bring the bass back

my love, your love, your time machine.

[thestargazerlily]

── lilly

YOU SEEM PRETTY ANGRY FOR A GIRL SO FULL OF HOPE.

20s. she/her. stuck in a time loop (again). germany. of sunsets and earrings and unmade beds. something different bloomed, writing in my room. at the beach, in every life, through every door.

[🪩] my web weavings [🐛] my edits [🍀] my writing ⋆ ao3 [🎧] music recs ⋆ my spotify [📖] fable ⋆ reado [🩷] fav books/movies/shows/albums of... 2025

[downheartted]

@kingdonmicrofic day 2: champagne (496/158 words) pre-affair ramble inspired by the heatwave and peach season

He spots her in the produce section, inspecting the peaches. Feeling light-headed, Frank watches her pick through the basket, turning the fruit around in her little hands, looking flushed and pretty. There is nothing remarkable about her purple running shorts and faded University of Michigan t-shirt, but he finds it completely delicious, a sordid vision popping into his head very suddenly, that of biting into her bare and freckled thigh like a particularly juicy peach, making her squeal. 

The sight is too good not to bask in, unnoticed behind a display of sweet potatoes, for just a little longer. It’s hot as hell outside, pushing 100 degrees, and just the walk from his car to the inside of the Trader Joe’s had Frank sweating through his clothes. He wonders how Mel is faring in the heat. He wants to lick the back of her neck. 

“Oh!” Mel pulls her headphones down as Frank drifts into her line of vision, waving. “Hi, Dr. Langdon!” She is almost too bright to look at directly, frizzy baby hairs and a tantalizing sheen of sweat on her forehead. 

“Fancy seeing you here.” It takes a great deal of effort not to wrap her up in a hug – they have done this a few times, a self-indulgent habit for both of them when adrenaline is high at work. Frank resists, this time, as touching her outside of the hospital feels like it would cross the line he’s been carefully toeing for the past two months. 

“Do you live close by?” A peach is still cupped in one of her palms as she small-talks, looking large around her dainty fingers. 

“Uh, yeah, like 20 minutes. I needed a drive, the dog plus the kids in this heat…” he trails off. “You?” 

“About the same distance. Are you celebrating something?” Her eyes have flickered to the bottle of champagne that is sweating in his grip. A peace offering to his wife, with whom he had bickered until the small hours of the morning. She loves the TJ’s stuff, pairs it with their overpriced cheese.

“For Abs,” he tucks the bottle under his arm. He could say more, some lighthearted joke about being a stay-at-home mom in the summer, but he doesn’t want to talk to Mel about Abby. She gives him a little smile, almost encouraging, like she approves of this selfless gesture towards the woman he must love so dearly. 

“She’s pretty lucky to have you.” 

“...I don’t know about that.” It’s a strange response, spoken before he can help himself, and both of them register this, blinking at each other over the peaches. Before she can reply, Frank is straightening and creating distance between them. “I’ll uh-” it’s painful to tear his gaze away from her, sunburnt nose the same shade as the fruit in her hands. “I’ll see you at work, Mel.” 

“Yeah,” she fiddles with her headphones and allows him to retreat. “I hope you two enjoy the champagne.”

[avalonjoan]

day 2: champagne

@kingdonmicrofic | g | 158/158 | ao3

Somehow, Abbot always manages to be the attending on when one of the residents does a perfect LP, which means he's the one responsible for getting them a (reasonably) fancy bottle of champagne. It's a fun tradition, and to make sure it's fun for everyone, he always offers a sparkling grape juice as an alternative.

But when Mel says that yes, alcohol is fine, Abbot's surprised. "Not that I blame you if you just don't want to share," he pushes back, "but I didn't think Langdon was drinking these days."

Mel frowns. "He isn't, but what does that have to do with me?"

Abbot's seen the way they always end up together, an invisible elastic band connecting them. He's also seen Langdon's bare ring finger.

"My bad," Abbot says, waving his question away. "I'll leave a bottle for you in my office."

"On second though," Mel says as he's turning to go, "I'll do the juice this time."

[kingdonmicrofic]

[tackycardiaa]

Day 2: Champagne

@kingdonmicrofic - july 2 - wc: 324

Mel frowned as she inspected the glass. The pale orange liquid, equally displeased with her presence, bubbled and hissed at her as she twisted the stem back and forth. She should've just asked for OJ.

While the concept of a morning engagement party had originally felt like a cheaper option, she hadn't realized how many people would still want a drink during breakfast. As mimosas were the only cocktail Becca and Adam liked, Mel had no choice but to loyally perform her Maid of Honor duties and order enough of them to make the restaurant question just how far their bottomless policy could go.

Dr. Langdon, who had not only shockingly been invited by Becca, but then had the audacity to actually show up, smiled in the chair beside her. "No one will care if you don't drink it."

"Not true. Me will care. I mean, I will care." Her tongue was getting so clumsy with speaking to him lately. "Champagne costs too much to waste it."

She spun the glass one more time before sipping the tiniest of sips.

"Verdict?" he asked.

"Tastes like fire, but fruity," she said, and he laughed. Without thinking much of it, Mel held it out to him. "Your turn."

"Oh, uh, sure."

His fingers brushed hers as he took the glass, and Mel startled at the fizzling sensation in her belly, almost as if she'd taken another drink. Only when his lips touched the rim of the glass did she realize her lips had also been there, but she couldn't bring herself to warn him. Dr. Langdon is a doctor, she rationalized, he knows about germs. Heart galloping wildly, she waited for his thoughts, when Becca announced she would like to open gifts. So Mel got to her feet to assist, leaving the mystery behind. Perhaps if she'd been paying more attention, she might have noticed the nearly empty, fifteen-minute old mimosa already in front of him.

[flanneryoconnorfanfiction]

kingdon microfic challenge - Day 2: champagne word count: 490/158

also on AO3 here!

Frank wasn’t really sure how he’d ended up in a corner at this charity gala talking to Mel’s ex-something, a surgical R4 at Presby. The guy was pleasant enough, but he had blond hair, something no adult man should have, and Frank would’ve fucking hated him on principle even if he went around rescuing puppies from wells or whatever.

“Mel’s great, isn’t she?” Tom asked, gesturing with his champagne flute toward the woman in question. She was across the room, waving her hands around while she talked to Ellis and Shen.

“She’s the best,” Frank said.

Tom nodded. “She’s the only woman I’ve ever met who was easy to date.”

Something about the way he said it made Frank pause. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know what she’s like,” Tom said. “Sweet, patient, great at compromise.”

Frank frowned. “Great at compromise?”

“After we’d been seeing each other for about a month, she told me she loved pet names.” Tom grimaced. “I think pet names are for pets, you know? I can’t get behind calling a grown woman baby or sweetheart, it’s just not for me. But she didn’t make an issue of it at all when I told her as much. She just dropped the subject and never brought it up again.”

For the dozenth time that evening, Frank glanced at the ceiling and recited the serenity prayer in his head. What he would fucking give for Mel to ask him to call her baby or sweetheart, to watch her face light up because of him, because of something he already said in his head and his heart every single day, over and over again.

“I don’t know, man,” Frank said, still looking at the ceiling. “I can’t imagine dating Mel and not doing literally anything to make her happy.”

Tom chuckled. “Well, as her boyfriend, I’d assume you’re pretty biased on that front.”

Frank snapped his head back down. “What?”

“You,” Tom said, gesturing at Frank. “Her boyfriend.”

“Mel and I aren’t,” Frank said, his heart racing. “We’re not together.”

“Oh,” Tom said, looking confused. “Really? I just assumed, you know . . .”

“Assumed what?”

Tom shrugged. “The way you two look at each other. She never looked at me like that.”

“Oh,” Frank said. “Uh. Excuse me.”

Frank made his way across the room, watching as Mel parted ways with Shen and Ellis. When she glanced his way, she smiled, big and beautiful. Something tightened in Frank’s chest.

“Frank!” Mel said, bounding over to him.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said quietly. “Any chance you want to blow this popsicle stand and get boba?”

Mel stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, before her whole face lit up.

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “Boba sounds great. I love boba.”

“Alright, baby,” Frank said, placing a hand on the small of her back as they headed for the exit. “Let’s get you some boba.”

@kingdonmicrofic

[kodwrites]

Day 2: Champagne

@kingdonmicrofic, Wedding 'Verse, 499 words, Rated G (read on ao3)

March 8, 2029 (276 days to go)

“Mel, sweetheart, love of my life, it’s your wedding. What do you want?”

Mel groans, “First of all, it’s our wedding. And second, I just want to make a decision. I didn’t want to spend this much time on bridesmaids dresses.”

Frank had returned from his shift to find Mel at their kitchen table, biting her thumbnail while frowning at her laptop, her tea having gone cold. After the usual pleasantries, Frank brewed Mel a fresh cup as she filled him in on today’s wedding planning drama.

Apparently, Becca wanted to wear a champagne dress, while Mel had been leaning towards emerald green. (Booking a December wedding had at least helped narrow down the color palate.)

“If you don’t like that color, just say no. It’s not Becca’s decision, she’ll have to deal.”

Mel frowned. “I know that, but I still want her to be happy and like what she’s wearing- she’s the maid of honor!”

Mel and Becca had come a long way since their July 4 falling out, but over a decade of acting as surrogate parent, twin sister, and caregiver meant that even now, years later, Mel still struggled to not automatically give in to Becca’s whims.

Becca had gotten used to that dynamic- adjusting it had taken significant time and effort. It hadn’t been easy, and was still a work in progress, but Frank gladly supported Mel as she cultivated and enforced healthier boundaries with her sister.

Frank leaned across the table and took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back in an attempt to sooth the worry written across her face.

When it came to wedding planning, Frank felt fortunate he’d done this before. He’d admittedly taken a back seat to Abby and her mom, and hadn’t engaged with it as much as Abby wanted, much to her chagrin.

This time around, he swore to himself that he’d be a better partner in this process, as well as in life. He wouldn’t take this second chance for granted.

“Mel, honey,” he started, softly, “everything is going to work out fine. Becca loves you, she wants you to be happy too.”

Mel sighed, bringing one of his hands to her mouth, lightly kissing it. “I know. You’re right. It’s just a dress. It’s just- it feels so much bigger than that, you know? I never thought I’d get to have this and now I do. I just want to enjoy it.”

Frank stood up from his chair and kissed her forehead. “You will. I know you’ll find the right compromise. If you need backup, I’ve got you.”

Mel hummed, pulling him down for a tender kiss. He felt the stress leave her body as she relaxed into his touch.

“I’m gonna call Becca and work this out, can you start on dinner? I got some chicken out to thaw.”

“Of course, baby.”

In the end, the King sisters did find a compromise. Instead of champagne, they decided on gold- the color of Mel’s heart.

[stickwithme1]

@kingdonmicrofic day 2: champagne. 158/158. cw: alcohol mention

It was a ridiculous idea to think that drinking champagne was like tasting the stars. When Dom Pérignon said it, the idea was romantic, the loving words of a bringing new creation for the world. But to think that the bitter, acid taste of champagne was truly anything close to stars was absolutely ludicrous.

After hearing that quote in a tragic teen movie that he might’ve been a bit too old for, there was some envy in the idea, of wanting to discover the true taste of the stars. To know what that old monk felt when he first got a glimpse of the sky was like.

It’s on the back of his mind, there was no time and no true effort for an actual search. Yet, after years he does find it.

On the lips of Mel King, he encounters the taste of the stars on his lips and cannot help himself in going back for more.

[kingdonmicrofic]

[aphrsditea]

@kingdonmicrofic || rated: g || word count: 500 || day 2: champagne || cross-posted on ao3

cw: infidelity

Frank makes it a point to stay away from all and every form of alcohol and drugs. It’s not really a requirement in recovery from his benzo addiction but it feels good — like when you have a biochemistry exam and you know that you won’t be asked to draw a glucose molecule but it just feels good to have that extra sauce. 

Champagne is, of course, not an exception to that rule. Not even when it’s brought to the department by one Melissa King who announces that her sister has gotten engaged and it’s left-over from that for them to drink after the shift on the rooftop. “You’ll be there, right?” Mel asks sometime during their shift and Frank doesn’t have the heart to tell her that he doesn’t drink anymore and that Abby is giving him enough shit about the long shifts without having to make it longer intentionally. So what he ends up saying is, “Of course.” 

That’s how he ends up on the roof of PTMC as Mel holds a flute of champagne in her hand, staring at the city under them. Not many people are around — only Santos and Whittaker (who is surprised?) and after ten minutes and a drink, they go away, too.

“So,” Mel says, leaning her elbows on the ledge. “My sister is insufferable, by the way.”

Frank snorts. “Because she got engaged?”

“Because she's happy about it.”

“Monster.”

“I know.”

“So I take it you’re still not a fan of Adam?” 

Mel just takes another sip from her flute and then finding it finished, she reaches for the still-too-full bottle and takes a swig that has her face crumpling up. “Thank you for staying back.” 

“Of course,” Frank nods. 

“But you didn’t drink anything.” 

“I try not to,” he shrugs. He hasn’t really talked about this with anyone. Mel’s the one who knows the most about his recovery but even she isn’t privy to all the rules he’s laid out for himself. Her eyes widen but before she can sputter her way into an apology he shrugs, “I don’t have a problem with that. I just don’t want to.” 

“Oh,” she nods, “Okay. Then thank you more.” 

“What are friends for?” he grins. “You okay?”

“Not really,” she shakes her head, “I don’t know what I’m going to do now that she officially has her own life and her own family. I just — I didn’t think it’d happen to her before it happened to me.” She looks guilty saying it — eyes down cast and her face flushed. She takes another sip. “Sorry, I—”

“It’s okay,” Frank interrupts before she can go on. “You can tell me anything.” 

And then she looks at him — all big brown eyes and dilated pupils and then… 

There you are, he thinks when her lips crash into his, surprised that he’s not surprised. There it is, he thinks and pulls her into him. He definitely doesn’t regret not going home — or the taste of Champagne on Mel.

[nicogayngelo]

day 2: champagne // word count: 158 // for: @kingdonmicrofic // ao3

She noticed it immediately.

Of course she did. Even when she promised herself that today would be different, she would be normal and remember that Frank—Dr. Langdon—was married, with two kids, and her best friend, and she shouldn’t be cataloging every detail about him. 

It didn’t help anyone that Mel could tell, within 30 seconds of seeing him, what kind of mood he was in. If he had pinched his back the night before. If he had time to get his cold brew before work.

She’d look in the mirror before work and remind herself to be normal.

Then again, if she was more normal about him, she wouldn’t have immediately noticed the glaring lack of a gold band on his left ring finger or the lightness in his steps or even the way his smile seemed easier. 

And she wouldn’t have the all-encompassing, fizzy feeling in her body—a champagne bottle popped at the beginning of a celebration

[kingdonmicrofic]

[etherrealsx]

@kingdonmicrofic day 2: champagne wc: 499 (cutting it close again!) | rated t | cw: mentions of addiction / possible relapse also read on ao3!

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･ ⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣

No one in the Pitt could’ve guessed what a garden party at Dr. Al-Hashimi's house would look like.  It wasn’t the “team bonding” they’d been used to when Robby was there, but no one could really say no to drinks and food.   

Frank had mainly gone out of curiosity to see what Al-Hashimi's house was like. She’d made the odd joke about getting off well in her divorce, and from the looks of where she lived- a well-sized house in a wealthy Pittsburgh suburb- she hadn’t been exaggerating.  

“Dr. Langdon, I’m so glad you came.” She’d said to him as he walked through to the garden- kind, but with a hesitant edge. Frank wondered how much Robby had told Al-Hashimi about why he’d been gone for ten months.   

“Thanks for inviting me.” Frank replied politely, holding out the pre-packaged salad he’d bought as his contribution to food. “I bought a salad.”  

“Great! Food is just on the table to the right over there. There’s glasses of bubbly on the other- please help yourself.”  

Frank inhaled sharply. “Any soft drinks?"  

He hadn’t had a drink since getting out of rehab. Alcohol wasn’t his drug of choice, but he wasn’t letting himself get out of one dark hole just to fall down another.   

“There’s ginger ale in the glasses on the far left."   

Frank walked over to the food table, greeting a few of his colleagues along the way, and placed down his (honestly pathetic) salad. He turned to get a drink from the next table, choosing the glass farthest to the left- but when he took a sip, it wasn’t ginger ale that hit his lips.   

Immediately, he spat it right back into the glass and threw the rest of the contents into a nearby bush. “Shit.” He said, wiping champagne from his lips.   

“You ok, man?” Dr. Abbott asked from where he was standing nearby.   

“Sure, just- do you know if there’s a restroom nearby?”  

“First door to the right through those doors there.” Abbott pointed. Frank was through the doors before Abbott had a chance to say anything else.   

No amount of tap water could clear the taste of guilt from his mouth. Eight months completely sober- benzos, alcohol, anything that wasn’t Tylenol- and it was gone.   

“Dr. Langdon? Are you ok?”  

Frank hadn’t even heard the door open. He’d obviously forgotten to lock it. Fuck, he looked stupid. He didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of someone from work seeing him like this- just being in the ER felt like a humiliation ritual sometimes.   

But it wasn’t just someone from work stood in the door. It was Mel.   

“Um, yeah. I’m fine. Just- someone left a glass of champagne where the ginger ale was supposed to be.”  

“Oh.” Mel said, quietly. “Well, that wasn’t very thoughtful of them. Do you want to talk about it?”  

“Not really, if that’s ok.”  

He didn’t need to talk about it. Mel was there, and that was enough for now.   

[kingdonmicrofic]

[jakeperalta]

Thought of calling ya, but you won't pick up / Another fortnight lost in America

Art/Patrick/Tashi + Fortnight by Taylor Swift [insp]

[cloevr]

real life: sorry im just not a social media kind of guy… i wanna live in the moment y’know…. im like really private i like having secrets

on tumblr at 11:41 pm : guess whose period just started while watching fraggle rock season 1 episode 17

[userscully]

CHALLENGERS (2024, dir. Luca Guadagnino)

[bellamysgriffin]

Good night, good night, my fallen star. I guess you're right. You always are. I know you're right about the blues. You live some life you'd never choose.

[rylandsgrace]

[campmiasmas]

CHALLENGERS 2024, dir. Luca Guadagnino

[lottienats]

He's ready to be dead. And you're starting to realize you might not want to be buried with him, because who is he to you if he's not playing tennis?