The Partisan
Chapter 1 of The Partisan, a Kastle fanfic. Song inspiring this chapter: Can’t Get It Out Of My Head - ELO...
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“You always see movies about war, yanno.” he told Maria one night, after his first time coming home from overseas. “And, you expect it to be this way. You expect it to be so adventurous, so wild.”
Frank shook his head, running his hand down his face. They were laying in bed, but neither of them could get any sleep. “And yeah, I was busy, really busy,” he raises his eyebrow, “but it just, I don’t know Maria, it wasn’t what I thought it would be. And it’s not what you think it is.”
This is one of many conversations they would have about his job. About the things he did that meant he didn’t get to go to dance recitals, and baseball practice. And even the birth of his children.
That’s one of the things he misses the most. Having someone to talk to. Of course, he misses her smile. He misses almost everything about her. But now, all his thoughts, they stay locked inside his head. Locked next to the spot where a bullet once was. A bullet that should have killed him.
-
It’s October and he’s known Karen Page for six months now. They aren’t friends, or he wouldn’t call it that. But they have an agreement. An understanding. In that, they both have many differences, but come together to help each other.
“Not to mention, Frank makes a hell of a pot of coffee.” Karen told Foggy while they were throwing away the last remnants of their take out dinner. Foggy had come over to watch Halloween movies and they’d ordered pizza and sushi. Because why have one when you could have both.
“Yeah, but he’s still the Punisher, Karen.” Foggy said to her, giving her that look that she often got when sympathizing with Frank. “And I know, he’s got the brooding bad guy thing, I get it as much as the next guy, but the problem with this one is he’s actually a brooding bad guy.”
Karen rolled her eyes at that, and for once, decided to let it rest. There was never a point to fight Foggy. Karen would end up feeling guilty, and why would you want to ruin a perfectly good night.
So they continued to ignore the elephant in the room, so to speak, even though it was on Karen’s mind for the rest of the night.
The same night, Frank was sitting on a rooftop in Brooklyn. He was tailing a guy who ended up going further out of Hell's Kitchen than he expected, however he had no other choice but to follow. After getting the information he needed, he decided to head back to Manhattan. But not before making a quick stop.
“Who the hell is knocking on your door at midnight Karen?” Foggy asked, after having had fallen asleep watching Hocus Pocus. “Did you order a stripper while I was asleep? I didn’t know this was that kind of get together.”
Karen snorted and elbowed Foggy in the ribs. “I don’t know who it is sleeping beauty, just wait one minute.” She trotted to the door, opening it without bothering to look first and see who it was.
“Pardon my French, but holy shit.” Foggy gasped behind her on the couch, causing Frank to let out a low chuckle.
“Frank!” Karen answered, ignoring Foggy’s remark and pushing some of her messy hair behind her ear. “What are you doing here?”
Frank was going to answer when he heard some stir in the hallway, and one of Karen’s neighbours began to open their door.
“Uh, listen,” Frank said as he gently pushed past Karen into her apartment. “I wasn’t going to stay or anything, but…” he tilts his head towards the hallway as Karen understands and closes the door.
“I assume you’ve got some information for your favorite reporter?” She smiles at him and takes the envelope from under his arm, causing Foggy to look between the two.
“Well, not that I don’t like me a good probably-illegal-information-drop, but I gotta go home and finish my snooze.” He said, hugging Karen, and patting Frank on the back, causing both of them to shift awkwardly.
Karen didn’t look up from the file she was reading as she heard the door close behind Foggy, and only looked up when she heard Frank clear his throat.
“I have blankets and pillows already on the couch, Frank.” she said as she looked back down to the file, walking to her room while reading. “Don’t argue, just sleep, I expect coffee as payment in the morning.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” And with that, she closed her bedroom door and left Frank to his thoughts again.
-
“I smell coffee!” Karen sighed as she walked out of her room, already fully dressed for work.
Frank was leaning back against her counter, having been up for hours, looking at her. He furrowed his brow, and took a sip of his coffee. “You workin’ on a Saturday?”
Karen chuckled and rolled her eyes, looking around her on the floor for her house keys. “You sound like my boss.” She said as she leaned down, smiling to herself for finding her keys next to the coffee table. “But you know, a deadlines a deadline. And, one of my favorite secret sources gave me some new information last night that just might blow this article up!”
“Oh!” Frank’s lips twitched into a smile “ONE of your favorite sources? Don’t you mean, your only source?”
Karen winked at him and grabbed the file from last night off the counter, along with a to-go mug of coffee Frank had made for her. “Maybe I have other sources, what do you know?”
His head rolled back in a laugh as she stuck her tongue out at him, but then got a little self-conscious of her own actions. “You better get going, that report isn’t going to write itself.”
She followed Franks orders with salute and walked out the door, leaving Frank to finish his coffee.
He was happy that information would get her the report she needed. Because this time, he didn’t get the information for himself too, he got it just for her.
