#the ending is a bit rushed but bah its a little ficlet

[pettyprocrastination]

Will divorced Frankie date again?

Random soft little drabble I wrote for this. Not beta-read. My apologies if its stinky its 1 am.

Tagging some of my softies: @thesadvampire @captainsamwlsn @mostly-megan @fleetwoodmactshirt @qveenbvtch @madhyanas @ficsilike-reblogged @cinewhore @humanransome-note @wastingthetimeaway @moskaisley

I think he may. But it doesn't go well at all.

First, he doesn't realize it's a date. He thought his kind neighbor was just inviting him out to a drink and a chat since he was new to the neighborhood. She's a kind woman, startlingly young to the point where he sort of has that instinctual "you're a child. I must help you with adult things." way of speaking to her that some adults have towards young adults.

She's very obviously flirting with him but he just..doesn't realize. She'll be doing workouts in tight yoga pants by the window trying to catch his eye in the morning and he just gives her a kind wave before turning right back around and making himself breakfast.

When she invited him out to a bar of all places, he just assumes it's a young person thing. College kids are all about the partying and the drinking, right? That must be it.

The entire time he spends talking about his daughter. When she tries to make a comment about how harsh his ex must have been, he launches into a big long speech about how you're his world. How he put you through so much and there isn't a day that goes by where he doesn't wish he told pope no.

Maybe the little lady gets a bit forward. And it finally click in Frankie's head when she's three tequila shots in and running her hand up his leg that he goes 'oh FUCK this is a date isn't it?'

To which while she isn't looking he quickly texts you

'call me and say Isabella got hurt. It's an emergency. A twenty year old is trying to seduce me please help'

You're laying on the couch with your daughter when he texts you and you snort. Because Frankie was always a bit dull to the advances of others. Even when it was you pursuing him, back all those years ago. Before the cocaine, before Isabella, before South America.

You tabled those feelings and pushed down the knot slowly looping itself in your stomach before turning to your daughter.

You took a deep breathe before clicking on the green phone icon next to his contact name.

On the other side of town in a shitty bar on a sticky barstool, Frankie thanked God for your quick response.

"Hello?" "Frankie, oh god. You need to come quick!"

He shot the woman across from him a look of concern. "What? What's the matter?"

"It's Isabella!"

The said child perked up at her name, drawing her attention from the movie playing. "What about me?"

You shushed her.

"Her um..her..her leg is broken!"

You and your baby girl were so in sync, something Frankie always told you despite you claiming that she was a total "daddy's girl" that one quick look in her direction and she got the clue.

"Help daddy help! It hurts so bad!"

Though his date couldn't hear what specifically was said. The look of fear on the older man's face and muffled commotion through his phone was enough to clue her in.

"Frankie, what's wrong?"

That drew a frown to your face. This fucking college student was calling him Frankie? Logically you knew you had no right to be mad, he wasn't your husband anymore. But the thought of a girl who wasn't old enough to watch Seinfeld when it came out, is putting the moves on your Francisco got you seething.

"It's my daughter." He was already jumping up from his seat and grabbing his coat. "She's in the emergency room, I'm so sorry but I have to go."

"Oh..oh okay."

He had to keep a fearful façade while trying not to laugh as Isabella's dramatics.

"Oh the agony!"

"Mommy I can see my femur! The horror!"

"Quick daddy! I can see the light!"

It wasn't until he finally slammed the door of his truck shut that he let out a shaking breathe he didn't realize he was holding in.

"Thank you. Really. I don't know how I got into that situation and I never want it to happen again."

You settles back onto the couch, giving your daughter a quick high-five who then turned her attention back to the tv screen before her.

"So..a twenty year old?" You asked softly, mindful of your daughter next to you. "How the hell did that happen Francisco?"

"I thought she was just being nice! Being neighborly!" He drove along the dark road back to his apartment as he spoke and felt happily to leave the dingy college bar in his rear view mirror until it was nothing but a small dot.

"It wasn't until she ordered tequila that I realized she thought it was a date."

"Ohhh that's real bad. You can't do tequila."

He groaned. "I know."

"Well-" You let long yawn. "Your night certainly seems to have been full of excitement."

"Yeah well, the last type of excitement I need is random women trying to get me drunk." He could hear Isabella chatter in the background and smiled.

"What about you? What do my girls have planned for tonight?"

My girls. He realized as soon as he said it and wanted to apologize, but you spoke first.

"Just movie night."

The image of you and Isa, both snuggled on the couch as she sings along to Disney movies made his heart clench. She would eventually get tired and nod off until you swooped her up into your arms and carried her to bed.

"That uh..that sounds really nice."

On the way back to his apartment, the neon 'open' sign in front of your favorite pizza place caught his eyes and forced his hand to make a U-turn.

"Have you two eaten dinner yet?"

Which is how Frankie Morales found himself settled on the edge of the couch, his daughter snug in his arms as the three of you watched Moana and sang along to 'shiny' while eating an extra large pepperoni pizza your ex-husband bought you, along with the extra cheesy bread that he knew was your favorite.