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[blusapphire]

Play me a memory (Billy Russo x Reader)- Chapter 7

Summary: When you first met Billy Russo, you fell for him hard and fast. Being with him was like a dream, You were perfect for each other, or so you thought. You return home one night to find all traces of him gone. You’re left heartbroken… and with a life changing surprise. Years later, you find yourself in a predicament when you unexpectedly find your way back into each other’s lives. 

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A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Thanks for all the likes, comments and reblogs! Each one is very appreciated!

Warnings: Trauma memories, Slight swearing, mentions of murder

…

When you’re a kid, you assume that your parents will always be in your life. Of course, it’s universal knowledge and common sense, that they won’t always be, and will eventually, die. No one ever likes to think about it. Sometimes you know it’s coming, and you plan for it; they die surrounded by those they love and cherish. And you get to say goodbye. 

But sometimes, it’s sudden. You don’t know that it’s coming, at least that soon, and you don’t plan; And there are no goodbyes. 

Your mother was an angel. She was the epitome of beauty and kindness rolled into one; the kind of the person you could go to, for anything. You thought you would grow up and get married, and she would get older, and you’d visit her every now and then. The future that you created in your head was cut too short. 

That night was a horrific memory etched into your mind, that as much as you tried not to think about it, it was always lingering around, like a hovering cloud. It was tattooed to your mind, permanently. And after that day with Madani, you felt that same wound being open again, a wound that never had and never will heal. 

You went the rest of your life after, trying to hide it. Betts made sure to change your last name as soon as possible after it happened, so you would have a chance in the world without it following you for the rest of your life. Externally anyway. And you’d only ever told two people in your life about the incident after that, those being Jaz and Billy. It was something you barely ever talked about, save for a few conversations here and there. 

The letters from your father started coming soon after he went to prison. You were younger then, so any letter that was addressed to you from him, Betts made sure to get rid of. Then after a while, they’d just stopped, and you moved on with life. When you’d just gotten your current job, they started back up again. You never figured out how he got your address, since you hadn’t spoken to him since that day. 

Everything was back to normal at work now, and the weeks came and went. Police had conducted their investigation for what happened , but still came up blank so far on the people who had broken in. After that day at the police station, Madani hadn’t contacted you again, which you we’re grateful for, after being bombarded with your father’s case. She was saying something about having a case against someone, but who the hell did you know that was involved with the police, besides the obvious?

 Whoever and whatever it was, you knew that you wanted no part in it. 

Regardless of Madani reminding you of your past, it wasn’t like it was the only reminder you had recently. Like the months before, news outlets were still relentless with the story of the upcoming trail, and had been reporting for weeks on end. It was like everywhere you turned now, you were reminded. 

It was causing you so much stress, as much as you tried to tune it out. 

You felt like, you could avoid your past somehow in the outside world. If your father sent another letter, you ignored it. You didn’t have the same surname, so there were no connections, and if it was on the news, you could simply just, turn it off. But In the current weeks, it was much easier said than done. 

“Jeez, there’s literally nothing else on,” Jaz reiterated, flipping through the news channels. “And it seems like it’s only getting worse.”

You stood leaning on the counter while Ava finished her breakfast, mentally exhausted with the news and various tv channels that would not let up with the certain case. Your staring at the tv when your phone buzzes on the counter and you scoff. 

“…And I just got another news alert,” you shared, rolling your eyes, “don’t they have anything else to report on? I mean, this is New York City, for God’s sake.”

Jaz flipped through a few mor channels, before initially giving up.

 “Yeah, it doesn’t look like they have much else to say.”

It was starting to get to you at this point, and it was driving you crazy. But you hadn’t voiced it much and just tried your best to get through the days. 

“Hey,” Jaz calling to you makes you look in her direction, “are you sure your okay?” She asks, her voice filled with concern, “why don’t we just, take a day and relax? My job sucks at the moment anyway and you seem like you need it.”

“I can’t just-“

“She’s not wrong Y/N,” Betts pops into the kitchen and chimes in, just as you were about yo speak, and puts her hand on her arm, getting your attention. “It wouldn’t hurt. When it’s as hectic as this it can get a bit overwhelming. And… I know how difficult it is when it comes to your mother.”

You looked away after she said that, finding some truth in her words.

“You work too hard for that place anyway,” she commented. “When was the last time you did something for yourself?”

“What? What do you mean? I-“ you paused in your speaking, struggling to remember the last time you had actually did something for yourself, “Remember when I went to that-“ you stopped, coming up short. 

“Can’t think of anything can you?” Your aunt commented, coming next to you and placing a hand on your shoulder, “because it doesn’t exist.”

She was correct, in both cases. You didn’t really have time for yourself between work and Ava, besides little moments here and there, and your dating life was going nowhere so that was out of the question. 

And in the case of your mom, Betts was right. It was very difficult and disheartening whenever your mother came up, and lit was very hard for you to talk about, with anyone. It was a sensitive subject you didn’t like going into. 

 When it was your father on the news, it was simpler, because you were somewhat used to it, hearing and seeing him on the news, for his criminal background. But when some news outlets would somehow get ahold of a picture of your mother, it was always too much. Both Jaz and Betts knew that, and although you were thankful and as great as their offer sounded, work could be the only distraction you had at the moment.

When you didn’t say anything, Betts looked at you, solicitude on her face, before it seemed like she made up her mind about something. 

“You know what ‘hon, I’ll just stay, and maybe we can do something together, give ourselves a little distraction from the news-“

“Betts no, it’s okay- I’m okay.” You said, waving her off. “That sounds amazing, but you guys don’t have to stay and take care of me, okay?,” You reassured them both, “I’m good. Jaz, you can go to work, and Betts, you can… do whatever it was that you planned on doing.”

Jaz and Betts both debated before finally backing down, and believing your assurances, when you felt your phone buzz again. You thought that it was another news alert so you ignored it, but with a few more buzzes, you realized it was ringing. 

When you looked at your phone, it was a call from a number you didn’t recognize, and curiously, you answered. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Good morning. Uh..It’s me, Billy-“

Your suddenly visibly startled by the voice on the phone and scramble to move away from Ava, who was too focused on her waffles to be paying any attention anyway, which causes Betts and Jaz to quickly look up at you funnily, and you played it off with a smile and quickly usher off to the hallway to speak. 

“Hello? -are you there?” You hear as you return the phone back to your ear. 

“Yes, I’m here, and how did you even get-“

 you stopped, with a sigh, before you could ask him how he got your number, when you realized that your number hadn’t changed over the years, his did. 

“Why are you calling me? I see you at work, like, everyday.” You continued, slightly annoyed. 

“Uhh, I have something for you….” 

“You have something for me? What are you talking about?”

“Well,” you could hear his smile through the phone, “you’ll have to get here find out.”

“What are you talking about? Whatever it is, I don’t want it.”

“Nah, I think you’ll want this one. For sure.”

“Billy-“

“See you soon.” He hangs up, before you have a chance to say anything, leaving you staring at your phone, confused. 

You walk back into the kitchen, just as Ava finishes with her breakfast, and she lets you know, her words hard to decipher with her mouth full of the remaining food from her plate. You assure Jaz and Betts a final time, before getting your coat and heading out to drop your daughter off at school and head to work. 

…

Sitting on the packed train on your way to work, you couldn’t help but notice the faces that were glued to their phones and computer screens. It was obvious that everyone was watching the same thing, some even sharing screens to tune in. Someone next to you even offered to let you watch on their device, which you annoyingly declined, earning you a bizarre look. 

Your father’s upcoming trial was still all over the news for weeks, and caught the eye of most in the city and you heard it everywhere you went. It was likely that if you had any kind of screen, you knew about the case. And to no surprise, it was driving you insane. As unpleasant as it was getting to work due to everything surrounding, you thought that you would surely be free of it all from work. 

In which case, you were wrong. 

Even security at the front desk were tuning in when you got there, and the scattered staff joining them, which made your breathing start to hitch. Work wasn’t even free of the memory. It was everywhere. The elevator ride up made you feel tense and  on edge, your chest slightly heaving, as you stared ahead, trying to keep your composure and not breakdown. Closing your eyes, you lightly touched the wall of the elevator, and took a breath, calming down a little. You were fine. It was those words that you repeated to yourself in your mind, wanting so desperately for them to be true. 

You were sure that you were fine. 

When finally reached your intended floor, and the place looked to be bear of any people, and you payed no mind to wanting to just lock yourself in your office for the rest of the day. A few minutes in, You soon found it bizarre, leaving your office to investigate why everything looked so vacant, and you realized the reason why was because everyone was huddled in the same location, watching, no doubt what had been on all morning. The building Tv was on, and your colleagues stood around it watching, and voicing their opinions in whispers here and there, on the matter. 

You knew better than to stand and watch along with them, but you couldn’t help it. The scene of your father being taken out of a courtroom in handcuffs wasn’t what broke you, or the replayed footage of the night they apprehended him, but the picture and words that came after, are what did you in. 

The picture shown was a family picture, one that you remembered vividly. It was just the three of you, your father, your mother, and you in her arms. You all looked so happy in the picture, like… such a normal family, a happy one. You couldn’t have figured out the tragic outcome that had happened, by just looking at such a picture. And one of your colleagues agreed.

“-it’s so crazy what he did to his family, right?” Your startled by the comment from a female colleague, and slightly jump, taking you out of your fixed sight on the tv, and you nervously lick your lips, before returning an answer. 

“Y-yeah no, it’s-“

“And their poor daughter, too,” she put her hand over her heart as a show of sympathy, “I heard she moved away and changed her name.” She said, shaking her head in a form of sadness. 

She was still looking at the tv and so were you, well more of a trance. Your breath started to pick up again, as much as you tried to calm it down and your eyes began to burn, before she crosses her arms over her chest  continued to share her insight. 

“I don’t blame her at all. I mean, imagine your dad is him of all people,” she turned to you and gestured to the tv, “and then your poor mother is just-“

“Excuse me,” you muttered, giving her a fake tight knit smile, when she shows concern on her face. 

“Oh, are you okay?-“

“No, yeah I’m okay, I just remembered I have to do something.” You lied with another smile, before turning around and disappearing into the hallway. 

Walking further and faster now, your quickly opened the door of the nearest room you could find, locking it behind you, before pressing your back to the door. You felt worse now, and instead of your breathing picking up, you now felt like it was harder to breathe. It was like you were being suffocated by everything going on. It was everywhere. Your eyes were closed now, as you tried to improve the quality of your breathing, when you felt a knock on the door you were leaning on. 

“Y/N?,” Nick’s questioning voice presents itself to you through the door, making you turn towards it, “I-I thought I saw you come in here. Are you okay?” 

At that moment, you wouldn’t have minded talking to someone. Anyone, really. But… Nick didn’t understand, he wouldn’t understand why you were so upset. Unless you told him, which absolutely was not an option. It wasn’t anything personal towards him, you just… couldn’t tell just anybody. So you sent him away.

“Y-yeah, I’m in here, but I’m okay,” you spoke through the door, stammering a bit, “I think I just left something in here,” You lied. 

“Are you, sure?” He sounded like he wasn’t sure himself, but you quickly assured him, hoping that he would go. 

“Yeah! You can go, I’ll be right out,” you answered, swallowing and trying to sound like nothing was wrong. 

He gave up after, with a simple ‘see you later’, which you we’re grateful for and you returned to trying to focus on your breathing, that was becoming very difficult to control. Your eyes were burning more now, something that you were tired of, that was happening more and more often recently. 

But ultimately, the tears spilled over, and you slid to the floor with your back still against the door as you silently cried in the dark room. Not long after Nick left, a light knocking startled you from your place, causing you to reply to the person on the other side of the door. 

“Occupied!” You yelled from the other side of the door, hoping the person would leave you be.  

“Uh… it’s the janitor’s closet?”

 Billy’s familiar voice on the other side made you try to wipe away the tears that were all over your face, and his words cause you to look around the room you were in, noticing the various cleaning items and supplies, making you realize that it was, in fact, not a bathroom, but a janitor’s closet. 

“…are you crying?” He asked softly, not long after, probably hearing it in your voice when you spoke.

“No,” you lied sniffing and trying to wipe away the evidence as if he could see you. “Okay, a little,” You confessed. “But I’m okay.”

“You don’t sound okay, Y/N.”

His voice sounded concerned and you could hear the turning on the handle before he realized it was locked. 

“Can I come in?”

You didn’t say anything, just sitting on the floor and folding your hands under your knees, when he spoke again. 

“Look, I know I’m not your favorite person in the world right now, but I just wanna make sure you’re okay,” He sighed. “Can you let me in, please?”

Nick didn’t understand. But…Billy would. He was one of the only people you ever told and he’d listened to you rant about it the few times that you did in the past, so he knew. He would understand. So, you hesitated, but eventually stood up and unlocked the door, moving to lean against the wall near it. 

When he came in, he had his coat in his hand, like he was preparing to go somewhere, and you were still wiping your eyes, carefully trying not to ruin further the light makeup you placed on this morning, when Billy came up next you placing his arm on the wall near you, and you could feel his concerned gaze on you. You didn’t look back, feeling like you were about to start crying again, and when you didn’t say anything for a while, he spoke. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked softly in a low voice, to which you didn’t answer, and he went on. “We don’t have talk. We can just…stand here,” he sighed, “until you’re ready to talk. If you want to.”

“I’m just…having a terrible morning.” You shared, closing your eyes and letting out a heavy breath, feeling your breathing start to become harder again.

“Y/N…”

When you didn’t acknowledge him, Billy called your name again. 

“Y/N,” when he called you again, you opened your eyes and looked at him this time, his dark eyes gently staring back at your glossy ones, “you can tell me whatever’s bothering you.”

Looking back at him, you believed him, and it was then that you gave trying not to talk about what was upsetting you. 

“It’s just that um.. my dad’s been in the news a lot recently, which is nothing new,” you said, sniffing and trying to keep the tears from coming out, “and I thought that I could handle it, and I was, but it’s just everywhere now.” 

You could tell that he was listening by the expression on his face, and he let you keep talking. 

“And I just saw a picture of my-“ your voice cracked as you struggled to get the remainder of your words out, “of my mom and I lost it, because it’s not fucking fair, because, he’s trying to get out prison after he already-“ you weren’t able to finish the rest of your words, before you broke down. 

“Hey, hey,” Billy softly called, a fixed expression of worry, as he held your tear stained face, brushing your hair out of the way. 

The tears quickly spilled out and the quiet sounds of crying quickly turned into a light sobbing, as you tried to catch your breath in between and just as you bowed your head to cry into your hands, Billy caught your head and directed you to cry on his shoulder, which you did. Through your sobbing, you could hear a light hushing coming from Billy. 

“It’s okay, I know. Just breathe,” his voice low, as he smoothed over your hair soothingly, and you shifted away from his shoulder, burying your face in his chest and wept, pulling your arms around him into a hug, while he placed his free hand on your back. 

In that moment, you didn’t care about what Billy did, or what happened years ago. You didn’t want to admit it, but being in his arms was… familiar and comforting. You and Billy stayed in that stance for what felt like long time, but was really just a few minutes. 

When you eventually felt like you were out of tears to cry, you pulled out of the hug you were in, and Billy did the same, and when you closed your eyes, he made sure to wipe away the stray tear that fell after with his thumb, and you let him, choking out a small laugh. When you opened your eyes, you noticed a stain on his shirt that you hadn’t seen before, and you guessed that you had put it there. 

“Ugh,” you partially your face with your hand, feeling bad, as you touched the stain on his chest, prompting Billy to look down, “I’m sorry. I ruined your suit-“

“Nah, it’s fine,” he quickly brushed you off, “I’ve got plenty of these.” 

You held your hand on his chest for longer than you intended, just standing there, in a trance like stance, before snapping out it and moving to lean against the wall again, and sighed deeply, looking down at the ground in front of you. 

“I thought I could avoid it at work. Now I just want to get out here.” 

You could see Billy from the corner of your eye, shove his hands in pockets and shrug. 

“So, let’s do it.”

You shot your gaze in his direction confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he walked over to stand next to you now, “let’s get out of here. And turn your terrible morning around.”

“Billy, this is work, we can’t just leave-“

“Nobody’s working anyway,” he pointed out, “and plus, you work too hard for this place. A day won’t hurt.”

You thought about his offer, and how tempting it was. In the past, you always had the most fun with Billy. He was always good at making sure you had a great time and he somehow never missed, in that category. Right now, you felt horrible and it had been a rocky few weeks, but if you had the chance to turn your crappy day around, you were going to take it. Even if it was with Billy. 

You were willing to put a lid on whatever happened between you two for a day. So you accepted his offer. 

“What the hell,” You shrugged, standing up straight from the wall, “ let’s do it. Where are going?” 

Your answer earned a slight smile from him, and his eyes lit up a little, before he responded. 

“I don’t know yet, but believe me, we’re gonna have fun,” he pointed at you as his smile grew bigger, and he lifted his wrist to glance at his watch, You noticed the coat hanging off his arm again. 

“I actually have to meet someone at Anvil, right now, but I’ll send one of my guys to pick you up.” Your eyebrows furrowed at that, but you eventually shrugged, going along with his offer. 

“Also, do you have a change of clothes?” Billy asked, pointing to you. 

“Uh, yeah I keep some in my-“

“Great. I’ll see you in half an hour.” He added, and with that he left the room, leaving you a bit puzzled, but you didn’t really care much, just wanting to improve the horrible morning you were having. 

…

In the course of half an hour, you had changed, as just as Billy had said, he sent a pair of his guys to take you to Anvil. The men in the ‘ANVIL’ jackets  seemed very professional, calling you ‘ma’am’ every chance they got, and referred to Billy as ‘Mr.Russo’. When you got there, you were escorted inside by his men.

“Ma’am, Mr. Russo wanted me to inform you that he’ll be just a few minutes. You can wait by his office.” One of the men informed, which you muttered a small ‘Thank you’ in return.

As you walked in, you were scrolling through your phone, paying no attention to what, or who was in front of you, when you suddenly bumped into somebody, dropping your phone on the ground. You guessed that she must’ve been doing the same, both your phones dropping on opposite sides of each other. She was a blonde woman, her green eyes grew big, sulfides at the sudden collision. 

“-Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going-“

“No, it’s totally fine! I shouldn’t walk and text. I do it too much,” the blonde woman said, as she scrabbled to pick up your phone, while you did the rushed to pick up hers. When you picked it up, your eyes got a glance of her screen, and you saw that she seemed to be texting someone saved under the name ‘Jess’, before you handed it back to her. 

“Thanks, I really have to stop doing that, It’s bad habit of mine,” she shared, handing you back your device. It was then that you got a better look at her and thought she looked and sounded familiar. Not personally familiar, but somewhere. 

“Thanks,” you said, before you gave into your curiosity. “Uh, do I know you from somewhere? You just look so familiar.”

She gave you a single expectant nod before she answered. “Maybe… on Tv or through the radio? I’m Patricia- well, Trish Walker,” she confirmed, and stuck her hand out to shake yours. 

“Right! You were on that show,” you announced, shaking her hand in return. It was a brief exchange, and you thought it was cool to meet a tv star, or a former tv star anyway, and after you bid her a ‘it was nice to meet’ and she left, you were left wondering. 

Why was she at Anvil?

Just as you reached the outside of Billy’s office, you heard voices coming from the inside, and it sounded like Billy and two other people were conversing, but things seemed tense. 

“-They knew his name and everything. And they said that he was going to pay. That we all were.” The man that was speaking sounded worried, and startled, and you heard a light chuckle, that sounded like Billy’s, when the man spoke again. 

“Is this amusing to you, Russo? I just told you they tried to kill me! And they knew who he was. They knew who we were!”

“Well,” Billy was speaking this time, and he sounded somewhat carefree, “not all of us, Morty. Really just the three of you.”

You were certain that there was only two people in the room, so who was the thorp person Billy was referring to? 

“Fuck you, Russo.” The first man spoke again, “you’re just as tangled up in this shit as we are. You walk around as if you’re so squeaky clean. Need I remind you again, how and why there is an Anvil in the first place?”

You didn’t hear Billy say anything after that, when a different man spoke this time. 

“Russo,” the second man called, “this is an urgent matter. Is finding these men going to be a problem? It’s taking you an awfully long time to-“

“It’s being taken care of,” Billy interrupted, “but I’m gonna need more recourses and they will not be cheap. Like you said, these guys are advanced, they’re really good-“

“So you be better, lieutenant. Or have you forgotten what’s at stake for yourself?”

You didn’t hear Billy speak after that, but it sounded like somebody stood up, and the second man spoke again. 

“If we go down, collateral will tumble down right after, we’ll make sure of it. No matter what or who it is. It’d be unfortunate. 

Nobody said anything for a few seconds when you heard Billy’s voice again. 

“And who would that collateral be, Rawlins?”

Billy’s voice sounded dark then, like he was daring the man to say what he wanted to say. You’ve never heard him sound like that before, and It scared you nonetheless. 

“Just keep in mind Russo, that you should be grateful, considering. Not many have done what you did and are alive to tell the tale.”

Alive to tell the tale? What the hell did that mean?”

“Just know, Rawlins, that if it ever came down to it, there is no one on this green earth that I’m worried about going against. We clear on that?”

There was that dark voice again coming from Billy, that scared you. 

“You were given a second chance, Russo. He gave you a second chance. That means he saw potential. Keep up your end of the deal. We’ll be in touch.”

It sounded like the end of the conversation, because you could hear footsteps coming towards the door. A man with a milky eye stepped out, and behind him, a man who looked like he was badly beaten, with cuts and bruises on his face. As soon as they left, Billy finally came out of his office, but instead of wearing a suit, he wore casual clothes, and his face looked emotionless, as he kissed his teeth, but as soon as he saw you, it was like a switch turned on, and his face changed completely, and a smile painted his face. 

“Everything, okay?” You asked, referring to the men who had just left Billy’s office, and he nodded, signaling that he understood your question. 

“Yeah, just some, pain in my ass clients,” he answered, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. 

Was he lying? Maybe it was just some clients who had a problem with how he did security. You didn’t linger on it much, and brushed it off with a hum and a nod. 

“You ditched the suit,” you commented, pointing out what he was wearing, which he responded with a nod and a smile, and you continued. “So, where are we going?”

Billy had a set smile on his face, when he answered.

 “We’ll make it up as we go. But It’s gonna be great, we’ll even get shitty food,” He turned to look at you when he spoke again, “prepare to have the time of your life.” 

That made you choke out a light laugh, shaking your head, as you followed Billy outside. 

…

“You’re a show off,” you said to Billy, as you stood back and watched him easily take down all the painted targets, with his water gun. 

“It’s really not as hard as you’re making to be,” Billy answered with his back towards you, focused on the game. 

“That’s easy for you to say, Russo! Mr. ex Special Forces!” 

After you left Anvil, you really did make it up as you went. You and Billy walked around the city for a bit, well, more like hours just coming across random things to do. After hours of doing that, you both eventually ended up at a carnival that was going on in the city. The hours that you spent walking around the city, proved Billy right. You were able to slip away and call your aunt, asking her to pick up Ava from school, since you lost track of time. You really were having the time of your life, and the carnival that you ended up at made things even better. 

It had been after your third try at the game, that Billy decided to try, after you failed to hit more than one target at each game. He was obviously, a pro at it, and you couldn’t help but scoff, as he hit the last target, without a hint of struggle. 

“This is your thing, you know I suck at these kinds of stuff.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, you’ll get it. Or...I could just get it for you, you know,” Billy suggested, as he walked back toward where you were standing.  

“Nope, I’m gonna go again. And I’m gonna hit ‘em all,” you said, with over-confidence, “cause I want that bunny. 

You were referring to one of the many stuffed animals that were hung up for display as prizes. Billy offered a million times to just get it for you, but you insisted that you could do it yourself. 

He threw one of his hands up in defense, and held out his other arm directing you to the game area. You picked up the water gun, and when the game started, you missed all but two targets, again, and you groaned. 

You could see Billy from the corner of your eye, as he grimaced. 

“Okay, never mind that was pretty bad.”

“Shut up!” You laughed, turning the water gun in his direction and sprayed him once with water, which he tried to block it with his hands. “But hey! That’s one more than last time,” you pointed out. 

“Look, just lemme help?” He offered. 

You pondered on it for a few seconds, debating, and you finally nodded. 

“Okay, I’m gonna stand here,” he moved to stand behind you, and carefully lifted your arms up with the water gun still in hand, pointing it at the targets. You could hear his calm voice at your ear, and you swallowed a little. 

“Alright, it helps if close one of your eyes.” 

You took his suggestion, closing one of your eyes, when he put his hands over yours, carefully guiding them to hold the gun correctly.

 You could feel his chest at your back now, his hands felt soft over your own, and they slightly interlocked as you struggled to aim at a target. Your hands somehow for some reason, suddenly, began to shake. 

“Then you keep it steady.” 

He helped you steady your hands, by fully interlocking your fingers, and you blew out a quiet breath that you had been holding. You could feel your heartbeat swiftly racing, and you felt the sudden need for air, even though it was freezing. 

“Then you aim. And I’ll tell you when.” 

You stayed in that stance for a few seconds, the sound of just the air in the wind was around. You felt this feeling that you couldn’t put your finger on. It was something you felt before, yet you couldn’t decipher it. 

Was it…nervousness?

No. No way. 

You brushed the thought off quickly, before pulling yourself away. 

“I got it. Just tell me when,” you let out a nervous laugh. Billy nodded, holding his hands out. 

“Alright, let’s see what you got.” 

…

You and Billy walked by the river, with your newly earned stuffed bunny in hand, the lights of the high story buildings reflecting off the water in the in the cold air. You didn’t mind that it was freezing, and that you couldn’t really feel your face; it was peaceful. You spent the whole having a great time, that before you knew it, it was dark outside, and you and Billy ended up by water, after of course, getting the shitty food he talked about. 

“…This is the best burger I’ve ever had.”

“I told you it would be,” Billy replied with a smug smile on his face. 

It was quiet, and neither of you had said anything for a while. You walked some of the time in silence, but it wasn’t an awkward silence, but a comfortable one, one that you felt you hadn’t had with Billy in ages, or at least since he popped up in your life again. You found yourself thinking, about how he hadn’t changed at all over the years, and was very much the same. In the past, Billy always talked about wanting to start a company along the lines of Anvil. And it seemed like he had gotten what he wanted, and you were curious, so you asked. 

“So,” your started, causing Billy to turn his head to you, “what’s it like being your own boss? Or to have your own company? I mean, I’m doing well, but that’s pretty good.”

“Uh,” he let out a heavy breath, “it’s alright,” He shrugged.

“It’s just, alright?” You repeated his answer, confused, “isn’t it everything you wanted? You’re literally in charge of yourself.”

“Nah, not really. I’m missing a few things.” His eyes stayed on you for a few seconds, before he looked ahead again, taking a sip of his drink. “And anyways, everybody works for somebody,” he sighed. 

You guess you understood what he meant by that, because he had clients that hired him, so technically he did work for them, in a way. But you weren’t sure that’s what he fully meant, but you let it go. 

You then remembered the phone call between you and Billy that completely slipped your mind for obvious reasons. 

“Hey, you called me this morning? I completely forgot, you said you had something-?”

“Ahh,” Billy seemed to forget too, and he reached into his pocket to pull out a familiar set of keys, dangling them in front of you, and a large smile pulled at your face. 

“Where did you find them!?” You snatch the keys from him, joy overtaking you. 

“I was doing a sweep of the building with my team, and I came across them. I know how much that car means to you. Even if it is a disaster on wheels.”

“Thank you. And I’d insult you and your hair products, but I’m too happy right now, so I’ll let that car joke slide.”

Billy gave you a light laugh in return, and you spoke again.

“…Today was, nice, um -nice of you,” you corrected, “thanks for, making sure I had a great time. It really do turn my day around.”

“Anytime,” he said lowly, and nodded. 

He sipped on his drink as he walked next to you. You took a few bites of your food, and you held your cup to your lips, scarfing down your milkshake, and after a while, you heard a silent laugh from Billy, making you turn your head towards him. 

“What is it?”

“You just, uh, you have some of your milkshake around your mouth.”

“Oh,” you used the back of your hand to try and wipe it off, failing. 

“Did I get it?”

“Not even close, no.” You could see a smile pulling at his lips, which eventually turned into a chuckle, as you viscously wiped away at your mouth. 

“You still have a little right above-“. He didn’t finish what he was saying, a deep laugh taking over him. 

“Well, don’t just laugh, Tell me where!” A choked laugh escaped you, as Billy moved closer, in an effort to help you. 

“Just let me get it,” He said, and he stopped walking moving closer you. 

You stood in front of him now, looking at Billy. He looked down at your lips, one of his hands held your chin up, while he used his thumb to gently wipe over your top lip. 

You found that his eyes, seemed to sparkle a bit, the night lights reflecting off the darkness of them. 

Or…were you imagining that?

His thumb trailed away from you top lip, dragging it down to your lower lip now, but it didn’t seem that he was wiping away at anything. Instead, he just slowly trailed back and forth, almost like he was in a trance. 

After a few seconds, Billy looked into your eyes, and when he did, it was like he you joined him in that trance he was in. You heard him let out a silent breath, as you stared into dark eyes, that you swore, were sparkling, and you swallowed. 

There was that feeling again. 

This time you were sure, it was nervousness. But you weren’t supposed to be feeling that.

Not with Billy. 

So, you finally spoke. 

“Did you, um- did you get it?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I got it.”

It didn’t seem like he was fully out of that trance he was in, but it looked like he forced himself out it, at your words. 

“I’ll uh, take you home?” 

It sounded like he was asking, to see if it was okay with you, and you accepted, with a nod. 

“Yeah, sure. It’s late anyways.”

…

Taglist:

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@promnightbinbaby

@intothesoul

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[fific7]

Dangerous and Divine - Part 11

Billy Russo x Reader

Summary: Billy Russo is an itch you don’t want to scratch. But he’s all over you like a rash.

A/N: This does not follow canon, it’s mainly fluff & lemon zest 🍋 The GIF is from Exposed, unreleased pilot show in case you’re wondering 😌... Billy vibes.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content including oral and unprotected* sex between consenting adults. Some voyeurism. Some drinking & swearing.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

(My GIF)

Wanting to turn round and get the hell out of there, Madani found herself rooted to the spot. It was like car crash TV... she just couldn’t bring herself to look away. So, she stood there and just watched.

She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, she just stared at the scene in front of her. The room door was at her back and she went along with it involuntarily as it swung closed behind her. Coming to rest against it, she drew in a long breath.

Her eyes were glued to that damn cute ass of Billy’s. Watching it... relentlessly, hypnotically moving up and down, up and down, up and down. Listened to his breathy moans and low grunts as he pounded in and out of her. Uhh, uhh, unnhhh, unnhhh. Caught glimpses of his balls between his legs, snapping backwards with each thrust. A sheen of sweat visible across his shoulders and back. Saw one hand making its way down to where their bodies were joined, his other running gently along her thigh.

Her! she thought venomously. It should be me... he should be on top of me in that bed!

But still she watched. And watched. It was really dim in the room, and she realised the curtains were almost fully closed. She found herself craning her neck forward slightly to get a better look.

She watched as he kept on thrusting, then she noticed the muscles in his ass eventually tense up. Another three or four shorter thrusts, then she heard Billy cry out. Heard him breathe her name, saw him lowering his head to rest on her shoulder for a moment before bringing it up to her face; she just knew he was kissing her now. “I love you,” Madani heard him say, and more kisses followed.

The breath she’d taken in left her lips in a long hiss. This was just so not fucking fair!

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You reached up off the pillows to kiss Billy’s beardy chin above you, but a sudden movement near the door caught your eye. You let out a small shriek as you saw a shadowy figure standing there and Billy leaned back immediately, looking at you anxiously. You pointed towards the door and his head shot round in that direction. A snarl appeared on his lips and he roughly grabbed the bedcovers, quickly pulling them over the two of you. He leaned up on his elbows, looking over his shoulder at the intruder.

“Madani!!!” he yelled, “You... you fuckin’.... Get the fuck outta here!!!”

You heard the door slam, and raised your face from where you’d hidden it against Billy’s chest. You hadn’t been able to make out who it was in the low light. “That was her?” you asked him, and he nodded, throwing back the covers and sitting up against the pillows, running both hands through his wayward hair. “Yeah,” he replied, “yeah, it fuckin’ was. That crazy fucking bitch.”

You also sat up, bringing the sheet across you and under one arm, “What the hell was she doing in your room, Billy?” You were glaring at him, and he quickly put his hand on your cheek, “I have no idea, angel... truly I don’t. Please don’t be thinkin’ this was some kinda hookup, cos it wasn’t! I’m gonna fuckin’ strangle her.... urrrhhhh!!” You could see that he was absolutely furious.

Reassured, you softened your gaze. He carried on, “We’re not due to meet up with her for another half hour. She musta been given a pass key and for whatever reason, came chargin’ in here.”

You ran your fingers up through his hair, sweeping it back from his forehead, “Billy, I swear I’m gonna nail Agent Madani’s ass to the wall when all this is done!”

“You and me both, sweetheart,” Billy said grimly.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy had got up and showered (with you) after that, then he’d unpacked his black tactical suit and got into it. While you were busy admiring how he looked in it - like, really damn sexy - after a long and passionate kiss, he’d left you in the room, telling you to doublelock the door and not to open it for anyone except him.

You’d been made to promise on the lives of everyone you held dear that you’d stay there, until he got back. He didn’t know exactly when that would be, which you had to admit pissed you off a bit but you understood he couldn’t give you a precise time and why. It’s just you didn’t like the thought of being cooped up in the room all day.

Oh well, you had the TV, the movie channels, the mini bar... and room service. Your eyes lit up. Room service!!

Eager to get ordering, you started looking for the menu in the pile of hotel stuff on the funky reclaimed wooden desk, which was underneath a huge ornate mirror. You caught sight of yourself in it as you did so. Ohh... okay, you’d better lose the “I’ve Just Been Fucked Senseless” look before the room service guy arrived, otherwise you might just give him the fright of his life.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Dinah Madani had stumbled out of Billy’s room, letting the door slam behind her. She took off along the corridor at a cracking pace, face flaming red, heading for the fire exit stairs. She smoothed down the fabric of her jacket with her hands, then ran them down onto her trousers, trying to calm her breathing as she went.

She replayed the vision of Billy’s naked body in her mind, of him having sex, blocking out the inconvenient fact that he’d been in bed with someone else.

Damn, she was aroused. She could feel how damp her panties were as she walked. How was she supposed to get the handsome big bastard out of her head now, after seeing that display? In her head, she transposed herself into that bed, underneath him. She could almost feel him inside her.

And every time she looked at him from now on? Yes - she was going to be imagining him naked. And it wouldn’t be to give herself more self-confidence in front of a bunch of people, like they taught you to do in those self-help courses.

As she started making her way down the stairs, she mentally shook herself - she’d better get her head back in the game or this could all go horribly wrong.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy had taken the same route down a couple of floors to the room being used as the base of operations. He was still fuming about Dinah’s little voyeuristic visit to his room. What the fuck was she thinking, coming into his room unannounced? If he hadn’t been otherwise engaged he could’ve shot her! And just how long had she been standing there, watching him make love to his girl?

Weird bitch, he thought, but I’ll settle the score with her once this is all over.

He knocked once on the door, saw an eye appear in the spyhole and then the door opened. Frank and the rest of the Anvil team were already there, along with Madani and her Homeland agents. He glared at Madani but she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

Frank winked and grinned at him, fully aware of the ‘operation’ Billy had been on prior to arriving. Wait till he told him about Madani’s latest little stunt!

They got down to business, running through the details of the op and all the ‘what if’s’ and Plan A, Plan B, Plan C scenarios once again. Everyone was given their positions, tasked with certain duties, told to make sure their earpieces were in and working. The two teams started leaving the room and dispersing to their designated locations. The undercover agent remained to get a further briefing from Billy, Frank and Madani, then he too left to go to his room where the meet would take place.

That left the three of them, plus the Homeland agents who’d be monitoring all the comms and security cameras. Billy marched right up to Madani, towering over her and glaring so furiously at her that it was a wonder she didn’t catch on fire. In a very low voice that only the three of them could hear, he bit out, “I’m sayin’ nothing right now about what happened earlier, Dinah - we need to be totally focused on this fuckin’ op - but we’re gonna be having a conversation about it at some point.”

He caught sight of Frank’s puzzled face but just gave him a small shake of the head. “Right,” he said, “c’mon Frankie, let’s go and check the perimeters.”

The two of them left, leaving Madani to pace the room and watch the CCTV screens over the shoulders of her agents. She hadn’t said a word directly to Billy or looked him in the eye during the entire briefing.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy strode along the corridor so quickly that Frank had to really hurry to catch him up. “Hey, Bill! What’s up with you and Madani now?” Billy shook his head, “Dunno that I should talk about it, Frankie, I’m still fuckin’ furious with her, and I really gotta concentrate on all this shit that’s goin’ down today.” They reached the stairs, Billy opening the fire door and they started down the steps.

Frank grabbed his arm and they both stopped walking. “Don’t forget I know you better’n you know yourself, Russo. If you don’t get this off ya chest, you’re gonna explode. And that ain’t what we need right now.”

Billy leaned his back against the wall and sighed, “Yeah, you’re right.” He broke eye contact with Frank, saying, “She’s got a master key for the rooms.” Frank said warily, “Yeah, I know she does... and?”

“Came crashin’ into our room, when I was... we were...” Frank’s eyes got huge, “havin’ sex. Stood there for fuck knows how long watchin’ us, till we finally noticed her after... after we finished, an’ I yelled at her to get out.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Frank said through gritted teeth, “What the fuck’s wrong with that woman?!”

Shaking his head, Billy shrugged, “I dunno, Frank. She’s got issues, that’s for sure.” He turned and started down the stairs again, “C’mon, let’s get this shitshow on the road.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You’d ended up having the most pleasant day to yourself. Leisurely soak in the spa bath, several room service orders (repairs having been carried out before the waiter’s first visit), several little trips to and from the mini-bar for G&T’s. You’d finished the gin now, and had moved on to vodka & coke. Not your favourite but beggars, choosers etc.

You’d been on one of the big movie channels, and so far you were three fantasy films, two rom-coms and a heist movie into their list. In fact you’d started drifting off to sleep as you got towards the end of the heist movie, and made yourself sit up to make sure you didn’t doze off. You gazed back at the massive wall-mounted TV and tried to pick up whereabouts you were in the plot. Oh right - bank robbery.

The bad guys ran into the bank, firing shots into the air and getting everyone to lie down on the floor. But there was that one hero security guard, who drew his gun and tried to shoot the bad guy gang leader. Cue good guy getting shot, up rolls a police armed response unit, cue gun battle, various dead good and bad guys, oh and here’s the car chase as a couple of baddies got away.

Hey hang on, the gun battle’s still going on, but neither the cops or the bad guys are shooting at each other as they’re too busy doing handbrake turns and screeching round corners.

It dawned on you the gunfire you could hear was in your freaking hotel. Leaping up and zipping over to the window, you saw various black SUV’s parked randomly in the middle of the street, blue lights flashing and doors wide open, but apart from crowds of the general public running for cover, there was no-one in sight round the big cars.

You could still hear the rattle of gunfire, and then all of a sudden it went eerily quiet.

Breathing unsteadily, you had a nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach and your hand wavered towards the doorhandle. The temptation to open it was huge. ‘No!’ screeched the sensible part of your brain, ‘for just once in your life.... Do. What. You’re. Told.” Your hand went back to your side. Okay, you win, you told your brain glumly.

You walked back over and sat on the bed, ended the movie - the bad guys were probably either A) going to get away or B) get caught - so you could live without seeing the end of it. Starting to flick through the programme guide, you finally found a news channel, but they had nothing about the hotel or ‘shots fired’.

So you spent the next thirty minutes sitting on the bed for 3 minutes then getting up and pacing, then sitting on the bed again for another 3 minutes, then pacing again... hit the repeat button on that scenario until there was a big knock at the door.

You headed over to the door but didn’t put your eye to the peephole, having seen a film once where someone got shot in the eye that way. Yes, you did watch a lot of movies, what of it! So you just called out, standing to one side, so you wouldn’t get shot through the door either (yes, yes, saw that in the movies too), “Who’s that?!”

Billy’s voice said, “It’s me, sweetheart. Can you let me in? And don’t get upset but I got grazed a coupla times by bullets so I’m bleedin’ quite a bit.”

Don’t get upset? you thought, he’s gotta be joking hasn’t he? You hastily unlocked and pulled open the door, and you saw a very pale-faced Billy leaning on the doorframe, blood on his face and on one of his arms. You could see ripped fabric on the sleeve of his tactical suit where the blood was coming from.

“Oh, Billy,” you said, worried, dragging him into the room and slamming the door closed.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

@blackbirddaredevil23 @galaxyjane @omgrachwrites @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead

[fandomwriterstuff]

Traumtänzer (Pt. 8)

Rated T

Part 7

Part 9

By the time you approached the others in the jet, they’d found the woman they were looking for in Riga, a city on the Baltic Sea.

So, you thought to yourself. We’re going to Latvia.

You sighed, sort of missing the Plain Jane life you’d left behind. But as the Baron took the seat across from you and smiled softly, you couldn’t help but enjoy the life you’d found since you let these three men into it. Sure, you were still wary of Sam and James, but Helmut… You’d formed a bond with him.

By the time you got to Riga you were starting to understand that Helmut was willing to be intimate with you in private, but not in front of his companions, and you understood. Really, you did. They wanted him back in prison and you… You weren’t sure you wanted to see him go back there.

He was saying something about the Sokovia Memorial as you walked the streets of Riga to his safehouse, and all you could think was that you wished you could hold his hand. You were beginning to realize you’d entered into a fragile relationship with a very complicated man. You side eyed him and flicked your eyes back down when he looked over at you. You didn’t want to seem like an eager school girl, but you were needy after having been touch-starved in captivity for so long. You weren’t used to being touched casually, but you’d found that you liked it immensely when he pressed casual touches to you when you met Selby, when you were playing his fiance.

“We are here,” he turned to his companions, and James decided he was going on a walk. It seemed rather suspicious, you’d only just arrived.

“You good?” Sam asked, as if he had the same thoughts as you had.

“Yeah, see you guys in a minute,” he muttered and walked off.

“I think you should take a nap, Y/N,” Sam suggested as you entered the Baron’s lavish safehouse. “Have you even slept since Berlin?”

“I don’t like to sleep around guests,” you muttered, looking down at your feet. Sure, you were exhausted, but you couldn’t risk dreamwalking and dying like you imagined you might have in James’ dream.

“Zemo and I will stay awake, you won’t go into our dreams,” he insisted, but you shook your head.

“There’s a whole city of people, I don’t know whose dream I might walk into.”

You were resolute, but when you blinked your heavy eyelids and locked eyes with Helmut, his pity got to you.

“I can show you to the master bedroom, you should rest,” he spoke in accented English, and it lulled you off nearly to sleep while you stood.

“Maybe just for a few minutes,” you yawned deeply and followed him towards a grand door.

“You can rest in here, liebling ,” he spoke quietly into your ear, and placed his hand on the small of your back to usher you into the room and shut the door.

You were suddenly so tired, you allowed for Helmut to help you undress to your underwear. He then pulled what must have been one of his own t-shirts over your head and tucked you into the bed.

“Rest well, little mouse. I’ll be waiting for you,” he kissed your forehead and as you closed your eyes, you heard the door shut quietly.

You were only awake and aware for another moment before you were looking at a wooded clearing with thousands of puddles.

It must be nap time in Riga, or perhaps night time? How long have I been asleep?

You found that you actually had control as you walked amongst the different puddles, and you got to choose which one you went into. The one in front of you looked promisingly deep and sparkly. You dipped a single toe in and you were dragged into a dream.

“Hello?” You called out to the dreamer. “Is anyone there?” It was dark, but you heard a singing voice. It was an old woman singing to a young woman. As you approached, you weren’t sure if it was the young woman or the old woman who was dreaming.

“ Hallo ?” You asked, this time in German. You didn’t know Latvian.

The singing stopped and the young woman turned back to you.

“Who are you?” she asked cautiously, and as you approached you admired her curly red hair and freckles.

“I go by Maus,” you spoke back in English, as the young woman spoke it as well.

“What are you doing in my dream?” She was getting defensive, and you backed up with arms raised.

“I mean no harm,” you spoke slowly. “I am a dreamwalker, I am not here to cause trouble. Your dream just looked… Enticing,” you shrugged and approached again when the young woman dropped her defensive stance.

“ Maus? Funny name,” she commented, and you shrugged.

“What’s yours?” You wondered aloud, this time conjuring a rocking chair and sitting across from her.

She paused.

“I go by Karli,” she frowned, but sat in the chair you conjured across from yourself, the old woman finally disappearing with a wisp of smoke.

“That’s a lovely name,” you smiled. “What brings you to Riga?”

“Are you in Riga?” She asked sharply.

“Yes, that’s how dreamwalking works. I have to be roughly close enough to somebody to step into their dreams,” you explained.

“I’m here for a funeral,” she murmured, relaxing into the seat, having decided you weren’t a threat.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” you tilted your head. “Was it someone close to you?”

“Yes,” she looked down. “Donya Madani. She took me in when nobody else would.”

“That name sounds familiar… But I never got many TV channels in my old house in Germany. Was she famous? Perhaps I heard about her on Das Erste ?” You asked, and Karli bristled.

“She wasn’t famous, no. How would you know her name?” She stood and towered over your small form, and you were beginning to think you shouldn’t be in this dream.

“I… I don’t know,” You were afraid, and Karli could tell.

“You said you were from Germany?” She asked after a beat.

“No, I live in Germany,” you corrected her. “I am from Sokovia.”

This time she relaxed.

“A refugee then?”

You nodded.

“You might be able to help us then.”

“Us?” You wondered. Where was this going?

“Would you like to help a fellow refugee?” Karli knelt in front of you and gently held your folded hands in her own.

“I- I would,” you were being honest with her, you would like to help a fellow refugee, but you had this unnerving feeling of fear.

“Can you find the dreams of Sam Wilson or Bucky Barnes?” She asked, and you stiffened.

“Me and my friends, we’re trying to get them off our trail. Could you get into their dreams and tell us where they are?” Karli’s hands were tightening on yours and you dropped the facade of the chairs. You stood and backed up.

You didn’t want to give yourself away, and you had a very serious feeling you were in danger.

“There are Avengers in Riga?” You squeaked. She nodded.

“I’m afraid,” you told her, hands shaking.

“Don’t be afraid of them, they can’t hurt you. It’s just a dream, Maus,” she insisted, but you were looking around for the exit.

“I want out,” you murmured. You were in a dream, but maybe if you screamed loud enough, somebody would help you. “GET ME OUT,” you screamed this time, tears streaming down your face as you ran through the endless whiteness that was Karli’s dream. She didn’t chase after you, but you felt her presence. “HELP ME!” You screamed it in your mind, trying to reach Sam and Helmut.

Your eyes snapped open as you were shaken awake. Your face was wet with tears and sweat. You stared straight ahead until someone shook you again and you looked over to see Helmut, Sam, and James.

“What’s going on? We heard you in our minds,” Sam asked her, face serious.

“I walked into a dream, I didn’t know who she was,” you sobbed, and much to your surprise, Helmut moved forward and clasped your hands in his.

“Who, liebling ?” he asked. “Who was she?”

“Karli,” you whispered. “She spoke to me, she tried to get me on her side, but I was afraid,” you were choking on your tears and you missed the significant glances Sam and James were giving each other. “She asked me to find Sam or Bucky,” you continued. “She doesn’t know where you are, just that you are close.”

“Why don’t the two of you go figure out a plan, and I will deal with our little mouse?” Helmut suggested, and you were thankful to see the other men agree and walk out.

“Do not be sorry, you did the right thing by asking for help,” he rubbed circled onto your back. “Would you like to rest more? I’ll watch over you. You weren’t asleep very long,” Helmut brushed your sweaty hair back from your face, but you shook your head. You didn’t want to go back to sleep. “Alright,” he whispered. “Maybe we will just sit here for a while and read? I brought your book with.”

“ Schätzchen, I never want to hear you screaming ‘help me’ in my brain ever again. I was so afraid for you,” Helmut broke the silence with his admission, and you turned to him, lower lip wobbling.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I was so afraid,” you sobbed, and this time he took you into his arms.

You smiled, he could be so considerate.

“Okay.”

Masterlist

[siren-queen-imagines]

Lies

So this was requested by someone, of whom I did not write their blog name down (like a complete dum dum). I hope you get the chance to see this and I hope you enjoy!!

Prompt Used: 19. “What do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and tell you that I love you?”

Masterlist

(gif by meh)

——————————————————

No, I'm not the type that you like Why don't we just pretend? Lies Don't wanna know, don't wanna know, oh -’Lies’ by Marina and the Diamonds

——————————————————

It all started with a dinner date.

You remember, clear as day, the day you met Billy Russo. It was when he came to speak to Special Agent Dinah Madani, one of the Homeland Security agents you were a secretary for. You had to sit in meetings regarding a certain investigation to take notes, as that was your job. Then one day, Billy walked over into your life. After his second meeting with Madani he had strolled to your desk, that confident, mischievous smirk plastered on his face. 

“Hey, Y/N, you wanna grab dinner with me tomorrow night?” Billy had asked you.

You were in shock. Billy Russo, a guy that looked like THAT, asked you out?

“Yes, I would like that.” You replied, trying to play it cool.

“Great. I’ll pick you up at 7:30.”

He gave you a smile and strode off. God, what you would have given to have confidence like that. Although, it was nice that he had enough to ask you out because you never could’ve. You could only hope that this date went well.

=================================

You paced in front of your television, a glass of wine in your hand as you watched the news. Only hours ago, you lost your job after they found out about your relationship with Billy. 

Problem was, it wasn’t the fact you were in a relationship with him. It was what you did while in said relationship.

God, could you even call it that? He used you. Plain and simple. Billy Russo had a way of talking to you to get answers to questions...and not only was he subtle, but he was so goddamn persuasive. And those questions had a lot to do about Madani’s investigation in which he was now a prime suspect. In a sense, you should be lucky you only lost your job and was not charged with accessory to all his crimes.

Currently the anchorman was talking about how Billy was currently a wanted fugitive, along with his face plastered onto the screen.

You were so stupid. How could you let yourself get caught up in his web? 

“Once again, he is considered armed and extremely dangerous.” The anchorman continued.

=================================

Billy smiled at you after he rolled off of you. He leaned in to kiss you tenderly before getting out of bed to dispose of the condom.

“I was thinking, maybe we should stay in this weekend.” Billy said as he got back into bed with you.

“Yeah?” You asked.

“Yeah. We can stay in bed all day, we can order in. We can conversate and talk about which turns into complaining about our jobs like normal couples do.”

“And?”

You had recognized that mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I thought that was covered in the stay in bed all day category.”

The two of you shared a laugh as he cupped the side of your face. You had been seeing each other for about 4 months now and you enjoyed the time you’ve spent with him. And the sex...holy shit the sex. 

How in the hell was this guy into you? What good thing have you done to get him? You were pretty sure if anyone could have him or if he wanted anyone, it would’ve been Madani...you were just a secretary. She was a strong ass Homeland Security agent and he was the owner and CEO of a private military contracting firm. 

“What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?” He asked, his eyes searching yours.

“Nothing important.” You smiled bashfully.

“Has to be if it’s got your mind preoccupied.”

“It’s just…” You sighed. “Why me? Why did you choose me?”

“Why not?” He smiled softly at you.

“I’m nobody special, Billy.”

“Of course you are. When I first met you, you had this way about you. It was warm and welcoming.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Your smile was and still is so beautiful.” He kissed your cheek. “Something about you told me that you were trusting, I never really had that.” He kissed your nose. “And I don’t think it needs mentioning but I’m gonna say it anyway.” He kissed your lips. “You are so fucking sexy.” He placed a kiss on your neck.

=================================

Something about you told him you were trusting…

You had never given that much thought until now. That was a sign that was practically staring you in the face and you ignored it. You remembered that you thought that was a weird thing to say until he saved it with the whole, ‘I never had that’ part. 

“God damn you, Billy.” You mumbled, wiping the tears from your eyes before turning the channel on your TV.

There was a knock on your door. You put down your glass of wine and pulled yourself together. You wished you had checked the peephole because when you opened the door, Billy was on the other side.

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” You said, going to close your door.

Billy’s foot stopped you from closing it and you opened the door. Billy let himself in and looked at you as he closed the door behind him.

“You son of a bitch!” You pushed him roughly. 

“Don’t.” He warned.

“That’s all you have to say? After what you did?”

“What I did? Come on, Y/N. You aren’t naive or stupid enough to know what was going on.”

“Fuck you, Billy. You were so subtle whenever you managed to get anything out of me. I can’t believe how stupid I was to even entertain the idea that I could’ve loved you.”

Fuck. You said that last part out loud.

“Oh baby, we did plenty of that. What’s gonna fix this for you, hmm?” He asked, standing at his full height, moving closer to you, his voice lowering. It was never meant to intimidate you but one way he seduced you...obviously now it mostly intimidated you. “What do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and tell you that I love you? Is that gonna fix you? Because nothing is gonna fix what happened. The sooner you accept that, the better.”

You clenched your jaw, holding back your tears as Billy walked past you. You couldn’t let him see you cry. Just as you were about to go after him, Billy came back, tucking some money into his jacket. What the hell? He stashed money here without you knowing?

“You’re kidding me, right?” You motioned to his pocket.

“Back up plan.”

“Wow.”

“Well, it’s been real, Y/N. Not gonna lie, we had some good times. This was fun.”

“What was? The lying, the manipulation?” 

“Nah. It wasn’t all lies and manipulation. You know what they say about the shy ones, right? You...definitely live up to that in bed. I think I’ll miss that the most.”

“Go to hell, Billy.”

Billy smirked at you, turning to leave.

“You know, before everything went down, I learned the truth. I got to see Frank Castle’s testimony. The Punisher?” You started, stopping him. “Anyone that knows about his quest for vengeance, knows he won’t stop until everyone who was involved in his family’s deaths are dead. Honestly, I never bat an eye because all of them were scum. And now, his sights are on you...and he will find you.”

Billy turned to face you.

“So what, are you gonna tell me that you care enough to not want me to die?” Billy mocked.

“No. You’re the worst of them all. You deserve what’s coming to you.”

Billy smiled at you, lightly chuckling.

“You always seem to surprise me, Y/N. This side of you is so fucking sexy. I never expected you to be okay with death on anyone. It almost makes me wish things could be different.”

You took in a deep breath, shakily letting it out as Billy opened the door. He stopped and looked back at you.

“Take care of yourself.

That took you by surprise. Another chuckle left Billy at the look on your face as he walked out the door.

“Fuck.” You whispered to yourself, trying not to cry.

[carry-the-sky]

these heavy words, your open heart

summary

“You told me once that I was honest. That I don’t lie to you. But the hospital—you asked me to start over, and I said I didn’t want that.”

Karen sucks in a breath. Frank’s eyes are still on her, wide and bright. It’s the most vulnerable she’s ever seen him look.

“I lied,” he says.

chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four

“Don’t do that,” Curt says. “Don’t put this on her. She’s a grown-ass woman, she can make her own decisions. This is about you. What do you want?”  

For as long as Frank can remember, the answer was this—to make those responsible for his suffering pay. He never thought beyond that. The city needed a punisher, so that’s what he became.

But now—he thinks about the first time he met Karen, handcuffed to a hospital bed, how she shoved the photo of his family in his face and told him they both wanted the same thing. He knew right then that she was different. She was the first person who saw him, and not a pile of crime-scene photos, or a dead family. Not a monster. She saw him. 

“I want to be with her,” Frank says, and the confession leaves him feeling lighter than he has in years.

Curt smiles wide. “Then go get her, man.”

Frank spends the next day and a half in a daze. His reunion with Karen feels like a dream, a kaleidoscope of moments he replays over and over in his head like he’s afraid he’ll lose them if he doesn’t. He expected her to be angry—hell, he would’ve deserved it—and instead she held his hand, told him he was worth more than a life of punishment and war. Frank knows he sure as shit isn’t, he knows that—but the thing is, when Karen was saying it, he believed her. As long as he’s known her, she’s always had the uncanny ability to look at someone, truly look at them, peel all the bullshit away until what’s left is what’s real.

But this—this is what’s real: He thinks about his last words to her at the hospital, how callously he’d pushed her aside, and he feels sick to his core. The usual excuses he makes for himself—I was protecting her, I was protecting myself—fall away, until all that’s left is shame. He hurt her, and meant to. He did that. 

“So you were an asshole,” Curt says the next time they meet for lunch. “Wasn’t the first time, probably won’t be the last.” 

“That your expert opinion, Dr. Phil?” Frank snarks, swiping a hand over his jaw to hide his smile. 

Curt smirks at him over his french dip. “Deflection. Classic. Look, Frank—self-awareness is half the battle. You know you messed up. What matters now is how you choose to fix it.”

“Yeah? What if it can’t be fixed?”

Curt stares at him for a moment. “Nah,” he finally says, shaking his head, “nah, man, I’m not buying it. That sounds like an excuse to me, an easy way out. The Frank Castle I knew wasn’t a chickenshit, but hey, first time for everything, I guess—”

Frank shakes his head. “Unbelievable, man.” 

“Hey, you brought it up,” Curt says. “I’m just here for the food.” 

They eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Frank polishes off his sandwich and orders a second cup of coffee, trying his best to ignore the swell of gratitude rising in his chest. He and Curt take the piss out of each other, but the man is family. He’s always been there, always had Frank’s back when others wouldn’t. Even before he hung up the vest, Frank knew that Curt’s was the first bridge he needed to mend. 

It’s not just Curt, though. Everyone he’s reached out to—David and Sarah, Madani, the kid, Karen—they’ve all taken him back, and it knocks the wind out of him each time. Their kindness, their willingness to forgive—it’s staggering. It’s more than he deserves. 

He says as much to Curt, who laughs in between bites of his potato salad. 

“You know, for a smart guy, you’re pretty stupid, Frank. You’ve got people who care about you here, and you’re trying to—what, balance the scales? That’s not how friendship works, brother. You don’t keep score.” 

Frank grips his coffee cup to keep his fingers still. “So, what—it’s all good, now? Everything I’ve done, all the shit I’ve put you through—boom, forgiven, just like that?”

“It’s not all about you, Frank,” Curt says. “No one but you gives two shits about what you think you deserve. That’s not your call. It’s mine, and Karen’s, and anyone else who decides to make the same call. We chose to give you another shot.”

Frank swigs his coffee, more to hide his face than anything. Bastard’s too damn good at his job. 

“You know, I met her,” Curt says, pushing back from the table slightly. 

Frank’s heart kicks. “Who—Karen?” 

“Yep. She reached out to talk to me about all the shit that’s been going down at the VA office. I didn’t put two and two together until later—looked up some of her other articles, and that’s when I recognized the name.” He fixes Frank with a knowing stare. “She’s one hell of a reporter. I can see why you like her.”

“Christ’s sake, Curt, we in high school again?”

“I don’t know, man, you tell me.” 

Frank turns his words over in his head before responding. “After I lost Maria—that was it, you know? She was everything—I never thought about anyone else. Didn’t want to. And now—it feels like part of me’s buried in the ground with her and the other part’s sitting right here. I don’t know what to do with that, Curt.”

“You said it yourself—this is you, now. This is how it is. And Karen has her own shit, like we all do. We’re all just pieces, Frank. That’s all life is. You just gotta figure out how your pieces fit with hers.”

Frank snorts. “You come up with that yourself?”

“Swiped it from a book I’m reading. Pretty good, right? Just the right amount of bullshit.” Curt leans forward, elbows on the table. “It’s simple, Frank—do you want to be with Karen or not?”

“I—” Frank sputters. 

“C’mon, man, answer the question.”

“What do you—�� Frank’s jaw clenches, and he swallows hard before continuing. “What do you want me to say, Curt? What about what Karen wants? You think she wants—this? All my baggage and bullshit, how is that fair to her—”

“Don’t do that,” Curt says. “Don’t put this on her. She’s a grown-ass woman, she can make her own decisions. This is about you. What do you want?”

For as long as Frank can remember, the answer was this—to make those responsible for his suffering pay. He never thought beyond that. The city needed a punisher, so that’s what he became.

But now—he thinks about the first time he met Karen, handcuffed to a hospital bed, how she shoved the photo of his family in his face and told him they both wanted the same thing. He knew right then that she was different. She was the first person who saw him, and not a pile of crime-scene photos, or a dead family. Not a monster. She saw him. 

“I want to be with her,” Frank says, and the confession leaves him feeling lighter than he has in years. 

Curt smiles wide. “Then go get her, man.” 

.

He calls her on his way home. It rings three or four times before she picks up, her voice light and warm even over the phone.

“Hi, Frank.” 

His stomach twists. “Hey. Didn’t think you’d recognize the number.” 

“You’re in my phone as Pete. I figured I’d put you in my contacts now that you have a real cell.”

Frank grins. “Yeah, guess it was about time for me to graduate from the burners.”

“About time,” she agrees, and he thinks he can her the smile in her voice. 

“Hey,” he says, “I won’t keep you, but—are you free tonight?”

“Oh, tonight? Um—” she pauses. “Foggy invited me to a New Year’s party, but I was kind of on the fence about going. I can definitely get out of it.”

Embarrassment surges through him, hot and fast. Since losing his family, he hasn’t paid much attention to holidays—this time of year just dredges up painful memories, things he’d much rather stay buried. He didn’t even realize that today was New Year’s Eve. Of course Karen has plans—she has a life, friends, a constellation of things that don’t involve him.  

“Frank?” Karen’s voice pulls him from his thoughts. “You still there?” 

“Yeah,” he says, “yeah, I’m here. Listen, if you’re busy, that’s fine. I don’t want to pull you away from anything—”

“Trust me, you’d be doing me a favor. I love Foggy and Marci, but their parties can be over-the-top. Like I said, I was already thinking about not going. I’ll just tell Foggy I’m coming down with something. He’s a huge germaphobe.” 

Frank’s clutching the phone so hard to his ear that his fingers are starting to ache. “If you’re sure—”

“More than sure. What did you have in mind?” 

.

He shows up at Karen’s place a little after eight. He feels more than a little conspicuous walking down the length of her hallway—what if her suspicious neighbor is home?—but all of that dissolves as soon as Karen opens her door. 

“Any luck?” she says.

He hefts a brown paper sack. “That Thai place on 7th was open. I also brought booze.” 

“In that case—” Karen swings the door wide, smiling.

Her apartment is exactly the same. Maybe a bit more lived in, but that’s good. He pictures his own place, sparsely furnished but functional, and wonders what Karen would think of it. 

“Bottle opener’s on the counter,” she says, closing the door shut behind him and moving towards the kitchen. She says it so casually, like this isn’t only the second time he’s ever been in her apartment. It stirs something up in his gut.

He opens the beers while Karen digs into the takeout bag. They settle onto her couch to eat, and she turns the TV on, flipping through the channels until she gets to the live broadcast of the ball drop. 

“I know it’s stupid,” she says, hitting the mute button, “but we always used to watch it when I was growing up. Just one of those family traditions I can’t seem to shake.” 

He’s not sure what to say to that. Even though he’s known her for a while, Frank still feels like he doesn’t really—know her. She knows his story, got down in the guts of it, everything that happened to him and his family. But he’s never asked her about hers. Not once. 

“Is your family in the city?” he asks, and instantly knows he’s said the wrong thing. Her face darkens, eyes darting to her hands.  

“No,” she says quietly. “My dad’s back in Vermont. That’s where I grew up. I came to New York after my brother died.” 

Frank feels the breath swoop from his lungs, like he’s been kicked in the chest. All this time—all this time he’s been dragging his ghosts around, leaning on her for support, unloading all of his shit onto her, and he never considered she might have ghosts of her own. He remembers standing by the water with her, the ache in her voice when she told him that life is just people fighting not to be alone. She hadn’t just been talking about him. 

Their conversation in the hospital echoes in his ears—What if there’s a better way, what if you and I figure it out together? You could choose to love someone else, instead of another war.

I don’t want that. 

For a second, just a second, Frank lets the shame wash over him like the tide, all-consuming. He lets himself drown in it. 

You know you messed up, Frank. What matters now is how you choose to fix it.

“Karen, hey—” he shifts so he’s facing her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”

“I never told you,” she says softly. 

“I never asked,” he corrects. 

“Frank—”

“No, Karen—” he sets his beer on the coffee table and gathers her hands in his. “You’ve been in my corner from the beginning, you’ve been there with me through—all of it. I was so wrapped up in my own shit, I never asked you about yours. I’m sorry.”

Karen squeezes his hands. “I appreciate that. But we were in each other’s corners, Frank. You saved my life—twice. That’s not nothing.”

“Still. I never asked.” 

She sighs. “What do you want to know? I can’t say my life story makes for very good holiday conversation—”

“Anything,” he says. “Or nothing, whatever you want. Either way, I’m here.”  

.

They eat their takeout, and Karen talks. She tells him what it was like growing up in Vermont, how easy everything was before her mom got sick, then the diner, and her dad losing himself in it. She talks about the first time she used, skipping class with her boyfriend at the time to do a line under the bleachers.  

There’s so much he wants to ask, but he lets her talk without interrupting. The picture she’s painting is helping to fill in some gaps, like puzzle pieces slotting together. He never doubted who she was at her core, strong and stubborn and unflinchingly fearless—now he knows why.

When she tells him about Kevin, her voice changes. He was an honor roll student, he taught himself to play guitar, he was the only one at the diner who could make the burgers taste like something other than cardboard—there’s sadness there beneath the surface, but it’s not bitter, not like when she spoke about her dad. All Frank can hear is a sister who misses her brother.  

They’re both on their third beer by the time Karen gets to the accident. 

“I was high,” she says, her voice flat. “And I’d been drinking. I flipped the car. I killed him.” 

Frank’s heart is in his throat. He wants to reach out and hold her, take all the hurt and anguish that’s radiating off her and ball it up tight, absorb it from her skin like blood from a wound. He’s not sure he trusts himself to speak, but he forces the words out anyways. “You were a kid, Karen.”

She blinks. “I killed him. God, Frank—” she sinks her fingers into her hair, hands bracketing her face. “I sometimes think I’ve come to terms with it, but I haven’t. Shit like that—you’re not supposed to come back from it. You’re supposed to live with it.” 

“Look, I get it,” he says. “I do. I’d rather live with the pain than work through it. Because I don’t deserve that, right? I don’t deserve to heal and move on. But—a friend told me recently that it’s not up to us to decide what we deserve. Life’s a shitstorm, yeah? Make a mess, clean it up—that’s all you can do.” He gives her arm a gentle squeeze. “It doesn’t define who you are, Karen. It doesn’t.”

Karen smiles sadly. “I’d like to believe that. I really would.” She stares at the TV for a few moments, the light from the screen flickering across her face. Then she shakes her head a little and turns to look at him. “So, that’s me. I’ve never really talked about all of that before. I mean, there are people who know bits and pieces, but—you’re the first to get the extended version. Thanks for listening, Frank.”

“Thanks for trusting me to,” he replies.

Karen’s mouth twists into a smirk. “Well, that got heavy. I’m sure this is exactly what you had in mind when you asked if I was free tonight.” 

The pressure in his chest eases a bit. “What, reliving trauma on a first date? Yeah, definitely. I know how to show a woman a good time.”

Karen quirks an eyebrow. “A date, huh?” 

Frank’s cheeks flush with a warmth that has nothing to do with his drink, but Karen just laughs. “I’m messing with you,” she says. “But technically, the coffee house was our first date.” 

Frank feels his mouth tilt into a smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Coffee, a public place, neither one of us was injured or bleeding—sounds like a date to me.” 

There’s something loosening up in his chest, something buoyant and warm. Yeah, maybe it’s the two and a half beers, but he doesn’t think so. This feels like something else. 

“Wait—” Karen’s eyes narrow, glancing at something above his head—the clock, he registers, as he follows her gaze. “Wow, it’s midnight already? How long have we been talking?”

He was thinking the same thing. It feels like he just got here.

Karen’s head swivels back to the TV—but the ball has already dropped. The camera is panning over the crowd, confetti and streamers and people wearing oversized 2020 glasses. “We missed it,” she says, but she doesn’t sound disappointed. “That’s okay, I have a better idea. Follow me.” 

She leads him up to her building’s roof. It’s chilly, but she’d snagged the blanket from her couch—she wraps it around her shoulders now, staring out at the city. The sound of cheap firecrackers being set off hits them from every direction, and Frank can see some kids waving sparklers in the street. 

“Hey,” he says, and Karen looks at him. “Sorry again for pulling you away from your friends tonight. Nelson, he’s—he’s a good guy. Underneath all that corporate lawyer bullshit, I mean. Seems like a good friend.”

“He is.” Karen angles towards him. “I’m happy here, though.”

“What, freezing your ass off?” 

She rolls her eyes, and Frank grins. He knows what she actually means. She’s not talking about not her apartment, or the rooftop. She’s talking about here, as in—the two of them, now. This exact moment in time. I’m happy here, with you.

They’ve moved even closer together—Karen’s arm brushes against his, and that simple touch enough to send sparks skittering up his spine. Her gaze softens, slips down to his mouth and then up again. She reaches out to rest a hand on his arm, lips curving like a new moon.

“Happy New Year, Frank,” she says, soft and low. She’s close enough for him to see the birthmark on her cheek, to feel her breath against his skin as she exhales. 

Frank is very aware of his own breathing, his heartbeat thundering under his ribs. Every nerve ending in his body aches to close the distance between them, and he wants to. Fuck, he wants to. But he’s also scared out of his goddamn mind. They’ve crossed a lot of lines together, but not this. Never this. As long as he’s known her, they’ve had snapshots, a slew of moments that never added up to anything, but now—

Now, there’s time. Frank wants to savor every second of it.

“Happy New Year,” he breathes. 

.

They make their way back to the stairwell that leads down to her building, hands threaded together. He feels every point of contact like his skin’s a live wire. They walk in comfortable silence, stealing furtive glances at each other—Frank’s amazed he makes it down the stairs without falling on his face. 

Karen hesitates when they reach her door. There’s a weight to her gaze that wasn’t there before, uncertainty tinged with hope. She opens her mouth to say something, but falters as Frank pulls her into a hug, his arms sliding around her waist. He dips his face into the crook of her shoulder, breathing her in. 

“Thanks, Karen,” he says. 

She cinches her arms around his shoulders, squeezing tight before letting him go. “See you soon?”

He bobs his head. “Night, Karen.”

He walks away down the hall, only daring to breathe when he hears the scrape of her door shutting behind him. The building is full of sound, music and people laughing and those cheap poppers going off, and then he’s outside. He lingers by the front doors, cranes his neck to look up at her apartment. Warm light glows behind her window, framing the flowers like a painting. 

It’s almost painful to pull his gaze away, but he does. He shoves his hands into his pockets and steps onto the sidewalk.

That’s when he hears it—a low whine. 

Frank freezes where he stands, tilting his head as he strains to listen. Fireworks crack a short distance away, and then there’s silence. He stays still for a moment. Then—

Another whine, coming from the alley next to Karen’s building. Frank peers down it. The length of the alleyway is tangled in light and shadow from the nearby streetlight, but if he squints he can just make out something huddled by the dumpster. He moves towards it.

It’s a dog. Its face is tucked under one paw, but at the sound of Frank’s footsteps, it lifts its head. 

Frank knows that face. It’s the dog, the one he followed on the day he’d seen Karen’s flowers. He recognizes the marking over its eye. 

“Hey, you,” he says, squatting. The dog doesn’t growl or make any effort to move away from him, which is how he knows something is wrong. He narrows his eyes, doing a swift visual inspection. The dog’s shaking like a leaf, whether from the cold or something else, he can’t tell. 

“Okay,” he says. “Okay, you’re not gonna like this, but I’m gonna check you out, yeah? It’s okay—” he reaches out slowly. The dog’s eyes flick nervously from his hand to his face, until he’s resting his palm flat against its flank. “Easy, easy. That’s a good dog.” 

He keeps his hand there for a second. The dog’s eyes never leave his face, and he feels something crack apart inside him. No half-measures, this time. He’s going to do whatever he has to do to make sure it gets out of this okay. 

Frank gives the dog a gentle pat, lifting his fingers lightly. Then he slides his hand over its back, down its sides and up towards the shoulders, checking for any sign of injury. Its fur is matted and dirty, but there aren’t any obvious wounds. Frank’s hand drops to the dog’s leg—and that’s when it nips at him, letting out a yelping bark. 

Frank doesn’t see any bones jutting out, so he’s reasonably sure nothing’s broken. He stretches his hand again towards the leg in question, and this time, the dog bares its teeth in a warning. 

So. Definitely injured. Maybe the bone is fractured, or there’s a torn ligament.

Frank considers his options. Even if it wasn’t a holiday, vet clinics aren’t open this late. There are emergency clinics, but he’d have to somehow get the dog into a cab, and transporting it when he doesn’t know the full extent of the injury might make things worse. 

Frank digs for his phone, and punches Karen’s number.

She picks up almost immediately. “Frank?”

“Hey,” he says, looking down at the dog. “I’m sorry to ask but—I need a favor.”

.

It only takes a few minutes after he hangs up. He’s working out how he’s going to lift the dog without making its pain worse when he hears the sound of a door swinging open behind him.

Karen’s half-jogging towards him, her hair trailing behind her in the thin breeze that’s kicked up. She crouches next to him, and he can see her brandishing a Milk-Bone in one hand. 

“Hey, girl,” she says fondly. The dog whimpers in response.

“You sure it’s the same one?” Frank asks, watching as she holds out the treat. The dog licks at her hand, then gingerly bites into the bone. 

Karen scratches the dog under its chin as it chews. “I’m sure. She has such distinct markings. I first saw her maybe half a week ago, right here in the alley. I called animal control, but I don’t think they ever came. Then I saw her again the same day we met for coffee.” 

Frank’s thoughts turn to the first time he’d met the dog, and what transpired afterwards. “Yeah?”

Karen pivots to look at him, hearing something in his tone of voice. “Why?”

“You’re not gonna believe this, but—the day I called you, when I saw the flowers—this dog showed up on my jogging route. I decided to follow it, see if I could maybe get it to a vet, and—it led me here. To your place.” 

Karen hums thoughtfully, rubbing the dog’s ears. “You are a lucky dog, huh?” She shifts on her feet. “Okay, we’d better get her upstairs.” 

It takes a few attempts, but Frank is finally able to slide his arms under the dog’s belly and lift it without jostling the injured leg too badly. Karen offers up treats as a distraction and talks gently to it the whole way up to her floor. They move as a unit, slow but steady. 

“I set up a bed here,” Karen says as soon as they’re in the apartment, gesturing to a hastily arranged nest of blankets and pillows by the couch. “It’s not ideal, but it’s the best I could do.” 

Frank meets her eyes. “That’ll work fine. Thanks, Karen.”

They work together to gingerly lower the dog onto the makeshift bed. It whimpers when its bad leg brushes against one of the pillows, but otherwise settles. It looks exhausted, casting a half-hearted glance around the room before dropping its head to its paw. 

“My first aid kit is pretty basic,” Karen says, moving into the kitchen. “There’s some bandages in there, though.”

“That’s perfect.” 

Karen returns with the supplies and a bowl of kibble. The dog licks at her fingers when she sets the bowl by its head. 

“She likes you,” Frank observes.

Karen shrugs. “The Milk-Bones helped.” 

“That’ll get you in the front door, but dogs can smell bullshit a mile away. They know when someone’s heart is good, yeah? This one—she knows.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m just glad we finally got her out of the cold.” Karen’s knuckles brush the dog’s nose. “Do you think anyone’s looking for her?”

Frank starts to unravel one of the bandages. “Hard to say. Figured we—I—could take her to a clinic tomorrow, see if she’s chipped. They’ll find a shelter for her if she isn’t.”

“I can go with you,” Karen says. “I mean—I’d like to go with you. I did see her first.” 

Frank huffs a laugh. “Deal.” 

Karen stabilizes the dog while Frank attends to its leg. It makes a rumbling noise in its throat when he gently runs a finger down the length of bone. There’s some slight inflammation around the elbow joint, but he doesn’t want to risk applying an ice compress when the dog is already hypothermic. He settles for wrapping the limb, and Karen helps him lift the leg so that it’s slightly elevated on one of the pillows.

“Think that’s about all we can do for now,” he says. “I can stay up with her for a bit if you want to get some sleep.”

Karen fixes him with a knowing stare. “You know what I’m going to say to that.”

Frank smirks. “Yeah, I know. Thought I’d try anyways.” 

They stay like that for a moment, and then Karen stands, tugging lightly at Frank’s arm to pull him up with her. “Since we’re in for a long night,” she says, “you want some coffee?” 

“You gonna put that sugary crap in it?”

Karen smiles, her teeth flashing. “Extra, just because you said that.” She turns towards the kitchen—

It’s a reflex. In one swift movement, he’s reaching out to stop her, fingers snagging on her sleeve as he pulls her in and presses his lips to hers. She makes a soft sound of surprise against his mouth, and for a second, he thinks she might pull away—but then her hands are cupping his face, sliding around the nape of his neck, and she’s kissing him back. The world slides out of focus, narrows like a scope until it’s just him and Karen and his hands at her waist and the press of their hips and her mouth moving softly against his. 

She pulls away first, breathless. “I was wondering when you were going to do that.” 

Frank tips his forehead to rest against hers. “Wanted to, earlier. I just—I don’t want to mess this up, Karen. Don’t want you thinking I’m here for some reason that I’m not—”

“Frank.” Her fingers are moving in slow circles at the base of his neck, tangling in the hair that’s curled there. He thinks he’ll never get tired of this—how gentle her voice sounds, the feeling of her hands on him. “I want you here. You get that, right? I want this.” 

His hand comes up, thumb dragging along the edge of Karen’s jaw. Lucky, she’d called the dog, but maybe luck has nothing to do with it. They’ve been in each other’s orbit ever since she crossed that red hospital tape. He thinks he knew, even then—

Wherever this woman is, that’s where he’s supposed to be.

“Okay,” he says, lips grazing hers. He feels her shudder, and warmth unspools in the pit of his stomach. 

“Okay,” she whispers back, and kisses him again.

[pakirfan1]

Female

[oldidhrenniel]

The Lies We Breath. | VI

➴ A/N: This chapter is from Bill's point of view.

➴ Pairing: B. Russo / Reader.

➴ Warnings: Language, mention of cheating, signs of depression. Explicit content in future chapters.

➴ Wordcount: 1212.

➴ Tagging: @lisssays

“... All was well,” Bill said, closing the book. He sighed, leaning back on his chair and turning his head to look at her. She was still asleep, she had been for two weeks. She’d wake up for no more than a minute, screaming as if the nightmares followed her from her dreams, and before he could comfort her she’d pass out, giving in to the pain again.

Not being able to help was frustrating but, at the same time he had done enough. She was in pain because of him, because of his choices. He knew the best thing he could do for her was to walk out of the hospital and never return to her life; but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, he couldn’t bring himself to live without her. Bill couldn’t stop being a selfish bastard.

He took her hand, it wasn’t cold but he still worried, it was as if something was forcing her to remain unconscious and cold, when her temperature raised she would start convulsing and it would drop once again. He feared it was her own subconscious wanting to die.

What could Bill do to bring her back? To make her want to live?

His hand moved to her face, caressing with his fingertips the skin. He trembled, weakened by the situation he wasn’t the cold soldier he used to be. Fear had taken over him, it haunted him in his dreams, hand in hand with the guilt that threatened to eat his insides.

“Wake up,” he pleaded. It must had been the tenth time he did so in the morning. Nothing felt enough, not if she didn’t wake up. “Come on, be mad enough to wake up and punish me.”

Nothing. Her still frame laid on the bed, her chest rising and falling with each breath she still took and that God knew for how long.

With a sigh, Bill let go of her hand and got up from the chair, the book he had been reading to her he left at her side, in case she woke up and wanted to read it. He knew she wouldn’t, but dreaming was one of the few things he was still free to do. Bill put on and straightened his coat, ran a hand through his hair. Posh routine, she had called it once. He let out a short, humourless laugh at the sound of her voice inside his head.

Bill walked up to the bed again, leaned in and kissed her forehead. “There’s someone I need to meet with, but it won’t take me long. I’ll be back before dark, that’s a promise.” In case that was still worth something for her, which he doubted for good.

As his lips left her skin, he felt burning. Bill had to control himself to not curl in a ball besides her and forget about the world around, but he couldn’t. He still had someone to see, plans to arrange, people to eliminate. He had to put an end to the war he had started to guarantee she would be safe in the near future. Bill never wanted it to reach that point, but if it did then there was nothing he could do against fate. It seemed, fighting was all he was.

Bill left the room, passing the nurse he had hired as he did so. “Make sure she’s alright and call me if something changes. No one but me goes into that room!”

Or so help them God.

Blood, lights, the stupid music he hated so much. Fate was laughing down at him as he tried to get to his car and leave the park. Frank was somewhere, with Madani. Bill was certain he had shot her in the head, but that tough bitch would survive just to piss him off, he knew. But it wasn’t what he worried about, nor Frank, he worried it was past dark and he had promised her he would be back at the hospital before it was night. Jeez, she was going to be upset.

He coughed up some blood and his ribs and face hurt like hell, but he managed to get into a car - which ended up not being his, and drive off Central Park. Would Frank follow him? No, he doubted it. Frank’s code didn’t allow him to leave Madani alone to die, even if it was to get revenge. He’d be safe to go to the hospital, he wouldn’t put her in danger.

But he had to leave. As long as he remained in New York he’d be a target, and after shooting Madani and being exposed, his face would be in each channel in the morning. She’d never be safe with him. That, if she still wanted him.

On the radio no one was talking about him, but his fight with Frank was news. It was said an agent had been shot in the head and was in critical state, and that Frank had been taken as well. The two kids he had tied up to the horses were alright and had escaped but, they had seen his face and, if he survived the night he’d have to take care of them.

Most would believe he liked it, killing, but the truth was it was his surviving instinct kicking in. Bill had gone through a lot, the 90% of his life had been hell and chaos, all he ever wanted was for it to end and find some peace. So, when the colonel approached him with the drug offer, he saw his winning lottery ticket. He got a nice house, nice cars and nice suits. He got her clothes, flowers, diamonds. The life she deserved, the one he wanted to give her. It may be the reason he made the choices he made, but even so he was the one to blame. Whether he did it for her or for himself, he brought hell into their lives and as in that moment, he didn’t know how to get them out of there. Bill would burn, he would burn her too.

He carried himself into the hospital, declining the nurse’s help. Yes, he was bleeding to death and being patched up would’ve been a good idea, but a moment was all he wanted. Just one moment, he thought. To see her, tell her he had arrived and he didn’t mean to be that late. If he could have that then he’d go with the nurse and allowed her to treat him. Because she got all upset when he arrived late, Bill wanted to calm her down as he lost his mind. He went into the room, holding his sides. He had a few broken ribs, the cut on his face and some stab wounds that were burning him from inside out, but he still could walk - although not for long. And as he looked up from the ground, with sweat dripping down his face and a broken look on his bloodied face, his ears picked up the last sound he expected to hear.

“You’re late, Bill.”

He stared at her in surprise, happiness, when his brain shut off due the blood loss. But it was fine, wasn’t it? It was fine, because she was awake.

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The Real Housewives of Dubai cast revealed

The Real Housewives of Dubai cast revealed

Reality television network Bravo has announced the lineup for the first season of ‘The Real Housewives of Dubai.’ For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. The new show will follow the lives of Nina Ali, Chanel Ayan, Caroline Brooks, Sara al-Madani, Lesa Milan, and Caroline Stanbury, the network said on Friday. A spin-off of the original ‘Orange County’…

[ivisitlondon]

iVisit... Hayward Gallery to reopen and new events for Southbank Centre’s Inside Out series are announced

The Southbank Centre announces that the Hayward Gallery will reopen on 19 May, with two much-anticipated, solo exhibitions by Matthew Barney and Igshaan Adams.

The announcement comes as a new slate of events for Inside Out, an online season of music and literature are released. This next instalment of the popular digital series will see the Southbank Centre’s Resident Orchestras performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, marking the first time the much-loved venue has been open since it closed last March due to Covid-19.

The orchestras are joined by a roster of leading international artists, including conductors Ben Gernon, Enrique Mazzola, Fabien Gabel, Robin Ticciati, Rory MacDonald, Ryan Bancroft and Sir Mark Elder and soloists Alexandra Dariescu, Denis Kozhukhin, Paul Lewis, Pavel Kolesnikov and Steven Isserlis.

A further series of Inside Out events will be announced in the coming weeks. The Southbank Centre’s reopening plans will then be announced in due course, subject to government guidance.

Gillian Moore CBE, Director of Music and Performing Arts, Southbank Centre, says: “We’re making a very warm welcome back to our orchestral partners this Spring for our ongoing Inside Out series. It’s going to be wonderful to see them back in the Southbank Centre doing what they do best, performing much-loved music with world-class conductors and soloists. We know these events will continue to bring a little bit of light into our homes as we look forward to reopening our shared spaces later this year.”

HAYWARD GALLERY:

Matthew Barney: Redoubt

19 May – 25 July 2021

From 19 May through 25 July 2021 the Hayward Gallery presents Matthew Barney: Redoubt, an exhibition of the renowned artist and filmmaker’s latest body of work. The exhibition, the artist’s first major museum show in the UK in over a decade, presents a group of monumental sculptures, and more than forty engravings and electroplated copper plates. Also included is the UK premiere of Barney’s new eponymous film, a ‘breathtakingly beautiful’ chronicle that explores the complex relationships between humans, and the natural world. Set in the sublime wintry landscape of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountain range, the feature-length film intertwines themes of artistic creation in a contemporary reworking of the classical myth of Diana and Actaeon.

Redoubt presents a major new direction in Barney’s practice, and advances his notable shift in materials over the past decade, from the plastic and petroleum jelly of his earlier works to the cast metals that figured prominently in River of Fundament, 2014. With Redoubt, Barney combines traditional casting methods and new digital technologies in an unprecedented way to create artworks of formal and material complexity as well as narrative density. The four large-scale sculptures in the exhibition derive from trees harvested from a burned forest in the Sawtooth Mountains. Formed out of molten copper and brass, the unique casts incorporate enlarged militarised elements, giving the sculptures a hybridised aesthetic that is both imposing and intricate.

Matthew Barney: Redoubt was originally organised by the Yale University Art Gallery.

Igshaan Adams: Kicking Dust

19 May – 25 July 2021

In May 2021, the Hayward Gallery presents the first solo exhibition in the UK of South African artist Igshaan Adams (b. 1982). The 2018 winner of the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award, Igshaan Adams lives and works in Cape Town. The artist’s cross-disciplinary practice combines aspects of weaving, sculpture and installation whilst exploring concerns related to race, religion and sexuality.

The exhibition consists largely of new work produced during an artist residency Adams undertook at the A4 Foundation in Cape Town and on the occasion of the show. Presented as a single immersive environment with suspended sculptures, large-scale floor based weavings and tapestries hung on the wall, the installation responds to Hayward’s iconic Brutalist gallery space. Each work, and the exhibition as a whole, is composed of multiple patterns that explore the potential of woven material to reflect not only the multiplicities of Adams’ own identity but of broader cultural interchange.

RESIDENT ORCHESTRAS:

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and London Sinfonietta return to the Southbank Centre in March and April for streamed concerts featuring world-renowned conductors and soloists, as well as programming for young people. The events announced today will run to 28 April, with subsequent digital programming from 28 April onwards to be announced in due course. Tickets will be available to the general public from 2pm on Friday 5 March.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra presents six concerts filmed by Intersection (formerly Silent Studios) which will be available for audiences to watch for free on Marquee.tv from 24 March. The concerts will be streamed every Wednesday at 8pm from 24 March and will feature conductors Enrique Mazzola, Robin Ticciati and Sir Mark Elder, as well as soloists Steven Isserlis, Denis Kozhukhin and Alexandra Dariescu. Programme details for later concerts will soon be revealed but will include two of the Orchestra’s titled conductors Karina Canellakis and Vladimir Jurowski, who conducts his final concerts at the Royal Festival Hall before stepping into the Conductor Emeritus role.

Tickets will be free for the first seven days after broadcast and concerts will be captured before their premiere date.

The Philharmonia Orchestra presents two global streams to be presented on the orchestra’s own dedicated channel. On Thursday 25 March, the Philharmonia will be joined by conductor Ryan Bancroft and pianist Paul Lewis for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. On Thursday 1 April, Rory MacDonald will then lead the orchestra for a programme of Tchaikovsky and Sibelius, with Pavel Kolesnikov performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Tickets start at £10 and concerts will be captured before their premiere date.

The London Sinfonietta’s ‘Sound Out Online’ is the orchestra’s annual concert for children and young people and goes online for the first time to bring pupils closer to iconic contemporary music from the past century (22 March). As part of the orchestra’s Composition Challenges scheme, the concert features new works submitted by young people, as the London Sinfonietta continues to inspire a new generation of composers to get creative with classical music.

This event is free and will be streamed live on YouTube, exclusively for the Southbank Centre on Monday 22 March from 2 – 2.50pm. It is designed for Key Stage 2.

Previously announced online music and literature events as part of Inside Out include Skin (4 Mar), Black Country, New Road (6 Mar), London Contemporary Orchestra (19 Mar), Bell Orchestre (13 Mar), Hanif Abdurraquib (25 Mar), Out-Spoken (28 Mar), Kazuo and Naomi Ishiguro (5 Apr), Olivia Laing (30 Apr) and Jhumpa Lahiri (6 May). Tickets are onsale.

Elsewhere at the Southbank Centre:

WINTER LIGHT

Winter Light (extended until 28 March) is a free open-air exhibition that enlivens the site’s iconic buildings and the Riverside Walk with luminous, playful and thought-provoking artworks during the darkest months of the year. Featuring a range of leading international artists, Winter Light includes artworks, new commissions and a series of poems that make ingenious use of light, colour and animation whilst touching on diverse concerns.

At a time when we view so much of the world through digital screens, the artists in this exhibition celebrate how the medium of light can transform our physical spaces. Their artworks also explore ideas about nature, politics and society, gender, aesthetics and the act of looking. Winter Light includes artworks by artists including: Simeon Barclay, David Batchelor, James Clar, Shezad Dawood, Kota Ezawa, Navine G. Khan-Dossos, Suzie Larke, Tala Madani, Tatsuo Miyajima, Louiza Ntourou, Katie Paterson, Jini Reddy, Tavares Strachan, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Emma Talbot and Toby Ziegler.

IMAGINE A STORY

Coinciding with World Book Day, the Southbank Centre is inviting 40 primary schools to take part in this year’s creative writing project Imagine a Story, giving young children the chance to become published authors. Children’s author Zanib Mian and illustrator Selom Sunu are collaborating on the project, which is open to classes of Key Stage 2 children (years 3 – 6), with online applications closing Sunday 14 March.

In this project inspired by a ‘game of consequences’ each school group writes one segment of a creative story based on a framework devised by Zanib Mian (Planet Omar: Operation Kind – published for World Book Day 2021; Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission; Planet Omar: Unexpected Super Spy), the author of brilliant and diverse children’s fiction, who will inspire them to develop their collaborative work in classrooms to support their development and personal wellbeing.

These chapters will then be combined into a collection of short stories and professionally published by the Southbank Centre, with illustrations by Selom Sunu (Ghost; Patina; Sunny; Lu; Look Both Ways) Zanib Mian and Selom Sunu will read the final stories which will be live-streamed to participating primary school classrooms in July and each child will receive a copy of the published book.

In addition, the Southbank Centre’s nationwide participation programme, Art by Post has been shortlisted for "Award for the Best Larger Social Prescribing Project" as part of the Social Prescribing Network Awards. The ceremony is on 4 March with winners to be announced from 3.30 – 5pm.

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The Punisher Characters Sorted Into Hogwarts Houses | ScreenRant

Out of the entire body of Netflix's Marvel related work, The Punisher is likely both their darkest show and the show that is the most grounded in reality. All of the other Netflix MCU shows include some kind of magic or mysticism, but The Punisher seems to stick to the real world completely without ever addressing the more bizarre aspects of the MCU world.

RELATED: The Goonies Sorted Into Hogwarts Houses

So then, blending The Punisher's world together with something like the fantasy world of Harry Potter isn't necessarily the easiest mix. But considering the strange and magical things that have happened in the broader Marvel cinematic universe, it's not completely out of the realm of imagination that the characters of The Punisher could have wound up in something resembling the Harry Potter world. So if Frank Castle and the rest of his enemies and companions were sent off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for a top-notch magical education, which Hogwarts house would they have ended up in?

10 Lewis Wilson - Slytherin

Lewis Wilson is absolutely a skilled and dangerous soldier, but to be honest, he also has some delusions of grandeur and clearly sees himself as more important and more powerful than he truly is. He doesn't belong in Slytherin simply because he's one of the bad guys though. Slytherin is well known for it's elitist and exclusive attitude, and while Lewis does care a lot about the people he views as his contemporaries he clearly has zero regard for anyone who isn't a part of that little club. And Lewis is willing to do anything, however dangerous, to achieve his goals, which makes him very much a Slytherin.

9 John Pilgrim - Hufflepuff

There are very few people on earth who can step to someone like Frank Castle and even hold their own, let alone look like they might have an actual chance at victory. But John Pilgrim just so happens to be one of those people.

RELATED: Thor: 10 MCU Characters Sorted Into Hogwarts Houses

This mysterious character entered season two of The Punisher looking like the biggest and baddest villain on the block, but it turns out he was a lot like Frank and just willing to do whatever it took to save his own family. He's clearly a formidable warrior, however, his devotion to the ones he loves and doing his twisted version of the "right" thing makes him a great fit for Hufflepuff.

8 Krista Dumont - Slytherin

In theory, Dr. Krista Dumont was a psychotherapist helping trauma patients recover, but how effective of a therapist can you really be if you're a complete lunatic? Dumont excelled at creating an even-keeled facade to show the world, but her relationship with Billy and her total disregard for all of his destruction and heinous behavior just demonstrated how cold and self-centered she really was. Krista was undeniably a Slytherin through and through, and beneath the veneer of a kind and caring doctor was an incredibly twisted and cunning individual who seemed to have no regard for anything or anyone outside of her own desires.

7 Amy Bendix - Ravenclaw

Amy Bendix's naivete nearly cost her her life more than a few times during her time on the lam, but she's still one of the cleverest characters The Punisher has ever seen and undoubtedly would have been one of the brightest witches of her age if she had wound up at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Amy is definitely freakishly smart, resourceful, and seems to always find a way to land on her feet, but a Ravenclaw education undoubtedly would have made her life easier. Learning ways to channel all of her intelligence into something constructive would have been enormously beneficial for her.

6 Karen Page - Ravenclaw

Karen Page has been forced to adapt throughout most of her life in order to survive, and she hasn't really had anything to help her along with that aside from her own wits. She has repeatedly found herself thrust into the lives of some very dangerous people (whether or not they were villains or heroes) and while she couldn't match them in strength or resources she managed to survive or even best them by simply just outsmarting them.

RELATED: Muppets Sorted Into Their Hogwarts Houses

Karen is actually cunning enough to roll with the Slytherin crowd as well, but her commitment to doing what's best for everyone outweighs her commitment to doing what benefits her, so she's really a Ravenclaw at heart.

5 Dinah Madani - Gryffindor

Dinah Madani's intelligence and ambition would actually make her a great fit in either Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses, however, she is committed to doing what's right when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of things which is why she ultimately belongs in Gryffindor. Madani is brave to be sure, and honestly, her arrogance would probably fit right in with most other Gryffindors too. And while Madani does value doing the right thing over everything else, she does tend to lose sight of that sometimes unless she's forced into high stakes situations, so being in Gryffindor may have taught her to keep her eye on the prize.

4 Curtis Hoyle - Hufflepuff

Curtis Hoyle's intelligence and morality makes him an amazing soldier, and it would have made him an amazing student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry too. And while Curtis is an undeniably heroic man, he doesn't do what he does because he wants to play the hero or get a lot of attention and accolades.

RELATED: Twilight Characters Sorted Into Hogwarts Houses

His devotion to all things just and right are what make him the ideal Hufflepuff, and had he actually attended Hogwarts then he undoubtedly would have been one of the few students to bring a lot of attention and glory to the typically low key and humble house of Helga Hufflepuff.

3 David Lieberman - Ravenclaw

Micro has actually more than earned his spot in house Gryffindor if that is where he truly wanted to be, but his ability to literally outsmart the entire US government means that it would be kind of absurd if he wound up anyplace besides house Ravenclaw. David Lieberman almost died because he was so set on doing the right thing (so he'd actually be a good fit for Hufflepuff too), but he managed to both think quickly on the fly to save his own life and figure out how to play the most amazing game of 3D chess the world has ever seen in order to keep himself alive in the long run.

2 Billy Russo - Slytherin

Billy Russo is a character who could probably fit into any Hogwarts house outside of Hufflepuff, but given his ultimate goals and motivations in life he really belongs in Slytherin. He's brave and he's clever to be sure, but he only uses those talents to further his own agenda.  And while there is a small part of Billy that cares for other things and other people, he would never let his affections for someone else prevent him from doing whatever he thinks is necessary to ensure his own success or survival, and he thinks he's pretty justified in doing so many awful things because his happiness matters more than anyone else's life.

1 Frank Castle - Gryffindor

If there has ever been any character on earth who had the brave heart of a Gryffindor lion, it's Frank Castle. If we're being honest, it would probably benefit Frank to have a bit of fear instilled into such an absolutely fearless man, however considering the fact that he has never been bested by anyone no matter how grim the odds looked it's actually pretty rational that he fears nothing and no one. Frank would not only fit right into Gryffindor because he's such an unstoppable badass, but a Gryffindor education would hopefully have been able to temper some of Frank's scarier and less self-preserving impulses.

NEXT: Animal Kingdom Characters Sorted Into Hogwarts Houses

source https://screenrant.com/punisher-characters-sorted-hogwarts-houses-harry-potter/

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