Put in the tags the completely finished (whether cancelled or wrapped up on its own terms) TV series that has YOUR perfect ending, however you define that
Please don’t include huge spoilers for the specifics of the endings, and it would also make me happy if people don’t use this to talk about the shows whose endings they hated
Jon's stylist sharing my reel about Jon's high pants and adding a comment is hilarious. Oh, doesn't she know it 😂 so it's not by chance she chooses that, she clearly knows what he likes to wear. I've seen other men she styles and I love that she has more freedom to offer riskier, and bolder outfits to some other actors that would take them. I personally would like to see him in some other colors but hey, it's his choice at the end of the day.
Summary: After a failed double date, you decide to drive back home. On the road to New York City, you find yourself in the middle of a blizzard and end up stuck in a snowbank with a flat tire. Although you go from one misfortune to the other, you meet a mechanic who doesn't only help with your car.
R18 || CW: 7,5k
CW: minor car crash, strangers to lovers, mechanic!Frank, smut
AN: gif of our gorgeous bearded Frank courtesy of @darlingshane 🧡
-Read on AO3
Driving through the thickening snowflakes and peering through the windshield with mounting trepidation, you felt like kicking yourself for deciding to head home in this weather instead of staying at your friend’s. But the double date you’d been on had been a total disaster from the get-go, and you’d refused to stay a moment longer. Carefully maneuvering through the darkness on a barely illuminated road, you only hoped to get home as fast as possible in these weather conditions. You dutifully kept your hands on ten and two, breathing rapidly when the wind picked up and made the snow whirl around you. At least your car had decent heating, so you weren’t cold. Looking around for the exit sign to head back into New York, you also realized that you hadn’t seen any other cars in a long while. It was while you were having that thought that your car hit a pothole, the falling snow making it difficult to clearly see the road. Gasping in surprise, you tugged on the steering wheel to stop the car from swerving to the left and bring it back on course, but your tires met a slice of black ice this time, which had you skidding off to the right instead. Cursing loudly since braking was useless while you slid over the ice and toward a quickly nearing snowbank, you were left with no other option but to close your eyes and brace yourself for impact. While you were still jerked forward when you hit the large heap of snow, the airbag didn’t go off; you'd been driving far more slowly than under normal circumstances. Now that the car had stopped, you slowly opened your eyes to find the whole front of the car stuck in the snowbank, the windshield covered in snow. Unclenching your body and breathing out in relief when you took stock of your body and realized that you weren’t hurt in any way, you took a moment to simply sit there and evaluate the situation. You looked from left to right and out of the rear window. With the hood stuck in the snowbank, the headlights didn’t illuminate anything anymore; plus, you had landed on a strip of road that was devoid of streetlamps. The only source of light was coming from the rear lights, which were giving a faint, red glow to the snow and road around you. They definitely weren’t enough to see by. With an icy chill running down your spine, you quickly put your car in reverse, grateful that the engine was still running, and hit the gas. Nothing happened except for the tires skidding on the ice. Oh, fuck, no… Breathing slowly in and out, you tried again but with the same result. Then a light on the dashboard lit up. A flat tire. Letting out a harsh laugh, you dropped your head against the headrest and closed your eyes, forcing yourself not to panic and to think instead. You had a spare tire, but you were not dressed for this kind of weather at all, and changing a tire in almost total darkness and a snowstorm was impossible. A shudder ran down your spine at the idea of getting out of the car. Which made you grateful that the heater was still working. Thinking about the best option, you snapped your eyes open as you remembered your phone and lunged for your purse to dig it out. For a second, you imagined the horror movie-like scenario of being stranded on a lonely road in the middle of the night and with no signal to boot, but with a sigh of relief, you found that your phone did have signal. Opening the browser, you pulled up the closest towing services and quickly called the first one. To your shock, they told you that they’d only be able to be there in three to four hours at the earliest due to the weather and all their staff already being out on calls. After hanging up on the next two with the same result while trying to fight off a new wave of panic, you forced in another slow breath and scanned the other options, hoping that one of them would be able to get to you before dawn. Hitting call on the fourth choice, you bit your lower lip and jiggled your leg as the ringing sound resonated through the car’s Bluetooth system and waited for the call to connect.
“Castle Repair and Towing, how can I help you?”
You blinked. The man who'd picked up had a nice voice. Deep and raspy. It was so unexpected that it left you speechless for so long that the man had to repeat himself.
“Uh, yeah, hi. Sorry, um… I need a tow? I slid on some black ice and crashed into a snowbank. The car’s still running, but I have a flat tire, and it’s pitch dark here, and the other towing services I called are all busy, and, and—” Without realizing it, you’d started to panic at the idea of yet another failed call, the words rushing out of you hastily while your voice moved up an octave.
“Hey, hey, hey, it’s alright, ‘kay? It’s gonna be alright,” the man gently cut in, his voice lowering some more and turning soothing. “Are you hurt in any way? You said you ran off the road?”
Surprised by the question that the others hadn’t asked, you shook your head before remembering to answer. “No, I, um, I’m fine. I was driving slowly, and the snow’s pretty soft. I’m just stuck.”
“Okay, good. That’s good. Now, where are you?”
Feeling a rush of warmth toward the man and his reassuring voice that carried through the whole car, you looked down at the phone between your hands and pulled up the location you'd also given to the other three towing services.
“Westchester. I was driving down the Saw Mill River Parkway near Dobbs Ferry.”
The man hummed thoughtfully, and for a minute, you thought that he would tell you that he couldn’t make it either.
“Not gonna lie, Ma’am, the road was closed not long ago ‘cause of the blizzard, and it’ll still be a good hour before anyone can get there.”
You let out a small laugh at his apologetic tone. “The other towing services told me that it would take them at least three to four hours. So trust me, one hour already sounds like ten minutes by this point.”
“Yeah, unsurprisin’, I’m afraid. With this weather, we’ve all been called a lot.” You heard some clicking, probably a keyboard. “Right, can I get your name and car information, please?”
Feeling better now that you knew that you wouldn’t stay in your car all night, you quickly rattled off your information while the wind howled outside and brought more snow with it.
“‘Kay, now here’s what’s gonna happen. I just sent a text out to my guys. See which one might be nearest to your location. And if they’re all busy, I’ll come myself, yeah?”
“Hope it’ll be you,” you blurted out without thinking and went as far as slapping your hand over your mouth at the slipup.
“Beg your pardon?” There was surprise in the man’s voice but also a note of amusement that had you groaning under your breath.
“No, I mean, whoever’s fine, of course. I… just,” you sighed and looked at the ceiling. “I’m sure people have told you before, but you have a very nice voice.”
A low chuckle met your ears, which had your face flushing with warmth. “Do I?” The question was genuine.
“Please, I don’t believe for one second that no one's ever told you.”
“Not as often as you seem to think, but thank you.” There was some rustling and a loud clunking from the man’s side of the line. “Okay, as I said, it should be around an hour. Snow’s really pickin’ up.”
Happy for the change of subject, you sighed in relief at the information that someone would be coming soon.
“Thank you, that’s… that’s great.”
“No problem. We’re doin’ our best.” He was quiet for a second. “You comfortable? I mean, not too cold or nothin’?”
Smiling at the concern, you pulled your feet up and wrapped your coat around them as best as possible. “As comfortable as I can be in this cramped space. But yeah, the car’s warm enough for now. I tanked up yesterday, so all in all, I guess I’m lucky I can leave the engine on without the risk of running out of gas before someone gets here.”
“That’s good. Turn on the hazards too if you haven’t already done it. It’ll be easier to find you.”
“Okay, done,” you informed him after reaching for the double triangle button and pressing it.
“Good… Now you just have to wait and—”
“Will you stay on the line with me?” you said in a rush, suddenly feeling anxious at the idea of only having the roaring sound of the blizzard for company on this dark road before you shook your head at yourself in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, forget I asked. You’re busy, and you don’t need to hold my hand from a distance. I’ll be—”
“I can do that; stay on the line with you.”
“Oh… Yeah?”
“Sure. If it makes it easier on you. I got another line people can call… But check how much battery you still got, yeah? Just in case.”
“Good thinking.” You looked at the screen and saw that it still had seventy percent left. Again, small mercies in this shitty situation. “Seventy percent. Think I’m good.”
“Alright. Keep an eye on it just in case until you’re out of there.”
You smiled to yourself. You could tell that this wasn’t his first rodeo, which had you relax some more against the seat. “I will.”
You were both quiet for a bit, with only the sound of the storm outside and the noises coming from his side of the line over the speakers.
“Thank you for doing this, uh…” you stopped, realizing that you didn’t get a name earlier.
“Frank,” he revealed with a smile in his voice.
“Thank you, Frank. I really appreciate you for doing this.”
“Like I said, it’s no problem,” he replied warmly, except that this time, he didn’t call you ma’am but used your first name instead. And, oh, hearing it with that voice was making you feel embarrassingly hot all over. Especially with his voice coming from all sides of the car.
“I really should’ve stayed home tonight,” you said with a small sigh, aiming for a casual conversation to recover from the effect his voice saying your name had on you.
Frank chuckled softly, which also set your stomach aflutter. You wondered what he looked like, if his appearance measured up to his voice. He hadn’t said anything about being the one to get you, so you unfortunately might never find out.
“Why didn’t you? Stay home.”
Groaning, you pulled on the lever to lower the seat into a more reclined position.
“A date.”
“From your tone, I’ll take that the weather wasn’t the only thing that was bad, huh?”
You scoffed. “Believe me, compared to that date, the weather feels like sunshine… And the worst part?” You continued, feeling angry again. “I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I got there… I never go on double dates. It’s always so awkward. And I was right. I was feeling like a third wheel because clearly the guy wasn’t interested and was flirting with the waitress the whole time… So now, I’m sitting in my car in a fucking blizzard and wearing a stupid dress that was too expensive in the first place, while he’s probably having a jolly good time back there.” You let out a long and heavy sigh as you finished your rant, feeling suddenly bone-tired when all the anger fled your body after getting it all out. “Shit, I’m sorry, Frank… I didn’t mean to take out my frustration on you.”
“No need to apologize. You sounded like you needed to get this off your chest.”
“Mh, I guess I did, yeah… You’re really good at this listening thing, you know?” you laughed softly, feeling better now.
“Comes with the job, I guess. A lot of people need to vent or just talk when they get into an accident or their car breaks down for some reason.”
“Mh, fair enough, yeah… You’ve been doing this for long?”
“Roughly ten years or somethin’, yeah.”
“And it’s your shop?”
A low laugh. “What makes you think that?”
“The way you said my guys earlier, I guess, and how you handled the whole thing.”
Frank’s silence had you laughing.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Spot on, yeah,” he chuckled, clearly surprised but amused by your reasoning.
The conversation kept flowing like that, with you asking questions about his job or either of you exchanging little details about your lives. If not for the wind getting louder outside, you could have almost forgotten that you were stuck in your car in an uncomfortable dress.
“Not that I’m not appreciating our little chat, but do you have the tow’s ETA?” you asked after a while, checking the time and charge left on the phone.
Frank laughed lightly. “Any time, really.”
At the news, you sat up in your seat and turned around, as if expecting to see headlights. Which you actually did.
“I can see headlights,” you cried out, feeling a giant sense of relief at seeing them.
“Okay, you’re almost out of there.”
You sighed deeply. “Thank you, Frank. I…” you trailed off, happy to get out of the car but also sort of sad to let the voice go.
“See you in a sec,” was the last thing you heard before a loud whooshing sound howled through the speakers and the line disconnected.
Huh?
Your attention was distracted when the headlights stopped next to the passenger door, and you heard the truck’s door open and close before a dark figure appeared in front of the lights. There was a loud tap on your window that was followed by the door being yanked open. You huddled deeper into your coat as this brought in the snow and icy wind, the howl of it almost deafening in intensity. The tall figure replaced it immediately, though, revealing a smiling, bearded man in a thick winter coat and a beanie, which were already covered in a layer of snow.
“Hey, you holdin’ up okay in there?”
At the sound of that voice, you exhaled sharply with a short laugh of surprised awe.
“Frank.”
His smile turned soft. “Let’s get you outta here, ‘kay? Got a blanket in my truck.”
“Yes, please.”
“I’ma get to your side. Grab everythin’ you need ‘n make sure to cover up as best you can.”
Nodding in understanding, you watched as Frank closed the door and moved out of the light to walk around the car. He tapped on the window again, indicating for you to get ready, before he opened it. Bracing for the cold, you grabbed your purse and tucked your head into the coat as you took Frank’s outstretched hand to help pull you out. You gasped as the cold enveloped you instantly, the wind and snowflakes hitting your face from all sides.
“Come on, just a few feet to walk ‘n you’ll be back in the warmth,” Frank shouted over the roar of the wind as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders to herd you toward the tow truck.
The walk was short, but by the time you made it to the passenger side of the truck and Frank had helped you up, you were beyond freezing and shuddering like crazy. Thankfully, the heater was on high and blasted you with a gust of warm air, which made goosebumps erupt on your whole body. Meanwhile, Frank hurried to his side and climbed in.
“You okay?” He took you in with a quick glance over your body. “Here, put this around you.” He unfolded a large blanket and leaned toward you to drape it around your shoulders and bundle you up. “Okay… Better?”
“Yeah, thanks,” you breathed through shattering teeth as the man fussed about you.
His eyes met yours as he finished making sure that you’d be warm before he leaned back in his seat and out of your space, although his eyes lingered on you for a few seconds.
“Gonna check on the car, yeah?” He jerked his head toward your car, which, you now noticed, was covered in a thickening layer of snow.
Nodding, you watched Frank maneuver the truck until its rear was to your car before Frank jumped into the blizzard again. You turned around and looked through the small window in the back of the truck, but you could barely make out Frank’s figure, only hearing the sounds of metal on metal and the motor of the towing wire. Rubbing your arms to rid you of the cold, you started gnawing your bottom lip as more time went by, worrying that Frank would get hypothermia from staying outside for so long. However, just as you were about to fight your way into the cold again to tell him to leave the car where it was and come back inside, Frank appeared in the window of the driver’s side before the door opened and he climbed in. He was covered in snow and clearly shivering.
“Shit, you must be half frozen.” You slid the blanket off, but Frank stopped you and tugged it back around your shoulders.
“Keep it. I’m fine, don’t worry. I’ll be warm in no time.” He removed the beanie and threw it on the dashboard, revealing a thick shock of dark, disheveled hair that went perfectly with his short beard. His looks very definitely did measure up to his voice.
“You sure? You were out there for a while. I’m pretty warm by now.”
Frank shot you a smile that had even more warmth spreading through you. “I’m good… Now let’s get you home, yeah?”
Smiling in turn, you nodded as Frank put the truck into drive and started the slow way back into New York.
“Thanks for getting me out of there so fast,” you said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
“No problem. Couldn't very well let you freeze out there, could I? Not after that lousy date.”
You snorted out a laugh and nodded vehemently. “I appreciate you taking that detail into consideration for choosing to save me.”
Frank glanced your way with a small grin.
It took a while to get into the city, but you kept up a steady conversation like you had over the phone, except that his voice was even better to listen to up close than through the car's speakers. That, and you could watch him. It was nearly dark in the truck, but you saw enough of his face to observe his facial expressions as he talked or listened.
“Shit, you can barely tell where we are,” you commented a good while later, sitting up straighter in your seat as you looked around yourself when you drove through your neighborhood and to your place. During your conversation, you found out that Frank’s repair shop wasn’t too far from your place, so he offered to drive you home straight away. Which you were glad about, since the snow was falling so hard that you could barely make out anything. You could consider yourself lucky that you only had a minor crash with how the weather was going and that the road was still manageable here. “Oh, there, that’s my building.”
Frank stopped the car and put it into neutral before turning toward you while you rummaged through your purse to get your keys.
“I’ll call you as soon as I get the new tires, ‘kay?”
You nodded in acknowledgement but frowned when you didn’t find your keys where you usually kept them.
“Something wrong?” Frank asked after several seconds of silence filled with you going through your purse more and more frantically.
In the end, you upended the whole thing next to you on the seat and went through your stuff until you were sure that you’d checked everywhere.
“I can’t find my keys,” you whispered in anguish, lifting your wide gaze to Frank.
“Lemme check the car.”
Before you had the time to say anything, Frank was out of the door and jumping onto the back of the truck to climb into your car. It took a few minutes, but when Frank sat back next to you, snow in his hair and beard, you knew from his expression that he had come up empty-handed.
“You sure you had them with you before you left?”
You nodded and covered your face with a miserable groan. “Yeah… I saw them when I left the restaurant earlier. I must have lost them in the snow when I got out of the car. My neighbor has a spare, but she’s out of town.”
You cursed into your palms. What were you going to do now? You couldn’t ask Frank to drive you to a friend. It was the middle of the night in a freaking blizzard, and your friend who lived the closest lived half an hour away on a good day.
“I got a pretty comfortable couch.” Your head snapped to Frank, who was watching you with an awkward smile and lifted a hand, palm up. “I know you don’t know me or nothin’, but if you don’t know where to go…” he trailed off with a one-shoulder shrug.
“That’s… that’s very kind of you. I…” You glanced up at your building and then back at Frank, with his genuine smile, his deep voice, and honest eyes.
No, you didn’t know him, but your gut was telling you that it was okay to trust him.
“Thank you, I really appreciate it… You’re the only reason this evening isn’t a complete shitshow.”
Putting the car back into drive, Frank chuckled lightly. Another little while later, Frank slowed in front of a garage entrance that had a Castle Repair and Towing sign hanging over the entrance. A young man came out of an office as soon as Frank drove into the large garage and climbed out of the truck.
“Everyone still out?”
“Yeah, I just sent Jim out again,” the young man explained, looking toward you as you got out of the truck as well.
Frank rapidly glanced your way. “Listen, Peter. Gonna let you handle things for a bit, yeah? Gonna settle my guest upstairs. Lost her house keys in the snow.”
“Oh,” Peter sent you a grimace of understanding. “Sure.”
“Okay, come on up. This way.” Frank led the way to a staircase off to the right of the garage, which meant that Frank had to be living just above the garage.
You climbed a flight of stairs that opened on a small corridor that had only one door, which Frank unlocked before showing you in.
The apartment was an open living area with large windows that probably made it a luminous place during the day. The kitchen sat to the left, and the living room to the right, where there were also two doors that had to be the bathroom and the bedroom.
Still huddled in the blanket, you put your purse on the couch and unwrapped the blanket before you removed your coat as well since the apartment was well heated. You slowly looked around yourself before meeting Frank’s gaze, which clearly was in the process of coming up from giving you a once-over. You felt your face warming at his expression. It was appreciative but not in a way that made you feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite, really.
“Your date really should get his eyes checked. You look beautiful.” Frank met your eyes with an attentive stare before looking to the side with a small shake of his head, then took off his own outside gear, leaving him in dark denims and a forest green sweater.
Eyes widening briefly at the fierce statement, you smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
Frank nodded silently before he seemed to shake himself.
“D’you wanna take a shower? Warm up some more. I got some shirts I could lend you.”
“That would be great, yeah, thanks. I can't stand being in this thing anymore,” you laughed, handing Frank the blanket and your coat as he moved forward to take them from you.
Frank hummed in acknowledgment and glanced at you again, his eyes moving up and down your body like earlier.
“Shame, though,” he muttered after a few seconds, his eyes finally moving away from you as he turned and walked to the door to hang up the coats before he went to what you realized had to be the bedroom.
You bit down on another pleased smile as you watched him enter the bedroom. Maybe the dress had been a good choice after all.
Frank came back a minute later with a fluffy towel and a shirt that looked like it would fit you.
“Bathroom is just through there.” He pointed to the other door. “I’m gonna prepare the couch while you shower.”
Nodding as you took the clothes with a soft thank you, you headed into the bathroom. It was a simple room, but well-kept and clean, with a deep tub that looked like you could have a great soak in it. Glancing at yourself in the mirror, you rubbed under your tired eyes where the makeup had smudged. Sighing, you removed your shoes and pantyhose along with your underwear, then lifted your hands to the back of your neck to reach the zipper and begin opening the dress. However, as with everything tonight, things just couldn’t be easy. About halfway down your back, the zipper got stuck. Try as you might in this uncomfortable position, neither pulling it up nor down helped. Of course, the zipper was still too high for you to manage to pull the dress off without tearing it. If you’d been home, you’d have done exactly that, but you didn’t have any other clothes to put on for your trip back home, meaning that you couldn’t just rip it off your body. Staring at your reflection with an exasperated look that quickly transformed into defeated embarrassment, you took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.
“Frank?”
You found him in the living room, where he was preparing the couch for you. He lifted his gaze, and his eyebrows rose as he saw your face. He straightened. “What’s up? Something wrong with the shower?”
“No… I… um…” Closing your eyes, you turned your back to him. “The zipper is stuck, and I can’t properly reach it, so… would you mind giving me a hand?”
You couldn’t see him anymore, but you heard some rustling before he replied.
“Sure.”
Frank came to stand behind you, but he didn’t move immediately. If not for the heat coming off his body, you wouldn’t be certain that he was there at all. His fingers grazed the skin on your back when he reached for the zipper, the touch gentle, but since you hadn’t seen him move, it pulled a soft gasp of surprise out of you. As Frank fiddled with the zipper, you stared ahead and tried not to think about the fact that a handsome guy had his hands on you and was basically helping you undress.
“Damn, that thing got snagged real good,” Frank mumbled while his fingers twisted and pulled at the material to get the zipper slowly free.
“Honestly, by this point I wish you would just rip it off.” You shrugged before realizing how this might sound. You sighed. “I mean figuratively, you know, ‘cause I’ve been in it for hours? But it’s also okay if it tears a little as long as I can get out of it… by myself.”
You felt stupid as soon as you added the last part. However, by the end of your awkward ramble, Frank was laughing, the sound amused but not mocking.
“Got it,” Frank acknowledged, his voice low and rumbling. “Just a little tearin’.”
You rolled your eyes at yourself and leaned your head forward. Embarrassed or not, Frank’s voice still did things to you when he spoke in that soft rumble. Pressing your lips together, you chose to stop talking lest you say anything else to embarrass you.
Following your lead, Frank kept silent as he concentrated on his task, only muttering faintly here and there when the zipper stopped moving again. However, he had to have leaned in closer to check on what he was doing at some point because you could now feel his breath on your shoulders. You bit your bottom lip at the proximity, at the light touches on your skin, both from his fingers and his breath. It took your whole focus not to react. Then he made a sound of victory, his breath hitting your nape with a sharper gust, which caused a shudder to run through you.
“You cold?” Frank asked, his voice low and far too close to your ear now, one of his fingers sliding over a couple of inches of your back as he indicated the goosebumps where the zipper had finally relented and moved all the way down.
Closing your eyes again, you shook your head as another shudder rolled through your body. “No,” you breathed. “Not cold.”
“No?” he hummed thoughtfully. “Then what?”
This time, his mouth was right behind your ear as he spoke. The sound of his low voice and the puff of air against your sensitive skin had you letting out a tiny, involuntary moan. You bit your lip as you felt your face burning with both arousal and embarrassment. Opening your eyes again, you slowly turned your head to the side until you could almost see him.
“You're doing it on purpose,” you breathed with a hint of reproach.
“Doin’ what on purpose?”
There was a smile in his voice, and you finally turned enough to look at him meaningfully, your back touching his chest.
“Frank.”
When you found his eyes, you saw them darkening with lust by the second as he stared back at you intently. His smile, though, was tender when he reached up to stroke a thumb along your cheek, still observing you quietly. Waiting.
“Please.”
Because there was no possibility that you didn’t want him, you tilted your head in such a way that your lips were closer to his. You felt a flutter of satisfaction when Frank’s eyes fell to your mouth.
“Shit,” he whispered under his breath just before he finally closed the gap.
You groaned and leaned further into him, letting your eyes fall shut while you let yourself sink into the kiss. It was slow and heady, with Frank's lips catching yours or sucking at your bottom lip before he lazily slid his tongue against yours with a hint of coffee on it. The position might not have been the best, but you weren’t inclined to change it. Leaning against Frank’s warm and strong body completely made up for how you had to keep your head twisted to kiss him. Frank seemed to think along these lines, since there was absolutely no hurry in his movements, as if he were savoring each of them and was happy to keep you like this. He kept up the same pace when he slid his lips along your jaw and to your neck, before kissing his way behind the ear he’d spoken into earlier. You groaned and tilted your head to the side for Frank’s questing mouth, shivering from the continued attention. Meanwhile, Frank’s hands, which had kept the dress up after he managed to open it, let go of the material, which slid down your body, leaving you fully naked. You let out a short gasp as cool air hit the front of your bare body, causing your nipples to pebble even more than they already were after Frank’s attention on your neck and shoulders. As his hands splayed over your body, fingers tickling over your breasts, stomach, and thighs, Frank was the one who groaned this time.
“Just look at you,” he rasped, caressing you with reverence all over, thumbs catching over your nipples on his way down and enjoying the soft sound you made. “What a fuckin’ idiot. Lettin’ you leave. So fuckin’ beautiful, sweetheart.”
You moaned at the new wave of fierceness in Frank’s voice. At the honest compliments. It had your body thrumming with affection and desire.
“I’m all yours now,” you heard yourself saying. Which was wild. Only a few hours ago, Frank had been a total stranger. And he still was. But there was something about him that made you feel like you could give yourself over to him. It didn’t matter if it was only for tonight. It didn’t change the fact that this felt good, felt right.
“Christ,” Frank hissed, wrapping his arms around you and touching his forehead to the back of your head, his body flush with yours and making you feel his own arousal pressing against you for the first time. “Com’ere.” He pulled away and caught your hand, leading you backward toward the couch.
He sat down on it and pulled you down with him until you were sitting on his lap, back to chest, his hard length trapped between your bodies. As soon as you sat down, Frank spread his legs, which forced you to open them as well, your legs splayed on either side of his thighs. Slowly reaching up to circle your throat with one hand, Frank had you leaning back against his chest and tilting your head toward his. His other hand was resting on your thigh, drawing slow circles on it. You couldn’t remember ever being this exposed, with you fully naked while he was still dressed, but it wasn’t a bad feeling; you didn’t feel vulnerable. Just the opposite. He’d been the one to tease you, but with how he was staring at you right before he kissed you again, you knew that Frank would do anything you asked of him. Considering the way Frank touched you, you might not even have to say anything at all. The fingers around your throat were loose, just there to keep your head close to his, but the hand soon moved with the other. Slowly. You let out a shuddering breath when Frank’s hands started at your shoulders and traveled down. It felt ticklish, but you didn’t try, nor did you want to twist away from the touch. Your skin rose where his fingers passed, and when he gently caught your nipples between his fingers and pulled at them, you gasped into his mouth while your back arched into his hands.
“Frank,” you breathed, simply needing to say his name, but Frank sealed your lips with his again and dove his tongue between them, taking your breath away.
All the way down his hands moved. Over your sides and belly, toward your mound, before separating to stroke your thighs. By then, you were mostly unable to keep up with his mouth, trembling with need while sighing and moaning continually. When one of Frank’s hands finally drifted between your legs, you bit your lip in anticipation, feeling already on the edge. There, too, he went slowly, trailing his fingers from the top of your mound before slipping between the outer lips, which had your breath catching as you waited for his fingers to keep going. When they passed over your clit and through your soaked flesh, you let out a whooshing breath that turned into a groan of pleasure. He did it a few times before he used his middle finger to circle your clit lightly. Your legs trembled, but Frank’s other hand was gripping one thigh tightly, keeping you still against him.
“Frank,” you repeated, turning your head toward him while you writhed on his lap, feeling his cock jerking against your ass.
“Shh, I got you, sweetheart.”
His fingers slid lower, and two of them sank deep into you. Your back bowed away from Frank as your head flew back against his shoulder with a little scream. Until now, your hands had remained by your sides or rested on Frank’s arms, but they were now gripping onto his forearms tightly, your nails biting his skin when Frank began plunging his fingers in and out of you, curled at the perfect angle.
“That’s it, that’s it,” Frank was rumbling against your ear and kissing your neck, keeping you in place with his other hand wrapped around your waist as he basically fucked you with his fingers.
When your orgasm hit, your breath caught on a sharp gasp, and your whole body went taut with pleasure while Frank talked you through it. Once you came out on the other side of your peak and rode the content feeling of afterglow, you sank into Frank, drained in the best of ways. With a drowsy smile, you let Frank curl his arms around your middle while he breathed against your neck. Closing your eyes, you let yourself drift for a bit. That was until Frank shifted slightly under you, which made you realize that he was still rock hard.
Moving slowly since your legs were still wobbly, you removed them from over Frank’s thighs and more or less managed to sink to the floor at Frank’s feet, once Frank released you when he noticed your wriggling. You looked up at him with a small smile as you got more comfortable on your knees. Frank watched you intently, his chest rising and falling more quickly when you lifted your hands to his jeans.
“Up,” you said with intent, tugging at his pants to get him to his feet.
Swallowing noticeably, Frank did as asked and got up. You sucked in your bottom lip as you stared at the large outline of his dick in the jeans. You were the one to swallow this time, now all the more eager to open the pants. As you reached up to do exactly that, Frank slid his fingers against your cheek until he was cupping it. Still working on undoing the button and zipper, you looked up at him, finding him staring at you with the sort of desire that left you breathless. His thumb gently stroked over the corner of your mouth, but you slightly turned your head and kissed it. Frank’s hand stilled briefly before he slid his thumb over your bottom lip. You watched each other while you finally pulled his jeans and underwear down over his erection. You didn’t look at it, though, too focused on Frank’s eyes, and opened your mouth when his thumb pulled down your lip. It was a clear invitation, and Frank accepted it gladly. With a small groan, Frank slowly pressed his thumb between your lips and onto your tongue. You sucked on it. Not hard, just enough to be a hint of what was to come.
“Fuck,” he breathed in his lowest tone yet as you wrapped a hand around his length while still sucking at his thumb, the sound he made causing a wave of arousal to run down your spine.
With his gaze still locked with yours, Frank pulled his thumb out but kept his hand where it was. This was the cue for you to lean in. You didn’t take him in your mouth, though. Not yet. Instead, you stuck your tongue out and slowly licked around the tip. You used a mix of shorter and longer passes, which had Frank grunting and breathing faster. Loving the effect you were having on him, you finally pulled the tip between your lips and sucked. Frank hissed and had to close his eyes for the first time, breaking eye contact. After how expertly he’d played with your body, it was a heady feeling to be able to give back in the same way. All you wanted was to hear how good you made him feel. As you slowly took him deeper and bobbed your head, Frank’s fingers slid away from your cheek and into your hair. They tightened there sporadically, as if he was unable to help himself. And you loved it. It wasn’t possessive; it wasn’t there to keep you in place. His hold was more like an anchor for him as he let you set the pace and do as you pleased. When his hips began to move, you moaned and looked up, finding him staring at you again. The thrusts were shallow, barely moving further than the middle of your tongue, but you curled your fingers tighter around him and worked in counterpoint. Frank’s mouth parted as he breathed harder, his eyes closing for a moment as the sensations intensified. When his gaze fell on your face again, you could tell that he was barely holding on by a thread.
“I’m close, sweetheart,” he warned, his voice sounding rough and slightly strained.
Popping off with your mouth, you kept up the pace of your hand, making your movements longer as your hand covered his whole length now. Frank licked his lips in between ragged breaths as you stroked him towards release and groaned deep in his chest when you tilted your head back and offered your throat.
“Fuck,” he gasped out loudly as he came, his cum landing all over your chest and breasts in hot jets.
You immediately gentled your strokes on his cock, keeping the motion light as you carried him through orgasm. He stared at you, panting, but he remained silent for a few long beats. The hand that had stayed in your hair through the whole thing returned to your cheek, and he stroked his thumb along it. His eyes took in the mess on your chest, and he suddenly looked contrite.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” he muttered, letting go of you to do up his pants.
You laughed. “Don’t be. I liked it, and I need to take a shower anyway.”
Frank grunted with a half smile and helped you back to your feet before he stooped low and retrieved your dress from the floor. He stared at it before looking at you with a small, embarrassed chuckle as he handed it to you.
“Christ, this kinda went out of hand, huh?”
You laughed. “I guess… Of all the things that I could have imagined happening tonight, this sure wasn’t it.”
“Yeah… you gotta know that when I offered you to stay here, I didn’t mean it—”
“Oh, no, of course.” You waved your hand dismissively. “I didn’t think you were.”
“I just…” Frank glanced at your face and then your body that was mostly hidden by the dress now. “The phone call…” he trailed off again, but you didn’t need him to finish the sentence to understand what he meant.
“Yeah,” you breathed, watching him right back. “Me too.”
You watched each other for another moment before Frank cleared his throat and stepped back toward the entrance door.
“Right. Need to check on the team. See if everythin’s okay.”
“Of course. I’ll be in the shower.”
Frank glanced toward the bathroom door and then at you, his attention making another zap of awareness shoot through you. You laughed, not feeling embarrassed about your choice of words this time.
“You know what I mean.”
Frank laughed under his breath and nodded.
“Help yourself to whatever you like if you’re hungry or thirsty. I’ll see you later.”
With a small thank you, you watched him leave the apartment and went into the bathroom to finally take that shower. He came back upstairs while you were in the process of drinking down a tall glass of water, dressed in the long T-shirt that Frank had lent you.
“Everything okay? Do you need to head back out?”
“No, all’s good. Still got two guys out there, but they just called in, so we know they’re fine. And Peter’s on shift tonight, so he’ll take care of the rest.”
“That’s good, then.”
Frank nodded. “I’m gonna take a shower… Be back in a sec.”
Smiling at him, you retrieved your phone from your purse and sat down on the couch, realizing that the blanket and pillow that Frank had put out for you were now lying on the ground after your fooling around. Putting everything back in place, you sent out a quick text to your friend to let her know that you were back home. You'd tell her the specifics later. While you scrolled through social media, you noticed that it was close to two in the morning. You’d left the restaurant four hours ago, but it felt like a whole year had gone by. Inclining your head over the back of the couch, you stared at the ceiling when the bathroom door opened and Frank came out. Turning your head in his direction, you saw that he was dressed in a threadbare red t-shirt and a pair of light grey sweatpants. He looked ridiculously good in this.
“Comfortable?” Frank asked while walking up to you.
You grinned and nodded while petting the couch. “You didn’t exaggerate.”
Chuckling, Frank took a step back and was about to turn away from you when he stopped and looked ahead, thinking.
“You know…” he frowned to himself before he glanced at you. “My bed’s pretty comfortable too.”
Biting down on a slowly forming grin, you hummed in a put-on thoughtful way.
“Well, I guess I need to find out if that’s true as well.”
Snorting, Frank extended a hand to pull you up before he led you into the bedroom.
If you're going to let it snow you have to really let it snow, you know what I mean? 😏
Jokes aside, this was just so cozy and beautifully written as usual, it doesn't come as a surprise anymore than anything you write comes out perfectly. I love your keen interest in his voice that it just pours out in every fic, from the moment of the call till the moment they meet. It was just lovely to see this scene unfold and be topped by that sexy moment at the end.
I know it was supposed to cold in the fic but this is how it felt the whole time-
I've become a true Jon Bernthal connoisseur 😂 I don't even watch his interviews more than once, sometimes twice if it's good. And somehow his dumb statements get stuck in my head like this one.
But he must know orangutans are smart af, right? I know he meant it probably in like a brute manner, but he should go with a koala instead, cause they're the dumbest animal according to google but also really cute.
Summary: After a failed double date, you decide to drive back home. On the road to New York City, you find yourself in the middle of a blizzard and end up stuck in a snowbank with a flat tire. Although you go from one misfortune to the other, you meet a mechanic who doesn't only help with your car.
R18 || CW: 7,5k
CW: minor car crash, strangers to lovers, mechanic!Frank, smut
AN: gif of our gorgeous bearded Frank courtesy of @darlingshane 🧡
-Read on AO3
Driving through the thickening snowflakes and peering through the windshield with mounting trepidation, you felt like kicking yourself for deciding to head home in this weather instead of staying at your friend’s. But the double date you’d been on had been a total disaster from the get-go, and you’d refused to stay a moment longer. Carefully maneuvering through the darkness on a barely illuminated road, you only hoped to get home as fast as possible in these weather conditions. You dutifully kept your hands on ten and two, breathing rapidly when the wind picked up and made the snow whirl around you. At least your car had decent heating, so you weren’t cold. Looking around for the exit sign to head back into New York, you also realized that you hadn’t seen any other cars in a long while. It was while you were having that thought that your car hit a pothole, the falling snow making it difficult to clearly see the road. Gasping in surprise, you tugged on the steering wheel to stop the car from swerving to the left and bring it back on course, but your tires met a slice of black ice this time, which had you skidding off to the right instead. Cursing loudly since braking was useless while you slid over the ice and toward a quickly nearing snowbank, you were left with no other option but to close your eyes and brace yourself for impact. While you were still jerked forward when you hit the large heap of snow, the airbag didn’t go off; you'd been driving far more slowly than under normal circumstances. Now that the car had stopped, you slowly opened your eyes to find the whole front of the car stuck in the snowbank, the windshield covered in snow. Unclenching your body and breathing out in relief when you took stock of your body and realized that you weren’t hurt in any way, you took a moment to simply sit there and evaluate the situation. You looked from left to right and out of the rear window. With the hood stuck in the snowbank, the headlights didn’t illuminate anything anymore; plus, you had landed on a strip of road that was devoid of streetlamps. The only source of light was coming from the rear lights, which were giving a faint, red glow to the snow and road around you. They definitely weren’t enough to see by. With an icy chill running down your spine, you quickly put your car in reverse, grateful that the engine was still running, and hit the gas. Nothing happened except for the tires skidding on the ice. Oh, fuck, no… Breathing slowly in and out, you tried again but with the same result. Then a light on the dashboard lit up. A flat tire. Letting out a harsh laugh, you dropped your head against the headrest and closed your eyes, forcing yourself not to panic and to think instead. You had a spare tire, but you were not dressed for this kind of weather at all, and changing a tire in almost total darkness and a snowstorm was impossible. A shudder ran down your spine at the idea of getting out of the car. Which made you grateful that the heater was still working. Thinking about the best option, you snapped your eyes open as you remembered your phone and lunged for your purse to dig it out. For a second, you imagined the horror movie-like scenario of being stranded on a lonely road in the middle of the night and with no signal to boot, but with a sigh of relief, you found that your phone did have signal. Opening the browser, you pulled up the closest towing services and quickly called the first one. To your shock, they told you that they’d only be able to be there in three to four hours at the earliest due to the weather and all their staff already being out on calls. After hanging up on the next two with the same result while trying to fight off a new wave of panic, you forced in another slow breath and scanned the other options, hoping that one of them would be able to get to you before dawn. Hitting call on the fourth choice, you bit your lower lip and jiggled your leg as the ringing sound resonated through the car’s Bluetooth system and waited for the call to connect.
“Castle Repair and Towing, how can I help you?”
You blinked. The man who'd picked up had a nice voice. Deep and raspy. It was so unexpected that it left you speechless for so long that the man had to repeat himself.
“Uh, yeah, hi. Sorry, um… I need a tow? I slid on some black ice and crashed into a snowbank. The car’s still running, but I have a flat tire, and it’s pitch dark here, and the other towing services I called are all busy, and, and—” Without realizing it, you’d started to panic at the idea of yet another failed call, the words rushing out of you hastily while your voice moved up an octave.
“Hey, hey, hey, it’s alright, ‘kay? It’s gonna be alright,” the man gently cut in, his voice lowering some more and turning soothing. “Are you hurt in any way? You said you ran off the road?”
Surprised by the question that the others hadn’t asked, you shook your head before remembering to answer. “No, I, um, I’m fine. I was driving slowly, and the snow’s pretty soft. I’m just stuck.”
“Okay, good. That’s good. Now, where are you?”
Feeling a rush of warmth toward the man and his reassuring voice that carried through the whole car, you looked down at the phone between your hands and pulled up the location you'd also given to the other three towing services.
“Westchester. I was driving down the Saw Mill River Parkway near Dobbs Ferry.”
The man hummed thoughtfully, and for a minute, you thought that he would tell you that he couldn’t make it either.
“Not gonna lie, Ma’am, the road was closed not long ago ‘cause of the blizzard, and it’ll still be a good hour before anyone can get there.”
You let out a small laugh at his apologetic tone. “The other towing services told me that it would take them at least three to four hours. So trust me, one hour already sounds like ten minutes by this point.”
“Yeah, unsurprisin’, I’m afraid. With this weather, we’ve all been called a lot.” You heard some clicking, probably a keyboard. “Right, can I get your name and car information, please?”
Feeling better now that you knew that you wouldn’t stay in your car all night, you quickly rattled off your information while the wind howled outside and brought more snow with it.
“‘Kay, now here’s what’s gonna happen. I just sent a text out to my guys. See which one might be nearest to your location. And if they’re all busy, I’ll come myself, yeah?”
“Hope it’ll be you,” you blurted out without thinking and went as far as slapping your hand over your mouth at the slipup.
“Beg your pardon?” There was surprise in the man’s voice but also a note of amusement that had you groaning under your breath.
“No, I mean, whoever’s fine, of course. I… just,” you sighed and looked at the ceiling. “I’m sure people have told you before, but you have a very nice voice.”
A low chuckle met your ears, which had your face flushing with warmth. “Do I?” The question was genuine.
“Please, I don’t believe for one second that no one's ever told you.”
“Not as often as you seem to think, but thank you.” There was some rustling and a loud clunking from the man’s side of the line. “Okay, as I said, it should be around an hour. Snow’s really pickin’ up.”
Happy for the change of subject, you sighed in relief at the information that someone would be coming soon.
“Thank you, that’s… that’s great.”
“No problem. We’re doin’ our best.” He was quiet for a second. “You comfortable? I mean, not too cold or nothin’?”
Smiling at the concern, you pulled your feet up and wrapped your coat around them as best as possible. “As comfortable as I can be in this cramped space. But yeah, the car’s warm enough for now. I tanked up yesterday, so all in all, I guess I’m lucky I can leave the engine on without the risk of running out of gas before someone gets here.”
“That’s good. Turn on the hazards too if you haven’t already done it. It’ll be easier to find you.”
“Okay, done,” you informed him after reaching for the double triangle button and pressing it.
“Good… Now you just have to wait and—”
“Will you stay on the line with me?” you said in a rush, suddenly feeling anxious at the idea of only having the roaring sound of the blizzard for company on this dark road before you shook your head at yourself in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, forget I asked. You’re busy, and you don’t need to hold my hand from a distance. I’ll be—”
“I can do that; stay on the line with you.”
“Oh… Yeah?”
“Sure. If it makes it easier on you. I got another line people can call… But check how much battery you still got, yeah? Just in case.”
“Good thinking.” You looked at the screen and saw that it still had seventy percent left. Again, small mercies in this shitty situation. “Seventy percent. Think I’m good.”
“Alright. Keep an eye on it just in case until you’re out of there.”
You smiled to yourself. You could tell that this wasn’t his first rodeo, which had you relax some more against the seat. “I will.”
You were both quiet for a bit, with only the sound of the storm outside and the noises coming from his side of the line over the speakers.
“Thank you for doing this, uh…” you stopped, realizing that you didn’t get a name earlier.
“Frank,” he revealed with a smile in his voice.
“Thank you, Frank. I really appreciate you for doing this.”
“Like I said, it’s no problem,” he replied warmly, except that this time, he didn’t call you ma’am but used your first name instead. And, oh, hearing it with that voice was making you feel embarrassingly hot all over. Especially with his voice coming from all sides of the car.
“I really should’ve stayed home tonight,” you said with a small sigh, aiming for a casual conversation to recover from the effect his voice saying your name had on you.
Frank chuckled softly, which also set your stomach aflutter. You wondered what he looked like, if his appearance measured up to his voice. He hadn’t said anything about being the one to get you, so you unfortunately might never find out.
“Why didn’t you? Stay home.”
Groaning, you pulled on the lever to lower the seat into a more reclined position.
“A date.”
“From your tone, I’ll take that the weather wasn’t the only thing that was bad, huh?”
You scoffed. “Believe me, compared to that date, the weather feels like sunshine… And the worst part?” You continued, feeling angry again. “I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I got there… I never go on double dates. It’s always so awkward. And I was right. I was feeling like a third wheel because clearly the guy wasn’t interested and was flirting with the waitress the whole time… So now, I’m sitting in my car in a fucking blizzard and wearing a stupid dress that was too expensive in the first place, while he’s probably having a jolly good time back there.” You let out a long and heavy sigh as you finished your rant, feeling suddenly bone-tired when all the anger fled your body after getting it all out. “Shit, I’m sorry, Frank… I didn’t mean to take out my frustration on you.”
“No need to apologize. You sounded like you needed to get this off your chest.”
“Mh, I guess I did, yeah… You’re really good at this listening thing, you know?” you laughed softly, feeling better now.
“Comes with the job, I guess. A lot of people need to vent or just talk when they get into an accident or their car breaks down for some reason.”
“Mh, fair enough, yeah… You’ve been doing this for long?”
“Roughly ten years or somethin’, yeah.”
“And it’s your shop?”
A low laugh. “What makes you think that?”
“The way you said my guys earlier, I guess, and how you handled the whole thing.”
Frank’s silence had you laughing.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Spot on, yeah,” he chuckled, clearly surprised but amused by your reasoning.
The conversation kept flowing like that, with you asking questions about his job or either of you exchanging little details about your lives. If not for the wind getting louder outside, you could have almost forgotten that you were stuck in your car in an uncomfortable dress.
“Not that I’m not appreciating our little chat, but do you have the tow’s ETA?” you asked after a while, checking the time and charge left on the phone.
Frank laughed lightly. “Any time, really.”
At the news, you sat up in your seat and turned around, as if expecting to see headlights. Which you actually did.
“I can see headlights,” you cried out, feeling a giant sense of relief at seeing them.
“Okay, you’re almost out of there.”
You sighed deeply. “Thank you, Frank. I…” you trailed off, happy to get out of the car but also sort of sad to let the voice go.
“See you in a sec,” was the last thing you heard before a loud whooshing sound howled through the speakers and the line disconnected.
Huh?
Your attention was distracted when the headlights stopped next to the passenger door, and you heard the truck’s door open and close before a dark figure appeared in front of the lights. There was a loud tap on your window that was followed by the door being yanked open. You huddled deeper into your coat as this brought in the snow and icy wind, the howl of it almost deafening in intensity. The tall figure replaced it immediately, though, revealing a smiling, bearded man in a thick winter coat and a beanie, which were already covered in a layer of snow.
“Hey, you holdin’ up okay in there?”
At the sound of that voice, you exhaled sharply with a short laugh of surprised awe.
“Frank.”
His smile turned soft. “Let’s get you outta here, ‘kay? Got a blanket in my truck.”
“Yes, please.”
“I’ma get to your side. Grab everythin’ you need ‘n make sure to cover up as best you can.”
Nodding in understanding, you watched as Frank closed the door and moved out of the light to walk around the car. He tapped on the window again, indicating for you to get ready, before he opened it. Bracing for the cold, you grabbed your purse and tucked your head into the coat as you took Frank’s outstretched hand to help pull you out. You gasped as the cold enveloped you instantly, the wind and snowflakes hitting your face from all sides.
“Come on, just a few feet to walk ‘n you’ll be back in the warmth,” Frank shouted over the roar of the wind as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders to herd you toward the tow truck.
The walk was short, but by the time you made it to the passenger side of the truck and Frank had helped you up, you were beyond freezing and shuddering like crazy. Thankfully, the heater was on high and blasted you with a gust of warm air, which made goosebumps erupt on your whole body. Meanwhile, Frank hurried to his side and climbed in.
“You okay?” He took you in with a quick glance over your body. “Here, put this around you.” He unfolded a large blanket and leaned toward you to drape it around your shoulders and bundle you up. “Okay… Better?”
“Yeah, thanks,” you breathed through shattering teeth as the man fussed about you.
His eyes met yours as he finished making sure that you’d be warm before he leaned back in his seat and out of your space, although his eyes lingered on you for a few seconds.
“Gonna check on the car, yeah?” He jerked his head toward your car, which, you now noticed, was covered in a thickening layer of snow.
Nodding, you watched Frank maneuver the truck until its rear was to your car before Frank jumped into the blizzard again. You turned around and looked through the small window in the back of the truck, but you could barely make out Frank’s figure, only hearing the sounds of metal on metal and the motor of the towing wire. Rubbing your arms to rid you of the cold, you started gnawing your bottom lip as more time went by, worrying that Frank would get hypothermia from staying outside for so long. However, just as you were about to fight your way into the cold again to tell him to leave the car where it was and come back inside, Frank appeared in the window of the driver’s side before the door opened and he climbed in. He was covered in snow and clearly shivering.
“Shit, you must be half frozen.” You slid the blanket off, but Frank stopped you and tugged it back around your shoulders.
“Keep it. I’m fine, don’t worry. I’ll be warm in no time.” He removed the beanie and threw it on the dashboard, revealing a thick shock of dark, disheveled hair that went perfectly with his short beard. His looks very definitely did measure up to his voice.
“You sure? You were out there for a while. I’m pretty warm by now.”
Frank shot you a smile that had even more warmth spreading through you. “I’m good… Now let’s get you home, yeah?”
Smiling in turn, you nodded as Frank put the truck into drive and started the slow way back into New York.
“Thanks for getting me out of there so fast,” you said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
“No problem. Couldn't very well let you freeze out there, could I? Not after that lousy date.”
You snorted out a laugh and nodded vehemently. “I appreciate you taking that detail into consideration for choosing to save me.”
Frank glanced your way with a small grin.
It took a while to get into the city, but you kept up a steady conversation like you had over the phone, except that his voice was even better to listen to up close than through the car's speakers. That, and you could watch him. It was nearly dark in the truck, but you saw enough of his face to observe his facial expressions as he talked or listened.
“Shit, you can barely tell where we are,” you commented a good while later, sitting up straighter in your seat as you looked around yourself when you drove through your neighborhood and to your place. During your conversation, you found out that Frank’s repair shop wasn’t too far from your place, so he offered to drive you home straight away. Which you were glad about, since the snow was falling so hard that you could barely make out anything. You could consider yourself lucky that you only had a minor crash with how the weather was going and that the road was still manageable here. “Oh, there, that’s my building.”
Frank stopped the car and put it into neutral before turning toward you while you rummaged through your purse to get your keys.
“I’ll call you as soon as I get the new tires, ‘kay?”
You nodded in acknowledgement but frowned when you didn’t find your keys where you usually kept them.
“Something wrong?” Frank asked after several seconds of silence filled with you going through your purse more and more frantically.
In the end, you upended the whole thing next to you on the seat and went through your stuff until you were sure that you’d checked everywhere.
“I can’t find my keys,” you whispered in anguish, lifting your wide gaze to Frank.
“Lemme check the car.”
Before you had the time to say anything, Frank was out of the door and jumping onto the back of the truck to climb into your car. It took a few minutes, but when Frank sat back next to you, snow in his hair and beard, you knew from his expression that he had come up empty-handed.
“You sure you had them with you before you left?”
You nodded and covered your face with a miserable groan. “Yeah… I saw them when I left the restaurant earlier. I must have lost them in the snow when I got out of the car. My neighbor has a spare, but she’s out of town.”
You cursed into your palms. What were you going to do now? You couldn’t ask Frank to drive you to a friend. It was the middle of the night in a freaking blizzard, and your friend who lived the closest lived half an hour away on a good day.
“I got a pretty comfortable couch.” Your head snapped to Frank, who was watching you with an awkward smile and lifted a hand, palm up. “I know you don’t know me or nothin’, but if you don’t know where to go…” he trailed off with a one-shoulder shrug.
“That’s… that’s very kind of you. I…” You glanced up at your building and then back at Frank, with his genuine smile, his deep voice, and honest eyes.
No, you didn’t know him, but your gut was telling you that it was okay to trust him.
“Thank you, I really appreciate it… You’re the only reason this evening isn’t a complete shitshow.”
Putting the car back into drive, Frank chuckled lightly. Another little while later, Frank slowed in front of a garage entrance that had a Castle Repair and Towing sign hanging over the entrance. A young man came out of an office as soon as Frank drove into the large garage and climbed out of the truck.
“Everyone still out?”
“Yeah, I just sent Jim out again,” the young man explained, looking toward you as you got out of the truck as well.
Frank rapidly glanced your way. “Listen, Peter. Gonna let you handle things for a bit, yeah? Gonna settle my guest upstairs. Lost her house keys in the snow.”
“Oh,” Peter sent you a grimace of understanding. “Sure.”
“Okay, come on up. This way.” Frank led the way to a staircase off to the right of the garage, which meant that Frank had to be living just above the garage.
You climbed a flight of stairs that opened on a small corridor that had only one door, which Frank unlocked before showing you in.
The apartment was an open living area with large windows that probably made it a luminous place during the day. The kitchen sat to the left, and the living room to the right, where there were also two doors that had to be the bathroom and the bedroom.
Still huddled in the blanket, you put your purse on the couch and unwrapped the blanket before you removed your coat as well since the apartment was well heated. You slowly looked around yourself before meeting Frank’s gaze, which clearly was in the process of coming up from giving you a once-over. You felt your face warming at his expression. It was appreciative but not in a way that made you feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite, really.
“Your date really should get his eyes checked. You look beautiful.” Frank met your eyes with an attentive stare before looking to the side with a small shake of his head, then took off his own outside gear, leaving him in dark denims and a forest green sweater.
Eyes widening briefly at the fierce statement, you smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
Frank nodded silently before he seemed to shake himself.
“D’you wanna take a shower? Warm up some more. I got some shirts I could lend you.”
“That would be great, yeah, thanks. I can't stand being in this thing anymore,” you laughed, handing Frank the blanket and your coat as he moved forward to take them from you.
Frank hummed in acknowledgment and glanced at you again, his eyes moving up and down your body like earlier.
“Shame, though,” he muttered after a few seconds, his eyes finally moving away from you as he turned and walked to the door to hang up the coats before he went to what you realized had to be the bedroom.
You bit down on another pleased smile as you watched him enter the bedroom. Maybe the dress had been a good choice after all.
Frank came back a minute later with a fluffy towel and a shirt that looked like it would fit you.
“Bathroom is just through there.” He pointed to the other door. “I’m gonna prepare the couch while you shower.”
Nodding as you took the clothes with a soft thank you, you headed into the bathroom. It was a simple room, but well-kept and clean, with a deep tub that looked like you could have a great soak in it. Glancing at yourself in the mirror, you rubbed under your tired eyes where the makeup had smudged. Sighing, you removed your shoes and pantyhose along with your underwear, then lifted your hands to the back of your neck to reach the zipper and begin opening the dress. However, as with everything tonight, things just couldn’t be easy. About halfway down your back, the zipper got stuck. Try as you might in this uncomfortable position, neither pulling it up nor down helped. Of course, the zipper was still too high for you to manage to pull the dress off without tearing it. If you’d been home, you’d have done exactly that, but you didn’t have any other clothes to put on for your trip back home, meaning that you couldn’t just rip it off your body. Staring at your reflection with an exasperated look that quickly transformed into defeated embarrassment, you took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.
“Frank?”
You found him in the living room, where he was preparing the couch for you. He lifted his gaze, and his eyebrows rose as he saw your face. He straightened. “What’s up? Something wrong with the shower?”
“No… I… um…” Closing your eyes, you turned your back to him. “The zipper is stuck, and I can’t properly reach it, so… would you mind giving me a hand?”
You couldn’t see him anymore, but you heard some rustling before he replied.
“Sure.”
Frank came to stand behind you, but he didn’t move immediately. If not for the heat coming off his body, you wouldn’t be certain that he was there at all. His fingers grazed the skin on your back when he reached for the zipper, the touch gentle, but since you hadn’t seen him move, it pulled a soft gasp of surprise out of you. As Frank fiddled with the zipper, you stared ahead and tried not to think about the fact that a handsome guy had his hands on you and was basically helping you undress.
“Damn, that thing got snagged real good,” Frank mumbled while his fingers twisted and pulled at the material to get the zipper slowly free.
“Honestly, by this point I wish you would just rip it off.” You shrugged before realizing how this might sound. You sighed. “I mean figuratively, you know, ‘cause I’ve been in it for hours? But it’s also okay if it tears a little as long as I can get out of it… by myself.”
You felt stupid as soon as you added the last part. However, by the end of your awkward ramble, Frank was laughing, the sound amused but not mocking.
“Got it,” Frank acknowledged, his voice low and rumbling. “Just a little tearin’.”
You rolled your eyes at yourself and leaned your head forward. Embarrassed or not, Frank’s voice still did things to you when he spoke in that soft rumble. Pressing your lips together, you chose to stop talking lest you say anything else to embarrass you.
Following your lead, Frank kept silent as he concentrated on his task, only muttering faintly here and there when the zipper stopped moving again. However, he had to have leaned in closer to check on what he was doing at some point because you could now feel his breath on your shoulders. You bit your bottom lip at the proximity, at the light touches on your skin, both from his fingers and his breath. It took your whole focus not to react. Then he made a sound of victory, his breath hitting your nape with a sharper gust, which caused a shudder to run through you.
“You cold?” Frank asked, his voice low and far too close to your ear now, one of his fingers sliding over a couple of inches of your back as he indicated the goosebumps where the zipper had finally relented and moved all the way down.
Closing your eyes again, you shook your head as another shudder rolled through your body. “No,” you breathed. “Not cold.”
“No?” he hummed thoughtfully. “Then what?”
This time, his mouth was right behind your ear as he spoke. The sound of his low voice and the puff of air against your sensitive skin had you letting out a tiny, involuntary moan. You bit your lip as you felt your face burning with both arousal and embarrassment. Opening your eyes again, you slowly turned your head to the side until you could almost see him.
“You're doing it on purpose,” you breathed with a hint of reproach.
“Doin’ what on purpose?”
There was a smile in his voice, and you finally turned enough to look at him meaningfully, your back touching his chest.
“Frank.”
When you found his eyes, you saw them darkening with lust by the second as he stared back at you intently. His smile, though, was tender when he reached up to stroke a thumb along your cheek, still observing you quietly. Waiting.
“Please.”
Because there was no possibility that you didn’t want him, you tilted your head in such a way that your lips were closer to his. You felt a flutter of satisfaction when Frank’s eyes fell to your mouth.
“Shit,” he whispered under his breath just before he finally closed the gap.
You groaned and leaned further into him, letting your eyes fall shut while you let yourself sink into the kiss. It was slow and heady, with Frank's lips catching yours or sucking at your bottom lip before he lazily slid his tongue against yours with a hint of coffee on it. The position might not have been the best, but you weren’t inclined to change it. Leaning against Frank’s warm and strong body completely made up for how you had to keep your head twisted to kiss him. Frank seemed to think along these lines, since there was absolutely no hurry in his movements, as if he were savoring each of them and was happy to keep you like this. He kept up the same pace when he slid his lips along your jaw and to your neck, before kissing his way behind the ear he’d spoken into earlier. You groaned and tilted your head to the side for Frank’s questing mouth, shivering from the continued attention. Meanwhile, Frank’s hands, which had kept the dress up after he managed to open it, let go of the material, which slid down your body, leaving you fully naked. You let out a short gasp as cool air hit the front of your bare body, causing your nipples to pebble even more than they already were after Frank’s attention on your neck and shoulders. As his hands splayed over your body, fingers tickling over your breasts, stomach, and thighs, Frank was the one who groaned this time.
“Just look at you,” he rasped, caressing you with reverence all over, thumbs catching over your nipples on his way down and enjoying the soft sound you made. “What a fuckin’ idiot. Lettin’ you leave. So fuckin’ beautiful, sweetheart.”
You moaned at the new wave of fierceness in Frank’s voice. At the honest compliments. It had your body thrumming with affection and desire.
“I’m all yours now,” you heard yourself saying. Which was wild. Only a few hours ago, Frank had been a total stranger. And he still was. But there was something about him that made you feel like you could give yourself over to him. It didn’t matter if it was only for tonight. It didn’t change the fact that this felt good, felt right.
“Christ,” Frank hissed, wrapping his arms around you and touching his forehead to the back of your head, his body flush with yours and making you feel his own arousal pressing against you for the first time. “Com’ere.” He pulled away and caught your hand, leading you backward toward the couch.
He sat down on it and pulled you down with him until you were sitting on his lap, back to chest, his hard length trapped between your bodies. As soon as you sat down, Frank spread his legs, which forced you to open them as well, your legs splayed on either side of his thighs. Slowly reaching up to circle your throat with one hand, Frank had you leaning back against his chest and tilting your head toward his. His other hand was resting on your thigh, drawing slow circles on it. You couldn’t remember ever being this exposed, with you fully naked while he was still dressed, but it wasn’t a bad feeling; you didn’t feel vulnerable. Just the opposite. He’d been the one to tease you, but with how he was staring at you right before he kissed you again, you knew that Frank would do anything you asked of him. Considering the way Frank touched you, you might not even have to say anything at all. The fingers around your throat were loose, just there to keep your head close to his, but the hand soon moved with the other. Slowly. You let out a shuddering breath when Frank’s hands started at your shoulders and traveled down. It felt ticklish, but you didn’t try, nor did you want to twist away from the touch. Your skin rose where his fingers passed, and when he gently caught your nipples between his fingers and pulled at them, you gasped into his mouth while your back arched into his hands.
“Frank,” you breathed, simply needing to say his name, but Frank sealed your lips with his again and dove his tongue between them, taking your breath away.
All the way down his hands moved. Over your sides and belly, toward your mound, before separating to stroke your thighs. By then, you were mostly unable to keep up with his mouth, trembling with need while sighing and moaning continually. When one of Frank’s hands finally drifted between your legs, you bit your lip in anticipation, feeling already on the edge. There, too, he went slowly, trailing his fingers from the top of your mound before slipping between the outer lips, which had your breath catching as you waited for his fingers to keep going. When they passed over your clit and through your soaked flesh, you let out a whooshing breath that turned into a groan of pleasure. He did it a few times before he used his middle finger to circle your clit lightly. Your legs trembled, but Frank’s other hand was gripping one thigh tightly, keeping you still against him.
“Frank,” you repeated, turning your head toward him while you writhed on his lap, feeling his cock jerking against your ass.
“Shh, I got you, sweetheart.”
His fingers slid lower, and two of them sank deep into you. Your back bowed away from Frank as your head flew back against his shoulder with a little scream. Until now, your hands had remained by your sides or rested on Frank’s arms, but they were now gripping onto his forearms tightly, your nails biting his skin when Frank began plunging his fingers in and out of you, curled at the perfect angle.
“That’s it, that’s it,” Frank was rumbling against your ear and kissing your neck, keeping you in place with his other hand wrapped around your waist as he basically fucked you with his fingers.
When your orgasm hit, your breath caught on a sharp gasp, and your whole body went taut with pleasure while Frank talked you through it. Once you came out on the other side of your peak and rode the content feeling of afterglow, you sank into Frank, drained in the best of ways. With a drowsy smile, you let Frank curl his arms around your middle while he breathed against your neck. Closing your eyes, you let yourself drift for a bit. That was until Frank shifted slightly under you, which made you realize that he was still rock hard.
Moving slowly since your legs were still wobbly, you removed them from over Frank’s thighs and more or less managed to sink to the floor at Frank’s feet, once Frank released you when he noticed your wriggling. You looked up at him with a small smile as you got more comfortable on your knees. Frank watched you intently, his chest rising and falling more quickly when you lifted your hands to his jeans.
“Up,” you said with intent, tugging at his pants to get him to his feet.
Swallowing noticeably, Frank did as asked and got up. You sucked in your bottom lip as you stared at the large outline of his dick in the jeans. You were the one to swallow this time, now all the more eager to open the pants. As you reached up to do exactly that, Frank slid his fingers against your cheek until he was cupping it. Still working on undoing the button and zipper, you looked up at him, finding him staring at you with the sort of desire that left you breathless. His thumb gently stroked over the corner of your mouth, but you slightly turned your head and kissed it. Frank’s hand stilled briefly before he slid his thumb over your bottom lip. You watched each other while you finally pulled his jeans and underwear down over his erection. You didn’t look at it, though, too focused on Frank’s eyes, and opened your mouth when his thumb pulled down your lip. It was a clear invitation, and Frank accepted it gladly. With a small groan, Frank slowly pressed his thumb between your lips and onto your tongue. You sucked on it. Not hard, just enough to be a hint of what was to come.
“Fuck,” he breathed in his lowest tone yet as you wrapped a hand around his length while still sucking at his thumb, the sound he made causing a wave of arousal to run down your spine.
With his gaze still locked with yours, Frank pulled his thumb out but kept his hand where it was. This was the cue for you to lean in. You didn’t take him in your mouth, though. Not yet. Instead, you stuck your tongue out and slowly licked around the tip. You used a mix of shorter and longer passes, which had Frank grunting and breathing faster. Loving the effect you were having on him, you finally pulled the tip between your lips and sucked. Frank hissed and had to close his eyes for the first time, breaking eye contact. After how expertly he’d played with your body, it was a heady feeling to be able to give back in the same way. All you wanted was to hear how good you made him feel. As you slowly took him deeper and bobbed your head, Frank’s fingers slid away from your cheek and into your hair. They tightened there sporadically, as if he was unable to help himself. And you loved it. It wasn’t possessive; it wasn’t there to keep you in place. His hold was more like an anchor for him as he let you set the pace and do as you pleased. When his hips began to move, you moaned and looked up, finding him staring at you again. The thrusts were shallow, barely moving further than the middle of your tongue, but you curled your fingers tighter around him and worked in counterpoint. Frank’s mouth parted as he breathed harder, his eyes closing for a moment as the sensations intensified. When his gaze fell on your face again, you could tell that he was barely holding on by a thread.
“I’m close, sweetheart,” he warned, his voice sounding rough and slightly strained.
Popping off with your mouth, you kept up the pace of your hand, making your movements longer as your hand covered his whole length now. Frank licked his lips in between ragged breaths as you stroked him towards release and groaned deep in his chest when you tilted your head back and offered your throat.
“Fuck,” he gasped out loudly as he came, his cum landing all over your chest and breasts in hot jets.
You immediately gentled your strokes on his cock, keeping the motion light as you carried him through orgasm. He stared at you, panting, but he remained silent for a few long beats. The hand that had stayed in your hair through the whole thing returned to your cheek, and he stroked his thumb along it. His eyes took in the mess on your chest, and he suddenly looked contrite.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” he muttered, letting go of you to do up his pants.
You laughed. “Don’t be. I liked it, and I need to take a shower anyway.”
Frank grunted with a half smile and helped you back to your feet before he stooped low and retrieved your dress from the floor. He stared at it before looking at you with a small, embarrassed chuckle as he handed it to you.
“Christ, this kinda went out of hand, huh?”
You laughed. “I guess… Of all the things that I could have imagined happening tonight, this sure wasn’t it.”
“Yeah… you gotta know that when I offered you to stay here, I didn’t mean it—”
“Oh, no, of course.” You waved your hand dismissively. “I didn’t think you were.”
“I just…” Frank glanced at your face and then your body that was mostly hidden by the dress now. “The phone call…” he trailed off again, but you didn’t need him to finish the sentence to understand what he meant.
“Yeah,” you breathed, watching him right back. “Me too.”
You watched each other for another moment before Frank cleared his throat and stepped back toward the entrance door.
“Right. Need to check on the team. See if everythin’s okay.”
“Of course. I’ll be in the shower.”
Frank glanced toward the bathroom door and then at you, his attention making another zap of awareness shoot through you. You laughed, not feeling embarrassed about your choice of words this time.
“You know what I mean.”
Frank laughed under his breath and nodded.
“Help yourself to whatever you like if you’re hungry or thirsty. I’ll see you later.”
With a small thank you, you watched him leave the apartment and went into the bathroom to finally take that shower. He came back upstairs while you were in the process of drinking down a tall glass of water, dressed in the long T-shirt that Frank had lent you.
“Everything okay? Do you need to head back out?”
“No, all’s good. Still got two guys out there, but they just called in, so we know they’re fine. And Peter’s on shift tonight, so he’ll take care of the rest.”
“That’s good, then.”
Frank nodded. “I’m gonna take a shower… Be back in a sec.”
Smiling at him, you retrieved your phone from your purse and sat down on the couch, realizing that the blanket and pillow that Frank had put out for you were now lying on the ground after your fooling around. Putting everything back in place, you sent out a quick text to your friend to let her know that you were back home. You'd tell her the specifics later. While you scrolled through social media, you noticed that it was close to two in the morning. You’d left the restaurant four hours ago, but it felt like a whole year had gone by. Inclining your head over the back of the couch, you stared at the ceiling when the bathroom door opened and Frank came out. Turning your head in his direction, you saw that he was dressed in a threadbare red t-shirt and a pair of light grey sweatpants. He looked ridiculously good in this.
“Comfortable?” Frank asked while walking up to you.
You grinned and nodded while petting the couch. “You didn’t exaggerate.”
Chuckling, Frank took a step back and was about to turn away from you when he stopped and looked ahead, thinking.
“You know…” he frowned to himself before he glanced at you. “My bed’s pretty comfortable too.”
Biting down on a slowly forming grin, you hummed in a put-on thoughtful way.
“Well, I guess I need to find out if that’s true as well.”
Snorting, Frank extended a hand to pull you up before he led you into the bedroom.
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