LIKE CLOCKWORK

I've had a lot of feelings coming out of The Punisher. One of which was that Curtis really deserves the world, and part of that is me loving the idea of Sam Wilson being his bro. He copes as best he cans, and things happen. So here we have this. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you do, please!

much love,

day

1/3

Like clockwork Curtis Hoyle gets up every third Friday Morning and sets out to check up on a few stragglers before making his way to the diner in the thick of everything and sitting in the same booth he always picks. He had told the men and women that came to group that routine was good, and he meant every word of it.

However it also helped to have a friend was just as sane as he was to talk to about the man who definitely wasn't dead - who had saved his life again.

He had met Sam Wilson before he decided to go out and hang out with Captain America and get himself on a wanted list. They had met fairly close to Curtis coming back home and trying to cope with a missing appendage. Sam was still trying to sort himself out after losing Riley.

Nothing of that had exactly mattered once they started talking about music. They both loved the old school R&B. Something that you could groove to, something to make you feel things. Not always hopeless just a reminder that you still had breath in your lungs.

Sam was already sitting down. He had already ordered Curtis' coffee but seeing as it was still piping hot he couldn't have been there too long this time. There were times when Curtis beat him here. After all he actually lived in the city while Sam had to make the drive from Avengers Tower, or from the place he shared with his significant other.

He had met her last time. She was a sweetheart. Kept Sam's head screwed on straight even though Curtis figured he was doing just fine. He was a good guy. Not like Billy Russo. He sighed internally. This was gonna be a long discussion.

They exchanged a quick hand squeeze as Curtis slipped in. "Hey."

"How's it going man?" Sam asked although Curtis was sure he had read something. It was hard not to pay attention to the news these days.

"It's been rough. Before I get into that, what's been going on with you?"

Sam Wilson knew that his friend was just biding time. He needed a moment to settle in before he unraveled. They didn't always come here - or go anywhere else - to vent about the unlucky hand they had drawn. It just happened to work out that way.

"All things considered things are alright. The world is changing but what else is new." He grinned taking a sip of his brew.

Curtis paused in answering him to tell the waitress what he wanted. Stack of pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs. Sometimes he asked for french toast. Oh-jay if he was thirsty for something sweeter.

He turned back to Sam after the lady had headed back behind the counter. "Do you ever think you're too nice, a bit gullible?"

Sam shook his head. "If you mean trusting someone that you don't wholly agree with then sure. Most of the people we meet ain't gonna know jackshit about our struggle. Colored men who were on the force. They think one way but they won't get it."

"Yeah. You're right. I just mean that maybe I'm a bit too hopeful about some things."

"Is it Castle?" The Falcon asked him in a hushed tone. He knew that Curtis was friends with the man. Hadn't met him but he had to deal with Bucky Barnes so he imagined he must of been something like except more open. More lethal too.

"No. It involves him but it's not that. He saved my life when I wanted to try to help someone else who just ended up hurting those around him, me included."

"That why your face looks like that?" Sam had tried not to focus too much on his friend's still healing wounds. Didn't look pretty, Sam knew what that felt like.

Curtis nodded not even trying to backpedal. "Sorta. I also got shot at by Billy."

"Shit." Sam ran a hand over his face.

He had actually met Billy Russo before. If he had to compare him to Tony Stark, he was worse than Tony. There had always been something about him that rubbed him the wrong way. Too charismatic, to pretty. Too full of himself. Plus there was something incredibly unhinged about him. Tony hadn't went that far. He had Rhodes and Pepper to keep him grounded.

"Where is he now?" He asked after taking that moment to let it sink in. Russo had been one of Curtis' friends. Then he turned on him. That kind of betrayal was hard enough, then you almost get killed. Hard to come back from that.

"Locked up probably. I let Frank deal with it. It got too heavy. Too much for a man with only one leg." He patted the fake leg like it was a counter top. He couldn't feel much from it.

"How'd Frank get involved?" Sam continued questioning him. Curtis knew it just wanted to know enough that he could try to help. But the fact of the matter was the vet didn't know if it would help him at all.

Sam took his silence as a sign he was torn about it. "How about this - I'll tell you something surprising and you try to catch me off guard?"

Curtis laughed. "That's hard. You seem to always just roll with things."

Sam scoffed. "Not always. I argue with my team more than you'd think."

"That I actually believe. I mean your best friend is an old man from the 40s who's best friend is just as stubborn as he is, and lost an arm."

"Bucky and Steve are their own breed. I try not to hold it against them. But that's beside the point."

Curtis had just started digging into his grub. "Alright. I get what you mean. So what's this thing that'll surprise me?"

"I'm only telling you because you look like you got sucker punched but had to deal with a homophobic asshole a few years back."

Curtis was surprised. "Um...Sam."

Sam laughed. "Nah man. My girlfriend is bisexual and her ex was a real piece of work. Tried to kill her after discovering that she dated a woman."

"A cracker?" Curtis had to know.

"Yep. Stereotyping is shit as you know but he hit all the marks. Appeared to be good for awhile, nearly kills them both then when it doesn't go the way he wants he turns crazy. Besides Riley it was the one time I almost lost it. Lost my faith for a bit too."

Curtis is frowning. "Damn. That is rough. For you and her. What happened to keep you grounded? What made you believe that it was worth it?"

Sam Wilson had never seen Hoyle look so defeated, almost like he was the one needing a hand. He'd give it to him.

"She's alive. I remember sitting in the chapel hoping for a miracle. I hadn't believed much in years. Parents gone, Riley, and then I met Steve and it felt like maybe it was worth it to change the world one insane mission at a time. So I met her and she's like home. If something brings you peace then it means something."

He nodded in response. "Russo was in the background of why Frank lost his family. One of the last pieces. I get why some of it had to happen. Russo and I weren't as close as Frank and I were but damn I feel like this was something I should've seen coming. It's always the pretty ones."

Sam snorted.

"I don't fully believe that's it though Curtis. What's the other thing?"

Curtis rolled his eyes but places his part of the bill on the table and stood up. "Let's take a walk. I need to burn some calories after that." He gestured to the empty plates on the table.

Sam smiles before putting his money down plus extra for the tip.

Like clockwork this is part of their routine too. As if winding down their time they spent about an hour milling about the city. The destination doesn't matter. Just the activity of keeping the blood circulating in their veins.

Sam gives Curtis all the time he need as they enter the park that have few people enjoying the chill of the air.

They circle around the familiar track of the walkway that goes through the entire park and then some two times before Curtis starts telling him about Lewis. The kid who had struggled more than either of them put together, but didn't seem to be able to cope with the new reality of existing in the real world with no wars. None visible anyhow. He had killed people on his way to ending his life. Taken someone close to Frank Castle and then the story ends with him blowing himself to smithereens.

"That's not on you." Sam mumbles as they finally sit on a bench far enough away from people who might wanna get a story out of two fairly known vets.

"Sam. I could have helped him." Curtis sighs.

"From what you told me, there wasn't much you could do. He tried to kill you, Karen Page and several civilians in the area because he didn't know how to be. It's tragic, sure but that is not your fault. We all want to help somebody else but what we need to do - what you should be focusing on is moving forward. Your after life after making it. You made it brother, a miracle in itself." Sam paused trying to catch his breath.

He looked at his friend and tried to survey how he was coping. Not well before when he was trying to shelf most of his internal struggle with a friend who had betrayed him, instead what was paining him the most was the death of someone out of his reach.

Sam Wilson would understand that more than anybody. Losing people was hard but moving forward was even harder without them.

"One minute at a time, Curtis."

"Like clockwork." Curtis nodded.

Sam smiled. "Yeah. Like clockwork."

Curtis extends his hand out, fingers balled into a fist for Sam to reciprocate and he does. "Thanks man. It helps to talk about it."

"I know. You thought about maybe trying to get Frank in to talk some?"

"He didn't go for it before." Curtis tells him.

"Never hurts to try again. He's finished business. He can't keep it in forever. That shit - his life is a horror story and even if it means being vague about it in group I think it's worth the risk."

Curtis knew he was right. "Steve ever come to group when you were at the VA?"

"He lurked. Bucky did though." Sam looked as if he hadn't believed it even now. "I still get a group together sometimes. Helps keep me grounded when there's less to worry about. He asked if he could tag along. That was big for him so I brought him along. It was Steve being skittish that was the real pain."

"We all worry about the dead men, don't we?"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, but as long as they're still breathing you have to do your part to get them to a safe space. Give them clarity. They damn well need it, just like the rest of us."

That they could agree on.

He even sent him a fairly lengthy email about how well that day in group went. The ending note of the dead man known as Frank or Pete admitting something that most men would never admit out loud. "I'm scared."

Sam's reply surprised him.

Glad it went well. This is the starting line.

I've been mulling it over and I think we should set up a meet. Frank, Bucky, us. I think it might help them both. Not sure how but it's just an idea I had.

It was a crazy idea but Curtis was close to considering it. Frank needed to know besides the three people he knew had his back - Micro, Karen and Curtis - there were others struggling with the aftermath of bad deed on their hands.

Curtis replied a few days later after broaching the subject with Frank over greasy burgers. Frank looked cautious but he knew enough about Curtis and Sam if only by word of mouth that neither of them wanted to change anything about him or Bucky Barnes. Just wanted them to understand.

They weren't alone. They had two friends looking out for them.

Two months from now the meet was set. Curtis would be lying if he wasn't the one feeling skittish waiting for the day to put two assassins in a room together.

It didn't sound like the best idea when he thought of it that way. But things had changed. Frank wasn't planning any punishing and Bucky Barnes was missing his metal arm.

There was nothing to do but wait.