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