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Father Mulcahy has his head on the sticky table in the officers club, can feel the buzz of alcohol at the back of his skull but just thinks about Hawkeye. Was he really unaware of the priests affection for him? He sighed as he finished his beer, wincing as the glass clattered against the floor, somehow not breaking.
Kellye was watching the bar for Igor while he slept, everyone had left aside from herself and the priest. She wandered over and picked up his glass, quickly cleaning it before sitting next to him.
"What's wrong Father?" Kellye put a hand on his back, he turns his head and looks at her and she leans forwards to met his eyes.
"Hawkeye made a bet I could date a nurse for a week and I can't, I don't even like nurses in that way!" Mulcahy groaned as he put his head up, suddenly very aware of the negative effects of the alcohol.
"Don't worry Father, I'll be your pretend nurse, it'll be fun! I'll even walk you back home," Kellye helped the priest stand, manoeuvring his arm over her shoulders as she held his hand and wrapped her other arm around his waist, guiding him out of the bar.
"Kellye you like ladies don't you? I don't, before the priest thing as well y'know," The priest broke the cold air around him with his sudden confession, Kellye wasn't particularly surprised, the Father had seemingly been smitten with the surgeon since before she arrived.
"Really? You looking at anybody?" Kellye was glad it was late enough that they never got more than a glance, not wanting the man to be the butt of anyone's jokes.
"I like Hawkeye a lot, his jocularity raises camp morale 'nd he's very beautiful if you look at him too long," The priest almost giggled at himself as he fell into his own door, Kellye rolled her eyes and opened it and helped him into the bed, only taking his boots, glasses, hat and jacket and throwing his scratchy blanket over him.
"I know Hawkeye's been with men before so it isn't completely out of the ballpark, why don't we finish with this bet first though?" Kellye ruffles the priests hair and he melts into the concrete like cot. She leaves after a few minutes, making sure he's asleep, she leave two painkillers on his desk and gets a water bottle from his footlocker, knowing he was going to regret drinking and probably agreeing to the bet by morning. She scrawled a note in her pocket notebook and tore it, leaving it next to the medicine and water.
"Ah Nurse Kellye! Good morning, I wanted to thank you about last night, I'm sorry for my state I hope I wasn't too much trouble." Father Mulcahy laughs at himself as he sits next to her, they both clock Hawkeye looking at them in a mixture of surprise and jealousy but Kellye just presses a kiss to the priests cheek and comes up with small talk to last them the meal. The Father hands her the note back while she's gesturing wildly telling a story about a dance with Radar she once had.
The Father had left first, still looking bashful from the small gesture of affection but not upset, Hawkeye trudged to her table and plonked next to her.
"Kellye really? A priest?" Hawkeye sounds blatantly jealous but curious Kellye smirks and motions for him to wait until she finishes chewing.
"Mmhm! He's probably cuter than me even!" Kellye laughs while Hawkeye gets flustered, quickly leaving the mess tent as well.
It was the 3rd day of the bet, things hadn't progressed past cheek and forehead kisses and hand holding. Father Mulcahy was hanging around post-op, waiting the few minutes until Nurse Able took over for Kellye. They were going to go to Rosie's for a date, not wanting it to be too extravagant that it would give away the lie.
"Hi Father! Ready to go?" Kellye handed Nurse Able a clipboard and waved at her, walking towards Father Mulcahy she smiled at him and he returned it. They hadn't been close friends before yet now outside of their 'relationship' they had become each others rock for talking about camp gossip, Hawkeye and whatever pin-up Kellye had developed a crush on.
"Yes, just one thing, I think you should call me Francis, just to, y'know, make it more," Francis couldn't find the word, Kellye laughed and looped her arm for Francis to link with as they began walking through the compound, still not raising more than glances.
"Thank you Francis, always the gentleman." Kellye watched the priest get bashful, he had pulled her chair out as she let his arm fall out of hers and she pressed a kiss to his hand.
"Two scotches with soda please Rosie." Kellye ordered for them as Francis' eyes fell to Hawkeye, obviously drunk at the bar talking to a passing Corporal who was trying to escape from the conversation.
"Kellye! He's right there what do we do?" Francis loudly whispered, not loud enough to disturb others or for Hawkeye to hear. Rosie came by at that second with their drinks before wandering off to deal with a simmering arguing at the far end of the bar.
"Would it be okay if I kissed you Francis?" Kellye can see the light bulb go off in Francis' mind as he realises she means a true romantic kiss and not the platonic ones they had managed so far.
"Yes I suppose, although I haven't kissed anyone before quite how you mean." Francis somehow got more bashful and started to just sip at his drink, he heard Hawkeye's company leaving and him looking around for a new friend or victim before his eyes settled on him and Kellye and he settled for attempting to secretly watch them.
"Thank you for the date Francis, short as it is it was nice to spend time with you," Kellye put down three dollars as she and Francis stood up, she put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his cheek and looked for reassurance, he simply just nodded and she quickly kissed him.
For however short it was it was bad, Francis was being honest about never kissing anyone before as he just bit Kellye's lip in his own surprise, then panicking he had seriously hurt her. She was now starting to regret the bet as well and she never even made it! They quickly disappeared from the bar, Hawkeye now suddenly suspicious.
"Hey Father," Hawkeye took Klinger's place and draped himself over the piano, the officers club was quiet, only a few corpsman who had already started to leave gradually. Francis smiled at the surgeon as he finished the song.
"Hello Hawkeye, how have you been? I don't think we've talked much since that night," Father Mulcahy laughed slightly as he mused about the night they made the bet.
"So Kellye then?" Hawkeye doesn't seem jealous now, maybe Francis had gone about this all wrong? He couldn't just tell Hawkeye he liked him! Despite how relaxed he was with these things having a mans affection directed towards him? A priests affection? Francis felt done for.
"I didn't mean the bet, I just wanted to see if you liked girls." Hawkeye muses and he looks down at Francis, who's mesmerised by the moonlight seeping through the crack in the door, softly encasing and framing Hawkeye, bringing out the greying strands contrasting against his black hair and the blue in his eyes.
"It's okay if you like men y'know, remember the boy George Weston? I thought then maybe you'd realise I'd liked you." Hawkeye watches Francis freeze at the words, open his mouth to respond and close it a few times.
"I'm not- I don't know, I like you too Hawkeye." Francis manages to choke it out. Hawkeye leans over and presses a chaste kiss to the top of Francis' head who just leans into it.
"Kellye told me, by the way her lip is fine." Hawkeye laughs as Francis tries not to, rolling his eyes and smiling and pressing a kiss to Hawkeye's lips.