on thin ice [karen/frank - marvel]

eight: the forsaken

Frank had earned a lot more smiles and interactions with Karen since that night. They'd scheduled a rain check date for the following Saturday and Frank spent every day beforehand nervous about it. Frank hadn't been on an actual date since High School. He hadn't been on a date until he'd met her. It was something that when mixed with him, was destined for failure. Nothing in the dating department ever went right for him.

Another thing Frank swore to never do again; date. Ever since she left he hadn't felt the same. It was ridiculous, it was years ago. But it was something about the way she made him feel - nobody else had found the spark in him as she did. Until now. There was a small voice in his head that longed for someone to love him because he couldn't do it justice himself. He didn't know anyone that truly loved themselves.

He headed into work on the Wednesday of that week, taking two days leave to recover. He'd contacted Commissioner LePaul about what happened and had instantly been admitted leave. The two days went painfully (the irony) slow, been as he'd had nothing to do at all other than watch whatever box set he had on TV. Karen bought soup to his apartment on both nights and he offered for her to stay and eat it with him. Her excuse was the same each time; I didn't make enough for two.

"Hey! Castle's alive!"

Frank couldn't help but smile as his squad greeted him by the entrance to the precinct. So many of them hugged him and each time they squeezed his body it sent pain waves throughout. He wasn't entirely off the hook yet but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He'd never really been close to them and figured some of them pretty much resented him for being so strict and living by the rules all the time - even if it did save their asses countless times - but the love they showed for him at that moment struck down to his core.

The one person he was glad to see, oddly, was Scott. He dismissed the others back to their work but made Scott stick around and fill him in on what he missed.

"Should I take this as a promotion, Sarge?" Scott kidded, gleefully.

"Start talking, Sardarov or fuck off back to your desk" Frank snapped, feeling the roots of a headache begin spreading throughout his head as Scott spoke.

Scott widened his eyes, clearing his throat as the two of them turned the corner toward the locker room. "So, while you were gone we filled ourselves in with what you said over the phone happened and the statement from your girl on how she found you-"

Frank stopped midway down the corridor, yanking on Scott's arm harshly. A little harsher than intended, but he couldn't back down when the slightest strike of fear appeared in Scott's eyes. "Let's make it clear now, she is not my girl. She's my neighbour who helped me whilst I was on leave"

Scott frowned at Frank, pulling his arm away quickly. He then narrowed his eyes, looking toward Frank harder as he focused on the corridor ahead of them, purposely ignoring Scott and the daggers he was sending him without knowing. "The one who hit you over the head with a frying pan?"

"We do not talk about that, Scott" Frank snapped.

Scott was silent for a second before he cleared his throat again. He shoved his hands in his pockets, beginning to feel a little awkward next to Frank's cold exterior. Frank would tell him that it had nothing to do with him and that it was his head beginning to drive him crazy but that would give Scott a victory he didn't deserve from Frank yet. "Anyway, we looked through people who might wanna hurt you or people you were beefing with in the past"

"You checked record on who I sent down who've been let outright?" Frank asked, the two of them heading into the locker room.

Scott nodded instantly, "Of course. There's no-one really outstanding cause everyone you've sent down has been for a pretty long time and they have no way of getting to you. Most of them haven't been let out or have parole hearings coming up, but none of them could have really targeted you from behind a cell wall"

"Unless they use someone on the outside to get to me. Someone who visits" Frank replied, opening his locker and placing his bag inside. "Check the visiting books for the last few weeks and pull up any red flags for recent or previous arrests or any involvement with crime. No-one who's never hurt a guy before would want to start unless they had a reason"

"On it, boss" Scott answered before heading away quickly.

Frank went to shut his locker after changing boots and putting a jumper on with great difficulty due to stitches and general pain in his body but he stopped. He looked at the pictures he had in his locker; a picture of Layla and Jamie with himself as the three of them pulled odd faces and then another picture of him with Gabriela. Most of the others in his squad had way more pictures; pictures with their kids, nieces and nephews and some even grandkids. They had more memories and more fun that Frank was jealous of. He didn't know how to have fun anymore.

As he shut his locker, the pain in his side appeared slightly and he remembered the note Karen had left on the soup container the night before; if you cannot move because of how painful it is, you get your ass back home, okay?

He smiled.

--

Recipients: You, Gabby

You: Got any date advice?

Gabby: Francis Castiglione, are you going on a date? After fifteen years of being single?

You: Nope, sorry to get your hopes up. Buddy was asking at work but I don't really know why I asked a married mom of two for date advice.

Gabby: Don't lie to me, Frank. Who with? Anyone I know? What's her name? Or his, no judgement here.

Gabby: Frank!!!!!!!! Don't ignore me!!!!!!!

You: She just moved into my building. Her name is Karen (the irony hasn't escaped me). And she is so beautiful but also scary like a rose in a tumbleweed. I do not know what to do.

Gabby: Not somewhere cliché. Definitely not dinner or a bar and I know those are your top picks. Somewhere different, Frank. Something she'll remember. Xx

Gabby: Don't mess it up, Ma wants more grandkids!!!!! xxxx love you

You: GABRIELA ADELASIA FELISA CASTIGLIONE.