A/N: I wanted to do something different, and I've never tried an all-human AU! In any case, I'm a huge sucker for the Marvel universe. This isn't a crossover, but it is inspired by Daredevil & The Punisher Netflix series. You do not need to have watched those shows to follow along here. Thank you for reading!
After a long and tough day at work, the only thing Bulma wanted was a strong drink; the stronger, the better.
She sighed as she got into the driver's seat of her black car, practically slamming the door behind her. Reaching down the side of the seat, she pulled out her cell phone, seeing a few missed calls from her now ex-boyfriend, Yamcha. The problem was always the same between them – she spent too many hours at the office, and they couldn't see each other enough for what he needed from the relationship. On again and off again for years, she had finally ripped the bandaid off the day before. She was the best detective in the city, hands down – with a natural thirst for adventure and danger, and a brilliant mind to figure out the hardest of cases, she was the epitome of success. Unfortunately, that same success in her career made it hard to give Yamcha the time and attention he needed, and so she was done. She needed a stronger man to stand by her side, someone who wouldn't ask her to sacrifice her career, someone who could just... understand.
Still, she couldn't help but feel upset over the breakup. Compounded with a frustrating day at work that involved more paperwork than field work, Bulma was not in a good mood. She glared at the phone, before tossing it in the passenger seat, refusing to play the game with Yamcha any longer as she started up her car.
It was already dark by the time she got back to her apartment. Out of habit, she took off her badge and gun and left both on the counter along with her cell phone as she went to the fridge to check for a beer.
Her cell phone rang again, adding to her disappointment when she realized she was out of all alcoholic beverages. Closing the fridge door, she snatched up her phone, seeing a new text appear.
Hey B, just want to see if we can talk about last night. Please let me know.
Bulma rolled her eyes. She put her phone in her pocket and snatched up her gun, leaving her badge behind as she left the apartment. If she was out of beer, then she would just have to walk over to the neighborhood bar for a much-needed drink and some downtime. It was a shame that Goku and the rest of the guys were already preoccupied. She briefly considered reaching out to Chi-Chi, but figured it was probably too late for her to come out. Her friend kept school hours after all, with their young son Gohan in the house.
Once she entered the bar, Bulma tightened her brown leather jacket around herself as she instinctively surveyed to see who was there. It was her first time there, since she usually only popped into the bar by the police station, but it didn't seem too bad. It wasn't crowded, but it wasn't empty either, no one was being obnoxious, and the music wasn't too loud. It would do just fine.
She took a seat at the bar and the bartender immediately came over. The perks, she supposed, of being as gorgeous as she was – she rarely had to wait for a drink.
"The strongest thing you've got."
"Got a rum that'll rock you, so long as you ain't driving home."
"Awesome, let's do it," she said, reaching up to let her hair down as the bartender walked away. She shook her head a little as her blue curls were loosened, glancing up at the TV above them showing the latest sports game. She frowned, reminded of her baseball player ex-boyfriend.
"Hey there gorgeous," a male voice cut in from behind. "You drinking alone?"
Bulma resisted a groan as she rolled her eyes. Couldn't a woman just enjoy a drink in peace after a long day at work?
"Get lost," she replied, sounding bored. The bartender came back with her drink which she eagerly took.
"Well that's not very nice," the man snickered, coming up and taking a seat next to her. Bulma looked over and took him in. He was probably about her age, with dirty blond hair, and a smile that promised mischief. He wasn't necessarily bad looking; but unfortunately for him, he reminded her of Yamcha.
"Not interested, bud," she said with authority, hoping that would be the end of it.
His tone stopped being friendly as he leaned closer to her. "You shouldn't be so quick to judge, you know. I'm not some kind of creep. My name is Tony, and I know how to treat a lady right-"
A heavy and strong hand landed on his shoulder then, startling him and Bulma as they looked back over their shoulders. A man was standing behind them with spiked black hair, eyeing her blond would-be suitor with the most intense dark gaze Bulma had ever seen - and she had seen plenty in her day.
"She said she wasn't interested," he sneered. There was a danger to his voice that made Tony lean away from both him and Bulma.
"Right, right, sorry," the blond stammered out. He picked up his drink and left the seat in a hurry.
Bulma watched him scurry away, before turning her attention to the man who was now coming up to the bar. She expected him to take a seat where Tony had been, and make his move now – men were predictable, after all. She blinked though when he didn't even look at her, instead telling the bartender he wanted another round of the same drink he already had.
The bartender nodded and went to get him a beer. When he was gone, Bulma broke their silence first.
"I didn't need you to save me."
"Who said I was?" the stranger gruffly asked, still avoiding looking at her. "That guy's just an asshole. Besides, you're carrying anyway, aren't you?"
Bulma couldn't hide her surprise that he knew about her concealed gun holster. She studied his profile carefully, but he was looking down as he pulled out a few bills from his pocket. He tossed them on the bar, and took his beer from the bartender. Without another word or glance her way, he walked out the back where they had more tables and seats outside.
She didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the fact that he was the first man in years that had talked to her in a bar without hitting on her. Maybe it was that he knew she was armed, which no one without a trained eye would have known. Maybe it was the strong jaw line and his intense dark eyes, which drove out the thoughts of her ex-boyfriend for the first time all day. Whatever it was, her interest was piqued. She stood and also threw down some bills on the bar, grabbed her drink, then followed after him, going outside.
There was no one else out in the back, most of the picnic tables deserted on the grass, except for one. The stranger was sitting on top of a picnic table, his back to her. He was wearing a black leather jacket, but the position he was in was drawing the jacket up enough for her to see a hint of the gun that he had tucked in the back of his jeans. One leg was drawn up, his forearm resting on it as he stared up at the stars. She stared at him for a moment, deep down telling herself to turn and go back inside.
Instead, Bulma joined him moments later, hoisting herself up at the top of the table so she was sitting next to him. It was only then that he finally turned his full gaze on her, and she swallowed when she did. She had been able to tell he had an intense gaze before, but now that it was fully on her, it briefly took her breath away. He had a hard look about him, borderline threatening, and yet she found him appealing in the most dangerous of ways. His dark eyes were piercing as he scrutinized her blue eyes, both of them silently taking each other in.
It took a few seconds before Bulma noticed that he had a lit cigarette between the fingers of one hand.
"Got a smoke?" she finally asked, breaking their tense silence.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously, the muscle in his jaw flexing as he looked away. He put his beer from one hand down, put the cigarette in his other hand up to his lips, then reached into the pocket of his jacket. Producing a pack of cigarettes, he took one out and offered it to her. Bulma took it and put it between her lips, staring at him expectantly. Without breaking his intense eye contact, he took out a lighter and brought it up in front of her face, lighting her cigarette for her. Bulma swallowed again, her intrigue growing.
They both looked away at the same time as she took a draw, then exhaled into the night.
"Nice night," she commented absently. The man next to her was silent, so she went for it. "So, are you a cop or a veteran?"
He looked down and chuckled, taking the cigarette out and exhaling through his nose. "Why do you think I can only fall into one of those buckets?"
"I pay attention."
"Do tell."
"Am I wrong?" she challenged. He studied her briefly out of the corner of his eye, before looking away again.
"Marine, served 6 years," he finally admitted.
"Nice."
He took a long draw from his cigarette, before looking up at the stars. "Not exactly," he grumbled.
"Sore subject? Sorry," she apologized sincerely. He again stayed silent, a scowl on his face as he looked back down with a brooding look. In an attempt to lighten the mood, she went back to basics. "My name is Bulma. What's yours, mysterious stranger?"
"Victor," he gruffly answered, looking away again.
"So what brings you out here on this lovely evening, Victor?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Just wanted to wallow in my pain for a little while," she said, only half-joking.
"Is the life of a cop that hard?" he asked, drawing her sudden attention as her eyes widened in surprise. He smirked knowingly, his attention directly on her now.
"How'd you guess that?"
"I pay attention too," he drawled in a tone that gave her chills, and not in an unpleasant way. His dark eyes were scanning over her, lingering on her hair, then lowering down. At the look of suspicion on her face, he snickered. "I know someone who's a cop. He mentioned you once. I only know because of the hair color."
He kept to himself that the cop he knew had suggested that he would probably find Bulma extremely attractive if they were to ever meet. Needless to say, the fool was right. He found her eyes to be stunning. It wasn't how he had expected his night to go, but he wasn't going to complain.
"Oh yeah? Who do you know in the force?" Bulma pressed.
"You're the detective. I'm surprised you haven't already figured it out."
"Oh I will soon, don't you worry buddy," she said with determination. He looked away, but he couldn't help his smirk of amusement. She certainly had spirit.
"Have fun with that," he said just as her cell phone went off. She instantly silenced it without even looking at it, grumbling under her breath as she did. He took a draw of the cigarette and then scowled as he exhaled.
"Someone waiting for you at home?" he asked, his voice calm and neutral.
"Not anymore," she admitted. A few moments of silence passed as they both took a drink, before she ventured, "What about you? You have someone waiting for you?"
"I wouldn't be here if I did."
"You could be lying," she challenged.
He shrugged. "I could be. But I'm not. Up to you if you want to believe me."
They made eye contact again, studying each other. His eyes dropped to her lips, which made her swallow heavily. She did believe him, for some unexplained reason. More tense silence passed as they continued staring at each other. He didn't miss her slightly quickened breathing, and she didn't miss how he was unconsciously leaning in closer to her.
"I should probably go," Bulma finally said, breathlessly. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding as he looked away and nodded, his gaze turning upwards again. She hopped off the table and looked at him for a moment. "Will you walk with me?" she asked, making him look back at her in open surprise. She resisted the urge to smile – his unguarded look was almost endearing.
He hesitated momentarily, scowling now. "It's not like you need protection," he gruffly said, looking at her suspiciously.
"I don't," she agreed. "But I like your company, and a walk would be nice, don't you think, Victor?"
His nose twitched at the use of the name. He looked down, taking a slow draw of his cigarette, while Bulma bit her bottom lip. Truly, she had no idea what had gotten into her, but she was drawn to this mysterious stranger, and didn't want their evening to end just yet. She watched him expectantly, not knowing if he was going to take her up on her invitation, which was a first for her. She was not used to being turned down.
Finally, he exhaled and put out the cigarette on the table. "Alright," he conceded.
He then hopped off as well, buying his hands in his jacket pockets as he looked at her. Bulma offered him a smile, and then they walked together, the half mile back to her apartment. The whole time they walked in silence, but this time, it was a comfortable silence. He stayed close to her, walking on the side closest to the street as they moved to the residential area.
And then they were at the apartment building entrance. She turned to face him as he studied the building, before he settled his dark eyes on hers. They were close to each other now, and she felt the urge to be closer, but the man before her was impossible to read at the moment. She would have given her yearly salary to see just what he was thinking.
"So is this the part where you disappear into the night?" she chuckled.
His stare was intense as he stayed silent for a few long moments, before he stepped up closer to her.
"Only if you want me to."
Bulma hesitated. "I don't really make a habit of this, you know."
"Neither do I."
She hesitated only a moment longer before she reached out, lightly tugging on his jacket. He took the invitation immediately, stepping up close to her, one hand going up to her face. His heart was pounding in his chest. He already knew he would regret this later, but his sanity had vanished with her small innocent tug on his jacket. She was gorgeous, and he wanted a taste as he brought his lips down to hers.
She had no reason to trust him. She didn't even really know him. All she could think about was how good he tasted. Bulma timidly reached up to his face as he kissed her, her worries gone over the fact that he was a stranger. If anything, it only added to the excitement of it all. She moaned a little as he pulled her tighter against him, his tongue and his breath and his hands dominating all rational thought as they both deepened the kiss. She could feel the strength in his hands as he settled them on her lower back, and it almost made her weak in the knees.
She was breathless when she pulled away. He was breathless as well, his dark eyes curious as he moved his hands to her hips.
"Do you want to come up?" she whispered, her lips still hovering over his.
He hesitated only for a moment, before nodding slowly. Bulma gave him a smile that would have made him follow her into hell if she'd wanted. She took his hand and led the way, and then they both disappeared into the building.
