go tell your boyfriend (that i'm your girlfriend).
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â pairing: fem!reader x mel king x frank langdon
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â summary: mel king is engaged to the ptmcâs most eligible bachelorâ frank langdon. sheâs comfortable in her relationship and overall very happy. but what happens when a spunky new intern walks into her life and flips it upside down?
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â warnings: cheating (but itâs wlw cheating so itâs chill), slight power imbalance (mel and reader are the same age but mel is an r3 and reader is an intern because of several gap years), detailed use of medical terminology, discussion of medical practice, compulsory heterosexuality, slight corruption kink, mentions of alcohol, mentions of past disordered eating, eventual smut (like lots of it), infidelity kink (reader enjoys sneaking behind franks back), canon inaccuracies, mentions of guilt about same-sex attraction, slight slut-shaming, not proofread
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â disclaimer: tiny little baby chapter to tide us over while i work on chapter 5 which is a huge one tbh⌠should be coming out soon but donât quote me!!
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
Chapter 4: Am I The Asshole
Mel wasnât sure what to expect when she walked into work the following Monday.
The kiss she shared with you played in her headover and over again for the rest of the weekend. She didnât even go home for the rest of the weekendâ too afraid that Frank might still be there. When she left Danaâs she immediately got on the train to take her to the part of town where her parents old house was. She used the spare key in the mulch to get in, and she stayed locked awayâ putting her phone on DND. Theyâd left it to her and Becca in their will, and sheâd used it a couple of times when she needed to be truly alone.
Well, now was one of those times.
Everything was exactly as it had been left when her parents died. Her room, the kitchen, the den where their big box television collected dust. All of her old clothes were still in her drawers, so she wore her old Pitt sweatshirt and a pair of flannel shorts to sleep and lounge in.
Mel came into work early on Monday so no one saw her looking, well, slightly disheveled. Since she hadnât been back to her apartment all weekend, she had nothing to wear except a pair of cargo pants sheâd long outgrown and an oversized t-shirt from her dad. She also had no hair tiesâ you had taken the one in her hair when you took out her braidâ and her hair was unwashed and unbraided.
When she got to the hospital, she immediately went to her locker. She had been keeping a pair of scrubs and some other essentialsâ hair ties, sneakers, toothbrushâ just in case she ever needed them. Sheâd never imagined that she would need them under the circumstances she was in.
She got dressed, braided her hair, and brushed her teeth quickly in the bathroom. When she was done, it was already almost time for shift change. She sighed as she thought of facing Frank for the first time since you guys had kissed. What was an even scarier thought was the thought of having to see you.
That kiss.
It was haunting her.
She tried to remember what was going on in her head in that moment. Tried to remember what had possessed her to kiss you like that. But all she remembered was her mind going zero and physicality taking over. She saw your face and nothing else, and she felt pulled to it like a magnet. She couldnât help herself, it was irresistible in that momentâ you were irresistible.
God, she wanted to wipe it from her memory. She wanted to forget the sound of your laugh as you tested different kinds of kisses on her lips.
Soft, deep, intense.
The way your tongue had opened her mouth so skillfully, so politely. How it felt for your hands to roam over her body. How sheâd maybe wanted them to roam further. Tracing down her form to pull her close against you, your breasts on hers.
It was so wrong. It was more than wrong. But in the moment it felt so good. If she didnât know better, she wouldnât have ever stopped.
âMel,â She heard someone call.
Mel looked up and realized that she had been staring off into space as she thought about the kiss again. When she looked up she saw Frank rushing towards her. She cringed internally as she thought of the secret she was hiding from him.
âIâve been worried sick.â Frank pulled her into him and hugged her. Mel winced at the contact and didnât hug him back. âWhere have you been? I was calling you all day.â
Mel sighed, âWell, we didnât exactly leave off of on a great note.â She came with quickly. âI just needed some space.â
She was a fraud. A huge lying and now cheating fraud.
Mel had always felt like somewhat of a performer in their relationship. Doing all the things that she thought one was supposed to do in a relationship, trying her best to be a girlfriend just because she was one. But sheâd never felt like her soul was really in their relationshipâ it felt like mindless going through the motions. She felt that now, more than ever.
Clearly there must have been a reason beyond wine that she kissed you. Surely she had been seeking something in that kiss. Because Mel didnât do stupid, and she didnât do careless. And to kiss someone who wasnât her fiancĂŠâ who also happened to be an internâwould be extremely stupid and careless.
âYeah, about that⌠Iâm sorry, Mel.â Frank started. âI donât want you to feel pressured into anything. I just⌠I want us to want each other, thatâs all.â He rubbed her shoulder.
As he pulled Mel closer, she looked away from him as though heâd know what sheâd done if he saw her eyes. She gave him a nod while she looked down at her feet.
âI love you and I want to revisit this conversation after work if thatâs okay.â
Mel almost groaned out loud.
Revisit after work? She thought.
Talking about desire, sex, intimacyâ any of thatâ was the last thing on earth that she wanted to do. As if she wasnât already being tortured about her desires or lack thereof enough, that kiss had complicated everything even more. She craved that kiss in a way she hadnât craved anything before. It was like a primal urge, deep within her and undeniable. Something she could not fight against.
Mel wanted the conversation to end as soon as possible so she nodded to Frank and sent him on his way. Once he was gone, her mind traveled back to you.
She hadnât even begun to consider how you may have been feeling about the kiss.
She was terrified of seeing you and how you would act towards her. She was a resident and you were an intern. Sure, you were the same age but with her being an R3 she was still your superior. She could lose her spot in the residency program. She could have this go on her record. And aside from the clear professional consequences, this could affect her work environment as well. What if you didnât speak to her at all? Or what if you had told Samira or Trinity and they treated her weirdly as well? And worst of all, what if you told Frank?
Trinity came into work a few minutes after Frank. Melâs heart dropped when she saw the brunette walking in through the sliding doors, headphones in and eyes confidently forward. Trinityâs gaze shifted and landed on Mel and Mel felt the hairs on her body stand up.
She was ready for it to come down from Trinity any moment. The moment when Trinity laughed in her face and teased her about the drunken makeout you and her had shared.
Mel watched as Trinity angled her body to move towards her. Out of nerves, she weakly raised her hand and waved as Trinity got closer.
âJust the person I was looking for.â Trinity started as she leaned over the work station.
Mel wanted to vomit. âOh, why?â She tried to appear indifferent.
Trinity scanned Mel fully once, her eyes probing. Mel swallowed hard as Trinityâs eyes bore into her. She shuddered as she prepared herself for the inevitable shame she would face. Trinity stared at her a moment longer and then her eyes softened. She shrugged and spoke finally.
âI just wanted to say sorry for riding you so hard at Danaâs⌠I guess.â Trinity said.
Mel froze for a moment, not fully processing Trinityâs words. With everything else, she had long forgotten Trinityâs antics during Paranoia. When Trinity apologized, Mel actually felt relievedâ she was just glad that you clearly hadnât told Trinity yet at least. When she caught herself looking a little too happy at Trinityâs words, she immediately attempted to appear as somber as possible.
âOh, itâs okay. I know you were just joking.â Mel responded.
âYeah, but Iâm still sorry.â Trinity kind of sassed back. Trinity mentioned speaking to you after the party. Mel tightened, fearing what she might say next. âShe told me that you were really upset after, so I just wanted to make sure weâre good⌠I really didnât mean to, you know, take it too far.â
âReally, itâs fine. Iâve already moved on, so weâre good.â Mel said with an unusual amount of confidence that visibly took Trinity by surprise.
Trinity nodded slowly and suspiciously, âOkay⌠well⌠Okay, good. Iâm glad weâre okay.â Trinity said in a questioning tone.
Mel mirrored the motion of Trinityâs head with a resolute smile on her face. Trinityâs eyes narrowed again as if she was trying to look for something in Melâs expression. When she couldnât find anything, Mel could see the moment that Trinity surrendered.
âOkay, Iâm gonna put my things away then.â Trinity concluded. Mel nodded and then Trinity went in the same direction Frank had.
Mel let out a huff that was a mix of exasperation and relief, pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose.
She felt grossâ physically and mentally. No amount of showers would wash away the shame she felt for kissing you. She felt so conflicted, wondering if it had been a one-off, absentminded kiss or something else.
Mel watched as person after person came into work, waiting for the moment you walked in. She felt like she would collapse when she finally saw you. It would be the first time sheâd seen you since she ran away from you at Danaâs. She was eager to know what you must have been thinking the entire weekend about her and the moment youâd shared.
In her mind, a kiss really meant something. She hadnât shared many of them, and aside from the one sheâd shared with you, theyâd all been with Frank. But the kisses she had had meant sealing a relationship of some sort, or at least signifying that the parties involved in said kiss were interested in the potential of a relationship. She didnât know how exactly to navigate this kind of situation, but she really hoped that you werenât expecting anything from her. Because she certainly was not expecting anything from you.
Obviously because she was with Frank.
And of course, the fact that she also wasnât gay.
As Mel thought of the wordâgayâ she winced slightly. She didnât have any problem with gay people, of course she didnât. But she had never thought of that label as something that would apply to herself. All of thisâ kissing, dating, romanceâ was still fairly new to her. These were things that sheâd always been pretty closed off to for the majority of her life. Hell, sheâd only figured out that she might like men when she started dating Frank. She didnât know how to process the potential of her being attracted to women as well.
But she kissed you!
And if she kissed you⌠And you were a girl⌠And she liked kissing you⌠Well, the only answer could be that all this time, deep down, she was gay.
The math was easy.
But she wasnât gay. She didnât feel gay. But wasnât the only qualifier for gayness experiencing attraction to the same sex? She definitely felt drawn to you in the moment before she kissed you.
Maybe she did feel gay?
But she was with Frank. And she liked himâ a lot even! She really, really liked Frank. He was nice to her and made her laugh and he listened to her. Although, he hadnât been such a good listener lately. But she was with him and she did like him, so she couldnât be gay.
Maybe she was just attracted to you. Maybe it didnât have anything to do with you being a woman. It wasnât like she was attracted to Frank just because he was a man. It was his soul and his personhood that she enjoyed. Maybe that was the case for you too. Only, everything she liked about you was so tied to your femininityâ your laugh, your hair, your gentle nature. Of course, she liked your soul and stuff too, but your soul was also so undeniably feminine.
Oh, God. She thought to herself as her mind raced.
She couldnât let herself fall down this rabbit hole, and yet there she was free-falling. How was she supposed to work when all she wanted to do was re-examine every interaction sheâd ever had with a woman to investigate whether or not she was gay?
As she started to spiral again, someone pulled her out of her thoughts. She blinked out of her haze and looked up to see Dana.
âWhat?â She asked.
âWake up. Youâre with Doctor Mohan.â Dana tapped the desk in between the two of them.
Mel perked up, âSheâs here?â
Dana looked at Mel with a matter-of-fact expression.
Mel nodded, taking the cue. Then she asked if you had come in yet.
âOh Jesus, I donât have time for this.â Dana groaned. âI need you in 2 now.â Dana pointed to where Mel needed to go, not answering Melâs question about you at all.
Mel sighed and got up to go join Samira. As she did, her eyes lazily scanned the room and, as if sheâd willed you to appear, her eyes landed on you as you glided from one side of the room to the otherâ a coy Mona Lisa smile on your face.
Your hair was in a simple half-up style today and you wore the same tiny studs you always did. Today you had traded your undershirts for a light pink cardigan. You looked at peace, unbothered evenâ not at all like what Mel must have looked like.
Mel started to walk in your direction. She wasnât sure what her plan was for when she approached you, but her feet carried her faster than her mind could form thoughts. You hadnât noticed her yet and it felt like she was moving in slow motion towards you. Your eyes finally landed on her and she took in a deep breath.
She waited for your expression to tighten, to contort into disgust. She waited for you to avert your gaze in shame like she would, or to blow her off like a one-night-stand you were embarrassed of.
Instead, your eyes lit up and your smile grew bigger. Then Mel started to worry that you had, in fact, taken the kiss as a signal that she wanted to pursue something with you. Mel nervously stopped in her tracks and began to look away frantically as you got closer, hoping that youâd take the hint that she was uncomfortable. She focused her attention on the patient board on the screen above, feeling you stop next to her.
âHey,â You said brightly, âHow was the rest of your weekend?â
Melâs head snapped in your direction to see you with a look of genuine peace and happiness. She found herself a little confused by your demeanor, but she didnât have time to examine it too much.
âGood,â She said in a strange tone, âHow was yours?â She asked to be polite.
âSo good!â You said and Mel could tell by your tone that you were being honest.
Her brows furrowed, âReally?â It slipped out as a knee-jerk reaction to your shockingly calm disposition.
âSamira and I started planning a trip to the Poconos after the new year. I finally get to go on my first hike in Pennsylvania.â You threw your head back in praise.
Mel nodded and tried to appear as normal as possible because you were as normal as possible. It was almost eerie how unaffected you seemed by what happened.
âOh, hey, I wanted to ask youââ
Here it comes. Mel thought as you spoke.
âTrinity mentioned this ceramics class she wanted to try this weekend? I thought you might wanna tag along? Maybe grab a bite after too?â You continued.
Oh.
âAnd donât say no before you actually consider it! Samira might come too! Itâll be a fun little girls day.â You tapped the pen in your hand against her shoulder lightly, startling her slightly.
Girls day? Mel was in awe.
How were you being so nonchalant about this? Why werenât you more unsettled? Mel had fully expected the cold shoulder or for you to find her and beg her to talk about what happened at Danaâs. But there was no cold shoulder, no shifty looks from across the room, no chasing her into the stairwell and demanding a discussion. You picked up where you both left offâ no before where youâd left offâ like nothing had happened.
âU-uh, okay⌠Yeah, I-Iâll⌠Iâll think about it? I might be busy⌠with Becca.â Mel stuttered out.
Your eyebrows pressed together in concern, âAre you okay? Youâre breaking into sweat, do you feel sick?â
Mel gave you a bewildered look as you tried to lean into her and she practically jumped back. âYep! Fine! I just, I have the tendency to overheat!â She came up with quickly.
You nodded and stepped back from her. Mel gave you a plain smile and then looked at her wrist for the time, while not actually registering what time it was at all. âOh, look at that, I should head over to Mohan.â She said as she began to walk away.
âYou lucky duck. You get Samira and Iâm stuck with Robby riding my ass all day.â You joked easily.
âHeard that!â Robby said as he walked by.
âYou were supposed to.â You replied as you began following behind him.
Mel shook the interaction away as she headed to her assignment. She wasnât sure what to make of the entire conversation. The way you had acted was completely unexpected and, quite honestly, threw her for a loop. She was used to people walking away and ignoring her, pretending like she didnât exist or acting embarrassed of her. But she did not know how to respond to someone kissing her and then acting as though it didnât happen.
She guessed it was a good thing that you werenât treating her any differently? If you were treating it as though it never happened, then that meant she didnât have to deal with it. She could tuck it away into the box of other things she didnât want to acknowledge. But for some reason she didnât feel better that you hadnât mentioned it. She didnât know why, she just knew that it didnât make her feel good.
Mel blew out an anxious breath. She couldnât deal with it right now. She had a job to do and she just needed to focus on that. Before she walked into the room with Samira, she reminded herself that you not mentioning it was better for everyone.
Itâs a good thing.
Itâs a good thing.
Itâs a good thing.
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
Despite her best efforts, Mel was off the entire day.
She thought that once she cleared things up with you that she would feel like a weight had been lifted. But instead she just had more questions after she saw you in the morning.
Surely you just didnât remember. That was the only explanation for you to not acknowledge what happened. You both had had quite a bit of wine, maybe you were drunker than you realized. She wished she didnât remember too, that way she wouldnât have to be the one to live with this.
She started to think maybe she should address it with you. That way she could assure that you guys were on the same page about what happened. But she wasnât even sure what that page was. She tried to rationalize everything in her head.
I did not mean anything by the kiss.
I do not expect anything to come from the kiss.
I do not want this to affect her work or mine.
I want to move forward as friends.
She kept repeating this to herself over and over and over again.
Mel was so distracted that Samira noticed. Before they moved to their next case, Samira stopped and told her to take a break for at least ten minutes. Even though Mel refused, Samira insisted and said she needed to before she let her back on the caseload.
As Mel begrudgingly made her way to the break room, she noticed you again. This time you were by the medicine cart putting in orders for your patient. She sighed and stared at you, trying to probe your mind to see what was going on in your head.
At that point, she was starting to think sheâd imagined the kiss. It had been very dreamlike. You were glowing in the lowlight of the bedroom and your features had possessed a somewhat mythical quality. Maybe sheâd been dreaming and you guys hadnât kissed after all. She just wanted a reason for you acting so strange.
Dennis came up to her, blocking her view of you. He leaned down, examining her somber expression.
âYou okay?â He asked.
She looked at him and pressed her lips into a firm line, then she asked if heâd talked to you since the weekend.
Dennis shook his head, âYeah, why? You two okay?â
âOh yeah, weâre great! I was just checking in because I havenât had the chance to chat with her.â She lied.
âOh, okay.â He started. âI mean, thereâs no really exciting updates honestly. I guess we all went for drinks after Danaâs but honestly I donât remember much.â He admitted with a nervous laugh.
Mel forced a laugh back, but was stuck on the fact that you guys went for drinks after Danaâs. She was confused how you guys had the energy for drinks after the night you all had had. But she was even more confused how you could casually go for drinks after sheâd kissed you. Meanwhile, she was curled up in her childhood bedroom trying not to bash her skull in.
Dennis dismissed himself and she waved him off, turning back in your direction. Now you were at the nurseâs station chatting with Trinity about something funny apparently. If she didnât know any better, sheâd think you guys were laughing at her. If this was a joke to you, then it must have been really funny to watch Mel run around confused all day about what happened. Then she convinced herself that you guys had to be laughing at her. Maybe it was the way your eyes had glanced over her slightly when you laughed. Or the way Trinity talked in a low tone. But now she fully thought that you guys were making fun of her bewilderment.
Before thinking, she marched toward the both of you. You saw Mel coming and your smile switched from teasing and mischievous to genuine and warm. You went to open your mouth to speak but Mel spoke first, causing you to jerk back slightly.
âCan I talk to you?â She asked firmly.
You blinked at Mel with surprise and Trinity froze between you both. âYeah, sure.â
Mel gave you a satisfied nod and then began walking towards the stairwell. Before she turned, however, she saw you eye Trinity nervously.
Mel lead you into the stairwell and then turned harshly on her heel to face you, eyes closed as she tried to gather her thoughts. When she opened them, you still had a faint smile on your lips but your eyes were full of curiousity. She bit her lip as she looked at you, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. She hadnât thought that far about what to do once she had you alone. She also was slightly nervous because of what happened the last time you guys were in an enclosed space together.
âWhatâs up?â You asked like nothing was wrong.
Mel tilted her head at you and hummed, âHmm, okay, uhâŚ. I-uh⌠I think we should talk about Saturday night.â She struggled to get out.
You stared at her blankly with that smile that was starting to agitate her now given that nothing could make it go away.
âYou remember⌠right?â She questioned.
You leaned back as if you only realized what she was talking about in that very moment. Then you chuckled, âOf course I remember, Silly. I was there.â You joked.
Mel tried to laugh at that but failed at doing so.
âWhat about it?â
Melâs eyes narrowed in confusion. âUh, just like⌠I⌠I kissed you, you know?â
âYou did.â You responded cheekily this time, giving Mel a little relief.
Although she felt gratified that you had shown some other emotion that indifference to the whole thing, she was still so confused by how unbothered you were. She stared at you for a moment with the most baffled face anyone had ever seen.
âIâm- Iâm sorry, do you often have people kiss you out of nowhere?â She asked, completely serious in her question with no sarcasm un her tone at all.
You laughed at her question, âMel, itâs okay.â You started. âItâs not a big deal.â You shrugged.
âWhat do you mean?â
You smiled as you looked directly into her eyes, âI mean weâre good. We donât have to make it a thing.â You said kindly.
Mel looked up in thought, processing your words, âA thingâŚâ She said as if she was meditating on what you said.
âYeah!â You chirped.
Mel formed her mouth to speak multiple times, failing to find words. Her brain felt like it was short circuiting, unable to comprehend your level of composure.
âIâm sorry if it seems like Iâm making a big deal about it, itâs just-â She cut herself off. âI just donât think you usually kiss people who arenât your fiancĂŠ while youâre engaged.â She tried to make light of the situation.
You stepped closer to her, taking a deep breath in. âLook, I promise itâs all good. Honestly, this isnât the first time a friend has kissed me out of the blue like that.â You laughed momentarily and then placed a hand on her shoulder. âFriends kiss all the time and it doesnât have to mean anything.â
Mel stared at you for a moment and then she nodded, âO-okay, I guess.â
âAnd if youâre worried about me telling anyone, please donât. This can be our little secret.â You patted her and then stepped away.
Mel looked down at her shoes and then back up to you again, âOkay⌠and we just act like it never happened?â Her voice was high and very curious.
âYeah!⌠Thatâs what you want, right?â You asked.
Melâs posture straightened and she began nodding violently, âYes- ye-yeah thatâs⌠thatâs what I want.â
You nodded, âOkay, so weâre good.â You concluded.
âYeah⌠yeah, I guess we are.â She trailed off.
âGood.â You echoed.
âGreat.â Mel nodded.
âCool.â
âFantastic.â
Silence hung between the two of you as you stared at each otherâ you with a slight twinkle in your eye, Mel with a dull ounce of confusion. Mel kept looking away awkwardly just to look back at you a second later, as if she had more she wanted to say only she wasnât sure what.
You giggled almost hysterically, âWhat?â You dragged out, high-pitched and playfulâ always so playful.
The resonance and intensity of your laugh was so raw that it caused Mel to let out a chuckle she couldnât hold back. âNothing, nothing.â She shook her head with a tight-lipped smirk, trying to conceal her grin.
You kept laughing, just like you did when you had kissed her so experimentally. It made something twist in her even though she didnât want to admit it. Then you began pushing your way through the door back to the ER, still facing her.
âOkay, Iâll see you back in there?â You asked.
Mel gave you a thumbs up, âYeah! Right behind you.â
You gave Mel one last look and then you left, a smirk tugging at your lips like you just knew you were in control of this situation. Mel leaned her back against the wall and sighed because she knew that you were, in fact, in control of this situation. You truly didnât see things the way she did, and that kiss hadnât bothered you at all.
Seeing how you were and hearing how you felt, she felt kind of silly now that sheâd played it up so much in her head. She wasnât aware that kissing was something that friends did for fun. Although she found it to be an odd and somewhat precarious activity for friends to engage in, she supposed sheâd never really had close enough friends to know what was normal or not.
Well, if that was the case, she didnât have anything to worry about. She could move onâ you both could move on and be friends like she wanted. It was good that you didnât mind the kiss.
Itâs a good thing, Mel. She emphasized to herself.
So why did she still feel so weird?
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
teeeeeeeensy weeeeensy chapter but i wanted to give you guys something while i write the big chapter coming up next and wanted to show some of the fallout from the kiss!
this is highkey just a filler chapter but you know whatâŚ. justice for filler chapters!! justice for a whole chapter just about mel tweaking about being gay!!
also reader is such an evil lesbian lowkey lol we all know that one femme that will be super touchy and flirty and will makeout with you and even hookup with you and then call that shit platonicâŚ.
but i digress!
get exciteddddddd next chapter is a HUGE one im so fucking excited to be writing it!!!!!
go tell your boyfriend (that i'm your girlfriend).
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â pairing: fem!reader x mel king x frank langdon
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â summary: mel king is engaged to the ptmcâs most eligible bachelorâ frank langdon. sheâs comfortable in her relationship and overall very happy. but what happens when a spunky new intern walks into her life and flips it upside down?
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â warnings: cheating (but itâs wlw cheating so itâs chill), slight power imbalance (mel and reader are the same age but mel is an r3 and reader is an intern because of several gap years), detailed use of medical terminology, mentions of unwanted physical intimacy, discussion of medical practice, compulsory heterosexuality, slight corruption kink, mentions of alcohol, mentions of eating disorders, out of character frank langdon, eventual smut (like lots of it), slight body shaming (dana kind of body shames herself but nothing huge), infidelity kink (reader enjoys sneaking behind franks back), canon inaccuracies, mentions of guilt about same-sex attraction, mentions of cutting things (reader and mel cut veggies together, slight slut-shaming, angsty (trinity being mean kind of), not proofread
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â disclaimer: kind of long chapter and LOTS happens so prepare lol but in my experience with lesbianism there's like nothing happening and then everything kind of happens like all at once you know?? also ending was rushed cause i realized i havenât gotten this chapter to you guys on schedule eeeek so ending might be expanded upon in which case i will post to let everyone know!
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
Chapter 3: The Last Dinner Party
Pittsburgh was finally starting grow on you after being there for a month. You'd settled into a routine of work, gym, rest during the week that kept you disciplined, and you found joy in little things like grabbing dinner with your work friends, gossiping with Samira while you guys ate take-out, and seeing Jack Abbot stumble out of Samira's room early on Sunday mornings.
Thank god for Trinity, who introduced you to the gay scene in Pittsburgh. And for Dennis, who came over to cook dinner and scream at Big Brother with you. And of course, for Samira, who literally was letting you stay under her roof.
You really didn't think you would like working at the PTMC and you didn't expect to befriend your colleagues as much as you did. But you were starting to really value everyone's presence in your life, and you looked forward to seeing them everyday.
You also realized in this short, yet long, month that you did not care for Frank Langdon one bit.
There were many reasons that you didn't like Frank Langdon.
For one, Trinity had filled you in on his past habit. You didn't hold his addiction against him, but you did, however, hold a grudge for how he treated Trinity because of it. And you hated how he got to come back as if nothing happened, and it seemed like no one was allowed to talk about what he did or have boundaries with him because of it. It was so typical of him, as a man, to fuck up royally and then expect everyone to pretend like he hadn't, and to demand that the people he hurt forgive him.
You also hated him because he hated women, especially you. He didn't even attempt to hide how he felt about you. You dreaded being on cases with him because instead of teaching you, he condescended to you and gaslit you and insulted you. He made jokes about how you wore your hair, how you color coordinated your undershirts to your shoes, how you wore your jewelry-- mocking you about this being at "a hospital, not a fashion show." He also never let you try things for yourself and would snap at you whenever you tried.
He was one of those.
The kind of man that made you choose to go to a historically-women's college. The kind of man that made you so eager to leave UPenn. He was the nice guy, the good guy. In his eyes, he never did anything wrong. And if you could get him to admit fault, then he was always-- always-- justified in his actions.
If he insulted you, he never meant it that way. If he made your life a living hell, he was just going through something.
He was charming so he got away with it. Robby talked a huge game with him, but he never followed through because of some kind of stupid, brotherhood, boys-club shit. Meanwhile, he rode Samira and Trinity so hard that you'd seen them both reduced to tears. But there was Langdon, always smiling and flashing his blue eyes like diamonds-- getting away with murder because everyone let him.
How an angel like Mel ended up with a demon like him? Youâd never understand.
âI thought I told you to check her levels again.â Langdon bursted in on you and Samiraâs conversation.
You quickly gave Samira an irritated look before turning to face him. âI just checked them a couple of hours ago.â You said.
âWell check them again,â He snapped at you, âDonât make me ask again.â
You narrowed your gaze at him, âSheâs anemic. She already said she wasnât feeling great after the first blood draw, and Iâm not gonna keep poking her just because.â You argued with him as Samira looked between you both.
Langdon went to speak again and you prepared to go to war with him for the millionth time. But Samira stepped in before he could say anything.
âThe patient is stable, right?â She asked him.
Langdonâs attention turned to her with an annoyed expression. âYeah.â He said with a relenting sigh.
âNo need to re-check CBC right now.â Samira smiled. âWeâll continue to monitor her closely and check her vitals periodically. Once a bed opens up upstairs, they can do another draw.â She explained to him.
You crossed your arms and settled into your hip, an indignant look on your face. Frank looked you up and down like you were a joke, which only made the nastiness in your expression more palpable. Then he scoffed and began to walk off.
âItâs your job, not mine.â He called back and then he was gone.
As you and Samira turned back around to rest on the counter, you rolled your eyes. âItâs never your job.â You mocked him.
Samira let out a sigh, âOkay, I love you, but you have got to work on your professionalism.â She said and you groaned at this topic coming up yet again.
âIâm very professional, okay! Look, Iâm doing my super professional charts at my super professional place of work.â You joked and she sucked in a sharp breath.
âIâm serious,â She pleaded, âYou canât talk to a senior resident that way.â
You pursed your lips, hating that you knew she was right. âYou donât even know Langdon, just give him a chance!â Samira added.
âOh, but I do know him. And so do you.â You chuckled. âHe is literally every guy we grew up with, Sami. Doing whatever the hell he wants, expecting everyone else to fall in line, and then feeling sorry for himself when not everyone does.â You spoke honestly.
Samira looked at you with an earnest expression. She looked like she wanted to say something, but you saw the moment she decided to let it go on her face. She just shook her head and went back to her chart.
You glanced over at her again, uncomfortable with the silence between you. A mischievous smile came to your lips, âPlus you canât talk to me about professionalism. Remind me, whoâs Dr. Squatch soap is in our shower right now? Because itâs definitely not mine- Ow!â
Samira cut you off by hitting your arm. You laughed at the ghastly look on her face. âI told you that we donât like people talking about it at work.â She snapped.
âIâm sorry, but I just think itâs so ironic that Iâm the one getting lectured about professionalism when youâre the one boning an attending!â You whisper-shouted and she hushed you harshly.
âOkay thatâs enough.â She warned and you giggled. âYou know, maybe I should go have a chat with my good friend Dr. McKay.â Samira said McKayâs name louder than the rest of her sentence.
McKay turned in your direction at the sound of her name. Before you could process what was happening, you were already making eye contact with her sleepy gaze. Your went pale and you looked away in shame. Samira gave McKay a polite wave and you could feel the awkwardness of the moment.
Once McKay wasnât looking anymore you death glared at Samira. âIâm going to kill you.â You said. âAnd for the last time, I donât have a crush on her!â
âOkay, sure.â Samira mocked.
âCanât a gay girl appreciate an older futch, thank you.â You dragged out.
Samira hid her face in her hands, âThe fact that those words just came out of your mouth about 42 year-old mother Cassie McKay is so sick and twisted.â She shook her head.
âCome on, you know sheâs hot.â You smirked.
âOkay, I am not having this conversation when sheâs right across the room.â She gasped at you.
You laughed at her prudishness and went back to charting. You and Samira parallel-played your charts for a few minutes before Dana approached you guys.
âWe enjoying knitty committee over here ladies?â Dana teased you both.
You took in a breath of admiration, âDarling Dana, to what do we owe the pleasure?â You leaned forward.
Dana placed two envelopes on the counter and raised her brows expectantly. âGo on, open your presents.â She said.
You and Samira exchanged looks before you turned back to Dana with a suspicious expression. You tore open your envelope and pulled out a small card.
Samira gasped as you read over what the card said. âDana, itâs your birthday next week?â She said excitedly.
The card was invite with details for Danaâs 56th birthday dinner at her house that coming Saturday. Samira and Dana settled into a discussion, but all you could think about was how good you knew that food was gonna be. You were also grateful to have something to look forward to at the end of the week.
You reached out and grabbed Danaâs hands, âWe are there.â You emphasized.
âYes, wouldnât miss it for the world!â Samira added.
âPerfect,â Dana threw her hands up in celebration, âIf you guys have plus ones please let me know so I can prepare beforehand. But other than that, just bring yourselves⌠Maybe a bottle of wine or something small!â She gave your hand a squeeze before she started rushing off.
You and Samira gave her thumbs up as she got further away. Then Samira snapped her fingers and squealed. âIâm so excited! Your first Dinner at Danaâs!â She rested her hand on your shoulder.
âThis is like a thing?â You asked.
Samira nodded, âDana has everyone over every once in a while for dinner and games.â She explained. âIâve spent the past three Thanksgivings at her house!â
You looked over the invite again with a smile, âOoh, I see those lunches Dana brings from home.â You pretended to drool. âFinally a quality meal after a month and a half of your questionable one-pan pastas.â You teased Samira.
âHey! You could lend a hand in the kitchen every once in a while if you donât like my cooking.â Samira suggested.
You froze with a red-handed expression. Samira chuckled with a nod. âYeah, thatâs what I thought.â
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
You were back on Melâs caseload on Wednesday thankfully.
You really liked working with Mel, and you definitely preferred her to her partner. Not only was she detailed and perceptive, but she was also so damn sweet and empathetic. It made sense that her patient satisfaction scores were the highest of anyone elseâs at the PTMC. If you were a patient and had a doctor as kind, skilled, and adorable as Mel, you would probably be trying to injure yourself just to be under her care again.
Mel also seemed to like working with you, at least thatâs how it seemed. You could never really tell how Mel felt about you. Even though she was sweet, she didnât treat you any differently than others. She was a hard book to read for someone who everyone deemed so sensitive. Sometimes you felt like you were making headway with her, just for her to close herself off again. Like when you guys talked in the stairwell, you thought that was good progress, but then she was a bit stand-offish for a while afterwards.
It probably didnât help that you and Frank were not off to a good start, and that heâd probably brought up to her in a negative light. You just hoped that his opinion of you wouldnât taint hers too much.
You still didnât understand how that happenedâ Langdon and Mel, that is. When you were introduced to Langdon as Melâs fiancĂŠ after your first shift, you could maybeâ maybeâ see the appeal. He was plenty good looking, nice hair, a doctor, and all that stuff. Definitely not your type for obvious reasons, but you saw how he could be someoneâs type for sure!
But once you got to know him, the enchantment was broken. You could not, for the life of you, see what Mel saw in that man.
Not that you hadnât come across your fair share of âodd-couplesâ, but Mel and Frank struck you as two people who didnât fit quite well into each otherâs lives. He was so into himself and Mel was so into anyone who was not herself. Their relationship seemed unbalanced in a way that you couldnât pinpoint.
You and Mel finished up your rounds separately, with each of you doing thorough check-ups on half of the cases you shared. Then once you both were done, you reconvened at the nurseâs station.
Mel was very easy to accidentally look at for too long, and you caught yourself doing it more than once. She never really noticed, which only made it easier to observe her for an extended amount of time. You werenât sure what the sentiment was behind your observation of herâ maybe a mixture of admiration and curiosity.
Youâd learned little things about her just from looking at her. Like you knew that when she closed her eyes, fingers paused over the keys on the computer, she was silently replaying each word one of her patients said in her head so she could be exact in her charts. Or how when she was in her head about a case, she stared off into space and mumbled to herself. The rapid blinks just before she responded to someone she was talking to. The way she twisted her arms and clasped her hands in front of her body when she was overwhelmed. How she looked over the rim of her glasses to get a better look at something, even though you knew her sight was, in fact, worse without her glasses
You noticed a lot.
You leaned into the palm of your hand and smiled as Mel looked over her glasses at her computer screen, scrunching her nose and squinting her eyes to see better.
Oh my. You thought to yourself, observing the blonde doctor.
âYou know, glasses usually work better when you look through them and not over them.â You lightly teased her and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, the tip of your finger lightly grazing her skin.
Mel jolted back, âWhat?â She startled. âOh, haha! Yeah bad habit, I guess. Iâve been doing that since I was little.â
You laughed gently, trying to conjure up an image of little Mel looking over her glasses while reading a chapter book in school or watching a big box television.
Your finger moved from the bridge of her nose to the dimple in her right cheek, which you, of course, poked. Mel smiled back at you when you poked her cheek, her face bashful. You didnât even realize you were doing it, but your hand started to ghost over the side of her face to rest on your shoulder. It was only when you saw Melâs eyes switch from serenity to panic as your hand landed on her shoulder that you realized. Before you could pull your hand away, Mel jumped up from her stool to her feet violently. The sound of her stool rattling on the floor startled both of you and everyone else around you as well.
Mel seemed like sheâd been brought out of a spell as she looked around and then back to you.
âSorry!â You both said at the same time. âNo, itâs okay!â You guys said in unison again.
Mel paused for a moment and you so did you, your hand frozen in between the two of you. She was facing away from you but your eyes stayed on her. Your mind raced with worry that youâd done something to make her uncomfortable.
âAre you okay?â You asked.
She looked at you again finally and let out a breath, âOh yeah, Iâm fine.â She chuckled nervously.
You nodded apprehensively, âAre you sure?â You asked.
âYeah, yeah! I just- I just, uh, I needed to stretch my legs! Got a weird cramp for some reason, but no biggie!â She explained quickly.
âCan I get you anything? Do you want water?â
âNo, Iâm fine!â She sat down almost as quickly as she got up. âSee,â She stretched her leg out, âAlready feels better!â
âIâm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.â You still apologized, not believing her explanation. âI know I can be really touchy-â
âOh no, youâre fine. Itâs not you.â She shook her head. âWeâre good.â
You stopped yourself from leaning in, feeling that more proximity might make the entire situation worse for her. But you maintained the worried look on your face. âAre you sure-â
âHow are you doing with Mr. Tylerâs case?â She interrupted you to ask about a patient.
You could tell from the look on her face that she was desperate to move past the moment. As much as you wanted to make sure she was okay, you thought it might be better for her if you just dropped it. So you took a look at your computer, reading over Mr. Tylerâs charts.
âU-uh,â You stuttered, still coming down from the excitement, âStill waiting on CT of his hip and paged ortho for a consult.â You relayed.
She nodded quickly, âGreat, thatâs- thatâs good.â She tumbled out and you nodded in agreement.
You both turned back to your charts and minutes passed between you in silence. A weird feeling hung in the air between the two of you. It made your shoulders tense up and you tried to close your peripheral vision to her. You could feel Mel tense next to you as well, and you didnât need to look at her to know that her face was tight with anxiety.
After ten minutes of sitting there in silence, you finally broke the ice with a new topic. âAre you going to Danaâs on saturday?â You asked in a chipper voice.
Mel perked up and looked at you as if sheâd been waiting for you to speak first, âOh, I donât think so.â
âAw, why not?â You asked.
She shrugged, âI usually spend the day with Becca on Saturday, which I get pretty tired from. Plus, I donât think Frank will want to go.â She explained.
âBut do you want to go?â You pressed.
Mel pressed her lips into a line, visibly weighing her options. âYeah, Iâd like to. I loved going to Danaâs last time.â She smiled as she reminisced.
âSo, come!â You begged and she began to shake her head. âWhat else are you and Frank gonna do on Saturday night?â
You watched as Mel thought on your question. Your heart twisted with something for her as you watched her struggle to answer. Sympathy? Endearment, maybe? You werenât sure. You just knew you felt something.
âTell you what,â You cut her loose, âIâll text you day of to see how youâre feeling and if youâre really not feeling it then you donât have to come. But promise me you wonât count yourself out just yet, please?â
Mel looked at you with her wide, brown eyes. âYou donât have my number.â She said.
You smirked at her, and the little devil on your shoulder that told you to flirt with every person in your wake spoke to you. Meanwhile, your good conscience told you not to unless you really meant it.
Mel tracked your hand as it reached into your pocket and handed your phone to her.
âI never have trouble getting a cute girlâs number.â
Mel swallowed hard at that, unable to maintain eye contact as she took your phone and began typing her phone number. When she was done she handed your phone back to you with a weak smile. Then you got up, keeping your eyes trained on her as you did.
Mel gently waved at you as you began to walk away. âI hope I see you on Saturday.â You called back.
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
By the time Saturday came around you were more than ready for a day off.
You were tired from work alone, plus you had been woken from your sleep several times in the past week because of Samira and Jackâs explosive arguments that lasted several hours.
Even when you left the house Saturday morning, Samira and Jack were yelling at each other again. Jack gave you the same look of shame he always did when you spotted him in the apartment. And you rubbed it in by making a fake pity face as you left. You knew better than to let Samira see you teasing Jack, however, so you grabbed your water bottle and headed to the train to meet Trinity.
Youâd been holding onto a free solidcore class since you got to Pittsburgh. Usually you hated group workout classes, but you coerced Trinity into joining you by luring her with free brunch on you afterwards so you guys finally went. And, naturally, you both regretted even waking up that morning after the class was over.
As you and Trinity walked down the street to the brunch spot, it felt like your legs were two huge blocks of cement. Trinity whined the whole walk over and cursed your name into hell practically for forcing her to go with you. Then you guys sat down at a counter inside, big windows giving you a perfect view of people passing on the street.
âThe next time you want me to do whatever the hell that was, you better come up with a better bribe than free brunch.â Trinity huffed as she sat down.
âGirl, Iâm gonna need a bribe to even step on the same block as that place again.â You responded.
Trinity nodded with raised eyebrows, âSo no more solidcore for us.â She opened her menu. âOoh, what are you wearing to Danaâs tonight?â She changed the subject changed quickly.
âI donât know. Youâre the one thatâs been there before, not me. Whatâs the vibe?â You shrugged.
âLike casual-cute. Jeans, nice-ish top? I was thinking of wearing that green tank with some jeans.â Trinity suggested.
âOkay, yeah. Iâll text you what I decide to wear.â You said and she nodded.
You guys looked at the menu for a moment and then ordered when your waiter came. Your mind traveled back to Mel, remembering that you said youâd text her as well. You took out your phone and looked for Melâs contact. First you texted her âhiâ and then you let her know it was you who was texting.
You: Howâs your Saturday? :)
You looked at your phone, waiting for Melâs reply. You saw the response bubble pop up and you hid your excitement from Trinity.
Mel: Hi
Mel: Itâs good! I took Becca to breakfast and now weâre at the Botanic Gardens :)
You: Awwwww that is so SWEET! Trinity and I just got demolished in our first and LAST solidcore class lol but are you and Becca having fun?!
Mel: Yes! Becca loves being outside so sheâs been having a blast
Mel: Sheâs a little tired though so weâll probably head out soon :/
You: Thatâs so real lol
You: How are you feeling about tonight?
Mel typed for a while, her text bubble reappearing and disappearing a few times before she sent her reply.
Mel: Still deciding I think. Frank mentioned wanting to stay in so Iâm not sure.
You let out a sigh when you read Langdonâs name.
You: Just come without him?
Melâs bubble came up and then disappeared for longer than it had your entire conversation.
Mel: Iâll try to talk him into it
You: Ughhhhhhhh fineâŚ..
Mel typed again.
Mel: Either way I would like to hang out more outside of workâŚ
Mel: If youâd like to!
You couldnât hold back your smile as you read over her message. The image of her face as she typed the last text came into your head, and your cheeks began to burn a bit.
You: Iâd love to :)âŚ
You: We can start tonight!
Mel: Ahhhh okay maybe weâll see!
Mel: Hopefully!
You were about to respond but Trinity called your attention, so you hearted Melâs message and set your phone down.
âWhat?â You asked, disoriented.
âWho are you texting that has you smiling so much? Hot new boyfriend?â Trinity teased.
You rolled your eyes, âDonât piss me off.â You sighed. âI was actually, um⌠I was texting⌠Mel.â You shrugged innocently.
Trinity stared at you blankly for a moment and then laughed. âJesus, you cannot be serious. Mel? Like Melissa King?â She clarified and you nodded. âThatâs who has you cheesing like that?â She asked.
âI wasnât cheesing. She said something funny and I smiled, is that okay with you?â You snapped playfully.
âWow, so McKayâs been replaced that quick! You do know that sheâs straight and engaged to a man because she is, as previously mentioned, straight⌠right?â Trinity raised her eyebrows at you.
You groaned, âOh my God, here we go. I donât like her in that way! I think sheâs sweet and weâre becoming friends. Why canât I be platonic female friends with her like I am with you and Sami?â You challenged.
âBecause you like her.â
âI do not like her.â You immediately threw back.
âWell, then you have a soft spot for her!â Trinity said.
You opened your mouth to reply but no words came out. Trinity raised her brows, waiting for your smart response, but you gave up and looked away. She was right, maybe you had a little soft spot for Mel. But it wasnât a romantic soft spot. It was the kind of soft spot you get for a puppy in a playpen, or the soft spot you get for your mom when she has no one to do things with her. But not at all romantic in any way.
âChange of subject, please.â You begged.
Trinity shook her head, âUh-uh, not until you admit it. Admit that you have a soft spot for Langdonâs fiancĂŠe.â She teased.
âShe has a name, you know? Sheâs not just Langdonâs fiancĂŠe, sheâs a doctor.â You corrected.
Trinity hummed, âSounds like someoneâs jealous!â
âOh, fuck off.â You whined.
âDidnât hear a denial.â
You rolled your eyes, âWhat is that about though, seriously?â You shifted.
âWhat is what about?â Trinity furrowed her brows.
You took a beat and then spoke, âMel and Langdon⌠It still doesnât make any sense to me.â You shook your head in thought.
âThatâs because itâs so weird!â Trinity exclaimed. âI mean, they started dating right after his divorce was finalized and he literally proposed to her, swear to God, in six weeks.â Trinity gossiped.
Your eyes widened, âSix weeks? And wait⌠Langdon was married before?â
Trinity scoffed and then rolled her eyes, âSuper married. Kids, dog, white picket fence, the whole nine yards.â She revealed. âHis wife left him when she found out about him stealing from the hospital. Next thing I know, heâs walking hand-in-hand into work with Mel.â
You pondered on her words, imagining the picture of Mel and Langdon in your head with chills. The marriage thing added a whole new layer to the many reasons why Mel and Langdon were so wrong for each other.
âSo, what, Langdon left his wife and kids for Mel?â You pressed.
âWhat? No. God, no. Mel would never do that.â Trinity defended. âI donât think she was ever even thinking of him in that way until he said something. It was a total surprise to everyone, including Mel.â
You nodded, and Trinity continued. âI donât know, itâs some quarter-life crisis shit if you ask meâ for both of them. I think they both just⌠needed someone? And they donât care who it is, as long as the other side of the bed isnât cold.â She sounded sympathetic.
âIâm sorry, was that a hint of sympathy I heard in your voice just now?â You laughed at her.
She blew a quick breath out of her mouth, âMore like empathy. I know all too well that a lonely, cold bed is not a fun feeling.â She spoke honestly.
âYolanda still blowing you off?â
Trinity groaned, throwing her head back. âYes and I donât know what I did! We were good a week ago and now?â She whined.
You couldnât help but laugh at Trinity as you thought about how her, Samira, and Mel were all caught up in their own arcs with their seniors. Even funnier was the fact that you had a thing for McKay, who was also your senior.
You and Trinity finished your brunch, and you let her vent about Yolanda as much as she wanted. And when you got back to the apartment, you found Samira and Jack laying down on the couch together. You rolled your eyes at the two of them because it was how all of their fights endedâ with them making up.
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
Mel laid in bed with her day clothes still on, eyes stuck on the heart you left on her last message.
She wasnât much of a texter, so she wasnât a hundred percent sure what proper texting etiquette was. Was hearting a message a signal for her to text again? Or that you wanted to end the conversation. For some reason that heart made her heart feel ticklish with anxiety. Sheâd heard Trinity complain about having to double text her partners, but Mel kind of really wanted to double text you. Plus, it was differentâ you werenât her partner.
She was laid in that same position for so long that she didnât realize how much time had passedâ on her side, eyes wide, mouth in a pitiful frown. Before she knew it, she heard Frank coming through her front door. When she heard him call her name, she tried not to be annoyed despite having told him multiple times to only use the key she gave him in emergencies.
Frank came into the room and Mel sat up as he did. âHi.â She smiled.
He leaned down and kissed her on top of her head, âHey, how was your day? How was Becca?â He asked.
âGood! Becca really liked the gardens and then I treated myself to ice cream after.â
âGreat.â He said simply as he went into the bathroom.
Mel sat on the edge of the bed as Frank turned on the shower, looking at her feet in thought. âHey, um, remember to text me first to let you in⌠if you can?â She said weakly and Frank didnât respond.
He always did that and Mel learned not to take it personal or as a sign that he didnât hear her. He told her that not everything someone said validated a response. She just hoped that heâd remember to let her know when he was coming next time.
Frank showered and Mel sat the entire time thinking of Danaâs dinner and you and how much fun everyone would be having. When he finished, Frank went to his designated drawer and set out a pair of his pajamas. She looked at the time and realized Danaâs was starting in about a half hour. She perked up as she gained the confidence to ask him.
âYou know Dana is still having her dinner thing tonight, if we wanted to go.â She said enthusiastically.
Frank dried his hair and scrunched his face, âWe donât have anything to bring.â
âI-I know, but Dana said it was okay just to bring yourself. I was planning on getting something small for the day of her actual birthday next week, but it could be nice to celebrate her with everyone tonight.â She explained.
Frank hummed apprehensively, âIâm pretty tired. I was with the kids all day and Abby was being kind of pissy the entire time.â He sat next to her and Mel smiled awkwardly as she looked away. âI just want to stay here and relax with you.â
He brought his fingers to her chin and turned her face back to his. Mel felt her face grow warm and she smiled up at him, looking into his blue eyes. He placed a kiss on her lips and let his hand rest on her cheek. Mel screwed her as shut as he deepened the kiss. Frank moved quickly, his hands beginning to roam her upper-body and his still wet hair dripping onto her. He began to press her back onto the mattress, but when he started to crawl on top of her, Mel shook her head and pulled their lips apart roughly.
Mel scooted away from Frank, out of breath and red in the face. Frank sighed and rubbed his face in frustration. âIâm sorryâŚâ Mel apologized quietly.
He turned away from her and when she tried to touch his shoulder, he flinched away. âFrank, pleaseâŚâ
âWeâve been engaged for almost a year, Mel.â He snapped. âAnd we still havenât-â
He didnât finish his sentence but she knew what he was referencing. It was true, they hadnât had sex at all in the time theyâd been together. Theyâd kissed many times and even gotten close to sex a few times, but theyâd never gone all the way. Mel knew that the sexual aspect of a relationship was important but every time that it was time, she just couldnât bring herself to do it.
âI told you, Iâm not ready yet.â She whined.
âThen when, Mel?â He raised his voice at her.
Mel jumped back from him as his voice boomed. He looked down in shame, regretting the harsh tone in his voice immediately. And even though Mel rarely got angry, she hated being yelled at or feeling like someone was pushing her to do something she didnât want to do.
She stood up and looked at him angrily, âIt will happen when I want it to happen because itâs my body.â She finally hit back. âIâve told you no and I mean no.â
Mel snatched her jacket off of the back of her door and harshly put it on. Frank sighed as he shook his head.
âWhere are you going?â He asked in a dull tone.
âTo Danaâs.â
He sucked in a sharp breath, âDonât go, Mel, come on.â He pleaded.
Mel grabbed her keys, ignoring his request for her to stay. She had wanted to go to Danaâs anyway, but now she just needed space from Frank. She ignored him yelling after her and let her feet carry her through the front door and out of the building.
On the train, she weighed whether or not she should text you that she was coming. She was already going to be late since Dana lived about thirty minutes outside of the suburbs. Maybe a heads up to Dana would be good at least? She kept going back and forth until the thought made her too anxious and she decided to put it away.
With thirty minutes on the train by herself for the first time in a long time, Melâs mind was going a mile a minute from thought to thought.
She usually tried not to examine the reason she didnât want to have sex with Frank too closely. Mostly because she didnât understand why and it frustrated her, but also because when she thought about it too much it made her question herself.
Mel had never gotten much romantic attention growing up so she never really thought about sex or anything of the sort. And because sheâd gone so long with sex at the very back of her mind, when she was finally presented with the opportunity to have sex, she was somewhat mortified.
Every time Frank talked about having sex, she couldnât even pretend to be into it. She imagined him on top of her, sweaty, breathing hard, grunting like an animal as he pressed into her. She didnât like that image. She hated it, actually.
It repulsed her.
She knew sex was something that she was supposed to crave as a human being. But she just couldnât bring herself to. She felt like their relationship was complete without physical intimacy. And she didnât know if sheâd ever be ready.
This was why she hated thinking about it. Because she knew deep down that she never wanted to have sex with Frank. She knew that it was something expected of her, something that many people couldnât live without in a relationship. Frank had made it abundantly clear in the past few months that he wanted more intimacy in their relationship. He said he wanted a family with her and that only way for them to start a family was to be intimate. But all of it was too much for Mel. She didnât want intimacy with him, and she couldnât even begin to think about starting a family together.
Mel stepped off the train and started making the ten minute walk to Danaâs. She tried not to focus too much on Frank or sex or any of their relationship problems. She wanted to have fun tonight and eat and enjoy the company of her peers.
Danaâs house was exactly what youâd expect her house to look like. A cute, two-story white house house with navy blue shudders and a burgundy door. The grass was freshly cut and sprinklers sprayed the lawn gently to maintain it. A warm glow surrounded the house as the lighting from inside bled out into dusk. Mel could hear voices and laughter coming from inside, and she could smell Danaâs cooking as she came to the front doorstep.
A smile grew on her face and she welled up with emotion.
Every time she went to Danaâs it reminded her of her parents house. How warm and full of love their house had been when her and Becca were growing up. Her house was a place she loved being as a kid and teenager. School overstimulated her quite often, but she loved knowing that at the end of the day she would come home to her houseâ the brown leather couch that swallowed her in, her momâs snack plates that she made special for her and Becca, the sound of her dad typing on an old computer.
She found Danaâs house comforting in the same way.
Mel rang the doorbell and she heard everyone inside acknowledge that someone was outside. She listened for your voice or Samiraâs voice as a sign that you guys were already there, but she couldnât make out any specific voice. It was only when she heard Dana approach the door that she could make out the words âI got it.â
Dana opened the door quickly and Mel smiled at her with a meek look.
Dana opened the screen door. âYouâre here! What a surprise!â She smiled and brought the young doctor into her arms. âWhereâs the Prodigal Son?â She asked, referring to Frank.
âOh, he wasnât feeling well. He told me to just go ahead for the both of us.â Mel lied. âIâm sorry that I didnât call. I wasnât sure I was coming until, well, an hour ago.â Mel explained.
âDonât you worry about it at all, Honey. Iâm happy youâre here. Weâve got plenty of food and wine to go around. Let me take your jacket.â Dana rubbed her back to comfort her.
Mel felt herself relax, taking off her jacket and handing it to Dana with a small âthank you.â Dana took her jacket and Mel headed through the small foyer area past the living room where Robby was watching pre-season football with Mr. Evans and some of Danaâs family friends. She saw Princess, Perla, Jesse were gathered by the stairs with the other nurses and the waved to Mel as she walked by. And just as she was passing, McKay came out of the bathroom and almost walked right into Mel.
âHey, you made it!â She exclaimed with her usual welcoming grin. Mel nodded as Cassie wrapped her arms around her and began leading her to the backyard. âEveryoneâs just out here.â
When they got outside, Mel saw some people gathered around Danaâs fire pit as her grandkids bounced on the trampoline and a young man finished up grilling something. She looked around and smiled, noting how this was a picture perfect late-summer evening.
Trinity stood up from her spot at the fire pit and smiled, crossing her arms. âWell, well, well! Frank finally cut you loose.â
McKay gave Mel one last pat on the shoulder before leaving her to socialize. Mel rubbed the sides of her arms as Trinity approached her. Then Trinity led her to the fire pit with everyone else and you guys both sat down.
âGlad you could make it,â Trinity said with an unusual tone in her voice that made Mel scrunch her brows, âSeriously. Itâs nice to see you out and about.â Trinity added.
âNo Frank tonight?â Samira asked.
âNo, he was out all day with his kids and he said he felt a little sick. Itâs okay though!â Mel said brightly.
She saw Samira look past her at Dennis, and they exchanged knowing expressions. Mel tried not to think too much into it but it unnerved her slightly and made her feel like she wasnât in on something.
Mel looked around the group and you were notably missing. She tried not to look too disappointed, but she couldnât deny that she was a little confused not to see you right next to Samira. She didnât want to ask, but she wondered where you were. Surely you wouldnât have begged her to come if you didnât plan on showing up. Maybe you got sick last minute? Or had to go into work for whatever reason?
âRelax,â Trinity pulled Mel out of her head, âSheâs helping Dana in the kitchen.â She chuckled.
Mel flashed her an awkward smile, âOh, I wasnât-â
âOf course Mother Theresaâs gotta be right there, always lending a helping hand to those in need.â Trinity laughed, messing up the top of Melâs hair.
Mel squirmed away from Trinity, âI really hate when you do that.â She grumbled.
âI know but itâs so much fun!â Trinity dragged out.
Mel grumpily got up from her spot and readjusted her clothing. âI think Iâm going to go make my rounds and say hello to everyone. Maybe see if Dana needs help in the kitchen.â She said.
Trinity bursted into laughter but held back any jokes at Melâs expense. Mel smoothed her hair down as she walked away, feeling a little too conscious of how it would look when you saw her. Then she shook away the thoughts that told her to care what you thought.
As she approached the kitchen, she could hear your voice coming through the hallway. She imagined your wide smile as she heard the sound of your laughâ a little raspy and high-pitched, your eyes tightly shut and your nose crinkled.
Mel came into view, lingering at the entryway. She saw you at the sink, your back turned to her as you washed vegetables. Dana saw her first and smiled.
âLooking to get your hands dirty, Doctor King?â Dana asked.
You looked up quickly before turning around. Your eyes landed on Mel immediately and she was already looking at you. Your face beamed at her and Mel took in every detail of you in the matter of seconds. You looked so effortless yet stylish, wearing baggy dark jeans and a white babydoll top with flip flops. Your fingers donned several gold rings, with one wire-wrapped sapphire ring on your index finger. And your hair was in two waterfall braids that framed your face and cascaded with the rest of your hair.
She shifted her gaze back to Dana, âSure! Where do you need me?â She asked.
âIf you wouldnât mind starting to cut those vegetables as sheâs washing themâŚâ Dana trailed off, pointing towards the cutting board.
Mel nodded feverishly, quickly going to the cutting board as your gaze followed her. Then you turned back to your task with a gratified look on your face. Dana began asking Mel how her weekend had been going so far and Mel went on to answer.
âGood. My sister and I went to the Botanic Gardensâ she loved butterflies so I promised her we would go see the new butterfly house.â Mel recalled.
âHow sweet.â Dana started, âYou know my husband took me to the Botanic Gardens on one of our first dates. Thâplace has a little magic in it if you ask me! You and Frank ever go together?â She teased Mel.
Melâs face turned bright red and she chuckled nervously, âFrank mostly likes staying in these days.â
âAnd what about you?â Dana turned her attention to you. âAny young man out there anxiously waiting by the phone?â Dana laughed and you rolled your eyes.
âNo, no man.â You raised your brows as you answered. âYou have one in mind?â You joked.
Mel knew that you werenât serious, but for some reason she still felt a pang of possessiveness hit her and then quickly leave.
Dana took a pan out of the oven with something on it that smelled delicious. âYou know our friendsâ son is coming by later. Thirty, works in tech, outdoorsy type kinda like you⌠Heâs single.â Dana sang.
You threw your head back with a laugh as Dana began trying to convince you of this mystery manâs eligibility. Mel began to focus very hard on her vegetable-cutting. She tried to tune out the conversation and acted like those vegetables were the most interesting thing in the world in that moment.
You scoffed, âOh no, no. I have told you already, I barely have time for myself. I canât handle a partner right now.â You rejected Danaâs matchmaking attempts.
âYouâre just such a beautiful girl! I mean look at this dollface!â Dana smooshed your face in her hands and presented you to Mel, who smiled shyly.
âAnd trust me, Honey, it donât last forever. One day youâre twenty-nine, young, hot, flexible.â Dana emphasized and you let out an âoh Godâ.
âThen you wake up one day and everything sags, you feel hot but donât look it because of the menopause, and you canât even bend down to pick up a fork off the floor.â Dana teased you as she steadily sipped her glass of wine.
âDana!â You gasped in an amused tone and Dana laughed boisterously.
âIâm just saying!â Dana put her hands up in surrender. âHow you doing on those vegetables, Mel?â
Mel nearly dropped the knife in her hand at the sound of her name. She had done such a good job of ignoring their conversation that she had practically disassociated from her body.
âOh, uh, good! They donât look very pretty, but theyâre definitely sliced.â Mel nodded eagerly.
âThatâs okay, itâs all going to the same place.â Dana patted her stomach.
You eyed Mel, two glasses of wine in your hand. âIâm done washing, Iâll help you.â You came close to her, bumping shoulders.
âThanks.â
You smiled softly, leaning your hip against the island, body facing her. âIâm glad youâre here.â
Then you handed her one of the glasses in your hand, âPinot grigio?â You asked.
Mel looked at the wine in your hand and then back up to your eyes. You were grinning so warmly at her and the words caught in the back of her throat.
âMel isnât much of a drinker.â Dana answered.
âOh, sorry.â You shook your head as if you felt foolish for asking.
âNo, itâs okay!â Mel said brightly and abruptly took the glass from you. âI can drink!â She smiled and then took a sip.
You giggled at how quickly she moved from one motion to the next. Mel liked that you were amused. It made her want to do stupid things like balance things on her head or stand on one foot just for the chance that youâd be entertained. Sheâd never wanted to be someoneâs friend so much. God, she felt so silly.
You both started to cut the vegetables and you noticed the error in Melâs cutting technique as she tried chopping a cucumber. âI see whatâs wrong.â You tilted your head. âYouâre scared of cutting your fingers.â
âIsnât everyone?â
âYeah, kinda. Here,â You set your knife down and scooted closer to Mel as if you werenât already close enough. Then you looked at her suddenly and Mel really noticed just how close you were, so close that she could smell the floral-scented product in your hair. Your hand ghosted over hers for a second and then you spoke.
âCan I touch you?â You asked gently.
Mel blinked slowly at your words. Her skin pricked with chills all over her body. She tried to speak but she couldnât, so she just nodded in response.
Your lips curled and you relieved her by looking away at least. Then your hand came to rest on top of hers, and you slowly began to fold her fingers into a fist against the cucumber sheâd been cutting.
âYou want to hold the food down with your knuckles.â You instructed. âThat way you donât cut your finger, and you can get thinner cuts.â Mel nodded as you took her other hand and began slicing the cucumber.
âSee.â You smiled at her.
As soon as you looked at her again, Mel felt a rush that was very unfamiliar. For a moment, she thought she was having a stroke? Maybe a heart attack? The rush frightened her so much that she dropped the knife against the cutting board, startling you both just like she had a few days ago at the hospital.
Mel wiped her hands against her jeans nervously. âYep. Got it! Thanks!â She dismissed.
You nodded, âSure thing.â
Mel fanned herself with one of Danaâs kitchen towels with a scrunched face. Dana finally noticed the two of you and came closer.
âYou hot, sweetheart?â Dana asked in a concerned tone.
Mel shook her head, âOh no, Iâm fine! I just- I think I need to drink something.â Mel quickly grabbed her wine again and began downing it.
She chugged the entire thing at once as you and Dana watched in shock. You held out a hand in her direction as if you were trying to spot her, but both you and Dana were frozen in place. Dana smirked once Mel finished and winced at the taste which hit her in one swoop.
Dana clapped her hands together, âWell! Thatâs definitely how you get a party started!â
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
Mel helped you and Dana set the table along with Victoria and Dennis. Everyone finally sat down to dinner at eight oâclockâ much later than expected. Mel had tried snagging a spot next to you, but Trinity got there first and sandwiched you between her and Samira. She didnât know if she wanted to sit next to Trinity the whole night, so she ended up next to Samira.
Samira hadnât been a very good conversation partner. She was constantly checking her phone, which kept buzzing every few minutes. Every time she tried to engage Samira in conversation, Samira seemed to be looking through her and not hearing her at all. Mel tried her hardest not to nose in her phone but she was curious about who had Samira so visibly stressed out.
The other person next to her was McKay who had been swept into middle-aged conversation with Princess and Perla about kids and kids sports and grade school.
So, she mostly sat quietly and ate her dinner. Which was, admittedly, delicious.
She glanced over at you, Trinity, Dennis, and Victoria every now and then. She kept catching bits and pieces of your conversation or sheâd hear you guys burst into laughter suddenly. That familiar feeling of loneliness kept hitting her, along with new feeling of possessiveness from earlier. She tried her best to push the feeling away, but it was never easy to do so.
Because no one was talking to her, she took up the offer of several glasses of wine as the bottle went around the table over and over again. She just wanted to feel less awkward, less conscious of herself. Plus she never drank, so maybe she wanted to have a little fun.
As dinner finished up, Samiraâs phone rang again and instead of declining the call again, this time she got up to take it. She scooted out of her seat in a frustrated manner, snapping at whoever was on the phone as she walked away. That was when your attention turned to Mel again.
Your ringed hand reached out and tapped her on her shoulder, âHey, you okay?â
She turned to you and nodded. âYeah, just enjoying my dinner⌠and really enjoying my wine.â Mel offered a derpy smile.
You chuckled at her, âI can see that.â You said.
Then your face dimmed and your brows scrunched together, âSorry we got separated. I know I encouraged you to come, I really wanted to talk to you more.â You apologized.
âItâs okay!â Mel waved you off. âIâm enjoying listening in on the adult conversation about baby vomit and smelly soccer uniforms.â She joked and you laughed.
Samira came back with a huff and Mel watched as you gave her a concerned look. âYou okay, Sami?â You asked.
âPlease, not now.â Samira warned weakly.
âI told you to stop texting him. A couple hours apart wonât kill you to put the phone down.â Mel heard you say in a hushed tone.
âYou just donât get it, okay?â Samira shook her head. âYou will one day though!â
Whatever the two of you were talking about, you seemed to decide that it was better to drop it because you didnât say anything else.
Dana stood up and tapped the side of her glass with a spoon. Her husbands hand rested on her hip to steady her as she began to speak.
âOkay everyone, you know the drill. Dinnerâs over, head to the den!â Dana commanded and everyone got up as if they knew exactly what she was talking about.
You and Mel sat at the table a second longer, and you gave her a confused look. Then you got up and Mel followed suit. As you both walked into the den behind everyone else, you leaned in to whisper to Mel.
âDo you have any idea whatâs going on?â You asked.
âUh, Iâm not one hundred percent sure, but the last time I was here, Dana made everyone play charades so maybe that?â She offered.
Everyone began to settle down in the den, engaging in their own side conversations. Dana came in and Mel watched as the short blonde woman went to stand on top of her couch.
âOkay, okay. Settle down.â She grabbed everyoneâs attention. âAs you all know, I love a game, and tonight is no different.â She said as she displayed a jar of paper pieces. âSo, I will be drawing a name out of this jar, and whoever I pick has to choose the game for tonight.â
You looked at Mel with playfully fearful expression and she mirrored it back to you. Dana dug her hand into the jar, swirling her hand around to shuffle the paper scraps. Her fingers extended further and she finally drew a name. She squinted at it as she tried reading the name, then a smile grew on her face.
âOkay, Ms. Victoria,â Dana dragged as she displayed the paper with Victoriaâs name on it.
Victoria looked bashfully as everyone around her responded with encouragement and excitement. Victoria thought on her answer for a moment and then a light bulb went off in her head it seemed.
âParanoia.â She said cheerfully and everyone grumbled.
Mel looked around as you and everyone else were very clearly not happy with this choice. Victoria laughed and defended herself, saying that she wanted to stir things up a bit.
âWhat- Whatâs Paranoia?â Mel asked you.
You sighed and turned to her, âAn evil game for dumbasses who want to ruin their lives.â You responded. Mel still looked confused so you spoke again. âSheâll explain the rules.â You said.
âAlright, circle up!â Victoria commanded.
You motioned for Mel to follow you and she did, sitting next to you in the circle. Trinity sat next to you and then Dennis sat next to Mel. Mel suddenly felt very nervous as she sat there. She definitely didnât like the sound of a game called âParanoiaâ and based on your reaction, she had reason to worry.
âOkay,â Victoria started, âRules are easy. The person to the right of you whispers a question to you and you have to answer out loud. So, if I whisper to Dana âwhoâs always late to workâ, sheâll answer out loud with the name of someone in this circle. No one will know what my question was unless the person whose name Dana said wants to know the question. The only way to keep the question private is to do a shot of this lovely bourbon provided by Mrs. Dana.â
When Victoria was done explaining, Mel felt her stomach twist with anxiety. This was Melâs worst nightmare, actually. She already thought too much about how people perceived her at work, and she didnât really want to confirm or deny anything. She also hated watching people argue and it made her feel sick to see peopleâs feelings get hurt.
âI donât think I wanna play.â Mel shook her head.
âYou donât have to-â You started to say but Trinity cut you off.
âWhatâs wrong Mel-anoma? Shit getting too real for you?â Trinity teased.
âTrinity.â You said firmly.
Mel rubbed her arms in embarrassment, but Trinity kept going. âIâm just saying we all get if you tap out! We all know you donât like to handle mess. If you want to sit out, you can.â Trinity shrugged and you really seemed to get upset with her.
This was one of the rare moments when Mel felt like Trinity was actually being mean. She knew that most of Trinityâs jabs were in âgood funâ, but sometimes she felt like there was truth behind the really personal ones. Even though it was Trinityâs style of humor, Mel couldnât help but feel hurt sometimes when so much of her humor was at her expense.
âIâll play.â Mel concluded and you furrowed your brows in concern.
âDonât listen to her. Sheâs being a jerk.â You comforted. âYou really donât have to play if you donât want to.â
âNo, I want to.â Mel replied simply.
Mel looked at you with confidence and your face softened with a smile. You let out a soft chuckle and nodded, âOkay, hell yeah. Weâre in this.â
Victoria laid some more ground rules and begged everyone not to ask anything that was going to be really mean. She also warned people to really think about the people they chose for their answers. And finally, she told everyone not to taking anything personallyâ it was just a game.
Victoria started, letting Princess ask her a question. Whatever Princess whispered made her laugh nervously before she began to think. She looked up to the ceiling in thought and then answered.
âJesse.â She said.
Jesse perked up and looked around, âMe? What did you ask!â He directed his question to Princess.
Princess motioned to Victoria and everyone looked at her. She scoffed with a smile, âIt wasnât bad. She just asked who I think is living a double life.â
âAnd you said me?â
âDude you have a nose-ring and all those elaborate tattoos. I feel like youâre nurse by day, rockstar by night.â Victoria defended. Jesse laughed and waved her off, taking it as a compliment with a cheeky smile.
âOkay! My turn!â Joy clapped next to Victoria.
The game went on and it stayed calm for the most part. Perla asked McKay who she thought the best mom was, and she affectionately answered Dana. Dana asked Robby who the most organized pittling was, and he said it was a tie between Victoria and Samira. Robby asked Emma who the meanest senior was, and she honestly answered that it was Robby himself.
It was Melâs turn to ask you something, but she wasnât sure what to ask. You looked at Mel expectantly, as did everyone else. Mel gave you a shy smile, embarrassed just thinking about getting that close to you. But she leaned in an asked the first thing that came to her mind.
âUm, who would you least like to go on a hike with?â
You looked down and laughed, placing your hands in your lap. Without a moment of pause, you immediately answered.
âTrinity.â You had a smug look on your face.
Trinity turned sharply. âOkay, spill.â
âNo shame in this one at all,â You started, âShe asked who Iâd least like to go on a hike with.â Trinity acted like she was offended and you defended yourself. âIâm sorry I heard how much you whined during solidcore.â
Everyone laughed as the two of you bickered, and Mel felt happy that she played a role in one of the memorable moments of the night.
Trinity rolled her eyes finally, âOkay, bitch, go ahead and ask me something.â She said half-jokingly.
You tried to control your laughter as you leaned into Trinityâs ear. But every time you went to speak, you couldnât stop laughing. Mel loved how much you loved to laugh, and how committed you always were to fully enjoying a laugh.
You finally gathered yourself and whispered something to Trinity. You pulled away from her when you were done and motioned for her to answer. Trinity had a glint of mischief in her eye, and she looked at Mel for a moment then back to you.
âMel.â Trinity leaned back with a shrug.
Melâs stomach dropped as everyone looked at her. She looked around and then laughed nervously. Her eyes found you for comfort but she couldnât read the expression on your face. She let her mind go blank for a second before Trinity spoke again.
âWell, donât you want to know what the question was?â Trinity pressed.
Mel thought for a moment, âI donât know⌠No, I donât think so.â
You started to speak, âThatâs okay-â
âOh come on, whatâs the fun in not knowing! Go on, ask what she asked me.â Trinity challenged.
Melâs skin began to heat up again, and she knew her face had been flushed of its color. She felt herself getting overwhelmed by the pressure.
âYou donât have to ask if you donât want to.â You touched her arm but she flinched away. âTrinity, stop.â You turned back to Trinity.
âItâs just a game, relax. We said no one can take anything personal.â
Mel shook her head, âI donât want to know.â
âBut itâs only fun if you know!â Trinity emphasized. âCome on, you know youâre curious.â
Dennis chimed in with a tired look, âOkay, thatâs enough.â But Trinity insisted that Mel ask her what you whispered.
Mel was getting visibly uncomfortable. Her hands were tightly clasped together and she began rocking back and forth slowly. She heard more voices weigh in in the haze of her panicâ your voice, Victoriaâs, Trinityâs, McKayâs. She tried to remember the coping mechanisms sheâd learned to use when she got to anxious in new environments, but nothing seemed to help. She started to feel like she couldnât get a deep enough breath to fill her lungs, then her head started to feel weird.
âEnough!â Dana tore through all the noise. âMy God, of course when the game gets to this side of the room, you guys start treating this place like kindergarten!â She snapped.
Everyone looked full of shame as Dana yelled. No one dared utter a word, and Mel still was only half-conscious of everything happening.
âOkay, I think we should stop.â Robby suggested as he got up from the floor slowly.
Dana nodded, âAgreed. Everyone disperse, now.â
Mel still say as everyone else began to get up and leave. She could very faintly hear your voice snapping something at Trinity about always taking things too far. But she was still so in her head, regretting her decision to show up. She had a feeling that something bad would happen without Frank there. He always acted as her shield, and nothing ever happened when he was around. It was a bad idea to come without him. If she had stayed home, then she wouldnât have been panicking like she was. She wouldnât be embarrassed like she was.
As you and Trinity argued, Mel got up. She couldnât handle listening to it anymore. She needed to leave, but she knew she couldnât navigate herself to the train in this state. So she ran out of the den and upstairs, her head spinning. You called after Mel as she ran away, but Mel didnât stop. When she got upstairs, she ran into the first room she could find. She didnât notice anything specifically around her. She could only make out bubblegum pink and the feeling of fluffy bedding as she crashed onto it.
Mel laid on her side and brought her knees all the way up to her chest. She put her arms in between her legs and tucked her head into her knees. Her eyes screwed shut and she began humming intensely.
The moment of embarrassment played in her head over and over. Then every âjokeâ Trinity ever made about her played in her head as well.
Calling her Mel-anoma.
Mushing her head.
Making fun of the way she talked.
Mel felt so overdramatic, but all of it did really hurt her.
She tried pressing her body into the mattress as hard as she could. Then when she couldnât merge with the mattress, she snatched one of the pillows from the bed and wrapped it around her head. She hid her face in it and let her breath get out of control. She was on the verge of tears, ready to fully meltdown, then the sound of the door opening snapped her out of it.
âMel?â She heard through the pillow.
She didnât move the pillow or reveal her face, but she did respond softly. âYes?â
âAre you okay?â You closed the door behind you.
Mel sniffled but didnât say anything. She felt the bed shift under your weight as you sat on the edge. Mel didnât move at all, nor did she utter a word. She was so embarrassed of herself that she couldnât face you.
âCan I take the pillow from you?â You asked gently.
Mel shook her head from inside the pillow, âNo, Iâd like to stay like this. I donât want to see anything.â
âOkay,â You said, âWell, I donât know how well you can breathe like that⌠It might be making you feel worse.â
Mel didnât move, barely hearing what you said. She really, really just didnât want to be seen in that moment. But she did feel comforted by the warmth in your voice. She just hated the thought of seeing you seeing her.
âI donât want to see.â She repeated.
She heard you let out a sigh and come closer. âWhat if I turn the light off? That way you donât have to see anything and you can still breathe.â You suggested.
Mel was starting to get hot under the pillow, and it did feel like it was getting harder to breathe. So she nodded in agreement, then realized you probably couldnât see her movement.
âYes.â She got out.
You went into action immediately, âOkay, Iâm gonna take the pillow first. Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them.â You instructed and she affirmed with a hum.
You helped Mel to sit up, her hands still holding the pillow tightly against her face. When she was up, you took the pillow and she felt the air in the room hit her face. Mel closed her eyes as tight as she could so she wouldnât be able to see anything. She felt you get up for a moment and then she heard the click of the light going off. Your weight came back onto the bed in front of her and she let out a breath.
âYou can open your eyes.â You almost whispered.
Mel opened them as if she was under a spell. And just as she wished, she couldnât see anything. It was pitch black in the room, not a singular item able to be made out in the darkness. She relaxed slightly in the darkness and she felt your presence next to her.
âDo you want to talk about it?â You asked.
âNo.â She whispered.
âOkay.â
You guys sat there in the dark, silently. Melâs mind quieted as well, all of the negative thoughts being pushed out by her appreciation of you. She wasnât sure if anyone had sat in a meltdown with her since her parents died. No one had gotten in the dirt with her and really felt the mess of her feelings with her. Everyone always tried to offer a solution or talk her out of her head, which only made her feel overwhelmed. But you, you just sat there with her and let her calm down herselfâ ready to step in if she said the words.
After a long time in the dark, Mel finally cleared her throat. âWhy does she always pick on me?â Mel asked.
She wasnât necessarily asking you and she didnât want an answer. You didnât provide one and she was glad that you didnât. You just let her think out loud.
âIt feels like itâs always directed at me.â She continued. âAnd I know she says sheâs joking, but I donât feel like she is. Sometimes it feels like she means the things she says.â Mel felt tears begin to slip from her eyes.
âI donât even know if weâre close enough for her to pick on me that way. Like, if we were genuine friends maybe I wouldnât feel like this. But I only see her at work and sheâs always making jokes about me behind my back and in front of my face. And I never hear her pick on Dennis or Victoria or you or anyone else that way. I just donât get why itâs always me that gets the brunt of it. It feels like she doesnât like me.â
Mel ranted breathlessly and then stopped to collect herself. You were so still and quiet that she almost thought you had left.
âAre you still there?â She asked.
âYes, Iâm here.â You said quickly as you rested a hand on top of hers. âIâm gonna turn on the lamp, is that okay?â
Mel tensed up for a second but then she relaxed. She felt ready to see you now.
âYes.â
She felt you squeeze her hand and then she felt you lean across her to the bedside table, flicking the lamp on.
The light was warm and orange, barely lighting the two of you. It was enough light for her to see you though. You were smiling gently at her and she wanted to reach out and touch your face.
âYou are allowed to feel however you feel.â You said softly. âTrinity likes to joke but it doesnât excuse how her jokes make you feel.â
Mel looked down sadly, âItâs not just Trinity. Itâs everyone. I feel like something about me makes it so easy for people to target me or treat me⌠bad. Itâs always been that way. I just donât⌠fit, and itâs like people can sense that I donât.â Mel explained.
âMelâŚâ You started.
âI wish I was like you.â She peered at you. âYou fit so easily into any environment. Everyone loves you, and of course they would. Youâre great.â She couldnât hold back her words.
You sighed and came closer to Mel. Your face was a mixture of sympathy and sadness. You reached up to where Melâs braid sat on the front of her chest, and you began untwisting the hair tie that secured it. Mel let you start to take out her braid, your fingers combing through it.
âYou donât have to be like me for people to love you.â You began.
Melâs hair began to spill over her shoulders as you unbraided it. Her eyes stayed glued to your face as you reached around with both hands to fluff her hair once her braid was undone.
âYou just be yourself and the right people will love you as you are.â
You leaned back, resting your hands in your lap as you sat criss-cross applesauce. Your eyes beamed at her with reassurement and the orange light glowed against your skin, making little glimmers on the tiny braids at the front of your head. The sincerity in your eyes, the smell of you, the jangly sounds you made with every small movement. You were like a princess, or a fairy, or maybe both. There was just something about you in that moment that was enchanting. Something so enchanting that Melâs mind went completely blank as she stared at you. And for a split second, there was nothing but you and her and that room.
With her mind blank, having no concept of what existed beyond the four walls of the room, she leaned forward quickly.
She kissed you.
Melâs lips landed on yours with haste. She kissed you so quickly that you jumped back from the kiss with surprise. When she saw the expression on your face, she couldnât read it immediately. You looked more surprised than anything else, but she worried for a moment that you were upset.
You stared at each other for a moment, waiting for the other person to do something. Mel saw playfulness take over your expression in an instant. You let out the same lighthearted giggle you did when she did something you found funny. Mel had no time to process her confusion from that reaction because then you went to kiss her again.
You kissed her softly once, like a peck you give someone on your way out. Then you looked at her with an impish smile as you continued to softly laugh. Your second kiss was much more intentionalâ deeper and longer, letting her feel the curve of your lips. You pulled away again and Mel opened her eyes sleepily to see you scanning her face energetically, as if you were trying to gauge her reaction. Mel was in a daze, however, and she knew she looked nothing but besotted and starry-eyed. Finally, you kissed her again and this time you stayed.
Your lips moved against hers skillfully. Mel felt your nose brush gently against hers and your tongue swipe along her bottom lip. Her heart jumped when your hands came to her shoulders. You kissed so tenderly, so thoughtfully. Your lips rolled against Melâs like waves that fit perfectly together. It made Mel feel like she was intoxicatedâ which she was still slightly.
The way your tongue massaged hers, dipping into your mouth as if you were really trying to savor the taste of her. How you hummed into her mouth and mewled between kisses, letting her know that you enjoyed the kiss as much as she did. It was so inebriating, so delightful, so different fromâ
Frank!
Her mind screamed.
Frank!
Mel tore herself away from you, putting as much space between you and her as possible within seconds. You yelped slightly at the brashness of her actions, falling back onto your hands as Melâs back hit the wall behind her. You still had that playful look on your face from before, but Melâs sleepy look had become wide awake.
âIâm sorry.â She rushed out. âIâm sorry, I- I shouldnât have done that.â Mel breathed heavily.
You shook your head with smirk as if it was no big deal, âItâs okay.â
âNo, I- that was so inappropriate of me. I shouldnât have done that to you. Iâm your senior a-and IâmâŚâ She went to mention her engagement but she trailed off.
âMel, itâs okay. Iâm okay.â You shrugged.
âIâm just pretty drunk and wound up and⌠youâre presence was so calming. I just got⌠confused, I-â Mel rambled on. âIâm gonna go. I need to go.â She headed towards the door.
âMel, donât go. Itâs okay, really.â You begged.
Mel was already pulling the door open, though. Her feet carried her away from you as fast as they could, but you started making up that space by following her. Mel tuned out the sound of you calling her, and she felt deja-vu hit her as she remembered how Frank called after her that same way just hours before.
How could she do something like this to Frank? He loved her so much. And he was her person. How could she ever even think of kissing someone else. She felt like a horrible person, like she didnât recognize herself. Was this who she was now? Someone who kissed other people when she was engaged?
She didnât dare think about how kissing you made her feel.
You followed her all the way outside. Mel was so fast, however, that she was already down the street. She looked back for a moment and saw you standing on Danaâs front porch, watching her from a distance.
In the excitement of the moment, Mel forgot her jacket with her keys in it. She thought about going back to get it, but she knew she couldnât do that. But maybe it was good that she wouldnât be around Frank or you for the night. And she knew where she could go. The only other place that sheâd ever called home.
As she began walking to the train station that she knew would take her home, her mind continued to race. She wasnât nearly as embarrassed as she had been earlier in the night, but she was so disgusted by herself that she wanted to jump out of her skin.
Mel finally let herself replay the kiss. She felt it all over againâ your lips, your body, your hair tickling her face. Her heart leaped again and her stomach somersaulted as she remembered how you kitten-licked her and how you kissed her so playfully and exploratory like an elf frolicking around her face. Then she quickly tried pushing her thoughts away.
She didnât like it. She couldnât like it. She had to stop thinking about it.
But Mel knew she wasnât going to stop thinking about it anytime soon.
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
oooooookayyyyyyy that was A LOT
also please note that readers feelings towards frank donât reflect MY feelings about him!! i was doing her character study and this is how i felt she would feel about him
you guys catch that mohabbot sneak lol?????
also omg mel is definitely gay and crushinggggg she wants that cookie bad!!
also sorry the end is SO rushed but i wanted to get this to you guys asap
okay let me know if thereâs anything you guys want from this story! i like how itâs panning out so far but open to requests (maybe)
go tell your boyfriend (that i'm your girlfriend).
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â pairing: fem!reader x mel king x frank langdon
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â summary: mel king is engaged to the ptmcâs most eligible bachelorâ frank langdon. sheâs comfortable in her relationship and overall very happy. but what happens when a spunky new intern walks into her life and flips it upside down?
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â warnings: cheating (but itâs wlw cheating so itâs chill), slight power imbalance (mel and reader are the same age but mel is an r3 and reader is an intern because of several gap years), detailed use of medical terminology, discussion of medical practice, compulsory heterosexuality, slight corruption kink, mentions of alcohol, mentions of eating disorders, eventual smut (like lots of it), infidelity kink (reader enjoys sneaking behind franks back), canon inaccuracies, mentions of guilt about same-sex attraction, slight slut-shaming, not proofread
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
Chapter 2: Red Wine Supernova
It had never been easy for Mel to make friends.
She had always been naturally shy with little quirks that drew mostly negative attention. Growing up, her social awkwardness made it hard for her to relate to her peers. She didnât like going out much and loud spaces made her anxious, so she missed out on many of the social functions that her peers attendedâ football games, school dances, house parties.
Then once her dad died right before she started school at Pitt, and her mother died shortly after, her responsibilities began to stack up. In addition to school, she had to work multiple jobs to support herself and Becca. Any possibility of making friends in college was pretty much thrown out of the window.
When she started at the PTMC, Mel realized that she actually didnât know how to make friends. There had always just been something that kept her from connecting with the people around her. Thatâs why she became so attached to Frank.
Frank was the first person to be kind to her when she started working at PTMC. Being around him was easy and she didnât feel like she had to perform for him like she did with others. He liked her awkwardness and her quirks and he let her talk as much as she wanted. She was so happy to have a friend to listen to her when she met him.
When Frank asked her to hang out outside of work, she was so excited. Frank suggested dinner and a movie, and Mel was just happy that she finally had someone to do things with her. After talking to Trinity, however, she came to the realization that she had been tricked into going on a date. Which led to her asking Frank, which then led to Frank confessing he had romantic feelings for her.
Mel wasnât sure how she felt about Frank liking her in that way. She wasnât really someone who attracted romantic attention, at least none that she knew of. Through all of their interactions, she never ever thought that Frank could be harboring those kinds of feelings for her. But she knew how horrible unrequited feelings were in friendships, and she really didnât want to lose him. And he was conventionally attractive⌠and nice to her.
So, thatâs how she ended up being his girlfriend.
And then his fiancĂŠe.
She liked having Frank. She did. But sometimes, she wonder what she would be doing if she wasnât so attached to him. She especially thought about it when she saw Trinity, Dennis, Victoria, Joy, and now you headed out for drinks after work on Fridays.
You had integrated into the PTMC miraculously well. Maybe it was because you had Samira to cushion your fall, but Mel was in awe of how you had become close friends with everyone so fast. Jealousy wasnât an emotion she really felt ever but she did find it equally impressive and annoying how you easily glided into social interactions.
You appeared out of nowhere practically. And you were unfiltered, and you said things about how you hated working, and you never wore the proper scrubs, and you yelled at Robby.
And everyone loved you for it.
Your presence was confusing and fascinating to her all at once. She wanted to get to know you more after you guys worked on the DVT case together but the momentum she thought you guys had built up had plateaued.
She saw you come into work every morning with an iced matcha in hand. Your hair was usually in some elaborate styleâ plaits in the shape of a star that flowed into pigtails or an ornate bun with clips in it. Every morning, you glided into the PTMC with your face buried in your phone, Samira by your side chirping away. Then you greeted everyone before heading to the locker room to drop your things off.
You were nice to her, of course. But you and Trinity had more in common so you guys formed a friendship very fast. Mel was somewhat disappointed that you guys hadnât become the friends you said youâd be on your first day.
Most of the things she learned about you came from Trinity and her own observation of you, but her interactions with you had been brief. She figured from the national parks stickers on your water bottle that you must like hiking. She also learned from Trinity that you lived abroad for most of the past eight years. Trinity also mentioned you having a hopeless and amusing crush on McKay. And Mel may have looked you up online which led her to find out that you went to Bryn Mawr and you liked history and you had done a research project on the epidemiology of eating disorders in Latin American countries.
You seemed so cool! Mel wished she could just get herself to talk to you for more than two seconds. But just like always, she couldnât quite figure out how to connect.
Mel and Frank were planning to visit his parents out west later in the month, so to make up the hours, Mel decided to do a double-shift at the end of the week. They had agreed to do Friday morning and night together, but at the last minute, Frank chose to switch his to be earlier in the week. So, there she was, watching everyone â including her fianceâ clock out while she prepared for the creatures of the night to emerge.
Trinity and Dennis came out of the locker room to see Mel with a pitiful expression on her face. She looked at them as she rested her chin in her hand, and Trinity cooed at her.
âAw,â She messed up the top of Melâs hair with her knuckles, âPoor little Mel-anoma stuck here all night.â
âYou know I hate when you do that.â Mel swatted her hand a way as her face reddened.
Dennis rolled his eyes at Trinity and then turned his attention to Mel, âDo you want us to bring you anything? Coffee maybe?â
Mel shook her head, âNo, thatâs alright. Iâll just make coffee in the break room if I really start feeling it.â She smiled weakly.
You and Samira came up to them suddenly, setting down a chart and looking at the group. âWhy the long faces?â Samira asked. âWeâre free!â
Melâs eyes found you and she took note of your jean jacket with red buttons, enjoying the contrast of warm and cool color. Your gaze suddenly landed on her and she looked away quickly in hopes that maybe you didnât see her staring.
âMelâs pulling a double.â Dennis answered.
You looked at Mel and she nodded in confirmation. âOh man, Iâm sorry.â Samira said sincerely. âAnd on a Friday? What form of masochism is this?â
âWell, Frank and I are visiting his parents this month so I have to take time off.â She explained to Samira but her eyes kept finding you.
Trinity sucked in a sharp breath and rolled her eyes, âYeah, and where is he right now?â Trinity crossed her arms. âOh, right! He ditched you without even telling you!â
Melâs face heated up and she began to regret telling Trinity about Frank ducking out of his extra shift with her. You tuned into the conversation suddenly and furrowed your brows.
âYou guys were supposed to stay together?â You asked.
Every time you spoke to her, the words caught in her throat. It was like she wasnât expecting you to speak to her, so when you did she was so surprised that she had to pause and think about what to say.
Mel nodded, âI- I mean, it wasnât really set in stone.â She lied as she scratched her head. âAnd he gets tired at the end of the week, so I probably should have anticipated⌠And we really could have picked a different day, but I just- well, Becca spends her Friday with Adam now so I thought it was best if we worked tonight so I could spend time with her on Saturday.â She explained.
âSheâs leaving out the part about her finding out he ditched her as he was clocking out!â Trinity added.
Dennis let out a huff, âWould you stop? We all know you just hate Langdon.â He spoke honestly.
As the two of them started to bicker as usual, Mel looked up at you from where she sat and you were looking at her already. Her immediate instinct was to look away because she usually hated such direct eye contactâ even with Frank. But your eyes were soft and inviting and playful, and she didnât feel the need to look away.
You pointed at the two of them with a melodramatic expression as if to say âget a load of these two.â Mel shrugged and then a light laugh found its way to her.
Samira finally stepped in and stopped Trinity and Dennisâ bickering. âCan you two quit it? Jesus, this is a hospital, not a daycare. Plus, if we donât leave right now we are definitely not getting a table for karaoke.â Samira whined.
Mel perked up and if she had a tail it would have started to wag. âYou guys are doing karaoke?â She asked pitifully.
âYeah, and you could be going with us if you werenât stuck here like a grounded teenager on a Friday night.â Trinity teased.
Mel looked down at her fingers and felt a heavy sinking in her chest like she always did when you guys talked about your after-work hangouts. âWell, even if I was free, you guys didnât say anything to me about going.â She said solemnly.
âOh come on, donât be sad, Mel.â Trinity leaned over the nurseâs station. âYou never want to go when we ask, so we just assumed that you donât like going out.â
It was true. Mel had declined all of their previous invitations. Not necessarily because she didnât want to, but because she couldnât most of the time. She was either with Frank or with Becca or both of them. Sometimes she was so tired after work that she wanted nothing but to crash on her bed immediately. And the idea of being in a claustrophobic, dimly-lit bar listening to loud music didnât sound exactly like what she wanted to do after a long shift.
But for some reason, there was still that profound feeling of loneliness she got when she wasnât invited places. It confused her so much because she didnât want to include herself, but it would have been nice to have someone who invited her no matter how many times she said no.
Mel had made the moment awkward with her sensitivityâ something that happened pretty often. Everyone was silent as the awkwardly looked around themselves and Mel focused on her hands in her lap.
âUm, I could stay if you want.â Your voice came through delicately.
Mel looked up quickly and then immediately felt insecure about looking too excited. Trinity groaned and Samira looked at you like you were crazy.
âYeah, I mean,â You shrugged, âIâll stay with you.â You began setting your stuff down.
âNo. Uh-uh. You promised we would do Red Wine Supernova tonight!â Trinity protested.
You threw your hands up, âWell, take this as an opportunity to get a cute girl to sing it with you.â You suggested.
âDude, you are a cute girl who was supposed to sing it with me.â She whined and you shrugged at her, not relenting.
Mel felt a nervous feeling settle in her stomach as you came to sit next to her. You sat quite close and she instinctively scooted away. You guys looked at each other for a moment and you gave her a bright-eyed smile, to which she awkwardly hummed and looked away.
Samira leaned in closer and whispered, âIs McKay on shift tonight or something? Is that why you want to stay?â She half-joked, referencing your unserious crush on the older doctor.
âOh my god, stop.â You warned her.
âWell, Iâm just asking!â Samira defended. âYou canât wait to get out of this place everyday and now youâre staying overnight?â
You rolled your eyes, âIâm not staying because of McKay and I told you I donât actually have a crush on her.â You defended yourself.
Mel spoke up finally, âYou donât have to stay. Really, Iâll be fine and I donât want you to miss out on Chappell Roan.â She insisted sweetly.
âSee, she says sheâs fine! Now, letâs get out of here!â Trinity begged.
You turned to face Mel and she flinched away from your knee touching hers. Then practically as soon as she got her knee away from yours, you placed a hand on her shoulder which startled her.
âDonât worry about it, itâll be fun! And youâll be saving me from Dennisâ high notes.â You giggled as you leaned closer to Mel and she backed away nervously.
Dennis held his hand to his heart and looked at you with fake betrayal. âExcuse me? You mean you donât want to be serenaded by my dulcet tones all night?â He asked sarcastically and then he held his hand in the air and let out a screeching high note.
âOh god, my ears! Theyâre bleeding!â You jokingly held your hands over your ears.
Trinity covered Dennisâ mouth with her hand, âAlright, enough.â She snapped.
Samira sighed in surrender. âOkay, fine, if you want to stay then I donât care. Just donât wake me up when you get in tomorrow morning.â She pointed her finger sternly at you.
You leaned forward and clasped your hands around her finger and hand, pulling yourself closer to her. âI promise to be quiet as a mouse.â You said as you placed a playful kiss on her cheek.
Trinity and Dennis were already making their way towards the door, but Samira looked between you and Mel one last time. Then Trinity yelled for her to hurry up and she began to back away, telling you to be good and to not scare Mel. Once they were gone, Mel felt her nerves heighten even more. Now it was just the two of you. There was no one to cushion your interactions and the ER wasnât even busy enough to distract you guys from each other.
Mel looked directly in front of her, careful to not look anywhere in your direction for fear that she might burst into flames if she did. But you turned her chair around to face you and she was met with your playful grin. She nodded nervously and forced a smile to her face.
âHi,â you said simply.
Mel blinked away all the thoughts clouding her mind, âHello.â She responded meekly.
You sat back quickly and then stood up even quicker, taking Mel by surprise. She realized that you were someone whoâs next move couldnât be predicted and that unsettled her slightly.
âMan, this place is dead. I thought they said the freaks come out at night?â You tried joking with Mel but she looked at you blankly, still too nervous to say anything.
Your expression tightened for a moment in a way she wasnât able to read, but you quickly softened again. âI donât know about you but I am starving. You wanna come grab a sandwich with me?â You asked her.
âOh, the cafeteria is closed.â Mel said even though it was obvious that it was afterhours. âAnd the food makes my stomach hurt.â She looked down as if that fact made her sad.
You laughed at her again, âI know the cafeteria is closed, Silly. Thereâs a deli down the street that has this huge, amazing prosciutto and arugula sub, and Iâm gonna need one to get through the night⌠maybe even two!â You held your hands up to demonstrate the size of the sub you were describing.
âI donât think weâre allowed to leave during shift.â Mel whispered as if she was afraid of getting caught.
âWell,â You leaned onto the counter, âThey canât expect us to do our jobs if weâre starving. Plus, I never took my break and I donât remember seeing you take one either.â
âWe donât really have set breaks around hereâ although, maybe weâre supposed to? Someone should probably talk to HR about that because we really should haveâŚâ She trailed off when she realized how much she was talking.
You sighed, âOkay well, I lived in Switzerland for a year and therefore, I believe in work-life balance. And how Iâm choosing to balance my work with my life is by chowing down on some baby arugula right now.â Then you scrunched your face and groaned. âWow, and I am becoming one of those people who never shuts up about living abroad.â
Mel shook her head in reluctance, âI donât know⌠Abbot is kind of strict.â
âOh,â You scoffed, âYou mean Samiraâs Abbot? Please, that man is softer than a babyâs butt. I bet we could even get him to give us money for our subs!â
Did nothing phase you? Mel was beginning to think so. There were no rules to you, no boundaries you couldnât cross. Your confidence was both concerning and inspiring to Mel.
You tapped the counter twice and then motioned for her to follow you. Mel watched you walk towards the exit but she didnât move from her spot. Today your hair was in a half-up, half-down style with two braids swinging from the back of your head. Mel was practically hypnotized by the swinging motion of your hair when you stopped at the door and turned back to look at her.
âArenât you coming?â You asked her.
Mel snapped out of her trance as you waited for her to get up. She practically jumped up when you continued to walk out of the sliding doors. âYeah! Coming!â
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
You and Mel were in and out of the deli shop in fifteen minutes. Things still hadnât picked up in the ER so you guys decided to decompress in the stairwell per Melâs request. So there you both sat, eating your sandwiches in silence.
Mel examined you closely while also trying not to look too much. She didnât know why she felt so shy about looking at you, she just knew that she got a tickly feeling in her chest at the thought of you seeing her looking so intensely. After a few minutes of just sitting and looking at you, she figured she should at least try to talk to you.
âUm, so you said that you lived in Switzerland?â She asked and you nodded. âHowâd that happen?â She continued but then realized her tone was a bit off. âSorry, I didnât mean for that to come out like it did. I meant like what led to you living abroad?â She rephrased.
âItâs okay you donât have to apologize.â You reassured her. âRemember when I told you about all of my little journeys to find myself? Well one of those journeys was in Switzerland.â You explained.
Mel hummed, âWhat did you do there?â
âEverything.â You reminisced. âI just needed a break after I finished my research and I hate being in the US for too long, so I left⌠again. I hit up a friend from Bryn Mawr who was living in Switzerland and she let me crash there. I shadowed this doctor while I was there and tutored a bit for money, but I mostly just rested while I was there.â
âOh, so it wasnât like a study abroad thing?â Mel asked.
You shook your head in response, âNo, although, I did study abroad in Nepal andââ
âPeru.â You both said together.
You raised your eyebrow at Mel with a smirk, and she felt the blood in her veins run cold.
âHow did you know that?â Your tone was high-pitched.
Mel panicked and searched for an answer, âOh, Trinity mentioned it.â She lied as she looked away awkwardly.
She was sure to not mention how she had learned all about your study abroad from your social mediaâŚ.
âEnough about me! What about you? Did you study abroad? Whereâd you grow up?â You rapid-fired your line of questioning.
Mel sat up and adjusted herself nervously, âNo, I didnât get to study abroad. I went to Pitt and got a generous scholarship to go to St. Andrewâs for a year, but I was still figuring out things with my parentsâ passing and trying to take care of Becca. It just didnât work out, but itâs okay!â She said positively.
âIâm sorry, Mel.â You said genuinely. âHave you at least gotten to visit Scotland to make up for it?â You asked.
She shook her head, âSadly, no⌠But its definitely on my list for Frank and Iâs honeymoon. Iâd really like to go out of the country since Iâve never been.â She said.
Your eyes widened and turned sharply, knees touching hers again like they had earlier. Your hands went to her shoulders and you gripped them hard. It seemed that you had a habit of invading personal space that you didnât seem to notice. It made Mel feel a bit on-edge because whenever you touched her it was like sheâd been electrocuted, and she never knew when you were going to touch her.
âYouâve never been out of the country? Like not even to Canada?â You asked and she shook her head no. âSorry, I donât mean to make it seem like thereâs something wrong with never having been out of the country.â You added.
âItâs okay! I havenât been yet but Iâd really like to one day. I really want to see the Scottish Highlands once in my lifetime.â Mel smiled to herself as she imagined the rolling green hills and crisp, misty air. âHave you ever been?â
âI have not! But youâre right, theyâre really beautiful. We should go!â You suggested.
Mel smiled shyly, âYou donât mean that.â She said.
âSure I do! Why not?â You asked as if it was a given that you did genuinely mean your words.
âI donât know⌠I donât really get out much, you probably would want to go with someone more outgoing.â She shrugged somberly.
You smirked at her and lightly rolled your eyes, âMel, friends go on trips together. Thatâs actually literally what friends are for! Come on, youâve never been on a little road trip with your girlfriends before?â You poked her shoulder and she flinched but said nothing. âOr, like, havenât you and Frank ever gone on a trip together?â You asked.
Mel shook her head, âFrank and I have only been to visit his parents in Harrisburg. And Iâve only ever been a road trip once with my parents and Becca a really long time ago. Although, I donât have fond memories of that tripââ
âOkay so that means you have to go on a road trip with friends so that you can replace the bad memories with the good ones!â You said cheerily.
Mel spoke as if she was talking to herself, âHonestly, even if I could go I donât really have any friends to do that kind of stuff withâŚâ Her tone was weak.
âWhat do you mean? Youâve got Trinity and Dennis!â You paused for a moment in thought. âAnd you have me.â You added with a shrug of your shoulders.
âI donât know, I donât think Trinity or Dennis really see me as a friend. Not one that they would hang out with outside of work at least. They never invite me out anymore⌠Which I know is partly because I always say no, but I donât know why it still bothers me.â Mel said a little too honestly.
You looked at her with a sympathetic expression. It looked like you kept going to say something but you stopped yourself short of doing so. Then you finally let out a sigh and let your voice come through softly.
âI know I said that friendship is all about going on adventures and stuff together⌠But part of it is also respecting your friendsâ boundaries.â You said gently. âMaybe Trinity and Dennis think not inviting you is a way of respecting the boundary you set previously?â You suggested.
âCan I ask,â You started again, âWhy do you say no if you want to be included?â You questioned but with a tone that was more curious than judgmental.
Mel let out an exasperated sigh, âI donât know.â She said.
âYeah, you do.â You dragged out with a knowing look.
Her brows pressed together in thought and she looked down at her lap. âI⌠I donât know if itâs that I want to be included. Maybe, but I think I say no because Iâm too scared that once I amâ included, I meanâ that I wonât know what to do or how to act.â
Mel sunk into her place on the steps and nodded. âI know⌠I know, itâs silly of me really.â She rationalized to herself. âI shouldnât be upset when theyâre doing it because of my own actions. Butâ I donât knowâ I kind of just want to be invited anyway⌠Like I want to beââ
âYou want to be considered⌠You want to be a thought.â You were the one to speak for her this time and she looked at you with stirred eyes. You nodded and scooted closer to her. âI get it.â
Mel scanned your expression for dismissal or annoyanceâ the same emotions that she saw in Frankâs expression when she voiced her feelings to him. The look that said âI really donât careâ or âthis is silly.â But all she saw on your face was understanding. She felt something settle in her at the sincerity of your expression.
âI think them respecting your boundaries is good, but youâre also totally valid for feeling the way you do.â You took another bite of your sandwich. âYou guys just have to find a balance. They have to figure out different ways of pulling you in, and maybe once in a while you can jump out of the fishbowl and into the pond!â
Jump out of the fishbowl and into the pond.
Mel wasnât exactly sure what you meant by that, but her best guess was that it meant she needed to get out of her shell every once in a while. She liked that sayingâ a lot, in fact. It described how she had felt her whole life. Observing the world around her from all sides, but with an amorphous, invisible barrier that kept her from participating in it.
Mel blinked slowly at you. You and your perfectly done hair. You and your dangling jewelry that would have overstimulated her to wear. You and your red-button jean jacket that you still had on over your scrubs. You and your warm, resolute expression.
âI never talk about this to anyone.â She said in almost a whisper. âI donât know why Iâm talking about it with you.â
You let out a small chuckle. âI do have that effect on people.â You winked.
Mel mentally cringed at how that wink made her feel. It was like she wanted to dance and shrink in on herself at the same time. Euphoric and equally dreadful was how she felt whenever you winked at her.
Your eyes stayed on her for a second longer than normal, wide and perceptive. Your lips had curled into a thoughtful smile. Mel relaxed finally, feeling calmed by the serenity of your presence. She really didnât like that you had managed to get her to say so much. Not because she didnât appreciate having someone listen to her, but because she wasnât sure what about you made her comfortable to say those thingsâ and what about you made her feel like she was actually being heard.
Abbot opened the door to the stairwell suddenly and you both jumped. Mel moved away from you quickly with an awkward smile and you cleared your throat.
âWhat the hell is this? Book club?â Abbot teased you guys.
You jumped to your feet energetically and Mel mimicked your motion. You lightly pushed Abbotâs shoulder as you passed him and he over-dramatically stumbled backwards.
âGo run your ER.â You said sharply and Mel was, yet again, shocked by your brashness towards your superiors.
As Abbot retorted something equally snippy, Mel followed behind you both, silently disappointed that your time together had been cut short. She tried to get past Abbot to at least thank you, but he was walking so fast in front of her and you guys had already slipped into a playful banterâ the moment had passed.
Mel just hoped that this wouldnât be the last time you guys had such an encounter.
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
okayyyyy chapter 2!!! mel and reader are getting closer yayyyyyyy!!!
also, everyone is free to imagine reader however they want but i will say in my head she is a woc⌠so do with that info what you will!
also taglist will happen, SO if you would like to be added please let me know! i will definitely need people to hold me accountable for finishing this story because i have the habit of dnf-ing my work lol
go tell your boyfriend (that iâm your girlfriend).
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â pairing: fem!reader x mel king x frank langdon
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â summary: mel king is engaged to the ptmcâs most eligible bachelorâ frank langdon. sheâs comfortable in her relationship and overall very happy. but what happens when a spunky new intern walks into her life and flips it upside down?
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â warnings: cheating (but itâs wlw cheating so itâs chill), slight power imbalance (mel and reader are the same age but mel is an r3 and reader is an intern because of several gap years), detailed use of medical terminology, discussion of medical practice, compulsory heterosexuality, slight corruption kink, mentions of alcohol, mentions of past disordered eating, eventual smut (like lots of it), infidelity kink (reader enjoys sneaking behind franks back), canon inaccuracies, mentions of guilt about same-sex attraction, slight slut-shaming, kind of slow start, not proofread
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â disclaimer: slowish beginning chapter literally the only thing that happens is that mel and reader meet for the first time!
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
Chapter 1: Slouching Towards Pittsburgh
You had known Samira Mohan since you were both children.
Her family lived across the river in New Jersey while yours lived in New York, and your families had been friends for a long time so you grew up with her. She was a bit older than you and was, annoyingly, always the first to do things. First to graduate, first to get into medical school, and now she was the first to become a full doctor. You, on the other hand, were only at the beginning of your career and on the cusp of your intern year.
Your journey through med school had been⌠tumultuous to say the least.
After partying and drinking through your undergrad at Bryn Mawr, you were put on academic probation for almost flunking out and were forced to take at least one semester off. You decided to take a full year to study abroad in Nepal, and then you took an extra gap semester to travel around the country writing blog posts for a medical journal your parents had ties to. Then you went back to Bryn Mawr to finish the last two years of your bachelorâs and immediately went back abroad to do sponsored research in Peru for a year. When that was over, you spent about 6 months traveling through the US and Europe, doing more partying and drinking and having the best sex of your life before you finally started medical school at UPenn. After four years at Penn, you moved to Switzerland where you did nothing but read about medicine, go to local coffee shops, and seduce beautiful Swiss women.
But your parents had had enough. They made you come home and told you they refused to keep funding your little journeys of self-discovery. It was time for you to settle down and start taking your medical career seriouslyâ âlike Samiraâ.
Your parents had put up with a lot from you. They had, in fact, bankrolled your entire study abroad and paid for your living expenses while you were there. They had paid for your therapy and several rounds of ED recovery since you were a teenager. You felt like the least you could in return was to finish becoming a doctor.
So, after a good word from Samira to the chief attending, you found yourself at the PTMC as a 29-year-old intern.
You moved in with Samira two weeks before you started at the PTMC because you wanted to acquaint yourself with Pittsburgh. You had your own room that connected to Samiraâs through a âJack and Jillâ style bathroom. Your rooms were polar opposite of each other. Samiraâs room had eggshell-colored walls with framed abstract paintings and succulent plants on her windowsill and desk. Your walls were burgundy with multicolored drapes hanging from every part of your ceiling and books stacked on the floor going up to the window. Where her room was pristine, yours was eclectic. Where she had a furry white rug, you had mismatched persian rugs that covered your entire floor.
Samira had been trying her best to get you out into the city, trying to reassure you that there was a life worth living in Pittsburgh. But Samira was understandably very busy with her fellowship and she didnât have as much time as she would have liked to help you acclimate to the city. Although youâd visited Pittsburgh a couple times while you were at Penn and Bryn Mawr, that had been with friends and only for a few days. Now that you lived there you were having trouble adapting.
You hadnât made any new friends and none of your college friends lived in the area. Pittsburgh was a lot slower than New York and things shut down earlier (and you had no friends to go with to the places that stayed open late). You also noticed that the population skewed older. And worst of all? You hadnât met any gay people yet.
So maybe you and Pittsburgh werenât an immediate match. But you had spent twelve days hiking the Himalayas and had reached the peak of Aconcaguaâ Pittsburgh was just another mountain you had to summit.
You woke up late and on the wrong side of bed. In fact, the only reason you woke up at all was because Samira woke you when she came in from her double shift. When you looked at your clock it was way past the time you need to be up.
6:30. It read
âOh fuck.â You shot out of bed.
âDonât you have an alarm?â Samira teased.
âI thought that I set it! I very much remember setting it for 5::30 actually.â You groaned as you rushed to grab a pair of scrubs.
You tore through your closet looking for the black scrubs Samira told you were a part of the uniform. Of course you couldnât find them so instead you landed on a pair of bright turquoise scrubs that hurt your eyes to look at.
âYou canât wear those. Unless you want to be the running joke of the dayâŚâ Samira snickered.
You sighed as you messily threw on your scrubs, âWell I donât exactly have a choice.â You said. âIâll just grab a new pair at the hospital when I get a chance.
Samira shook her head, amused by the situation. She decided to at least help you and pack your bag up to save some time. Then she gently placed it on your bed signaling that it was ready for you.
You looked into the mirror and saw that your hair was actually not as bad as you expected it to look. Sure, it wasnât the perfectly curled, half-up-half-down, Kate Middleton look you had planned for the day. But at least it looked brushed and shiny?
You shook your thoughts away and flipped your hair into a more relaxed side part to give it volume. Then you grabbed a claw clip, knowing youâd want to pull it up later.
âOkay, uh, what bus was it again?â You asked.
âJust go to the stop thatâs right outside and get on whichever bus is soonest. And make sure youâre on one going downtown.â She emphasized and you nodded.
âFuck, okay. Um, I donât look like I rolled out of bed too much⌠right?â You feigned a smile.
Samira looked you over and then playfully rolled her eyes. âYou better go or Robbyâs gonna put you in triage all day.â She turned you around and began pushing you towards the door.
âWhat if I kill someone on my first day?â You asked.
âYou wonât.â
âWhat if I faint like you said that one girl did?â
âYou wonât.â Samira whined.
âWhat if no one likes me?â You turned to face her.
She sighed out your name and gripped your shoulders. âYou are one of the most interesting, dynamic, intelligent, cool people Iâve ever met. Everyone is gonna love you. Just be yourself, okay?â She reassured you.
You let out a deep breath, âOkay.â You nodded.
âNow go! So I can get some sleep.â She opened the door and pushed out of it.
What should have been a fifteen minute bus ride ended up being a thirty minute ride. The bus was super late and, of course, stopped for five minutes for seemingly no reason at all. But you finally made it into work at 7:10 which wasnât great but not terrible.
When you got to the PTMC, you saw a tall man with a greying beard speaking to a huddle of people at the nurses station. You didnât even go to the locker room to put your things away, you just quietly tried to slip into the group of people. However, the tall manâs eyes caught you almost immediately and you felt your blood run cold at his questioning gaze. He paused for a moment and looked you up and down in an offended way.
âIâm sorry, can we help you?â He asked.
You froze as you felt everyoneâs heads turn to you. You made eye contact with a few of the people around youâ a short girl with a slick-back ponytail, an older woman with bangs, a small woman with a septum and glasses. You stuttered out for a second before an awkward smile took over your face and you looked at the man again.
âIâm so sorry, I meant to get here sooner but my bus had some trouble and um-â You started but the man interrupted you.
âOh, youâre here to clock in?â He laughed sarcastically and you felt yourself shrink a bit. âWell thank you for deciding to grace us with your presence, but in the future promptness is appreciated.â He said and you nodded.
His eyes lingered on your bright-colored scrubs for a moment and then he looked at your hair, which was still not pulled up. You could feel him silently judging your appearance and you wanted to hide like a small child.
He must be Dr. Robby. You thought, matching the description Samira had given you to the man in front of you.
Dr. Robby continued with his line of instruction and you stood there trying to not feel demoralized. When he was done, he dismissed everyone except for the interns and junior residents, and you all gathered closer around him. You took a moment to examine the group around you. The woman with the septum and the short girl were still there and now you were joined by who you decided to name Mousy and Grumpy respectively.
Mousy and Grumpy were R2s and seemed to be well-acquainted with each other. Grumpy had tattoos and wore rings and she had a stern expression on her face. Mousy, on the other hand, looked meek and unsure of himself but he had nicely coifed hair and seemed kind.
You all went around and introduced yourselves and you learned their names and what phase they were in. Slick-back pony was named Victoria and she was an MS4, septum piercing was named Joy and she was an intern like you, Grumpy was named Trinity and she was an R2, and Mousy was named Dennis and he was an R2.
Robby put Trinity and Dennis on their own cases and then assigned Victoria to his caseload. Joy was going to be with someone named Mckay, and youâŚ
âYou, Miss Un-fashionably late,â Robby addressed you, âYouâre out in triage.â He barely even looked at you.
Of course you hadnât been expecting to be on a crazy case for your first day, but you at least were hoping to learn something new and cool. Now you were stuck on triage all because you were ten minutes late to your very first shift.
Asshole. You thought to yourself.
Robby dismissed all of you and everyone dispersed. Trinity bumped your shoulder as she passed and you thought it was an accident until she chuckled and said ânice scrubs.â
You looked around the bustling PTMC and took in the sight of everything happening around you. Then you sighed, already feeling a bit defeated.
This was going to be a long day.
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
You were on your tenth person complaining of stomach pain after hours of ordering bloodwork, taking vital signs, and pulling objects out of kids in places they didnât belong. At this point, you hoped one of these upset stomachs turned out to be an aortic aneurysm.
It was just you and the nurses with no A/C and a buzzing, weak fan in triage⌠for hours⌠and hoursâŚ. and hours.
Reception handed you another chart for a patient complaining of leg pain and you refrained from rolling your eyes as you went out into the lobby. You looked at the name on the chart which read Daniela and then you waited as they called the patient to triage.
A young girl and who you assumed was her mother walked towards you and you smiled at them, introducing yourself. âJust follow me back here and weâll get you taken care of.â You led them to the back.
You read over the chart and saw that Daniela was seventeen and realized that the young girl was the patient. âAnd just to confirm, youâre Daniela, correct?â You asked and the girl said yes. âAnd you must be mom?â You asked the woman with her and she also nodded as you all sat down.
You set down Danielaâs chart and rested your elbow on the edge of the bed as you began taking notes. âOkay, tell me what brings you in today.â
Daniela looked at her mom, who nodded for her to go ahead. Then she looked back to you, âWell, I donât really know. My leg just really really hurts for some reason? At first it was just a bit of pain, but then it started swelling and feeling hot⌠We thought maybe I pulled a muscle at soccer practice or something, so we iced it and elevated it, but that didnât work. Then we tried to massage it which also didnât work⌠It just hurts for no reason.â She explained.
You hummed a response. âAnd when did the pain start?â
âA few days ago maybe a week? I woke up one morning and it hurt really bad.â Daniela answered and you nodded.
âOkay,â You started, âAre you able to tell me where the pain is in your leg and what the pain feels like?â
âI canât figure out exactly where itâs coming from, it feels like itâs all over,â Daniela shook her head, âI donât know how to describe it⌠Maybe a cramp? Like muscle pain but deeper? I donât know, Iâm sorry.â She apologized.
âNo, youâre so fine!â You reassured. âPain in general can be hard to describe especially when you canât pinpoint where itâs coming from.â You smiled. âAnd you said itâs just in this one leg?â You pointed to her right leg.
âYes, my other leg feels fine.â She confirmed.
Danielaâs mother spoke up finally, âTell her what you told me.â She insisted to Daniela and you raised your brows in curiosity.
Daniela sighed, âMomâŚâ She warned but her mother waved her off and began to speak.
âSheâs been saying that she feels lightheaded sometimes.â Her mother said to you and then turned back to Daniela. âYou havenât been to practice in days because you can barely walk.â
You nodded in recognition as you mentally mapped out every cause of leg pain and came up with a differential. But this leg pain was not as straightforward as you thought it would be.
âOkay, um, Iâm gonna take a look at your leg, Daniela.â You smiled warmly. âDo you mind rolling up your pant leg for me?â
Daniela began rolling up her pant leg and you took note of how she winced when she moved her leg. As soon as she revealed her leg, you had to hold back a gasp. Her entire leg below the knee was discolored and swollen. Your eyes widened for a moment and you regained your composure quickly, smiling a confident smile at her and her mom.
You examined her leg thoroughly. âIâm going to put a bit of pressure on different parts of your leg and I want you to tell me your pain level from 1-10 as I work, okay?â You instructed and Daniela nodded.
You pressed on her leg starting from her toes and working your way up. Daniela called out numbers as you pressed. She swayed between a level 5 to 7 on pain until you reached her calf. Then she was gasping in pain and pulling her leg away.
âTen! Ten! Ow! Ow!â She yelped and you tore your hands away from her leg.
âYikes, okay⌠Did it hurt more at the front or back of your leg?â You asked.
âBack!â She exclaimed.
You nodded, âHm.â You thought aloud. âAnd you said you didnât injure it at all? Youâre sure you didnât pull a muscle?â You continued to investigate.
âIt hurts more than that! Way more!â She insisted.
You acknowledged her concern and certainty that it wasnât just a pulled muscle. It didnât seem like a simple pull, that was for sure. It could have been a very deep tear but you were concerned with how swollen and discolored her leg was, plus her pain wasnât characteristic of a tear. You hadnât had much experience with DVTâs but you knew that swelling, warmth, and discoloration were tell-tale signs. But she was so young. The chances of DVT were slim but it wouldnât hurt to order a D-dimer to rule out every possibility.
âOkay, I agree that the pain in your leg is definitely strange and not simply a pulled muscle. I have a few ideas of what could be going on, but Iâm gonna see if anyone is available for a second opinion.â You began to explain. âFor now, Iâm gonna get you some imaging for that leg to see if you tore the muscle, okay?â You rested your hand on top of hers to comfort her and she nodded.
âHang tight, Iâll be right back.â You smiled and then exited the room.
You figured that there was no reason to worry them just yet about a potential DVT. Youâd rule out (or in) a muscle tear first and then youâd investigate DVT. But you did want to find Robby or a senior resident to get a second opinion.
Once you ordered the imaging, you took Danielaâs chart and headed to the back. You looked around the room and immediately saw that Robby was in the middle of a trauma. The woman with the bangs from earlier passed by and you tried to get her attention.
âOh, um, excuse me!â You followed her and she barely turned to look back at you. âDoctorâŚâ You tried to come up with a name for her.
âMcKay.â She corrected you as she paused.
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at you with a raised brow. You froze for a moment and stared at her.
Okay, damn. You thought to yourself.
McKay had a tired confidence about her that made her quite attractive. The way she towered over you with her chain dangling from her neck... You almost forgot where you were for a second, but you remembered quickly when she snapped her fingers at you.
âDoctor McKay, um, would you be able to take a look at a triage case for me really quickly?â You asked in a small voice.
âSorry, Iâve got a nasty spider bite in two that needs immediate attention.â She shrugged you off.
You sighed in defeat as she left you standing there, disappointed that you couldn't prolong the interaction with the very hot, older doctor. Then you began looking for another senior resident. But everyone seemed to be tied up, even the R2s.
Finally, you approached the nurseâs station where you saw an older lady with platinum blonde hair. She was laughing with two other nurses as she snacked on a fiber bar and you almost felt bad interrupting their banter. Before you could speak, the blonde lady saw you lingering around and she smirked.
âDonât be shy, we donât bite.â She waved you over.
You smiled, âSorry, I donât think weâve met yet.â You said then introduced yourself.
âOh,â She dragged out and wrapped her arm around you and presented you to the other two nurses, âSamiraâs friend from New York.â She said and they all nodded.
You forced a smile, trying not to be annoyed at the fact that you were automatically attached to Samira. It was expected considering that she was the one who got you the job, so you didn't know why it bothered you so much.
âWell, sweetheart, welcome to The Pitt. Iâm Nurse Dana and these two knuckleheads are Princess and Perla.â Dana introduced the three of them. âWhat can we do for you? Youâre looking a little lost.â She chuckled.
âI was just looking for a senior resident for a second opinion out in triage, but I canât find anyone.â You explained.
âYeah, everyoneâs been pretty tied up back here.â Dana sighed out.
Princess perked up and spoke, âI think Doctor King actually just went on break for a few minutes and might be free for a consult.â She suggested.
Dana clapped, âThere you go, you got your consult right there! Break room is right over there.â She pointed across the room.
You patted her shoulder and looked between her and the other two women. âThanks ladies.â You smiled and then rushed away.
This shift was finally starting to pick up, thank god.
You went to the break room and opened it, expecting to see someone inside. But your face fell when you realized no one was there. You groaned as you left the break room and began searching around for this Doctor King who was seemingly nowhere to be found. When you couldnât find Doctor King, you began paging for him but they went unanswered.
You were beginning to get aggravated. How could someone be so unreachable and unfindable? If this was some joke to send the "new girl" on a wild goose chase, then it wasn't funny. You were at your wit's end and you didn't have time to be the butt of a joke. And when you found Doctor King, you were going to rip him a new one-- that was for certain.
You spotted Victoria doing her charts and approached her, âHey, have you seen Doctor King?â You asked.
Victoria briefly looked up from her charts and pointed in the direction of the stairwell. Your eyes followed where she pointed, then you thanked her and went on your way. You marched towards the stairwell then swung the door open, ready to go in on Dr. King.
When you opened the door, you saw a young woman with a long, tight braid and glasses sitting on the stairwell. She startled at the sound of the door opening and you recoiled slightly as well. You werenât startled, just shocked to find who you found. You had been expecting a man for whatever reason, but the blonde, doe-eyed girl in front of you was definitely not a man by any stretch.
Both of you paused and took each other in for a second. She looked like sheâd been caught doing something and you felt like you walked in on a private moment. Then you remembered what you had sought her out for and found your sternness again.
âDoctor King?â You asked harshly.
She didnât speak, just blinked at you silently. Her eyes peered into you and you almost felt exposed. You snapped your fingers as if trying to bring her out of a trance. âDoctor King?â
She seemed to come to the second time you said her name. âWhat?â She asked in a dazed tone.
You rolled your eyes, âDoctor King? That's you, right?â You asked impatiently.
âYeah, uh, Iâm Doctor Kingâ thatâs⌠thatâs me.â She stuttered over her words as she stood up.
You narrowed your eyes in examination of her, finding her demeanor slightly strange. âOkay well, Iâve been looking for you everywhere. I need your opinion on a case out in triage if youâre available.â
Dr. King twiddled with her fingers, âOh, Iâve got a pretty heavy caseload already and I need to get back.â She shook her head.
You looked her up and down, eyes glancing over her badge. âYou donât look that busy to me. Youâre just sitting here.â You sassed.
âUh-â She started but you cut her off.
âItâll only take a few minutes.â You insisted.
She looked at you with wide eyes, words trying to come up but failing. Even though she was the senior resident, you seemed to be the one leading the situation. You were growing more impatient with each second that she stared in disbelief.
Finally you turned and shook your head, beckoning her to come with you. âLetâs go.â You said, trusting that she would follow and she did.
You led her back to triage where Daniela and her mother were. She shuffled behind you as you took long strides that she struggled to keep up with.
âSeventeen year old female, complaining of unilateral cramping pain in leg. Pain worsens with pressure and the patient has had trouble walking as a result. Presents with visible swelling and discoloration with warm skin to the touch in her calf along with the pain. No recent history of injury and no improvement with home remedy.â You presented the case.
Doctor King responded, âOkay, whatâs your differential?â She questioned.
âHer pain sounds worse than a pulled muscle, so I donât think thatâs the cause. It could be a tear although the pain isnât typical of a muscle tear. I ordered imaging just to be certain, but I really donât think thatâs whatâs causing it.â You explained as you walked in front of her.
âWhatâs your other potential diagnosis?â
You stopped and Doctor King nearly ran into you. Then you turned to look at her. âPain, swelling, discoloration, and warmth? I donât have a ton of experience with it but could it possibly be DVT?â You asked.
Doctor King furrowed her brows and shook her head, âThe patient is seventeen years old, that would be extremely unlikely.â She partially dismissed.
âI know but all of her symptoms are indicative of potential DVT.â You began to explain. âBlood clots are becoming more common in young women especially, you know? If she had a recent viral infection or sheâs taking birth control she could be at higher risk for them.â
Doctor King chewed on her lip as she looked off in deep thought. Then she grabbed the chart from you to take a look for herself. âOkay, what would you suggest to rule this in or out?â
âIf imaging comes back with no tear then Iâd suggest a D-dimer to check for elevated protein levels and then an ultrasound of the leg to be certain.â You answered.
Doctor King nodded with an unconvinced expression, âAlright, yeah, I guess. Although I really don't think it's a blood clot." She reassured you.
"Okay, well, I'll give you ten dollars if you're right and I'm wrong. But just trust me." You rolled your eyes, and then you began walking towards Daniela's curtain.
Doctor King followed after you again, and when you stopped in front of the curtain, she almost ran directly into you. You turned to look back at her with a judging gaze before you opened the curtain to reveal Daniela and her mother.
Daniela and her mom acknowledged you with a smile as you and Doctor King stepped inside. "Daniela, this is Doctor King. She's gonna take another look at your leg and ask you some questions. Is that okay?" You asked gently, a stark contrast from the tone you had been using just moments ago with Doctor King.
"Whatever gets us closer to making this pain go away." Daniela groaned.
Doctor King came around the other side of the bed and warmly smiled at the young girl. "Hi Daniela, can you tell me a bit more about your pain?" She asked.
As Daniela explained again to Doctor King, you paused for a moment and let yourself fully examine the other doctor. Her hair was pulled in a braid so tight that it looked like a factory setting that could not be restyled. She was a mousy blonde with streaks of bright gold ever-so-slightly visible. Her medium-frame glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, partially concealing her hazel-brown eyes and stopping just below her dark eyebrows. She was freckled, but not like a ginger. More like someone who had spent a childhood in the outdoors. Her face was quite expressive, reacting with each word Daniela spoke. And she also seemed to run slightly anxious as she was always messing with something on her person -- fingers, loose threads, jewelry.
Once Daniela was done talking, Doctor King looked to you for a moment as if she was the one seeking your guidance and approval for the case. For a senior resident, she seemed very unsure of herself and not at all like some of the other cocky doctors you'd already met.
"Well, it's good that Doctor..." She looked at you again and you realized she didn't know your name. You quickly gave her your name and she repeated it quickly to Daniela. "It's good that she ordered imaging to see if you have a tear. Your pain isn't really characteristic of muscle tear but sometimes deeper tears can feel different." She explained.
You nodded as she spoke and, as if on cue, Jessie came in with the imaging results. You brightened and thanked him as you took the folder from him. You signaled to Doctor King that you were going to step out and then gave Daniela a reassuring smile. You stepped out and opened the folder, letting your eyes scan over the results.
Findings:
-Musculoskeletal architecture intact, no discrete muscle fiber discontinuity, intact myofascial planes, no high-grade tendon disruption identified. Achilles tendon intact.
-Normal bone marrow signal intensity throughout the tibia and fibula. No acute fracture or bone marrow edema is seen.
-Significant, diffuse T2/STIR hyperintensity throughout the deep and superficial posterior. Reticular subcutaneous edema noted throughout lower extremity. No fluid collection, no abscess, no soft tissue mass identifiable.
-Distinct loss of normal flow void within the vein. Vessel appears distended an intraluminal filling defect demonstrating intermediate T1/T2 signal intensity, consistent with thrombus.
Impression:
-No evidence of acute musculotendinous tear.
-Findings highly suggestive of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) within the vein.
Your face scrunched in victory for a second before you caught yourself celebrating the misfortune of this young girl. But you knew you had been right! As horrible as it was that you were right, you still were, in fact, right.
You went back inside and came next to Doctor King, handing her the results. Doctor King took the folder from you with a tight-lipped smile. You watched as she looked them over, waiting for your moment of glory. Doctor King looked up at you with worry before composing herself and faking a calm expression to Daniela.
"Everything okay?" Daniela's mother asked.
Doctor King nodded calmly, "There's no tear, which is good news. However, radiology picked up a few things in your scan that we'll need to bring you back to observation for." She explained as she clasped her hands together.
"Am I okay?" Daniela asked.
Doctor King looked at you, and you widened your eyes as if to say "tell her."
"Um, you are stable right now, but..." Doctor King tried to explain, but she seemed to be struggling to speak.
You stepped in finally and took over. "You are okay right now, but we need to bring you back to make sure that you remain okay and stable." You emphasized to Daniela. "There were some abnormalities in your blood flow that were noted by radiology as consistent with a condition called Deep Vein Thrombosis." You told her candidly.
Daniela went pale, "What? What is that?"
You sat next to her on the bed, pushing past Doctor King. Then you took Daniela's hand and squeezed it. "It means that there is a blood clot in one of the veins in your leg that is restricting blood flow to the rest of your body."
Daniela began to panic, but you held her hand tightly and kept explaining. "I know that sounds scary, but you're in the best place you can possibly be in. We're going to run more tests to confirm the diagnosis and get started on treatment, and you should improve over the next few days. Okay?" You reassured her.
Her eyes shifted from panic to trust and she nodded. "Just don't let me die, okay?" She pleaded.
"And be forever-known as the intern who killed someone their first day?" You joked with her and she smiled. "Don't worry, alright? You're gonna be fine."
Daniela's mother looked to Doctor King for reassurance as well. It was fair to want the senior resident to chime in, especially since you were an intern. You also turned to Doctor King with the first genuine smile you'd offered her, and she nodded brightly.
"Yes," She started, "You're gonna be fine. Thankfully, you were in the hands of a good doctor who knew what to look for." She continued, making eye contact with you as she said it.
You gently tapped Daniela's hand, and then you and Doctor King dismissed yourselves.
Later when you and Doctor King were updating Daniela's chart, you also went over Daniela's full medical history.
"Family history of vascular issues and prescription for Junel Fe since she was fourteen," Doctor King noted, "Wow, you were spot on." She commended you reluctantly.
"I know." You said simply.
Doctor King gave you a resigned smile that went unnoticed by you, as you were too busy typing. You finally paused your typing and looked at her with a sarcastic expression, perplexed by how she stared at you so brazenly. "Yes?" You asked.
"Sorry," She looked away, "I was just- that was a very good catch, and I was thinking about how you said it was your first day. You said you're an intern?" She asked and you nodded. "That- yeah, that was- um... that was good work." She stuttered.
You looked at her and she had a hopeful and genuine glint in her eyes that made you soften. It was clear that she was trying hard to melt the ice around you and you felt yourself warm to her. Who were you trying to fool with this fake icy act? You weren't icy... You hated being icy!
So you relented and shrugged, "You would have caught it too."
She nodded at you and silently continued to watch you chart for a few moments. Then you looked up from the computer to acknowledge her again. She sat up straight and looked away awkwardly.
"Was there anything else you needed, Doctor King?" You asked with a light chuckle.
"Oh, um, no." She shook her head and you slowly nodded. "Also, you can call me Mel, by the way- if you want. Everyone calls me Mel. Mel, like short for Melissa. Melissa is my full name, but no one really calls me-"
You cut her off with a laugh before she could continue to ramble. "Mel, okay, got it." You affirmed.
She leaned on her elbows and looked at you with interest, "Do you have a first name?" She asked honestly before you saw her visibly realize how silly that question and you continued to giggle. "Sorry, that was a dumb question. Of course you have a first name! Everyone does! I meant to ask what your name is... Yeah, that's what I meant."
You were smiling so hard that your dimples deepened and you told her your name to which she nodded. A moment passed before she asked you another question and then she spoke again.
"I'm sorry if this is rude to ask, but how old are you?" She asked.
You pretended to be offended and hold your hand over your chest. When you saw genuine worry wash over her face you gave up the act. "Was that rude of me? I'm sorry, I just- um... You seem, and I mean this in a good way, very mature for an intern. I was just wondering..."
"Its okay. I'm turning 29 in a few months, so you would be correct that I am kind of old for an intern." You reassured. "I took like a hundred gap years when I was in school to 'see the world' and 'find myself', so here we are." You summed up your life.
Before Mel could respond, Robby approached you both. "Hey, what are you doing back here? I thought I put you in triage." He snapped at you.
"I'm updating a case from triage. Seventeen year old girl with DVT." You looked up at him.
"Alright, pass the case over to Doctor King and head back to triage." He commanded you. When you opened your mouth to protest he cut you off, "Don't give me a hard time."
Mel spoke up then, "Actually, she was the one who caught the DVT-"
"Go back to triage." He warned you again and began to walk away, not allowing Mel to finish.
You clenched your jaw and let out an annoyed breath. Four years at Bryn Mawr had depleted your patience levels for men. You didn't care if you were an intern, if you were going to work here then he would treat you with a basic level of respect.
You stood up harshly, surprising Mel. "Dr. Robby," you called sternly. He turned on his heel with an annoyed expression. "I think that I'd prefer to stay with my patient. We've established a rapport and I would like to see the case through... Sir."
Mel looked between you and Robby, and you felt gazes from some of the other interns and residents as well. Robby gave you a once-over and smirked as if he thought your display was amusing. You felt yourself begin to regret your decision as he looked at you. For what felt like forever, you stood there and waited for him to reprimand or fire you or both. But he tilted his head in surrender and sighed, "I don't give a shit." He waved you off and walked away.
You let go of a breath that you didn't know you'd been holding, then you sat back down and began typing again. Mel stared in disbelief as Trinity approached you both.
"Wow," Trinity started, "How do you stand to walk with those huge balls of yours swinging between your legs?" She joked and you rolled your eyes.
Trinity gave Mel a pat on the head and went back to her patient. Mel stayed with you while you finished your chart, making suggestions here and there as you went along. In that time, the D-dimer you ordered for Daniela came back positive and the ultrasound results came back confirming the presence of a blood clot.
"Okay, wow. That is a huge clot." You gasped and Mel nodded in agreement. "Should we admit her just to be safe?" You asked.
"Probably, but I don't see a bed opening upstairs anytime soon. Let's start treating her with clot busters now. Hopefully a bed will be available soon and they can start her on blood thinners up there." Mel instructed and you immediately did as she asked.
Once everything was ordered and the chart fully updated, you and Mel went to Daniela's room to explain what was going on.
"We're going to put you on thrombolytics to break up the clot in your leg, and then they'll treat you with blood thinners upstairs." Mel said gently.
"How did this happen?" Daniela's mom asked. "What seventeen year old gets a blood clot?"
You and Mel looked between each other and she nodded for you to speak. You cleared your throat, "We can't be certain right now but there are many factors that could put you at risk even though its rare. Birth control and family history of blood clots are two risk factors, but if you've had a recent infection or surgery that could also increase your chances." You explained.
You could tell that your answer provided Daniela very little comfort, so you continued. "But it's a good thing you listened to your body and came in to get checked out. We'll write you a prescription for blood thinners and a referral to see a hematologist who will be able to investigate more." You smiled softly and Daniela nodded.
Mel gave you a thumbs up and an approving smile before she spoke again. "Okay, we'll check on you in a little bit. Let us know if you need anything else." She dismissed you both.
Mel guided you out of the room, her hand ghosting over the small of your back. You looked at her with a smirk that surprised even yourself and made Mel look away shyly. Once you guys were out of the room, you both joined Trinity and Dennis at the nurseâs station to finish charting. It was almost the end of shift and you wanted to clock out on time.
âI actually have never wanted to flee a building more.â You said to yourself. âAnd this is only day one.â
Trinity scoffed, âPlease, this shift is a cakewalk compared to our first day here.â She gestured between herself, Mel, and Dennis.
âTwo words: Pitt. Fest.â Dennis nodded in confirmation.
âThatâs one word, dummy.â Trinity threw a ball of paper at him and they proceeded to argue about if it was two words or one.
As Trinity and Dennis bickered, Mel looked at you with a sigh and you shrugged with a smile. âSorry, your first day was tough.â Mel said.
You shook your head, âEh, it actually wasnât that terrible. Iâm just being a baby about being on triage all day.â You admitted. âJust remind me to literally never be late for work like ever again.â
âWell, you did a great job today.â Mel offered. âYou may have saved that girlâs life and you stood up to Robby⌠and on your first day!â
You appreciated her positive attitude. It was a stark contrast to everyone else surrounding you, who were either disgruntled or concerningly apathetic.
âThanks,â You smiled at her and she nodded.
It was finally time to clock out and you and Mel both practically flew to the locker room. As you packed up your things, a silence fell over you both but you glanced at her every few seconds while she looked around the roomâ off in her own world. Guilt washed over you as you remembered your initial coldness towards her.
âListen, Iâm sorry if we kind of started off the wrong foot earlier.â You apologized. âI didnât mean to be, well, mean.â You lightened your words with a light chuckle.
âOh, itâs okay. It can be pretty intense around here, so I get it. And I know that my energy can be... a lot sometimes. I didn't mean to ask you too many questions or be invasive earlier when I asked how old you were. Sometimes I just do this thing where I try to overcompensate when I feel like someone might not like me..." She began to ramble.
Mel continued to over-explain herself for a bit before she realized that she was doing exactly the thing she was describing. She was talking way too much. When she finally looked up, she expected you to be gone or zoned out, but you weren't. You were listening to every word without interrupting her or leaving in the middle of her sentence. She was so taken aback that she visibly pulled back from you and you raised your eyebrows at her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble too much." Mel apologized again.
You let out a full belly laugh, and she looked at you with confusion. "Wait, I don't mean to laugh at you. I just-- it's okay, we're cool. You don't have to explain yourself and you don't talk too much." You reassured her with a cheeky expression as you stood up.
Her brows pressed together in a firm line, "Sorry-"
"Oh god," You sighed, "Look, if we're going to be friends, you have got to stop apologizing so much." You lightly commanded as you headed towards the door.
Mel quickly grabbed her things and closed her locker, trailing behind you. You took your hair down from it's clip and fluffed your hair out as she followed you. Mel came up behind you a little too close and you felt your hair lightly whip her face. Then she stepped back and readjusted her glasses once you guys paused in front of the elevator.
"We're friends?" She asked in a hopeful tone, eyes glistening at you.
You felt stripped by her gaze yet again. She was so clearly eager to hear your answer and it made your heart swell with endearment towards her. If there was one thing you'd learned in the few hours you'd known Doctor King, it was that she had a disarming effect. Like a puppy in doggy kennel or a baby penguin or some other small, cute animal.
"Sure we are." You said honestly and winked at her.
Mel turned bright red and looked down at her feet. She went to speak again, but your conversation was interrupted suddenly when a dark-haired man came next to Mel.
Mel startled slightly when he put his arm around her, looking up at him. "Oh, hi." She said in a chipper tone.
"Hey, you ready?" He leaned down and placed a kiss on top of her head.
Woah. You thought. Wait a second.
You smiled as you hid your surprise and watched as they talked to each other. You took a moment to examine him, noting his almost scarily blue eyes and perfectly-coifed hair. Then Mel looked at you again and introduced you to him. When he held his hand out for you to shake, you paused and then reluctantly took it.
"I'm Frank," He started, "Mel's fiancĂŠ."
ââ･đŚšÂ°â§â
okayyyy first chapter yayy!! i know this one was a little slower to begin with but trust lesbianism will activate soon!!!!!
mel is also totally crushing on reader already but doesn't realize it lol
iâm thinking of making next chapter from melâs pov is that something weâre down for?
should i make a taglist? also let me know if this formatted correctly please!
warnings: FILTHY smut... like debauched, unhinged smut probably the dirtiest thing iâve ever written in my life. younger!oc. some pretty kinky shit (??). really rough sex but with absolutely ZERO aftercare. thatâs it i think.
âIâm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect.â
Lucy kept going over that line of her assigned reading over and over. Franny and Zooey was the book. Could anyone even come to New York and attend University without having read Salinger?
That line was one she found herself relating to more than she should have. Of course, she never would admit that openly. It was rather pretentious and arrogant to say such a thing out loud. But it didnât mean she couldnât think it to herself. Plus Lucy had had a rather peculiar upbringing.
Her mother was, well for one, not her biological mother. She didnât know either of her biological parents. She had been left on the steps of the Sanctum when she was a baby. Before she could even recognize who her real mother and father were, with no note or any sign of who left her there. Even if she wanted to find out who and where her parents were, she wouldnât have known where to begin. So, she had been raised by none only than The Ancient One and Wong.
She was fine though, completely fine... So fine that she had studied and worked herself right to a top-tier education at New York University. Even though she wasnât living on campus... or declared a major in her junior year... or made any friends... Lucy was fine.
But back to her book...
In high school, she didnât respect any of her peers. Their interests seemed so minuscule compared to all that she had been exposed to being raised in such an unorthodox environment. And as hard as she tried, she couldnât respect it, their investment in who so and so was dating and what this person said about that person. She just couldnât.
It was to the point that she only respected two people in her life, AKA The Ancient One, and Wong.
As she continued reading, taking notes for comprehension, she heard the sound of a portal opening. She looked to her left and saw the familiar golden ring forming, figuring it was probably her mom or Wong maybe. But she soon realized she was wrong as she heard painfully familiar large steps coming towards her.
Strange. She thought to herself.
Lucy rolled her eyes, âIâve told you not to bother me when Iâm studying.â She snapped at him.
He stalked towards her frustratedly. She didnât look away from her book as she felt him getting closer. âAnd Iâve told you that I get the library from four to eleven.â He said in a low tone.
Lucy closed the green-bound book sharply, finally looking at him with narrowed eyes. He towered above her with his lips in a firm frown and his eyes angry. She always felt the urge to recoil in his presence just from his cold stare. Right then she wanted to back down, pack up her things, and study in her room. But she never backed down to anyone and he was no exception.
âOh, so you get to have the library for three-quarters of the day and I get barely any time in here?â She crossed her arms. âIâve got actual shit to study for, you know? Like an actual degree to study for.â
He leaned down slightly, âI donât give a damn about your silly anthropology degree. I need the library to do real work for real life.â He snapped.
It was this way between them from the moment Doctor Stephen Strange walked through the doors of the Sanctum.
Every day, either Lucy did something to annoy him or he did something to annoy her. Theyâd end up arguing for hours on end. One argument would turn into another and so on and so on. By the time Wong stepped in, theyâd realize that theyâd been going at it for way too long.
âOf course you donât. You have your degree already. Thatâs just how selfish you are.â She snapped and tried going back to her book.
Strange snatched her book from her and slammed it down on the table next to her. âMove before I move you myself.â
She stood up to him, âCanât you just go read in your room?â
âCanât you?â He retorted.
She scoffed, âYou didnât even live here until a few months ago. Iâve lived here my entire life, so Iâm pretty sure that I hold rank on library privileges.â She crossed her arms.
Strange examined her. The glint in his eyes took Lucy by surprise. She recoiled slightly, feeling a flutter in her stomach. Then a rush of disgust came over her, remembering just who her stomach had fluttered for.
He was repulsive. A vile excuse of a man who sat around all day feeling sorry for himself. She just didnât get it. Plus he was rude and cold, always so serious. And he wore casual t-shirts with suede blazers... Who wears casual t-shirts with suede blazers? The Ancient One had better fashion sense.
And yet, she couldnât deny that he was very attractive.
Fine, sheâll bite.
The man was undeniably, absolutely, overwhelmingly sexy. But that didnât take away from the fact that he was still repulsive. Just because he looked goodâ and probably felt goodâ didnât mean Lucy could ever like him. It was completely harmless to point out that, because of the combined factors of his bone structure, his piercing eyes, and tall stature, he was technically a handsome man by definition.
âWhat the hell do you even do with an anthropology degree?â He stepped closer with a taunting smile and Lucyâs jaw clenched. âDo you know how fucking useless a degree in anthropology is? Oh! I forgot youâre in that generation of delusional dreamers. No wonder you think itâs actually possible to make a career out of anthropology.â He chuckled.
She felt her heartbeat with rage at his words. He had no idea what he was talking about. Sure, maybe when he was in school a thousand years ago it would seem silly to major in anthropology. But what the world needed in its current state was anthropologists. He wasnât going to make her feel bad about doing something that she was passionate about and that was going to better the world.
âYeah, anthropology is so useless.â She said sarcastically. âIt might be useless, but hey, not as useless as a medical degree, am I right?â She snapped back at him cheekily.
Lucy was slammed against the wooden bookcase behind her. Searing pain rang through her head as she winced from the force. Strangeâs hand squeezed around her throat harshly, his fingers pressing into the sides. She felt her head fill with pressure as his hand cut the oxygen off from her brain. She twitched between her legs and tried pressing her thighs together. Lucy squeaked as Strange held her to the bookcase, the smell of new and old books erotic somehow.
âYou think Iâm supposed to feel sorry for you, donât you? Treat you like a child like Wong and The Ancient One do?â He spit at her.
He was so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. It was cold like him and smelled of mint and ice. His piercing eyes glared at her with contempt and his jaw was clenched angrily. A loose strand of his peppered hair fell in front of his face.
Lucy felt a glorious sensation in her stomach as held her there. A mixture between butterflies and a sweet kind of vertigo. A drug-like delirium washed over her in an instant. Too weak to hold her thighs together, her legs had fallen open, her panty-clothed snatch exposed to the air. Strangeâs knee had rested on the bookcase just beneath her aching sex. Lucy felt shame overcome her at that moment. There she was, feigning for a man that was strangling and manhandling her. But God, it was so tantalizingâ the feeling of his large hand gripping her throat, the electricity forming between her and his knee.
âWell, youâre not a child to me.â He leaned into her. Lucy nearly cried out as his other hand came to her throat, tightening his hold.
Heâs going to kill me. She thought. Iâm going to die at the hands of a world-class sorcerer.
Lucy wasnât even frightened by the idea slightly. In fact, it only added to her arousal. The fact that he had that ultimate control over her. He could have easily squeezed the life out of her if he wanted to. Somehow being so out of control turned Lucy on.
She couldnât hold her moans back anymore. A whimper escaped her lips and she let herself rest on his knee, straddling him like she would a bike. Her cunt was hot against his pant leg as her mouth fell open. She circled her hips slowly, trying to build up friction to satisfy her somewhat. Her mouth watered as she fucked herself with his knee. Halted breaths escaped her lips as her movements grew faster.
Strange looked down between them and saw her lower half moving against him in frenzied, manic fashion. He felt wetness gathering on the fabric of his pants. He looked back up at the young girl, her eyes now rolled back into her head. He loosened his grip on her slightly.
âYouâre sickening, you know that?â He started but she only quickened her pace. âUsing my knee to get off like a whore. Is that what you are, hm? A groveling little harlot?â He gritted.
His words heightened the pleasure she gave herself. She bore down against him more, feeling her orgasm getting close. But Strange wasnât going to let her go that easily. If she liked being treated like a whore then he would treat her like one.
âFucking slut.â He moved his knee away from her cunt. Lucy responded with a disappointed cry as she humped the air in search of relief. Strange pulled Lucy away from the shelf harshly and she whimpered. He crudely pushed her down onto her knees in front of the wooden table sheâd been studying at. She screamed out as her knees banged against the cold floor.
âUsually in this instance,â He breathed as he conjured his magic to hold her arms tightly behind her, âI would afford a young lady the pleasure of me eating her cunt.â He started to undo his belt buckle and Lucy shivered. âBut youâre not a lady, are you? Youâre just a filthy little slut eager for my cock.â He snatched his pants open.
Lucy avoided looking at him directly, ashamed of the burning between her legs at his dirty words. She bit down on her lip as she looked at the bulge in his black boxers. She could tell that he had a reason to be as arrogant as he was.
Strange used one hand to gather her hair into a makeshift ponytail while the other rested on his hip. He looked down at her impatiently, âGo on. Show me how hungry you are for my cock.â He demanded.
Lucy looked up at him nervously, suddenly feeling very insecure. Here was this man who was much older than her and arguably more experienced from the way he handled her. He was more than likely expecting a blow job for the books, something that she wasnât sure she was capable of.
Strange rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh, âWhat? Now youâre scared?â He snapped. He pulled her face closer to his crotch by her hair. âCome on.â He coaxed.
Lucy shifted her weight forward with her eyes still focused on Strange. She saw his chest rising and falling drastically with his breaths as Lucy placed a kiss on the fabric covering his cock. She peppered kisses up to his pelvis, nestling her nose in the hairs on his skin. She took the waistband of his boxers between her teeth, all the while the heat between her legs blazed. Slowly, she lowered herself back down, pulling his boxers down with her. Her teeth grazed the skin of his cock as she slid down the length of him. Strange helped her the rest of the way, eagerly pulling his boxers completely off.
His cock sprang at her, almost slapping against her face. Strange flicked his tongue out to wet his lips as Lucy snaked hers out to tease his tip. Strange tightened his hold on her hair suddenly, âDonât tease me or youâll regret it.â He snapped and she nodded submissively.
Lucy wrapped her lips around his tip. She hollowed her cheeks, suctioning his member. Her tongue toyed at his slit, which was leaking pre-cum. Then she pulled back before sinking his full length into her mouth. A satisfied sigh left Strangeâs mouth as he threw his head back. Lucy let out a throaty groan as she felt his tip hit the back of her throat, stretching her throat in a way it never had stretched before. He held her there for a long moment, choking on his cock and gasping for air. Then he pulled her back, her mouth making a slurping noise, and let her breathe.
Lucy coughed violently as spit and come dropped down her chin and onto her blouse. She shook and tried to gather air through every orifice she could. Strange used the moment to bend down and rip the front of her blouse open, the buttons hitting the floor as they popped off. Lucy bit her lip and moaned in his ear as he pulled her bra down to expose her breasts. She bucked her hips at him needily as he kept his fingers laced in her soft hair.
âBe patient and stop being greedy or Iâll leave you begging and needy just like this, do you understand?â He asked and Lucy nodded obediently.
He stood back up and fed her his cock again, âGood.â He said as he pushed in past her lips.
Strange sank all the way in again, Lucy shutting her eyes as she struggled to breathe through her nose. This time he pulled back slightly only to thrust back in. He started slowly, gently thrusting his hips back and forth letting himself fill and refill her. Then he grew more aggressive, hungrier, than before. His hips snapped at a violent pace as he began to fuck her mouth. He winced and moaned and cursed as Lucy gargled around him.
Tears formed in her eyes, snot built up in her nose. Her saliva dripped from his cock onto the carpet and from her lips to her thighs. As degraded as she felt, the degradation turned her on. Lucy could feel her cunt dripping in her panties as Strange fucked her willing mouth. The thought that he was using her mouth just to get himself off made her dizzy. That she was being treated as no more than a hole for him to stick his cock in. That he controlled when she could stop. That he controlled when she breathed. She was practically dazed.
Strange pulled her off of him, âNo. As much as it satisfies me to see that disobedient mouth of yours put to good use, you donât get to get off with just my cock in your mouth.â He spoke down to her. âYouâre gonna take me in that pretty little cunt of yours.â
Lucy squealed as Strange pulled her up by her armpits. He made her stand up but her legs were too wobbly for her to stand on her own. As Strange knelt in front of her, Lucy rested her hand back on the table. He reached under her skirt and hooked his fingers around her panties. He looked up at her as he slid them down her legs. Lucy pulsated with need.
âPlease, Doctor.â She begged in a sweet tone.
Strange halted, letting the cinnamon-colored fabric of her panties gather at her ankles. He looked up at her and Lucy shivered with a twinge of fear. Then he was slamming her against the bookshelf again. ââPlease, Doctorâ?â He mocked her. His hand snaked around her throat again. âOpen your mouth.â He demanded.
Lucy opened her mouth with no protest at all. She was at his complete mercy. Strange stuck his middle and index finger back deep into her throat, gagging the poor girl relentlessly. When he pulled his fingers back they were drenched in her spit. A line of spit connected her tongue and his fingers. Then he hastily rubbed his fingers into her slick folds.
It felt like Lucy had been shocked with an electric pulse. The pads of his fingers found her pink bud and began rubbing violent circles. He had since released her hands from his magic. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she moved with his fingers. Her head fell back onto the bookcase, Strangeâs middle finger teasing her tight entrance.
Lucy let her legs wrap around his waist, hanging off of him like a finger monkey. Strange bent forward and closed his lips around one of her erect nipples. She let out an animalistic grunt. She couldnât control the lewd bucking of her hips. His tongue poked out and swirled around her areola. Then he sucked the supple flesh of her plump breast into his mouth. His teeth sunk into her skin, piercing her breast slightly. Lucy screamed out and just as she did Strange roughly penetrated her with his middle and ring finger.
âIâm gonna use you like a little sex toy.â He smirked against her blood-pricked breast. Lucy gasped at his crass words that turned her on way more than they should have.
His fingers glided against the soft ridges of her walls. He used his thumb to continue his assault on her swollen clit. Her pussy was pink and raw as every fiber of her body responded to his skillful touch. âSuch a pretty pussy. Ripe and pink and itâs all mine.â Her nails scratched his shoulders as she screwed her eyes shut. Strange looked directly at her contorted face, quickening the back and forth movement of his fingers. Lucy felt the tips of his fingers punching against a fleshy spot inside of her cunt. She screamed in pleasure only for Strange to rip his fingers from her core.
Lucy looked at him like heâd gone insane. Strange grabbed her underwear off of the ground and abruptly stuffed them between her sweet lips. âStay quiet.â He demanded and she let out a muffled whine.
He pulled himself away from her, and used his magic to tie her hands above her head. Her legs were pulled apart as well and she struggled against the restraints that wrapped all the way up her legs.
Lucy looked next to her at Strange, who now stood at the table. Her mouth watered around her panties, sweat droplets formed on her breasts. Strange stood at the table, his lithe yet muscular body on display to her. He read the page that her book was open to on the table. An intent gaze in his eyes as he silently read to himself.
He knew what he was doing to her. He was edging her. Bringing her to the brim but only there. Never letting her fly over the edge like she needed to. Heâd left her there tied up and writhing in desperate need of pleasure.
Strange closed her book and gripped it between his fingers. Lucy looked at him expectantly, pushing her body towards him. Strange came in front of her. His tall stature brooding almost. The scent of his cologne filled her nose and sent a wave of euphoria through her. He was so close to her, intoxicatingly close. She could feel the electricity radiating off of him. Her eyes were pleading and he could see how they begged for him just to touch her for one moment.
He waved the hardbound book in front of her face. A teasing smirk on his lips as he did so. âYou know I used to be a bit of a bookworm too.â He leaned down to kiss her neck.
Lucy whimpered. âAlways somewhere with my nose in a book trying to learn something just like you.â He continued. Lucy threw her head back as he grazed her stomach with the cloth of her book. Her breathing quickened as her mouth drenched her underwear. âThis is the greatest lesson you could ever learn.â
Suddenly she felt the soft fabric of the spine pressing against her clit. She cried out again, pulling against her restraints. Lucyâs feet raised off of the ground as intense pleasure flooded her. Her moans were muffled by the panties between her lips. Strange kept his eyes trained on her face as he slowly glided the bookâs spine back and forth on her clit.
He was definitely teaching her something important. Never had she ever known pleasure like the kind he was giving to her. She couldnât think back to a time when anyone had singlehandedly made her feel so goodâ with something as impromptu as the spine of a book at that.
She was doing it again. Bucking her hips to feel more of the sensation he was giving her. The book slid between her folds. Her pink lips encompassed the spine as his hand and her hips moved together. Although her moans were stifled, the sound of them filled the air. Her cries echoed through the aisles loudly, crudely. Tears streamed down her face from overstimulation but she didnât want to stop, not even slightly. She wanted him to use her mercilessly, to bring her to the point of her begging him to stop.
His tongue lapped at the bruises he left on her neck. His breath was cold against her skin. When he pulled the book from her heat she chased after it with her hips. Her body shook in deprivation as she felt her orgasm getting further away from her. All at once, she was dropped down, the magic binding her legs and hands disappeared. She squeaked as she was roughly pushed down and her front was slammed against the harsh carpet of the ground.
The side of her face was pressed to the ground. Strange rested his hand on the arch of her back to put her ass on full display to him. Her tear-blurred vision made the books on the shelves hard to see. She heard him lick his fingers and then she felt them rub against her slick folds. She pushed back into his hand, wiggling her lower half lewdly.
Strange took her underwear out of her mouth, âI wanna hear you moan for my cock.â He bent down and kissed her shoulder.
He lined himself up with her slick entrance. Lucyâs cunt puckered around the enlarged head of his prick. He pulled her arms behind her back, holding them there with one hand. His other hand went to her hair to grip at her scalp. Slowly but surely, Strange pressed himself into Lucy. A low sound came from him as every inch of his cock was enveloped in her warmth.
Gasps escaped her as he sunk deeper and deeper into her and Strange grunted. She felt him hit the wall inside of her at her deepest point. She was filled to the brim. No room for anything in her but his girth. Her mouth hung open as Strange rested at that spot inside of her. She felt his cock twitch with excitement just before he pulled back out halfway. Slick noises filled the empty library along with their mixed breaths. His cock was covered in her juices, glistening in the warm lights of the library. Then he snapped his hips forward violently, hitting that spot again but much more harshly. Lucy screamed out and her eyes rolled back into her head. Her pussy clenched around his member as he repeated that same motion at the same harshness.
His pace quickened finally. He would pull out a half-inch only to slam back in quickly. He rocked back and forth with a fervor. She felt him shaking behind her as he took her. He kept a tight grip on her arms and her hair as he fucked her viciously. The sound of his hips slapping against her ass made her deliciously delirious.
Lucy felt her juices running from her cunt onto her thighs. She coated his cock in her wetness, allowing him to easily slide in and out of her. His tip stabbed at that wall deep inside of her. He went in at different angles, seeing which one made her scream the most. It seemed that when he thrusted upward she was the most responsive.
Strange pulled her body against his by her hair. Lucy moaned as he forced her head to rest back on his shoulder. The flesh over her mid-section stretched delightfully, further adding to her state of bliss. Strangeâs lips went to her exposed neck again and suckled on her sweet-scented skin. His hand let go of her arms and went to tweak her nipple between his thumb and index finger. Lucy bit down harshly on her lip to quiet her moans.
âYou have such a delicious little snatch. Reminds me of how good college sluts are.â He said into her ear.
He grabbed her breast. The pain was so good that she didnât even care that there was searing, white hot pain in her breast. He squeezed her mound one more time and then slapped the sensitive skin. Lucy thrusted backwards against him. Her movements met his in the middle as he started to go faster. He was practically grinding into her cunt, barely moving in and out of her but driving deeper into her cavity. Almost as if he were trying to push past the barrier inside of her. He brought his hand down to her cunt, stimulating her clit as he fucked her.
He let go of her again. Caught off guard, Lucy fell face first onto the carpet. His cock was pulled from her and she was being lifted yet again. Lucy whined weakly, exhausted and used up as she was. Strange spun her around quickly and brought them face to face. Lucy looked up at him with anticipation clouded with tears. Strange had nothing in his eyes. As hard as Lucy tried to read him, she couldnât gauge what was on his mind. Even at his most vulnerable, cock practically screaming to release, he still held his firm stare.
Strange abruptly lifted her up into the air, hooking his hands under her knees. Her legs straddled his waist and her arms wrapped around his neck. Her sex was lined up with his cock again and she longed to just sink down and impale herself on him. But she could see that Strange would not like it if she did.
A warmth radiated beneath them. It tickled up Lucyâs legs and then soared through her body. Lucy felt herself being lifted into the air as Strangeâs arms wrapped her waist. Lucy panicked suddenly, looking down as a scared noise came from her. The floor got further and further away and the ceiling got closer. The bookcases lining the library getting smaller and smaller. Strange sensed her unease and lifted her chin back up so her eyes met his again. âLook at me.â He said.
Lucy nodded and pressed her body against his more. Their noses brushed against each other. Lucy ached to kiss his lips more than anything. Her breasts grazed against his chest obscenely. They were now completely in the air, floating above the entire library. Lucy stayed focused on Strange as he crossed his legs underneath her. Innocently, Lucy placed a chaste kiss on Strangeâs cheek. She was too afraid of how he would react to a kiss on the lips. Strange breathed into her ear, hands running up and down her back. His lips attached to the lobe of her ear. He bit down gently and Lucy winced delightfully.
As Lucy peppered kisses to his cheek and he bit down on her ear, Strange reached between them for his cock. Lucy moaned, feeling his tip run along her soar cunt. Strange moaned as his cock was lubricated with Lucyâs sap. She felt his heart beating faster against hers. A long moan escaped her lips as she felt the tip of his cock slide in.
She stretched around the width of his head. He teased her, not daring to push any deeper. As his tip sat there inside of her, Lucy was so aroused that she felt actual pain. She cried out as agonizing need and desire overcame her. Her pussy burned around him and her nails dug into his skin. The wall inside of her beat like a drum as it craved to feel his cock slamming against it.
âSuch a dirty fucking slut.â He growled. Lucy wailed again and shook. âYou want more, hm?â He teased her and Lucy nodded exhaustedly. âUse your filthy mouth and say it.â He demanded.
âYes, Doctor. I need you in me, please.â She begged.
Strange shook his head with a tsk, âTry harder.â
Tears slipped out of her eyes and she threw her head back. She could hardly take any more. âPlease fuck me, Doctor. I need to feel your come inside of me. I want to feel my cunt stretching around you, Doctor.â She breathed out, barely able to speak. âP-Please, Doctor, make me your slut.â
With her words, Strange pulled her off of him. Her cunt made a popping noise as his head left her wetness. He pulled her against his chest, hand still on his cock. He had to make her suffer once more before he gave her what she needed. Lucyâs hands clawed at his shoulders. He lined them up again and Lucy whimpered. His hands pushed her hips down and her cunt squelched as she sank onto his cock.
âDoctor!â Lucy cried.
His hand came to her back again and rubbed the flesh over her spine gently. Lucy bottomed out on his prick and his tip hit that spot inside of her. She shivered and buried her face in his neck. But Strange pulled her back so he could see her face. âI want to see you fall apart.â He grunted.
Lucy had to work her way up to a quicker pace. She felt her nerves spike as she was now in control of both of their pleasure. She tried moving up and down as fast as she could but her body felt so tingly that she could barely move at all. She was unstable as she bounced up and down on his thick cock. The only thing keeping her upright was Strangeâs firm grip on her hips.
Strangeâs jaw clenched as Lucyâs breasts danced in his face. Her hands gripped his shoulders and started snaking their way up to his neck. Her fingers brushed against his veins, driving him insane.
At that moment, he allowed himself to look at the young girl on top of him.
His eyes scanned over her face. Her sweet lips open in an eternal gasp. Her dark brows were knit together tightly, her button nose scrunched. A deep blush spread across her cheeks and neck, accentuating the love bites he had left. Her breasts bounced with her, just taunting him to take them into his mouth. Her walls clenched and unclenched around him, sending waves through his cock. She looked like a dream as she came undone on his manhood. Absolutely sinful, completely filled with his cock, fucking herself to climax.
Lucy felt shame overcome her suddenly as she thought of the reality of the situation. She was suspended in the air, completely in the nude, fucking a world-class sorcerer who happened to be a colleague of her motherâs.
Mother. She thought.
Her mother could have portaled in at any moment. She could walk in and see Lucy screwing a man who was not only much older than her but an authority figure in her life. Wong could have wandered in and seen his friend fucking Lucy, who he had raised as his own daughter as well. What would they have thought if they saw her like that? Defiled and feral as Strange fucked her into oblivion. The thought made her feel sick, yet it did nothing to stop her.
Suddenly, Strange pulled her flush against him. With his cock still inside of her, he floated them back down and gently rested them on the wooden tabletop. He laid back and Lucy placed her hands on his chest. He was deeper now, threatening to rip her open. She could feel him growing in size inside of her. Her nails left scratches on his chest as she began grinding her hips into him. The very tip of his cock glided against the spongy barrier of her cunt at a rapid pace.
He threw his head back as Lucy began going faster on him. Her breaths were curt and short, uneven and ragged. Wisps of hair lining her forehead stuck to the glistening sweat that had gathered at her hairline. Mascara ran down her cheeks from the tears that had streamed down her face. Strange brought his hands up to grip both of her tits, holding them in place.
Lucyâs stomach hollowed as she struggled to keep breathing. Strange looked down at where they were connected. He watched as his cock disappeared and reappeared in and out of her cunt. The sight was hypnotic, putting him in a trance. Just beneath her belly button, he saw a slight bulge protruding from her stomach. His eyes locked on that spot watching closely as her stomach poked out with each bounce. When he realized what he was looking at, his head swooned.
âFuck,â Strange moaned as he watched her stomach. His hand glided down her body and to her abdomen. His palm rested there, feeling his cock moving in and out of her. His thumb swiped over her clit messily to further drive her toward climax. âYou feel that? You feel how deep I am?â He asked her and she nodded feverishly.
She felt the fire in her cunt beginning to blaze through her body. Her movements became untamed as she got closer to her orgasm. Strange pressed his feet into the table beneath them and began to thrust up into her. His cock twitched in her, swelling as he picked up his pace. She felt herself stretching even more to accommodate his growing size as if she werenât stretched enough already. There was a creeping sensation at her clit, a mixture between a tickle and a sting that felt incredibly intoxicating.
Strange wasnât going to last much longer. With the combination of her cunt squeezing him and the sight of Lucy losing herself on him, his orgasm was so close that he could practically taste it. His cock stabbed up into her violently as he chased that bliss he ached for. Heâd never noticed how beautiful Lucy truly was until then. Of course, heâd looked at herâ really looked at her. Heâd noted that she was attractive. But as she bounced on top of him, mouth gasping vulgarities as she came, he saw that she was truly beautiful.
He pulled Lucyâs body down on top of his. He tangled his hand in her hair, the other arm wrapping around her back to hold her against him. His hips thrusted into hers at a new, unfettered pace. Lucy gasped and screamed as she felt her cunt deluge with secretions. And suddenly like a strong electric pulse, she shook against him with a long, dragged-out moan. Her body melted into his and he held her close.
Lucy had no breath nor strength left. She was completely spent, now just a willing hole for Strange to use till his heartâs content. She lied there exhausted on top of him, arms lazily draped over his shoulders. Her form easily moved with his as he thrusted deeper and harder. She heard him let out a grunt painfully. The sound of his breath echoing in her ear almost overtook the sound of his hips slapping against her bum. She scrunched her face as she felt another orgasm approaching quicker than the last one. She whined out as she came again within seconds of her first orgasm. Her pussy throbbed in pain and pleasure as she keened in his ear, coming down from her high.
Strange was relentless. His cock touched every spot inside of her that she never knew existed. He got every ridge, every soft spot, every crevice. His tip hit the barrier in her like a fist to a punching bag. Before Lucy had time to gather herself, she felt her cunt salivate around him again. She squealed, using the last of her strength to grip his shoulders. She wasnât sure she could take another orgasm.
Strangeâs hips sped up unnaturally, pumping himself into her like that until his cock shook and Lucy felt her walls being painted. He let out a loud moan, his hips halting with his cock pressed into Lucyâs brink. His come shot inside of her sore cunt. Lucy heard the bookcases teeter as books flew from the shelves all around them. A leg on the table buckled under their weight, causing the table to sit lopsidedly. But neither Lucy nor Strange paid any of the chaos around them any mind. Each spurt of his seed coated her raw flesh deliciously. Lucy felt herself swoon as she felt how full her pussy was. His come overflowed in her, leaking out and mixing with her sap. The power of his orgasm had shaken the room. Lucy feared that her mother or Wong might have caught them with how loudly the books had hit the floor.
She laid on top of him for a while, his arms holding her there. His cock stayed hard for a substantial amount of time inside of her. Every few minutes she felt a twitch and then a cool sensation hit her barrier. His cock released like that until he went flaccid in her core. His heart rate slowed and his hold loosened. She could feel him calming down slowly but surely. The pulsing in her core stopped but she still felt sore and likely would feel that way for a few days. Strange pulled out of her, his prick falling onto his lower stomach flatly. Lucy lifted herself off of him and looked down at his soft shaft. Even with his cock not erect, he hadnât lost an inch.
Strange sat up and reached for her arm, âLet me see my work.â He pulled her back.
Lucy could barely stand on her own two legs. She slunk back to sit on the table with his help. Her cunt was tender and incredibly sensitive, every step sending a shock through her. Strange slapped both of her knees, silently commanding her to spread her legs. Lucy whined weakly as she let her knees fall apart to reveal her pink sex.
Strangeâs eyes were glued to her pussy, unable to look away even if he wanted to. She was swollen and raw. He could see her clit twitching, screaming to be relieved. Her entrance puckered as she breathed deeply. Her core and the entire surrounding area coated with sweat and arousal. He knew that his seed was buried deep in her being soaked up by her soft walls.
Lucy kept her eyes on his face as he studied her dripping core. She bit down on her lip, determined to not make any more noises. Strange slapped her pussy suddenly, a sting reverberating through her. She screamed out and threw her head back, but Strange gripped her hair and pulled her head forward so she had no choice but to watch him repeatedly slap her sensitive cunt. She grunted as his fingers harshly slapped against her clit. His hand became wet with her arousal.
Suddenly he pushed three of his fingers into her and Lucy watched helplessly. His long fingers curved in her, hitting the roof of her insides. Lucyâs eyes rolled back into her head as he wedged a fourth finger into her. She made a squelching noise as his fingers pumped in and out painfully slowly. He pressed his fingers hard up against her ceiling, opening her up so much that she felt cold air inside of her.
She could feel a stream coming out of her. The pressure of his fingers was pushing his come out of her. They both watched as cream flowed out of her gaping hole. Lucyâs mouth hung open in ecstasy at the erotic sight. She leaked out onto the table that had been completely destroyed by their excursion. A cocky smirk spread across his lips as he let go of her hair. Lucyâs arms shook as she tried to support herself on her own. As Strangeâs one hand held her roof open, he sunk the index and middle finger of his other hand into the space beneath his knuckles. His fingers pushed in deep and then slid out against the floor of her cunt, gathering his come.
He brought his fingers to tap her lips, âOpen.â He demanded. Lucyâs lips parted and as soon as they did, Strange lodged his fingers inside. She wrapped her lips around them and began bobbing her head on them as if she were sucking his cock. Strange pushed his fingers deeper and deeper until he saw Lucyâs face turn red and her neck buck with a gag. Then he pulled them out, leaving her a coughing mess. Mucus streamed out of her nose and tears formed in her eyes again. Strange wiped his hand across her breasts, the saliva and come making her chest feel sticky. She let out a throaty whine as he jerked his fingers out of her core and pulled himself away from her completely.
Lucy couldnât even open her eyes anymore. She felt like sheâd been thrown into the middle of a tornado, chewed up, and spit out. She was outside of herself. She wasnât even sure if she could make it back to her bedroom. She just sat on the broken table, shaking and disoriented. And yet, Strange was already up and getting dressed.
As he pulled on his pants and buckled his belt, he barely even looked in her direction. It was a stark contrast to the undivided attention heâd given her just moments before. He didnât seem to be impacted at all by what they had just done. Like it had never happened to begin with. Meanwhile, Lucy struggled to remember how to speak.
Once he was back in his slacks and his sweater, he finally spared her a glance. He seemed to wince at the sight of her. She wondered if he did so because she looked so disheveled or because he was suddenly disgusted by her after getting what he wanted. He let out a bothered sigh and looked away from her. âYou should be able to find some kind of contraceptive spell in one of these books.â He said coldly. âIf not, thereâs always the drug store down the street.â He added.
She looked at him and scoffed, âSeriously?â She snapped.
He looked at her with narrowed eyes and then chuckled, âDonât tell me you expected anything more of me. We fucked. Thatâs it.â He snapped.
She felt her heart sink, but some part of her knew it all alongâ part of her even wanted it (or thought she did). But still, just for a moment, she thought about what it might be like to actually have something with him. It was foolish, she was aware. Strange and her couldnât stand each other. Their session had felt like a disparaging hate-fuck, something far from caring and tender.
And as he stalked out of the library, letting the old doors close behind him, leaving the displaced books and Lucy, she knew that they would never be anything.
â
okay so, that was a ride... literally.
honestly, iâm probably gonna do a part two because i am not okay with strange just leaving lucy like that. so yeah, weâve gotta rectify that situation (not me saying this as if iâm not the fucking author please-). but i know strange seems like an asshole but iâm gonna explain further in the next part as to why he acted that way towards her.
ngl, writing the second half of âdo mi tiâ is kicking my ass. iâm finalizing my grades in schools right now and thereâs not enough time to perfect it. so until then, i will be working on an au based off of the regency era and jane austenâs âemmaâ (one of my favorite books ever). iâm titling it âsanguineâ and our main protagonist is lady katherine âkittyâ chattoe (i know so many jane austen references already, but hey my mom was an education major). i think itâs gonna be a theo nott x ocâ what am i saying? OF COURSE, its going to be a theo nott x oc. but yeah, just wanted to give you all an update on everything. okay bye bye mwah!
hereâs emma corrin being stunning and beautiful as an extra gift:
summary: during the spring of â96, fred and george weasley departed from hogwarts. but fred didnât just leave hogwarts behind, he left his beloved lena too. while fred was gone, lena made a mistake that is now threatening to come to life.
warnings: ANGST, mentions of death, mentions of cheating, like super slight nsfw (literally will miss it if you blink), i think that's it but let me know if i missed anything.
notes: i split it into two parts and i will post part two as soon as itâs finished. lenaâs name is pronounced LEH-na (the european way, not the english way) and her house is ravenclaw :)
Lena face claim:
â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘
It had been six months since Fred and Lena had been reunited.
She had been at The Burrow with Mrs. Weasley, waiting for the seven âHarryâsâ to return. She had no idea Fred was on the mission until she saw Harryâs boy-ish face transition into Fredâs freckled, masculine one.
It was the first time sheâd seen him since he and George left Hogwarts.
Since that night, Lena had been attached to Fred at the hip. She never wanted him to leave the way he did again.
But there was something she was hiding. Something that she planned to take to her grave.
~
December 31, 1996
Lenaâs hands gripped the expensive fabric of Theoâs white dress shirt, pulling him into her. His hands roamed across her back gently. Both of their minds were slightly hazed by the amount of alcohol both of them had consumed. The sound of the otherâs ringing in the new year echoed down the hall where they were.
Theo pressed Lena against the cobblestone of the dungeons. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she felt his manhood rubbing against her sex. Lena tilted her head back and let out a breathy moan as his lips attacked her neck. âGod, youâre so beautiful,â Theo whispered against her skin and she felt a chill run down her spine.
Lenaâs nails dug into his back as she heard him begin to unbuckle his belt. She peppered sweet kisses down his neck, her moans vibrating through his skin as he pushed her panties to the side.
He very slowly lowered her onto him, letting each inch of himself sink into her. Lena breathed out as he bottomed out inside of her. Theo buried his face in her neck, grunting as he gripped her hips. âTheo,â She breathed.
Lena gently moved up and down to meet his thrusts. A delicious swoon came over her as Theo pulled her top down to reveal one of her breasts. His soft lips wrapped around the sweet bud and sucked lightly, swirling his tongue over the sensitive skin.
She didnât want to admit it, but he felt better than anyone else sheâd been with.
He even felt better than Fred.
Months of yearning for each other. Stealing glances from across the library and potions classroom. Their passion had built up, boiling over and burning them. Just the touch of Theoâs fingers on her sent the young witch into a tizzy. The way he kissed her and held her so tenderly was so unlike Fred, but it was oh so good.
Theo lightly bit down on her shoulder as both of them came to their climax. Lena cried out as her orgasm hit her in waves. Each of Theoâs thrusts sent shockwaves through her. His eyes screwed shut as he spilled into her warmth. âFuck, Lena.â He said lowly.
Moments later, after the fact, the guilt consumed her. She could feel the tears and the panic rise as she and Theo stood in silence.
She had cheated on Fred.
How could she do that?
She loved Fred, Fred loved her. She had no reason to be unfaithful, right?
It had just been so long. Lena hadnât spoken to Fred in nearly a year. She craved a manâs presence, the feeling of someone elseâs weight on her. And Theo was handsome and intriguing and he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
It would never happen again. She didnât need Theo when she had Fred.
She loved Fred and didnât want anyone else. Sheâd chalk up her encounter with Theo as a moment of weakness. Fred was her soulmate, and that was all.
~
July 27, 1997
Lenaâs head rested against Theoâs chest. Theo played with each of her fingers
The war was beginning to rage and so was Lenaâs anxiety. Not only did she have no clue where Fred was, but she knew Theo wanted to fight.
Theo was stubborn and still had that Slytherin determination as if he had something to prove. Ever since he defected from being a Death Eater, he had this horrible chip on his shoulder. He wanted a fight, he looked one for everywhere he went. Heâd settled a little bit, finally, after Lena convinced him to go into hiding. She thanked the gods every day that Molly agreed to take him in until Tonks found somewhere permanent for him to stay.
Theo often mentioned the idea of running away. Just her and him, moving from place to place before they settled once all of it was over. But Lena refused. She had to see the war through to the end. But in all honesty, the idea was tempting. Especially if it meant that Theo would be safe.
Their affair started as a way for her to cope. Fred was gone and she craved companionship. She desperately needed to feel the weight of a man on top of her, holding her. But it turned out that Theo was too good at his job.
She started to feel more for him very quickly. And she swore that the moment she started to feel soft on him, she would never lay with him again. But then it kept happening. Before she even realized it, she was kissing down his chest as her hands roamed across his broad back.
And now, here she laid on his chest, overwhelmed with anxiety over his well-being.
Part of her felt guilty. Technically she was still with Fred. But she hadnât seen Fred in a year.
When Fred and George left Hogwarts, they truly left without a trace. No one, not even Molly, had heard from the two boys in ages. The last thing Lena heard about them was that they were traveling across the continent selling products from their business.
But she was also angry. If Fred truly loved her as much as he claimed, why hadnât he written to her? Why hadnât he called? Was he so busy that he couldnât even be bothered to pass along a message or send a bouquet of flowers on her birthday? The fact that he was able to continue in life so easily without her hurt.
âWe could still run, you know? I could make a portkey thatâll have us in Iceland by morning.â Theo smiled down at her.
Lena chuckled lightly, âThe answer is still no, Silly. Now come, Molly must need help with dinner for Harry and the others when they touchdown in a few.â She said as she got out of bed.
Theyâd been keeping themselves a secret from Molly. Though Theo was fairly certain that she had her suspicions. Nonetheless, Lena made sure she entered and exited his room as discreetly as possible.
She got dressed and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. Before she could walk away, Theo caught her wrist. She turned back around and looked at him with confusion.
Theoâs face looked grim as he swallowed harshly. He gently pulled her down to sit next to him. He sat up slowly and cupped her face in his hands, his hands flattening her hair. Lenaâs brows furrowed as his eyes ran across her face. âWhatâs the matter?â She placed her hands on his wrists.
He shook his head and let his thumb rub her cheek, âNothing. Just let me look at you.â He caressed the top of her hair and forehead.
Lena closed her eyes and let herself feel his touch. She tried to ignore the guilt racking through her.
Fred, Fred, Fred.
Whatâs wrong with you? You love Fred.
Fred is who you want, remember? Your loving boyfriend who would do anything for you?
Theoâs hands drew patterns across her cheeks. He connected the beauty marks on her skin with lines and squiggles. He drew stars above her eyebrows before letting his fingers ghost over her lips. And just as he leaned in for a kiss, Lena cleared her throat and stood.
âDinner,â She said, âWe should go help Molly with dinner.â
Theo fell back onto the bed with a sigh, his bare chest glistening. âIâd rather stay here and have an obscene amount of sex with you.â He smirked and Lena felt butterflies soar through her stomach.
Lena rolled her eyes playfully, âHaha, very funny.â She put her hair up. âTry to do something though. Even if you donât come downstairs and help with dinner. I hate how you stay locked away in this room. Read one of Percyâs old books, or ask Ginny if sheâll go for a round of quidditch.â She suggested.
âYouâre right, I should do something. Come here and keep me busy.â He said suggestively.
Lena stopped at the door and chuckled, âAlways a cheek one, You.â
She raised her hand and twirled her fingers lightly. âAmorcaptus.â
The spell lightly flowed towards Theo. Pink and crimson hearts danced through the air, dissipating once they got to him. A smile came to both of their lips. âWhatâs this?â Theo asked her.
âAmorcaptus. Itâs a lesser-known spell now, but it was really popular in Germany when my mother was young.â She explained to him.
Her mother taught it to her when Lena was very young. âWith loveâ is what it meant. Her mother told her that it became popular in Germany during World War II when many Jewish witches and wizards cast it as a final goodbye to one another before they were separated.
Lena couldnât tell Theo she loved him. It was wrong and a horrible thing to do to Fred. So she said it with her magic instead, hoping it would be enough to get the message across.
She shrugged, âItâs the only wandless magic I know. Maybe one day Iâll teach it to you.â She smiled and then she was gone.
Later that night, Lena helped Molly set up the extra rooms for when everyone touched down at The Burrow. And after practically begging him, Lena convinced Theo to read one of Percyâs books. He settled on 1984 by George Orwell.
As Lena fluffed the pillows on Ronâs bed she heard the familiar crack of thunder sound off outside. A moment later, Molly called up to her to tell her that Hagrid and Harry had made it back safely.
Lena ran down the stairs and outside to the front lawn. âHarry!â She smiled and wrapped her arms around his short frame in a hug. âYouâre okay?â
Harry nodded, âHas no one else come back?â He asked.
âNo, you two are the only ones so far.â Lena told him.
Harryâs skin paled slightly before he put on a smile as to not worry Lena. But Lena could see the thoughts in his head swimming.
Ginny came outside, followed by Theo. Lena felt her breath hitch at the sight of him, still stunned by handsome he was after all this time.
Harry ran to Ginny and lifted her into the air. âI was so worried,â Ginny said as Harry spun them around.
Theoâs eyes caught Lenaâs and he slowly strode towards her with a slight smile. Lena saw Harryâs face drop at the sight of Theo, his jaw clenching with contempt.
Lena was well aware of how Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt about Theo. And she loved her friends, but she couldnât tell them about her and Theo. They didnât even understand why she was nice to him at all. To them, he was just another Death Eater that defected to avoid prison. She couldnât imagine how they would react to her and Theo being together.
Everyone was focused on Theo discreetly linked his pinky finger with Lenaâs. His ice touch made her gasp slightly. It was the most public display of affection they had ever shared, though it was still so small.
Lena closed her eyes while Theoâs eyes scanned over her sculpted face. As he stared at Lena he took in every detail. How the moon beat down on her freckled skin. The way the wind blew her raven-colored hair across her face. Her fluttering, silken lashes and the soft champagne pink of her cheeks.
His lips parted slightly as he tried not to let his thoughts get away from him. But he couldnât help the way his thoughts ran wild.
Theo cleared his throat, âLena, I-â
Almost as soon as he opened his mouth, another crack of thunder came down. Lenaâs eyes shot open and she didnât even realize that Theo had said anything.
Her body reacted before her mind fully registered that it was him. At the sight of his fiery hair and tall frame, an electric current soared through her.
He looked up, his downturned eyes looking towards The Burrow. That was when she knew it was him.
Lena didnât think twice before snatching her hand away from Theo, running towards Fred with a sob. Theo winced and tried not to show his disappointment on his face. He rubbed the back of his neck to hide his reaction.
Fredâs eyes found Lena as she ran to him with her arms outstretched. A feeling of pure euphoria came over him when she hauled herself into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her hair forming a curtain on his shoulders. He felt her tears staining his clothing as she violently sobbed.
âOh, my love.â She cried into his neck before pulling back and kissing him on his plump and slightly bruised lips.
A year. Thatâs how long it had been since their lips touched, since she had held her face in her hands and looked at him so closely.
Fred smiled against Lenaâs lips, âHello, Lovey. Missed me, I assume?â He asked into the kiss.
Lena almost felt like slapping him harshly across the face. How could he be so nonchalant about disappearing for a year? It was like their time apart meant nothing to him. He didnât even shed a single tear. âWhat are you- What are you doing here?â
âGeorge and I decided to surprise everyone. We got the message about the mission and showed up at the Dursleyâs. Quite a shock for everyone when they saw us.â He explained.
Theo wasnât even a thought in her mind anymore. That was until she saw him again, and her feelings for him flooded through her all over again. Her love for him hit her like a tidal wave. She hugged Fred but she couldnât tear her eyes away from Theo.
You fool. Theo thought. What did you expect? You both always knew that this arrangement was temporary.
Fred set Lena down and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He saw Theo standing a few feet away and smiled at him. Theo tried to put on a smile to be polite. âNott, itâs good to see on the right side.â Fred nodded at him as he walked towards the house with Lena.
âThanks, Mate...â Theo acknowledged.
Fred patted his shoulder, âYeah, no problem. It feels good to do good.â He said to the younger wizard passive-aggressively.
It feels good to do your girlfriend, you fire-crotched bloke. Theo couldnât help but think.
Theo felt like tackling Fred and slapping his smug smile off of his face. He knew how the Weasleyâs felt about his Death Eater past and heritage. He knew that most of the Order of the Phoenix looked down upon him. He was tired of putting up with the staring and the whispers and the backhanded comments.
But instead of slamming Fred to the ground, Theo just nodded. âYeah... feels good.â
Lena felt like her heart was nosediving into her stomach. Her two lovers were interacting with each other. Their alpha-male personalities were clashing slightly. She silently hoped that one wouldnât say something to set off the other, fearing where confrontation may lead.
Fred kissed the top of her head and Lena eyed Theo guiltily. Theo just stared back at her with an unreadable expression.
âCome on, Lovey. Smells like Mumâs made beef casserole.â He said and Lena smiled slightly at his keen sense of smell.
Theo watched the pair of them saunter towards the house, Lenaâs hands running through Fredâs hair and her soft lips peppering kisses across his face.
Lena tried to focus on Fred and how he was finally with her again. She tried to force herself to feel that joy she should have felt after seeing him so long. But she could tell that she was only happy to see him because she felt obligated to. And she also realized that she would have rather been kissing Theo.
~
August 1, 1997
Fred and Lena laid in bed together with nothing flowing between them, despite having just made love to one another.
They had tried to restore what they once had. They spent all of their time together, they tried different ways of showing their affection to each other, they even tried new things in bed to see where it may lead. Nonetheless, Fred and Lena were at all standstill.
Fred could tell from his first night back that she was apprehensive. But he just thought that it was because they hadnât met for a year. He figured her wariness around him would go away with time. But after nearly two weeks, something was still plaguing his witch.
It wasnât that she didnât love him anymore. Sheâd checked after there was no spark when they made love that first night. She did still love him with all of her heart. But she couldnât escape how much she missed Theo. She craved his lips and his touch. She craved it so much that Fredâs lips and touch felt like nothing against her skin.
So, she had come to realize she loved them both.
Lena pulled the covers over her chest as she cleared her throat. âThe wedding is gonna start soon. We should get ready.â She said and he nodded.
He didnât know if he should ask her if something was wrong. He could be opening a can of worms without even realizing it. But he wanted her to look at him the way she used to. Like he was the best thing in the world.
âLena,â He started as she began to get dressed.
Lena turned away from him and scrunched her face. She recognized that tone in the older wizardâs voice. She tried to pretend like she didnât hear him say her name. Perhaps he wouldnât try to call to her again if she ignored him.
âLena,â He said more firm, âwe need to find time to talk today.â He stated.
Lena winced internally but said nothing but, âAlright.â
She left almost immediately after, deciding to spend the rest of the day with Fleur and the other bridesmaids. Being around her cousin had been effective in distracting her from Fred and Theo. Plus she could always talk to Fleur considering she was the only person that knew about Theo.
Lena would have told Hermione, but she knew the Gryffindor Princess wouldnât understand no matter how hard she tried to. She hated that she couldnât even tell her best friend.
At the wedding reception, Lena tried her best to avoid Fred. She knew it was the perfect time for him to pull her away and speak to her. She just wasnât ready to confess to him.
She tried biting back that slight pang of jealousy she got when she saw Fred talking to Angelina, his ex. She knew when she and Fred started dating that he would always have a bond with Angie to an extent. Plus, she rationalized that she couldnât be upset considering Theo.
About an hour into the reception, Fred finally approached his girlfriend. He came up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the space between her shoulder and her neck. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, âYou look gorgeous in blue.â He smiled and so did she.
Lena closed her eyes and silently prayed he wouldnât bring up wanting to talk with her. âYou look good in orange, but we already knew that.â She giggled.
âDo you want to dance?â He asked.
Lena titled to look at him before she nodded apprehensively. Fred smiled a bit more as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor.
Theo watched from outside of the tent. He would have joined the others, but he wasnât sure if he was welcome. Despite Bill and Fleur saying he was more than welcome, he still felt like an outsider. But it wouldnât have mattered or hurt nearly as much if he had Lena.
He had kept his distance from her since Fredâs return. He didnât want to complicate things even more for her. But he had to admit that he missed her, and being away from her was agony.
He watched Fred and Lena dance together. Her head rested on his chest as they swayed. Fredâs fingers gently raked through her dark hair as he kissed the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered closed in contentment.
Theo cursed himself for the ache in his heart. What a foolish, sorry sack youâve become. He thought.
He had had his share of conquests. He, Blaise, and Draco had flipped the skirts of many dames in their time as young men. Heâd even had an affair with the daughter of the caretaker at his parentâs home in Greece. So, he wasnât able to understand why the thought of not having Lena anymore pained him.
Never had he ever felt for a girl the way he felt for Lena. He felt like a fool, stupidly in love with a girl who used him. But he couldnât help but love her. Who wouldnât fall in love with a girl as beautiful and kind and intelligent as Lena?
Oh, how he wished that he could dance with her publicly. Or do anything publicly, for that matter.
He wanted her, he wanted her in the true way. Not in the way of sneaking around, kissing in empty dark rooms, and linking pinky fingers. He wanted to hold her hand as they walked down the streets of Diagon Alley. He wanted to sit with her in a sandwich shop and talk the way they did in private. He wanted her to read him in the mornings as he made her coffee just the way she liked it.
He just wanted her.
âYou could go inside if youâd like.â He heard a girly voice from the side of him.
Theo turned and saw the infamously quirky Luna Lovegood. She had a slight smile on her lips and her eyes gaped just like always.
âWhat?â He asked the strange girl.
âIâm sure no one will mind if you go inside. I think Lena would enjoy seeing you.â She said as if she could read his mind.
He wanted to scoff at her. How naive of her to think that the situation was so black and white. But he held his laugh in, remembering how Lena told him that Luna didnât have very many friends.
âItâs a bit more complicated than that, Luna.â He pushed his hands into his pockets.
A giggle escaped her, âThatâs not very Slytherin of you.â She shrugged absently.
âWhat the hell is that supposed to mean?â He said, slightly offended.
He was so sick of the other three houses looking down upon Slytherin. As if they were the only house to produce dark wizards and Death Eaters. And being constantly surrounded by Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs made him the outlet for almost everyoneâs animosity towards Slytherin.
âI donât mean to offend you. I only mean to say that my favorite quality about Slytherin house has always been your drive and desire to get what you want. Itâs not like you to walk away from something you desire.â She explained.
Theoâs defenses came down slightly as she explained herself. He should have known better. Luna Lovegood would befriend a Dementor if she could.
He looked down at the dress shoes Arthur let him borrow, âShe doesnât want me.â He said quietly.
âSure she does. Iâve seen how you look at each other. Sheâs just scared is all. But Iâm fairly certain sheâll feel better once you tell her how you feel.â Luna assured him.
He felt her place her hand on his shoulder. The two of them stood there in silence, staring at the jubilant scene in the tent.
Heâd always dismissed the eclectic Ravenclaw as daft. She did tend to go off on irrelevant tangents. And she did come off as an airhead at times. But Luna Lovegood was actually quite insightful. And she was pretty good at giving advice.
Theo heard a rushing sound from above, a small blue light visible out of the corner of his eye. Both he and Luna looked up and saw a blue sphere flying past them and directly towards the tent.
âWell, thatâs peculiar,â Luna said as Theo pulled her away from the tent with him.
Lena heard gasps from around her and felt Fredâs grip on her tighten. She opened her eyes just as the Patronus landed in the center of the room. Fred pulled her behind him to shield her from any potential danger.
Everyone backed away from the Patronus, which Lena now recognized as Shackleboltâs lynx. Lena peered around Fred and spotted Hermione across the tent. She felt someone grip her hand and looked down to see Fleurâs manicured hand.
âThe Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.â The Patronus announced cryptically.
Lena felt her blood run cold. Without The Ministry, there was no form of government to keep the Death Eaters at bay. The Death Eaters essentially had the will to do whatever they pleased.
The Patronus disappeared and the entire tent went into a panic. Everyone began to either run or disapparate as far away from The Burrow as they could.
Bill and Fred kept Fleur and Lena behind them as they found their way to George and Ginny. Death Eaters began to invade the tent, casting killing curses almost as soon as they apparated in.
Lenaâs mind raced.
Weâve lost. Weâve lost the war.
My parents donât know if Iâm safe. I donât know if theyâre safe.
Harry. Theyâll kill Harry. Heâs our only hope.
Theo...
Theo!
Her thoughts stopped running about when his name came to mind.
Theo. She thought. Heâs still at the house. Theyâll kill him and hang him for all to see if heâs found.
She began to feel sick. She remembered how Theo told her that his father vowed to kill him himself for abandoning the Dark Lordâs cause. And now, possibly an army of Death Eaters were on their way to The Burrow.
She couldnât leave him, she wouldnât.
Theo couldnât die.
He canât die! She panicked internally.
Not after they worked so hard to protect him. Not after he made her love him.
Lena stopped running, gently pulling Fleur back. Fleur turned and looked at her like sheâd lost her mind. She didnât even think before she began tugging her along again. âLena, letâs go!â Fleur yelled.
âNo! No, Theo is at the house still! We have to go get him!â She said to her cousin.
Fleur gave Lena an apologetic stare, âWe have to go, Lena. When we get somewhere safe weâll send a signal to let him know where we are.â She tried to pull the younger witch along again.
âNo!â Lena insisted.
Before she could protest anymore, Bill intervened. He gripped Lenaâs other hand in his, making sure the hold was tight. Instinctively, Lena gripped his hand back. She didnât realize what he was doing until it was too late. She saw Fred and Georgeâs hands on both of Billâs shoulders. Ginny had her arms around his waist tightly. As soon as Lena tried to pull her hand away, Bill disapparated all six of them out of the tent.
Theo and Luna watched as people began rushing out of the tent.
Theoâs feet immediately started carrying him towards the tent, towards Lena. But Luna pulled him back before he got too far.
Xenophilius rushed out of the tent and frantically searched for his daughter. Luna spotted his floral waistcoat and his ice hair. âHere, Dad!â She called to him.
When Theo saw him, he knew that the man had to be Lunaâs kin. They were dressed almost exactly the same and he had the same silver eyes as Luna.
Xenophilius came to the two young wizards, âThank the gods, youâre alright.â He hugged his daughter. âCome, we must leave immediately. Weâll stay at your grandmotherâs until everything settles.â He added and Luna nodded.
Xenophiliusâ eyes landed on Theo. He recognized him as the boy the Weasley clan had taken in. The defected Death Eater. He held no prejudice towards the young boy. After all, he was just a boy and not much older than Luna. He couldnât leave him.
âYou are welcome to come too, my boy,â Xenophilius said to Theo.
Theo didnât know why, but Xenophiliusâ invitation shocked him. He knew that much of The Order didnât care for him. He had expected to be left as Death Eater bait. He hadnât expected Xenophilius or anyone to offer him asylum.
Xenophilius saw the wheels turning in Theoâs head. âItâs alright, Son. Any friend of Lunaâs is a friend of mine.â He said sincerely as he offered Theo his hand.
Theo swallowed harshly, Lenaâs sly smile and freckles coming into his mind. âLena,â He strained out.
âLena Humphries?â Xenophilius asked recalling how Lena had been something of a role model for Luna. Theo perked up and Xenophilius nodded, âSheâs safe, I believe. I saw her disapparate with the bride and groom.â He reassured Theo.
A Death Eater soared past them and Xenophilius pulled Luna closer. The Death Eater landed and cast a killing curse at one of the guests. The sight of the green beam shook Theo to his core.
âWe must go!â Xenophilius said to them and Theo nodded, finally taking the manâs hand.
Theo closed his eyes to shield himself from the chaos around him. He wondered if his father was among the Death Eaters attacking the wedding. He felt his body separating as Xenophilius disapparated them. The last image he saw being The Burrow up in flames.
hey, uh, its not an ask im just so filled with rage right now that i cant possibly find another words to express my anger: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS TR*ST*D *Y*U? FRED JUST LEAKS ALL THAT SHIT TO AND THEN VESPYR FORGIVES HIM? EVEN IF HE STOOD WITH HIS SORRY ASS SHUT AND SILENCED LIKE A LITTLE BITCH ALL THIS TIME? THATS DISGUSTING EW EW EW I HATE THIS THIS IS A HATE COMMENT AND A HATE ASK SINCE THERE IS NO PLACE TO WRITE REVIEWS SO YEAH FUCK THAT HISTORY LIKE OF ALL ENDINGS THIS? "I FORGIVE YOU" BITCH DO NOT! WRECK HIS ASS. BE VIOLENT. DO ARSON! GIRLBOSS GIRL NEVER HEARD OF IT? EW AND MY IS MCGONNAGALL SO OOC LIKE HOMEGIRL WOULD PROBALY SKIN DUMBLEDORE ALIVE IF MF EVER TRIED TO DO THIS. EW DISGUSTING!
have a nice evening
âI Trusted Youâ An In-Depth Perspective
lmao this âaskâ had me cracking up.
first hereâs the link to the story: i trusted you
now, hereâs the thing:
as a person who went through the exact same situation as vespyr, i found that i didnât want to harm the person that did that to me. i didnât even want to hate him honestly.
i desperately wanted to forgive him.
because all in all, i loved him at one point in my life. and i had shared parts of myself with him that i had never shared with anyone else. and even though he betrayed my trust, i couldnât just forget all of the things we had gone through together. i couldnât deny that i still loved him even after he did what he did.
the only difference between vespyr and me is that fred asked her for forgiveness. i didnât get the oppurtunity to forgive the guy i loved because he never asked. he was too scared to open himself up to letting me forgive him.
so i wrote the ending i wanted for myself for vespyr.
i told you, this is my way of coping.
itâs funny that you ask âhow can she forgive him?â
and i say to that: how can we forgive anyone for anything?
how can anyone forgive someone for cheating? how can anyone forgive someone for lying to them or hurting them at all?
and the answer is simply that for many people, itâs hard to walk away from someone you shared so much with. and because itâs so hard, we forgive each other for our mistakes and shortcomings.
throughout the story, we see how she has multiple chances to out him and get revenge and put him in his place but she doesnât. in my mind, vespyr was suffering while away from fred. because despite what he did, he was still her person. thatâs exactly why she went to him to begin with and asked him to stand by her.
the only way for her to fully heal was for her to forgive him and let him make up for it. because had she held a grudge against him and kept herself away from him, she would be hurting herself too.
mind you, vespyr said she forgave him but she also said she would never forget what he did.
so yeah, fred got her forgiveness. but he will always know in the back of his mind that vespyr remembers how badly he hurt her. heâll spend the rest of their lives proving himself to her, showing that he can be trusted. and even after all of that, she still may not forget what he did.
and the last thing iâll say is this:
yeah, maybe vespyrâs decision wasnât her best âgirlbossâ moment to a lot of people (lmao).
but to me, itâs the most girlboss thing she could have done in that situation.
because vespyr, against what other people may think is right, did what she felt was good for her. she decided to take the risk that she could be hurt again for the equal chance that her and fred could still be great together.
in conclusion: sometimes in these situations, revenge isnât always the path that some of us want to take. revenge is not healing for all of us. and sometimes giving people our forgiveness is the strongest thing any of us can do.
wow. âi trusted youâ has gotten so much love and iâm beyond thankful! i currently have two wips iâm working on called âsomebody i used to knowâ and âdo mi tiâ (inspired by mitskiâs âwashing machine heartâ). hereâs a special preview of my wips:
somebody i used to know
nadyuska and fred were star-crossed lovers. that was until they found themselves in an irreconcilable predicament. after five years, fred and nadyuska are reunited during harry and ginnyâs wedding. old feelings begin to resurface.
do mi ti
when fred left his school career to pursue business, he didnât just leave behind hogwartsâ he also left behind his girlfriend lena. when fred suddenly returns to lenaâs life after months, the stability of their relationship is threatened.
i canât wait to share them with you all. until then, iâm so glad you all are enjoying my work. as an aspiring writer, it means the world.
summary: vespyr trusted him despite being warned of his ways.
warnings: unedited and not proof-read, ANGST, mentions of sex, mentions of nude photos, fred being a dick, me hurting my oc as a way to cope (lol...)
update: vespyrâs name is pronounced ve-spur
Vespyr face claim:
â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘
Vespyr was stunned by what she was seeing. It was as if she could feel her heart breaking in half. She didnât want to believe it, but how could she not when it was so clear?
Two weeks ago, Vespyr slept with Fred Weasley. Sheâd always had a crush on him. She was in awe of his ambition and confidence, and not to mention that he was rather dashing as well.
But she knew nothing would ever come of it. After all, she was just one of Ronâs dumb little friends to him.
So when Fred kissed her at a quidditch afterparty, she was shocked. But not shocked enough to tell him no. She had wanted him since she was eleven years old. For years, her dreams and fantasies had been of him loving her unconditionally. So when he said he wanted her, she let him have her. And when he said he wanted a piece of her with him, she didnât protest.
Maybe she should have pushed him off. Maybe she should have said no. Maybe she should have done anything to keep her from being in the position she was in now.
Now here she sat, tears welling up in her eyes. Next to her, Lavender and Parvati showed her the copies of the intimate photos she shared with Fred that had been circulating around the school. Photos of her in her underwear, posing promiscuously. Enchanted pictures of his fingers running over her breasts and stomach. Laying completely nude on his bed as they made loveâor so she thought.
âIâm sorry, Vespyr.â Parvati said.
Vespyr felt like her breath had been stolen away. Her chest was red hot with a feeling sheâd never felt before. It was like heartbreak elevated to a higher plane.
âWe tried to collect all of them, but I think Fay said she saw more in one of the corridors. We told McGonagall and sheâs looking into it.â Lavender added gently.
Fred couldnât have done this. He would never have shown those photos to anyone. But how else would they have gotten out to the school? Maybe someone found them in his dorm. He wouldnât hurt her like this.
Vespyr walked down to the common room where she knew Fred was. She had to speak with him immediately. Surely heâd know how the photos had gotten around.
When she got to the common room, she saw Fred sitting around the card table with his friends. She stood in the frame of the stairway with her arms crossed over her chest, feeling everyoneâs eyes on her. She saw the dirty look Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley gave to her. She also noticed the way Alicia, Angelina, and Katie laughed at her.
Trying her best to ignore them, she made her way across the room to Fred. As she approached, Lee and Cormacâs eyes landed on her. She felt unease rise in her as smirks grew on their faces.
She realized that everyone in that room had probably seen her photos. The photos that were only meant for Fred to see. Theyâd all seen her in her most vulnerable and intimate state. And even though she was completely clothed, sheâd never felt more exposed.
Vespyr stood behind Fredâs chair, his broad back to her. She cleared her throat as she shifted uncomfortably. Fred continued playing cards, however, as if he hadnât heard her.
George now looked up at Vespyr. He got a worried look which quickly changed into an apologetic expression. Vespyr couldnât smile or do anything other than stare blankly at him, too consumed with the thought that he too had probably seen her naked.
Vespyr cleared her throat again but still got no response from Fred. Finally George kicked his brother under the table. Fred winced slightly as George motioned to where Vespyr stood behind them.
She already felt humiliated. She needed to see Fredâs face. She knew once she saw his warm, chocolate eyes and dimples that sheâd feel safe again. But when Fred turned to look at her, she felt the opposite of safe. He looked at her like she was an embarrassment, like she was a burden. A nagging duck that had imprinted on him, a pimple that just wonât go away.
Vespyr looked down at her loafers, a hurt feeling coming over her. âCan I please talk to you?â She asked Fred.
Fred glanced back at the other boys at the table. Vespyr wanted to sob when she saw the way they chuckled. Then Fred turned back to her, âYeah. Sure.â He shrugged, smacking his hand of cards onto the table.
Vespyr practically sprinted out of the common room and into the corridor. Fred followed behind her with his hands tucked into his pockets.
They stood in the corridor, Fred barely able to meet her eyes. The fact that he couldnât even look at her was enough to tell her that he had done something. She didnât even have to ask because she already knew. But still, she wanted to hear him say what he had done. And she wanted to know why.
âPlease tell me that you didnât do this, Fred. Please tell me that Iâm crazy for even thinking you had something to do with this. T-Tell me that someone stole these,â She threw three of the photos at him, âfrom your drawer and you didnât know. Just tell me you didnât do this.â She said as tears welled up in her eyes.
Fred finally looked at Vespyr. Her nose was bright red and the crystal tears in her eyes made them look unreal. He let out a sigh and Vespyr prepared herself for whatever he was about to say.
âIt was so stupid how it started out, Vess. Okay, we were all just fucking around after quidditch practice.â He started.
Vespyr felt a chill run down her spin, âAlright,â She said in a tone that encouraged him to continue.
Fred let his body lean against the wall next to him. âI donât know who brought it up but we started talking about that stupid fucking list-â
She knew what list he was referring to. Sheâd seen far too many girls shed tears after finding out they were on it. And sheâd also seen girls cry because they didnât make the list. It was a topic of many conversations for the upper-classmen, and a source of frustration for the schoolâs staff. Vespyr recalled one time when Lavender gushed about how she desired to be on the list.
The list of Hogwarts most desirableâbetter known by the quidditch boys as âHogwartsâ Most Fuckableâ.
Vespyr never thought that she would be on the list. It had never even crossed her mind. But the thought of being on it made her feel sick.
â-We were all laughing and then Cormac brought up Ginnyâs name, and he said that he was gonna put her on the list unless someone else put another girl on there. And I just got pissed and I didnât want Ginny on it, so I brought you up.â Fred explained frantically.
Vespyrâs heart began to race. And even still, she felt for him. She still felt a sweet tug in her heart as she looked at him. Even though he was breaking her heart.
âI didnât know that they were gonna plaster the picture all over the school, Vess, I swear.â He reached for her hands.
Vespyr blinked, gently pulling her hands away. Her stomach started to flip in a horrible way. She felt like she was going to faint. âY-You showed them those pictures? Why would you- why would you do that?â She asked him.
âThey were gonna put Ginny on the list, alright? Sheâs only in fourth year, I- I panicked. What should I have done?â He tried to make her understand, taking her hands in his again.
This time she snatched her hands away, âYou could have told McGonagall, o-or you could have stopped it. I donât know, Fred, you just could have done something.â She breathed out now.
Fred scoffed, âYeah, tell McGonagall and have the entire quidditch league think Iâm some git.â He defends.
âSo you decided that I should suffer the consequences?â She snapped at him.
Fred couldnât say anything back to her. He had no defense for what he had done. It was a horrible thing to do to someone, especially someone you claim to care about. âItâs just a stupid list, Vespyr.â
Her eyes widened with anger, red clouding her vision. âIf itâs just a stupid list, then Ginny could have been on it, right?â She snapped.
âVess-â He shook his head.
She couldnât describe what she was feeling. It was a rage and anger that she had never felt in all her life. The betrayal coupled with the dismissal of it all made her livid.
âThatâs because itâs not just a stupid list!â She pushed his chest angrily.
Fred pinched the bridge of his nose. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Vespyr. But when Cormac brought Ginny up, he felt like his hands were tied.
Fred tried pulling Vespyr into his embrace but she pushed against him. âDonât.â She said sternly.
He sighed, âWhat do you want me to do?â He asked finally.
She looked up at him as if heâd gone mad, âI want you to stop this. I want you to defend me from all the shit people are saying.â Vespyr told him.
He gave her a confused look. âHow am I supposed to defend you, Vespyr? Okay, this isnât all my fault.â He said.
He knew it sounded wrong coming out of his mouth. He just wanted to feel less guilty about what he had done. He didnât want to hurt her any further, but that was exactly what he was doing.
âIâm sorry, do you mean to imply that this is my fault?â She asked him.
He shrugged slightly, âI mean, you gave me the pictures, Vess.â He said.
âBecause you asked for them!â She yelled back, her finger pressing into his chest.
She picked up the photos that were strewn on the ground. âThese pictures, these pictures that you asked me for, were private. These pictures werenât for your âstupid listâ.â She ripped them up and threw them at his face.
Fred continued to try to calm her down, but she wasnât going to calm down. There were no words that he could say to make her any less angry than she felt in that moment. He tried to grab her arms, he tried to hug her even. But there was nothing that was going to make this better.
Tears streamed down her face. Her throat was closing up, causing her voice to be thick. She felt like she might explode from the pressure mounting in her head. âYou know I never did anything like that for anyone else before you? I never even thought to give a guy something like that until you. And now- now you do this?â She cried.
Fredâs jaw clenched as he looked at the space between them. âYeah, well, I didnât force you.â
Vespyr couldnât believe him. How could he not see the error in his words? And why was he being so hurtful towards? She thought he cared about her. He said he would always protect her and he would never let anything happen to her. She trusted him and now he was doing the very opposite of protecting her. He was deliberately putting her in harmâs way.
She scoffed and pushed past him, not wanting to hear any more. She was so unimaginably angry at him, at all of them. For doing this to her and then having the nerve to think less of her.
Vespyr paused and turned around to look at him. Fredâs tall frame came into view again. âYouâre a sad sack of a man and you will never touch me again.â She said as strongly as she could, but the crack in her voice made her fall short.
Fred hadnât meant to put any blame onto Vespyr. He wanted to be there for her. God knows that he didnât want to lose her. But it was like every time he spoke, the wrong words kept coming out. His mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.
Now she had confirmed it, though she had already known the answer somewhat. Vespyr was alone in this. The pictures were out and the damage was done. Everyone around her was silently, and not so silently, judging her. And Fred was too much of a coward to stand by her through it all.
~
It had been three very long weeks. Vespyr had only spoken to Lavender and Parvati due to the fact that they were the only people who would talk to her. Then there was Neville, who was always nice. And of course Luna, the kindest soul anyone had ever met. And despite some forlorn stares from across the room on Fredâs part, she hadnât spoken to him either.
She wondered if anyone had empathy for her. If anyone could stop calling her names long enough to actually put themselves in her place and try to understand. If any of them could bestow a little grace upon her.
It seemed like those pictures just wouldnât go away. She thought it would blow over after a week or so, but it just wasnât. Every time she thought it might be over, someone would leave a picture in one of her notebooks or her owl would deliver an envelope full of them, or whatever cruel way the student body decided to remind her.
At lunch, Draco Malfoy and his friends came up to her. Draco tapped her on her shoulder and she turned around. When she saw who it was, she knew it couldnât be good.
Vespyr sighed, âYes?â
Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini snickered next to him as Pansy Parkinson sneered at Vespyr.
âSorry, we just wanted to know your price.â Draco smirked, elbowing Blaise playfully.
Lavender glared at him and Vespyr sat there with a confused. She wasnât sure what he meant by her âpriceâ, but knowing Malfoy, it probably wasnât something nice.
âWhat?â Vespyr asked in an annoyed tone.
Theodore chuckled, âYou know, your price for pictures.â He explained.
Vespyr rolled her eyes, putting down her fork and standing up to leave. The group of them started to laugh as Lavender followed her out.
âDonât worry, boys. I hear sheâs pretty cheap anyway.â Pansy remarked, her words being the last thing Vespyr heard before she left the hall.
~
About two days after that, Dumbledore called Vespyr into his office. Heâd told her that heâd been made aware of her predicament and was concerned for her.
To say that Vespyr was embarrassed was an understatement. She was appalled and ashamed. She felt humiliated.
Her mentor, her headmaster, had seen those god awful photos of her. The fact that he was aware made it clear that other members of the staff had to know also. Vespyr found herself examining her teachers for any signs that they had. A slight stutter when they spoke to her, a quick aversion of the eyes, lips pressed in a firm line. They all made her wonder irrationally.
Have they seen my photos? Have they seen my body?
It made her feel sick.
âWell, Miss Morgan, I can assure you I will be looking into this and I will get down to the bottom of who is responsible. Until then, Iâll be tasking Professor McGonagall with deciding your punishment.â
Vespyrâs head shot up at his words, âMy punishment?â
Dumbledore nodded authoritatively at the young girl. Vespyr was dumbfounded that she was to be punished also. He should have been consoling her, not scolding.
âIâm sorry, Professor,â She shook her head as she fiddled with her fingers, âI canât imagine why Iâm being punished.â She said truthfully.
âItâs you in the photos, is it not?â He tilted his head forward, his old eyes widening slightly.
Vespyr chuckled almost, âWell yes, butâ Professor, I-Iâm a victim. Iâve done nothing wrong. My only crime is caving to pressure.â She explained.
Dumbledore sighed and stood up. He went to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. Vespyr turned in her chair to follow him. He placed a hand on his hip and looked back at her.
âMiss Morgan, letâs not be deluded. You have a mind of your own and youâve used it very keenly in the past. You used that independent mind of yours to decide to take those photos of yourself and give them to whomever you did. Does that diminish the seriousness of what has been done to you? No, it does not. But you are responsible for it in a sense. No one can make you do anything against your will.â Dumbledore said.
Vespyr felt a lump rising in her throat. She didnât care what anyone thought. She didnât care if she had decided on her own to give those photos to Fred. The fact of the matter was that they were meant for only him. They were given to him, someone she trusted, during a time when she thought they were in love. Yes, she had given him the photos on her own accord, but it didnât mean the world got to see them as well.
She grabbed her bag and darted for the door. Dumbledore stepped in her way before she could leave. âNow just wait a minute, Miss Morgan.â
âNo. You know what? You have no idea what itâs like to be a young girl in a cruel world like this. A world that shames you for showing too little, as well as shaming you for showing too much. A world that tells you that you must give yourself to a man or else youâre a prude, but also tells you that it makes you some kind of whore if you do decide to have sex. You and people like you wanna place the blame on us girls because you know deep down that you enabled this.â She spit at him.
Dumbledore had stepped back from her, his firm expression faltering at her bold language.
âYou, Headmaster, have turned a blind eye to the barbaric environment in this school. Youâve allowed the quidditch teams to harass and torment the female population at Hogwarts by your continued dismissal of that list. And now, to feel less guilty about it all, you intend to place blame onto me.â She continued.
Her hands were balled into fists so tight that her fingernails broke the skin on her palm. She could feel the tears brimming her eyes.
Doesnât anyone have any sympathy for me?
âMiss Morgan, are you trying to tell me that someone on one of the quidditch teams is responsible for this?â He asked her.
She calmed down very fast, Fredâs dimpled smile coming into her mind. Her anger subsided suddenly as she realized that incriminating the quidditch team meant incriminating Fred. And as angry as she was with him, she didnât want him to get in trouble. She hated that she still loved him enough not to make him pay.
The pounding in her heart stopped and sped up all at the same time. Her fists unclenched, blood trickling down her palm. She wiped away the tears that formed in her eyes. Some of the blood on her hands smeared on her cheek.
âThatâs not my point.â She said firmly. Vespyr sighed as she looked at Dumbledoreâs minimally concerned face. âPunish me if you must. Itâs not like itâs any worse than anything else thatâs happened to me.â
~
Luckily, someone in the world did have sympathy for Vespyr.
Professor McGonagall only gave her an extra study hall as her punishment. But honestly, the extra study hall spared Vespyr from seeing her vicious peers, so it wasnât much of a punishment. It actually was a reward.
âThe world is unkind, Vespyr. Someday I hope youâll remember what Iâve done for you and make it kinder.â McGonagall had said to her.
Vespyr walked into the common room after her study hall at the end of the day. When she did, all eyes were on her. Sheâd grown used to the stares, the whispers. But she still got a chill when she felt them.
As she walked past Harry, Ron, and Hermione, she heard Hermione whisper something. âCareful, I hear libertinism is catching these days.â She said and Ron snickered.
Vespyr stopped walking. She closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.
She couldnât let it go on any longer. If she couldnât defend herself then she had nothing. From the beginning, she resided to ignoring the comments being made about her. But seeing the way Hermione, a girl so intelligent and remarkable, talked about her made her unimaginably angry.
Vespyr turned, âYou know, you talk a lot of shit.â She snapped at the other Gryffindor girl.
Hermione wavered slightly. Ron and Harry fell silent along with rest of the room.
Vespyrâs eyes glanced over to Fred, who sat in the corner with George and Lee. His eyes looked sadly upon her, as if he were pleading with her.
Please donât do this to yourself. His eyes said. Please.
But Vespyr wouldnât stop.
âExcuse me?â Hermione scoffed.
Vespyr stood her ground, âYou heard me, Hermione.â She crossed her arms over her chest.
Hermioneâs lips curled into an uncomfortable smirk. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie all quietly laughed as they watched the exchange. And then Ginny stood up.
âJust who do you think you are?â Ginny asked.
âIâm a fucking human being, thatâs what I think! And you know what? Yeah, I took those pictures of myself and they got out. You all have made it your job not to let me forget. Iâve been called every name and been the butt of every joke under the sun this past month. And all the time, Iâve had no one but Lavender and Parvati by my side.â She said as she tried not to cry.
She looked at Fred and he looked away from her. He felt guilt course through him as he saw the pain in her expression.
âYou all are angry with me but you arenât at all angry with the person who did this.â Vespyr could feel her emotions coming undone.
Fred could hear it in her voice. It was like he was connected to her. He could feel the ache in her heart as if it were his own. He hated that he was the cause of that ache. Heâd rationalized what he did to Vespyr by saying it was to protect Ginny, because it was, but that thought just wasnât enough anymore as Vespyr stood in front of him broken to bits.
He stood up and walked to Vespyr, âThatâs enough, letâs get you upstairs-â
âThe person that deceived me with flowery language. That gained my trust only to betray it!â She pushed against his chest harshly and he stumbled backwards.
She turned and faced the other side of the room where the rest of the boys were. âWhy is it always us that has to be held responsible for your wrongdoings? How come weâre ridiculed and called whores while you all suffer no consequences. Why does no one every get angry at you for victimizing us?â She sobbed at the empty expressions of Cormac McLaggen and others.
When she turned back, she saw that Hermione was red-faced and had a guilty look in her eyes. Everyone else was eerily silent and stared at Vespyr in shock. The only sound audible was Vespyrâs heavy breathing.
âVespyr, I-â Hermione tried to speak, but Vespyrâs eyes found Ginny again.
Vespyr charged at the fiery-haired girl, âIt would have been you. Had Fred not been there, it would have been you on that stupid list and not me. You should thank me!â She screamed at her and Ginny flinched.
Fred forcefully intervened, grabbing Vespyr by the shoulders and pulling her away from his sister. âEnough.â He said firmly. âIâm taking you back to your dorm.â
Vespyr felt anger and sadness boiling deep within her. She couldnât decide between the two emotions because both were so strong. As Fred guided her up the steps to her dorm, she felt him pulling him into her chest. She couldnât resist burying her face in his shirt, and she hated herself for it.
Fred sat her down on the bed and Vespyr couldnât meet his eyes. âYour pajamas,â He said.
Vespyr shook her head, âWhat?â
âUm... I forgot where you keep them.â He said softly.
Vespyr felt like vomiting. She couldnât believe that she had presented herself that way in the common room. She wasnât the kind of person who told people how she felt so openly. She certainly wasnât one to hysterically scream and cry in front of people. As if she wasnât humiliated enough, now she had done this.
She crossed her arms over her chest, âSecond drawer down on the left side.â She said softly.
Fred hurriedly went to her drawer and fished out a pair of blue pinstripe pajama pants and a blush pink sweater. He remembered that combination after the first night he made love to her.
He placed the neatly folded pajamas next to her. He noticed how she still looked away from him and he felt his heart sink. Her silky hair shined in the dim light of the dorm room. Dainty fingers fidgeted in her lap nervously as her knee bounced up and down.
Fred could feel the urge to brush her hair away so he could see her. He ached you run his fingers through it like he had done so many times before.
Vespyr could feel his attention on her. She should have wanted him to leave, but she felt comforted by him just being there. Instead of wanting to push him out of the room, she wanted to pull him down in the bed with her.
Fred sighed, slightly aggravated that she hadnât let him speak. He sat down next to her and it took Vespyr by surprise. But she was even more shocked when he took her hands in his.
Oh, how she missed the feeling of his skin on hers.
âNo, just listen.â He looked at her but she wouldnât look at him. His thumb ran across her soft skin, rubbing in the crystal tears that fell onto her hands.
âFrom the moment I met you all those years ago, I vowed to myself that you would be the only girl I ever loved. And even though Iâve had other lovers and girlfriends before you, I always knew that in the end I would only be with you. Because youâre the only person I ever want for the rest of my life. That night that we first made love, I promised to myself I would never hurt you, and if I did I would work everyday to make it up to you.â He squeezed her hands gently.
Vespyr felt her throat closing up. She never knew that he had loved her all that time. For almost a decade, the two of them had loved each other and didnât know it. She wished that he had given her a sign that he felt the same way.
âSo, thatâs what I want to propose to you now. I want to know if youâll let me make it up to you. Because I love you, Vespyr Morgan. And Iâm completely and totally uninterested in living a life without you. And I know that Iâm a bloke for what I did, and Iâd bet on the fact that Iâll fuck up countless times over. But I promise, if you give me a chance, I will do my best to make sure that itâs me that gets hurt and not you.â He placed a hand on her cheek.
Vespyr felt herself rest into his touch. Her tears pooled in his hand. She tried to resist kissing his palm, but her lips were on his calloused skin before she even realized it.
In all honesty, she wasnât sure what to say. She didnât know whether to forgive him and kiss him tenderly, or tell him to sod off and slap him. Obviously he wasnât deserving of her forgiveness. What he did to her was vile and careless. But goodness, she was so in love with him. And when he looked at her with those puppy dog eyes, she felt like sheâd been hypnotized.
Her mind was foggy and her heart had found itâs way to her throat. So when she said what she did next, she almost didnât hear the words fall from her lips.
âI forgive you.â She said.
Fred settled for a moment before she spoke again.
âI forgive you,â She swallowed, âbut I donât think Iâll ever forget it.â She finished.
Fredâs heart dropped yet again. What had he expected? For her to just easily fall back into his arms after what heâd done? She could never trust him again, obviously. How could she be with someone she didnât trust?
âI do want you to make it up to me, Fred. I may not forget it, but Iâm willing to put behind me. Because I love you too, and as angry as Iâve been with you, being away from you has been agony.â She rested her hand on his neck.
Tears pricked Fredâs eyes. He wasted no time pulling the younger Gryffindor into a kiss. Heâd missed the way her lips melded to his and the way she warmed under his touch.
He knew as he kissed her that he would rather die than ever hurt his darling again. She was the most prized thing in the world to him, and heâd be damned if she ever suffered at his hand again.
They pulled away and Vespyr rested her head on his shoulder in a hug. Fred gently rubbed her bag, nestling his nose in her candy-scented hair. The two magical beings relished in the moment.
âI love you, Vespyr. More than anything. And I promise that Iâm yours as long as youâd like me to be.â Fred spoke.
Vespyr held him tighter as he spoke, squeezing her eyes shut. âI love you, Fred. I will love you for as long as I live.â
