Summary: An insight into your domestic life with Frank Castle after he begins his new life
w/c 770
Frank Castle x reader
After all the shit that went down in Hell’s kitchen, Frank was determined to reinvent himself. He didn’t want to be known as the punisher anymore, he was bored of fighting, he’d done it all of his life and he just wanted to take a break. That was how he found you, a pretty waitress that worked in a diner on his way out of town.
Although there was something special about you. He couldn’t just observe you and be happy to leave, he needed more. So he became a regular, always making sure to tip you well so you wouldn’t forget him. Then over time you became familiar with each other, making conversation, him giving you compliments, getting to know each other.
He didn’t hide his identity or lie about who he was, even though Frank Castle was supposed to be dead, but thankfully you didn’t seem to know about his altar ego and his name certainly didn’t ring a bell. That was something he really liked about you. You were starting on a clean slate, without any previous bias.
Your relationship probably moved quicker than some, but you liked Frank. He was all you had and you were all he had, so it was a sort of an easy decision. Within four months of you knowing each other you were already official, and it barely took any longer after that for you both to get together the little money you had to find somewhere to live together.
The apartment you and Frank shared was only small, but it did the job perfectly fine. You had everything you needed, all the basics and then each other. It really wasn’t anything special or extraordinary, but it meant something to you. It especially meant something to you to wake up to the beautiful man every morning.
You would have never suspected Frank to be the domestic kind of man when you first saw him, but he was truly surprising you. He might have even enjoyed it more than you did.
The key in the front door alerted you that he was home, your gaze on him over your shoulder as he entered. You could nearly see all the weight on his shoulders as he trudged over to you, spinning you around so you were facing him rather than whatever you were cooking.
“Hey, how was work?” you asked, sliding your hands against his chest. He didn’t even consider answering before he was pushing his lips on yours, hands holding your hips. You made an oomf noise, taken off-guard by the sudden kiss. But you accepted it, melting into his body happily.
He trailed his lips from yours to your jaw, down your neck while your fingers brushed through his long hair. You were careful when tugging the knots free, knowing he just wanted some gentle love right now. “That bad, huh?” you chuckled. He hummed, nudging his nose against your cheek with one last kiss before he left the warmth of your body. He let you know he was going to shower, leaving you to finish making dinner in the tiny kitchen. But he didn’t leave without telling you how good it smelled already.
He wasn’t gone for long, usually when he got back from the building sight he wanted to spend time with you, he got very clingy after being so isolated all day. He couldn’t bear to talk to those men, he hated them all. You didn’t mind how he basically became a large koala, it was nice receiving all the affection, knowing he wanted to touch you, to hold you.
Only when he snaked his arms around your waist did you catch sight of the redness on his knuckles, frowning as you lifted his hands closer to your face for you to see. “Baby, your knuckles. They’re bleeding,” you observed, gently running your fingers over where you could already see bruises forming on the split skin.
He noticed the frown on your face, lowering his head to catch your gaze so he could reassure you he was alright. “‘M okay,” he mumbled, trying to pull them out of your grasp. You didn’t let him though, narrowing your eyes at him. “I didn’t ask.” There was a small grin on your face as your words registered in his head, a chuckle falling past his lips.
“Clean ‘em up, I’ll finish dinner.” You dropped his hands, patting his cheek as you ushered him away before the food started to burn. He stole one more kiss though, flashing you a wink as he shifted over to the sink nearby. “Yes, ma’am.”
summary: Frank comes back. and you missed him. You just try not to let him know that. warnings: blood, injuries, angst a/n: cannot get enough of frank castle…….. pls give me a break <3
Summary: As a teenager, you had a crush on your attractive neighbor Frank Castle. You were there on that horrible day and never thought you’d see Frank again - until he turned up right next door.
Warnings: Smut (Frank is actually a pretty gentle gentleman in this), Age Gap, Death, Mentions of pedophilia, Teen drinking
Word Count: 8.2k (I got a little carried away… there’s probably a bit of unnecessary backstory here lol)
Frank noticed the stumbling young woman on the side of the road and his brows furrowed in concern. Even though he couldn’t see your face, only your back being illuminated by his headlights in the night as he drove up the dark street that eventually led to your homes (two miles away), you were familiar. His foot pressed the brake, drawing the car to a crawling pace beside you.
Panicked when you realized an unidentified vehicle was stopping beside you in the middle of the night, your eyes darted over there and you looked like deer in the headlights. That is, until a familiar gruff voice called out your name questioningly.
“Frank?” You hiccuped, taking steps closer to the open passenger window but tripping and stumbling over your own feet.
“Yeah,” he nodded, “yeah, it’s me kid. What’re you doing out here? Are you okay?”
It was clear that you weren’t okay. Mascara had smeared under your eyes from a wild night at a crazy party. Your hair was a messier version of what he assumed had looked nice a few hours ago. You also reeked of alcohol.
At first you nodded assuredly before shaking your head and then nodding again. Finally, you pointed down the road, “‘m just tryn- *hiccup* tryna make it back home.”
“Home’s a long ways down the road. Why don’t you hop in? I’ll give you a ride,” Frank offered, motioning for you to get in the car.
You shook your head and waved him off dramatically, almost falling backwards, “No, no, no. I got this.”
Frank couldn’t help the amused chuckle that fell from his lips. He remembered being in your position. Sixteen years old, drinking with friends, testing your limits. He had done the same stuff in high school at your age. He didn’t fault you one bit but he did want to make sure you were safe and considering he lived across the street, this was really no inconvenience to him.
“C’mon. Get in. Can’t have you walkin’ alone drunk at night.” Frank insisted, now getting out of the car and walking over to you. He opened the passenger door and held his hand out to help guide you inside. It didn’t take long for you to submit to his persistence, the idea of walking home not being very appealing anyways. What began as an attempt to slowly lower yourself into the seat resulted in your foot slipping off the edge of the curb and your butt hitting the soft seat with a thud.
“Oof!” You grunted dramatically before giggling uncontrollably, “Whoops!”
Frank ignored the fall and leaned over you, pulling your seat belt across your chest, “Geez, you smell like you drank the whole bar.”
You giggled, “I certainly tried.”
He shut the door and got back into the driver’s seat before peeling back onto the street. “Yeah, I remember those days. Just be careful. Don’t hurt yourself. And always make sure you’re safe. There are some terrible people in this world that would see a pretty drunk girl and see an opportunity,” he said sincerely, “What were you doin’ walkin’ alone at eleven o’clock at night anyways?”
At first you burned hot. Did Frank Castle just say you’re pretty? Then you shrugged and cuddled back into the seat, the alcohol beginning to make your eyelids heavy. “Was at a party at some girl’s house,” you began before you found yourself having to swallow hard to keep the storm in your stomach at bay, “Me ‘n some friends all went but the cops busted the place. We all ran but we got separated. I don’t know where they went but their car was gone so I just walked home.” You didn’t sound upset by this - more like it was just a matter of fact.
“Some friends you got there,” Frank grumbled, “You know, friends don’t leave other friends to get arrested.”
You just sat silently, guilt beginning to settle in. Then realization hit you, “Shit! My parents are gonna kill me.”
Frank laughed, “Maybe you should have thought of that a few shots ago.”
“I was gonna stay the night at Becca’s house!” you whined in defense and although Frank had no clue who Becca was, he assumed it was one of the friends who left you for the cops.
He just shook his head as he drove down the dark road. “What were you doing out so late?” You tried to poke at his arm but it came off as a weak attempt.
“Lisa is sick. Just had to run down to the drug store and get some of that baby Tylenol. I’m glad I did though otherwise you would’ve had a long walk ahead of you.”
You just smiled and lolled your head to the side, looking at Frank with all the admiration in the world, “You know you’re perfect right?”
Frank looked over to you with brows furrowed and a chuckle of disbelief, “Oh please…”
“No really! You’re like perfect. I mean you just picked me up to make sure I got home safe because you’re like really nice,” you hiccuped, “And- and you’re getting Lisa those special baby medicines cause,” hiccup, “you’re a really good dad. And you’re tough and strong. I mean really strong. I really like your muscles a lot. And you’re really handsome.” You babbled endlessly, all of your deepest most secret thoughts spewing out of your mouth uncontrollably.
Your older neighbor had no clue how to handle your kind albeit inappropriate confession. Frank had never been good with words, “Uh look,”
“I think I’m in love with you,” you confessed suddenly. “I know I shouldn’t be cause you’re old and I’m only sixteen but I see you every day being all perfect with your perfect house and your perfect baby and your perfect wife and I secretly wish it were me instead of her.”
Frank swallowed hard and exhaled heavily. He almost wanted to pull over so he could look you in the eye but even from the glances at you he took away from the road made the lovestruck sparkle in your eye glisten apparently. While flattered, Frank felt criminal just hearing it. “I-I appreciate that, kid. I really do. And you’re a really sweet kid but-”
“You keep calling me kid.”
“Cause you are a kid,” Frank said firmly, “Look, you’re growing into a fine young woman and one day, you’re gonna make some lucky boy a happy man.”
You sighed heavily, “So you don’t love me?” It was a ridiculous question and Frank could tell even you knew that. He knew it was just the alcohol talking, making you admit things he was never meant to hear. Frank felt guilty now knowing these things that he was sure you’d be embarrassed about him knowing.
“I’m married. I have a kid. And I’m a lot older than you,” Frank explained, turning onto your street.
“You’re old but you’re not that old. You’re like, what? Ten years older than me maybe? Fifteen max!” You tried to reason with him one last time before sighing in morose resignation, “It’s okay. Why would you like me back anyways?”
Frank pulled the car into his driveway and shook his head. He didn’t want to hurt you but he couldn’t enable these feelings either. He just hoped the alcohol would erase the memories of tonight so he could pretend like it never happened and could spare you the embarrassment. Without a word, he got out of the car and opened your door. He nodded towards the lawn, “C’mon. You’ve had a lot to drink. We should get you home.”
*
Years had passed. You’d graduated high school and spent a few years on your own. Despite struggles, life had been going relatively well as of late. You had moved to Hell’s Kitchen which, while not ideal, held a promising career opportunity and a surprisingly affordable apartment compared to some other parts of New York.
Your abode was humble to say the least, just a studio with brick walls and a stove from the 1960s. It was yours though and it definitely was better than a lot of other options, all of which were thousands of dollars a month for an apartment more comparable to a shoe box than a living space. But that was the price of living in New York, you supposed. The city of dreams and rats.
It had been a long day at work. As you exited the elevator to your floor, a tired drag in your step, you stared down your front door like it was a target and you refused to miss. You needed a drink. Or two. Alone or with friends, you couldn’t care less, you just couldn’t wait to take these dang heels off.
After the long trek down the hall, you reached the door. You fumbled through your bag to find your keys when the door to the next apartment opened.
You startled, used to it being empty for the last several months. The stranger’s back was turned to you but you could tell he was a middle aged man, towering and muscular with a commanding presence, even without trying. His black t-shirt was loose over his denim jeans and a black duffel bag was slung over his shoulder.
“Uh, hi-” You started awkwardly, feeling obligated to at the very least introduce yourself to the new neighbor, “did you just move in?”
The tall man turned around to face the unexpected voice behind him and you both shared mutual looks of dawning surprise when you saw each others’ faces. “Frank?” You asked in utter shock.
Frank’s eyes widened and he looked like he was looking at a ghost as he said your name questioningly. This could be bad, living next to you. You even knowing he was alive was a risk.
“What the hell is going on?” You stammered, knowing full well his past. Knowing full well he was supposed to be dead. You had grown up right next to the Castle family. Granted, you had moved out by the time Lisa was four but you had been home visiting the day Frank’s family was murdered. You had been there. It was horrible and traumatic and you remembered every second of that day.
*
It was a pleasantly chilly day when you got a knock on your front door. You skipped down the stairs, happy to be home for the week, and opened it to find the Castle family standing in the doorway. Immediately, Frank Jr. and Lisa threw their arms around your waist. “We missed you so much!” Lisa squealed.
Maria laughed at her kids, “I’m sorry! We saw your car in the driveway and the kids just had to come say hi.”
You squeezed them both tightly and a beaming smile spread across your face, “Don’t be sorry! I haven’t seen you all in forever!”
“We’re going to Central Park!” Frank Jr. jumped up and down excitedly, “We want you to come with!”
You looked at Frank and Maria questioningly, “Oh, well, I don’t know. As much fun as it sounds, I know your dad just got home and I’m sure you probably want to spend time as just a family.”
Frank’s face distorted like the very thought was ridiculous, “Ah, come on. You’re practically family at this point.”
“We’d love for you to come,” Maria added with a kind smile.
You thought for a moment but once you realized that your parents both worked and you’d just be sitting at home alone all day, you decided to go. “Okay, you talked me into it. Let me grab my coat.”
You stood beside Frank and Maria, watching the kids ride the carousel. Every time you looked away, they made sure to yell your name followed by “Look at me! Look at me!”. The love you felt from and for this family had always astounded you. And to think, all it took was one drunken night in high school to form that close bond with the family that you’d always been friendly with but never this close. You didn’t even remember most of it but you’d been grateful for Frank picking you up that night and even more grateful for it making the two of your families more comfortable with each other.
Billy saddled up beside you, between you and Frank, and looked at you with those eyes that were absolutely lethal. With a face like his, he could get whatever he wanted and he knew it which was why despite his incessant flirting with you, you refused to give him it. “Hey, sweetheart, my sweet tooth is actin’ up,” he commented, looking you up and down, like you were an ice cream and he was licking you with his gaze.
Frank rolled his eyes and shoved Billy’s head, “Easy tiger. Touch her and I’ll cut your dick off.”
You gave Billy those innocent doe eyes that held restrained falsified lust behind them and cooed, “Well, if you’re that down bad for something sweet…” you got closer to him and Billy’s brows raised, sure he was about to get what he wanted. Frank looked over at you, cocking his brow with something between vague disgust and surprise. “There’s cotton candy over there,” you dropped your act and patted his shoulder in a brotherly way, “Don’t hurt yourself.”
You glanced between the two men and watched Billy laugh and shake his head, trying to play off the rejection. Frank chuckled at his brother’s failure and gave you a tiny proud nod meant just for you.
Billy was attractive, undeniably so. He looked like he was straight out of a novel with debonair danger. Still, it was Frank that had your heart. It was silly to still like him after all this time. Maybe it was the fact that you could never have him that made the flame impossible to extinguish. But still, it was always these little moments, like a tiny gesture like that nod, meant only for you, that had your heart racing. You just hoped it wasn’t obvious. If Frank ever knew, you’d probably die of humiliation and never be able to look him in the eye again.
It took you a moment to realize that your gaze had been lingering on Frank for much longer than was appropriate. Billy kicked your foot slightly, just enough to silently earn your attention. Your eyes shot over to him and he only wiggled his eyebrows once, lifting his chin towards Frank enough for only you to know what he meant and then he sent you a knowing cocky smirk. “I see,” he mused, a wicked glint in his eyes.
You tried to shake your head casually and roll your eyes as if the mere insinuation was absurd but Billy saw right through it. Paranoid, you side eyed Frank and Maria, who were watching their kids still go around and around on plastic ponies.
“I’ll be right back,” you excused yourself, gesturing to the restroom that was not too far from here. As you left, you held eye contact with Billy. As much as you despised his perceptive abilities, you had a feeling that he would enjoy holding this over you too much to actually tell Frank. Then, he lost leverage.
Turns out, going to the bathroom was the only thing that saved your life that day.
As soon as you finished and were washing your hands, gunshots boomed through the park. Your blood ran cold as ice as your knees instinctively buckled, your autopilot guiding you to partially duck behind the porcelain sink. Many more rang out with the speed of an automatic weapon.
What were you supposed to do? On one hand, you wanted to rush out to Frank, Maria, Billy, and the kids, make sure you were all safe and could leave together, alive and well. On the other, you felt like this might be one of the safest places for you and that, even in the open, Maria and the kids were safer with Billy and Frank than with anyone else.
And so you hid. You climbed into a stall, shut the door, and crouched on the toilet seat so your feet weren’t visible. With your heart pounding in your ears, tears streaking your face, and strangled muffled hiccups of sobs, you texted Frank first: Are you guys okay? And then your parents: I love you. And then Frank again: I’m in the bathroom. Please can we meet up? And then one final text: Thank you for everything.
By the time the police found you and ushered you out of the bathroom, the FBI had already had the scene under surveillance. Between the officers milling about, you caught glimpses of the Castle family on the ground, lifeless and bloody, blocked off by caution tape and being photographed by the forensics team.
Your heart plummeted, “Oh my God! No!” You screamed, trying to rush over to them but the police officer held you back. “Let me go! Frank! Lisa!” The legs you were trying to use to force your way through the officer’s gave out and you crumpled to the ground in a sobbing heap.
That was the last time you saw any of them.
*
Frank’s vigilante rampage as the Punisher had been all over the news and you had followed every story with immense investment. It was Frank, after all. In all honesty, you never agreed with the horrible things said about him on the news. You had known Frank for years and while you knew he had an undeniable violent streak, you knew he would never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. Despite his crimes, when news of his death broke, you were devastated. Yet here he was, standing right in front you, apparently your next door neighbor now.
Frank knew he needed to sort things out with you and fast. He put his hand out towards you and you flinched back instinctively, not because you were afraid of him but because this didn’t feel real. This couldn’t be real. He retracted and put his hand up to show he wasn’t gonna hurt you. “Look, I can explain, but you need to come inside. I can’t talk about it in the open,” he explained, gesturing towards the door of his apartment.
You looked at it cautiously, wondering if this was really the wisest decision. You had always trusted that Frank hadn’t really been in the wrong in his excursions but there was still gnawing anxiety as you thought about going through that door. But you needed to know. “Okay,” you nodded shakily and Frank opened the door again, leading you inside.
He clearly had just moved in. The pre-furnished apartment was practically as empty as it had been before a tenant moved in. Aside from the single duffel Frank had shouldered, there was one other bag on the kitchen table. You sat down on the old couch that had been worn down from the previous tenants and Frank sat beside you.
His brows seemed to be perpetually furrowed, a staple on his handsome face that showed the years of torture he had endured. He leaned forward on his knees and he ran his large hand through his hair in distress, “I know how crazy this looks-”
“Yeah,” you scoffed, “You’re supposed to be dead.”
“I know,” Frank sighed, “Look, I got a new identity now okay? You can call me Frank behind closed doors but if you see me in public, I’m Pete Castiglione.”
“Okay?” you looked at him expectantly, “That doesn’t explain anything. You were dead, Frank.”
Frank shook his head. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need you getting involved with his bullshit and he certainly didn’t need someone who knew him to screw up his chance at having a life again. “There were some bad people. The ones who- who killed my family,” there was a small pause as you both remembered that day so vividly, “I took care of it. But once the world found out I was still alive and being publicized as doin’ the things I was doin’, I had to disappear again.”
You took a moment to absorb the new information. Frank Castle, your long time neighbor turned vigilante (or mass murdered, depending on your outlook), was alive. You didn’t think too far into what ‘I took care of it’ meant. It was obvious.
“Well… you picked a hell of a place to disappear to,” you weakly attempted a joke, gesturing around the small apartment that had clearly seen better days (like, several decades ago).
Frank looked over his shoulder at his new residence, “Yeah, well, I just needed somewhere cheap. Don’t need nothin’ fancy.”
Silence settled over the two of you as you both mulled over what this now meant. In all honesty, you didn’t know what it meant for you. You were just glad Frank was alive. “Why don’t you come over for dinner?” You offered, nodding towards the wall that was shared with your apartment.
Frank shook his head, “Nah, I don’t want to put you out.”
“It looks like you haven’t had the chance to get any groceries yet and I’m telling you now that that Indian food place across the street is not worth it, if you know what I mean. I have to cook anyway so why don’t you just come over and not make me eat alone, yeah? Besides, there’s probably a lot to catch up on…”
Frank knew he couldn’t argue with that little smile you gave him, not that he wanted to. The thought of having something that resembled his life before all this pain was a glimmer of happiness that he tried to hide away because he knew it was only a matter of time before it was extinguished. But he really did want to catch up with you.
“Okay,” he agreed, “I’d like that.”
With a satisfied smile, you stood up and reshouldered your bag, “Good. Well I’m gonna go get started cause I’m starving. You’re more than welcome to come over now if you want.”
You stood beside the stove, stirring the components of the dish you’d been craving all week. The scent wafted through the air deliciously and you hummed in satisfaction when you sampled it. Frank stood opposite the little bar that also served as your counter. “You sure I can’t help with anything?”
You hummed, “Mhm! It’s almost done anyways. If you want a drink or something though, there might be wine in that cabinet.” You gestured to the cabinet to his right with the wooden spoon in your hand.
He pointed at it to double check that that was the one you were referring to and opened it, lifting down the bottle of rosé in there. He smirked at the label, “A friend of mine loves this one too.”
With a chuckle, you pulled down some plates and began to dish them up, “It’s a good one!”
“Yeah it is,” he smiled, remembering Sarah Lieberman, “Strong shit.”
Your brow quirked, “Didn’t strike me as a rosé kind of guy.”
Frank put a hand on his chest in feign offense, “Hey, I like more than beer and whiskey or whatever box you have me in in your head.”
Carrying a plate in each hand, you brought them over to the dining room table. You hustled back into the kitchen to retrieve two wine glasses and Frank joined you at the table, using the wine opener in the cabinet to uncork the clear glass bottle. His large hands poured the pink liquid with delicacy and he took his seat across from you.
You dove right in, your rumbling stomach ready to make itself a third party in this conversation. Frank took a bite too and his eyes widened. “Wow…”
“What?”
“That’s good,” he said amazed, pointing at the plate, “Definitely better than the take out I eat most of the time.”
You smiled, “Well now that you live next door, you don’t have to eat take out all the time.”
Frank covered his mouth while he chewed, brows furrowing as he shook his head, “I don’t want to bug you.”
You scoffed, “Please, you couldn’t bug me if you tried. It gets lonely anyways sometimes.” You reoccupied yourself with the food, an unexpected comfort having already settled over you and Frank.
Frank couldn’t help but watch you and wonder when the hell you had become a woman. He and Maria had bought the house next to yours just after she had had Lisa. You had to have been around fifteen when he first met you but it hadn’t been until about a year later when the two of you had had any significant interaction beyond a neighborly wave if you crossed each other in town. It wasn’t until that one night he found you drunkenly stumbling home after a party that the two of you ever really spoke more than pleasantries. After that, you babysat his children and practically became part of the family. Even after you graduated and left home, you’d stayed in touch. He knew he technically knew you as an adult but this was the first time he ever realized that you were a real woman.
“What?” You questioned, cheeks burning under his gaze that had been on you for a few too many seconds for comfort.
He shook his head and reached for his glass of wine, “Sorry just… you’ve grown up a lot since I last saw you.” Frank felt like such a creep. He had known you since you were in high school and had never felt anything more than friendship for you but now he looked at you and he felt a magnetism, like his heart was pulled towards you even though every fiber of his being told him it was wrong.
The memories of the last time you saw him threatened to slip through the wall you had it hidden behind but you quickly covered it with a chuckle, “It wasn’t that long ago. I was like 19 or 20 last time we saw each other.”
“There’s a lot of growin’ that happens in your twenties,” Frank defended before cautiously continuing, “But, uh, you look good.”
You smiled sincerely, “Thanks. I’ve definitely been trying. I had to redeem myself from that terrible haircut I had in high school.” You both laughed but Frank looked confused.
“Aw, c’mon, it wasn’t that bad!”
“I can guarantee it most definitely was,” you insisted, “I look back at my old yearbook photos and cringe.”
Frank sipped his wine, “Well, I never thought it was all that bad but I guess I’m not exactly model material myself.”
You mirrored his drink and set it down with a sigh, as if you already regretted what you were about to admit but something was still compelling you to confess anyways. “Nah…” you started with a slight concealing chuckle.
After the exhaustion of the work day and the high emotions of seeing Frank again, the voice in your head that monitored your words stood no chance against the minimal wine you’d ingested. “You know, speaking of high school, I used to have a kind of a crush on you.” You saw how his eyes widened a little at your admission so you continued, waving the idea away, “It was silly, really.“
Frank couldn’t believe you told him. For years, he’d harbored your secret for you, one you yourself were unaware of sharing. He’d never expected you to tell him. "Y’know, I feel bad admittin’ it but I actually knew,” he confessed with a gruff clearing of his throat.
You rolled your eyes, totally not believing him, “What do you mean you knew? How could you have possibly known?”
He crossed his thick arms across his chest and leaned back, eyes locking on a spot on the table, finding it easier than seeing the impending embarrassment that was sure to fall on your face. With an awkward chuckle, he started explaining, “You remember that night back in high school when I found you stumblin’ home drunk ‘n gave you a ride home?”
You nodded along to his story, hiding behind your wine glass while looking over the rim at him once you realized where this was going, “Yeah. I mean no, not really, but yeah.” You chuckled, the majority of that night having been a blur of patchy memories. He gave you a look that you knew meant that you must have done what you had always fought to conceal and your face fell, “I didn’t…”
Frank chuckled but gave you an apologetic look, “Yeah… yeah you did.”
Your eyes squeezed tight and you lightly bonked the mostly empty wine glass against your forehead, wishing it could conceal how absolutely mortified you were. Suddenly, you leaned forward, both hands twisting the stem of your wine glass. “So you’re telling me you knew all these years?”
He wiped his hand across this face, concealing the heat in his cheeks and the goofy smile on his lips, “I did.”
You groaned and plopped your forehead onto the wooden table, “Ugh, I’m gonna go crawl in a hole.”
Frank rolled his eyes, “Nah, don’t worry about it. It was actually kinda cute.”
You laughed, downing the rest of your wine in one gulp. You wiped your mouth, swallowing hard, “Well, I’m glad you thought so…” This was humiliating. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so embarrassing if you didn’t still have feelings for him. It was just socute.
“I always had an ugly mug so I can’t lie, I was a little flattered when you said it,” Frank chuckled, trying to cushion the embarrassment he hadn’t intended for you to feel.
You shook your head, “You’ve never been ugly, Frank. I could never figure out why you always seemed to think so.”
Your fingertip traced lightly around the rim of your glass as silence befell your conversation. The two of you sat in the new quietness but still, all you felt was the awkwardness of this new information lingering over the two of you. Although, technically you supposed it was just new to you… Frank had known for years.
Unable to bear the tension any longer, you stood up abruptly and made your way to the wine bottle on the counter, your back to Frank at the table. You refilled your glass, probably a little too full, and sipped deeply from it. Behind you, Frank’s chair scraped against the hardwood floor and the wood creaked beneath the shift of his heavy weight.
“Did you want some more?” You offered over your shoulder, turning towards him with the bottle in your hand only to be taken aback by Frank’s large body already towering over your frame. You jumped back, hands gripping the countertop out of instinct, “Wooh! Sorry,” you chuckled, his close proximity making butterflies flutter wildly in your stomach, “Didn’t expect you there…”
Frank’s eyes were lowered towards the ground as he fidgeted the wine glass between his large hands but his brow was furrowed, something heavy on his mind. “Look, uh, I don’t want you feelin’ weird or nothin’ about what you said to me all those years ago. I know that was then and things have probably changed after everything that’s happened. But, shit, this is probably so fucking wrong of me to say but you are beautiful. And I don’t know if sayin’ that just makes me some creepy old man but…” He stopped, unable to find the right words to say next. Maybe there were no right words. Maybe he’d already said all the wrong ones.
You gawked at Frank and his confession, your brain struggling to comprehend his words. There was no way Frank was saying those words to you. There was no way he was looking at you like that, with wide desperate eyes, hoping you would say anything to dispel the disgust he felt now towards himself.
After a few moments had passed, his face fell for just a moment before he replaced it with that mask he wore so often. He cleared his throat and set the wine glass on the counter. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have said anything,” He turned to leave before muttering, “Thanks for dinner.”
You panicked when you saw him head for the door and chased after him. “Wait!” Your hand fell on his shoulder from behind and when he turned his large shoulders to face you, you quickly stood on your tiptoes and leaned up to press your lips to his. Your eyes were squeezed shut but you felt his surprise. Frank’s firm muscles tensed beneath your hands. He stumbled backwards from the unexpected weight of your body against his, before catching you around the waist with his broad hands. For a moment, he moved his head back but only in shock. He never pulled away.
His lips were surprisingly soft against yours, moving in better unison than you ever could have imagined in your teenage fantasies. Frank’s hands smoothed down your body respectfully, landing on the junction between the small of your back and your waist. When your calves began to quake from standing on your toes, you regretfully pulled yourself away from Frank.
You looked up at him, wide nervous eyes waiting to see his reaction. Waiting to watch him head for the door again because maybe he’d made up his mind already. Waiting to hear him tell you this was wrong and you couldn’t continue. Waiting to hear him say you had somehow misinterpreted what he had said.
But he did none of those.
Instead, he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you close, a surprising gentleness behind the desperation of his touch. Your hands came to the side of his face as your lips met again, deep and passionate. Years of affection for the man swelled in your heart, overwhelming your senses with nothing but Frank. Your brain short-circuited and you almost lost track of the world around you.
Frank’s large body pressed into yours, his weight pressing you backwards as he pulled your waist into his body deeply and throwing you off balance. He walked with you, supporting your stumbling weight before you butted up against the counter. Frank’s hands snaked under your thighs, encompassing the flesh tightly and lifting you with ease, so much so that it surprised you even with his incredibly muscular build. He set you on the cool countertop but you clung to him tightly still, pulling him in by his shirt and feeling his muscles ripple beneath your touch.
At this new height, Frank’s pelvis now rutted against your core with every shift and rock of your bodies. Frank groaned when you rocked your hips against his impressive bulge but then he stopped moving, his hands gripping the tops of your thighs like he was restraining himself. His forehead rested against yours and his eyes squeezed shut tight. Frank shook his head and he panted out, voice deep and gruff, “I-I don’t want to hurt you.”
You pulled back and looked up at him confused, “You’re not gonna hurt me.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of you,” he clarified, his fingers coming up to brush your arms so softly, careful as if you were porcelain that would crack under the slightest pressure.
“I’m an adult now. I have been for several years. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, I understand and we can stop but…” you paused for a moment, taking a shaky breath, “I’ve liked you for a long long time Frank, and I’d like to continue… if you’ll have me.”
He exhaled sharply and glanced at the ground with a smirk of disbelief, “If I’ll have you? I’d have to be stupid to say no.”
“Then kiss me,” you looked up at him through thick lashes that did nothing to conceal the way your doe eyes bore unapologetically into Frank’s own. You were done hiding your feelings for him. There was no reason to anymore.
Frank tilted his jaw, pressing his lips against yours with so much care, so much reverence, so much respect. Like you were the most important thing in his life. It was different from your last few kisses. Before it was hot and sudden and wrong. Now Frank saw a beautiful woman whom he cared about so deeply and who he knew understood him and his pain because she was the only other person who had been there that day that was still alive. And this beautiful woman who deserved so much in this world was begging him to kiss her.
The way Frank gently slipped his tongue between your lips knocked the wind from your chest. Never had you been kissed like this before. Never had a person held you with so much care. Your fingers scrunched against the short hair on the back of his head, pulling him close and never wanting to let him go. As you did so, you leaned your body back, using your soft hands on his face to gently guide him along but a large hand slid up your thigh and splayed across your back, supporting your back.
“Uh-uh,” he hummed in protest against your lips and shook his head, pulling back and looking down at you with furrowed brows.
“What?” You asked with concern, propping yourself up with a hand on the counter behind you though it was unnecessary as Frank had you fully supported.
His hands slipped down to your ass and used it to pull your body off the counter. Your legs instinctively wrapped around his hips and you clung to him as he carried you off to your bedroom, knowing where it was as your apartment mirrored his. “I’m not just gonna fuck you on the kitchen counter,” Frank said, his voice pure gravelly sex.
Expecting to be thrown on the mattress, you braced yourself but instead you were set down gently only to be crawled over slowly. Frank’s lips graced the bit of skin that showed from where your shirt had come untucked from your pants. His fingers released the buttons one by one, kissing each inch of skin as it was revealed until your bra was exposed.
You propped yourself up and shrugged the cloth from your shoulders. You reached down and lifted Frank’s shirt up, only to be assisted by Frank pulling it up and over his head. Your mouth fell as you saw the scars that decorated his body. Large misshapen islands of flesh, some raised, some sunken, were scattered across his chest and his arms.
Your fingers gingerly traced over what you could only assume was a bullet wound on the front part of shoulder. Just as your middle finger made contact with his skin, Frank’s hand encompassed your much smaller one with ease and pressed your palm flat onto an unscarred part of his pectoral. The weight of his hand pushing yours deeper into his skin made the thumping of his heart vivid against your palm.
He looked down at where your skin met and then to your eyes that were admiring his body, muscles and scars and all. You looked at him like he was worthy of being loved and not just like a murderer.
With your hand staying in place, you shifted up onto your knees and you pressed your lips to every disfigurement in sight, starting low and working your way up to a final peck on his forehead. Frank’s eyes slid closed, no longer familiar with such a gentle touch and desperate to feel it in its entirety because otherwise he’d convince himself it wasn’t there.
With Frank’s eyes still closed, you pressed a final kiss to his lips. He breathed you in, his hand on yours holding you tight while his other scooped your lower back to press you back down to the mattress. His knees pinned you between his legs as his lips assaulted yours. Slowly, his calloused fingertips ghosted over the tops of your breasts, goosebumps pebbling in their wake. His short nails gently scratched your soft skin as he pulled the cup of your bra down, grazing your nipples as he did so.
Frank’s lips moved to your neck, short stubble scratching deliciously against your sensitive skin. While two of his fingers gently twisted and rolled your left bud, his other hand groped the other with expertise. A high sound of ecstasy slipped from your lips.
Your hands moved to tangle in his hair, finding it too short to be satisfying so you pulled at the broad muscular expanse of his back. “Frank-” you moaned breathily.
The more your hands explored each others’ bodies, the more Frank rutted his hips against your core. It was close but not quite enough for you.
You lifted your body, keeping Frank close as you did so. At the angle Frank rose with you, you were able to twist and lift your leg over the backs of his own. In actual combat, Frank would have easily stopped the action but he flowed with your movement, allowing you to roll the pair of you so that you now straddled his body.
The bulge restrained in his jeans was clear, although you didn’t need to see it to know. Your hands moved to his belt, undoing it and pulling it free from the loops of his jeans. You slid his zipper down and he sighed as some of the pressure was finally released. He lifted his hips to help you pull his jeans from his body, leaving him in black boxer-briefs that left little to the imagination.
You stood from the bed and shimmied your own pants and underwear to the floor before crawling back atop him, running your hands over his growing erection and back down again. You squeezed him through the cotton and his hips bucked into your hand.
Frank watched you in pure bliss as you reached behind you and unclasped your bra, throwing it to the side. You sat over him, core glistening wet and ready to be adored, breasts perfect and free. Your lips were swollen and your eyes were dark when they flickered from his dick to meet his burning gaze.
Finally, you released his member, hardly surprised at his impressive size. Frank was a large man and this part of him was no exception.
You crawled up his body, knees resting on either side of his hips. As you lowered your lips to his neck, you ground your hips back, your slick rubbing along his length. Now that you had skin on skin contact, small jolts of pleasure began to spark when his smooth head bumped against your clit.
After a few minutes of grinding against his length, you reached between your bodies and took his erection in your hand. A coat of wetness that had dripped from you made it easy for your hand to glide along his skin as you pumped him. Carefully, you guided him to your entrance, rubbing his tip along your slit, teasing your own clit before lowering down onto him.
Frank’s fingers dug into the flesh of your back and it took everything in his being to keep his eyes from closing - he just needed to see the way your face contorted in pleasure as you sank down. After a few test movements, you leaned forward, bracing yourself on your elbow beside Frank’s head while your other held his face. His knees bent behind you, your ass slapping against his thighs as you picked up pace.
A low moan rolled from your throat. At this angle, he stimulated every delicious spot inside of you and your clit rubbed against his lower stomach in a way that caused your muscles to spasm around Frank.
He grunted animalistically every time your walls fluttered around him. Frank was lost in you. Your body was so soft and delicate in comparison to his, encompassing him physically and emotionally in a cocoon of warmth he never wanted to leave.
Your body began to ache. Your thighs burned but the coil inside of you had just begun to wind up and you were not about to lose it. Frank felt the quake in your legs and rescued you when his hands gripped your hips and started moving your body.
Your face twisted in pleasure and your head fell in the crook of his neck. Your hot breath came out in pants as you bit on his shoulder to restrain your high pitched squeals of pleasure. The way his calloused hands squeezed your soft ass just augmented the pleasure in your core.
“Frank,” you whined loudly, toes curling.
Frank knew exactly what your whine meant. He could feel how close you were getting and he was right there with you. “You close?” He asked, his growl breaking down any barriers you had in the way between you and your orgasm.
“Mhm!” You squealed, nodding against his skin, “‘M so close, Frank.”
He began to thrust up into you, meeting your hips as he pushed them back. All that could be heard was skin on skin, heavy breathing, and desperate sounds of pleasure. You clenched around him, driving him close to the brink himself but he held back, wanting to prolong this moment. “Let go, sweetheart,” he growled in encouragement in your ear, the vibrations of his voice in his chest resonating through your own chest that had collapsed him.
“Oh my-” you were cut off by your orgasm crashing through your body. Wave after wave of pleasure rocked through your body and if your arms hadn’t already given out, they would have now.
Frank stroked you through your orgasm but knew he needed to pull out of the vice grip that became your body if he had any chance of not busting inside of you. Once your body began to relax again, he used minimal effort to roll you over, supporting your weight as he did so, and slipped out of you. He stroked his length hard and fast, squeezing tighter at the head.
One more look at you, breasts rising and falling with each breath, your hair messily muttered across the pillows, your thighs shiny with drying wetness, your lips plump and moist, was all it took. Frank busted in his hand with a restrained groan, painting your stomach in warm white ribbons in spurt after spurt of his release.
The two of you stayed like that for a few moments, his hands coming to rest on your splayed thighs and your hand in your hair as you tried to slow your breathing. Without warning, Frank stood up, the true glory of his broad muscular body coming into full view, shining with a thin layer of sweat. He disappeared into the bathroom just outside your room and returned with a warm damp washcloth. “‘M sorry,” he apologized as he wiped his cum from your skin.
“Why?” You propped yourself up on one elbow and watched with fucked-out curiosity. You flinched a little when the rag got close to your still sensitive core but also because this tender act of cleaning you off was new.
“Because,” he started before wiping his hands off on the same rag, “I don’t know… it just felt rude to do that… y’know, on you.”
You giggled, “Well, I’d rather you do iton me thanin me or on my sheets. It’s a lot easier to take a shower than it is to fix those other two problems.”
Frank tossed the rag into the pile of clothes on the floor, a problem better left for later. You scooted up to the pillows and folded the sheets down on his side of the bed, signaling for him to join you beneath them. He did without hesitation, sliding beside you and facing you. You lied on your side and looked up at him, head resting on your arm.
Gosh, he was beautiful and he treated you so well. Your teenage jealousy had been right: if he treated Maria this way, she was such a lucky woman.
“Well this is certainly not how I saw today going…” you commented with a small chuckle.
He inhaled deeply and nodded, “Yeah, me neither.”
There was a pause before you admitted quietly, “I’m glad you’re okay, Frank…. When I heard that you’d died, I was devastated.”
Frank watched as your face fell at the mere thought of losing him and he instinctively wrapped his arm around you. “‘M not going anywhere,” he reassured, kissing the top of your head.
You burrowed closer into his body, not realizing how starved for his touch you still were. Frank’s body radiated heat, warming your bare form. The scent of his cologne swirled with his own musk and the detergent on your sheets to dance around your senses, making you want to curl up in this spot with nothing but Frank and never leave. The two of you had been through so much together that, far beyond your immature teenage fantasies, it felt natural that it would come down to the both of you like this, holding each other tightly as you drifted off to sleep.
Summary - (Y/N) Is a Matt Murdocks 14 year old daughter who is just entering high school and is really struggling. She doesn’t have a regular life having a blind father. He can’t help with homework, Can’t give her a have a ride to school, He can’t see how often her face falls when she lies to him. Of course she has her Uncle Foggy and Aunt Karen but (Y/N) feels like to much of a burden until the one and only Frank Castle comes into her life and seems to be more of a father figure then her own father.
You haven’t left your room in quite some time now. Most of the time you wait for your father to leave for work before doing anything. Occasionally he would come to check on you but it seemed like you were dead to the world.
Foggy would come visit and sit with you and read. That was something he use to do when you were younger. Karen would visit and give you updates on how Frank is doing and that he wonders about you. You would nod and respond to her more then anybody else. You are currently laying in bed ear buds in and eyes closed. You feel the vibrations of your door opening but don’t move. There is a comforting hand rubbing your back. You undo your ear buds and turn around. “Hey Auntie…” You mumble. “Hey Honey… It is time to get ready.” She says in a soft tone with a smile on her face. “Get ready for what?” You ask looking up at her. “We are going to go out and have a little girls day. I think it will be fun.” She says rubbing your shoulder. “I am not taking ‘No’ for an answer. You have been here for a long time and I know you are missing assignments for your online classes.” You let out a huff. “I have been working on them… Just when no one is around.” Karen smiles and nods. “You get a nice outfit and take a good shower and we will head out okay?” She asks and you nod. You get up and look in the mirror seeing your greasy hair and pajamas you haven’t changed out of since that night. Karen walks out to let you get ready. You put your phone on the charger then grab your clothes.
After a good thirty minute shower you come out dressed in a comfortable outfit. “You ready sweetie?” Karen asks and you nod holding your phone close to you. “So I was thinking we could go out for lunch and maybe catch a movie then head back to my apartment.” You give a small smile. “You can spend the night. I talked to Matt and he said it is okay. Only if you want to.” “I want to.” You say as you both exit the apartment. “You still have clothes from the last time you were over so don’t worry about it.” You link arms with Karen as you both travel to her car. Getting in the passenger seat you turn on the radio. “So where do you want to go first? Movie or Lunch?” You pause and say “How about lunch. I don’t really want to go to a movie… If that is okay with you.” You say looking out the window. “Of course honey we can watch a movie at my place.” Karen frowns slightly starting the car. "So where do you want to go for lunch?“ Karen asks and you shrug. Karen sighs and continues to drive. "Would you like to cook instead? We can go to the store and grab something.” She says and you just nod. Karen begins their journey to the store and continues to glance over at you. You can feel her stare and it was annoying but you wouldn’t tell her that. “So how have your online classes been hun?” She asks and you shrug and mumble a small “fine.” Karen pulls up to the grocery store and sighs. “Honey I want to help but I can’t if you won’t talk to me.” She says and you groan. “I don’t want to talk about it Karen. Please just drop it.” You say exiting the car and starting toward the store. Karen was shocked by your response. You have never been snappy with her so whatever happened between seeing you last and now must be very upsetting. She decides to drop the subject and get inside to find you.
Gathering food seemed to be a bit of a hassle since you didn’t have any appetite. You felt like you were in a daze for a long time and suddenly you were in the car again heading to Karen’s apartment. “I’m sorry…” You mumble and Karen looks over. “For what hon?” She asks and you sigh. “I snapped at you. I didn’t mean to it’s just everything is so stressful…” Karen nods. “There is no need to apologize. We all have those days.” Karen gives a small smile as she pulls up to her apartment building. “Come on. We have ice cream that can’t go to waste!” you nod and give a small smile getting out of the car. You help collect the groceries and make the journey up the stairs and to the apartment. Karen fumbles getting the door open and giggles. “Don’t judge me. My hands are full.” You smile some more as the door opens and you both stumble inside. You walk into the small kitchen area and set the groceries down. “Now we have a whole lot of ingredients so what do you want to make?” Karen asks as you are unpacking the groceries. “Can we make (Y/F/F)?” You ask and Karen nods. “Of course! Lets get this party started!” She says throwing the grocery bags into the recycling bin. Karen looks at you as you shuffle your feet. “Honey?” She asks and you look up at her. “Yeah Auntie?” You respond. “You know you can talk to me right?” You nod and go up and hug her. “Everything is just so hard…” You say burying your head into her shoulder. “I know sweetie… Everything will be okay…” You shake your head. “It won’t! I feel like my dad isn’t my dad anymore.” Karen leads you over to her couch. “What do you mean?” She asks looking at you. “It’s like… It’s like I don’t know him anymore… I feel like a burden most of the time.” “Honey you are in no way a burden. You are an absolute angel!” Karen exclaims but you shake your head. “He tells me that as well. He tells me I’m not but he does things that make it seem like I am.” You clench your fists. “He isn’t how I remember him but I get that people change. It is just hard to adjust… All I feel is anger towards him and I hate feeling that way…” You sigh. Karen nods along with what you are saying. “How about we not think of your dad and just have fun.” You nod and stand up heading to the kitchen.
It is later in the evening as you both are watching TV snacking on sweets and other junk foods after dinner. You both are laughing at some weird show when there is a crash from the bedroom. “What was that?” You whisper and Karen looks at you. “I don’t know…” She whispers back. Another crash resonates from there and Karen quickly stands up dragging you with her. She takes you to the hallway closet next to the bathroom. “Stay here okay?” She says opening the door. “What no!” You whisper. “I want to stay wi-” Karen shoves you in before shutting the door. “Call Frank or Matt okay?” She whispers through the door before speeding to her purse in the kitchen. All you hear is her scream and some crashing sound before there was silence. You quickly dial the first number in your contacts which happened to be your fathers. You hold the phone to your ear silently praying that Karen is okay. When he answers you quickly say. “Someone broke into Karen’s place and I don’t know what to do!” You whisper. “What? (Y/N) are you ok-” “I’m fine and I am hiding. I’m just scared dad… I need you. P-Please come here and see if Karen is okay!” You whimper. “Okay (Y/N) stay calm I am right here. I need to get dressed and I will head right over. Stay on the phone okay?” You nod and say a quiet 'Okay’ “I am coming for you okay? I will be there soon just stay quiet.” You nod as tears make there way down your cheek. “Is she going to be ok-” “(Y/N) I know you are scared okay? I know but you need to be quiet. We don’t know if anyone can hear you. I love you so much okay? Just stay quiet I am right here.” He says you sniffle and try to keep your sobs as small as possible. “I see her apartment okay? I am entering now.” He says and you can hear footsteps walking across the apartment when suddenly the door open. You let out a shriek and cover yourself when suddenly you are embraced. “Hey, hey, shh it’s okay I’m here now…” Matt says petting your hair. You look up at him and see that he is in his Daredevil outfit. You feel slightly intimidated.
“Now tell me what happened.” Matt says and you nod trying your best to calm down. T-There was a huge crash in her room and then she told me to hide!“ You say moving from his embrace and look around. You see that there were definite signs of a struggle. "Is she here?! Where is she!” You cry and Matt comes up behind you. “The Hand took her… That is the only possible explanation.” He says tilting his head and listening to the surroundings. “Then we need to go after her!” “ 'We’ are not doing anything! You are staying here!” Matt says. “I-I can’t stay! They could come back here! I am safer with you.” You say firmly. “No you aren’t I need to go after them but you are right. They could come back.” He says and paces for a few seconds. “Okay so here is what you are going to do.” You nod and walk closer to him. “You are going to go home. Straight. Home. No detours.” “Bu-” “You are going to stay out of sight, take alleyways and stay away from large crowds.” “But da-” “No buts!” Matt shouts. “This is to keep you safe. I know it might be a long walk but you have to do this for me.” You sigh and nod. “When you get home you are going to lock yourself in your room and barricade the door. You will call me once that is done.” You nod “Dad… I’m scared…” Matt walks up to you and hugs you again. “Look at me…” He says and you look up at him. “I promise everything will be okay. I will come back to you. Now you need to go.” He says letting you go and you nod. You go toward the door but he grabs your wrist. “No take the fire escape. We don’t know if there are people waiting for you outside that door.” He says and you nod. “I love you dad…” You say walking up to the window. “I love you too Sweetpea…” He says as you exit.
You have never felt this much fear in your life. You try your best being as quiet as possible and trying not to attract any attention. When you see your apartment building in the distance you make a mad dash to the fire escape leading into the living room. You rush to the kitchen and grab a knife before going to your room and slamming the door closed. You push your dresser against the door before climbing underneath your bed. You take in a few deep breaths before calling your dad. The phone rings for a few seconds before you hear a voice. a mutter of someone saying “goddammit there are to many to count.” As you are listening you hear what sounds like your dad and Elektra. “Wait, wait .Wait for one second. One second. So, what if What if from now on, if if we make it wherever you run, I run with you?” You hear your dad say and your eyes widen. “You’re not serious. You have a daughter Matthew.” Elektra says with some mix of annoyance and shock in her tone. “I’ve never been more serious. This, Elektra, this is a part of me that I need and you’re the only one who gets it.” Your eyes begin to tear up. 'Why is he saying this?’ You ask yourself as he continues to say “ Without this, I’m not alive. I’m not. Not really and I know that now, thanks to you.” Suddenly your fears of abandonment resurface. He just said not to long ago that he would come back to you. You have always assumed that you would be his first choice. Your his daughter for Christ’s sake. You place a hand over your mouth to keep quiet as you listen. “I don’t know what we are together, and if we have any chance in the future I don’t… But I do know that I’m free with you. Like with no one else.” You can hear from his tone that he is being genuine and you don’t know what hurts more. That he has with-held this from you or that what you actually thought was a nightmare is coming true. You space for a moment as you drown in thought when you are brought back by the sound of Elektra’s voice. “Uh, I say let’s go to London. Yeah? Madrid. Tunisia. There are sexy places to hide. "Hey, I’ve never been further north than 116th Street, so…” Matt says with a light tone. A tone he hasn’t had in a long time it seems. “Because you love New York and you love your daughter. You are really willing to give her up for me?” Elektra asks and there is a pause on Matts side.
That pause tells you enough and you hang up before letting out a sob. The fact that he had to think about tells you that you are not much of a priority. You have never felt so much pain before. You were sure you were having a heart attack. You look at your phone and go to another contact on your phone. “F-Frank…” You sob into the phone when he answers. “Kid? Kid what’s wrong. You know this is only for emerganc-” “Frank!” You sob again as you try to form coherent words but fail miserably. “Hey, hey, hey… Calm down for a second… What’s wrong?” Frank says in the best calming voice he can muster. “I-I-” You cut yourself off with a sob. “Okay kid listen. I am going to be at the sandwich shop in 12 minutes you meet me there and we can talk okay?” He asks and you let out a croaky 'Okay’ and he hangs up. You crawl out of your bed slowly holding the knife to your chest. You toss it aside as you push your dresser out of the way of the door. You go back to the window with the fire escape and crawl out. It is well into the night as you look up at the starless sky. You try your best to keep to yourself hiding your tears from on lookers. You make your way to the Alley way and do the usual routine of getting on the industrial garbage can and climbing up the ladder. As you get to the top you see that Frank isn’t there yet and sit against the ledge in front of the stools that were already present. You bring your knees to your chest and hide your face in them. You don’t know how much time has passed but you hear someone climbing up the ladder. You just sigh. You don’t have the energy to fight. If you die now you wouldn’t care. Neither would your da- Matthew. You look up to see Frank crouching next to you. You lurch forward and latch onto him. Frank grunts at the impact. “Hey… What’s going on?” You begin to speak but he stops you and pulls away from you. He places your hand on his chest and says. “Take some deep breaths with me okay?” He asks as he does deep breathing. You follow suit letting out small sobs in between.
“Now tell me what is going on…” Frank says concerned as he sits fully on the ground. “H-He is going to leave me! He promised he wouldn’t but he is!” You say in a whimper. “Who?” Frank asks. “My dad… He was talking to that woman you mentioned.” You say sniffling. “What did he say?” He asks and you take in a deep breath. “He was talking about running away with her. About going to London and other sexy places to hide. ” You say looking down. “The only time I was mentioned was by that woman and he would dismiss it completely!” “He… He wouldn’t say that…” Frank says seemingly trying to convince himself. You can feel the anger radiating off of him. “I heard him… Karen got kidnapped and he was going to go after the people that did it.” You say standing up and Frank follows suit. “He said to call him once I get home and I did. He must have accidently answered or something because I heard all of it.” “I… I’m sorry kid…” Frank says in a solemn tone. “He lied to me. He said that I was the best thing that happened to him and he lied!” You exclaim. “Now th-” “Don’t you dare say that, that isn’t true! He hesitated!” Your voice rising with anger. “When she asked if he would leave me here for her he didn’t say shit! He paused and that was enough of an answer!” You shout as tears start going down your face again. “Go and fucking leave. I don’t care anymore!” You shout and lean over the ledge. “Go and die you fucking asshole! You hear me! Go be with your college hooker and go DIE!” You shout at the top of your lungs. Frank yanks you away from the ledge and hugs you. He cradles your head to his chest muffling your cries. Your knees buckle and Frank follows you to the ground. Footsteps can be heard behind you both and Frank looks toward it. You look up and see Matthew and another sob rips from your chest. “D-Don’t make me go with him please!” You say hiding your face in his chest. “Kid yo-” “No! NO! I am not going back! He doesn’t want me!” “(Y/N) That’s not tr-” “Yes it is! I heard you on the phone… I mean nothing to you. You made that clear…” You sniffle. “Please let’s just go home and I can explain!” Matthew pleads but you shake your head. Frank shields you from him before speaking. “Is what she’s saying true Red?” He asks and Matthew pauses. “I didn’t mean i-” “I didn’t ask if you didn’t mean it I asked if it is true…” Frank says rubbing your back with soothing circles. “I said some things… But I didn’t mean it! (Y/N) I would never abandon you I-” You scream at the top of your lungs silencing him. “I don’t care what you have to say any more!” You shout and follow with a quiet. “I don’t care… It doesn’t matter to me anymore…"Matthew walks up to the pair of you and crouches. "What can I do to make this better?” Matthew asks. You take a few deep breaths before saying. “Nothing… You can never make this better. ” You say and remove yourself from Frank. “You have to live with that. You can’t do anything to make this go away and I hope it’s as painful for you as it is for me.” You walk toward the ladder. “See you later Frank…” You say climbing down and walking into the night.
Summary-(Y/N) Is a Matt Murdocks 14 year old daughter who is just entering high school and is really struggling. She doesn’t have a regular life having a blind father. He can’t help with homework, Can’t give her a have a ride to school, He can’t see how often her face falls when she lies to him. Of course she has her Uncle Foggy and Aunt Karen but (Y/N) feels like to much of a burden until the one and only Frank Castle comes into her life and seems to be more of a father figure then Matt ever has.
You decided to sneak out. You felt uncomfortable being in that apartment with the things you just witnessed. Now that you discovered that he -your father- has superhuman powers you wondered how far his hearing actually goes. What you also find surprising is that Frank could have killed your dad and you felt the urge to confront him about it but you weren’t sure if he knew his identity.
You make a right turn onto a familiar street of where the sandwich shop is situated. You turn into the neighboring alley and climb onto an industrial trash can before taking a leap and grabbing onto the ladder. the ladder falls and you begin to climb. As you reach the top of the building you see a figure on the far side looking out onto the street. You walk up to it and can now see Frank. He pulls up another stool that was left up there and places a sandwich on it. You pick up the sandwich and sit next to him. “How’d it go kid?” Frank asks taking a bite out of his own sandwich. “You knew I would come didn’t you…” You ask looking at the side of his face and he nods. “I just wanted to be sure.” He says looking up at the sky. “It didn’t go well…” Frank only grunts in response. “He was with some woman and they were practically naked on the couch.” Frank glances over at you and you continue. “I got upset because he has made no initiative to contact me.” You grip your sandwich tight. “And that bitch had the audacity to tell me to calm down.” Frank chuckles at your vulgar language. “He even sided with her and sent me to my room.” You unwrap your sandwich and take a bite. “He apologized after I told him how I felt. He came in there because he wanted to talk about my ‘attitude’ which I feel like I had a reason to feel that way.” Frank nods. “You do.” You nodded in response. “I still feel so alone though. My friends are gone… I feel like I only have you and Karen left… I feel expendable…” Frank sighs and wraps an arm around your shoulder. “No way in hell are you even close to expendable. Your dad is shit for making you feel that way.” You nod and sigh leaning your head on his shoulder.
“Get away from her Frank…” Your fathers voice seems to have lowered anger evident in his voice. You move to look at him and see him in his Dare Devil attire. Frank removes his comforting arm and looks at him. “What do you want Red?” He asks turning back to the ledge he was looking over. “I am not going to let you hurt her…” You decide to stay where you are and stay silent. “I don’t hurt innocent people Red you know that.” Frank says in annoyance. “(Y/N) go home.” Daredevil says and Frank smirks. “So your the shitbag father I take it.” A growl rumbles in Matts chest. “Frank I didn’t say that…” You mumble looking down picking at the wrapper of your sandwich. Your dad takes a few steps toward you when Frank steps in front of you. “Move out of the way Frank.” Matt growls. “No. You were out of line and she deserves some space.” Frank says. “Yeah but that space isn’t suppose to be around you! How do you know her?” Matt says stepping closer his head tilted to the side slightly. “We met outside the church and then I saved her that following night.” Matt pauses and Frank takes that as a sign to continue. “Where was the great Daredevil then? They would have killed her that night if it weren’t for me!” Frank says raising his voice. “And what would you have done if you were there huh? You would mosey them down to the police station and when they are let out in a couple of years they would do it again!” Frank says. “But here’s a question. Would you have saved her in time?” “You know I wou-” “Then where were you that night?” This question stops Matt. His head turns in the direction of your heart beat. You look back at him and sigh before standing up and walking over to the two of them. “I will be home soon okay? I just want to finish my sandwich with Frank…” Matts shoulders drop and he sighs. “Get home safe…” And then he was gone.
You and Frank are now sitting at the ledge again. “So your dads a vigilante huh?” You nod. “Yeah… He just told me but whatever.” You say taking another bite of your sandwich. “So why are you here? I thought you had to 'Take out the trash.’ ” Frank chuckles. “I can have a little break once in a while.” You nod again. “I don’t think we will ever be the same after this.” You say referring to your father. Frank sighs. “And maybe it won’t be… But you need to learn to adapt. You can’t look at your father through a child like lens anymore.” You look at him willing him to continue. “People change and you aren’t five anymore so the image you have of your dad isn’t as magical as it use to be.” Frank looks down at his watch and sighs before reaching for his ammo back pulling out a box of donuts. “Happy Birthday kid…” He says opening the box. The donuts are in the shape of the number '15’ and you smile hugging him. “Thank you Frank!” You look at your phone to see that it is just past midnight. He sets it on the ledge and you both begin to eat. You both decide to sit in a comfortable silence. After the fourth or fifth donut Frank speaks up. “I think it is best we get you home.” You tense up as he says this. “Do you think he hates me?” You ask and Frank shakes his head. “No he doesn’t. You saw how worried he was when you were with me. I can tell that he loves you. You just need to see it.” He says standing up closing the donut box and picking up his ammo bag slinging it over his shoulder. He pats you on the shoulder and you quickly stand up grabbing both your sandwich and the box of donuts and follow him down the ladder.
You find yourself back on your home street and look back at Frank. “Thank you Frank.” You say with a small smile and he sighs placing a hand on your head before dragging you into a hug. “You are going to be alright kid.” You nod pulling away. “See you around Frank!” You say walking down the road seeing Frank disappear as you enter your apartment building. When you enter your home you see your dad sitting on the couch. You set the donuts and your half eaten sandwich down and stand by the counter not knowing what to do. “(Y/N) can you come here for a second?” He asks and you walk up to him sitting in a chair adjacent from the couch. “You know I love you right?” He asks and you pause for a moment before answering. “Yes, I know dad.” You say. “I would like to talk to you about Frank.” He says and you tense up. “What about him?” You ask looking out the window to your left. “I think it is best if you don’t talk to him anymore.” “What why!” You exclaim. “Because he is dangerous and you could get hurt! You have to understand that I am trying to protect you!” Matt says trying to keep his cool. “He has been the only one there for me this entire time! He saved me and I owe my life to him!” You say standing up as your voice begins to raise. “And how can you possibly protect me! Those guys that tried to kill me weren’t after Dare Devil they were after Matt Murdock the Lawyer!” Matt “looks” up at you. “He was the only one who didn’t treat me like glass aside from Karen after that. He has let me vent! He has helped me with homework! He has given me very good advice!” You yell. “You haven’t been present at all and yeah there are some good times but that is if and only if you need to apologize for something!” You have tears welling in your eyes as you begin to pace. “I am trying my best (Y/N).” Matt says. “Sometimes your best isn’t good enough dad! You leave me here feeling neglected! Like I am some kind of chore for you to raise!” Tears start to fall over your cheeks. “I miss my old dad! Before you started your own practice! Before the nannies! And sure as hell before all the vigilante bullshit!” You let out a sob. “And I’m sorry for everything… I don’t mean to disrespect you but this is just how I feel.” Matt stands up and makes his way toward you. “I feel like my only support system is Karen and Frank and I don’t want one of them to disappear…” Matt brings you in for a hug and you latch yourself on to him. He kisses the top of your head. He doesn’t say anything as he leads you toward your room and tucking you into bed. You hold out your hand and he grabs it sitting in a chair that is next to your bed. He continues to hold it until you fall asleep.
Summary-(Y/N) Is a Matt Murdocks 14 year old daughter who is just entering high school and is really struggling. She doesn’t have a regular life having a blind father. He can’t help with homework, Can’t give her a have a ride to school, He can’t see how often her face falls when she lies to him. Of course she has her Uncle Foggy and Aunt Karen but (Y/N) feels like to much of a burden until the one and only Frank Castle comes into her life and seems to be more of a father figure then Matt ever has.
“Are you sure you are ready to go home?” Frank asks you as you stop at the corner of your street. Frank had “work” to attend to and he was going to drop you back off at Karen’s place but you decided against it. You decided that Frank was right and you shouldn’t be scared to talk and have a heart-to-heart with your dad. “Yes I am sure. I will pick up my stuff from Karen’s place tomorrow.” Frank nods and stands facing down your street.
“Well run along then.” He says nodding toward your apartment building. “Remember kid if something happens you know where to go.” He says referencing the sandwich shop you both went to a while back. “I know where to go Frank… Thank you for caring.” You say smiling in admiration. Frank only chuckles with a small smile giving you a fatherly gaze which he quickly shakes off. With a now stoic face he says. “Okay, Okay now get going.” He says and you sigh. “Alright. Bye Frank!” You say as you begin walking home. What you didn’t know what that Frank watched you until you got inside your apartment building before walking away.
Walking into your apartment it was oddly quiet with hushed whispers. You slowly creep into the living room to see you father shirtless and a woman with dark hair sitting on the couch. You couldn’t hear what they were saying but they seemed very intimate with how close and touchy they were. Sadly the only thought that was running through your head was that he seemed to jump at the opportunity of love once you were out of the picture. “So this is what you do after you beat your daughter to a pulp?” You ask anger evident in your tone. Matt and the woman look back at you looking shocked. “You have a daughter!” She asks shocked to which you respond with. “Yes he does and I think it is best you leave!” You hiss out. The woman is now standing along with Matt to now seeing that your dad was only wearing a pair of boxers while she was only in boy shorts and a black tank top. “Elektra it was before I met you that I had her!” He exclaims and the woman who is now named Elektra looks between the both of you. “Wow you feel the need to explain shit to her while I am wondering why there is a nearly half naked woman in my house!” Matt looks shocked at what you are saying. “(Y/N) language!” He says raising his voice a touch. “Oh fuck language! Right when I’m out of the picture you decide it is finally time to get into someone’s pants!” Tears begin to well up in your eyes looking at both of them. “You need to calm down.” Elektra says with an annoyed look on her face. “You shut the fuck up! This isn’t about you! This is between me and my dad!” You shout. “(Y/N)! Don’t talk to her like that! Watch your language!” Ignoring his statement you ask. “How do you even know her?” crossing your arms over your chest and heaving. “She’s someone from colle-” “Oh so she is some college hookup?” You growl. “What has gotten into you! Why are you so rebellious all of the sudden?!” Matt finally shouts. “What has gotten into me is the fact that you have had zero contact with me in the two days I have been gone and now I know why!” You say gesturing between the two. “Because instead of maybe asking for forgiveness you decided to go a fuck around with some college hooker!” “Go to your room right now!” Your dad yells louder then you have ever heard him. This makes you jump and look down. You go to turn around and head out the front door in an effort to hide your tears but Matts voice stops you. “No! Your room. Now.” He says sternly. You keep your head down and speed walk to your room slamming the door.
It has been an hour or so and instead of laying in your bed you have taken to laying under it. You use to do this when you were younger to stop the monsters in your closet from getting you. Your head is laying on a small decretive pillow that was on your bed which is now well soaked with your tears. This time is different from any other. Instead of hiding from the monsters in your closet. You are hiding from the thoughts of being replaced. It wasn’t that you disliked the thought of your father dating people it is just the timing was all wrong. The fact that your dad yelled at you with such resentment it seemed is what scared you the most. He never raised his voice at you even when you do something wrong or lash out at him. This was a different side of him that you have never seen before. A little part of you has always been insecure when it comes to your father. He had you just as he was entering law school and when he wasn’t going to class or doing homework he would spend every waking moment with you. You never really knew what happened to your mother but you found out at a young age that after you were born she up and left. You were glad that your father has his own practice in law but now you barely see him. Almost being fifteen is hard when you are also doing things that a normal adult should do. You understand that your father wasn’t normal but that doesn’t make it any better. You had nannies when you were younger when he started working for that big law company place that you can’t remember the name of and that caused some major anxiety. Now the thoughts rushing through your mind is insecurities, anxiety, and depression. It now makes sense though. All the late nights, never coming back until late, and sometimes never at all. ‘Why wouldn’t he tell me he is seeing someone?’ You thought. 'Why now of all times would he choose to bring her over?’
There are light taps on the door which makes you curl your legs closer to your body and chest. You sniffle and wipe your eyes gently as to not hurt your nose or back eye. The door slowly opens and the pads of feet on the ground are heard. “(Y/N)?” That’s new. He calls you 'sweetpea’ when he knows you are upset. “(Y/N) I need you to come out I need to talk to you…” There is an edge in his voice that you haven’t heard in a while. 'He must be really angry…’ You think but decide not to answer. He guides himself toward the bed before sitting on the ground in front of it. “I need to talk to you about your behavior tonight. It was completely unacceptable.” He says. “what about your behavior?” you mumble to yourself but he seemed to hear it. “What do you mean?” He says trying to keep his cool. “Did you not hear anything I said out there? Or were you to concerned with your toy?” At this point you wanted to piss him off more because these thoughts of insecurity stem from him. “She isn’t a toy (Y/N)! What has gotten into you? Why are you acting like this?” Matt says his voice raising a bit. “It all makes sense now…” You says softly and Matt stops for a minute. “All the late nights you were out with her… Probably at some fancy restaurant pigging out while I -your almost fifteen year old daughter- buys groceries and hopes you come home at night.” You sniffle. “I don’t ask you to do that.” Matt says. “I know but I do it because late at night is the only time I see you anymore.” You sniffle again. “Look I am not mad that you are dating someone it was just the timing…” You lift your head up to see your dads legs next to the bed. “…You find a chance at love when I’m not in the picture and I guess that’s okay. I just miss you and I want you around but you aren’t making an effort.” Matt stays silent as you talk trying to take in every word. “I feel like you don’t want me anymore. I understand that I took your college experience from you with me just being around, but I hate that it is present in this family now.” You hear Matt gasp at your words. “(Y/N)… Sweetpea… You di-” “Were you out with her the night I got attacked? Were you at the bar with her and forgot that we were going to have dinner and watch movies and talk about the recent book I just read?”
You sob another round of tears making its way down your face. “(Y/N) No I-” “I am still sad at the thought that I have no mother but now I feel like I am losing a father too…” Matt takes in a breath to speak but again you cut him off. “I will leave you alone if that is what you want. I will eat in my room a-and try not to hog the shower in the mornings so you can get to work faster.” You say taking in more breath with each word. “I don’t need anything for my birthday and give me three more years and I will be gone.” “(Y/N) stop.” Matt finally cuts in but you keep going. “I’m sorry I keep making things difficult. I’m sorry I was born a girl and not a boy so you would have to deal with my hormones every month. I’m sorry that I was the reason mom left. I’m sorry for being born at al-” You get cut off by Matt “(Y/N) STOP!” He shouts and this causes you to go silent and let out a whimper. Matt sighs and pauses for a minute.
⊹○ﾟ˖ you and frank started as everyone’s favorite on-screen ship but was that all you saw each other as, just an on-screen flirt?
Francis ‘Frank Castle’ Castiglione is an Italian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and reality television personality. Castiglione is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants and franchises, such as Frank’s Cookout and the Hotspot Grill. He has worked with Cook Network since 1995, which won him four Daytime Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Y/N L/N is an American chef, television personality and former model. She appeared in the fifth and eighth seasons of Top Baker, Lavo’a cooking competition show. She was a cohost on The Bite, a one-hour talk show centered on food from all angles, which premiered on TBD in September 2011. She spent several years working as a model on the runways of Paris, Milan and London. During this time, she decided to pursue a culinary career.
-summary; Frank ruins you for anyone else. -warnings; 18+ mdni, smut, knife/blood play ish, canon typical violence, blood, graphic description. -a/n; i am a whore <3
“I’m gonna beat the shit out of you.”
The words tumble from his swollen lips. You clutch your bleeding side and laugh. Your chest tightens and it’s hard to breath, but you laugh. Your nose is definitely broken, your teeth are stained a blood orange. You can feel cracked ribs and pulled muscles. The life is draining out of stab wounds and bullet holes. But you laugh.
Frank looks just as bad as you. His face is painted black and blue. His knuckles are bloodied and broken. One of his teeth is lying on the floor by his feet. Blood gushes from both nostrils and his vest had been decorated with several fresh bullet holes. You had even managed to weasel your blade into his side to leave a nasty wound.
Your apartment’s a mess. Broken glass littered the floor. Your coffee table was lying in pieces. Frank wants to kill you. You both stood, covered in blood, heaving and panting, in your kitchen.
“Do it,” you grin.
He advances. You make no move to run. It almost surprises Frank. He almost wants you to run. He enjoys the chase. he’ll miss this little game once you’re dead. But as his hand wraps around your throat, he finds himself unable to kill you just yet. So he squeezes, just enough to excite you.
“I’m gonna kill you,” he promises.
“Do it.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he laughs. “I ain’t done with you, yet.”
Frank’s free hand disappears. You watch, half frightened, half intrigued. You don’t see the knife that he pulls. You feel it, instead. You feel it hook under the hem of your shirt. You feel the cool air on your skin as the shirt rips. It’s a clean cut.
You hiss through your teeth. Frank presses the tip of the blade into the skin above your sternum. He grins at his artistry. You feel him drag the blade down. Blood trickles out of the wound, not deep enough to kill, but deep enough to scar. You’ll have it forever. The cuts are clean, it’ll be no gaudy scar, it’ll be dainty, but visible. You feel two more swipes of the blade slicing skin, two across, one below the other. Frank leans back to admire his handiwork. From afar, with a sick grin, he adds another cut, right next to the previous one. You don’t know what he’s painted, but you have your suspicions.
You whine, pushing against Frank. He takes some pity on you and leans in for a kiss. It’s almost sweet, until he bites your lip and the taste of fresh blood floods your mouth. You moan into the kiss. Frank drops his hands to your thighs. He taps them and you jump. He blindly carries you through your apartment. he knocks against the kitchen island and the wall, and several doorframes. You wince and groan against his lips.
“Stop fuckin’ whining,” he chastises.
“Fuck you,” you grin.
He knocks you against the doorframe again, a little harder than before. He stumbles into your bedroom and drops you carelessly on the bed. You sit up. Frank undoes his belt and while he’s unbuckling his jeans, you look around him to the mirror on the wall.
Your eyes go wide. In your sternum, just below the underwire of your bra, are the initials: FC
Hey guys, I’ve decided to take a tiny break from trying to get through our currently packed inbox and write something a little more self-indulgent for myself. Thought a little bit about keeping it strictly g/t, but decided to keep everyone at their natural heights to make physical comfort a little easier to write. This post does not mean this blog will be straying far from g/t :^)
Gender is ambiguous as per usual! Fluff, cuddling, just the sweet stuff following a little angst. The reader is sad in this story, but I’ve kept out mentions or implications of depression etc. to a minimum. There’s some harsh language as this is Frank we’re talking about after all.
Once again not proofread!
~ 1.3k words, short n sweet
…
To say your day was going badly would be a terrible, terrible understatement. When you’d gotten out of bed this morning, things had been like any other day. Frank had already left the house; he woke up much earlier than you did, and as a result you usually only saw him if he came home the following night.
You’d never really found yourself wishing that he wouldn’t end up back tonight. On occasion he didn’t, be it because he got caught up, or was too tired to drive home. You didn’t want him back tonight not because you wanted to be alone, but because you were worried. What would he think if he saw you like this? Surely, it was a problem he really wouldn’t want to deal with.
Only a few hours ago you’d shut the door to your bedroom, and you’d been lying beneath your thick, weighted blanket since. Long enough that it no longer really felt very comfortable, more so suffocating and invasive. In your state, you didn’t care very much. Your eyes were still a little puffy, and it felt as if the melancholy expression pasted on your face was as happy as you could muster. You kept telling yourself the worst of it had passed, but a little knot of unreleased emotion swirled in your chest, reminding you otherwise.
Breath shivering a little in your exhale you shrank into your blankets at the sound of the door opening, and shutting just a few moments later. Your grip around your blankets tightened a little. Most of you wanted nothing more than to get out of bed and seek him out immediately, but some selfless part of you reminded you he wouldn’t want to put up with something like this. Feeling emotion rise in your throat you forcefully swallow, moving so your back would face the door to your room, and tucking the blankets higher still.
Frank had gone to his own room to fetch clothes, a towel, and was showering by the sounds of it. Again, the urge to wait for him, just be with someone in your state swept over you again. For the second time, you pushed it back, and closed your eyes a little to shut out the sounds of Frank cleaning himself up, and maybe, just maybe, sleep.
A little knock on your door made this plan turn sour in an instant. You knew who it was, of course. There was nobody else it could be, after all; but it didn’t take much to remind yourself why you didn’t want him around just about now.
“Kid?”
His voice almost startled you despite you having known he’d been there. Silence blanketed the room, only broken by the sound of the door shutting.
Whether or not he’d left or come in and shut the door wasn’t a mystery for long as the floor creaked beneath his weight, and his little sigh of relief to confirm you were in bed. Your eyes fluttered shut; you didn’t really want him to know you were awake, or so you told yourself.
“Hey,” his voice came again, more soft spoken than before. Of course he could tell you were awake; you practically jolted at the feeling of his hand against your back. He murmured something inaudible in response to that, carefully rolling you to your back as to check your face.
His gaze immediately softened a little. You looked positively miserable, hair disheveled and your eyes a little puffy. “Hey…” he said again more quietly still, seating himself on the edge of the bed beside you. “You alright?”
To his surprise and yours you found it in you to push your blanket back, arms finding their way around him in a few heartbeats of him being close. It was a relief you didn’t know you needed; he was solid, warm, real. Real and quickly returning your embrace, his arms wrapping you up. He was a little taller than you, and definitely broader; that only made it much easier to curl up against him. For a few moments you only wanted to vanish against him, holding to him like a lifeline. He only returned it, quiet as he worked out just exactly what was up.
“Hey. shh, shh,” his voice rumbled against you lowly with your head on his chest, “I gotcha. I gotcha. It’s me, you’re okay,” he continued, lifting his legs into your bed and tucking you on to himself properly. Pushing up your pillow he leaned back, making himself more comfortable. “You’re alright kid. Take the time you need…”
You took his offer of time gladly, face buried in his chest as you tucked up your legs. He still smelled like your body wash, you noticed. He must’ve used it only moments ago in the shower. His heart beat rhythmically below your head, lulling you into a sense of security that was only supported by his arms tightening around you, keeping you close as he could.
“What went down?” he asked lowly. Frank wasn’t much of a talker; his question was a little surprising as it broke the silence. At the thought of the answer you felt your throat tighten again a little bit, quickly hiding your face in his chest once more so as to not reveal the hot tears that threatened to break free.
“Nothing important,” you replied, hands tightening around the fabric of his shirt lightly. “Just…”
“Just one of those days?” he finished for you, resting his lips on the top of your head. “S’alright sweetheart. You don’t need to get into it. Next time you come to me, okay?” You stayed still, giving him no sign that you’d understood. One of his arms left your frame as he lifted your chin gently, prompting you to look up at him. “Come to me next time, alright?”
“I-I dunno, Frank,” you stammered back, eyes a little rounded but dropping. “I…I didn’t want to do this in the first place. I don’t want to drag you into all my issues, y-you know. I feel bad about it, and…” with a rapid breath out you nuzzled yourself into him. He’d used his arm to pull the blankets up above the two of you before it returned to its original position wrapped tightly around you.
“Hey, listen,” he spoke up, “I drag all my shit to your door every time I come home, you know that? This is the very least I can do, y’know. You’re alright, it’s alright. Come to me when this happens. If you hide from this sort of shit it’ll only build up.” When you nodded he did too, more to himself than you. Though you’d expected him to get up after his little pep-talk, it seemed like his plans involved anything but. You could feel him shifting below you even with your eyes shut, getting more comfortable in your bed.
“I-I know, but,” you stammered, your chest tightening a little, “it’s just- I-I dunno, this isn’t your kind of thing. You‘re…o-oh,” you ended up cutting yourself up, curling yourself up more tightly against him, that knot of emotion in your chest bursting before you could stop it. Buried in him you felt it all come out, quiet sobs shaking your body.
In silence he shut his eyes, hand stroking up and down your back to soothe you. Frank hummed a single note, rocking himself the smallest amount in bed. “Hey, shh…there you go, let it out,” he encouraged, “You’re good, you’re okay. I’m going to take care of you, alright?” he leaned back a little more, resting his head more comfortably on your pillow. While normally he’d go to sleep in a separate bed, it looked like tonight he would stay with you.
How long it really was that you lay curled to Frank was a mystery to you. Neither of you seemed to be in any rush, and after having exerted yourself nothing felt more appealing than sleep. Frank was much warmer than your mattress was, and definitely more comfortable. His arms around you felt infinitely better than the weighted blanket from earlier had. It didn’t feel like very long before you were asleep, hardly aware of it as it came.
