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it had started in the spring, a strange friendship with the so-called "punisher". you had been working the late shift in the local diner, closing up alone when it was hit by armed theives, forcing you to hand over hard earned cash under threats of violence and who knows what else. one minute there was a gun to your head and the next it was gone. you had ducked under the counter, your chest heaving as you tried to calm your breathing. you blocked out the noises coming from above and made yourself as small as possible, your singular aim being to make it through this shit and get to your bed.
silence stretched out across the room as you peeked over the counter to see if it was safe to leave. a bloody hand had stretched out towards you, fingers curling upwards in a "come here" gesture. you figured the day probably couldn't get any worse, so you took the offered hand and stood slowly from behind the counter. your eyes darted around the room checking for threats but all you saw was one man. he was tall, fierce and bloody, impossibly calm as he withdrew his hand from yours.
"i'm sorry about that, ma'am." the man huffed quietly, his dark eyes flickering with regret. "are you okay?"
"yeah, thank you." you had whispered softly. you wiped your hands on your apron before anxiously running them through your hair.
"it's nothing, ma'am. you shouldn't have been caught up in that.", he shook his head in frustration, running a hand through his shaggy black hair. blood trickled down the side of his face from a cut above his left eyebrow, but otherwise he seemed relatively unharmed. other than the bloody knuckles, of course. the two theives were nowhere to be seen and honestly, you didn't have it in you to wonder what had happened to them. you were just glad to be safe.
"can I patch you up? fix you a drink before you leave?" you asked quietly, reaching for the first aid kit under the counter. he smiled softly, scratching at his untidy beard in discomfort. "I was just closing up when they came in." you shivered - in disgust, not fear. never fear.
"you don't have to do that, ma'am. I'll be okay." he turned to leave.
"(Y/N)", you said softly. he stopped and turned to look at you curiously. "I'm (Y/N). none of this "ma'am" stuff, you're awful polite but I'm not old enough for that. now come and sit down and let me help." he raised an eyebrow but did as he was told, sliding into one of the stools. you stepped around the counter and placed the first aid kit in front of him, rustling through it to find something to clean the cut with. he stayed still as you worked, breathing quietly and humming to himself. despite being a man so obviously solid and strong, he seemed quiet and gentle. you pressed a small bandage over the cut and stepped back, careful not to stay in his personal space for longer than necessary.
"there you go, hon. all patched up. least I can do." you laughed quietly, packing away the kit. "can I get you something to drink, love?"
"frank." he nodded slowly. you grabbed two glasses and disappeared round the corner for a moment, returning with a bottle of scotch your boss liked to think was "well hidden".
"thank you, frank. my hero." you smiled kindly as you poured two drinks. frank lifted the glass to his lips and nodded respectfully, swallowing the whole thing down in one swift gulp. you followed suit, feeling the burn as the whiskey slid down your throat.
***
that night began an unlikely friendship. frank would visit the diner at least once a week, until one night in summer when he appeared at your apartment, bloody and tired. you had patched him up then too, taking care of him as best you could. he trusted you and you knew that he didn't do that often. so, when autumn came around and he kissed you for the first time, you had eagerly reciprocated. the first time he lowered you into your bed and made you writhe with pleasure, you made sure he was taken care of in ways he hadn't been in a long time.
you don't expect too much from him, he appears when he can and he does his best, but you always feel safe with him. always.
***
"what's going on in that pretty brain of yours, sweetheart?" frank huffs quietly. he's standing in the doorway of your bedroom, sweats hanging low on his hips and arms crossed across his bare chest. you're curled up on your couch, unable to sleep. you had left frank in bed, knowing that he needed the rest. you don't think he sleeps much when he isn't with you, judging by the dark circles under his dark, sad eyes.
"not much." you laugh softly, crossing your arms in an attempt to make yourself as small as possible. learned behaviour from a lifetime of being conscious of the amount of space you take up. frank frowns, his arms dropping to his side as he walks towards you.
"I find that hard to believe. smartest person I've ever met. don't tell micro I said that, you'll break his heart." his voice rumbles across the room, creeping into your chest and taking hold in your heart as it always did. you never had a chance; from the moment you met frank, you were always going to love him. it was just a matter of time.
he crouches in front of you, hands sliding down your arms and gripping your wrists firmly. "come on, girl. what's going on?"
"I just couldn't sleep, my love. I didn't want to wake you." you untangle yourself from his grip, softly caressing his cheeks in your hands. he'd shaved that unkempt beard off a while ago, leaving only stubble behind. you couldn't imagine him clean shaven, couldn't imagine missing out on the delicious burns it leaves on your thighs. you lean in and sweetly press your lips to his.
"you think too darn much, princess." he mumbles against your lips. he takes your hands in his and leads you back to the bedroom. he smooths his hands over your curves, from your shoulders and breasts down to your belly and thighs. he kisses you again, taking your cheeks in his hands as you had done, caressing you softly. your hands find his shoulders and you lean into him, pressing your clothed body against his bare chest. you separate long enough for him to pull your night shirt over your head, leaving you completely bare. the way he looks at you fans the flames inside your belly, like you're the most delicious thing he's ever seen. he tells you as much, holding you against him as he presses hot, open-mouthed kisses to your jaw.
"frank." you sigh his name like a prayer, moaning quietly as he teases your skin with his tongue. his hands are on your hips, one sliding round your body to cup your ample backside whilst the other winds into your hair. you hold his waist tight, like your life depends on it. perhaps it does.
"you're so beautiful." he sighs against your neck, lost in the warmth of your body. you take a step backwards, pulling him with you as you fall on to the bed. you both laugh softly as he lands on top of you, covering you with his body. this is your safe place, your home. you know you'll never feel as content as you do now.
as you lie together you almost match him in height and size, though where he has firm, taut muscles that seem to grow stronger every time you see him, you have soft, supple curves that draw him in to your cozy embrace. you know that your body drives him crazy, you see it in his eyes and hear it in his breath whenever he is near. you've never felt self conscious with him, never doubted that he appreciates your body in the way that you deserve. he relishes in your curves, touching and kissing every part of you that he can reach. his strong, calloused hands leave light bruises on your heavy thighs, teeth marks left on your doughy belly from harsh kisses. he worships you with his hands and mouth, letting you know how much he cares; he always says that he prefers actions to words, and his actions never leave you wanting or needing more. frank castle is a man of few words, always has been, and yet he whispers praise and compliments against your lips as he kneads your hips, your breasts, the softeness of your ass. he loses himself in your body, listening to every moan and gasp that leaves your lips.
"frank, baby." you moan as he kisses and nips your thighs, spreading them apart to lightly run his tongue between your lips, moaning at the wetness that greets him. your hands grip his hair, holding him tightly as your hips buck up to meet his mouth. he uses your thighs to pull you closer, one arm across your soft belly to hold down your hips and the other keeping you spread open for him.
"I've got you, princess. I've always got you." he breathes against you, teasingly circling your clit with his tongue. you moan his name, one hand sliding up your body to touch your nipples, twisting and pulling as his tongue slowly enters you. "you're so beautiful. so darn beautiful." every word is spoken with awe and reverence, as if you are a goddess and he is here to worship you. you feel your orgasm building as he presses two fingers to your entrance, pushing them inside you and curling them to hit that delicious spot inside you. he's going slow, almost painfully so, and yet you're so close to the edge that you want to scream.
"frank, baby, I'm so close. please." he hums in response, flattening his tongue and focusing on your clit as his fingers speed up, filling you up as you chase the high you so desperately need. he moans your name against you and that pushes you over the edge, your legs spasming as you cry out his name. he uses his hands to keep your plump thighs apart, his tongue keeping speed until you push him away. your body relaxes as he pulls away and smiles so beautifully. he gently wipes his mouth before making his way back up your body, kneeling in between your legs as he kisses and nips across your thighs and your belly. your full breasts fit perfectly in his large hands as he cups them gently, taking each nipple in his mouth before kissing up your chest to your neck. you wrap your arms around his neck as he kisses your collarbones, your neck, your cheeks, and finally your lips. he props himself up on one arm, the other trailing down your body as he kisses you softly. you relish in the feeling; frank is not usually this gentle, often too consumed with passion and need to take his time. not tonight.
"my girl." he breathes against your lips. he pulls a pillow from the side of the bed and taps your hips, encouraging you to lift them as he places the pillow underneath you. "my gorgeous princess." you hold your hips up, wrapping your legs around his waist as he positions himself and gently pushes into you. you moan softly, head hitting the pillow as your back arches towards him. he kisses your neck, firmly grasping your thigh as he pulls back before thrusting back into you. slowly, so slowly, like it's the first time. or the last.
you grip his shoulder with one hand, the other falling on to the bed between your head and his arm. he takes your hand in his, gripping tightly as he slowly fucks you. your senses are on fire as frank's body covers you; he smells like whisky and sweat, his soft grunts filling your ears as he moves inside you, softly rocking your bodies together. it's sensual torture and yet, its fucking perfect.
"hey, princess." frank stills, panting above you as he waits for you to make eye contact. you try not to let the tears overflow as you meet his eyes. you're overwhelmed, sensually and emotionally, and terrified that this is his way of saying goodbye. "there she is. my gorgeous girl." he leans his forehead against yours, rocking his hips harder as he draws back and pushes forwards, filling you and breaking you apart.
"frank, baby, don't go," you ramble almost incoherently as your body builds towards release. he looks at you fondly, peppering kisses across your face and squeezing your hand.
"I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere." he picks up the pace, nowhere near fast but still more than the torturous pace he's been holding so far. your free hand slides to the back of his neck, holding his forehead against yours as you chase your climax. "I love you, princess. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
"fuck, frank, I love you so much." you sob as your second orgasm hits you even harder than the first. frank kisses you hard as he follows soon after, hips stuttering as he comes. he lets his weight fall on you just for a moment, long enough for him to catch his breath. you wrap both arms around his neck and hold him close as he whispers praise against your lips.
***
it changes in the winter, this strange friendship with the punisher. somewhere between the seasons he went from frank castle, hero and hot mess, to frank, the love of your life. and you know you're not the love of his life, you could never replace maria, but now you know there's room in his heart for both of you.