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O N E
Frank doesn't know when or how it all began— the kisses, that is.
Okay, that's a lie. He does.
He had invited Mel and Becca out to the park with his kids and his dog. It had been something they were planning for a while already as his daughter's current fixation was going out on a picnic. Of course, Frank grants her wish with the help of Mel.
They planned the date and food they'd both bring and Mel made sure to pack a small first aid kit unless anything happened. She also packed a jumping rope, a flying disk, and a hoolahoop— although those were quickly abandoned by the kids and Becca for a game of tag. Biscuit, the goldendoodle, was running around with them as well.
Frank and Mel sat on the picnic blanket. Frank watched them play with a fond smile— "Careful, Tanner!" He reminded his son when he saw him almost trip. Meanwhile, Mel was peeling some apples for the them to eat after the kids and Becca finish playing.
For once in his life, Frank felt at peace.
"Ow," Mel says which immediately makes Frank look over in her direction, worry already etched on his face.
"You okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Just accidentally knicked myself with the peeler," she says, showing him her finger. It was bleeding a bit, but it really wasn't a big or serious wound. Still, Frank couldn't help but be worried.
He gently took her hand, "Lucky you brought that first aid kit, huh?" He said, reaching out for the small first aid kit and opening it.
"Oh, yes. I didn't expect that I would be the one needing it," Mel says, watching Frank as he disinfected the wound and put a bandaid— a colorful one, with Bluey characters printed on it— over her wound. She smiles, "Thank you, Frank."
Frank cleared his throat, feeling his breath stutter a little as she smiled at him, "Of course, it's no problem."
He was so preoccupied with staring at Mel and just holding her hand lightly that he didn't notice his kids running over with Becca and Biscuit tailing behind them.
Mel looks at them and smiles, "Hey, guys. Are you done playing?"
Tanner nodded, sitting down on the picnic table. He was sweaty and panting but he had a grin on his face. Millie follows after him, giggling and sitting in Frank's lap. Becca settles next to Mel and Biscuit settles in her lap.
Frank smiled down at Millie and Tanner, "Did you guys have fun?"
"Mhm!" Tanner said with an enthusiastic nod.
"I'm hungry, daddy," Millie said and Mel was already moving, "Do you want pretzels, Millie?"
Millie nodded, "Yes please!"
Mel handed her a container of pretzels and Millie lets out a soft gasp, "Oh no, Mel! Did you get hurt?" She asks, sounding a bit distressed, a cute frown of worry on her face. Like daughter, like father, Frank thought to himself.
Tanner looked over at Millie's exclamation and Mel smiles reassuringly, "It's okay, it's just a small wound. Your dad patched it up for me!"
Millie relaxes and she nods, "That's good. Daddy is the most amazing doctor!"
Mel smiles, amused and fond, looking over at Frank, who had a slight blush on his cheeks, "That he is, Millie."
"Did he remember to give you a kiss?" Tanner asks and Mel blinks, "Huh."
Tanner continued, "Whenever we get boo-boos, Dad always kisses them after he patches us up! It's so they heal quicker."
Millie nods, "And can we also give it a kiss?" She asks, peering up at her dad.
Mel looked over at Frank, "Oh, well, your dad didn't give it a kiss."
Millie gasps, "No! Daddy, you have to give Mel's boo-boo a kiss! Or it won't heal properly!"
Frank chuckled, a bit nervously as he looked over at Mel. Mel merely gave him a smile and put her hand out. It took a moment for Frank to process what she's waiting for him to do.
Frank lightly held her hand again before kissing her injured finger gently. "Thank you," Mel says softly and Millie and Tanner nodded in approval.
Becca watched the scene with a knowing look, "Mel, can I have my apples now?" She asked, breaking the moment between Mel and Frank. Mel laughs softly and hands her a plate with apple slices and Becca shared the plate with Biscuit.
Millie and Tanner also left kisses on Mel's injured finger enthusiastically and Frank felt his heart grow three sizes bigger as he watched it happen.
In a way, everything that happened that day cemented what Frank has been thinking about for a while now— Mel and Becca have wormed their way into his family and he was incredibly happy about that fact. He couldn't help but think about how lucky he is and how much he loves all of them, his heart beating faster as he met Mel's eyes once again.
T W O
It had been a really bad day at work for Frank. It was one thing to have to deal with a GSW wherein the victim is a child and another to treat the man who shot the child while said child is coding in the trauma room beside them.
Even worse, the child had ended up dying and the shooter survived. It frustrated Frank to no end. For once in his life, he wished he wasn't a competent doctor. He wished he messed up and he knows how selfish and fucked up that sounded, but he had just finished scrubbing his hands until they felt irritated because of how shitty he feels.
He's at the ambulance bay, staring blankly at the floor. He hears footsteps approaching him, but he doesn't look up.
"Dr. Langdon?" A pause. "Frank?"
He looks up, then. There was only one person who called him by that name— "Mel," he said, relief coating his voice. He cleared his throat, correcting his posture, "You okay?" He asked softly, his voice cracking a bit.
Mel had been one of the other doctors to treat the shooter alongside him and he was grateful for he grounding presence during it and now he's even more grateful that she's looked for him
She steps closer, "Are you okay?"
Frank deflated at that. He was supposed to be the stronger one between the two of them, the one who does the comforting, but Mel had always brought out his vulnerable side.
He swallowed, shaking his head, "No. It's just—" He feels his eyes burning and he rubs at them stubbornly. Mel takes another step closer, they're only inches apart now.
"it's just so unfair," he managed to choke out. "Fuck, I—" Tears sprung from his eyes and Mel gently cups his face with both her hands, wiping away the tears with her thumb.
Frank melted under her touch and he let out a shaky sigh.
"You're right, it's unfair," Mel starts, "But we're doctors. We don't decided who lives or who dies. We made an oath to save lives, no matter what and you did amazing, Frank."
Frank snorts, "Right. Because making sure a child killer survives—"
"Ensures that the victim and her loved ones will get the proper justice that they deserve," she finished for him.
Frank let himself fall silent at that, just letting his tears speak on how heavy his heart feels. He knows Mel is right though, as she always is. He wonders how she always knows what to say to make him feel better.
It took a while, but Frank finally calms down, sniffling. All the while, Mel never lets go of him, her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks and clearing the tears that fall. He gently placed a hand over one of her hands, gently kissing her inner wrist.
"Thanks, sweetheart."
Mel gives him a small smile, "I'm always here for you, Frank. Always."
T H R E E
Mel King has never missed a day of work— until today, that is.
The day before, she already wasn't feeling well. Her nose felt clogged and she kept coughing. She assumed it was just a simple cold though so she didn't think too much about it until she woke up the next day feeling like she got run over by a car. She had gotten a fever overnight.
Luckily, Becca hadn't stayed the night so she didn't have to worry about driving her to the center, but this does mean she can't pick her up. She grabs her phone from the nightstand, letting out another cough and groaning as she forces herself to sit up.
She sent a short message to the PTMC day shift groupchat and the center, informing them about her current state before laying back down.
She hated being sick. Not only did it mean she wouldn't be able to do anything but lay down, but because it usually hit her pretty hard. She rarely gets sick, her immune system pretty strong, so when she does get sick, it's way worse than normal.
Her phone starts ringing and she's about to ignore it until she saw the caller ID— Frank Langdon. She let out a tired huff, pressing the answer button.
"Frank?" She said, her voice weak and shaky.
"Oh, sweetheart…"
Mel let out a soft whine at the pet name, "'m not feeling good."
There's a sound of rustling on the other side of the phone, "I know, baby. I saw your message. Do you want me to drop by before I go to work?"
Mel was about to say no, but seeing Frank would likely make her feel better, "Yes, please."
"Alright. Is there anything you want me to bring over?"
"Instant chicken soup, maybe," Mel says.
"Got it, sweetheart. I'll be there in a bit, okay?"
"Okay. Thank you, Frank…"
"Always, baby."
The call ended and Mel dozed off as she waited. She's awoken by the sound of the front door opening and Mel knows it has to be Frank. He was the only one she gave a spare key to her apartment to.
The door to her bedroom opened and Frank peaked inside before walking in, "Hey, sweetheart," he said softly, placing a plastic bag on her nightstand. Mel greets him with a small hum, still tired.
He ran his hand gently through her hair, "Have you drank medicine?"
She shook her head and he nodded, "Okay. I'll go get you some paracetamol and water. Then, you can go back to sleeping, okay?"
"Okay," she said before letting out a cough and a groan.
Frank left the room for a minute, coming back with a glass of water and paracetamol tablets. He helped Mel sit up and take the medicine and he smiled, small and affectionate, "There you go…"
Mel gave a thankful hum as she lay back down and Frank tucked her in.
"I'll go now but if you need anything, call me, okay? I'll pick up Becca later, if you want."
Mel hums, "It's okay, I don't want her to get sick. I already messaged the center," she mumbled. Frank nods, "Okay, baby."
He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Get well soon," he says before leaving. Mel thinks, selfishly, that she should have told him to stay.
F O U R
The King sisters had a tradition. Every Friday, they would take out pizza and watch movies until one of them expresses their need to sleep (usually Mel).
It was a tradition that began with the two of them and, slowly but surely, Frank had weaved his way into Friday nights as well.
They just finished their third movie of the night— Tangled— and Mel could already feel her eyes drooping close. She lets out a yawn and stretches, forcing herself awake, just enough to tell Becca she wants to head to bed and walk to her bedroom.
Frank notices this and he smiles, fond, "Sleepy?"
Mel nods.
Becca looks over at her and hums, "I'm pretty tired too."
Frank nodded in agreement, "Then I guess this is where the night ends."
Becca blinked, "It's not midnight yet."
Mel snorts, "You know what we mean, Becs."
Becca grins, "I do." She stood up, dusting off her pants, "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she says, walking to her room.
Mel smiles, watching her for a moment before her eyes landed on Frank, "It's gotten pretty late. You should just stay over," she says.
Frank smiles, "If you don't mind…?"
"You know I don't mind," Mel says, bumping their shoulders together.
Frank intertwined their fingers together, squeezing her hand before they both walk to her room. Mel plopped into the bed with a sigh and Frank laughs softly, going to his side of the bed. He gently ran his fingers through her hair again and she hummed, closing her eyes.
"You okay, sweetheart?"
She nods, "Just sleepy."
Frank hummed and finally laid down next to her, pulling up the blanket and making sure it covers the both of them. Mel lets out a hum in thanks, her eyes already closed.
Frank stared at Mel, a soft smile on his face. He couldn't help but notice the freckles that littered the bridge of her nose. He shuffled closer to her, resting his arm around her waist and placing his forehead against hers.
When Mel feels the added warmth on her forehead, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, seeing Frank's ocean blue eyes.
"What are you doing?" She asks, amused.
"Admiring," he says softly, making Mel blush.
As they blink, their eyelashes brush against one another. Both of them fall asleep in that position, facing one another, foreheads touching, and bodies entwined. This ends up becoming a new tradition— one between Frank and Mel— where they bask in each other's presence and affection, unaware of the overwhelming love they feel for one another.
F I V E (and technically six)
It was a nice evening. The air was cool against their skin and the breeze was surprisingly fresh.
They had just finished another greuling shift and both of them are exhausted. They're still getting dinner out though, for the sake of shaking away the day and being in each other's orbit to recharge.
When they arrive at the restaurant, their favorite Italian place (a locally run restaurant— not Olive Garden), Mel goes to find a table while Frank orders their food.
"Melissa King?" She heard someone ask as she finally sat down and she looked towards where the voice came from and she tenses up. She meets the gaze of one of her highschool classmates— Jasmine. Someone she was glad she got away from after graduating and one of the reasons why Mel never goes to their highschool reunions.
Mel tried her best not to shrink into herself, "Hello, Jasmine…"
Jasmine grinned, like a Cheshire cat, "I knew it was you. What are you doing here?"
Mel blinked. She doesn't know if here means the restaurant or Pittsburg. She decides to answer both, "I work at PTMC and I'm having dinner."
Jasmine hums, looking her up and down, "Right. You're a doctor now, last I heard."
"Senior resident," Mel says with a small smile.
"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here?" Jasmine asks with a tilt of her head. Mel swallows, "Oh. Sorry. What— what are you doing here?"
Jasmine smiles, "I'm getting married. My fiance's family lives here in Pittsburg so we wanted to have the wedding here."
"Oh. Congratulations," Mel says.
"Thanks! Speaking of, what about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Mel doesn't know why, but the question sounds condescending coming from her. It likely was. For some odd reason, Jasmine never liked her.
"It's okay if you don't," Jasmine said, "I mean, we're like… what? Mid 30s? Some would say that's pretty much when you should settle. I mean. No one wants to be old and single, you know? It gets pretty lonely."
Suddenly, Mel felt like she was back in highschool again. She doesn't understand why people assume that she'd never get into a relationship or even have friends. She knew she was a bit awkward and she wasn't always the best at social interactions, but that didn't equate to her not being loved or to her being lonely.
Mel was about to reply until she heard Frank's voice, "Who's this, sweetheart?"
Frank stood beside her and she smiled, "Hi, Frank. Uhm… this is Jasmine, she was my classmate. In highschool."
Jasmine looked a bit speechless after seeing Frank. Understandable, Mel thinks, as he is quite handsome.
"Oh, Melissa! You should have told me you were here with someone," Jasmine said, "You must be her friend? I mean, Mel has never been good with boyfriends."
There's something about the last statement that stings. That Jasmine would assume, just because Frank is handsome, he would never be together with someone like Mel.
Mel looks up at Frank and his eyes are steely when his gaze is on Jasmine, "Uhm… Well…" she starts, and Frank looks down at her, his eyes immediately softening.
"Actually, I'm her boyfriend," he said. He leaned down, kissing her cheek before sitting across from her. Mel's face explodes in a blush and Jasmine seems surprised, "Really? Wow, Mel… I never expected you'd date someone so…" She paused, "Out of your league."
Ouch. Okay, so she was just blatantly being an asshole now. Frank tried his best not to glare at the woman, gently taking Mel's hand in his. Mel gave him a thankful smile.
"Oh, Mel is actually the one out of my league," Frank says with a small chuckle, "She's everything you and I aren't. Kind, earnest, self-actualized, y'know. And she's beautiful," he says softly.
Jasmine was, once again, shocked. Before she could make another comment, Frank spoke again, "And I would prefer it if you don't talk shit about my girlfriend in front of us," he says coldly, "She's wonderful. What you're doing just shows that you're insecure."
Jasmine tensed and she looked between Mel and Frank. "Right… Uhm. It was nice seeing you again, Melissa."
Mel let out a breath of relief once she walks away and gives Frank a grateful smile, "Thank you, Frank."
Frank smiled back, "It's no problem, sweetheart. You okay?"
She nods, "Mhm. I'm okay now that you're here."
Frank squeezed her hand, lifting it up to kiss her knuckles, "I'm always here for you. Always."
P L U S O N E
After calling himself Mel's boyfriend that one time, Frank Langdon cannot stop thinking about it— being Mel's boyfriend seemed like such a dream come true. It wasn't like it was the first time that Frank had thought about it, but it was the first time he said it out loud.
Sure, it sucks that he did it because someone was being an asshole towards Mel, but he was also very happy because he saw the blush that bloomed on her cheeks and the way it highlighted her freckles. He also got to hold her hand too, but that's something that he's always done even before the kisses started.
Basically, after that moment, Frank realized that pretending or day dreaming about being Mel's boyfriend isn't enough anymore. He needs that cookie bad.
He's restless the entire day because of that thought, bouncing from case to case without a break, nervous energy coursing through his veins. He only took a break after Robby reprimanded him and after Mel expressed her worry. He never wants to make Mel worried.
So, here he is, taking a break by hanging out at the ambulance bay (not wanting to go to the break room), and wondering how he can keep the feelings he has for Mel deep inside of him. He thinks that, if he sees her again, he might just blurt out that he loves her.
"Frank?" Mel's voice broke him away from his daze and he smiles, "Hey, Mel."
"Are you okay?"
Frank chuckled, nodding, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just… thinking. Are you here to take a break too?"
Mel nodded, "Yes. It's a bit slow right now."
Frank winced, "Yeah, don't let the others hear you say that."
Mel gave him a small smile and nodded again, standing next to him. She had one earbud in so Frank assumes she's probably listening to Megan The Stallion as a way to calm down a bit.
He gazed at her, smiling as his eyes land on the beauty mark near her eye. He wonders what it would be like to kiss it. He just has to look for an excuse to do so— like pretending to be her fake boyfriend again. It was a bit selfish of him to wish that they'd be put into a situation where Mel even needed a fake boyfriend but, hey, sue him. He takes what he can get— beggars can't be choosers and all that.
"You're beautiful, you know that, right?" Frank said before he could stop himself. Mel paused, looking at him, her eyes a bit wide in surprise.
Frank stammered but he continued, "It's just— I've been thinking about what that girl said— Jessica?"
"Jasmine," Mel corrected. "Right, Jasmine. What she said, about me being out of your league? And how that isn't true at all. I know I already said that before but I just wanted you to know that, even if I was faking it— the boyfriend thing— I meant what I said. About you being the one out of my league."
"Frank—"
"No, no— Listen. Mel… You're… amazing. And I don't know what I am— I mean, I used to think that I was amazing, that I was above everyone, and then the drugs… Well, my life fell apart and it was like getting hit with reality. You're kind, you're empathetic, passionate at what you do, and you're so fucking beautiful I wonder how you can't see it— how others can't see it."
Mel blinked, "Frank," she says softly, "Where is this going?"
Frank breathed in deeply, "All that I'm trying to say is that… Mel, you're everything I want to be. You're the reason I'm constantly trying to be better. I need you and, well, I love you."
Mel's mouth fell open a little and Frank felt his heartbeat stop for a moment as he took her silence as rejection, "You don't have to say it back. We can just forget about all of this, if you want—"
Mel shook her head, indignant, "No. I don't want to forget," she says firmly yet her words were still wrapped in the same gentleness she used whenever they spoke to each other.
She took a step closer and Frank's breath hitches as she cups his cheek with one hand, "I don't know how you've not noticed, but I love you too. So much."
Frank's eyes widen.
"I'm sorry it took this long to tell you. I just wasn't sure if I was reading the signs right, but I've loved you since we met. As much as you need me, I need you too. So, please, never think that I'm out of your league. I love you just the way you are."
Frank felt tears prick at his eyes and he's reminded of the time Mel comforted him in the same spot a few weeks ago.
"Gods, sweetheart," he said, his voice throaty and soft.
Mel smiles and she takes another step forward, "Frank. Can I kiss you?"
Frank makes a strangled noise that comes from the back of his throat before he nodded eagerly. Mel let out a giggle and pulled him down carefully, capturing his lips in hers in a soft, tentative kiss as if she's giving Frank an out if he realizes that he doesn't want this.
She's wrong about that— he needs this. He cups her face and deepens the kiss and they stay like that, kissing at the ambulance bay until they can't breathe and they have to pull away.
Mel has a wide grin on her face and Frank has a soft smile on his, one reserved for just her.
In that moment, Frank knew, this was his forever.
(He'd have to thank his kids for being the cause of the kissing thing.)