Summary: Lately, you've been missing Frank...
Warnings: Fluff, bedtime, Cute!Frank Castle x You, Soft!Frank x You.
A little note: This is my very first oneshot, so I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts! Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy reading!
Lately, you've been feeling a little... pushed aside.
It's not that Frank stopped loving you. He still gave you all the love in the world. It's just that he's been coming home later than usual, and more often than not you'd find yourself asleep on the couch with some random late-night show playing in the background.
Every night he'd quietly slip into the apartment, trying his best not to wake you.
"Sweetheart, I've told you already. Go to bed. It's late, and you've got work in the morning."
Sleeping without Frank felt empty. You missed falling asleep in his arms, the way he'd absentmindedly play with your hair while breathing in the scent of your shampoo. Lately... he was just too tired.
Tonight wasn't any different. You promised yourself you wouldn't fall asleep, but by eleven your eyes were already closing.
The apartment door clicked open.
Frank smiled the second he saw you curled up on the couch.
He quietly washed the blood and dirt from his hands before kneeling beside you, pressing a soft kiss against your forehead.
"Frankie...?" you mumbled.
You immediately reached for him, only for him to take a small step back.
"You know the rules, young lady."
Frank refused to touch you before showering after a mission. He'd always say he didn't want to bring that part of his life anywhere near you.
You waited for him in bed.
A few minutes later he walked into the bedroom wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, damp hair falling over his forehead. He crouched beside the bed.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?"
His thumb brushed softly over your cheek.
"There's no such thing as 'nothing' with me, sweetheart." His lips curled into a knowing smile. "Either you tell me what's bothering you..."
He crossed his arms, pretending to think for a moment.
"...or no foot massages for an entire week."
He couldn't help but chuckle.
The threat was cruel, and he knew it.
You spent eight hours a day walking around the office in heels, and by the time you got home your feet were always aching. It had quietly become part of your nightly routine; you'd curl up beside him on the couch, resting your legs across his lap while he carefully rubbed your sore feet with slow, patient hands. Sometimes he'd even warm a towel first, wrapping it around your feet before massaging them because he insisted it helped.
He never skipped a night.
It was one of those little things he did without you ever having to ask.
You let out an exaggerated sigh before looking up at him.
The teasing smile disappeared from his face almost instantly.
"You always come home so late..." you admitted quietly. "And when you do, you barely stay awake with me anymore."
Your fingers absentmindedly played with the sleeve of your pajama shirt.
"You don't play with my hair..."
"We don't stay up talking about random things anymore..."
"You just... lie down and fall asleep."
He thought coming home every night was enough.
He hadn't noticed that somewhere along the way, he'd stopped being present.
Without saying another word, he climbed onto the bed beside you and slipped an arm around your waist, gently pulling you onto his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Sweetheart..." he murmured, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought..." you whispered, avoiding his eyes. "...I thought you'd think I was being dramatic."
His fingers gently lifted your chin until you were looking at him again.
A soft kiss landed on the corner of your mouth.
"Don't ever decide for me what's silly and what isn't."
"If it's important to you..."
His forehead rested against yours.
"Then it's important to me."
He smiled, the kind of smile only you ever got to see.
His hand slid up your back in slow, comforting circles.
"What does my girl want tonight?"
A tiny smile tugged at your lips.
"That's it?" he teased. "I thought there'd be a whole list."
"Then maybe tell me about that documentary you've been pretending to watch every night while waiting for me."
"I know." He grinned. "You were waiting for me."
He settled beneath the blankets, pulling you against his bare chest.
Almost instinctively, his fingers disappeared into your hair, scratching lightly at your scalp in that familiar way that always made your entire body melt.
"Like this?" he whispered.
You answered with nothing more than a sleepy hum, burying your face in the warm curve of his neck.
He kissed your forehead one last time.
"I love you, sweetheart."
His fingers never stopped moving through your hair.
"Sleep now. I've got you."