SMALL TALK
I got bit by this ship pretty much instantly in watching the second season of Daredevil, and I was so happy to know that most of the people who watched it were digging it too. So I hope you like my little foray into Daredevil FF and just KASTLE in general. They're quite the pair. Let me know what you think!
much love,
day
The first time he crossed paths with her after officially being declared dead, and then rising from the ashes to possibly help Red (but not really going to help him) he nearly walked right past her. He had gone incognito or as much of that that he could when he was supposed to be dead. The ball cap that he had grown so fond of and the dark hoodie and jeans. He had a pistol tucked in his boot, and a knife strapped to his hip in case he couldn't grab it fast enough.
Today he wasn't doing business. No people to punish, he just wanted to take a stroll. He had that right as a human being, though many would probably think that was bullshit. He'd tell them where to stick theirs if they tried anything with him.
He hesitated when he spotted her in the park just sitting. He noticed fairly quickly that she had been crying. It made him very uncomfortable to see her cry. It was the same back when he told her to go away, or the last time when she was screaming at him to stop or she was going to forget about him completely. He let her do what she wanted, same as she didn't actually run and stop him from slamming the door and doing what he had done afterwards.
She had known from the start he was a killer, and while she agreed with parts of who he was it never really clicked with her until she had witnessed him kill people twice. He had told her to go both times. This meant that he shouldn't feel anything towards her. Yet, he hesitated.
He moved towards the coffee stand where there was a small queue of people waiting to place their orders. He had already planned to get coffee just because it was now in the park didn't mean much to him. He spied her out of the corner of his eye wiping at her face trying to gain some kind of composure. That made him feel the slightest bit normal when it came to his thoughts about her and her emotions. Karen Page was a compassionate woman and whatever she was going through was probably due to her nature.
Once he had the coffee he stood the side a moment trying to find the right time to just walk over there. He soon realized that he was nervous. He hated that. Frank Castle did whatever the fuck he wanted. He didn't have time to think it over. He could almost hear his wife in his head muttering about him caring so much that he physically bothers him. He let out a sigh before moving his feet in the direction he needed to go.
His feet planted directly in front of her, and he outstretched the coffee. He looked away when she looked up. He didn't want to see her face. It was both pitiful and pretty. That didn't seem right to him. He gestured for her to take the cup and when she didn't he turned back to her. "Take it."
Karen Page was almost glaring at him. "What the hell, Frank?"
He wasn't going to shush her, she wasn't being too loud but there had been a few who had looked in their direction. "Take a damn coffee, Karen. You look like shit."
He could see her biting down a sarcastic remark. He scoffed, a small chuckle escaping from his mouth.
She snatched out of his head only to avert her eyes from him. They were doing this apparently.
He didn't pay her much mind for about two minutes as he drank his own coffee. He wasn't in the habit of being nice to people. Not enough had done the same to him so why would he do the same. Common courteous, a voice that sounded so like Karen that he had to look at her and see that she was turning the cup around periodically a she looked down at the ground.
He finally settled into sitting about four feet away from her on the same bench.
"What are you doing here, Frank?" She mumbled after some time. They hadn't said a word to each other but he saw her take a few tentative sips of the brew. It was decent coffee.
He grunted. There was no real reason why he was here. He knew what she was asking. Why did he approach her? He didn't know how to say it without it coming off as sentimental. He settled for a half truth. "I happened to notice you, that's all."
He could feel her turn towards him. They weren't close to each other at all but he could hear her hair moving around with the wind as she shifted her gaze. He didn't think too hard of what she was thinking of. She had told him as much that she understood pieces of who he was. He never truly believed that entirely but it was interesting to hear her say that.
"That's all?" She echoed.
"Yes ma'am." Bullshit, Castle. "Looked like you needed a coffee." He looked just barely and caught the smile on her face. It was small but it was enough to get him to stand and leave her there. He needed to finish his walk. He didn't have anything more to say to her. He could feel the questions she had for him roll off his back.
Damn woman.
-x-
The second time they crossed paths it was raining and he had just finished a job. His shoulder was dislocated, his lip was busted but somehow this wasn't the worst shape he had been in. Slinging a rifle over his shoulder as he came to a stop on top of the roof of the Thai restaurant he had only ordered from a handful of times. She was speaking with her friend former lawyer at Nelson & Murdoch, the fat one. They seemed to be saying goodbye and so he waited.
As she began to look around to see if she could book it to her car she looked up for some reason. "Frank?" She asked.
He let out a sigh before climbing down. He winced at the jostling of his arm in the drop. He just looked at her unsure of what he was supposed to do now. A hello usually works but he was too tired for long conversation he needed to get back so he could set his arm and figure out who was next on the list for this particular crime syndicate.
"You look like hell." She remarked as she looked intently at his arm which as leaning a bit too much to the right.
He scoffed. "Not the worst. You look… okay."
She nodded, smiling. "I am okay. Do you need help getting home? My car…" He waved her away. She was trying to do too much. They hadn't really spoken since the last time. He had been busy, and she had been working on a new story as far as he knew. Red had been distracted the last time he had seen him. Worried about the blond. She looked fine to him. Happy even.
"No. Don't want to get blood on it." She had to get it upholstered after the last time with the colonel.
She tilted her head to the side. She was searching for something. He shifted onto his good arm as he waited for whatever she was going to say. "I won't mind."
There was something very honest about her telling him that. She really didn't have to go that far. He was perfectly capable of surviving on his own and yet she was still trying to help him after they were supposed to be DONE. It greatly confused him.
"I will." He inhaled as he looked up at the sky. "I…appreciate it." He gritted out. She had the habit of yanking these pleasantries out of him. For no one else would he be pushed so far. It had to say something but he was shelfing it for another time.
"You saved me, twice. I could save you the hassle." She was incredibly insistent. So much it aggravated him to the point where he had to shake his head. "Get home. Stay dry." He gestured to the Buick that was across the road.
"Next time you need anything." She told him with a smile.
He didn't say anything to that. He didn't like owing any favors. And yet she was offering him something close to solace. He should take it but he couldn't bring himself to do that just yet.
He grunted in response before watching her rush out into the rain effectively drenching the dress she was wearing. He turned away before he could watch her drive off. He didn't find it necessary to watch through all that. The pain in his arm was becoming unbearable.
-x-
The third time they saw each other he was sitting outside her house, unconscious. Karen Page wasn't surprised by much these days but realizing that he had come to her and not just barged in to wait for her was on the list of things that shocked the hell out of her. Her life had been several doses of hell.
When she had told that he could come to her she hadn't really been thinking. She was wrapped up in the moment of seeing him again. He had taken a turn that rivaled Matt in his red mask by being on that rooftop looking at her. And yet she knew it wasn't because he was worried about her particularly. Nearly like the time in the park he just happened to be there on his way home.
She hated the idea of coincidences but these were close enough to them that she didn't blink twice as she opened up her door and crouch down to where he was sitting next to her doorway. She touched his face trying to stir him. He didn't move.
Her hand trailed to his neck trying to see if he was still breathing. He was. He had just collapsed at her door; a feat she was positive he would probably say was fucking pathetic. She moved to pull away but his eyes flickered open just barely.
"Took you long enough, Blondie." He breathed.
It was then that she noticed that he was clutching his side. There wasn't much blood but perhaps it was worse than she could see.
"Let's get you inside then, hm?" He was heavy but she managed to get him in the doorway with some jostling. She headed to the dining table and left him there before going to her bathroom for a few things she was sure she needed. When she came back he was trying to get his coat off. It was a struggle for him.
She wondered if his arm had completely healed since the last time she saw him.
She helped him work the other sleeve off. Once it was tossed on the table she was able to see the blood staining the Kevlar near his ribs. She frowned. "That's gonna have to come off too." She told him as she turned to see what she had on hand.
"That dress is gonna get ruined if you take one more step." He warned her, as he lifted the vest off over his head with a shaky breath.
"I got it from a discount store. I think I'll live."
Frank let out a choked laugh, "Could have fooled me, sweetheart."
Karen rolled her eyes at him. He had some charm locked in that murdering soul of his. She had known this though.
"Does it bother you so much?" He just gave her a look that pretty much said that it did. Karen threw her hands in the air as she sauntered over to her bedroom to change all the while taking her heels off the process. She couldn't deny she was happy to take the shoes off after being on her feet all day running about looking for answers.
Frank dug into her first aid kit while she was changing. He could do part of this without her. Or that's what he thought until he started shaking. Man he was tired, and annoyed with himself. That's why she found him grunting and muttering under his breath as he tried to bite off the top for the peroxide.
"You're impossible." She sighed, as she yanked it from him and unscrewed the top with a face of disgust feeling his saliva on it. That wasn't sterile. She used one of the towels she had brought to pour a large amount on it and ease it on the large gash in his side. It was bigger than he thought it was. He didn't think she knew how to stitch. She didn't look like the type.
Once again she was proving him wrong. "Huh?" He breathed as she started yanking the thread through his skin with some kind of mix of grace and speed that he only got in hospitals or from his dead wife. She wasn't nearly as rough but she did better than he would have with his shaky hands.
"I can't do much about your arm. How do dislocate the same arm twice in a matter of weeks?"
"I got it." He mutters as he leans forward on the chair and uses his good arm to yank it back in place. She still has that frown on her face. "That wasn't so hard." He muttered as he sat back. She moves to get the bloody towels and other equipment off the table. She'll throw out the towels. Won't do her any good now any ways, unless this becomes a habit. He was trying to avoid that.
It wasn't working so far.
"Take the bed." She instructed. He opened his mouth to tell her that he could get home now but she looked very stern. "I'll be up anyways working. You look like shit. Take the bed."
He shakes his head at her. They need to talk about this dance. It's starting to get repetitive.
"Why are you doing this?"
She looks innocent for a moment as if she doesn't know what he means. Then she is looking at him as if it's fairly obvious. "You're not dead to me, yet. I'm a shitty liar."
Oh he was well aware of that. Even still it didn't feel real to him. She should have given up on him. He gave her every reason to. He supposed it was because he kept seeing her to the point that he expected her to be there to. That's why he had come here tonight. He needed her and she had kept him waiting.
Now he was more or less patched up and he was faced with this choice.
From what he had gathered she had let go of Red. He didn't get that. If you really loved someone you just didn't do that. And yet, she still was here with him. What did that say?
He was too exhausted to ponder on it.
He huffed. "You're joining me. No arguments."
He used the table to push himself into a standing position albeit wobbly. He saw her pick up the aspirin. He was gonna need a couple of those. "A question then." She returned as he took a few steps along the table. They were nearly standing in front of each other.
He waited.
"Why do you want me to do that?"
She was just as stupid as he was when it came to not noticing things. "I need to keep an eye on you." Was all he gave her.
He watched her fiddle with the bottle before opening and depositing three pills into his hand. "Let's go then. My laptop is already in there."
He chuckled at her as they slipped down the short corridor. She was just as bad as he was.
Once settled in Karen set to work. He watched her for a while as she moved between her files and typing away on her computer on her story. It was a different view to fall asleep to but at least he knew she was safe.
When he woke up she was sound asleep tucked a few inches from his side. He drew in a deep breath.
He'd be hard pressed to leave now. He realized he didn't completely mind as much. He looked at her a little while longer before shutting his eyes.
This was okay.