Archive of Our Own

“I baked her a birthday cake, it was her favorite: strawberry shortcake. We frosted it together with little frogs on the top of the cake and once it was finished I was like ‘Okay lets cut a slice!’ And she was being kind of shady and kept avoiding actually cutting into the cake. That’s when her roommate walked in carrying groceries and I commented being like wow that’s a lot of food! And the roommate goes ‘yeah for the party tonight!” Trinity explained with fervor.

“No!” Dennis exclaimed. Victoria shook her head with her hands covering her face.

“Let’s just say I was not invited to the birthday party…” Trinity rolled her eyes and downed the rest of her beer.

“She used YOUR cake! For HER party you weren't invited to?!” Frank shouted, slamming his palm on the table, “that’s straight up diabolical.”

Mel shook her head beside him.

“So that was the worst date, that wasn't even a real date, I’ve ever been on. Her loss.” Trinity laughed, wearing it like a badge of honor, “Please somebody else go, Christ.”

Victoria jumped in telling a story about the time a guy didn't tell her about his shellfish allergy and when they were hooking up he became anaphylactic. She had eaten shrimp cocktail on the date. Mel was impressed by Victoria recanting how she called 911 while pulling her pants back up in the backseat of his car. They went around the table trading horror stories, Mel cheerfully nodding along.

Frank told the story of when he and Abby were shopping for Tanner’s crib they got locked inside a Costco because they couldn't agree on which style of crib was best. “So it’s me and my heavily pregnant ex-wife running out the supply truck garage door before an 18 wheeler backed into us!”

Mel laughed as his knee bumped into hers under the table. She took a sip of her sprite and in just that moment, Dennis nodded “It’s your turn Mel, you haven't gone yet. What’s your worst date story?”

She choked on her sprite before setting the glass back down on the table. She coughed uncontrollably, and Samira quickly got up to grab her a glass of water. She felt a warm hand on her back, creating small circles back and forth. She opened her eyes to see Frank, with his hand on her spine, looking over concerned with furrowed eyebrows. Samira came back quickly and Mel took the glass of water, “I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”

She collected herself in the single stall bathroom at the back of the bar. It’s not that she had never been on a date before, she had, but they had all been deeply forgettable. A few horrible hookups in college that would certainly not be considered dates. She just didn’t see herself as the dating type. Certainly not since she became Becca’s primary caregiver. She always found time to hang out with her friends and was happy loving her friends in a platonic way. It’s not that she never wanted to date. The concept just didn't cross her mind very often.

She washed her hands and took a deep breath in the mirror before heading back to the table. The group appeared to be cheering on Yolanda as she chugged a pint of beer, everyone chanting “Chug! Chug! Chug!” Mel laughed at the concept of ED doctors cheering each other on to chug beer.

While everyone else was distracted, Mel slipped back onto her high top chair relatively unnoticed. Frank turned towards her, bent down to her ear, and whispered, “You okay?”

She smiled and nudged his knee with hers under the table, “Yep. All good.”

“Good.” He nudged her knee back and they both joined in the cheering, Yolanda balancing on her knees on her high top chair and slamming her frothy empty glass down on the table and letting out a giant burp.

The group slowly dispersed, some taking Ubers, some walking home. Frank and Mel were the only two that hadn't drank any alcohol that evening. As they were walking out, Mel turned to head towards Becca’s facility, when Frank spoke up, “Hey my car’s just over in the hospital staff lot if you want a ride?”

“Oh it’s okay, I need to pick up Becca anyway.”

Mel turned to keep walking but Frank spoke up, “Oh I really don’t mind. She’s only a few blocks away right?”

“Oh, uh, sure yeah that would be great! Thank you.”

The two walked next to one another the few blocks back to the staff parking lot. The evenings were already getting colder as summer was winding down. The crisp early September air accompanying them on their walk back. Frank slowed his pace to match up with Mel’s shorter legs. “If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you want to share your dating horror story? That bad?”

“Oh, ha! No, it’s not that. I just don’t really have any dating horror stories. I’ve been on a few dates here and there but not since undergrad, honestly. So not much to share.” Mel shrugged.

Frank took in that information and didn't immediately respond. Mel wasn't embarrassed about the fact. It was just true. So there weren't many stories to tell.

“Are you not interested in dating?” Frank asked curiously. Mel could tell there wasn't judgement in his voice, just that he was trying to inquire.

“Um, it's more like it doesn't cross my mind. I actually did some research back in grad school about asexuality and I think I’m demisexual. Have you heard the term?” Mel responded.

“No, tell me more.”

“So for me personally I don't really feel sexually attracted to people unless there is an emotional bond. So like growing up when my friends would be like ‘Oh my god that guy is so hot’ I would sort of understand from an aesthetics perspective but I didn’t ever really understand fully what they felt. And that’s not to say I’ve never been attracted to someone, I just usually have to know the person for a while before that happens” she explained.

“That makes sense to me.” Frank nodded along.

“So dating, there's this like added layer to it, where I kind of need to get to know the person for a long time before I can ever really develop any feelings. And not everyone is willing to put in the work. So that’s kind of why I’ve avoided dating all together.”

It’s not that Mel didn't want to date. She did. But not everyone understood where she was coming from. And in turn she found it difficult sometimes to be able to match someone else’s needs. Add working in the ED at PTMC and being Becca’s full time caregiver on top of that and she really did not have the time. She secretly wished the perfect person would just drop into her lap. Someone who understood her perspective and was willing to accept her for who she was.

“What if we went on a date?” Frank asked nonchalantly.

Mel stopped in her tracks, “Oh, Frank, no, this wasn't me looking for pity.”

Frank spun around, his eyes wide, “Pity! No, I certainly don’t pity you of all people Dr. Mel King. Let me make that crystal clear. I just mean what if we went on a few dates. As practice. Totally platonic. I’m not going to be going on dates anytime soon. Freshly divorced with 2 kids I think I’m good on that front for a while. I just figured I’m rusty. I could use the practice. Isn’t that what friends are for?”

Mel looked at him. Trying to read his face. His eyes had softened by the end of his sentence, no longer panicked that he was being misunderstood. She thought about his proposal, as unorthodox as it was. It wasn't a completely horrible idea. He was her closest friend at PTMC. Well maybe tied with Samira. But she was busy going on real dates with Cassie. She continued walking without replying, rubbing her hands together as they walked.

Frank knew this as a sign that Mel was thinking so he left her to her thoughts. They reached the staff parking lot and they climbed into his SUV. Mel wordlessly typed the address to Becca’s facility into his apple carplay and they started driving over.

“Okay.” Mel replied, staring forward at the traffic lights.

Frank shook his head like he was lost in thought “Sorry, what?” He turned to look at her.

“Okay. We can go on some dates. But we have to make some ground rules. First, do not mention this to Becca, ever.” Mel responded by taking a deep breath.

“Got it. My lips are sealed.” Frank smiled nodding in agreement.

“We can go over the rest of the rules at another time. Mostly because I need to think of some.”

Frank laughed and gave a thumbs up “Deal.”

—----------

A few days had passed and Mel was working with Frank and Victoria on a young woman who had fallen off her bike and had a nasty gash across her kneecap. According to the patient she was naturally clumsy and usually avoided exercise all together but decided since it was summertime she’d try to hop back on the bike. But she had forgotten she was riding a cruiser so instead of handlebar breaks she’d have to peddle backwards to break which completely slipped her mind and she ended up jumping off the bike into a ditch to stop.

Mel sympathized with the young woman. She hated biking. Which was tough considering she didn't have a car. But the idea of biking in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh with the amount of injuries that came in every day from a car not paying attention and hitting a biker, she’d rather take her chances on the bus.

Mel and Victoria were hunched over her leg picking gravel out of their patient’s wound when Frank popped in and asked Mel directly, “So have you thought about the rules?”

Victoria responded “What rules?”

“Of course, the rules of road rash. Gently clean the area with water and flush the area with saline for at least 5 minutes. Use sterilized tweezers to remove visible debris. Then close the wound with dissolvable stitches. Thank you Dr. Langdon for the reminder.” Mel replied, staring down at her work not once looking up at Frank.

“Uhhh yep. Perfect. You’re in good hands Ms. Darby.” He nodded to the patient and walked away.

Victoria stared at Mel. “What was that?”

Mel looked up, her magnifying glasses perched on her head, “What was what?”

“Okay, girl” Victoria raised her eyebrows and got back to work prepping the patient for stitches. Even Ms. Darby made eye contact with Victoria over the strange interaction. They finished the stitches and Donnie came over to help discharge Ms. Darby. Victoria was snagged by Cassie to help on a sepsis case and Mel was able to sneak away to grab some lunch out of the vending machine.

Frank was already in the break room, pouring two cups of coffee. He handed one over to Mel and whispered “So I take it rule number one is don’t talk about the rules at work?”

Mel spun around, “Yes! Of course that’s rule number one! Javadi was looking at me like I had two heads!” she rang her hands together clutching the cup of coffee to her chest.

“I’m sorry. I always think I’m slick but I usually end up sounding like a bull in a china shop. Abby always said I had the grace of an elephant.”

Mel frowned at his self depreciation. But before she could say anything in return, Dennis came barging through the door, “Construction worker with a crowbar through the frontal lobe incoming in trauma 2!”

Mel and Frank ran to chase after him, Frank mouthing wordlessly to Mel “Well talk later”.

—--------

Mel laughed as she watched Frank dig past the ice cubes in his drink to suck up the last few pieces of boba in his cup. He of course finished his drink in under 10 minutes while Mel savored hers and would drink it slowly over the next few hours. “What exactly is taro again?” He asked while sucking up the last tapioca balls through his straw.

“It’s a root vegetable similar to a sweet potato but more starchy. It commonly has a nutty flavor and is used in a lot of polynesian and asian cuisines.” Mel replied, sipping on her own taro milk tea.

Mel laughed as Frank ripped the top off his drink to chew on the ice cubes left in his cup. “I’m glad you like it. I love boba,” she put her drink aside and grabbed her notebook out of her totebag. “Okay I’ve written down some rules but please jump in with any you can think of. For starters, we went over no bringing up this arrangement at work and no calling them dates when we are around Becca.” Mel checked things off while Frank nodded along. “Wednesdays work best for me because that’s movie night at the facility so Becca stays overnight.”

“That’s perfect because I have Tanner and Penny on Mondays and Tuesdays and every other weekend. What if we want to do something on the weekends that I don't have them?” Frank inquired.

“Weekends will be on a case by case basis and I need to know at least a week in advance. We’ll also have to keep track of when we are both on shift. I thought we could make a google calendar. Yellow when I’m on shift, blue when you're on shift, and green for dates planned.”

“Got it. How do you feel about surprises? The date can be secured but the actual activity be a surprise?”

Mel thought for a moment. Scrunching her eyebrows and looking off into the distance. Her initial reaction to surprises was she hated them. Not to say she never had experienced a good surprise. But she did selfishly enjoy a healthy dose of external control. And surprises took the control out of her hands. She was the type of person that liked to know the plans in advance, research what the transportation route would be, look at the weather forecast, plan her outfit accordingly. But she also trusted Frank. He seemed to know the types of things she liked and did not like. A healthy relationship would have to rely on a certain amount of trust.

She took time to weigh her options and ultimately settled on trying to be open, “My gut reaction was to say no. However, I trust you. And I trust that you’re open to me completely shutting down a date if I hate it.”

“Absolutely. We can have a veto button. Just say the word. This is meant to be fun afterall!” He nudged her foot under the table, grounding her from her thought spiral. “You tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable, Mel.”

She gave him a small two finger salute on the side of her eyebrow, “Aye Aye, Captain Scurvy”. He laughed and gave her a salute back.

She looked back to her notebook, slightly mumbling to herself and checking off the things they covered, adding the additional line about surprises being okay within reason, she looked up “No kissing.”

Frank bit down on a piece of ice he was chewing, “Yep. Agreed. No kissing.” A muscle on the side of his jaw twitched as he nodded in return.

“I think that's everything. We can always add things should we see fit.” Mel stuck out her hand across the table. Frank grinned slyly and grabbed her hand as they shook on it. A little business transaction fake dating never hurt anyone. Right?

—-------

The first Wednesday date night arrived. It was a shockingly slow day in the ED and Mel wasn't complaining. The most exciting thing she dealt with all day was a teenager with a crochet hook stuck in the middle of her palm. The end of the hook had broken in her hand and the sharp piece of metal was jutting straight into her palm.
She bonded with the girl over different projects she had worked on and shared pictures of Becca’s mini dinosaurs she had crocheted last Christmas. She was grateful for the relatively peaceful day at work but it didn’t distract her from wondering what she’d be doing with Frank this evening.

The only thing he told her was to bring a change of clothes to work that she could move around comfortably in. She opted for a pair of jeans and a henley long sleeve. She grabbed a second pair of sneakers and threw them in her tote bag because she liked to keep her hospital shoes at the hospital.

Frank waited for her outside by the staff parking lot. He had changed into his own date outfit, a pair of black cargo shorts and his Rutgers New Jersey Med School crewneck. He had a tattoo poking out from the top of his crew socks. It looked like the top half of a pressed penny. The kind you get at a national park where you put the penny in the machine and it presses an image onto it. Mel stored that fact in her head for later.

“Would you like to know where we are going or leave it a surprise? I promise it shouldn't be too intimidating” Frank asked while opening Mel’s car door.

Mel climbed into his old Toyota Rav-4. There were car seats in the back and it smelled like lemon scented cleaner. She wondered if he wiped down his car beforehand. “I’ll leave it a surprise. This time.”

Frank climbed in and started the car, “Music or no music?”

“Always music. Plus I want to see your music taste.”

“That’a girl!” Frank plugged his phone into the car and a Radiohead song started playing through the speakers.

They left the staff parking lot and headed South, the drive only taking a few minutes but Frank had to circle the block a few times looking for parking. He was able to snag a spot after a car just pulled out right in front of Puttshack. “Are we going mini golfing?” Mel's face lit up.

“Yes Ma’am!” Frank beamed and walked around to open Mel’s door for her.

“I haven't been minigolfing since we were kids.” Frank noticed how Mel often spoke like this. ‘Since we were kids’ always including Becca in her storytelling. The two sisters interwoven into each other's lives. He thought it was sweet. Mel was certainly a loyal sibling. But he was happy she would be able to make her own memory at least for tonight. Though he was certain Becca would be hearing all about it when she got home.

They walked inside and went to the check in counter. “I have a reservation for Scurvy” Mel nudged him with her elbow, laughing at the inside joke.

“Okay Mr. Scurvy. I have you down for 2 rounds of 9 hole golf in our basement floor. You can grab your clubs from this wall.”

Frank gently placed his hand on the small of Mel’s back and guided them over to the wall of golf clubs. “I reserved the basement course because it seemed quieter than the upstairs course next to the bar.”

Mel looked up at him, grateful for the gesture. Even though this was their first ‘fake date’ she was charmed that he took the time to research the location ahead of time and take her preferences into account. He knew she would prefer the quieter location. Mel rubbed her thumb and pointer figure together, processing and cataloging this information.

They grabbed their clubs and picked their golf balls, neon yellow for Mel and light blue for Frank, just like their google calendar colors for their work shifts. Mel swung her club over her shoulder, “Just know I will be taking this very seriously.”

“I would expect nothing less, Dr. King”

The basement floor was as expected, less crowded, and the pair got into the swing of things. “So tell me about yourself. This is our first date afterall. We’ve never met before.”

Mel snorted, “Well. I am a third year resident in the Emergency—”

Frank lifted his hands up, pleading, “Okay fine! We have met before. But please do not talk to me about work. I want to know more about the Mel outside of work.”

“Fine. Fine. Well as you know I moved to Pittsburgh last year because my sister, Becca, got into Sunrise Horizons. We originally grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia. My dad was a carpenter and my mom was a pharmacist. My dad liked to joke we got all our book smarts from mom. He passed away from complications from asbestosis when I was in 8th grade. It was just me, Becca, and my mom for a while. She passed away from a malignant pheochromocytoma my senior year of undergrad.” Mel froze in place when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over and locked eyes with Frank, ever so briefly, before looking back down at the green turf.

“I’m so sorry about your parents, Mel. That must have been really hard.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. She shook her head and went back to retrieve her ball from the hole, “What about you, what do your parents do?”

“My parents own and operate a paint store in South Jersey. My grandfather owned it and passed it down to my dad. Luckily my brother is next in line for taking over the family business which is a good thing because I don’t really give a fuck about paint.”

Mel laughed so hard that she dropped her golf ball. It rolled across the course and Frank stopped it with his foot. They both reached down to retrieve it at the same time, and their hands grazed briefly, both hands frozen in place. Frank’s fingers on top of Mel’s, the slight callus of his pads moving ever so slightly on the back of her palm. Mel finally closed her hands around the golf ball and shot back up.

“You went to Rutgers Medical School right?”

Frank cleared his throat and stood back up. “Uh yeah I did. I went to Temple in Philly for undergrad. My sister was at Temple Law when I was applying to colleges and I visited her on campus and fell in love with the city. My brother actually passed away while I was in high school so I didn't want to be too far from my ma.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that. If you don’t mind me asking, how did he die?”

“Rhabdomyosarcoma. They found it when Joey was 15 and he died a week after his 18th birthday. Tore my ma apart. So Anthony, Maria, and I decided we’d all try to stay nearby. Anthony took up the family business, Maria went to law school and teaches at Princeton. I’m the one that moved far really. One state over and you’d think I moved to Alaska.”

“I get that. Pittsburgh is only a four and a half hour drive from our home town but it’s the furthest I’ve ever lived from home. When did you meet Abby?”

“Asking about my ex-wife on a first date. Can’t say that’s very orthodox.”

“It’s a fake first date and she's an important part of your life. I want to know about her.”

Frank was flattered by her bluntness. She was never one to beat around the bush. And in her defense, Abby and the kids were a vital part of his existence. She’d been in his life for over a decade. There was never going to be Frank without Abby. That’s what amicable coparenting demanded.

“We lived on the same floor our freshman year. She flooded the washing machine in our hall by adding too much soap. I walked in with my laundry basket and got covered in soap turning off the water line for her. Because I was at the scene of the crime the RA blamed both of us. We just kind of hit it off from there. She was my first and only girlfriend. She got pregnant with Tanner by accident a month before graduation and we got married that July. She wasn't really showing by that time but the math was pretty simple. We had Penny my intern year. Tanner turned 8 in February and Penny turns 4 this October.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your divorce. I know it’s been a little while but you don’t talk about it much. Besides the occasional joke at happy hour.” Mel ran her nail across the rubber fraying at the end of her golf club. They weren't really keeping score anymore. Both lost in their conversation.

“Oh it’s okay. She’s still one of my closest friends but I think we’re better as coparents. Our relationship was really built on managing the next thing. We had babies and med school and moving states, and crazy ED hours. We were really just trying to stay afloat. Because she was a stay at home mom she never really got to pursue her own career. She went to college for fiber arts. She just picked up a job as a printmaker. I think she’s finding her own way now too.”

Frank looked out wistfully. The two had stopped between the 8th and final hole for the round. Mel nodded her head, staring out towards the windmill across from them..

“I think we’re finally finding out how to be our own people, ya know. Like we were so young when we had Tanner. We’re able to figure out who we are and what we want. As adults.”

“I think I’m still working on that.” Mel chuckled.

“Me too. Now watch me ring the bell on the windmill with this hit” Mel watched along while Frank very much did not ring the bell.

—-----------------------------------------------------------

Two weeks had passed since their mini golf ‘date’. Tanner had parent teacher conferences last week so Frank wasn't available until the following Wednesday. Mel contemplated asking Frank if they could cancel today because she was mentally exhausted after a grueling clamshell thoracotomy on the night shift.

He found her by the lockers, staring aimlessly at her open locker door. A photo of Becca and her at Hershey Park from a few summers ago hanging in her locker. He announced himself as he approached “Hey! Are you feeling okay?”

She shook her head as if waking up from a stupor. “Oh! Yeah umm I was just thinking. I’m not sure if I’m really up for much today. I know we had this day marked in our calendars since we both got off night shift but. I’m not sure I’m up for much.”

“That’s okay. I thought I might drop you off at home, you could sleep, and I could pick you up this afternoon. I promise what I have planned essentially only consists of walking short distances and sitting down mostly. We don’t even really have to talk.”

All Mel heard was go home and sleep so she wordlessly nodded her head and closed her locker.

The pair drove silently to Mel’s apartment. Frank grabbed Mel’s backpack and walked it up the outdoor stairwell to her second floor apartment, Mel trailing behind. She typed the code into her keyless front door, Frank respectfully looking away while she typed the code in. Becca was staying at her facility while Mel was working night shifts so her apartment was empty and quiet.

“Since we’re going out later today you’re welcome to crash here. I just changed my sheets and the bed’s all yours. Last door on the left.” She pointed down the hall. “I’m gonna go sleep in Becca’s room.” Mel didn't even turn around to see Frank’s response before walking down the hall and closing the door to Becca’s room.

Frank had learned over the past few weeks since his return that Mel had very little gas left in the tank for conversation when she was tired. He had been over Mel’s house once before when she was dog sitting for him. So he had been given the house tour already. He placed Mel’s backpack on the barstool by the kitchen.

He marveled at how lived in and warm her apartment felt. Photos of Mel and Becca covered the entire fridge. Colorful throw pillows scattered across the couch and a large fuzzy hot pink rug took up most of the living room. A wall shelf held an array of Lego flower bouquets across the back wall of the living room. Frank could imagine Mel meticulously following the directions to put them together then placing them on the shelf to admire her work.

He didn't linger too long snooping around because he was feeling the weight of his own eyelids begging for sleep. He left his shoes by the front door and walked down the hall to Mel’s bedroom. He walked inside and the room was so quintessentially Mel. The bed was made neatly as promised. A bookshelf stuffed to the brim with fantasy books stood next to her bed. A shiny dragon figurine sat on one of the bookshelves.

He set his phone down on the bedside table next to a blue and green lava lamp. He laid down on top of the covers and as soon as his head hit the pillow, which smelled like Mel’s citrus shampoo, he was out like a light.

~several hours later~

“Frank. Frank. Franklin. Francis. Frankie.”

“Argghmmsnh”

Frank knew he had to be dreaming because he was staring across at Mel in her bedroom. Her hair out of its usual braid, long blonde hair cascading down messily over her shoulders. He reached over to tuck a loose strand behind her ear.

“Good morning. Or should I say afternoon. It’s 2pm.” Mel smiled, letting him tuck the hair behind her ear as she knelt down beside the bed.

Frank sat up quickly realizing this in fact was not a dream and he was laying in Mel’s bed and she was staring at him knelt down beside him. He quickly wiped the side of his mouth with his sleeve knowing he tended to drool when he slept (Abby used to tease him about being a mouth breather).

“Sorry I didn’t realize you were actually there. I thought I was dreaming”

“Am I in your dreams?”

Frank ignored her question purposefully, “Did you call me Francis?”

“Well I don’t know what Frank stands for so I took some guesses.”

Frank laughed at that. “It actually doesn't stand for anything. My parents just named me Frank. Very creative, I know”. He sat further up on the bed and crossed his legs. His tattoo peaking out from the top of his sock. Mel sat down on the edge of the bed beside him “Is that a pressed penny tattoo?”

“Yeah I got it after we took the kids to Arizona last year. Penny loves collecting pressed pennies and she kept saying she visited the Grand Canyon because the pressed penny we got in Arizona was of the Grand Canyon. Abby planned the whole trip so I also thought we saw the Grand Canyon. Turns out we were in Tucson which has some moderately sized canyons but is not where the Grand Canyon is located.”

Mel laughed and reached over to move the top of his sock out of the way so she could see the whole tattoo. Frank inhaled a breath as her fingertip gently traced the inked skin on his inner ankle. “So you have the Grand Canyon tattooed on your body but you’ve never been?”

“Yeah pretty much”

“I’ve never been either.”

“Maybe we can go sometime.” Frank kept staring at her fingers moving across his skin. Unsure if he was overstepping a boundary making such a claim.

“I’d love that.”

The corner of his mouth broke into a crooked smile, imagining a future where they’d travel together. As friends of course. That’s what this was all about. But waking up with Mel staring next to him felt so surreal he thought he was dreaming. Falling asleep to the smell of her shampoo and the hum of her ceiling fan. It felt so…domestic.

But no. Mel didn't date. She certainly didn't date him. This was to get her more comfortable with the idea so she could go out on dates. With other people. And Mel said it herself: she didn't develop feelings for people the same way he did. And he’d rather tweak his back again than ever overstep a boundary that Mel set. So he would have to table all those feelings. It was for the best.

While he was thought spiraling, Mel had walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed under the covers. Flipping through the streaming services on the tv on her dresser across from the bed.

“Oooo have you ever watched Survivor? It’s my favorite.”

Frank stared over at her, blonde locks splayed out on the pillow behind her. Only her arm sticking out from the pile of blankets and sheets she had buried herself under. The rest of her body hidden just below the surface he was sitting on.

Oh.

Oh No.

“Ummm nope. Never seen it.” He had barely registered the question.

“Great, we can watch Tocantins. It’s one of my favorites!”

The two then settled, cozied up in Mel’s bed. Mel under the covers, and Frank perched on top with a throw blanket from the foot of the bed thrown over top of him. And proceeded to watch half the season in one sitting, seeming to forget all about their original date plans.

~8 episodes later~

“They blindsided Tyson! I thought he was final three!” Frank shouted with a mouthful of ramen.

“It's a social game too. You’re not going to win if you're an asshole. That’s part of the game.”

“You should tell that to Garcia next time she comes down to the trauma bay”

“I’ll leave that to you.” Mel’s alarm went off on her phone, she paused the tv, and sat up in bed. The two had managed to spend the rest of their time off together in Mel’s room watching tv and eating bowls of instant ramen she had in her pantry. She wasn't much of a cook and Becca preferred to eat out most of the time.

The domesticity of it all was nice. Mel forgot all about the date they had planned and simply enjoyed having company in her house. It felt like peeling back a layer of herself. She wasn't much for hosting people so it was often just her and Becca. And on days she was working night shift her apartment felt cold and empty since Becca stayed at the facility overnight. Mel appreciated the companionship.

Before long it was time to get ready for the night shift once again. But the pair had planned to finish the season together after their shift.
—-----------------------------------
The pair spent almost every day for the rest of their night shift week like that first day. They’d drive over to Mel’s apartment, catch up on their sleep, then binge watch Survivor. Frank even ordered groceries to her apartment so they wouldn't have to survive on instant ramen. Mel welcomed the idea of having home cooked meals with open arms. Her apartment flooded with smells of chicken teriyaki, chana masala, and baked ziti.

Frank told her stories about growing up with a mom that refused to let her sons “get away with doing nothing in the household”. She wanted her children, daughters or sons, to be able to provide for the household. He was in his element in the kitchen too, just as skilled with a skillet as he was with a scalpel. Mel would sit at the breakfast nook in the kitchen and watch him while he worked his magic.

This routine almost made Mel sad their night shift rotation was ending. But she wouldn't miss going to sleep when the sun was up. Back on day shift, their calendars weren't lining up. No longer working nights, Frank had his kids again and days were back to normal.

Samira noticed Mel’s deflated attitude at work and invited her to crash her date with Cassie after their shift was over. The trio walked over to their favorite wine bar and shared a bottle of rose.

“What’s got you down Mel Belle?” Cassie looked across the table at her friend.

Mel furrowed her eyebrows and chewed on her bottom lip. The issue was she wasn't quite sure what was bothering her. “Umm. I don’t really know, honestly.”

“Can I take a guess? You wouldn’t shut up about your night shift week with Frank–”

“Cassie” Samira chided and elbowed her girlfriend.

“I mean that lovingly. I just meant you spent a lot of quality time with him and then your schedules changed and that came to a halt. Do you miss it?”

“Yeah.” Mel agreed with her statement.

“Do you miss him?” Cassie asked nonchalantly while pouring Mel another glass.

“Miss him? I see him everyday in the ED?” Mel shook her head not understanding the question.

“And I see Samira every day doesn't mean I don't want to drag her into the supply closet and rip her scrubs off.”

“Cassie!” Samira choked on her wine and Cassie leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Mel stared across the table at her friends. Taking in and processing exactly what Cassie was trying to say. She knew that Cassie liked to embellish. But she didn’t actually think Mel felt that way about Frank, right? Frank was her friend. He was doing her a favor; going on these dates. Getting her back in the groove of dating. Right?

“Melly. I think what Cassie was trying to say is you’ve been spending a lot of time with Frank outside of work. Is there anything you want to tell us? You know we want what’s best for you.” Samira reached across the table to hold Mel’s hand.

Mel looked down and focused on Samira’s hand in hers “I like spending time with Frank.”

“I know you do, honey” Samira and Cassie looked over at one another knowingly.

“I was thinking of asking if he wanted to hang out this Saturday but I know he has his kids this weekend.”

“Adults can hang out with other adults while their kids are around. I do it all the time! Maybe just ask him. See what he says.” Cassie replied.

—-----------------

And that’s how Mel ended up in the middle seat of Frank’s Rav-4 between Penny and Tanner’s car seats, with Becca in the passenger seat, on the way to the aquarium. Frank was giddy when Mel asked if she could tag along to his weekend plans with the kids. It was his idea to invite Becca as well.

Tanner was monologuing about all the different types of sharks he would see and how fast each shark could swim in the wild. He brought his encyclopedia of sharks in the car and was pointing to Mel each breed and which were his favorites. Frank kept sneaking glances from the rearview mirror at Mel in the backseat. A lump in his throat formed at the sheer sight of her cramped in between both of his kids, her listening intently to his son and asking questions about the sharks in his book.

They arrived at the aquarium and Frank bought all their admissions tickets. Mel tried to argue with him and Becca chimed in, “Mel when a man wants to buy you something, you let him.”

Mel’s mouth dropped open and Frank burst out laughing, “Listen to your sister, Mel, she’s quite wise!”

Tanner led the way, holding the map of the aquarium and listing all the exhibits he wanted to visit in order.

Penny grabbed Mel’s hand with her tiny fingers and looked up at her “Mel, I like your hair” but Mel came out sounding more like Mwel and Frank could feel his cheeks warm as he smiled.

“I can braid yours like mine if you’d like, Penny”

Penny’s eyes widened and she nodded her head. Mel gently finger combed her long brown hair and braided Penny’s hair like Mel had hers. She grabbed the extra ponytail she had on her wrist and secured it to the bottom of Penny’s braid.

Frank watched intently, mesmerized by the simple braid. “Daddy, look we’re matching!” Frank watched his daughter twirl around in circles and he could physically feel his heart beating out of his chest. He needed to get ahold of himself.

“You look beautiful, Pen”

Tanner had become the unofficial tour guide of the group and traded facts with Becca about all the fish they passed. Penny would point to each of the fish in the tanks and say “what this one?” and Frank would find the exhibit placard and read out the names and listen to her attempt to say fish names like Chichlids as “Chickadins” and Arowanas as “Awowowas”.

He noticed as they walked around that Mel had disappeared. He asked Becca and Tanner if they saw where she went and they shook their heads. Becca said she would watch the kids while he went and found her. Frank told them all to stay in the shark exhibit while he went and looked and he didn't have to tell Tanner twice.

Frank wandered the nearby exhibits, checking her location on find my friends. They shared their locations with each other early on in their friendship. Mel joked that she liked knowing all her “sims” were safe and where they needed to be. Her location wasn't far from his, the app was never quite accurate moreso just a general location.

He rounded a corner when he saw a familiar long blonde braid. He stared at her across the hallway as she stood mesmerized in front of the jellyfish tank. The floating blue orbs illuminated around her. He savored the moment, getting to watch her from afar. It reminded him of the stolen glances he would take across the ED at work when he had a slow moment.

She was so beautiful. Her silhouette aglow from the neon lights in the dark hallway. He allowed himself a minute to just watch her before approaching. Selfishly enjoying getting to stare at her unnoticed. He finally tore his eyes away and walked up to her, announcing himself so he didn't startle her, “Hey Mwel.”

Mel looked up at him beside her like he had broken her out of a trance. She smiled, “Hi Fwank”

“I should've known I would find you at the living lava lamp display.”

“I was reading the display placard. Did you know moon jellyfish utilize both sexual and asexual reproduction. They reproduce sexually only when their environment is favorable for them, water temperature, food source, etc. If their exact environmental needs can't be met they reproduce asexually.”
Frank thought about his response, not wanting to come across the wrong way. But he decided to be brave, “They’re like you.”

Mel beamed in response and grabbed his bicep and squeezed, “They’re like me! They just need the right environment. Sounds pretty demi to me.” She took one last glance back at the jellyfish then started walking back in the direction they came, “Sorry I wandered off. Are the kids okay?”

“Oh yeah Tanner is probably talking Becca’s ear off in the shark exhibit.”

“Becca loves kids. Thank you for inviting her.”

“Of course. You know she's always welcome. And I’m happy we get to spend extra time together.”

“This counts as one of our dates for sure.”

Frank nodded along. For sure. But what if he wanted it to be a real date…he pushed the idea out of his mind as soon as it entered. He promised himself he would never cross Mel’s boundaries. Even if his feelings for her were unrequited. He would take whatever she was willing to give him. Even if that was only friendship. He would never jeopardize their friendship.

When they rejoined the group Becca was holding Penny and they were pointing at the shark swimming above them in the shark tunnel.

Tanner ran up to him shouting, “Dad, can we go to the touch tank next! Please!”

“Sure buddy lead the way.”

They made their way over to the touch tank and Tanner had no fear following the instructions of the aquarium staff. He dragged Frank up to the tank and wanted to pet all the stingrays. Penny watched her brother shyly from the sidelines.

“Do you want to pet the stingrays, Penny?” Mel asked. Penny grabbed onto Mel’s leg and hid her face in her thigh, looking away. “That’s okay you don't have to. Why don't we watch your brother instead.” Penny reached her little arms up indicating she wanted to be held and Mel scooped her up in her arms.

Mel held her while they giggled watching the boys get their hands wet in the tank. Mel felt warm inside. Again relishing in the domesticity of it all. Their two families blended together. She’d have to ask to hang out on a weekend again.

—-----------------------------------------

Mel was washing her hands vigorously in the bathroom of the ED after helping Emma with a 6 year old patient that came in complaining of an itchy scalp and turned out to have a pretty nasty lice infestation in her hair. Lice was usually something she could avoid in the ED as it's treatable at home but she was brought in by her 16 year old babysitter who saw something crawling in the child’s hair and panic drove her to the ED.

Mel couldn't stop the phantom itch in her hair for the rest of her shift. She even took her braid out and was brushing through her hair with her fingers (after aggressively inspecting under her fingernails and scrubbing them with soap for what felt like hours). She couldn't wait to get home to take a shower (and maybe burn her scrubs in the meantime) when she rushed out the bathroom door too quickly and bodyslammed into someone “oof — I’m sorry!”

She felt two strong hands on either side of her shoulders which instinctively made her body tense but she looked up and locked eyes with Frank “Oh its you. Can you check my hair for lice?”

Frank’s hands drifted down from her shoulders and landed on the crooks of Mel’s elbows “I’m pretty sure I saw Nazely checking your hair as soon as she came in for rounds.”

“Please Frank. I’m begging you.” Mel stared up at him determined.

Frank swallowed. His jaw clenched for a moment. “Fine.”

Mel dragged him into the break room and sat down at the table, wringing her hands in her lap, while Frank went to look for a lice comb. He returned quickly and she spun around in her chair so her back was towards him. He gently swooped her long hair over the back of the chair and started brushing the comb through her locks.

Mel closed her eyes first in dread but then she started to relax almost like she was at the hair salon. She had always liked having her hair brushed by Becca. The feeling of the teeth of the comb was soothing on her scalp. The phantom itchiness she felt was replaced with a tingling sensation across her scalp.

She could feel his breath on her neck as he bent closer to inspect her roots. He swept her hair over her shoulders to check around her ears. His fingertips slowly ran over her scalp. “Okay flip your head upside down.” Mel did as she was told and stared down at his birkenstocks. He must have already changed into his out-of-work shoes when he found her. She chuckled at the tiny rubber duck pattern on his socks.

Mel felt his fingers graze over the mole on the back of her head, “Oh that’s just a mole, it’s not lice.”

Frank laughed but didn't remove his hand from the back of her head, “I know it’s not lice because you don’t have lice. I just think it's cute that you have a mole.”
Mel felt her cheeks warm, and not just because her head was upside down. This felt different. She felt a warmth creep up the back of her neck. She kept her head down, “So I don't have lice? No eggs in my hair?”

Frank knelt down, taking careful mind of his back, and lifted her chin up between his thumb and pointer finger and stared at her, “No Dr. King, you do not have lice. Or eggs in your hair. Now that that is settled I wanted to run something by you.” He stood up and walked to the open chair at the table and sat down, exhaling slightly after kneeling with his back.

“Are you doing anything the weekend of October 17th and 18th? I already checked our schedules and we’re both off that Saturday and I spoke to Dana about finding coverage for that Sunday.”

Mel took her phone out of her back pocket and swiped through her calendar app. She didn't have anything in particular happening that weekend. “Ummm I think I’m free. I’ll have to talk to Becca.”

“I actually spoke to Becca.”

Mel’s eyes bugged out, “You spoke to Becca about that weekend?”

“Yep! We text, you know that. She knows the plan. Said she’s cool with it. I told her everything. You on the other hand, I’d like to keep it a surprise. What I can tell you is what I have planned involves a few hours drive so we’d have to stay overnight. Because it’s a surprise Becca has already agreed to packing your bag for you that weekend to keep what we’re doing a secret. It’ll just be you and me, Becca said she’s gonna plan a crochet night for her friends at the facility. How does this all sound?”

Mel took some time to process things. Where would they be going that they’d have to stay overnight? She couldn't even pack her own bag? This all sounded highly suspicious but also sort of…exhilarating? Mel couldn't remember the last time she went on a trip without Becca. She sat pondering for a few moments before agreeing, “Okay…I think that works with me. And you said you found coverage for that Sunday?”

“Yes, it's already in the works. Dana said she had my back.”

“Okay good.” Mel twiddled with her thumbs in her lap, “And you’re sure I don't have lice?”

Frank grunted and rubbed his hands over his eyes, “Ohhhhh my god Mel you’re gonna kill me.”

—----------------------

“Are you sure you want to drive that long after work? We could always leave tomorrow morning?” Mel worried her hands against her chest, staring out the window of Frank’s Rav-4.
“Yes I promise nobody will even be on the road at this hour.” Dana pulled some strings with Robby to make sure to let Mel and Frank leave right at 7pm on the dot after their shift. The sun was setting over the horizon and Mel yawned as Frank pulled out of the staff parking lot and headed for I-376.

Frank had suggested they create a Spotify blend so they could listen to both of their music on the long drive. 4am by Bastille played over the speaker. Mel wasn't sure if that was from her Spotify or his as they realized they listened to a lot of the same music. Mel closed her eyes without realizing it, listening to Frank softly sing along to the words “Ohhh there is nowhere I would rather be” when she drifted asleep before they even reached the interstate.

Frank looked over at Mel, pleased she was able to get some rest on their drive. He had packed 2 Redbulls for the 4 hour drive and happily cracked one open while he got on the interstate headed towards eastern PA. He turned the volume down a few notches and hummed along to the song so as not to disturb Mel.

Two hours into the drive he pulled into a rest stop to get some gas and watched Mel through the passenger window sound asleep. The baby hairs of her braid frayed out after their 12 hour shift. He did some stretches at the pump while he waited for his gas tank to fill. Working a full day then sitting in a car for hours wasn’t doing his back any favors. But he wasn't going to let his back get in the way of his fun weekend he had planned.

He quietly opened the trunk and retrieved the spare blanket he kept in the back in case he ever broke down. He closed the trunk and got back in the car. He unfolded the blanket and draped it over Mel in the passenger seat. She stirred slightly, settling under the blanket, a tiny snore creeping out. Frank sat there for a moment longer, watching her sleep under the glow of the gas station lights. Relishing that this was the first time he really ever saw her sleep. She was so peaceful.

He added a quiet song to the queue and pulled out of the rest stop, on his way to finish the drive. With the power of 2 Red Bulls and the motivation of doing something for his friend he knew she’d love, Frank made it to their hotel in record time and before midnight.

“Mel we made it.”

Mel stirred in her seat, stretching from the stiffness, “Did I sleep the entire drive there?” She blinked over at Frank in the dim lighting of the hotel parking lot.

“Yes but you needed your beauty sleep. We have a big day planned for tomorrow.”

Mel blinked some more, and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She looked around but didn't see much to indicate where they were. She knew they weren't in a major city anymore but other than that they could be anywhere. “Am I allowed to ask where we are?”

“We are in Mount Hope, Pennsylvania,” Frank responded.

Mel sat there wondering why she had heard of that town name before. It rang a bell but her sleep grogginess was still making her brain work slower than usual. Where had she heard that name —

“OH MY GOSH ARE WE GOING TO THE RENASSAINCE FAIRE?!” Mel grabbed onto Frank’s forearm and shook him.

Frank instinctively put his hand over her hands and beamed with excitement, “We sure are! Becca packed everything she said you’ll need. She said she even ordered some things for you so your costume would be different from what you’ve worn in the past. We may have coordinated colors.”

Mel leaned over the center console and enveloped Frank into a hug (as best she could from the passenger seat). He hugged her back and she tucked her head into the crook of his neck, “Thank you, Frank.”

He breathed in the smell of her hair, the citrus smell he had grown to crave mixed with a saltiness from working a full shift and sleeping in the car, “Of course, Mel.”

He squeezed her one last time before letting go and grabbing their bags out of the trunk. The two walked into the front lobby, Mel skipping giddily towards the check in desk.

“Hi, checking in for Frank Langdon.”

The front desk worker, no older than 19, checked them in on the computer. “Gotcha right here Mr. Langdon. Your king room with ensuite will be on the 3rd floor —-”

“Wait sorry did you say king room? As in one king bed? I booked a room with two queen beds?”

The teenager looked at the computer, seemingly bored by Frank’s panicked inquiry. “Sorry man. I have you down for the king room. We’re all booked for the Ren Faire weekend. Do you want the room or not?”

Frank looked over at Mel, worry written all over his face.

“It’s fine. It’s a king size bed I think we’ll both fit.”

“But–”

“Frank. It’s fine. Don’t let this ruin the weekend.”

Frank shook his head in agreement, “No you’re right. This is our big trip. Okay, yeah that’s fine.”

The teenager rolled his eyes and handed Frank two room keys. “Room 311, at the end of the hall.”

The two silently walked towards the room, up the elevator, and down the hall. Frank couldn't stop fidgeting with his hair, a tick he did when he was nervous.

“If you keep playing with your hair I’m gonna think you have lice.”

“Oh my god I don’t have lice!”

Mel laughed as she unlocked the door, she dropped her bag by the front, and flopped down on the bed.

Frank stood at the front door, staring at the bed, still holding his duffel bag. “I can sleep on the floor, it’s fine I’ve done it before.”

“No you absolutely will not be sleeping on the floor with your back. Frank Langdon this is a king size bed. We can easily share it. You’re making me feel like I have cooties or something. Or lice…”

That snapped him out of it. He dropped his bag and hopped on the bed beside her facedown, “Oh my goooood if I have to think about lice one more time I’m gonna lose it!”

“I’m gonna shower. Make sure there’s no lice in my hair.” Mel chuckled and grabbed the pillow and whacked Frank with it before he could respond. She gathered her bag and took it inside the bathroom with her while she took a shower. By the time she came back out Frank was passed out asleep, still in his clothes on top of the comforter.

She didn’t blame him after driving 4 hours after working a 12 hour shift. She brushed her damp hair and turned off the lights, tucking herself under the covers. She looked over at him, sleeping on his stomach, a little bit of drool coming out of his open mouth. “Goodnight Frank” she whispered.

—-----------------------------------

She woke up hot. Which was strange because she remembered turning the AC to the coldest setting before climbing into bed. She could hear the hum of the AC blowing so she didn't understand why she was sweating. She went to roll over when she felt a wall beside her. Except it wasn't a wall, it was a person. She froze in place, opening her eyes to find an arm slung over her waist. Frank was curled against her back, holding her in place as he snored softly against her hair.

She stayed perfectly still so as to not wake him. She thought to herself this must be why he didn’t want to share a bed. She tilted her head to get a better look at him. He must have woken up and changed since she last saw him because he was wearing a different t-shirt and pajama pants. She tried to wiggle herself out of his grip but as she tried he subconsciously pulled her in tighter, grumbling against her hair, “mmmhhnoooo”.

“Frank I’m hot” she stirred some more.

“Mmmyeahhh you are.”

“Frank, I’m serious, you’re making me all sweaty. I want to get–”

Frank jolted awake in bed. Seeming to realize where his hands were he quickly detached from Mel’s body and shuffled to his side of the bed “I’m sorry!” he choked out like a glass of ice water had been splashed on him.

“It’s okay, I just overheated is all. I actually don’t mind the cuddling. It felt…nice.” Mel fiddled with the edge of the bedsheet, rolling it between her fingers.

Frank took a deep breath in, “Oh. Okay, we’ll I’m glad I didn’t upset you. I don’t really remember doing it, I must have done it in my sleep. I haven’t shared a bed with someone in a while.”

Mel shifted in the bed, sitting crisscross in her pajamas on top of the covers. She turned to look at him, “When’s the last time you shared a bed with someone?”

Frank turned to look at her, “Ummmm whenever the last time I shared a bed with Abby was. I had been sleeping in the guest bedroom for a while before I went to rehab. So I’m not exactly sure.”

“You haven’t slept with anyone since Abby?”

Frank sat up quickly, dragging his hands over his face, “Uhhhh this isn’t what I expected to talk about this morning. But to answer your question, no I haven't."

Mel seemed to ponder at his response. Rubbing the edge of the sheet over and over between her fingers. She shifted on the bed to face him directly, her face scrunched up, “Have you not slept with other people because of me? Because of our dates?”

“Wha–no! I mean–” Frank stopped to think about what she was asking. It’s not as if he planned on sleeping with other people as soon as he got divorced. He was learning what life was without Abby. But that also looked a lot like spending time with Mel. They had synced up their schedules and filled nearly all their free time together. But he loved spending time with Mel. He had been looking forward to this weekend for weeks.

Why did his stupid body have to betray him in his sleep like that? The possibility of him doing something stupid in bed had crossed his mind when he found out they would be sharing a bed. Which is exactly why he didn’t want to do it. Mel didn’t like to be touched most of the time. She would tense up and look visibly uncomfortable. But she wasn't tense this morning. And she said the cuddling was okay with her. She just got too hot. This was a lot to process for Frank at 8am.

“I don’t really have an answer for you Mel. What I can say is I love spending time with you. I don’t wish I was spending time with anyone else. You’re my best friend.” He couldn’t make eye contact with her when he spoke. He was still holding some of his cards close to his chest. His unrequited feelings for her he had compartmentalized away. Happy to ignore them so long as he got to spend time with the person who had become his best friend.

“You’re my best friend too.”

Frank visibly relaxed at her response. He stretched his arms up in the air and slung his legs over the side of the bed. He did a quick round of stretches that his doctor recommended he do first thing in the morning every morning for his back and he didn’t want to ruin his routine just because he was on vacation. Mel watched curiously from the bed.

“What time does the faire open?”

“11am. I figured we could pick up some breakfast sandwiches from Sheetz beforehand.” Frank grunted out while doing a downward dog pose on the floor.

“Will we look silly in our costumes at the gas station?”

“Melissa King, when have you ever cared about looking silly? Plus I’m sure you’ll look great. Did you get a chance to look at your outfit yet?”

Mel jumped up and realized she hadn’t. Becca had packed her toiletries and pajamas on the top of her bag so she didn't need to dig through it last night. She grabbed her bag from the bathroom and lifted it on the luggage rack. She pulled out the pieces Becca had packed, a brown leather vest, long brown pants, and a billowy white shirt. She pulled out a large wide chunky brown belt and held it up, “Oh my gosh is this an Elizabeth Swan pirate outfit!!”

Frank threw her the black pirate hat he’d stowed in his bag as a surprise, “Will Turner at your side m’lady!” He took an exaggerated bow.

Mel jumped up and down with overwhelming joy. She grabbed all her things and ran into the bathroom squealing. Frank took this time to finish up his stretches and put on his own outfit. He worked with Becca to order all the pieces for his Will Turner outfit. He also promised her he would come over for a Pirates of the Caribbean movie night to return the favor.

Frank sat on the bed scrolling on his phone while he waited for Mel to finish. He rested his eyes for a moment and lightly dozed off when he heard the bathroom door unlock and open. He jolted awake again and his mouth fell agape as he watched Mel step out of the bathroom in her costume.

“Well what do you think?” she asked.

Frank was frozen in place. She had her hair down, long wavy blonde hair spilling over her billowy white blouse. Her faux leather vest pulled tightly over her waist. She was fixing the brown belt across her stomach. She had put on brown eyeshadow around the tops and bottoms of her eyelids, which made the brown in her eyes pop. Frank had never seen her in makeup before and she almost didn’t look like herself.

“You look…really great, Mel” Frank couldn’t stop staring.

“Come over here I want to see our outfits together!” she waved him over and turned towards the floor length mirror behind her.

Frank stared at the two of them in the mirror, transfixed by what he saw. Mel adjusted her hat in the mirror and snapped a photo of the two of them. Frank reached over and tipped her hat back to get a closer look at her makeup, “do you mind” he said almost in a trance as he stared down into her brown eyes. He could see the tiny sparkle of her highlighter shining on her cheekbones, “you look beautiful.”

Mel felt her cheeks flush at the compliment. She instantly felt embarrassed by the heat rushing to her head. She ducked her head away and let her hat fall back down. “Thank you. We should be going, I don’t want to be late. I’ve only ever been to the Pittsburgh Ren Faire. I need to see absolutely everything. I hope they’re going to have fire breathers. Not that I should probably want that as a doctor but it's just so cool!”

Frank laughed at that and grabbed his keys, “I’m ready if you are!”

Mel squealed again and clenched her fits together happily. They made sure to grab all the things they’d need for the day, Mel listing off all their items to make sure they didn’t leave anything.

—--------------------------------

“Did you see him fly up and catch that meat in his mouth!” Mel asked, already knowing the answer because of course Frank saw the falcon he was sitting right next to her at the demonstration but she just couldn't contain herself as they were exiting the falconry show.

“Should I quit my job and become a falconer?” she asked jokingly, chomping down on her pickle on a stick.

“I’d support it. But I would have to quit too, I’m not going there everyday without you. Maybe I could become a glassblower?” Frank responded, finishing off his turkey leg and throwing the bone in the trash.

“Or a bladesmith.”

“Ooooooh yeah that would be cool. I could make Tanner a sword. You know for when he’s older.”

They walked around the faire checking out all the different shops. Frank had absolutely no agenda whatsoever so he just followed Mel’s lead. She has highlighted all of the shows she wanted to attend on the faire map and made sure to stop at nearly every booth they passed. The only booths she skipped were the ones that sold real leather products. She would crinkle her nose up every time they passed one. Frank figured she didn’t like the smell. The leather vest she was wearing was made of faux leather so it seemed to pass her test. Frank didn’t mind the smell but he followed her lead.

Mel had bought a commemorative tote bag when they first walked into the Faire and was able to put all the trinkets she’d acquired in her bag. She bought a glass blown pumpkin for Samira, a pen that looked like a dagger for Cassie, a needle felted frog for Becca, and a set of D&D dice she wanted to give to Tanner so she could teach him how to play. Frank gently reminded her to make sure she bought things for herself too. She said she knew that and picked out some honey sticks and a print of a unicorn sleeping by a river for herself.

As the day went on the pair did archery (Mel was surprisingly a natural with a bow and Frank couldn't get a single arrow to land on the target). Mel cheered Frank on while a barmaid poured nonalcoholic beer into his mouth from a stein (he had to immediately throw up in the trashcan because it was way too much liquid at once). Mel and Frank tried on a bunch of ornate handmade crowns (Frank tried to convince her to buy her favorite but she said it was too expensive for something she’d only wear once a year).

The day was slowly coming to a close and Mel still didn’t hit all of the things she wanted to do. “I really want to go to the tea shop but I don't want to miss the fire dancers!”

Frank looked at the map in her hands while Mel stared at it with furrowed eyebrows. “Look!” he pointed at the map, “there’s a tea garden in the back of the tea shop and you can see the fire dancer’s stage from there. We can do both!”

Mel seemed pleased with this idea and they both headed into the tea shop. Frank admitted to Mel he had never really tried many hot teas before, he was more of an iced sweet tea guy himself. She helped him try the different sample cups they had and they compared their favorites. Frank liked the ones with citrus more and Mel enjoyed the more earthy black teas.

They both got pouches of their favorites to take home and picked more unique flavors to have cups of while they sat outside to watch the fire dancers.

They settled into a small table in the back corner of the tea garden that looked directly out towards the stage. Mel watched with glee as the fire dancers spun around. Frank checked his watch because he knew the faire was closing in less than an hour. “I’m gonna go see if I can catch the candy shop before they close to get some things for the kids.”

Mel nodded, not taking her eyes off the dancers. She sipped her tea and enjoyed the cool breeze the evening brought. The sun was setting just behind the stage and lit the sky with a mixture of reds and pinks and gold. She couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed a day as much as she had enjoyed this one.

She thought about her conversation with Frank all those weeks ago. After the night at the bar where she mentioned she hadn’t been on many dates before. So they concocted their plan together. But these dates didn’t feel fabricated. They were thoughtful and fun and memorable. Mel never felt like she was playing a part. She could just be herself around Frank.

She thought about the night shift together, how easy it felt spending all their free time together. She thought about the trip to the aquarium and learning more about Tanner and Penny and getting to know their little personalities and quirks. She thought about the morning, waking up to him wrapped around her body and for the first time in perhaps her entire life she wasn’t repulsed by the feeling. She felt safe.

She heard the sound of footsteps approaching her on the loose pebble flooring of the tea garden but before she could turn around she heard Frank’s voice “Mel it’s me but I want you to close your eyes okay?”

Mel closed her eyes as instructed, the glow of the fire lighting up behind her eyelids. She felt her pirate hat being removed from her head and felt a sort of sharp prickly sensation on her head in replacement “Wait what?” she opened her eyes instinctively and Frank had his camera phone set up so she could see herself in the reflection.

On top of her head was the gold crown she had tried on before. Golden branches with metal leaves interwoven with amber gemstones that glistened from the light of the flames. She was speechless as she stared at her reflection in the phone. She made eye contact with Frank through the screen of the phone and instantly started crying.

“Oh! Oh no I’m sorry if it’s too much. I can take it back!” Frank stuttered panicked. He dropped his phone on the table beside them, unsure of what to do. He ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was nervous or felt like he had fucked up. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands.

Mel stood up, tears streaming down her face, taking some of her mascara with them. She enveloped Frank in a hug and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She was silent, except for her choked breathing, and held onto him tightly. He hugged her back, still not quite sure what she was feeling and trying to process the mix of reactions.

“Mel, I’m sorry if I overstepped—”

Mel lifted up on her toes and placed a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. It was over just as quickly as it started and she buried her face back into the crook of his neck. A muffled “thank you” buried in his shirt.

Once Frank had processed what had just happened he impulsively snaked his hand up her neck and cradled her jawline, pushing her from his neck. Before she could say anything he blurted out “Can I break the rules?” He looked at her with a wild fervor in his eyes.

“What?”

“Rule number five: no kissing. Can I break the rules?” his eyes darkened under the glow of the flames. Mel didn’t verbally respond but she nodded her head yes under his grasp, not breaking eye contact.

Frank’s mouth collided with hers. His hands sliding to scratch the back of her head. She let out a small gasp in response. He pulled back quickly and apologized “I’m sorry was that too much?”

“No” she responded and grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him back in. Their lips collided once more but this time with less panicked fervor and more raw emotion. Mel hooked her arm around his back and held him close to her body. She had never felt like this kissing anyone before in her life. For the first time she didn’t feel like she was just in her head the whole time. She gave over and let her body take the lead.

She bit his bottom lip with her teeth and heard a groan come out of him she had never heard before. She dug her nails into his back, scratching up and down his spine. She felt his tongue in her mouth and for the first time in her life she enjoyed the sensation.

She opened her eyes and suddenly remembered exactly where she was. She sat the heels of her shoes back on the ground and she could feel his body lean forward, not wanting the kiss to end. She placed the palm of her hand on his cheek and kissed his opposite cheek, then buried her face against his chest, giggling softly to herself.

She whispered against his shirt, “Frank, we’re in public.” She could feel her cheeks burning red from a mixture of embarrassment and something else.

“You’re right I’m sorry I don’t know what came over me.”

“I think I broke a rule too.”

“What do you mean?”

Mel guided them back over to their small table. She played with the tea bag string hanging on the outside of her cup unsure of exactly what she wanted to say. She sat down for a moment catching her breath and reorganizing her thoughts.

“I think somewhere along the way. I stopped thinking of our dates as training for the real thing. Because I just liked spending time with you. I liked knowing on our night shift you’d be staying with me. I liked getting to spend time with Tanner and Penny. I liked hearing you planned all this with my sister without me even knowing.” Even without making eye contact with him, she could feel his intense gaze upon her. Listening to her every word.

“You know how I explained how I hadn’t ever been on many good dates because I just didn’t have an emotional connection with any of those people? Well over time our dates felt real to me. They felt genuine. I’d been having complicated feelings the past few weeks but our friendship is the most important thing to me and I honestly didn’t really know how to navigate those feelings. But today when you got me this crown. I felt seen in a way that nobody has ever seen me before.” Another tear fell down her face.

Frank reached across the table and wiped the tear with his thumb and Mel leaned into his touch. “Mel, I’ve wanted to kiss you ever since that first night shift. When we were watching Survivor together and I would cook for you every night after. I’ve felt this way but I never wanted to cross your boundaries and being able to be your friend was the most important thing to me.”

Mel choked on a sob, “Really? Since night shift?”

“Maybe even before but that’s when I really knew.”

Mel continued to cry into her hands hunched over the table. Frank drew soothing circles on her back but knew he needed to give her time to process things. Think through what he had just told her and contextualize the timeline in her mind.

Mel’s hands fell back down into her lap but she stayed hunched over the table, unable to look at him, “I don’t know exactly how this all works. I’ve…never had feelings for someone like this. But…”

Frank waited patiently as she finished gathering her thoughts.

“But I want to try. Can you be patient with me?”

Frank grabbed Mel’s hands in his. “Mel, can you look at me, sweetheart?”

Mel looked up at him in the dim lighting. The fire dancers packing up their things behind him in the distance. They were the only two left sitting in the tea garden.

“I will take whatever you are willing to give me. Graciously. It’s actually all I want. Nothing you’re not comfortable with. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” He stood up and extended his arm to her. She took it and he lifted her into a hug. She continued to cry into his shirt and he patted her hair over and over.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”