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Today had been a busy day in the ED, so when Mel finished bandaging a deep cut on an elderly man, she made a beeline for the break room. It was already half past two and she still hadn't eaten and she was starting to feel slightly dizzy from it all.
No worries, she packed two turkey ham and cheese sandwiches in the morning and they were resting neatly on one of the shelves in the communal fridge, wrapped in cellophane. When she entered the room, Samira was in there, eating some chips from the vending machine.
Mel opened the fridge and, to her dismay, her carefully crafted sandwiches were gone. She scanned the fridge again, her brows furrowed and confusion mixing with disappointment on her face.
"Did you also forget today was fridge clean up day?" Samira said, looking towards Mel.
"Yeah, I did. That sucks, I don't really like anything from the vending machine." She turned around, closing the fridge door, still disappointed.
"I get it. There's some cookies next to the sink though, if you like those." Samira crumbled her bag of chips, discarded it in the bin and made her way out of the room.
"Got it."
Mel looked around, and her eyes stumbled upon a plate with a couple of wonky looking cookies left on top, and a note stuck between the plate and the wall.
Baked with the kids yesterday and accidentally made too many cookies. Please take some so I don't eat them all. (Nut-free and also Poison-free) - Langdon
She smiled at that, Frank had been trying to get into more kid-friendly hobbies lately, he'd mentioned in one of their ambulance bay talks, just in order to spend some quality time with Tanner and Penny.
Mel didn't really get hungry as such, but she did get nauseous and slightly dissociated which was her sign of a hunger cue. She felt it right at this moment, so she did reach for one of the chocolate chip cookies.
She did mourn her sandwiches, the perfect break food if you asked her. They were quick to eat, but also were basically a full meal - with the carbs of the bread, the protein of the turkey and the fibre from the greens - that you could wrap back up if someone called you on a trauma case. She also liked how, after they'd been wrapped for a few hours, the bread would go slightly soggy so it barely left any crumbs.
The cookie did leave a few crumbs when she bit into it, however it was one of the best cookies she'd ever had. And maybe it was just because she was ravenous in her own way, but it was so moreish yet satiating that, in that moment, it seemed like it had fell from the sky just for her taste buds and stomach.
When she was done with it, she glanced through the glass in the break room door and noticed the pace of the ED seemed to have slowed down a bit. That was enough for her, so she reached for the plate and got a second helping and, with a big paper cup of water from the cooler, it did feel like it was curbing her hunger pretty good.
And maybe she was a bit selfish and slightly gluttonous when she took a third one and slid it into the front pocket of her scrub shirt - but it was just for good measures, just in case she got hungry again later on, cookies were hardly filling long term after all. She did think they tasted comforting, like a warm hug from a loved one, like waking up on a holiday morning to smell fresh baked goods from her mom for breakfast, and who knew, that might come in handy at some point today.
She made a mental note to ask Frank for the recipe of said cookies, just in case she ever needed a pick me up in that way or Becca ever wanted to bake when she came over.
As soon as she walked out, Robby called her name, and she headed towards him.
"I've got a six year old girl with a second degree burn in North five, go take care of her." He said, looking at the board, then to her, then to the room.
"Got it." She replied, but he seemed to already be on his merry way somewhere else.
She made her way to the room, applied an ointment to the girl, Stella's arm, bandaged it up, and explained the right care to her father and her. Once she was sure everyone was reassured and they had no more questions, she walked out, hoping this slower time in the ED meant she could catch up on her charts.
She sat down at a desk and started filling out charts in a way that felt oddly relaxing - it always did. Somehow, taking some time out of her day to actually sit down and think back on things did wonders for her mind. It was sort of like journaling in a way but it was all about her patients rather than herself, it helped her organise her thoughts. Usually as soon as the charting for a patient was done, all the thoughts about what she could've done better or differently while treating them stopped.
After a couple of minutes, she looked up to glance at the board, but her eyes stopped on a familiar face instead.
"Doctor Langdon!" She called out.
They had become closer over the past few months, something that both of them were content with. Mel liked having someone she could rely on at work and Frank enjoyed her company as it seemed people seemed to avoid her ever since his first day back from rehab, though it did seem to be getting better with time.
"Doctor King, what's up?" He replied from across the desk, a grin on his face.
"You know those-" It was the perfect moment to ask for that recipe but she was quickly cut off by Dana.
"We've got a double GSW coming in, one patient is stable but the other one is critical. Get ready, EMTs should be pulling in any moment!"
And just like that, her moment of quiet charting was gone, and the ED fell back into its slightly comforting rumble, when everyone is ready for the worst.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
The rest of the shift was hectic to say the least, somehow it felt like everything walking through the doors was a life or death situation. Those shifts, while rare, were exhausting, especially because you were always certain to lose a few patients.
Mel lost two ; the critical GSW from earlier, and an elderly woman named Shauna sent from a care home for confusion, which ended up being liver failure.
That one stuck with her the most, and all the care home patients did in a way, because they always made her think of Becca. She knew Middle Hill was the best in Pittsburgh, but the idea that they could ever miss something as big as liver failure was always on the back of her mind despite how much she tried to brush it off.
But that's who Mel King is, though she'd never really admit it. Her mind always tends to focus on the worst option, and she does try to stay positive in most situations, it's just her mind that makes it oh so hard. It got worse on days like this, when it seemed every case was a really bad case.
She looked at the clock, only ten minutes until she could go home and maybe her mind would finally slow down then. She was about to get a headstart on finishing her charts when Robby sent her into another treatment room.
At a quick glance, it was a teary-eyed young girl with a sizable head wound, her parents standing around her bed, and Jesse hooking her up to the machines.
“Isabella Ramos, eight year old, was playing in a treehouse when she fell and hurt her head.” Jesse summarised.
“Hi, I'm Doctor King, how are you feeling Isabella?” She asked as the door behind her opened, trying to force her smile.
She immediately thought of a brain bleed, not just a simple concussion, because today every case seemed to be a bad one, so this one wouldn't be any different.
“Well I fell down and now my head hurts really really bad.” She sobbed as Mel made her way to check her eyes with her pen light.
Brain bleed, she thought despite her pupils being active and reactive, there's still so many thing she could be missing, she should order a head CT right now, just in case.
“I'm not surprised, it seems you fell pretty hard. Does your stomach feel sick?” His familiar voice asked, and Mel’s focus shifted from thinking about the worst possibility to him, as her head perked up to look at him.
She enjoyed having a familiar face to look towards. Just looking at him felt quite grounding to her, and it was a bonus that said familiar face was Frank Langdon’s - it was just a bonus that he was pleasing to look at.
“Uh- Pupils are active and reactive, we should order a head CT, just to cover our bases.” She added, faster than she thought she would.
“Good catch, Doctor King. I've got it from here, if you'd like to order that head CT and take five.” He replied, looking at her. He knew she was getting overwhelmed, and she bit the inside of the cheek for that. “And make sure to tie that shoe lace on your way out” He added with a smile as she looked down.
“Oh yeah, thank you!” She said, now focused on tying her shoe. As she kneeled on the ground, now away from the bed, she reached for her laces but something slipped out of her shirt pocket. The cookie she took earlier. She'd completely forgotten about it.
Frank glanced over, gave her a slight chuckle and went back to treating the little girl. She hurriedly put the treat back in her pocket and tied her shoe, before almost running out the door. She made sure to order the head CT before making her way up the stairs, to her quiet corner.
She sat down, and started box breathing. She tried to convince herself everything was going to be fine, that she didn't mess up today, that she was still a good doctor. Despite the many thoughts racing in her mind and her skin feeling uncomfortable from the overwhelm of it all, it would be fine.
She reached for that cookie, hoping eating would make her mind focus on something else, anything else. It did fall on the floor, but if any floor was clean enough it was an ED floor she thought. It was embarrassing that Frank now knew she took one and just stashed it in her pocket, she thought. But when she bit into it she forced herself to focus on that sensory experience, the crunchy top and the gooey interior, the chocolate chips melting in her mouth, and how Frank made it with his kids.
She could just see him, laughing around as Penny and Tanner play with the flour, and he's trying to keep them in check, he really is, but they're just so sweet and it's just flour.
And she smiled at that, and before she knew it, it did feel like she managed to regulate her nervous system somewhat, so she headed down.
Most of the night shift was already here, so the ED felt busier in people but no one seemed to be running around as much. She took the opportunity to sit down and catch up on her charts, hoping nothing major would come through those doors until she, herself was out as well.
She got in the zone, and the meticulous way she was filling the charts out seemed to make time pass quickly, she was almost done, and almost out. Her whole flow came to a halt when a warm hand was put on her shoulder.
“You okay?” His familiar, comforting voice asked, she didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but she still did. She found the comfort she needed in his face too.
“Yeah, it's just been a tiring one. I'll be fine though!” She looked up at him with a smile.
“And hey, you've got that cookie as a pick me up, right?” He looked at her with his characteristic teasing grin, and she felt herself blush.
“Well actually-” He cut her off.
“Look, it's fine I brought them to share! Pretty sure you can't bring food in treatment rooms like that though” He was still smiling at her, but it wasn't the teasing grin anymore, it was his softer, caring one.
After hanging out with him for a few months, she would say she got pretty good at reading Frank Langdon. She didn't always get his sarcasm, but he actually had a fairly expressive face, and she was good with that. Her mental note perked up in her head.
“Actually, would you mind giving me the recipe? For your cookies I mean. They were really good, and sometimes Becca likes to bake but I'm a horrible baker so it would really help if I had a good recipe. No worries if you don't want to, like i would completely under-” And he cut her off again.
“Look, I can't wait to get out of here, and I'm sure you can't either. Finish up here and meet me in the ambulance bay?”
“Sure, that's also fine” She nodded, before putting her head back down as he made his way to the locker room.
When she got changed out of her scrubs and made her way to their usual post-shift meeting point, he was there waiting for her already. As soon as stepped through the doors, his face turned around and his eyes met hers.
He had such an intense gaze, but it was also really expressive. Somehow she also found that comforting, that just by looking into his eyes she could feel the care he had for her, or the pain he felt after bending down to do a procedure, or the worry he showed when he noticed she was getting overwhelmed.
“Hey”
“Hi” She said, making her way towards him.
The day after the fourth of July, he also stayed in the ambulance bay waiting for her. She waited for him the day after. And slowly it became their ritual, she also found comfort in that.
“So I'm a great baker, eh?” He asked playfully.
“Yes, it was very nice. What recipe did you use?” She asked, a slight blush on her cheek, and he chuckled. He looked like he was thinking about it, as though he was trying hard to remember the recipe.
“You see I can't really give it to you. It's uh- well you see it's a family recipe.” He smiled, and the corner of his eyes crinkled, and she didn't feel upset he couldn't give her the recipe because he just looked so soft in that moment.
“Oh, that's alright, I understand.” She smiled back at him.
“I could try to make some more though, your own personal Langdon cookie stash?”
“Oh no, I wouldn't want to bother you. It's fine, I'm sure I can live without your cookies.” She said in her usual apologetic tone.
“Mel, I really don't mind. Actually - I'll bring you some cookies tomorrow. Goodnight Doctor King.” He smiled at her, before heading towards his car, not giving her a chance to object.
He did have this habit of just leaving after offering her something, so she couldn't protest or say no. And Mel found that quite endearing, and it made her smile. She stood there for a moment, smiling back at him, then at nothing. She couldn't wait to get her personal Langdon cookie stash.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
When Frank got home, he threw his coat on the sofa and leaned against the counter. He'd promised Mel some cookies, because she loved them. Alas, he didn't know how to make the same cookies.
You see, when he got back from rehab, Abby waited until he seemed comfortable enough in his sobriety to hand him the divorce papers. It hadn't worked for a while, she said, even before the benzos. And, to her credit, they worked a lot better as co-parents than husband and wife.
So, as a recently sober, even more recently divorced dad, Frank made two promises to himself ; focus on staying sober and, most importantly, focus on his kids. Everything else would fall back into place.
And to be fair, it did - it had now been six months since he made these promises and his life was looking so much better, he just got in the flow of things. Granted he still had to go to therapy and his mandatory NA meetings, but now they felt helpful rather than just chores in his week.
He didn't get to spend as much with the kids as Abby did because of his job, so whenever they were around, Frank made sure to create memorable moments ; sometimes it was painting (which made his living room a mess), sometimes it was going to the park to play football (which made the kids’ clothes a mess) and sometimes it was baking (which made his kitchen a mess).
He had lied to her, he couldn't get her the recipe, not because it was a secret Langdon family recipe, but because there simply was no recipe.
You see, once you bake enough you start to know what ingredients you need for what treat and, with two kids joining in, you don't always get to keep an eye on measurements. You just had all the ingredients, mix and hope it bakes in a tasty way.
Luckily for him, he had some cookies leftover to compare, so he was going to have to experiment until he found the right measurements and ratios. He pulled out the butter, flour, egg, sugar, baking powder and chocolate chips from the cupboard and got to work.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
It was now almost midnight and Frank couldn't crack the recipe. He had started optimistic and happy about baking specifically for Mel, then got frustrated because it just wasn't right. Every batch either came out too cakey, chewy or simply just too dry.
Don't get him wrong, they still were tasty, but they weren't the same as the cookies Mel called him a great baker over. He almost melted when she did, so these cookies needed to be perfect, because they were for Mel King.
But now he was exhausted, and he had ran out of butter, but he hoped that his last batch was the right one, the perfect one he could give her.
He put the baking tray in the oven, took a look at his kitchen which looked like it had been ransacked. Maybe his kids weren't the messy one and he was? But he could deal with that tomorrow, tonight he was exhausted.
He plopped on his sofa and unpaused the documentary he'd been watching on and off while waiting for the oven to work its magic and tried really hard not to close his eyes.
He tried, but it wasn't good enough. He woke up to the sound of his smoke alarm blasting in his appartement. Shit. It was so loud, and he just waking up, so acted really quickly to just remove the batteries. Not his finest move, but the noise is just so aggravating, and he would deal with it later.
Right now his focus was on turning off the oven, and hoping that nothing caught on fire. He cracked open a window, and opened the door slightly, letting as much smoke as he could out.
He coughed heavily as he stepped back, God he hated the smell and feeling of smoke. When he was a kid he thought of becoming a firefighter - that dream quickly got shut down when he went camping and the smell of the bonfire hurt his lungs. He was glad he became a doctor instead, helping people feel better, caring for them and meeting Mel King.
His eyes were getting teary from the smoke, so he retreated to his bedroom, and hoped the open window would do its job. As he laid down, his mind was quick to jump to thoughts, how he managed to fall asleep in the thirteen minutes it takes to bake cookies - that was his fault for being cocky and not setting up an alarm -, how he now had to come to work empty ended in the morning - that was his fault for overpromising - and how he had to tell Mel he lied and there was no recipe - that was his fault for wanting to impress her.
Sweet, precious Mel. Every night he went to bed, she just seemed to pop into his head, her small smiles, the way she seemed to light up when her gaze laid on him, the kindness she showed people, the way small strands of hair fell out of her braid when she had a tough shift.
He was being good though, he didn't let his mind wander from his two promises, but God did she make it hard.
So yes sometimes he found himself imagining her in his bed, her soft breathing while she sleeps and her sleepy mumbles as he kisses her forehead. It just helped him get to sleep, it wasn't anything more. (Though he did wish it was something more)
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
During their next shift, he sort of avoided Mel, not because he was angry or upset, but because he felt disappointed in himself, and he knew she would feel disappointed too when he told her he messed up and couldn't get her any cookies.
He even avoided looking at her, because she had this sad look on her face. Mel was good at hiding it, but Frank knew. He knew the way her eyes seemed to get more brown rather than their usual hazel and how she suddenly got poutier. So he felt even more upset at himself that he couldn't fix it.
So, when they got paired up on a case together, he couldn't avoid her and he dropped the act. And for a while it felt a lot better to be around her rather than just throwing quick glances her way. And so, after they were done treating a fifty three year old man having a stroke, he offered her his usual check up.
“You okay?” He asked, making sure to sound soft.
“Are you avoiding me?” Her brows were furrowed in the way that made his heart melt, but then again looking at her face at any time had the same effect.
“I was, I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong and it's all me.” He knew he had a tendency to pull away when he felt guilty, not one of his finest habits but it had stuck with him since his teenage years and it was a hard habit to kick.
“Oh, alright. Well, I'm here if you need me- or need to talk rather.” She gave him an understanding smile.
He felt like the whole world was spinning around him, she understood him. He knew she saw right through him, that she recognised the bad habit. He blamed himself for it, really - he was hurting her to protect himself. She didn't seem to mind - which he also blamed himself for. He assumed she was used to being hurt like that, and that's why she's accepting it. That made his heart break a bit.
“Thank you, Mel. I appreciate it, really, hopefully I feel like talking about it at the end of our shift.” He gave her another half smile and walked towards his next patient, already rehearsing an apology and explanation in his head.
Their usual ambulance bay meet-up came too fast but also too slow, he was yearning for it while yet also feeling fear and anxiety.
When he walked out of the doors, she was there already shuffling on her feet and fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. She just looked so precious, like a masterful painting you would lock behind some glass so everyone can admire it but no one can harm it.
“Mel, I'm sorry. I felt shitty so I avoided you. That's not alright, and I'm very sorry I pushed you away, especially if I hurt you.” He started, and his voice sounded so pitiful he almost cringed at himself.
For a moment, he wondered where his cocky confidence went, then realised it seemed to always run away whenever he was being open, and it seemed to get even further away when he was opening to Mel King.
“Why did you feel crappy?” She asked with her careful, soft voice that he liked so much. It was like music to his ear.
“Well, I promised you cookies yesterday, and I tried, I tried to make them perfect for you - God you should see the mess I've made of my kitchen and then I basi-” He started rambling, not looking at her but rather at his feet and he felt like a child being scolded, but that was his own doing.
“So you avoided me because you said you'd bring me some cookies and you didn't?” She asked, her brows furrowed again.
“Essentially.” She chuckled at this, and it did make him feel better, she wasn't mad at him - but then again, she rarely ever was.
“I told you yesterday I could live without your cookies, Frank. That wasn't sarcasm, really. I'm sorry you felt you needed to do all that for, well for me. I really don't mind either way.” She smiled as he looked up at her, finally meeting her gaze.
“No I wanted to, you deserve it you know? Like you make me so happy, and if I can make you happy - or just feel better - with some stupid cookies then I will. And I wanted to be called a great baker again.” He smiled, hoping to break the tension he still feels with a joke. He was also hoping she wouldn't read behind the lines of his comment.
She replied with one of the biggest smiles he's ever seen adorn her beautiful face, and her eyes sparkling so bright. His heart fluttered and he was sure if someone checked his heart rate he'd be hooked to a monitor pretty quick.
“So if I'm understanding correctly, you made a lot of cookies, so your kitchen's a mess. What did you do with all those cookies?” Frank wasn't sure where this was going.
“Well they're still on the counter, but they probably taste too smokey now, I fell asleep making the last batch so yeah.” He explained, and she looked at him with the same look he couldn't really pinpoint. Was it happiness? Confidence? Fun?
“I’d like to come try those cookies.” She said and he wasn't sure if she was offering what he thought she was.
“They're in my appartment.” He simply replied, making sure.
“I know. I'm offering to come over, I could help you clean up too.”
He felt his eyes go wide, and his brows furrowing. This was such an expected turn of event that he felt such shock. He was being good. But nothing seemed to be making much sense, so he looked to her face for an answer.
It was confidence - that's what Frank couldn't pinpoint. She was openly asking him to come over to his, something he'd never even dared of happening. Was he losing his mind? Maybe it was smoke poisoning from the whole last batch debacle.
“Which one's your car?” Mel asked, breaking him away from his trance.
He mumbled an answer and started to walk them towards his car. Mel's face seemed to be glowing, with a confidence that was different from when someone complimented her as a doctor or told her she was doing a good job. This was the confidence that an angel sent from heaven would have once they knew they were going to fix everything up, and at this moment it did feel like she was going to fix up everything in Frank's life.
So, even if he was going insane, maybe he should accept it. Maybe it didn't matter that all of this was smoke inhalation, and he should just enjoy it before all hell breaks loose.
So he unlocked his car, they both jumped in and he started to drive, trying to ignore how his heart was going at ungodly speeds and how bright the sunset was making Mel’s whole skin glow.
And without him realising, they made it to his appartement, and he then got hit by the fact that he was letting Mel King into his appartement, when it was in this state.
Frank had thought about this moment, after a date, or maybe a third, he would take her back and there'd be some candles and it'd be so romantic. Instead, they were coming into his apartment which still smelled slightly smoky, flour and utensils all over the counter, red bull cans scattered around and he was wearing jeans that were ripping at the seams, while she still looked perfect. Talk about punching up.
Before he can say anything, Mel has started tidying around the kitchen. She's picking up dirty dishes, putting them in the sink, and moving in a way that reminds Frank of a ballet dancer. She's moving with such precision that it feels like it's all choreographed as his eyes are memorising everything about this moment. But he should help, time to pull his head out of his ass.
So he took his place at the sink, and started washing the dishes as she passed them over.
“You know you really don't have to do this, Mel.” He said, his voice louder to be heard over the running tap, yet still soft. He was being good.
“This is what, sixty cookies? You baked all them for me, I think I can handle ten minutes of cleaning up as a thanks” She stopped by the sink and smiled at him, with that same confidence from earlier, and it made him smile as well.
This all felt very domestic and it felt right into place with the scenarios Frank thought of when he was trying to get to sleep. If she wanted to have this new flirty confidence, two can play this game, despite how warm he felt inside.
“I can assure you, you being there is plenty enough.” He winked at her and she blushed pink. Cocky Frank was back.
Soon enough, they were done tackling the mess in the kitchen. It was a lot easier - and faster - when you were two. And maybe the fact that Mel was there, moving so graciously in the kitchen also did make it seem easier and faster, but that was besides the point. He was being good.
The cookies (bar the calcined ones) were all organised one of his massive dinner plates - which arguably wasn't useful in any other way, he never had people over. Mel was sat on the sofa and Frank brought the cookies over, and his mind flashed with thoughts of them cuddling on the sofa, with Tanner and Penny lying in between them. Maybe he was done being good.
“One tasting platter of cookies, coming up” He announced as he put the comically big platter on the table.
“Is 27 dresses alright?” She asked, her hands still on the remote.
Frank loved chickflicks, not that he would admit it in front of anyone else, but this was Mel.
“Oh yeah, I really liked it when I first watched it!” He replied enthusiastically. She looked over at him and just smiled before reaching for one of the cookies and handing Frank another.
“That one’s too cakey.” She said a few bites into it, to which he agreed. Then, a few minutes later, “And that one's too dry.” And he agreed again.
She reached for the last section of cookies, put one to her mouth and bit into it. He instantly noticed her eyes lightning up, which brought joy to his heart, just like it always did. She reached for the remote and paused the movie.
“Frank, these are amazing - even better than your original ones!” She exclaimed, with her voice sounding so happy it made him flutter inside.
“Are they? I think that was my last batch - well before the catastrophic ones. They're made with love and pure frustration, that's the secret ingredient” He chuckled.
“You're a great baker. They're so good really. Any chance I could get that recipe now though?” He let out a nervous laugh, but still felt himself glow inside at her praise.
“Ah, well you see I didn't really use a recipe, even for the original one. I just did what felt right. I'm sorry.” He gave her an apologetic smile.
“So I came all this way, and no cookie recipe?” She looked at him with feigned anger. “That was sarcasm, by the way.”
“Oh, really?” He played along.
She just nodded and got closer to Frank, as if to tell him that she was truly joking. In a wave on confidence, he wrapped in his arm around her and, when she smiled, he knew he made the right move.
Soon enough, Mel was falling asleep across his lap, and he was barely watching the movie as he tried committing to memory every little sound, each twitch on her face as she slept so peacefully on top of him.
The movie finished and he really, really needed to go to the bathroom. So he tried nudging her just softly enough that she'd get up from his lap but not enough to wake her up. It didn't work though, and she looked up at him softly with a quiet groan, and he almost didn't get up just because of that.
“I'll be right back.” He spoke so quietly, almost as if she was still asleep and she just gave a soft hum.
While in the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror. He still wasn't sure if everything was all some kind of fever dream, but he still looked like himself, so at least there was that. But then again, whatever God was playing in his favour, he was going to thank it and make it work.
Even if it was just tonight and somehow he was completely forbidden from seeing Mel again tomorrow, he was going to make the most of it tonight. And so he made his way back to the living room.
Mel was sat up, the same worried look he'd seen dozens of times before.
“What's up?” He asked, brows furrowed.
“I didn't even look at the time, and the buses are done, I'm sorry.” She looked down like a puppy you've just told off.
Now Frank didn't feel that tired yet, so he could just offer to drive her home, but he was off tomorrow, and he knew she was too, and he did say he was going to make the most out of tonight.
“Do you want to stay here?” He asked, with a soft smile, still trying to be somewhat good.
“Oh no, I don't want to bother you, I know you have the kids tomorrow.” She replied, but Frank knew by her expression that she was just being polite.
“Abby’s dropping them off at three, gives you plenty of time to get a bus back. Look, I'll even take the sofa if you want.” Mel's expression had now switched back to that confident look. Well, that didn't take a lot of convincing.
“Or we could both sleep in your bed.” She grinned at him, and he smiled back.
He bit his lip, now he was truly done even trying to be good. He leaned over and put his lips on hers, slowly kissing her.
Now, Frank Langdon never was the type of guy to gush over women - but that was proven wrong when he fell for Mel King. And as one would guess, he wasn't the type of guy who believed in the whole “when you know you know” and fireworks in the stomach guy either - that was quickly proven wrong when he kissed Mel King.
She was kissing him back, obviously. She'd wanted to for ages, but he told her about his promises and she didn't want to take any focus away from that. After a while though, you just have to give it a shot.
And so, when she deepened the kiss, he felt like his knees might give in. Mel was kissing him, just like he had wanted her to for a long time. The whole room was both spinning and oddly still at the same time. All his focus was on how warm her lips felt, and how his heart fluttered at her every move.
“Fuck, Mel. You're perfect.” He whispered against her lips right after he pulled away. She chuckled and the noise went straight through his chest, echoing all around his body, filling him with such warmth and excitement he didn't know what to do with himself anymore.
And so he scooped her up, and carried her into his bedroom.
And, as much as Frank was done being good, the rest of the night was really, really good.