Frank has a totally normal reaction the first time Matt casually mentions having a new girlfriend. He drops Heather’s name without thinking anything of it until Frank repeats it almost accusingly. “Who the fuck is ‘Heather,’ Red?”
Matt pauses. “Oh! Oh, right, I never got a chance to mention…she’s just this woman I’ve been seeing.”
Frank pauses as if he’s a skipped record. His heart is thudding so loudly that it distracts Matt.
“Oh yeah?” Frank’s voice is suddenly close to his ear, all heat and whiskey breath.
There’s an awkward pause as Matt tries to ignore how Frank’s proximity and inexplicable intensity make him feel, all hot, twisted up and confused.
“Yes. She’s uh, a therapist, we met through Kirsten and” —
Suddenly, Frank bursts out laughing. “Calm down, buddy, I’m fuckin’ with you. The look on your face, I swear to fuckin’ god, you’re too easy.”
He grasps Matt’s shirt at the shoulder and tugs it maybe a little too hard, playing it off as amused and friendly. But it feels like manhandling; it feels like half-smothered frustration. Matt bites his lip a little too hard in response.
“I. I mean. Huh?” Matt can barely keep up. Which is not like him at all.
“Good for you, Red, you get yours! How long’s this been goin on?”
“Oh a couple of months I guess”
“Yeah? Fan fucking tastic. You guys serious?”
“Are we…?” Matt’s mouth feels dry. “I guess we’re just dating… it’s been good but we’ve hit a snag here and there as well...”
“A therapist, huh, Matty? Well I bet you guys’ll work it out because if there’s one thing you need, it’s a fuckin’ therapist.”
“Me?” Matt laughs, almost relaxing at last. “Me? Please. You need a damn therapist. Come on.”
“I ain’t on the market, tragically enough. It’s great for you, though. Some nice, normal girl. Bet she understands you and just fuckin’ supports you in all your wacked out shit huh?”
“Does she need to? She knows Matt Murdock. It’s not a good idea for her to get to know Daredevil.”
“Hmm. I’ll take your word for it. Interesting.”
“Frank, if you wanna say something just” —
“Who, me? Judge you and your relationship? Perish the thought, Red. It’s just kinda intriguing that you say you like this girl, despite never mentioning her until like the fifth time we had a chance to catch up. And how you don’t want her to actually know you, but whatever works for you, man. The fuck I know?”
Frank’s warm chuckle sends an odd shiver down Matt’s spine.
“I don’t know, Frank, I’m starting to wonder if you know something I don’t.”
“How ya figure? I never even met this Amber. I don’t know a single fuckin” -
“Heather,” Matt corrects him wryly.
“Right. It’s one of those. Sure, okay. See you round the Kitchen, Red.”
Matt stands still in the place where Frank was so close to him mere moments before and says his name into the shadows. But Frank’s already gone, as painfully casual as can be.
Afterwards, he can’t sleep for almost a week. He has recurring, suggestive, borderline erotic dreams about Frank. In bed with Heather, he can’t focus on her and all he can think about is the bizarre and foolish theory that Frank is jealous.
Things get so crazy that Heather blows up on him again about being checked out and inattentive. And he can’t bring himself to care. His mind even replays Frank’s glib, silly comments about how he won’t show his true self to Heather. But Frank wasn’t being funny, and Matt knows it.
Finally, he tracks Frank down on a rooftop a week later, opening with a gruff “you got something you wanna tell me?”
Frank chuckles and stays infuriatingly calm on the surface. But he must realize that Matt can hear his quickening breath and staggering heartbeat.
“Nothin’ I can think of at the moment, Red. Say, how’s Heather doin?”
“Oh, like you really care about how she’s doing.”
“You think I’m so heartless, Red? Aww that hurts.”
“I think you’re lying and I think if you didn’t want me to know how you actually feel, you would try harder to hide it. You’re too smart not to know better.”
“I got nothin to hide. I’m not in a relationship, I’m a free fuckin agent, just tryin’ to keep you honest with yourself is all.”
“Is that so?” Matt puts his hands on his hips. “Mr Honesty. You’re not holding something back from this discussion?”
“I don’t know, Matty, what exactly do you think I’m holdin’ back from you? It’s nothin’ you can’t have if you care to come take it, that much is pretty indisputably fuckin’ obvious.”
“Can you make it more obvious, please?” Matt is exhausted and it shows. It’s pure emotional bafflement, too deep for a “friendship.”
Frank takes pity on him. Matt knows why — he can hear how Frank’s heart skips a beat at him saying ‘please.’
“I guess I ain’t spelled it out in excruciatingly apparent detail enough times for you, Red. You need some other form of fuckin’ communication, I take it.”
“If you would be so kind.”
“I ain’t gonna be kind, Red. And I’ll tell you what, fuckin’ Amber ain’t gonna like it either.”
“Heather,” Matt snaps irritably, but a second later Frank’s mouth crushes against his, hard and insistent.
“Who?” Frank demands, backing Matt against the nearest wall.
“I- I don’t know,” Matt falters as his hands helplessly grab onto Frank’s sweater, seeking more contact at any cost, any way he can get it. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
“Now you’re talkin’ Red.” Frank’s relief is as palpable as his pleased amusement, which makes Matt’s face flush as his heart squeezes in aroused embarrassment. “Just in time for me to shut you up.”
Day 28: Coffee. November Kingdon Microfic Challenge 2025 @kingdonmicrofic
Mentions of sex. Casual hookups.
Some Mel x Shen. Casual like. Frank doesn't do well.
442/118 -oh well
-----
‘Here ya go King.’ Shen pushed a comically large ice coffee towards Mel. Frank watched over the top of his sudoku puzzle. Mel smiled brightly up at Shen. Broad, sunny and with far too familiar. A dark irritation burned in his gut at the sight of it. Jealousy. A feeling he had absolutely no right or reason to feel.
Mel was his friend.
He was a married man (legally at least).
She was entitled to smile and talk to anyone she pleased. ‘Thanks John. Still not a coffee fan but I’ll give it a go.’
John???
Shen reached out for his usual fist bump to Frank. He responded easily, even if a part of his brain was screaming at him to punch Shen in the face. Mel’s smile was a little dreamy as she watched the other doctor leave the room. Resting her chin on her hand.
‘We had sex.’
And clearly it was good if her voice was that affected. Or maybe only Frank was that attuned to it. ‘Oh didn’t know you two were dating.’ He tried to focus on his puzzle. Numbers adding up to nine. Every digit having it’s space. Not Mel wistfully staring after the attending and playing with the straw of her stupidly big-
‘We’re not.’ Mel yanked the book down. Staring him dead in the face. ‘It’s just sex. Right?’
Oh god he was in hell. Mel was suddenly staring at the coffee like it was going to bite her. And he felt bad for accidentally screwing with her head. He just shook his head, making attempts at speaking but failing.
‘Is coffee a social cue?’
Mel pushed the cup towards Frank. Then proceeded to explain in details the events in question. No this was hell. Her honesty applied to all facets of her life. Details about Shen that Frank wasn’t sure he needed to know about. But wasn’t entirely objecting to. But most he was struggling with trying to contain the imaginings of Mel doing what she was describing.
‘I thought I made it clear it was just about sex. I should clarify. I don’t want a relationship. At least not with him.’
So she bolted, cheeks flaring red. Frank slack jawed and staring at the melting iced coffee. Something had shifted in this conversation. There was no denying that he felt possessive over Mel. In a way he had no right to. And now he knew far too much about her. Was there any chance of this not playing in his head next time he and Abby attempted to have sex? No.
Can somebody please recommend jealous fics???🥺 Billy Hargrove, Frank Castle, Bucky Barnes. Frankly if it gives really good jealousy vibes, just recommend it. I want to pine.
An actual fire was rare in the Pitt. Fights, screaming even the occasional knife being threatened. Frank had seen that. However a patient setting fire to an ambulance? That was new.
Halloween always brought out the weird.
‘Hmmmm I heard it was a pissed ex wife.’ Shen watched the fire fighters attempt to put out the flames.
Frank hm’d lightly. ‘I heard one of the paramedics owned money to a loan shark.’ They both laughed. Then Shen’s attention shifted.
‘Looks like King might have an admirer.’ He jerked his headed over to the left. Mel standing in the glow of the arson themed bonfire. Looking a little confused with flushed cheeks. A tall firefighter all up in her business. He was far too close. ‘Another admirer perhaps?’
Frank ignored the comment. Trying to ignore the burn of jealousy. Especially as she turned her head and smiled brightly at him.
Admirer?
Didn’t seem like a strong enough word.
Could he get marshmallows? Mel loved toasted marshmallows.
