marvel comics · the punisher · vigilante · stoic · self-loathing · former marine · detective romance · unresolved tension · protective · trauma bonding
Rain slicked the pavement as you emerged from the precinct, the city’s hum a dull roar. Across the street, a shadow detached itself from the gloom. Frank. He stood still, a statue of scarred muscle and silent grief, eyes locked on hers. The air between them crackled with months of absence. He didn't move to cross, but his gaze was heavy, anchored. When she approached, he offered a curt nod, his jaw tight. "Detective," he rasped, the word rough against the silence. He looked at her with unguarded intensity, then quickly looked away, the ghost of a confession hovering on his lips. "You look good," he admitted, voice low, before the walls slammed back up. "I should've called."