[ and billy showing up early is just balls, because frank also showed up early in an attempt to pre-game this... thing they're doing. it's clearly not working so well, because the second he spots bill, frank can't help but let out a quiet groan and pinch the bridge of his much-abused nose. ]
[ yeah, he knows. and he knows frank is smart and clever. as reckless as his moves might seem to the outside they can carry weighted calculation. 'can' being the key word but accidents happen. things people can't account for. and frank is his friend. so hell yeah he's got worry as much as he trusts franks word for it. ]
i'll be fine he says. you realize sometimes our definition of the word just doesn't match up hence the worrying. but you're welcome frank.
[ he doesn't go see her right away for the same reasons he doesn't go to thanksgiving at the liebermans'. he needs to get his head on a little straighter. needs time to admit to himself things he's been carefully not thinking about. curtis' group helps. after that first admittance of fear, everything else comes a little easier. for the first time in years, he confesses, curt taking the place of a priest. it's--good, weirdly. doesn't make everything right, not even close, but it's a start. it gives him the bit of foundation he needs under his feet to stand back up and put one foot in front of the other.
it's a handful of weeks after the carousel before he finds himself making the trek to karen's neck of the concrete jungle. the bruises have faded completely and his stitches are out. still got a few new scars on his face that draw the eye of the bored cashier at the flower shop he stops at. it's something of a blessing, he thinks, that everyone's staring at the line on the side of his head and not his face. sure, he's got all his papers in order. doesn't really have to worry too much if someone does recognize him. but old habits are hard to break. he still keeps a wary ear out as he peruses the flowers. no white roses this time. no peonies either.
eventually, frank settles on a bright yellow bouquet. card under it says something about admiration, and that seems fitting. he pays for it without a hitch. gets them sent to her office at the bulletin with a note that says "still alive. yours @ 20:00?" then goes about his business for the rest of the day.
when eight o'clock rolls around, frank's sitting on the stairs of her apartment building, sipping at some coffee and bundled up against the winter chill. he pointedly ignores the way the cold of the cement seeps through his jeans, the obnoxious thumbs up emojis david texts, and the fact that he could be sitting here a while. it's okay. it'll be worth it, whenever she shows. ]
[ Hearing that Frank Castle was "still at large" was enough for Karen to know Frank had survived yet another shitstorm. And now came the time where she had to accept she might not see him again. She buries herself in her work, the same as she did after Matt's "death". It's better that way. At least for the first week. Eventually, she has to face the truth of the situation and then pull herself up again. She has to. She's never had it in her to stay down for too long.
So, when she gets the flowers and note, she is stunned. Has to sit down, taking the small card in her hands and turning it over slowly as it sinks in. There's only one person that would send her these and use military time. The smile comes without her noticing and it stays on her face for the rest of the day. Ellison asks her more than once about the flowers and she has to wave him away, not even able to make up a lie. There are a few times when she wonders if it's just him needing her for some other bit of information for a "mission" but she doesn't want to believe that.
She wants to believe he'd come to her just to see her. He knows enough about flowers to pick out certain ones, etc. It's this belief that has her leaving the office a little earlier that evening, going to grab up some food. Enough for two. She walks up to her apartment a few minutes after eight, her steps slowing when she spots him from a distance, her heart giving a lurch. Guess she really had needed to see him there for it to really sink in. She's smiling again as she walks up to the steps, adjusting her purse on one shoulder, carrying a bag in her other hand.
She stops in front of him, relief rolling through her at the sight of him there (and less bloody than she last saw him). ]
You're not going to turn your nose up to burgers, right?
[ She's going to ride that hipster joke a little longer, okay. ]
[ there's no helping the small, lopsided smile that crosses his face when he looks up and sees karen standing there. she looks good. better than the last time he saw her. and while he knew that would be the case, there's a part of him that thought maybe, just maybe, after leaving her without word for all this time, she wouldn't welcome him back. the thought affects him in ways he's not entirely sure how to deal with.
frank stands, to-go cup in one hand and the thumb of the other tucking into his jean's pocket. his fingers are steady. no tapping, no twitching. for once, there's nothing hanging over their heads while they meet. but the banter comes just as easily as it did before. ]
I don't know anybody with good taste that would. [ and hipsters clearly have no taste whatsoever.
after a heartbeat's deliberation, he holds out a hand so he can take the bag from her. free up her grip so she can get her keys out of that bag of hers. it's the least he can do, since she got dinner. ]
Hope I'm not interrupting any grand plans for the night.
[ That damn smile of his. Just makes hers wider. It's always had that effect, hasn't it? It helps there isn't anything forcing them together this time. It's just him and her, meeting of their own volition. She could get used to that. ]
Good answer.
[ She hands off the bag and starts up the steps, getting her keys out. She scoffs at the latter part, ]
Spending my nights at my desk isn't as "grand" as the movies make it.
That might not be such a bad thing. [ considering karen's propensity to throw herself headlong into dangerous situations... ] At least some of the time.
[ frank watches her unlock the door and adjusts his grip on the take-out bag. hesitating for a second. ]
Sorry it took me a while to get in contact. [ to let her know he was still kicking. ] Had some things to do.
[ Considering all the times she's seen him beat up and bloodied. But she goes in and holds the door open for him, her expression softer but also trying to keep it more neutral. She had been worried. When wasn't she worried about him? ]
I know.
[ Even if that seems to be the same reason he always gives her, she can't really find reason to be upset about it now. He's here, he'alive. She's grateful for that. ]
[ he realizes, as she says that, that his words probably weren't the best ones he could've picked. ducking his head, a little sheepish, he walks into her apartment and tries to explain without, well. explaining too much. ]
Not--not like before. [ he didn't mean he was out killing people. though that definitely did happen. ] Had to get a new place. A job. It's kinda shit but it'll do for now.
[ frank looks over at karen and gives her the beginning of a smile. ] Had to figure out what to do with an after.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
@ demeanors
tomorrow night?
no subject
just let me know where you want to meet
no subject
2030
don't be late
no subject
( and he'll 100% show up early )
whoops this is later than i thought it would be
This is not 20:30.
@ constructer
I've gotten out of worse situations than this
but thanks I guess
for worrying
so sorry for the massive delay
'can' being the key wordbut accidents happen. things people can't account for. and frank is his friend. so hell yeah he's got worry as much as he trusts franks word for it. ]i'll be fine he says.
you realize sometimes our definition of the word just doesn't match up
hence the worrying.
but you're welcome frank.
hey, do me a favor, will you?
@ paged
it's a handful of weeks after the carousel before he finds himself making the trek to karen's neck of the concrete jungle. the bruises have faded completely and his stitches are out. still got a few new scars on his face that draw the eye of the bored cashier at the flower shop he stops at. it's something of a blessing, he thinks, that everyone's staring at the line on the side of his head and not his face. sure, he's got all his papers in order. doesn't really have to worry too much if someone does recognize him. but old habits are hard to break. he still keeps a wary ear out as he peruses the flowers. no white roses this time. no peonies either.
eventually, frank settles on a bright yellow bouquet. card under it says something about admiration, and that seems fitting. he pays for it without a hitch. gets them sent to her office at the bulletin with a note that says "still alive. yours @ 20:00?" then goes about his business for the rest of the day.
when eight o'clock rolls around, frank's sitting on the stairs of her apartment building, sipping at some coffee and bundled up against the winter chill. he pointedly ignores the way the cold of the cement seeps through his jeans, the obnoxious thumbs up emojis david texts, and the fact that he could be sitting here a while. it's okay. it'll be worth it, whenever she shows. ]
no subject
So, when she gets the flowers and note, she is stunned. Has to sit down, taking the small card in her hands and turning it over slowly as it sinks in. There's only one person that would send her these and use military time. The smile comes without her noticing and it stays on her face for the rest of the day. Ellison asks her more than once about the flowers and she has to wave him away, not even able to make up a lie. There are a few times when she wonders if it's just him needing her for some other bit of information for a "mission" but she doesn't want to believe that.
She wants to believe he'd come to her just to see her. He knows enough about flowers to pick out certain ones, etc. It's this belief that has her leaving the office a little earlier that evening, going to grab up some food. Enough for two. She walks up to her apartment a few minutes after eight, her steps slowing when she spots him from a distance, her heart giving a lurch. Guess she really had needed to see him there for it to really sink in. She's smiling again as she walks up to the steps, adjusting her purse on one shoulder, carrying a bag in her other hand.
She stops in front of him, relief rolling through her at the sight of him there (and less bloody than she last saw him). ]
You're not going to turn your nose up to burgers, right?
[ She's going to ride that hipster joke a little longer, okay. ]
no subject
frank stands, to-go cup in one hand and the thumb of the other tucking into his jean's pocket. his fingers are steady. no tapping, no twitching. for once, there's nothing hanging over their heads while they meet. but the banter comes just as easily as it did before. ]
I don't know anybody with good taste that would. [ and hipsters clearly have no taste whatsoever.
after a heartbeat's deliberation, he holds out a hand so he can take the bag from her. free up her grip so she can get her keys out of that bag of hers. it's the least he can do, since she got dinner. ]
Hope I'm not interrupting any grand plans for the night.
no subject
Good answer.
[ She hands off the bag and starts up the steps, getting her keys out. She scoffs at the latter part, ]
Spending my nights at my desk isn't as "grand" as the movies make it.
no subject
That might not be such a bad thing. [ considering karen's propensity to throw herself headlong into dangerous situations... ] At least some of the time.
[ frank watches her unlock the door and adjusts his grip on the take-out bag. hesitating for a second. ]
Sorry it took me a while to get in contact. [ to let her know he was still kicking. ] Had some things to do.
i am so sorry i thought i already tagged this D:
Could say the same to you.
[ Considering all the times she's seen him beat up and bloodied. But she goes in and holds the door open for him, her expression softer but also trying to keep it more neutral. She had been worried. When wasn't she worried about him? ]
I know.
[ Even if that seems to be the same reason he always gives her, she can't really find reason to be upset about it now. He's here, he'alive. She's grateful for that. ]
it's okay it happens!!
Not--not like before. [ he didn't mean he was out killing people. though that definitely did happen. ] Had to get a new place. A job. It's kinda shit but it'll do for now.
[ frank looks over at karen and gives her the beginning of a smile. ] Had to figure out what to do with an after.