get it. I’d swipe right on you.”

Cheeks still flushed, she rolls her eyes playfully, before averting her gaze and turning back to her own phone.

As she does, she doesn’t notice that he closes the app and deletes it off his phone.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 17: crowd | 497/317 words | warnings: none | ao3

It’s the first time in years that Mel has gone to a Ren Faire. She’s almost forgotten about how much she used to enjoy the immersion in history and the fantasy of dressing up as anyone she wants to be. It makes her sad to think about how much she’s let life get in the way of doing things she enjoys, but she’s making up for it now.

Although it hurt at first, she will admit that maybe Becca getting together with Adam was for the best. Of course, Mel still worries about her sister, but their mutual independence has done their relationship good, both of them able to grow into their own person.

As such, Mel was not surprised or offended when Becca politely declines her invitation to go with her to the Ren Faire. They’ve never been Becca’s thing – one of the reasons why Mel stopped going – and she’s already made plans with Adam and his parents anyway.

The upside of this is that Mel can invite Dr. Langdon, who turns out to be just as much of a history buff as she is, much to her delight. Finally, someone will listen to her when she rambles about her interests, and finally, she feels like she’s building an actual lasting friendship.

The downside of inviting Langdon is that he looks unfairly good in a tricorn hat and a Revolutionary War costume. She thinks he also looks great in scrubs or jeans, but this is surely something else. She’s been barely been able to look him in the eye all day, afraid that her face might explode from the heat of her blush. It’s a small price to pay, though, for a whole day in his company.

The other downside to their outing is that the Ren Faire has become very popular in the past couple of years, which means the crowd is huge and completely overwhelming. She can barely see anything in the throng of people, bodies pushing and pulling from all sides, loud voices creating a cacophony in her ears.

Langdon seems to notice, because his voice is concerned when he asks, “You okay?”

Closing her eyes for a second as an elf bumps into her, she nods. “Yeah, I just don’t do well with large crowds.”

Frank is quiet for a moment and she can feel him watching her thoughtfully, before she feels his hand slip into hers. His touch is warm and strong, and while they’re both wearing gloves, she imagines his hand must be sweaty like it always is.

He squeezes her hand as he says softly, “I’ll get you out of here.”

Looking up at him, she squeezes back and smiles at him gratefully, literally putting her trust in his hands. She lets him pull her through the busiest part of the faire, the weight of his hand soothing her.

When they finally arrive somewhere relatively quiet, he doesn’t let go of her hand.

She finds that she doesn’t mind.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 16: glitter | 499/227 words | warnings: none | ao3

“Woah, what happened to you?”

At Ellis’s outburst, Mel turns away from her locker and then quickly turns back to hide the laugh that threatens to bubble out of her at the sight of Langdon. She’s lucky she’s not on shift with him today, she thinks, because she doesn’t think she’d be able to concentrate at all.

Of course, he always makes it hard for her to concentrate with those eyes and those arms, but today’s distraction is very different in nature. Today, he’s distracting because it is impossible to take him seriously with his face, hair and hands all completely covered in glitter.

Behind her, Langdon groans in embarrassment. “I did some arts and crafts with Penny and we had a little accident.”

The last word is hissed and Mel hides her smile behind her hand as Ellis lets out an amused snort. “Yeah, I figured.”

“It doesn’t wash off at all either. I’ve showered three times and I still look like this, and since I’m trying to learn to embrace my imperfections, I’ve come to accept that this is my life now.”

From the corner of her eye, Mel can see Ellis look at Langdon warily for a second before crossing her arms over her chest. “Therapy’s done a real number on you, huh?”

Langdon hums in agreement, and Ellis laughs and shakes her head in response. “Well, at least it’ll be a fun shift.”

She laughs again at the middle finger Langdon sends her, before turning to Mel and nodding at her. “Have a good night, King!”

With that, she’s gone, leaving Mel and Langdon alone in the locker room. Mel still doesn’t face him, but she can hear him move until he’s leaning on the locker next to hers, letting out another groan.

“I feel so embarrassed,” he whines, and this time, Mel lets out the giggle she’s been holding in as she turns to him.

“Don’t be, it’s cute,” she blurts before she can think it over and she feels her cheeks heating up as he raises an eyebrow in response, a smirk forming on his lips and an amused twinkle appearing in his eyes.

“Cute?” he repeats, and averting her gaze again, Mel shrugs.

“Well, yeah, you look like this because you’re a good dad who loves his daughter and wanted to spend quality time with her. I think that’s sweet.”

When she looks back up at him again, his smirk has morphed into something more gentle, his face flushed slightly like hers. Running a glittery hand through his glittery hair, he chuckles. “I guess that’s true.”

“You do look a little ridiculous, though,” she teases him, and Langdon’s responding laughter sounds genuine, as if he’s only now truly accepting the hilarity of the situation.

“But cute?” he prods, earnestness in both his gaze and his voice, and combined with all the glitter, she can’t help but feel completely and utterly endeared by him.

So, with a soft smile, she nods. “But cute.”

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 15: silk | 500/498 words | warnings: sexual content, infidelity | ao3

When Frank came home after a long shift and saw her standing there, coy smirk on her face, her silky nightwear leaving very little to the imagination, he knew immediately that they would end up here, hands roaming, bodies writhing on the bed as she hovers over him and pants into his ear.

Although he’s exhausted, he finds that he doesn’t mind the turn of events. He craves the relief, the feel of a warm body against him, the sensation of release. He’s been pent up all week after all.

As he squeezes her hips and grinds up, his boxers the only barrier between them, he thinks back to his latest shift with Mel. She’s been on the night shift all week and he’s been missing her. The ambulance bay and break room have been too quiet without her, and he’s been yearning for her sweet smile. He’s been longing for their shared jokes and the rhythm with which they move through the emergency department together. He’s been missing orbiting around her as if she’s his sun.

He’s also been missing looking at her. The dark eyes that he’s been wanting to see heat up, the long, blonde hair that he’s been wanting to run his hands through, that mole beneath her eye that he’s been wanting to kiss. He’s been missing that raspy voice of hers, the one that he’s been wanting to hear in his ear all night long. He’s been longing to touch her, to squeeze her, to worship her.

His one-track mind is only supplying one word as his desire grows. Mel, Mel, Mel.

He groans as he feels a kiss on his neck and a soft hand slipping below the waistband of his boxers. It feels so good to drown in his desire, until suddenly, with a gasp, he feels reality wash over him.

In his Mel-induced haze, he’s forgotten one important thing. His marriage.

“Stop!”

His eyes fly open while her body freezes above him. When he looks up at her, she’s staring at him in confusion as she sits up and removes her hands from his skin.

“You okay?” she asks, and while he’s heard those words so many times before, they sound all wrong now. The shame and guilt are too overwhelming.

So, he shakes his head. “I’m sorry, it’s my back.”

They both know it’s a lie, but neither of them addresses the elephant in the room. He can see the disappointment in her eyes as she moves off of him, and he musters a strained, apologetic smile. He’s aware that it’s not enough.

It’s not until much later, both of them lying in his bed and staring up at the ceiling, her still dressed in silk, that he whispers the truth to her, the real reason why he wanted to stop.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore,” he admits, offering her a sad smile as they turn to stare into each other’s eyes. “Abby, I want a divorce.”

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 14: cake | 500/113 words | warnings: implied infidelity | ao3

Frank wants. He wants and wants and wants. He wants too many things at the same time, too many things he can’t have.

The double pre-med and history major in undergrad. The pregnancy and the residency. To save others and to save himself. The sobriety and the pain relief for his back. Regaining Robby’s trust and never having to see him again.

There are also smaller things that he wants. To save money and to get a Birkin bag. Eating Jalapeño poppers while avoiding acid reflux. Letting his stubble grow without the inevitable itch.

Once, in high school, when he was failing algebra after slacking all semester and was begging Mrs. Johnson for extra credit, his teacher had shaken her head and told him gently, “You can’t always have your cake and eat it too, Frank.”

She was right, of course. It’s been the motto of his life. But he’s never quite fully understood the full magnitude of it until now, with Mel standing in front of him, lip quivering and tears running down her face.

He wants to reach out, to wipe the tears away, to kiss her forehead and soothe her, but he refrains, keeping his hands clenched into fists at his side.

Her request is not unreasonable at all, and he hates that he’s put her in the position that she even has to ask this of him. Of course, he wants to tell her, I will do anything for you. I will bring you the moon if you asked. She’s the love of his life, his beautiful girl that was made out of sunlight just for him to bask in her glow, and he wants nothing more than to cherish her, to worship the ground she walks on. He wants to wake up next to her every day for the rest of his life, to get down on one knee and make her his forever, to build a home and a future with her.

But they both know that there are other things to consider, other factors at play. His wife who stood by him through his darkest days – that one moment of weakness notwithstanding –, his children who are his entire world and whom he could never give up on. He’s got a lot to gain, but just as much to lose.

No, it’s not unreasonable of her to ask him to choose, but it’s probably the toughest dilemma he’s ever faced. His family or his love.

She notices his hesitance, his failure to come up with words, and just nods solemnly as she wipes away a tear.

“I understand,” she simply says. “I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

And before he can say anything, she’s moved past him, into her apartment. Her front door slams behind her and his heart fractures into a million pieces in the process.

You can’t always have your cake and eat it too, Mrs. Johnson’s words echo in his mind.

They have never felt truer than now.

[benjoyment]

48 Shades of Lightning  Taken from last night’s thunderstorm. (color hues are unretouched)

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 13: smoke | 498/295 words | warnings: none | ao3

Back when no one knew about Victoria’s TikTok account, she could have never predicted her colleagues’ reaction when the secret got out. She expected them to be wary or to just ignore the account’s very existence, but instead, they have been curious, teasing her about it, asking her questions and even helping her curate the content. Unexpectedly, Dr. J’s world has expanded with co-workers stepping in front of the camera to answer questions and talk about their experiences in emergency medicine.

Another result of the reveal of her secret identity is that Victoria has to be extra cautious. She’s relieved that Robby has begrudgingly accepted her hobby – definitely partially thanks to McKay –, but she knows that one mistake, whether due to misinformation or an inadvertent violation of a patient’s privacy, will blow the whole thing up.

As such, she has made a habit out of meticulously checking every video before posting it. And that’s how she first notices that something is going on between Langdon and Mel.

They’re not the focus of the video at all, as Mohan is in the foreground, discussing the many issues with health insurance in the US, but they catch Victoria’s eyes immediately when she reviews the footage. They’re talking to Dana behind Mohan, their backs turned to the camera. At first, it seems innocuous enough, just two colleagues standing next to each other. But then, out of nowhere, Langdon’s hand slides across Mel’s back, rubbing in circles before moving lower. Victoria watches as his fingers brush against Mel’s backside casually. As he does, Mel reaches back and slaps him away, but right after, she grabs his hand and squeezes it gently, before letting go. In the meantime, they continue their conversation with Dana, who seems none the wiser.

She knows that Langdon and Mel have been attached at the hip since he came back from rehab, and she knows that their friendship has been bordering on flirtatious for a while, with their inside jokes and shared smiles, something that has only become more apparent after Langdon stopped wearing his wedding ring. But this is a whole other level. It’s intimate. Victoria feels like she’s watching something that she shouldn’t be seeing.

If Victoria or anyone else were to ask them about their relationship, neither would admit to anything beyond a close friendship. Yet, this video doesn’t lie. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and this smoke is thick.

She already knows the response would be huge if she were to post this – Langdon and Mel have both become fan favourites on the account, which is not shocking for Langdon, but definitely surprising in Mel’s case – but she also knows that Robby wouldn’t appreciate this kind of attention. It might mean the end of Dr. J and that’s not worth it.

So, with a sigh, she clicks the ‘Delete’ button. She’ll ask Mohan to redo the video tomorrow. And Langdon and Mel’s secret will come out eventually, she reckons. All in due time.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 12: gold | 465/340 words | warnings: emotional infidelity | ao3

It happens in a split second, an action borne out of intuition, performed without a second thought. When Frank walks into the trauma bay, ready to relieve Robby so he can go talk to the patient’s family, he immediately notices that Mel is frustrated.

He doesn’t think anybody else notices – she’s the senior resident in charge and she has everything completely under control –, but he does. He can see the scrunch of her nose, the angry pink on her cheeks, the slight squint of her eyes.

He also immediately notices what the cause is, and he knows the solution. So, without thinking it through, he walks over in quick, solid strides and pushes the errant strand of hair out of her face, tucking it safely behind her ear.

It’s a quick movement, and he’s grateful that nobody notices in the chaos of attempting to save the patient that’s nearly bleeding out, but to him, it happens in slow motion. Immediately, he knows that the image is going to be burned into his memory for a long time.

Her hair, soft under his fingers, below the hard metal of his wedding band. It’s happened once before, him touching her hair, on his first day back as he treated her head injury, but he was too caught up in his self-loathing and insecurities then to notice the significance of it, to notice the contrast.

Gold against gold. Light against heavy. His deepest, most secret desire against the reason why he can’t act on it.

When he retracts his hand, she looks up at him for a second and smiles gratefully. When she looks at him like that, it feels like a ray of golden sunshine is beaming down on him, and something tightens at the centre of his chest as he offers her a smile of his own in return and tries not to crumble to the floor.

The rest of the day, he can’t stop thinking about it, or finding her in his peripheral vision, the golden braid moving through the emergency department and drawing him to it like a moth to a flame.

He thinks about it while on the drive home, while eating the dinner his wife has prepared for him, while in the shower with the cold water beating down on him as he pushes his forehead against the tiles in frustration. He thinks about it while lying in bed as Abby sleeps soundlessly beside him.

There are so many reasons why he shouldn’t, why he can’t, but all he wants is to do it again, to watch the strands of honey wrap around his fingers, to watch a single stray hair slip under his ring.

All he wants is gold. And when he closes his eyes, gold is all he sees.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 11: surprise | 492/186 words | warnings: none | ao3

It’s a surprise to no one when Frank stops wearing his wedding ring. Yet, his colleagues’ reactions differ. Robby and Dana don’t hide their disapproval – both of them inexplicably invested in the success of Frank’s marriage –, while Cassie frowns in concern and makes sure to check in on him. Samira offers him a sympathetic smile and Donnie claps him on the shoulder. Princess can’t stop sneaking giddy looks him and whispering to Perlah in Tagalog, none of it very subtle. Javadi nervously tells him that everything is going to be okay, which Frank thinks is kind of sweet, while Whitaker’s face does something that is not quite a smile, not quite a grimace. And then there’s Santos, who just pointedly ignores the whole situation. He’s actually grateful for her apathy – it’s probably better for everyone involved.

There is one reaction that Frank can’t quite place, though, and frustratingly enough, it’s Mel’s. He’d like to think they’ve built an understanding and a bond over the past few months, something that’s special and just theirs. But he’s confused by her response to his bare ring finger. He expected immediate worry and compassion, but instead, she freezes when she notices, and then avoids him for hours.

They do end up in the ambulance bay eventually, and she does ask him if he’s okay – yes, more than he expected to be – and does express her concern for Tanner and Penny – they’re fine, he assures her, and this is better for them than growing up in an unhappy home.

But he can’t help but notice that something in her changes. When he touches her waist as he moves past her, she flinches. When he compliments her work, her eyebrows pull together into a tight frown. When he tries to catch her eyes from across the room, she averts her gaze. And then, slowly, over the course of what feels like forever, something changes again. She starts leaning into him when he squeezes her shoulder after a good catch, she blushes when he smiles at her, and her eyes twinkle differently when she laughs at his lame jokes. He starts to suspect he knows what’s going on, and he can’t deny that he likes the idea a lot, that his heart beats a little faster at the thought.

His suspicions aren’t confirmed until one night on her couch, empty take-out boxes sitting between them as they deal with the aftermath of their first kiss – that one is a surprise, albeit a nice one – and the subsequent confessions. She tells him that it scared her at first, the notion that her feelings could actually lead somewhere. He asks her if she’s still afraid, and is immensely relieved when she shakes her head after a moment of consideration. She’s willing to take the leap, she tells him, even if she doesn’t know where she will land.

His words a whispered promise against her lips, he vows to catch her.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 10: feast | 500/301 words | warnings: explicit sexual content | ao3

If you’d told Mel one year ago that she would end up in the backseat of Frank Langdon’s car with his head between her thighs, she would have laughed at you. Yet, here she is, with him eating her out as if his life depends on it.

Their friendship has been a slow and steady build since he came back to the Pitt, and their foray into something more than that has been even slower. But it has all come to a head today, on their shared day off. Abby had asked Frank to take the kids for the day because of a last-minute appointment with a client and because of the ongoing heatwave, he had invited Mel along to the pool.

Mel hadn’t thought much of the white one-piece bathing suit she had picked out, but when she had taken off her sundress at the pool, Frank’s breath had hitched and the rest of the day, he’d stared at her with dark, stormy eyes, and looked at her as if she was a feast.

He treats her like a feast now too. The minute he’d turned off the engine in front her apartment, with Tanner and Penny already back at Abby’s, he’d practically jumped her. And of course, she’d let him.

“Oh god, Frank,” she sighs now, grinding her hips against his mouth when he inserts two fingers inside her. “Oh my god, yes.”

Mel has never been a big fan of cunnilingus, but there’s no denying it – Frank is good at this. She tells him so, while grabbing at his hair, and his responding groan vibrates against her cunt.

“Fuck,” he murmurs. “You like that, baby?”

“Yeah,” she whimpers, before letting out a loud moan when he curls his fingers inside her, pleasure shooting up her spine as she feels herself getting closer to the edge. “I like it a lot. And I like you. I like you – oh – so much.”

For a second, he stops his ministrations, fingers still inside her as he removes his head from between her legs to look at her, his mouth wet and hanging open stupidly. She whines at the loss of his tongue, and tries to push him back where he belongs, but he shakes his head, before smiling tenderly. “I like you so much too.”

Then, he dives back in, keeping eye contact as he continues sucking on her clit and it’s so much, it’s too much, and before she knows it, she’s throwing her head back, his name on her lips as her orgasm rushes through her. He keeps his tongue on her through it, but the minute she stops shaking, he removes himself and crawls on top her, squeezing her tightly against him.

“That was incredible,” he states happily, and Mel giggles and nods as she presses a kiss to his chin dimple.

“Do you want to come inside and do it again?” she asks, and she grins at his responding lustful gaze and enthusiastic nod.

“Yes, please.”

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 9: gift | 475/446 words | warnings: mentions of loss of a parent | ao3

After spending a couple of years in the emergency department, there are a lot of scary things that Mel has gotten used to. The bright lights, the angry patients, and the proximity to death have all been things that Mel has learned to cope with.

There is one thing that she thinks she’ll never be good at, though, and that is bringing bad news to children. It will never get better, seeing the fear and shock and sadness in their eyes, ending their innocence with one scathing, life-changing sentence. It never stops taking her breath away and making a lump form in her throat.

Today is no different. The minute the door closes behind her, the tears burn behind her eyes and her hands tremble, her heart pounding against her ribcage. Little Benji is just ten and has just lost his mother. Mel was a little older herself when she lost hers, but she knows what it feels like, that ferocious, excruciating pain. She wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

“You were really great in there,” a voice breaks her from her thoughts, and Mel lets out a breath she didn’t realise she’s been holding as she looks up to find Dr. Langdon smiling down at her warmly.

“You think so?” she asks him, voice smaller and wobblier than she’d like it to be. Apparently, her response to Langdon’s compliment doesn’t sit well with him, because he crosses his arms over his chest, his smile turning into a frown.

“Yeah, I do,” he says, voice firm in that way it only is when he’s teaching or throwing out commands during a trauma. “You were perfect, actually. You were sympathetic and careful, but you didn’t sugarcoat it either. It was just right.”

His words, kind yet resolute, make something unfurl in her chest, and she averts her eyes from his. Then, she lets out a resigned sigh. “I hate being a bearer of bad news for children. I’m always afraid I’ll cry.”

“But you didn’t,” Langdon assures her, before shrugging. “Either way, if I were in Benji’s shoes, I’d prefer to have someone with your kindness than someone who bumbles through it or someone with zero fucking sympathy. And Lord knows I’ve seen a lot of those people.”

Mel can’t help but smile a little at that, knowing exactly what kind of doctors he means. Whitaker and Ogilvie come to mind, but she’ll never say that out loud. At the quirk of her lips, Langdon’s face softens too, and the warm grin blooms on his face again.

“I mean it. You’ve got a gift,” he says, leaning into her and placing his hands on her shoulders, her heart skipping a beat as he stares at her with those piercing blue eyes. “Take the compliment, Mel.”

A blush rising on her cheeks, she nods. “Thank you, Dr. Langdon.”

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 8: midnight | 300/323 words | warnings: emotional (and implied physical) infidelity | ao3

Frank

why is sandwich meat round when bread is square?

Mel

What? Frank, it’s past midnight. Why are you still up?

Frank

can’t sleep

too much adrenaline from that mvc at the end of the shift lol

and now i’m hungry

why are you awake?

Mel

I can’t sleep either, but you know I don’t need much sleep.

Frank

do you? you always look like youre about to fall over at the end of the day

Mel

Well, you don’t look your best at the end of shift either.

Frank

rude

Mel

Sorry. You know what I mean.

Frank

yeah i know, i was just joking mel :)

i really do want a sandwich though

Mel

Then go get one.

Frank

don’t wanna wake up abby and the kids lol

Mel

Then try to go to sleep. I know you can do it. And you of all people need your beauty sleep.

Frank

are you insulting my looks dr king

Mel

Maybe.

Frank

again, rude

but i’d much rather talk to you than stare at the ceiling

mel?

u still there?

did you fall asleep

Mel

No, still wide awake.

Frank

i know it’s selfish but i’m glad

and u don’t need sleep to look beautiful

Mel

Frank.

Frank

im just saying

that ponytail looked really pretty on you today

definitely saw a few patients staring

Mel

You’re just saying things now.

Frank

no im not

i know you don’t realise it but you’re so beautiful

like breathtakingly

Mel

Frank, you can’t just say things like that to me.

Frank

yes i can

it’s the truth and i need you to know that

Mel

Well, thank you, I suppose.

Frank

ur welcome

Mel

The stubble looked good on you too, by the way.

Frank

mel

sweetheart

can i call you?

[artfoli]

Details in Blue

Infanta Isabel de Bourbon, 1866, by Vicente Palmaroli y Gonzalez.

Madame Charles Simon Favart, 1757, by François-Hubert Drouais.

Marie-Thérèse de Savoie, 1775, by Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty.

Princesse de Broglie, 1853, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.

Admiring the Gift, by Pio Ricci.

Portrait de Philomena Lynch, 1900’s, by Paul Jobert.

Marie-Antoinette with the Rose, 1783, by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.

Anne Streatfeild, 1756, by Arthur Devis.

María Isabel Álvarez y Montes, 1868, by Federico Madrazo.

Portrait of Amalia de Llano, 1853, by Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 7: karaoke | 500/420 words | warnings: none | ao3

Mel knows Frank to be a guy who can’t sit still. On the best of days, he’s jittery and jumpy, constantly on the move, as if his brain won’t let him rest.

His current jitters are different, though. They’re both charting, but Mel can easily tell that something’s off from the way he keeps glancing at her as if he’s about to say something but can’t quite find the words, and the way that he can’t keep his leg still below the desk. He’s nervous, she reckons. But why?

“Have you been to that new Italian place yet?” he suddenly stammers, a little loudly. Mel watches him for a second, noticing his slightly pink cheeks and the apprehensive look in his eyes. There’s something between the lines here, that much is obvious, but she can’t figure out what it is.

Therefore, she just smiles at him brightly, hopefully comfortingly. “No, but I heard the linguini is really good!”

Frank scratches the back of his neck and lets out a laugh. “You’re off on Saturday, right? We could go. The kids are with Abby, so I could pick you up after my shift?”

Right after he asks, he quickly averts his eyes, his blush growing a little brighter, and Mel is really confused now. This is what he was nervous about? They get dinner together all the time. Of course she’s in.

She’s about to tell him this, before realisation dawns on her. She purses her lips and sighs, shaking her head. “I’ve already made plans to go to karaoke with Santos.”

Mel still isn’t sure about how much Santos actually likes her, but she does really look forward to their now monthly scream therapy sessions.

Frank’s face falls at her answer. “Oh. Okay. Right. I, uh, I need to see a patient. See you later.”

And before Mel knows it, he’s gone, off to check on a patient who she swears is definitely McKay’s, and leaving her utterly bewildered.

“Why do you look so confused, Melanoma?”

Mel blinks as Santos slips into Frank’s vacated chair and raises an eyebrow at her. Mel isn’t sure whether Santos is genuinely concerned or just weirded out by Mel’s sheer existence, and Mel knows that she’s possibly the worst person to confide in about Frank’s strange behaviour, but at least someone asks, so before she’s really thought it through, she’s told Santos the whole story.

By the end, Santos is grinning like a cat who caught the canary. “You turned down a date with Evil Troy Bolton for me? Mel, I’m honoured.”

Mel’s eyes widen. “He was asking me on a date?”

Now Santos is definitely weirded out. She stares at Mel blankly for a second, before nodding slowly. “Duh.”

Then she turns to the computer screen, while Mel turns back to stare at the closed door that Frank’s just slipped through.

A date with Frank. She lets that one sit for a second.

Suddenly, she’s not looking forward to karaoke at all anymore.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 6: laughter | 400/325 words | warnings: sexual content, mention of past rehab | ao3

From the minute Mel met Frank, she knew that he was a fun guy. She might not always understand his jokes, or his sarcasm, or his banter with Garcia, but she does know that he’s got a sense of joyfulness that makes her want to let loose a little too, that makes her feel at ease. Even after he’d just returned from rehab – she’d learned later on that he’d been afraid he’d lost that part of himself after getting sober, which is absolutely not the case in her humble opinion –, he’d been funny and sweet and he’d managed to soothe her spiralling thoughts with his light-hearted, comforting energy.

So, it should be no surprise to her that sex with Frank is also very fun. Beyond a few orgasms here and there from her own fingers or a vibrator, she has never really experienced sex before Frank, and in the romance novels that she’s read, sex has always seemed like an all-consuming, overwhelming, powerful experience. And if she’s honest with herself, she’s always dreaded sex a little because of that. She knows she feels a lot of emotions and she feels them intensely, and she’s always been afraid that it would be too much.

The reality is that being with Frank is not too much at all. In fact, it’s just enough. Yes, his dirty words whispered in her ear and the feel of his rough hands on her and the sensation of coming with him inside her are intense, but there’s not just passion. Sex with him makes her feel light, like she’s floating. It feels like relief, like her mind is at peace at last.

It’s because he knows her, she reckons. It’s because he understands when it might become too overwhelming, and every time she thinks she might burst with sensations or emotions, he is mindful of it. He stops whatever he’s doing and lets her take a breath, or he offers her words of encouragement, or he gives her a squeeze that tells her that he’s right there to guide her through it all.

Sex with Frank is laughter. Sex with Frank is silly jokes, tickles on the underside of her knee where he knows she’s sensitive. It’s complete bliss.

Having sex with Frank is the most fun she’s ever experienced. She hopes she gets to have fun with him for the rest of her life.

[gabriellabolton]

@kingdonmicrofic | july 5: speech | 497/316 words | warnings: none | ao3

Frank has wanted to tell Mel he loves her for a long time. Probably longer than he should have, really. However, he hasn’t, because the moment has to be perfect. Mel deserves to get the romance that he knows she’s been deprived of all her life, the dinner by candlelight, the rose petals, the walk on the beach and the kiss under the stars. She deserves a romantic speech and a promise of his eternal devotion.

Hence, despite the speech already having been written in his mind – and okay, fine, also in his Google Docs, don’t tell Yoyo or, god forbid, Abby –, he will not use it until the moment is right.

As such, he doesn’t expect to tell her on a random Thursday afternoon at work when he’s been pulling a double, when he’s completely exhausted, struggling through a crossword puzzle in the break room.

Just as he’s about to give up and throw the crossword book across the room, Mel walks in. She takes one look at him and smiles in understanding before sliding into the chair next to his. He hopes she doesn’t catch his shiver as she leans close to him to take a look. Eyebrows furrowed, her gaze runs over the half-finished puzzle, before her lips curve up slightly as she taps the page.

“The word you’re looking for is serendipity,” she states, her smile proud and satisfied as she neatly folds her hands on the table. Frank looks back at the puzzle, and of course that’s the word. He should have known this. He really is so tired. And she really is so smart and pretty and wonderful.

His exhaustion means his filter is gone, apparently, because before he can think it over, he murmurs, “I’m so in love with you.”

The moment the words are out of his mouth, his breath hitches and he watches as Mel’s eyes widen in shock.

“What?”

Shit. This is not how this was supposed to go. Panicked, he stands up and runs a hand down his face. “Fuck, that’s not– I didn’t– Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

He needs to be out of this room instantly, but before he can make a run for it, a soft hand grabs his and stops him.

When he looks back at her, Mel still looks astonished, but there’s also something different in her expression. Something curious and, if his tired mind isn’t playing tricks on him, something hopeful.

“Did you mean it?” she asks, voice barely above a whisper, and she looks so earnest and beautiful and he cannot lie to her.

So, with a sigh, he nods. “Yes.”

“I love you too,” she says, and before he knows it, she’s pulled him down and pressed her lips to his and his world has exploded.

Grinning into the kiss, he realises that there was no reason to wait for the right moment or write a speech at all. This was the perfect moment all along.