on thin ice [karen/frank - marvel]

thirty two: i can't lose her again

Frank was almost a week into his mini vacation from work and the whole mood in his apartment between him and Scott had been different since Frank had returned from Gabriela's party completely and utterly shitfaced. Frank felt as though Scott had really seen it all and he'd move out right away, even if it meant moving back in with Elise. But he didn't.

He forced Scott to take his pills and only remind him when he absolutely needed to necessarily take them. He hid them somewhere in the apartment and every time he left, Frank shamelessly hunted for them. The itching inside his body and the aching in his back only drove him further to it. He hated it. Hated himself more for not being able to fight it.

Giving up, Frank shut himself in his bedroom whilst Scott was at work. He emptied his duffel bag of work clothes, grimacing at the smell and deciding it needed a wash before he could begin packing things for Thanksgiving. He had convinced Karen he could fit a weeks worth of clothing in there and he was not about to be wrong about it.

Sitting in the silence and awful stench of his bag, he could just about hear the footsteps approaching his front door before the knocking echoed around his room. He pushed himself up painfully, heading out the room toward the front door and opening it. His walk had become slower, weaker, and showed his age a lot more. It was terrifying. Behind, stood Gabriela.

"Hello" Frank said, "And to what do I owe this visit?"

"A Scott Sardarov befriended me on Facebook, Father to Jesse Sardarov in Jamie's class at school" She entered Frank's apartment, pulling her coat off instantly and throwing it over his couch. He eyed her movements as she then headed toward the kitchen and began making a cup of coffee. "You want one?"

"Why are you here, Gabby?" Frank asked, shutting the door and following her to the kitchen. Her heels clattered across his creaky wooden flooring as she moved about, grabbing a mug and the milk from his refrigerator. He watched as she frowned at how little there was left in the carton.

"We need to have a chat, Frank" She answered, turning to face him with arms folded as the water boiled. He stood in silence as the boiling of the kettle filled the air between them. His heart pounded loudly in his ears as her eyes were on him.

Frank stared at her for a little while, "Specifics?"

"When Scott messaged me, I thought he was going to talk to me about what you had said about Jamie and his son. But I was wrong. Scott told me everything, Frank. It was a little unsettling to hear it over Facebook instead of in person" She answered, continuing to make her coffee, searching through Frank's cupboards for biscuits no doubt.

"What do you mean "everything", Gabby?" Frank answered, folding his arms sternly.

"The pills, your back in general, you being shitty toward Karen" She asked, and Frank's heart sank a little. It was all over his face and he could tell she knew. Gabriela shook her head a little, brows furrowed together with disappointment. "What is going on, Frank?" She asked.

Frank sighed loudly, turning away from her and scratching the top of his head. He winced in pain as the turn was so sharp and he attempted to walk away from her, his limp showing off outstandingly in front of her. "I can't believe him! He had no right to tell you that!"

Gabriela headed over toward him quickly, grabbing his arm and turning him back toward her. "He had every right! If he is worried about you, he has all the right in the world to tell me. He said he was scared to tell me, because of how you would react. I'm glad he told me so I could talk some sense into you before you run your mouth off at him because he doesn't deserve that, Frank"

"Is that seriously all you are here for?" Frank asked. "You just walk in here and start making coffee so you can force me to talk about my feelings and my health? That is the grossest shit I've ever heard, Gabby. I'd rather eat some shit scraped from the bottom of my shoe. That's my business and I'll share it with whoever I please"