T/W: Spankings, fingering, a bit of degradation kink, and orgasm denial, a reference to male masturbation, no mention of aftercare. (This story ends sexually, not after the acts).
A/N: Trying to, yet again, get back into the swing of writing. Super rusty after I needed to take a break. I didn’t make this gif, I found it via google, so gif credit goes to the maker.
Word Count: 1,259
Check out my other Masterlist for more Billy Russo.
Billy sat there and looked at you with his arms crossed. He has a stern and yet, amused facial expression. You have done nothing but push his buttons all day, and while Billy let you get away with it for a little while, in hopes that you would get it out of your system, it was starting to drag on. He knew he’d have to put you in your place, eventually. Billy cleared his throat loudly, and you spin around to look at him. You knew that look, he had enough, and this was it. Deep down, you probably wanted to be punished, and you probably wondered how far you’d have to go to get that.
Summary: During a dangerous mission Billy shoots you in order to get you both out of trouble. Later you are both reminded of the incident and he sets about finding a way to earn your forgiveness.
Warnings: mentions of being shot, blood, yelling, SMUT, oral (f receiving), fingering, unprotected sex, creampie
A/N: I am trying to get back into writing again after not having done any for a while. Meanwhile I got into Punisher over break and decided it would be fun to write for that one. Hope you enjoy!
The door slams behind you as you throw your purse down onto the couch, beelining for the kitchen to pour yourself a glass of wine. You can hear Billy’s footsteps in the front hall as you pull a glass out of the cupboard. Bringing the wine to your lips, you settle against the counter and take a long drink. The sound of Billy’s boots making their way towards the kitchen causes you to curse under your breath. Within moments you see him sulking in the doorway. His eyes are dark and completely trained on you. The sight causes you to turn away from him, seething as you take another chug of wine. When you look away you miss the way his face softens and his shoulders slump at the loss of your eyes on him. The footsteps continue, much slower now as he approaches you. However you take care to keep your arms crossed and your gaze focused on the far wall. Slowly you feel his body press against yours and it sends warmth through you like a wildfire. Even when he has royally pissed you off you can’t help the way you feel about him when he is so gentle with you.
“Baby. Please look at me.” You don’t budge. “Please.” The tender pleading in his voice draws you closer to him and you can’t help but look. His hand curves around your waist very cautiously and he presses his body into yours even more closely until his face is inches from yours. His eyes trace downward to your lips, causing them to part ever so slightly as you await his touch. “I’m sorry.”
With those two words the moment comes crashing down around you. The low simmering rage boils back up to a head and you push him away from you. That tender look in his eyes flickers into one of hurt confusion and you scoff, setting your wine on the counter.
“Sorry? You’re sorry?” Billy moves towards you again, slowly.
“Yes, I am sorry.” The half-assed apology makes you laugh. You move closer, causing him to freeze. The two of you are incredibly close again however you feel none of the tenderness of before.
“What are you sorry for?” His eyes squeeze shut as he sighs.
“I am sorry … that I shot you.”
“Say it again.”
“I’m sorry I shot you.”
“Do you hear yourself? Do you comprehend how a simple apology might not be enough to fix this one?” He brings a hand up to rub the bridge of his nose and you pick up your wine to take another long sip.
“You know that I had no choice, we were between a rock and a hard place! There was no other ways for us to get out of there.”
“Despite popular belief, I happen to think there was another path available to us that didn’t include you fatally injuring me!”
“I didn’t fatally injure you! Look at you, you’re fine!”
“Oh, yeah. Picture of health right?”
“You sure are yelling like somebody who feels just fine.”
“You are un-fucking-believable! You’re really mad at me for being upset that you shot me? Of course I knew you weren’t gonna kill me, I have a little more faith in you than that. Or at least I did. It’s your complete lack of understanding that being shot isn’t exactly my idea of a fun date night.” Billy huffs, backing away from you to stand with both hands on the countertop. “How would you feel if I shot you?”
“That depends.”
“On fucking what?”
“On if it was necessary or not. In this case, it was! I had no other options. Whether you want to admit it or not, I saved your fucking life and you haven’t even had the decency to thank me.”
“Thank you? I am supposed to thank you for shooting me? You really are a piece of work, you know that? I’m surprised you were even able to hit me. With an ego that big I’m shocked you didn’t lose your balance. God, you are the most selfish, insensitive asshole I have ever met. Go to hell you –” A shooting pain in your side knocks the wind out of you before you can finish. Your eyes squeeze shut and you teeter back and forth before your knees give out and you hit the floor.
“Y/N!” Billy’s scream sounds distant to you now and the only thing that anchors you is the feeling of his arms around you, keeping you steady. After a few moments of breathing deeply you start to regain yourself, looking down to see blood seeping through the side of your shirt. He sees it too and wastes no time in helping you stand, moving you back so you can lay across the dining room table.
As delicately as possible, he helps you remove your shirt and throws it towards the sink. The bandaging on your side is spotted with blood and you wince painfully as he begins removing it. When he does so you can see the wound underneath has begun to reopen. Billy runs to the sink, grabbing a handful of wet towels before returning to begin mopping up some of the blood. It cleans up easier than you expected only to reveal that it wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought. Only the last two stitches had ripped. He remains completely silent, lost in his concentration. Once the wound is cleaned up he leaves the kitchen for a moment, returning with fresh bandages. Leaning back on your elbows you watch him tape the bandages down over the wound.
When he’s done he silently shuffles around the kitchen as he picks things up, taking your shirt and the blood stained towels out towards the laundry room. When he leaves you very carefully sit up, hands resting on the edge of the table. With two gentle fingers you prod the bandage. It hurts but not nearly as bad as a moment ago.
Billy gets back a few minutes later but instead of returning to your side he leans his shoulder against the door frame, eyes on the floor. Every ounce of anger that you felt floods from your body in an instant. Slowly, you push yourself off the table and walk until you are right in front of him. His eyes stay down until you put a finger under his chin and lift his gaze to meet your own. In his eyes you can see genuine hurt which you haven’t seen since the accident. That alone plucks your heartstrings enough to pull him into a tight hug, burying your face into his chest as he gently wraps his arms around you.
“I’m okay Billy.” This only earns a small nod. “I’m sorry that I yelled. I didn’t mean any of those things that I said. I’m just in pain and I’m grumpy and I know that you had to do it but it still hurt. If anyone else in the world had been behind that gun, I would have been fine. But it was you. And that hurt more than anything. You can understand that, can’t you?” Another nod. “I do love you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.” His eyes find yours again, a softness in them that makes your breath catch. “I love you too. Truly. I didn’t want to have to do something like that to you. I promised myself I would never do anything to hurt you but it really felt like the only way I could save your life. I would rather have you a little banged up than not have you at all.” You nod, your hand cradling his cheek. “I am sorry. Genuinely. I am sorry that I broke my promise and I won’t ever put us in that position again. Can you forgive me?”
“I already have.” With that, you pull him down into a kiss. Both of his hands caress your face as he stands to his full height. His mouth melds with yours, soft and inviting. It might be the most gentle he’s ever been with you. His tongue runs along your bottom lip, begging for entry which you happily grant. As he pulls you impossibly close, his mouth exploring yours, you are suddenly very aware of the fact that you are not wearing a shirt. He uses this to his full advantage, drawing small patterns over your hips with one hand.
“Baby, can I show you just how sorry I am? Can I please make it up to you?” The promising tone of his voice renders you speechless so you merely nod. “Thank you. I wanna make you feel so good princess.”
Before you can pull him back in for another kiss he takes you by the hand and leads you towards the bedroom. Once inside he shuts the door behind you and scoops you back into his arms. Your lips find his again, more breathless and desperate now. As you try to press harder into him you bump your side against his pelvis, causing you to yelp. He immediately pulls away, holding you at arms length. When he realized what happened his face scrunched into a scold before smoothing back out and he pulls you close again, more carefully.
“Don’t you worry. I am gonna be so gentle with you tonight.”
“Yeah?” He instantly recognizes the amusement in your voice. The two of you know that your intimate encounters are hardly ever close to gentle so hearing him promise it makes you a little bit skeptical.
“Yeah.” He punctuates his answer with a kiss. That alone is enough to steal your breath as he slowly runs his hands over your body. The warmth of his worn hands on your pliable skin causes a shiver to run up your spine. He catches the reaction, smiling against your mouth.
With skilled fingers, he makes his way down your body to unbutton your jeans though his mouth never leaves yours. You pull away long enough for him to bend down and help ease them down your legs. Next he works the clasp of your bra, pulling it off to join your discarded jeans. Feeling incredibly exposed to him, you try to even the playing field by pulling off his suit jacket. He gladly helps you to take it off, unbuttoning and opening his dress shirt in the process. Your hands fumble at his belt but he grabs your wrists, stopping your movements. “Not yet baby. Soon but not yet.”
You nod obediently, holding onto his shoulders as his fingers hook into the waist of your panties. His gaze follows his hands as he drops to his knees, sliding them down your legs and allowing you to step out of them. You watch as his eyes slowly trace back up until he is sitting eye level with your bare pussy. Then he looks up at you, maintaining eye contact as he leans forward to let out a warm breath over that most sensitive part of you. The feeling of his breath on you causes a jolt of pleasure to wind its way up and curl in your stomach. As he continues to lean forward you brace yourself to feel his mouth right where you need him most but he changes direction last minute to lay an open mouthed kiss on your thigh. He moves and does the same to the other, trailing his mouth up your hips, over your stomach, and between your chest until he is standing to his full height again.
The sight of you like this makes him smile. Half lidded eyes, parted lips, panting breath, hands clinging desperately to his shirt sleeves. Once he was able to see all of you he took a few steps back and stood for a moment, admiring you. Seeing him watch you with unyielding hunger in his eyes caused heat to rise to your cheeks.
“Fucking stunning.” Billy breathes, pulling you back into him. His hands wander over your body, caressing your hips, stroking your back, groping your breasts. His fingers trace circles around your nipples before giving them a light pinch, making you gasp. That gives him a good chuckle as he does so again to illicit the same reaction.
As his hands travel further south your breathing picks up in anticipation of where he is going. His mouth trails from your mouth to your cheek then down to your neck where he begins working you up with his tongue. Soon you can feel his fingertips ghosting over your slit, prodding lightly to gain entry to your folds. He runs two fingers smoothly through your heat before bringing them up to his lips, looking deeply into your eyes as he tastes you.
“You’re so wet for me already. Am I getting you all worked up sweetheart?” Again you find yourself at a loss for words, nodding in response. “Good. I want you to feel exquisite.” As he says this he pulls off his shirt, throwing it onto the growing pile of clothing.
His hands return to your hips but this time he gently nudges you backwards to the bed until your knees hit the edge of the mattress, forcing you to sit there in front of him. “Go ahead and get comfortable baby.” He instructs, pulling off his shoes.
You do so happily, scooching back towards the headboard so that you can settle into the large pile of pillows at the head of the bed. Once you are in a good position Billy smiles sweetly at you, crawling up the bed until he is hovering over you. “Comfy?” He asks with a small chuckle, which makes you smile as you nod. “Perfect.”
His lips join yours again and you sigh into him, your legs spreading upwards to rest on either side of his hips. One of his hands finds your thigh, stroking from your knee to your ass, while the other keeps him steady so he doesn’t hurt you. His mouth breaks away to latch onto your throat, bringing a moan forward which vibrates against his lips. He travels down further, latching onto your breast. Your hands keep a firm hold of his biceps as he moves from one to the other, leaving sloppy open mouth kisses over your nipples. Each time there is the ghosting presence of his teeth which makes you groan.
His kisses continue their journey down your stomach and across your hips. You hold your breath as he comes close to your center yet again however he overshoots and continues to your thighs. Once there he allows his teeth to drag over you more firmly as you moan even louder. His hands find the back of your knees and he pushes them upwards, leaving you completely open to his advances. Billy’s lips continue their attack on your thighs, sucking the lightest of hickeys into your skin. When your moans turn into frustrated whimpers he pulls away completely to hover directly over your pussy. His breath is hot, causing you to pulse every time he exhales.
“Are you ready sweetheart?” You nod again but he makes no movement. “No, no baby. You know how I feel about that. I let it slide earlier because tonight is supposed to be about you but right now I need to hear the words come out of your mouth.”
“I’m ready.” However he still doesn’t move.
“Ready for what baby?” Bastard.
“I’m ready for you to put your mouth on my pussy. Please.”
“So fucking pretty when you ask for what you want.” With that official green light his lips wrap around your clit, sending your head reeling. There isn’t a moment of hesitation as he begins sucking. His hands stay firmly pressed into your thighs, keeping you spread open for him as you buck. He releases his lips to allow his tongue to flick rapidly over your clit. Each movement makes your hips jerk as you wrap a hand in his hair. Feeling you grip him tightly causes him to groan against you, sending warm vibrations through your core. His tongue travels the length of your cunt, lapping up all of the wetness that grows there. As much as he liked the control he had over you his resolve was beginning to slip. He let both hands fall from your thighs so that they could clamp against the side of his head.
He let his fingers dance along the back of your thigh and towards your slit, his index finger probing at your entrance. You let out a whimpering moan, pleading for him to go further. Hearing this causes him to stop his movements as his head lifts so he can look in your eyes. The sight of your slick covering his chin causes you to whimper in further frustration and he lifts an eyebrow. Billy need not even speak a word for you to know exactly what he wants.
“Please, I want you to fuck me with your fingers.”
“Good fucking girl.” With that he continues his assault on your clit while allowing a single finger to slide inside your heat. The combined sensation makes you arch your back before rolling your hips up into his mouth. As you do so another finger joins the first and he hooks them against that sensitive spot inside of you. He relentlessly curls his fingers there, causing your moans to become more ragged.
“Right there, yes please! Right there!” If he weren’t so concerned about continuing to build that pleasure inside you Billy would have pulled away right then with a string of praises on the tip of his tongue. It isn’t long after that you can feel that warm coil winding its way through your stomach. The way that your body tenses tells him all that he needs to know and he eases a third finger into you. “Oh God, Billy!” His fingers continue their work but he removes his mouth, looking up at you darkly through his lashes.
“What do you say?”
“Fuck, I need to cum. Please, please let me cum. I want you to make me cum.” There is no hesitation now as you beg him.
“God, you sound so sweet. I want you to cum baby. I want to feel you cum around me. Can I please fuck you? I need you.”
“Yes! Yes, please, fuck me Billy.” That is all the confirmation he needs, pulling his fingers out of you to unbuckle his belt. That sound causes you to squirm as you watch him strip himself until he is lowering his body over yours, completely naked and hard and pulsing for you.
The head of his cock glides smoothly through your slick folds, causing him to groan with his eyes shut tightly. Your hands grip his biceps as you wrap your legs around his waist. Lining himself up, he pushes into you with one long deep thrust. The feeling sends you both flying as your moans create a symphony. He presses his body fully into you, lips attacking your neck as his thrusts begin to pick up speed. Each stroke hits the deepest parts of you, filling you completely. He pulls away to look into your eyes.
“I’m sorry baby. I’m sorry. Fuck, I’m so sorry.” As he mutters apologies into your skin a hand traces down to rest on the bandage covering your side. However now there is no sting. There is only the blinding pleasure of his cock driving into you and the overwhelming love of knowing that he cares. Your hands become limp as you lose yourself to the onslaught of feelings. Eyes rolling back into your head you can do nothing now but whimper and moan in his arms.
“I love you. Do you know that? I fucking love you.” The tip of his cock presses deeper with each thrust, his hips pounding into yours.
“Yes! I love you too! God, I love you.” Hearing those words spill from your mouth on a broken cry of ecstasy causes his hips to stutter as his fingers find your clit, rubbing vigorous circles. Seeing his teeth grit at the feeling of you as you clench around him makes you groan. Soon you can sense Billy’s impending orgasm as well as your own.
“Need to cum, please–”
“Me too baby. Me too. I want you too. Cum with me, please.” You regain enough strength to hold onto him again as you rock your hips back into him. His fingers continue to work your clit as his thrusts begin to slow. One final thrust is enough to push you over the edge. You throw your head back and cry out, fluttering around him erratically. The feeling is what throws Billy over that precipice as he grunts deeply, spilling himself inside of you. It takes you a good few minutes for your breathing to slow. All the while his hand laces into your hair as his other hand continues to rest protectively on your side. His lips lay soothing kisses all over your cheeks and neck as he shushes you quietly, helping you to come down from your high.
Once your breathing is even he pulls out with a groan, lifting himself off the bed. When he reappears he has water and a warm wet washcloth in hand. He leans down to clean you, pressing gently against your folds before helping you sit up to take a drink. Billy climbs into bed again, drawing you into him where you rest against his chest with a content sigh and trace his skin with your fingers.
“Well, have I earned your forgiveness princess?”
“I don’t know. I think I could use a bit more convincing.”
“Is that so? Well I may have to be a little more firm with my apology then, just so I can really be sure that I make my point.”
A/N: Based on the song by Foreigner, but a really chill female singer/acoustic version of it I heard on my travels and which I now can’t find anywhere
**Final Chapter**
Summary: Set in my Punisher S1 AU, it does not follow canon. Billy Russo has one cold little heart, and you find this out to your cost. But will Fate allow you to turn the tables on him? Angsty, zesty and fluff mixture.
Warnings: Mentions of suicide. 18+ NSFW due to sexual content, including unprotected, between consenting adults* in some chapters. Drinking and swearing.
*Irl, please use protection, let’s be careful out there.
(My photo edit)
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Oh, yes I know
(You’re as cold as ice) You’re as cold as ice
You’re so cold as ice
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Your stomach dropped, “Oh shit!” you said, “What’re we going to do?” “Me, Frank and Karen are gonna go look for him. Wanna come along?” You grabbed your bag, “Yes! Can you pick me up?”
Ten minutes later, you were waiting outside your apartment block when Curtis screeched up in his car. You opened the passenger door and jumped in, and Curtis swung out into the traffic flow. “We’re almost positive he’s in one of the Anvil SUV’s”, he said, “so Frank and Karen have headed to the office to track him. They’ve all got GPS trackers in them so fingers crossed, we’ll soon have a definite location for him. In the meantime, we may as well check out his apartment as it’s not too far away.”
You’d just established with the concierge at Billy’s condo that he wasn’t there when Curtis’ phone rang and he answered it, you hearing Frank’s rumbling voice on the other end. Curtis shut off his phone a few moments later - Billy’s GPS was pinging near the Manhattan side of Brooklyn Bridge. You both shared a worried glance before hurrying back to the car. You would probably get there before the other two and Curtis abandoned his usual careful manner of driving to weave in and out of the traffic like a madman.
Having parked up, you and Curtis started walking around the immediate area looking for Billy’s SUV. After a few minutes, Curtis spotted it parked in a small vacant lot on the riverfront, facing the river. Frank and Karen joined you there shortly afterwards and then all four of you started warily approaching the stationary vehicle. Curtis turned to the rest of you, “I think I can see him in the car. I’ll go up there alone, don’t want to overwhelm him with lots of faces staring at him. Give me a few moments.” He walked forward and you three held back, watching.
Reaching the vehicle, Curtis leaned in and tapped on the window. You saw the window slide down and Curtis begin to speak, but you couldn’t hear the words. After five minutes or so, he walked back to you guys still looking concerned, “He’s not in a particularly good place right now.” He looked directly at you, “He wants to talk to you, but I gotta warn you…. he’s got a gun.” “Billy’s always got a gun,” you blurted, then took a shuddering breath, “It’s fine. I’ll go talk to him.” “Be careful!” warned Karen as you began to walk towards the car. “Signal if you need help,” said Frank, “we’ll be there in a heartbeat.”
You looked at Billy inside the car as you approached it, he was staring straight ahead, looking like a marble statue - pale and immobile. The Glock - big, black and lethal-looking - lay in his lap. “Billy,” you said softly, and he turned his head slowly to look at you. “My angel,” he replied, with a heavy sigh. “Dunno if I can go on. It all seems too much to handle.” You leant on the sill of the car window, wanting to get closer to him but not too close so that he felt claustrophobic. “What’s too much, Billy? Talk to me.” He looked back out of the windscreen at the river, and several moments went by in silence. “Everythin’. All that shit in Kandahar, all the shit when we got back here, then settin’ up and runnin’ Anvil…. and now you.”
“Me? I can understand the other things but why am I in there? I don’t want… or deserve… to be one of your problems, Billy.” The dark eyes sought out yours, “You’re not. You weren’t… but I made you into one. By ditchin’ you, then realisin’ I couldn’t live without you. And if I don’t get my head straight, you won’t be with me. I know that. So that’s the problem.” He was still looking at you, eyes large and glossy. He picked up the gun and waved it around in front of his face, “Just one quick pop and it’s all over. All the hurt. All gone.” You leant in a tiny bit further, “No! Look, please… we can go to your place… or mine… to talk about this. Just put that gun away and let’s go.”
He shook his head but the gun went back to his lap all the same, “What’s the use? Should just end it all now. Wouldn’t cause any problems for anyone anymore that way.” His hand went to the gun once more and you put your hand on his arm, “No, Billy! I won’t let you do that, you hear me? Let’s just talk… here if you prefer, but somewhere more warm and comfortable would be better. Curtis, Frank, Karen, me… we’re all here for you.” Squeezing his arm gently, you said in a soft tone, “You’re not alone.” He stared at you for a long moment, then gave a quick nod, “Okay.” “Gimme the gun, Billy.” You held out your hand and after a moment, he gave it to you. Not being happy holding this big death-dealing piece of metal, you held it out far to your side and Curtis sidled up, taking it from you.
Knowing Billy, he would have access to several other weapons so you didn’t feel completely convinced that the danger was over. “Can I get into the car, Billy?” you asked, and when he nodded you quickly walked round and opened the door when he nodded. On your way past Curtis and the others, you said quietly, “Just follow us, not sure where we’re headed.” Karen had a really worried look on her face, but you gave her what you hoped was a reassuring smile.
Fastening your seatbelt, you said quietly, “Where d’you want to go, Billy? You choose.” He started the engine, “Your place.” You settled back onto the seat, “Okay. Let’s go.”
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Parking up outside your place, Billy looked up into his rear-view mirror, watching as the following entourage of two cars drew up behind you. “Just me an’ you,” he insisted, “can you tell them?” He got out of the car and stood with his hands in the pockets of his coat, looking towards your apartment block. You walked up to Frank’s car and he went to open the door, but you stopped it with a hand. “He says just me,” you informed him, “it’ll be okay.” Frank didn’t look convinced, “Uhhh… we’ll follow you up in a few minutes an’ hang outside. If anything starts to go down, just yell.” “For God’s sake, be careful!” said Karen, not happy at all. You then walked over to tell Curtis the same, who was also not particularly happy but nodded reluctantly.
Returning to Billy, the two of you made your way in silence up to your apartment. It felt like it took an age to get there but eventually you reached your front door. Billy followed you inside, heading to your sofa and taking off his coat. He laid it over the back of the sofa and sat down, leaning forward with his arms resting on his thighs as if poised for flight. “Would you like a drink?” you asked him, and he nodded. “Got whisky?” he asked, and you nodded before heading to your kitchen area to get him - and you - some alcohol. You poured yourself a large G&T and slung some ice cubes into a healthy slug of whisky for Billy. Maybe you shouldn’t give him alcohol, you thought, given his current state of mind but hoped that one glass might at least make him relax a little.
You handed him the whisky and sat down in the armchair opposite him, taking a very large sip of your gin. There was an awkward silence as Billy took a drink and then stared down into the amber liquid. You cleared your throat, very unsure of what to say to him, “Do you have any other weapons on you, Billy?” He threw a slightly irritated look at you, “No.” You didn’t believe him but decided you’d better leave it. “Didn’t talking things out with Curtis help you any?” He sighed, “It did at first… but then I just didn’t feel any different about the situation with you, so I just was thinkin’ ‘what’s the use?’ Ya know? Talk, talk, talk, blah, blah, blah… it didn’t actually change nuthin’. So I got in the car,” he shrugged. “Why didn’t you feel any different about our situation?” He gave you a small smile, “At least you’re describin’ it as ‘our situation’. Not just mine.” You waved a hand, “Well, it involves both of us,” you clarified, “so yeah, it’s ‘ours’.” He took another hit of whisky, “Curtis helped me understand why I was feelin’ and actin’ like I was, but then I realised it didn’t change how I was feelin’. And I just felt like… nuthin’ would change, so what was the use?” You chose your words carefully, “Look, please just keep talking to Curtis… can you do that, Billy? I promise you… if you do… truly… still want us to get back together, we can discuss that - as long as you’re getting some counselling.”
He stood up and strode over to the window, gazing out at the surrounding buildings. “Course I still wanna get back with ya,” he said in a quiet voice, “I shouldn’t have finished it. That was a big mistake.” You followed him to the window, standing a little way apart from him, “Okay… then how about I get Curtis to come up and get you, he’ll want to make sure you’re alright. And will no doubt be happy to spend some time with you tonight so… so that…” His head swung sideways and his eyes met yours, “So that I don’t end myself?” he finished for you, a sardonic smile on his lips. You nodded, “Exactly that. Yeah.”
He moved to stand right next to you and his hand went to your cheek, “Got a better idea. How about I stay the night?” You really didn’t think that would be a good idea so you were already shaking your head before he finished speaking. He began frowning as he spotted this and a ‘sulky child’ expression took up residence on his face. His eyes burned into yours and he suddenly grabbed your arm, dragging you to the sofa and pushing you down, landing on top of you and pinning you there. His mouth crashed onto yours in a long, hard kiss. “I wanna have sex with you,” he growled, “…and I’m gonna have it! You don’t wanna make me any more upset than I already am, do ya?”
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Billy stood up off you, quickly tucking himself back in and zipping up while trying to catch his breath.
He’d insisted that you be silent… “I’m not stupid, I know they’re just outside here,” he’d said in a warning tone, “…so don’t make a sound.” He’d pulled your skirt up, pushed your panties aside and took you so quickly that you’d been kind of stunned. You hadn’t even picked up that he’d been aroused until that moment. Suddenly feeling him so big and hard inside you, it made you gasp. His hand had gone over your mouth and he’d set his fastest pace, making you moan with each thrust but his hand had stifled this. He was muttering things under his breath you couldn’t quite catch; you felt disturbed by this as he seemed in that moment to have regressed back to Volatile Billy. Once he’d come he’d pulled out, got up immediately and wouldn’t look at you, as if trying to pretend nothing had happened, avoiding all responsibility for his actions.
You rearranged your bunched-up panties and pulled your skirt down, sitting up and trying to stay calm. “That wasn’t helpful, Billy. You’re just showing me you’re still off-balance.” He huffed, turning away and heading for the front door. “Lettin’ the cavalry in… ‘case they did hear any-a that,” you heard his sarcastic tone over his shoulder as his long legs took him to your door in a matter of a few strides. You very quickly smoothed down your hair and tried to make sure it wasn’t too obvious that Billy had just fucked you senseless - again. You weren’t impressed with him at all, although once more you couldn’t deny that you’d enjoyed the actual sex. There was no use pretending you hadn’t. He was a Grand Master of the sexual arts and he knew it. And of course he was aware that you also knew it.
He swung open the door, “Okay, guys… in ya come!” he snarked at them, turning away and walking back towards you on the sofa. The other three filed into your apartment somewhat sheepishly and stood around awkwardly as Billy walked back and sat down next to you, his eyes glaring into yours as he’d approached you… as if daring you to say something to the others about what had just happened.
“You okay, Billy?” questioned Curtis, “…ya look kinda flushed.” Billy shrugged, “I’m okay, yeah.” Curtis shuffled a bit closer, “Wanna stay at mine tonight?” Billy stared intently at you, before swinging his head back to look at Curtis, “Honestly? No, not really… but yeah, I will… thanks.” Curtis nodded, looking relieved, “Okay, then. I promise I won’t talk your ear off if you don’t want me to.” Billy stood up, “Let’s go.” Karen and Frank stayed silent, letting Curtis handle this as he was the best person for the job.
Curtis said Bye to you and the four of them headed to your door, Karen mouthing “Call me” at you, and you gave her a quick almost imperceptible nod. Frank nodded his head at you and followed in Karen’s footsteps. Billy suddenly looked back over his shoulder at you, a soft look in his eyes, “Night, angel,” he said quietly, before walking out of the door behind Curtis.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
“Wow,” said Karen once you’d related what had happened earlier. She and Frank were driving home after they’d followed the other two guys back to Curtis’ apartment, and hung around for a while to make sure all remained peaceful. She’d texted you once they’d left and you’d called her, giving her a full update.
“He’s still quite unstable it’s plain to see,” she further commented. “But I feel more comfortable now he’s with Curtis, he’ll keep a close eye on him and he’ll get him a prescription if he needs chemical assistance with this… situation.” You nodded. You felt more comfortable that he was at Curtis’ place too.
Billy would hopefully get himself back on an even keel …. very soon.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
*Curtis’ Place*
Curtis watched as Billy walked over to his sofa and slung himself down onto it.
He sighed. His friend was still a lot more unpredictable than he’d like and he felt responsible for getting him rebalanced. He’d realised as soon as Billy had come to him recently and asked for counselling that something was way wrong. Billy had never previously had time for all that “psychobabble shit” as he’d termed it, he’d sort himself out… thankyouverymuch. He was aware that Billy was teetering on the edge of a full mental breakdown, and he’d have to tread very carefully. If he inadvertently pushed him too far over the line one way or the other, Billy could end up needing in-patient care for psychiatric evaluation.
“Wanna drink… well, nonalcoholic?” he asked him casually. “Only if I can have a whisky,” replied Billy, giving Curtis a sly sideways look. Curtis hesitated then gave in and went to his drinks cupboard, pouring two small shots of whisky. He handed Billy one of the glasses, which he looked at critically, “On a budget, Curt?” he snorted, before downing it in one and handing the glass back. “No more,” admonished Curtis, “…alcohol is actually a depressant.” Billy smiled sourly, “Oh yeah, I know that, I do.” “You wanna talk… watch TV… sleep? Whatever you want, Billy.”
Billy stretched back on the sofa, “Well… I guess you wanna talk, Curt.” “Only if you do.” “Uhuh,” Billy smirked at him, “ah, why the fuck not? Go ‘head.” Curtis say himself down on one of the armchairs and relaxed back into it. “Did you have sex just before we arrived?” Billy burst out laughing, “What? Why ya think that?” “Cos I’m not dumb. Cos you were all red in the face an’ hot an’ bothered.” He watched Billy’s expression get serious, “Yeah.. alright… yeah, I did.” Curtis looked up at the ceiling, exasperated. “We talked about that, Billy… you were gonna curb that.”
Billy jumped up and paced, “Yeah?? I know we fuckin’ talked about it! But listen, how about you try it?!” Curtis held up his hands, “I know it’s not easy, Billy! But didn’t we agree that you’re usin’ the sex to try an’ control her, ‘cause you felt you’d lost all control?” Billy huffed, “Yeah, well… whatever. I can’t just stop wantin’ to have sex with her, just like that!…” he snapped his fingers, “…y’understand?”
Curtis nodded, “Yeah… but tonight of all nights? When you’d been havin’ suicidal thoughts? Not the best plan, buddy!” Billy suddenly sat back down on the sofa, head drooping down towards his knees, and some moments went by in silence. “I love her, Curt,” he said finally; his voice had a soft, sad cadence to it. Curtis got up and walked over to,him, gripping his shoulder, “I know you do, man.” Billy looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears, “How’m I gonna get her back?”
His friend grasped his shoulder again, “Hey! We’ll do it together, buddy. Stick at this with me and we’ll get there, I promise ya.”
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
You’d not seen nor heard from Billy for two weeks or more, and whilst you’d had a couple of texts from Curtis reassuring you that he and Billy were still talking, you’d decided to leave well alone. You felt that it was promising that Billy hadn’t turned up as he had been doing, and was still having counselling sessions with Curtis. You sincerely hoped that he was on the road to recovery.
And would you get back together with him? Well, you’d need to see about that. You weren’t prepared to make any decisions about it until you saw for yourself how Billy was and how he was acting, and also you intended to speak to Curtis about his condition before taking any leaps of faith in that respect.
You and Karen headed out for a drink after work on the Friday night, and she mentioned that Frank might swing by.
Which he did, about half an hour after you two had arrived at the bar. What you didn’t expect was that he had a sheepish-looking Billy Russo in tow. Frank had approached you and Karen looking somewhat apprehensive, and of course once you two had seen who was accompanying him you understood why. Billy cleared his throat and, not meeting your eye, said in a neutral tone, “Hope it’s OK I’m here?”
Frank and Karen looked to you, and you shrugged. “It’s fine by me,” you replied casually. Billy’s head came up and you saw a small smile on his lips, “Okay, then.” He moved closer to you, but not too close. Frank suggested getting a table as you’d been sitting at the bar, and he’d spotted a free one in the corner as he and Billy had come in. You two picked up your drinks and made your way over to it while the two guys got drinks for themselves at the bar. Sitting down, Karen said apologetically, “I’m really sorry, I didn’t know he’d bring Billy with him.” You smiled, “Ah don’t worry. Karen, you couldn’t have known. And to be honest I’m interested to see how Billy’s doing. It’s been a couple of weeks so I wanna see what his progress is like.”
Spotting Frank and Billy making their through the crowd towards your table with their beer bottles in hand, you nudged Karen, “Here they come.” The two of them sat down and there was silence until Frank, after a moment or two, looked at you and said, “Bill’s got some stuff ta say to you.” All eyes swung to Billy, who took a long swig of his beer and cleared his throat, looking nervous, not usual for him. His voice was low as he looked straight at you and said, “ I needta apologise to you. For my recent behaviour. All of it. I dunno what I was thinkin’.” His eyes went wide, “I’m really, really sorry.” You could tell by his expression that he meant it. “I’ve been talkin’ to Curt and I reckon we’ve ironed out a whole load of my shit.” He gave you a small smile, “I’m doin’ a lot better. None-a that weird actin’ out I was doin’. So. I just wanted ya to know.”
You returned his smile, “I’m glad to hear that, Billy.” He just kept looking at you, saying nothing, and Frank nudged him. Billy nodded at him, before saying, “So… I wanted to ask you if you wanna go to dinner tomorrow night?” He went back to gazing at you. Now you cleared your throat and ignored Karen’s look of concern at you, “Okay, yes… that’d be nice, Billy.” He looked pleased and gave you a wide smile, “Alright, then.” There was another small silence and then Frank changed the subject, starting to tell you and Karen about how this new potential supplier of firearms for Anvil had turned out to be a total fraud, and how Billy’d had to stop Frank beating on him before throwing him bodily out of the building.
Getting back to your apartment a couple of hours later, a text dinged into your phone: Karen saying that she was going to shadow you the next night, as she didn’t 100% trust Billy yet. You reassured her that she really didn’t need to do that and eventually she agreed that she wouldn’t, but you weren’t sure that she was sincere. You knew she was just worried about your safety, but you really didn’t feel it was necessary. Billy had a whole calm vibe coming off him at the moment and if you’d felt the least bit uncomfortable about going, you’d have just said no to him.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Saturday evening, you were dressed and ready to go by 8. Billy had texted earlier to say he’d pick you up and you’d asked him where you were going. It’s a surprise, he’d answered. You did feel a twinge of worry - you’d have preferred to know where you were heading, but on reflection decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and didn’t push him for a specific location.
You went down to the sidewalk and his flashy RR Wraith pulled up alongside you shortly afterwards. He flashed you a big grin as you got in, telling you how good you looked. “Why, thank you, Billy,” you replied, accepting his compliment. He pulled the car out into the traffic, staying silent on the short drive to the restaurant. You looked up at the sign as he manoeuvred into a parking space nearby…. Ciccini’s. Your jaw dropped. He couldn’t be serious! “What? Here!?” you said, in an incredulous tone. You looked over at him as he shut off the engine and released his seat belt. He glanced at you, a small smile on his lips. “Yup. Needed to exorcise some ghosts, I reckoned. Don’tcha agree?”
“Is this your version of the 12 Steps, then? Making reparations?” He nodded, “Curt says I gotta show you how sorry I am ‘bout it all. Prove it to ya somehow. So I thought this might help. Know this is one of your favourites so I don’t want ya to think about the last time you were here any time you walk into it. Replace it with a hopefully better memory…” You sighed, “Okay, then.”
He’d even reserved the same table he’d been sat at with the woman on that last awkward occasion. The waiter brought a bottle of wine and poured you a glass each. You clinked glasses and sipped, both lost in thoughts. You of that stomach-dropping moment when you’d seen him sitting there with her draped all over him. Him - well, you didn’t know what Billy was thinking until he suddenly blurted, “I didn’t take her home that night, ya know.” You nodded, “Karen told me. She saw you putting her in a cab.” “I didn’t even like her. She was as borin’ as fuck.” “Well why did you choose to take her out, Billy?!” you said irritably, perversely annoyed for the woman. He shrugged, “She was a means to an end. A really fucked-up end, but… it is what it is. I thought it was a good idea at the time. She’d been flirtin’ all over me at a local coffee shop so I thought… what the hell.”
He stared down into his glass of wine before meeting your eyes again, “Boy was that a big mistake. She stalked me by text for days afterwards.” A small grin, “Course by then I knew that I shouldn’t-a made you end it. I didn’t want to break us up.” You shrugged, face neutral, “But you did it anyway.” “Yeah. I did. I thought I was protectin’ myself.” You remained silent, as while you knew what had sparked this “protective mode” Billy had put himself into, you still didn’t understand the way he’d gone about it. Eventually you said, “But you could’ve just told me you wanted to break up, Billy. That was a really… shitty…way to go about things.” He looked contrite, “Yeah, it was shitty. Guess I just wanted ya to be mad enough at me so you wouldn’t argue or try to talk me outta splittin’ up.”
Your meals arrived, and silence fell again as you both started eating. Billy picked up his wine glass and took a sip, before saying, “So. Whaddya think about…” one long finger flicked between you and him. You’d been dreading this question. You did want to get back with Billy, there was no use lying to yourself about it, but you weren’t going to go all in right away. You owed it to yourself to be cautious. You took a deep breath and delved in, “I think… maybe.”
He nodded slowly, eyes locked onto yours, his expression neutral. “We could maybe just do this kinda thing, y’know?” you continued, “Dinners, drinks, walks in the park kinda thing.” He nodded, “Uhuh. Like… go back to the very beginnin’ and start over? Datin’ and stuff.” “Exactly,” you agreed, “I think that would work, don’t you?”
Billy chewed on a mouthful of food, thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, sweetheart, I think it would. ‘M willin’ to do whatever you want me to do to get us back together.” “Okay, then,” you smiled, lifting your glass and he clinked his against it, “…to a fresh start for you and me, Billy.” “Fresh start,” he agreed, with a small smile.
“But you will keep talking to Curtis, won’t you?” He nodded, “Yup. For sure.” “Okay, then,” you said again.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Billy had driven you home, and you’d asked him if he wanted to come in for a coffee. “No… thanks…Curtis said I gotta curb my behaviour round ya. So I don’t wanna create any temptations in that area, y’know?” Billy replied primly.
You had to confess you were surprised. And disappointed? asked a little voice in your head. Yes, OK disappointed! you snapped back silently to it.
He reached across the centre console and slid one big hand round the back of your neck, pulling your head to his so he could kiss you. Breaking away, he rested his forehead gently on yours, whispering, “I love you, angel. I gotta be with ya. So I’m not gonna do anythin’ to spoil it. An’ I’d give all I’ve got in this world to take you right this second…” you saw his other hand slide down onto his zip area where his very obvious erection was straining at the fabric of his trousers, “…so I’m drivin’ away right now ‘fore I ruin things again.” His hand slid onto his thigh, and he sat back from you. The dark eyes gazed deep into yours, “But I’ll promise ya one thing, angel… ‘m never gonna act like I been actin’ recently ever again. Never. Ever. Ever.”
You smiled at him, “I’ll hold you to that, Billy. You’d better not, I’m warning you. I hope that cold little heart of yours has warmed itself right up.”
He laughed, “Oh, sweetheart… you’ve set it on fire.”
A/N: Based on the song by Foreigner, but a really chill female singer/acoustic version of it I heard on my travels and which I now can’t find anywhere
Summary: Set in my Punisher S1 AU, it does not follow canon. Billy Russo has one cold little heart, and you find this out to your cost. But will Fate allow you to turn the tables on him? Angsty, zesty and fluff mixture.
Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content, including unprotected, between consenting adults* in some chapters. Drinking and swearing.
*Irl, please use protection, let’s be careful out there.
(My photo edit)
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Cold as ice, I know (you’re as cold as ice)
Yes, I know
(You’re as cold as ice) You’re as cold as ice
Cold as ice, I know (you’re as cold as ice)
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Five minutes later she shut off her phone, and looked over at you, “Well… I think you may be right after all. He’s texted Frank, saying he’s taking a few days off as he’s not feeling well.”
“Mmmhmm,” you mused, “thought he might.” “Why did you think that?” she queried. “Well… I mentioned counselling and therapy several times…. I think he might’ve actually taken some notice of what I was saying, contrary to outward appearances.” She gave you a sceptical look, “You think?” You nodded, “I do. It kinda ties in with his note too… ‘I guarantee that by then you will have changed your mind about ‘feeling comfortable around me’. I reckon he means he’ll have had some counselling by then.”
“Or he’s planning on kidnapping you again,” she grimly warned you. “Honestly… I think he’s finished with all that now. He got his one-to-one chat time with me,” you shrugged.
“I really hope you’re right,” she said, giving you a concerned look.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Things went back to normal for the rest of that week. Work was work, relaxing in the evenings, trying not to think too much about Billy and his issues. You met up with Karen and some of your other workmates on Thursday for a quick drink, and one of the guys offered to take you to dinner the next night. It wasn’t a date - he had a girlfriend who travelled a lot for work however you’d always got on well with him in the office - so you thought ‘what the hell’ and said yes to him.
Strolling to the subway with Karen after leaving the bar, you mentioned your dinner plans for the next night to her and she stopped walking, hand on your arm. “Is that wise?” she asked, and of course you knew what she was getting at. “Look, I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Mr Russo all week,” you reassured her, “he’s given up all that stalker shit.” She began walking again, “Well, as long as you’re sure,” she replied, “but you text me when you get home, girl.” You smiled, “Course I will. And it’ll be fine, honestly.”
The next evening when you got home from dinner with your workmate, having spent a pleasant evening chatting and gossiping about work stuff with him, you texted her… “I’m home, Mom! ” and she replied that she was really glad to hear it.
You got changed and went to bed, falling very quickly into a dreamless sleep.
Something was tickling your face and as you became aware of it, half-awake, you flicked your hand at whatever it was. Then your brain kicked in, oh! it wasn’t a spider, was it?! Your eyes flew open. You weren’t a full-on arachnaphobe but you certainly didn’t like it if they dropped in unannounced onto your face or hands or whatever.
Instead, in the dim light you saw dark eyes staring down at you and you gave a small shriek.
“Ssssh, angel,” said Billy, “it’s just lil old me.”
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
“What’re you doing here?!?” you yelled at him. “Just makin’ sure my girlfriend’s behavin’ herself,” he replied, continuing to run a fingertip up and down your cheek. So that was your ‘spider’. “For fuck’s sake! Were you following me again?!” He grinned, “Sure was, baby girl. Have been all week.” “But I….” Now he laughed, “Never saw me, yup I know. Meet the sniper Billy Russo, invisible in the shadows.” Your stomach lurched, he’d followed you all week?!
“Now you know why I’m so good at my job,” he bragged, “I’m a specialist in all things covert. You saw me the first time round cos I meant you to.” Now he moved over on top of you and that’s when you realised he was already naked. “No, Billy,” you protested, trying to shove him off you but yeah, you were no match for the ex-Marine. He stripped off your t-shirt and shorts, and then proceeded to spend the next hour fucking you in just about every way possible, and kissing you until you could barely breathe.
He stood up off the bed when he’d finally finished and pulled his tracksuit bottoms and hoodie back on, watching you watching him as he did, huge smirk in place. “That was just another little reminder of who you belong to, sweetheart.” He prodded his chest several times with one of those long slim index fingers of his, “Me. Billy Russo! The only guy who can give you all those orgasms and make you squeal so loud.” You eyerolled and just lay there, saying nothing. Now the smirk was sly, “You’re wonderin’ how I got in here, aren’t ya?” he asked you. You got back under the covers, reaching over for a tissue from the box on the bedside table and admitting, “Yes… okay, yeah I am.”
You began running the tissue over your inner thighs and then across the lower part of your face - Billy had been a very busy boy over the past hour or so. You screwed up the tissue and threw it into the bin while he stood waiting until you were looking at him again. He pulled out some keys from the front pocket of his hoodie, dangling them in the air in front of you. “Got copies,” he grinned, as your eyes widened. “When did you get those made?!” you demanded and saw self-satisfaction appear on his face. “While you were out for the count in the warehouse. Thought they might come in handy an’ I was right.”
Now he leant down and touched his forehead to yours, eyes staring at you intently, “Saw you out with that guy tonight.” Your heart sped up, waiting for him to freak. But his voice remained low, “Didn’t pick up any vibes except friendzone, am I right?” You nodded, still a bit fearful of an outburst but he stood up, still calm, “That’s what I thought. Just as well.” He leant down again, kissing you hard on the mouth before adding matter-of-factly, “For him. Cos if he’d kissed you, I’d’ve killed him.” He grinned evilly, “Would’ve snapped the fucker’s neck,” his hands making a snapping motion, “just as easy as that.” You continued to stare at him, a chill in your veins.
He turned away towards the door, wishing you goodnight over his shoulder as he went.
You heard the front door close and he was gone.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Letting out the breath you hadn’t realised you were holding, your first thought was how grateful you were that you and your workmate hadn’t even exchanged so much as an air kiss.
You really needed to keep in mind that Billy was a trained killer. Without doubt, he could and probably would have done what he’d said he would to your workmate.
His equilibrium seemed to be slightly more on a level, so that was a good sign right? No pacing or yelling or mood swings in evidence tonight. So yeah, maybe he really was talking to someone about his behaviour.
You lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, mind busy. He obviously wasn’t completely over his issues - entering your apartment uninvited in the middle of the night for a prolonged sex session was still way out there - and you told yourself there was no way you could mention this to Karen. She’d be dialling 911 before you’d finished speaking. And for some unknown reason, you wanted Billy to get ahold of himself and stop all this nonsense without involving law enforcement. Why was that? Did you - deep down - want to get back with him? When Billy said he was rescuing you from boring guys and mediocre sex… maybe you agreed?
You laughed to yourself, who were you kidding? Of course you agreed with him! You’d found yourself comparing the guys you’d recently dated to him every time. But you definitely couldn’t handle Billy while he was in crazy mode so you’d better put those dangerous thoughts out of your head right this minute.
Turning over on your side, you hoped your turbulent mind would settle down and let you sleep.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
On Saturday, you met up with Karen and Frank for lunch although any mention of Billy was off the menu as far as you were concerned. Frank had stolen a couple of quick, meaningful glances at you to begin with but you ignored these and chattered on regardless, and an easy conversation was soon in full flow between the three of you. However you did notice Karen looking at your neck a few times, and when Frank went to the men’s room she pulled aside your collar before you could stop her.
“What’s that?!” she crowed, eyes fastened on your neck, “It’s a love bite, isn’t it!” Oh shit, you thought, I forgot to cover that with concealer. You felt your face heating up, “No it isn’t!” you denied, grinning back at her, “I scratched my neck with my nail.” She looked extremely sceptical, “That sounds like a very lame excuse to me! You and ….?” You vigorously shook your head, “God, no!… he’s a nice guy and all that and we had a nice meal last night but apart from the fact that he’s got a girlfriend, he just doesn’t do it for me.”
She sat back, regarding you with suspicion and a knowing smile. “Billy’s been around again, hasn’t he?” You just knew your face was flaming by now… a curse on Karen and her investigative reporter tendencies! However you only had time to nod sheepishly before Frank returned to the table and Karen mouthed, “Later!” at you. You really weren’t looking forward to that little chat.
Karen told Frank that you and she were going shopping, and as she’d anticipated he made himself scarce rather than spend time trailing around boutiques in your wake. However, Karen had taken a firm grip on your arm and steered you back to your place. Once back, sitting on the sofa and with a G&T each, she fixed you with a steely glare and demanded, “Spill, girl!”
With a big sigh, you launched into the tale of Billy’s night incursion into your apartment although you skipped over the full details of exactly what he’d got up to once he was in your bed. She sat back after you’d finished speaking, laying her head back on the sofa cushion. “I need to get you a pepper spray.” Then her head came up, “Now you won’t like what I’m about to say, but just listen, okay?” You nodded obediently. She began, “You’re really enjoying the sex, aren’t you?” You opened your mouth to reply but she held up a hand, “No, listen. I do understand. From the little you told me, you and Billy had a very… shall we say… active sex life and suddenly that was gone when he pulled his little restaurant stunt.”
You stayed silent, and she continued, “So now with all this recent …” she waved her hand around, “drama… the good sex is back and you are liking that. You don’t report Billy for kidnapping you and I bet you wouldn’t have mentioned last night to me if I hadn’t noticed that little calling card of his on your neck.” You felt your face heating up again, she really knew how to read you! “So you’re protecting him!” she pronounced. She leant forward, investigative reporter hat firmly in place and levelled a finger at you, “You wanna get back with him!”
“I… I…” you stuttered, before eventually saying, “oh I don’t know, Karen! I guess I just can’t shut off my feelings for him like I thought I could. But I do know one thing… if he doesn’t get himself sorted out and quickly, I can’t be with him.” She nodded, “I get that, I really do. But how on earth could you ever trust him again after his recent behaviour, seriously, how could you?” You shrugged, “That’s the billion dollar question, isn’t it? I don’t know, I truly don’t.” “He says he loves you. Do you love him?”
You heaved a sigh, “I suppose I do. More fool me.”
Karen had gone shortly afterwards, telling you to be careful and to get your locks changed. You made a mental note to call a locksmith on Monday, you weren’t going to pay an extortionate weekend charge when you were sure Billy wouldn’t be back. You felt like last night’s visit had just been a demonstration to you that he could reach you whenever he wanted, to let you know that he was still watching you, and that had been enough for him.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
A few days later…. you’d got your locks changed and were back to the usual work/eat/sleep routine. Things were thankfully quiet, and although you weren’t 100% sure if you were still under surveillance by your sniper ex or not, you were pleased to hear from Frank (via Karen of course) that Billy was back at Anvil and busy as a little bee. Or big bee, you should really say.
Frank had also told Karen that he seemed really “chilled”. Well, that was also good news as far as you were concerned. A chilled-out Billy was a way better prospect to deal with than the mercurial mood swings he’d displayed earlier.
On your way up to your apartment after work Friday evening, you were staring - zoned out as usual - at the inside of the elevator when it stopped at a lower floor than yours. The doors swung open and a huge Billy Russo grin greeted you.
“Hi, angel,” he sang into your surprised face, “I’ll just hop in an’ then we’re goin’ for a little ride.” Casually dressed in a jumper and jeans, he fished a key out of his jeans pocket and put it into a lock on the control panel, turned it, then pressed “R” for roof. This was normally a level which no-one except building management or maintenance staff could reach. How the hell had he got hold of this key?
“Billy… what are you up to now?” you said, more calmly than you felt. Well so much for ‘chilled-out Billy’, you thought. He ticked a finger back and forth into your face, “Naughty girl!” he admonished you, “Changin’ your locks like that! Did ya really think that would stop me?” The elevator reached the very top floor and now he inserted the key into another lock and turned it. The red ‘Maintenance’ light came on, taking it out of service.
“They’ll notice that,” you said, “at the concierge desk. They’ll know there’s no maintenance being carried out.” He smirked, “No-one’s monitoring the elevators right now…. shift changeover.” He put the key in his pocket and turned to you with a lazy smile, “Takes them ages to get someone back on duty at the desk.” A bigger smirk, “Talked to the head concierge the other day, said I was thinkin’ about offering security services through Anvil. He was really helpful. Took an impression of his key right under his nose.” He took hold of your arms and turned you to face the wall of the elevator, so you could guess what was in store for you. “Tried to visit ya last night but your little stunt with your locks temporarily delayed things.” His body pressed up against your back and he slid your skirt up your legs until he was able to pull your panties down, you heard him unzip and then you felt him between your thighs - god, he always felt so big and hard. You didn’t even bother telling him to stop. Because you knew he wouldn’t.
What you did say was, “What about the CCTV in here?” A deep chuckle, “There ain’t any, angel.” Oh. You’d been so sure there was, in fact wasn’t there a notice in all the elevators telling everyone that…? Billy read your mind. Another chuckle, “Lyin’ to make you folks feel better.” As he was saying this he pushed fully inside you, forcing a moan from between your lips. “Mmhmm angel, wet already… such a good girl,” a self-satisfied whisper next to your ear. His fingers moved your hair aside and his lips were on your neck, kissing and nipping, then you felt him rub the bristles of his beard along your skin before placing more kisses there. A hand slid up under your top and your bra was pushed up, he ran his palms over your nipples and you tried to ignore the thrills that gave you. One hand went back under your jaw and he turned your face to his, his mouth was on yours and he kissed you for a long, long moment, his hips gently rocking against you all the while.
Why oh why did he have to be so damn good at this?! your mind screamed, as you felt yourself completely giving in to the sheer pleasure washing over you, solely due to the very little he was actually doing to you. Now however, Billy was about to step up to his A game, pulling your hips right back against his and his thrusts now became powerful and fast. He was whispering things to you. You couldn’t hear everything he said - your mind was elsewhere, let’s be honest - but you did hear a few ‘love ya’s’ in there somewhere. His lips would be on your neck one minute and then he’d grab your chin, twisting your head to his so he could kiss you hungrily on the mouth. His fingers would go to your nipples and then his big hands would massage your breasts, but his pace never faltered in the slightest.
You heard his low groans begin to get louder and more frequent and you knew he was about to climax. His hand went between your legs, making sure you orgasmed just after he did. That was one thing you had to give Billy credit for, he was never selfish - you both had to be satisfied. His head drooped onto your shoulder, “You make me insane, angel,” you heard him whisper, then he kissed you - very gently, on the lips. “I know I said I wouldn’t contact you for a while but I need this. I need you.” You paused momentarily before saying, “Are you talking to someone, Billy? About all of this?”
He stepped away from you, and you turned just in time to see him tucking himself back into his pants and zipping up. You began to repair the chaos Billy had wreaked on your clothing; pulling your bra back down into place and having to ignore all the moisture below decks, sliding your panties back up and smoothing your skirt down. He didn’t meet your eyes, looking sulky, “Yeah.” “Who? A proper counsellor?” Again, “Yeah.” You tried to make sure your hair didn’t look like you’d been on a rollercoaster. “I’m glad. You really need to get your head sorted out.” Now his head came up and his eyes were burning into yours, “I know!!!” he yelled, then making an obvious effort to regulate his tone, “I know I do. It’s happenin’, okay?”
You nodded, “Okay, Billy.”
He turned the key and took it out before placing it into the second lock, pressing the number for your floor. When you reached it, he followed you out of the elevator and hustled into your apartment behind you, locking the door. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” you asked him, irritated. He shook his head, “Nah. Gonna spend some more quality time with you, baby girl.” He took your elbow and guided you to your bedroom. “Oh come on, Billy… really?” “Yeah…. really.” He began to undress you, and you stood there and let him. You didn’t really have a choice in the matter. Once you were naked, he steered you towards the bed and got you to lie down.
He stood next to the bed, just looking down at you, before - a small smile on his face - he unzipped again. “Now… where were we, angel?” he asked you.
Somehow you had the feeling it was going to be a long, long night.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Sitting on your sofa on Saturday afternoon in your bathrobe with a cup of tea in hand, you found yourself shifting about and trying to get comfortable. You were aching in places you didn’t even know existed in your body.
Billy had left a short while ago. He’d been on you all night and after a short respite while you both slept, again for most of the morning. Where did he get his stamina from? You blamed his time in the Marines for that, it had to have something to do with it. Maybe he’d also resorted to taking Viagra? - but you wouldn’t mention that little theory to him. He just seemed to get erection after erection, as your extremely tender pussy could attest to. Went down on you or made you blow him in between. Put you into a range of different and quite frankly gymnastic positions, and basically just fucked you senseless. Your brain felt like someone had wrapped it in loft insulation - soft and squishy and almost non-functional.
As he’d been leaving, he’d leant down and kissed you before flashing some putty-like substance at you, turning it back and forth so you could see the shapes of keys pressed into it. So he’d obviously been into your bag while you slept, found your keys and taken these impressions. You’d sighed in defeat, and he’d smiled in victory. No way were you going to shell out for another new set of locks.
There was a low rap on your front door. Oh no… surely not? You cautiously looked through your spy hole and saw to your relief but somewhat to your surprise, Curtis Hoyle. You opened the door and after hugs and Hi’s invited him in. You hadn’t seen him in ages! You made him some tea too and after a little catch-up chat, he cut to the chase.
“I’m counselling Billy right now,” he divulged, “and while of course I can’t get into exactly what he’s discussed with me, I’m concerned enough to want to have a chat with you too. Are you okay with that?” He smiled at you, “I won’t be counselling you, just to be clear and it will all be off the record.” You nodded, “Yeah, that’s fine,” smiling back but unable to stop a small moue of pain crossing your face as you reached over to place your teacup on the coffee table. Curtis glanced over at you, “Hope you don’t mind me askin’, but has Billy been here recently?” You gave him a brief nod, and he continued, “And I know this is a delicate matter but… did he ask you for sex?” You laughed, “Yes.. only he didn’t ask.”
Curtis looked troubled, “Oh, shit Russo!” he said, as if Billy were in the room too. You shrugged, “It’s okay, Curtis. He’s not in his right mind at the moment and only for that reason, I’m prepared to cut him a bit of slack.” Curtis took a sip of his tea, “He said he ‘kept you with him’ for a day or so, just to talk to you, but he wouldn’t say too much about it. How did he manage that exactly - if you feel like telling me?” You sat back slightly, and sighed. “Okay… don’t be too shocked, now. He grabbed me off the street one Friday night, knocked me out with some kind of anaesthetic and then I was in an old derelict warehouse for the rest of the night and early morning. Then he took me to his place, kept me there till Saturday evening, drugged me and dropped me home.”
Curtis looked appalled, and sat quiet for a while before finally saying, “And I take it sex was involved?” You nodded, “Yeah…. a lot of it.” “Without giving away too much of what he’s said, I can tell you that having sex with you is really important to him right now.” “Yup, I’d kinda sussed that out!” you laughed, “I think it’s his way of possessing and controlling me. Did he tell you he’d broken up with me?” Curtis looked over at you quickly, “No… he didn’t! What happened?” So you explained the whole sorry tale of The Restaurant Stunt to him, and Curtis began to look progressively more enlightened.
“Okay, I’m seeing a bit more clearly now where all this is stemming from. What about you? Do you still have feelings for him?” Somewhat sheepishly, you nodded, “I don’t really want to, if I’m honest with you but you can’t just switch your feelings off like a tap.” “That’s very true, “he agreed, “so tell me… has he just been here? I’m kinda getting that vibe. Once he dropped you back at your place after your ‘talk’, what’s been happening since?” You recounted the two visits - skimming over the exact details- you’d so far had from Billy, seeing Curtis look more and more uncomfortable. You carried on, “Look… Curtis. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve always really enjoyed sex with Billy… he’s a tiger in bed…” Curtis’ face pinked up, “…so while he’s been less than gentlemanly during these visits in how he’s gone about getting it, it’s been as pleasurable as it’s always been - if a lot more intense. I can’t let him carry the can for this entirely.”
Curtis stood up, ready to leave, “Well… okay. But if you ever decide you want to report him…” You also stood, giving him a hug, “Thanks, Curtis. But I’ve willingly taken the decision not to. Apart from anything, he made sure there was no evidence. Or only ambiguous evidence. As long as he’s getting some counselling, I’m happy to leave him in your capable hands.” Curtis chuckled, “Billy always was a sneaky bastard. No wonder he was such a good sniper.” “Yeah, for sure,” you agreed.
He paused in the doorway before he stepped out into the corridor, “I’ll make sure he gets well, if it’s the last thing I do.” “Well, I sincerely hope it isn’t the last thing you do! - but thanks again, Curtis.”
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
You’d been peacefully sleeping during the early hours of Sunday morning, when the loud click of your bedroom door awoke you.
He climbed into bed next to you, already naked, divesting you of your sleepwear and kissing you until you couldn’t breathe. His hands began a journey over every inch of your skin and he pressed his body against yours, so you’d feel how aroused he was. “Ready for me, angel?” he breathed in your ear, before sliding fully inside you.
“Billy… you’ve got to stop doing this!” you protested. “Uh-uh,” you heard, “can’t you see I’m obsessed with ya? Can’t think of nuthin’ else. Just you. All day, all night. So I gotta be with you, can’t stay away.” His hands and mouth were all over you as he moved forcefully above you.
You sighed… another long, long night, then.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Sunday had been a carbon copy of Saturday, you and your aching body lazing on your sofa for the whole day. Billy had left at lunchtime - after having been laid out on your bed, stretched right out like a big satisfied cat - but you’d at least extracted a promise from him not to ‘visit’ tonight, seeing as how you had work the next day.
Life was peaceful again without any nocturnal visits from Billy - until Thursday of that week. Curtis had called you in the evening, sounding really worried. “Billy didn’t turn up for his session with me this evenin’ and I just found a voicemail from him, sayin’ he didn’t think he’d ever get his head back on straight, so he’d never get you back an’… an’.. that meant he couldn’t go on….”
Your stomach dropped, “Oh shit!” you said, “What’re we going to do?” “Me, Frank and Karen are gonna go look for him. Wanna come along?” You grabbed your bag, “Yes! Can you pick me up?”
A/N: Based on the song by Foreigner, but a really chill female singer/acoustic version of it I heard on my travels and which I now can’t find anywhere
Summary: Set in my Punisher S1 AU, it does not follow canon. Billy Russo has one cold little heart, and you find this out to your cost. But will Fate allow you to turn the tables on him? Angsty, zesty and fluff mixture.
Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content, including unprotected, between consenting adults* in some chapters. Drinking and swearing.
*Irl, please use protection, let’s be careful out there.
(My photo edit)
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
You know that you are
(Cold as ice) As cold as ice to me
(Cold as ice)
You’re as cold as ice
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
“So get comfortable, angel. We got soooooooooo much time on our hands. Can’t let it go to waste, now,” he ran a fingertip over your stomach and down onto your leg, “…can we?”
Two hours later.
You looked across at Billy’s sleeping face. He had one arm thrown over your body and you knew that if you tried to move, it would tighten instantly. You knew this because you’d tried to get up and go to the bathroom once Billy had fallen asleep, and his arm had instantly tensed into a vice-like grip. Assuring him you weren’t going to try and escape, he let go and you went through to the bathroom.
He’d untied you before he’d gone to sleep, but you now knew this wasn’t trust being shown towards you. Not at all. You’d noticed on your way back to the bedroom that the huge bolts - one at the top and one at the bottom - of Billy’s front door had both been slid firmly across into the closed position. He must’ve done that when he made his own trip to the bathroom earlier on.
You couldn’t reach the top one, it was as simple as that. For someone of Billy’s height - no problem. But you were at least a half foot shorter than him. You’d tried springing up from your toes to try and reach it, but it was a no go. You got your fingertips to it, nothing more.
And there were no chairs or stools to move in front of the door to climb onto, you’d have to use a heavier item of furniture like one of his tables or something. And the chances of moving those without making any noise in the process was slim to zero. Defeated, you’d returned to the bedroom to find a pair of amused obsidian eyes on you. “Couldn’t reach it, huh?” he smirked, and you shrugged, climbing back under the covers next to him. “Heard you jumpin’ up and down a coupla times.” He stroked your cheek, “Sorry, angel.” You ignored him and turned on your side, closing your eyes.
“Tired, sweetheart? You certainly wore me out, that’s for sure,” he chuckled. “I’m gonna get some more sleep, then I’ll make us some brunch.” “Whatever, Billy,” you mumbled, already dozing off.
Billy had pounced on you after his announcement that you two had a lot of time to spend together. He’d used his mouth, his tongue, his teeth, his hands, and of course that big dick of his on you until you were both exhausted. You really wished he couldn’t bring you to orgasm and so easily - maybe it would dent his ego and make him back off. But no, your treacherous body responded to his as it always had - with intense pleasure.
You drifted off to sleep thinking about the strange alternative universe Billy seemed to be inhabiting at the moment - like you two were still together. The difference was that he was being very domineering but intermittently soft at the same time. That was new. Maybe he’d developed schizophrenic tendencies?
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
You’d been vaguely aware of Billy getting out of the bed at some point, and then heard sounds of cupboards opening and closing, cups and plates clinking. Brunch, then. You turned over onto your back, stretching, then nearly jumped out of your skin as a figure loomed over you. Damn Billy and his sniper tactics!
A tray was proffered to you, a plate of scrambled eggs, some toast and a cup of coffee on it. “Brunch is served, madame.” You sat up, pulling the bedcovers over your breasts and took the tray. “Thank you,” you mumbled. Clad only in his boxer briefs, he climbed back into bed with you and balanced his tray on his knees. You realised that you were in fact starving, and made short work of the food and coffee. He finished his too, looking across at you with a self-satisfied smile, “Enjoy that?” You nodded, “I was hungry.” He leant over and placed his tray on the floor, followed by yours after he’d taken it from you. He reached across and pulled the bedclothes down off you, “Now for some afters.” You sighed, “You’re not supposed to exercise for 45 minutes before or after food,” you said in a lecturing tone, pulling the covers back up.
Billy laughed, “Is that so? An’ why’s that, sweetheart?” “So you can digest it properly,” you said primly. He laughed again but picked up the remote and switched on the TV, surfing through the channels until he found an adult movie on one. You watched the writhing, sweaty bodies on the screen for a moment before pulling a face, “Urrrrhhhhhh, gross.” He smirked, “Not gettin’ ya in the mood, then?” You shook your head, studying your nails, “Anything but.” He flicked off that channel onto the next one, and on came a Marvel movie. “Heroes,” pronounced Billy, as the Avengers saved the world yet again. “That’s me,” he boasted. Your head swung towards him as you stared, amazed, “What?! And how d’you figure that?” He preened, flexing his right bicep and toned abdomen, “Well, I’m savin’ you, honey. From a life of borin’ guys and mediocre sex.”
You couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, that’s what this is, is it?” He nodded, “Yeah.” Then, eyes gazing into yours he asked, “Meant to ask ya, remembered what we talked about yet, have ya?” You heaved a sigh, “Yes, Billy. You claimed to love me.” “Yeah!” he crowed triumphantly, then a frown appeared on his brow, “But I’m not just claimin’ to love ya. I do love ya.” You pulled the covers even higher and settled back into the pillows; this was not going to be an easy conversation.
“Billy,” you said patiently, “you’re not exactly acting rationally at the moment. I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but I don’t think I’d call it love.” He jumped up out of the bed and began pacing. You’d noticed he was doing that a lot. “I dunno how you can say that! Why d’ya think I…” he stopped, looking over at you and you supplied, “…kidnapped me?” He stopped in front of the window and looked out, back towards you,”Yeah, whatever. I needed to be with you, alone, to make you understand.” You laughed, “Billy… surely even you realise that’s not normal behaviour? You sit down and talk to someone in a civilised manner, you don’t grab them off the street and hold them hostage!”
He took two fast long strides back to the bedside and grabbed you under your armpits, taking you completely by surprise. “Normal?! Who needs normal!” he yelled into your face, before hauling you out from under the covers and flipping you over onto your stomach on the bed. His ties had been discarded on the bedside table and he grabbed them, forcing your wrists together and lashing a tie round them, before doing the same with your ankles. Then he pulled your legs up and backwards, wrapping another tie round each tie restraining your wrists and ankles. So in effect, he’d hog-tied you within seconds. He stripped off his briefs and climbed onto the bed behind you. “Maybe the porno didn’t turn you on, but it gave me a couple of ideas,” he hissed in your ear as he leant down, making sure you felt his hard cock against your thigh. His fingers parted your legs, he pulled you back towards him and you felt him positioning himself before swiftly pushing inside you. “Mmmmmm….” he whispered to you, “fuckin’ amazing, angel.” He grabbed your shoulders and pulled you even more firmly against him and you yelped as you felt the further stretch.
Then one hand went to the back of your neck and he gripped it along with a handful of your hair, pulling your head back slightly. He began pounding in and out of you, and moans were forced from your mouth with each powerful thrust. These also moved you up the bed slightly but Billy quickly pulled you back each time before the next thrust. You could hear his low groans and grunts from above you, and once again his remarkable stamina served him well, he was just relentless. Finally, he climaxed and you breathed a sigh of relief. You found yourself thinking that if this position happened to have been featured in the Kama Sutra, then they ought to take it out because it was not comfortable for you. At all.
He unlaced all the ties and you stretched your cramped limbs before turning over onto your back. His eyes were on yours and he bent down and kissed you, grabbing your chin so you couldn’t avoid him. You took a chance and said, “See, Billy? Control. That’s what you’re feeling, not love. You want to control me.” He sat right up, “Yeah! Okay! I do. I do, y’hear me?” His face was suddenly right in yours, “You needta do what I want you to do!” he yelled.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
You’d felt fear as you looked into his wild eyes at that moment. Billy was out of control. But then his eyes softened and he sat back. “An’ I want you to love me back,” he whispered, eyes wide and dark as he gazed at you. Relieved that he’d calmed down, you whispered back, “You’re not making it easy right now, Billy.” He grabbed your hands, “I’ll make you love me,” he pronounced, “you will love me.”
Who was he trying to convince, you wondered, you or himself? “You can’t make someone love you,” you said in a low voice, anxious not to set him off again. “Yes, you can,” he said doggedly, “an’ I’m gonna do it.” He grabbed your chin again, kissing you long and hard. “Gonna make you realise you need me.” You sighed, “None of this makes sense. You get that, don’t you?” He shook his head, so you continued, “You dumped me, Billy. But then you immediately do a 360 spin and suddenly you love me?”
His face was in yours again, mouth snarling, “That’s why I ditched you!!! Don’t you understand?” Now you shook your head, flinching back from the words being shouted at you. “I knew I’d fallen in love with you! It scared the shit out of me,” he carried on, “I knew you’d leave me eventually so I decidedta cut ya loose before you left me.”
You stared at him, truly perplexed, “What do you mean, I’d have left you? Why did you think that?” He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his back to you, “Because everyone always does.” In that moment, despite all that had happened, you felt truly sorry for him. You knew this must all be stemming from his abandonment issues when he was a kid. “No, not everyone, Billy. I wouldn’t have left you, you were wrong. But then you spoiled it all.” His head dropped, and then he looked over his shoulder at you, “ I don’t believe ya.” “Well, you should believe me. You tell me what I did to make you think I’d leave you?”
“Nuthin’!” he hissed, “Nuthin’, okay? But I knew you would.” You sank back into the pillows, “Oh, Billy… for fuck’s sake!” you said, exasperated. “What?” he replied, clearly not getting it. “You can’t just say that you knew I’d leave you. You’re not making sense,” you said. He swung his legs back up onto the bed, lying on his side next to you and gazing into your eyes, “Well it makes perfect sense to me!”
You stared back, knowing that whatever you said, Billy wouldn’t change his mind. To him, what he’d done had made perfect sense and that was it.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
You’d given up on the conversation at that point and dozed off. Billy had let you sleep.
For a while anyway. Then you were stirred awake by a bristly chin scratching along your arm and up onto your shoulder. Your eyes opened to see two dark eyes staring intensely into yours.
“So,” he murmured, “ya gonna admit that you need me yet?” Oh lord, you thought, I can’t handle this. You sat up and threw caution to the wind, “No, Billy…. I’m not. Because your recent behaviour makes me wonder why I was ever with you in the first place.”
His eyes widened, then you saw anger spark in them. Uh-oh. He leapt out of bed and stood next to it, spreading his arms wide, “Why you bein’ so goddam stubborn!” he yelled at you. You lay back down, mentally exhausted, “I’m just looking out for myself, Billy. You’re too… volatile… right now for me to feel comfortable around you. Seriously, you need to sit down with a counsellor and get your head sorted.” Billy lunged towards you and you shrank further back into the pillows, thinking ‘Oh lord, I’ve done it now!’ and expecting him to slap you.
But he merely shoved his face right into yours, staring unblinking into your eyes. Saying nothing, he stayed like that for several moments, and you remained frozen where you lay. Then he moved away, grabbing his boxer briefs off the floor and pulling them on, still staring at you. He left the bedroom, returning some time later with two coffees. Silently, he placed one cup next to you on the bedside table and sat down on the bed, drinking his own, still saying nothing, just watching you. Unnerved, you stared back.
Eventually, you picked up your own cup and sipped it slowly. You thought you saw a satisfied gleam in Billy’s eyes, unsure of the reason for it but you soon found out. Beginning to feel very drowsy, you slurred, “Billy…. wha’d’you….” but although you didn’t know it, you didn’t finish the sentence.
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Your eyes opened and you flinched involuntarily as daylight hit them, so quickly closed them again. Cautiously, you slowly reopened them, allowing them to adjust to the bright light. Shading them a little with your hand you looked around and realised, to your great surprise, that you were back in your own apartment.
You were fully dressed, lying on your sofa, bag on the coffee table in front of you. You sat up slowly, feeling really groggy and with a nasty taste in your mouth. Reaching over, groaning as you did, grabbing and rifling through your bag until you found your phone. Tapping it you saw it announce that it was early Sunday morning.
Wow. He must’ve brought you home almost as soon as you’d passed out on Saturday evening. Obviously he’d slipped something into your coffee, probably GHB or similar. This gave you a really creepy feeling, surely Billy didn’t use that on a regular basis? You were sure he hadn’t used it on you in the past, so you really hoped this was just another part of Billy’s crazy kidnap plans.
Forcing yourself to get up and go to the bathroom, you shed your wrinkled clothes and cleaned your teeth, before having the most wonderful soak in the bathtub you thought you’d ever had, washing away aches, pains and stress. Donning your bathrobe, you wandered through to the kitchen, still feeling a little weird. Drinking two large glasses of water, you then made yourself a cup of coffee - ruefully thinking about the last one you’d drunk - and sat on the sofa for a while, lost in thought.
A square of white paper on the coffee table caught your attention, lying where your bag had been so it had been hidden by it originally. You picked it up warily - what was this now? It was folded in two and you opened it, seeing Billy’s lazy scrawl on the page. Huh, yeah - of course it was.
“Angel
I know you’re probably not very pleased with me right now, and I’m sorry about that. When you wouldn’t listen to me and wouldn’t take me back, I guess I lost my mind for a while. So you’re home free now. I won’t contact you in the near future but you will hear from me again, and I guarantee that by then you will have changed your mind about ‘feeling comfortable around me’. You’ll be with me again, I promise you.
Love you
Billy”
You refolded the note, a little chill running up your spine. What the hell did that mean?
You needed to chew this whole thing over with someone, and you knew the perfect person to do that with. Hitting a number in your Contacts, as soon as it was answered you said, “Karen? Sorry to call you so early but I really, really need to talk to you.”
»»————————————-———- ⚜ ———————————-————-««
Karen was gawping at you in amazement as if you’d just landed from outer space.
She’d patiently listened to you without interrupting as you’d explained everything which had happened over the past 36 hours or so, only her changing facial expressions revealing her thoughts.
As your story drew to a close, you’d handed her the note to read and she finally said, “Oh… my… lord.” She shook her head as if to clear it, “I cannot believe what that… that…” she paused, searching for a word, “complete lunatic has done! I just can’t believe it!” She reached over from where she sat next to you on the sofa and squeezed your hand, “I’m calling the cops!” You vigorously shook your head, “No! No, Karen. And I know you probably think I’m crazy for saying that, but I really do think he’s had some kind of … maybe not psychotic… break… but some kind of breakdown.” She was just staring at you, and you continued, “I mean, he’s not going to go running around kidnapping anyone else. This is personal, strictly between me and him.”
“Youhope he won’t,” she said darkly, “what if he goes after those guys you dated?” You shook your head, “No, he won’t,” you maintained, “I think he’s going to go off the grid for a while.” She got out her phone, “Lemme call Frank.”
Five minutes later she shut off her phone, and looked over at you, “Well… I think you may be right after all. He’s texted Frank, saying he’s taking a few days off as he’s not feeling well.”
Warnings: Language, brief depiction of war setting, self esteem issues. I’ll be honest here, this turned out angstier than intended.
Series summary: Single dad Billy Russo doesn’t feel qualified for parenthood, so he hatches a plan to get his baby girl the perfect mom. Needless to say, he isn’t looking for a love match… but that’s exactly what he is going to get.
“Come on, dude! You can’t do this to me…” Billy knew his case was weak, his plea a useless, unconvincing hail Mary. Frank had already made his mind up, and Billy knew he was as unmovable and unyielding as a monolith. He usually loved that about his friend, made him the most reliable business associate a man could have, but right then, he thought it was the bane of his existence.
