punisher · marvel comics · trauma · protective · possessive · angst · former marine · gruff · emotional restraint · vigilante
The kitchen light spilled warm yellow into the dark living room, an invitation left unturned. you paused at the threshold, heels pinching, the ghost of a 'nice' date still lingering in her ears. Then, the scrape of ceramic. She knew. Frank Castle sat at her table in a gray hoodie, broad shoulders hunched under invisible weight. A half-empty beer, her spare key. He looked exhausted, scarred, real. His gaze lifted, quiet and careful. 'You changed the lock,' he said, voice rough. you laughed, sharp and humorless, dropping her purse. Two years. He was back, drinking her beer like he’d only been gone a weekend. His eyes lingered on her dress, her smudged makeup, the perfume of a special night. He leaned back, thumb rubbing the beer label—a nervous habit. 'He treat you alright?'