on thin ice [karen/frank - marvel]

thirty seven: because i think i fell in love with you

By the time the service was over, Frank was desperate for a drink. The after party was held in the hotel across the street from the church and it was the brightest thing in the entire town. The music was booming throughout the whole hotel even though the party was only held in one room. Frank followed Karen through the lobby as they stayed back at the Church for quite a while after the service for pictures.

The two of them entered the room and Frank looked around it slowly. There were so many people, and Karen was instantly off talking to people. It made his heart happy as she smiled at them and her eyes twinkled in the dark. He stood whilst she introduced him to almost everyone she spoke to but it didn't take much as most were very closed conversations. Once she finally decided to get a drink, the two of them headed toward the bar.

"Beer?" She asked, the two of them stood side by side in the harsh lighting of the bar. The music was loud, almost too loud for him to hear her speak but he just about heard what she said. There was a smile on her face and he didn't really have the heart to say no.

Frank nodded, "Why not"

She ordered a glass of wine before they headed toward the table where her family were due to sit. Bags were placed there but there was no sign of Veronica and Paxton. It didn't seem to matter as Karen drunk the majority of her drink before placing it on the table. Frank never sipped from his beer before doing the same.

"Ready to dance?" She asked, taking hold of his hand. Raising her eyebrows, she grinned at him before pulling on his arm. He laughed a little, shaking his head before looking at the ground ahead of him.

"I told you, I don't dance" Frank answered as she tried to pull him further toward the dance floor. He shook his head again, more adamantly this time and pulled her back toward him at the table's edge. "I'm terrible, ask anyone I know they'll tell you. I'll only embarrass you, Karen"

"Please?" she asked longingly, waving his arms around at ridiculous angles in an attempt to change his mind. He only shook his head before lowering their arms. "I don't care embarrass me! Toby and Dale are dancing, Belle and Seb are dancing, I finally have someone to dance with and he won't dance with me"

"I honestly have two left feet" Frank replied, shrugging and folding his arms. He looked at the floor before back at Karen, sighing at the disappointed look on her face. He could already hear Gabriela laughing at him, but the sadness on Karen's face overpowered it a little. "I can't dance"

"I call bullshit" Karen yelled accusingly, folding her arms to match his expression. "What did you do in High School at Homecoming? And Prom? Just stand there like a loser with nobody to dance with?"

(We danced in the parking lot at two am once everyone had left with a shitty beatbox playing The Flamingoes.)

"You think I danced at those events?" Frank answered, brows raised a little. His face scrunched up, shaking his head. "No way, I was way too cool to dance, considering my Sister had bullied me into thinking I was terrible at it. Because I am"

(You held my hands tightly because your heels were wobbly and you didn't want to fall on the concrete floor.)

"You didn't dance with anyone?" She asked, walking toward him with a frown on her face. "You didn't ask a girl to prom and dance with her? That's sad, Frank. Surely you got all the girls coming after you in High School, I refuse to believe that you didn't"

(The song choice was poor; The Flamingoes being the only thing you had on tape back then. It was a substitute for your favourite Joni Mitchell song.)

Frank just shrugged. "Wasn't at the time. I had my friends back then. Let's say... even if I wanted to dance with someone, the one person I would have wanted to dance with, she didn't go so I didn't see her and couldn't ask her. There, you happy now?"