[ she laughs out her nose, but it sounds more like a scoff at his response. both things are equally acceptable with how she feels towards it. either way, from a man with little words she'll take it. ]
I can only assume with you sticking around that makes me somewhat enjoyable company. And my response to that would be you need better taste.
Yep. [ he turns a little to watch her order and get her drink, then his eyes are on her face again. ] You still haven't told me why you called me here.
[company, she says. but look at him. hell, look at her. even he's not that stupid. ]
No, asshole, the dude in the corner who's so drunk he's probably sitting in a pile of his own piss and vomit. Yes, you.
[ she turns, surprised to see her glass filled to the brim. at least someone was looking out for her. ]
Jesus... [ it's the only thing she whispers to herself before throwing her head back and taking a generous shot. thank god for alcohol. she wasn't drunk enough for this kind of sloppiness. ]
[ he glances at the man in question and thinks his face looks better than his right now but - whose doesn't, right? frank turns back to her, still confused, but maybe looking at her differently this time around. ]
I assumed you had something to ask me. About a case, or... I dunno, it's a small town.
[ hell's kitchen that is. jessica jones doesn't seem the gossiping type, but frank castle sure as fuck is. her reaction to the state of him makes more sense now, he probably couldn't even hold his intestines inside long enough to fuck her at this rate. give him a few weeks, he's terrifyingly resilient. ]
Sorry to waste your time. [ he takes a sip - what? he's at least going to finish his drink. ]
No, [ her head shakes once at an angle, sounding a little irritated at i all. ] I should have said something, I guess. [ asked for a picture? fuck, who knows. what a mess. ] I don't know.
[ she definitely feels a little dumb right now, and normally things like these don't bother her, but... man, when the hell did she start caring about what frank castle thought of her? ] If I'm being honest, I'm not used to these things not working out in my favor.
[ it probably came off overconfident, but that's the nice thing about jessica. it is what it is with her. ]
[ he laughs outright at that. he's not sure if it's the arrogance that strikes him or something else, but damn, that's funny. she's funny. he's enjoying this, he realizes a little too late, just spending time with her. ]
It's not like I'm not flattered. [ she's a good-looking woman, it's not like he's blind. just fucked up and super ultra bad at this. there's something else, too... jessica jones might just be the one person in this city who has nothing to lose. that he couldn't bring his own bullshit down on because she's already buried under her own. maybe that was the appeal for her when she called him? things are slowly clicking together in his mind and he gives a thoughtful hum as he turns towards the bar to place his second empty down and gesture for another. ] Since we're already here, may as well get a little shitty, right?
Ugh, don't. [ she stops him right there. that is the last thing she wants out of him right now, some kind of compensation or a comment that'll make her feel better. no, all she needs is a drink. ] Don't make this sound any more pathetic than it already is. I can handle rejection just fine, thanks.
[ she slumps forward, heading back for another drink. when she takes a glance at him, she begins to wonder if his face looked like that, how bad did the rest of him look? even if he was up to it, he probably... wouldn't really be up to it. especially with her, of all people. ]
We're pieces of shit. Other than ruin peoples day, what else are we supposed to do? [ other than strike out miserably, apparently. ]
[ people usually reject him not the other way around so he's just kind of... staring at her as he realizes that's exactly what happened. it would be really stupid to say he didn't mean it, but... well, no, he did. he's going to revisit it though, even if he doesn't tell her that. ]
See, that's the spirit.
[ he likes that, so he clinks his bottle against her glass again and takes a long sip. ok... now he's ready to say something about the actual topic at hand. well, maybe. (probably not.) ((frank shut the fuck up)) ]
So you thought... hey, the Punisher probably isn't doing anything important and he's kind of a loser so I'm gonna hit him up for...?
[ oh god, two and a half beers on no food and very little sleep is a recipe for disaster, he's laughing again, laughing so hard he has to wipe his eyes. this looks bad. he thinks it makes him out to be way more pathetic than her but he knows he's being an asshole. ]
Sorry, fuck— sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It just honestly didn't... [ even occur to him, because...? ] Kind of assumed you were outta my league, you know.
[ he still 100% thinks that btw. ]
thank you for giving me a reason to actually use my smile icon
Holy shit, shut up. [ she says through his laughter, desperately holding back her own as she watches him essentially call her out and lose his shit over it. she doesn't even have a valid argument against it because... well, fuck. it's true. they're both pretty undesirable as far as normal standards go. ]
I tell you not to try and make me feel better so, what... You decide if you can't be nice you're just going to be the biggest asshole? [ the corners of her mouth are fighting back a smile that her lips are naturally curving into from all of this. ] Go to hell, Frank.
[ when she laughs at him laughing, he loses it all over again. it feels like a victory, honestly, since she doesn't seem like the type to laugh too easily. if he can do that just by being an asshole, well. she'll be laughing a lot with him around. ]
That's kinda just the way I was made, you know, but... if it makes you feel better, I guess that's a bonus, right?
[ she looks... younger when she smiles. lighter, somehow. it makes something flutter behind his breastbone and he has to look away, his own grin lingering as he leans his head over the bar. ]
[ he's not the only one who's taking note of smiles. as silence falls between them, she can't help but notice how different and how... normal he looks. despite all the bruising and gashes, from this angle, the punisher seemed like such a misleading title for the man sitting in front of her. ]
[ possibly literal, you never know with the way things go for him usually. it takes a long time for his smile to fade even after a few more sips, but eventually he laces his hands against the counter to rest. ]
You're not workin' on anything interesting then...?
[ probably bad business to tell him anything, he realizes, but he's still a nosy dick-for-brains at the end of the day. ]
I'm assuming you've never heard of client confidentiality?
[ she realizes that's a rhetorical question with him, and also that she doesn't really give a shit, anyway. ]
No, nothing interesting. People live sad and boring lives. Most of the cases I get are cheating cases, so... I basically watch people fuck for a living.
[ a case is a case, but if she never had to spy on someone sleeping with someone else, she wouldn't be sad about it.
she looks over at him, thinking he probably has more interesting stories than anything she's ever worked on. between being in the military and being the punisher, he's probably loaded with them. hell, his face was a perfect example of that, but she tried going there and he wasn't having it, so she wasn't about to continue to pry. if anyone knew what it felt like to deal with your demons and walk away from it, it was her. she images he just wants to forget, move on. like she did. ]
[ doesn't mean he abides by it, or any other hard and fast rule not set about by well, himself. so yeah: 100% rhetorical despite his answer. her follow-up gets a loud laugh and a gentle shake of his battered head. ]
I guess you, uh, must see some pretty freaky shit. [ shit guys won't do with their wives, right? lieutenant vanilla over here wouldn't fucking know okay. he resumes drinking, a short sip as he turns to bottle in his hand. ] My job can get like that too.
[ he means boring. though occasionally... whatever. ]
Stakeouts are the worst. [ especially for an impatient piece of shit like frank castle. ]
Sometimes. [ his response gets another small chuckle out of her. ] But just enough to get what I need. I try not to get more involved than I have to. Everyone has their own shit they're into and their reasons for doing it, myself included. [ she wiggles her glass at him. ] So I try not to judge... Too much. [ because lord knows she's not perfect. ]
For you? I can only imagine. Patience doesn't really seem like a trait you excel in. No offense. [ there's a break in the conversation that causes her to reflect on everything that was just said. she couldn't be the only one to see the correlation, right? ] You know, if you ever needed something like that done you can always call me. I might charge you extra for rejecting me, but the prices are still pretty competitive, all things considered.
[ that gets him another grin and glance in his direction. ]
[ frank, stop embarrassing yourself. he starts to look like he might take her up on her offer before she brings up the "rejection" again, and he has to laugh again. she's never letting this go, is she? ]
Man, you really know how to kick a guy when he's down.
Oh, "when he's down?" Please. [ she scoffs at him, wondering what sequence of events he just lived through. ] Tell me again, out of the two of us, who was the one who made a complete ass of themselves?
[ she takes another drink, and maybe it's the alcohol kicking in--okay, who are we kidding, it is the alcohol--she decides to poke a little fun at him. ]
You know, the more I think about it the more I think you probably couldn't handle me, anyway.
[ two completely different ones?? because he still absolutely believes it's him. and her statement only gets met with further incredulousness. ]
Pretty sure that's exactly what I said, yeah. [ it's a bit dull as he takes a swig, but the amusement is plainly there also. don't beat a guy up for knowing his limitations, lady. ]
No, no. [ she quickly snaps back at him, pointing a finger at--not in--his face. ] You said out of your league. Which is bullshit, by the way. We both know as far as society is concerned, we might as well be the same shit on the bottom of this city's boot.
[ her hand retracts back to it's position at her glass, sliding it close to her chest. ] From my angle, you're someone who likes it rugged and rough on the battlefield. But when you come home, you live a pretty low-key life. No real friends or relationships--because they just get in the way, and you're trouble, anyway. And then life throws you someone and you say, "Goddamn, I miss the simple life" and during that moment when you're inevitably fucking her and things feel normal you think to yourself--just for a split second--you're not the Punisher, you're just Frank Castle.
And me? Well,.. [ she begins, purposely adding in a pause for dramatic effect as she leans forward. ] I'm not normal, I could never have a normal life even if I wanted to, and I don't want that kind of passion. All that shit you leave out there on that battlefield? That's what I want. That's the kind of shit I give. I would break you, Castle.
[ she pulls back and looks down at the bar, a single finger tapping on the edge of it. another moment of silence falls between them, and she clears her throat to break it apart before speaking, not looking in his direction. ] Anyway, it's like I said, you couldn't handle me. I guess you did yourself a favor.
[ he tips his head to concede her point, finding his theory more-or-less confirmed for how she arrived at the conclusion she should fuck him of all people. he's not above a little analysis, so he doesn't mind that she does it, but then she keeps going. and it's almost... impressive? they've said, what? two goddamn words to each other and she thinks she knows everything there is to know, is that it?
frank sets down his beer and sits up, listening to her with his full body, expression impassive. she's practically shouting his name from where he's sitting, but no one even bats an eye. what a classy place. he has better things to worry about anyway. he can't figure out her goal here. does she want him to get pissed and leave, or maybe reneg on his supposed 'rejection.' he still doesn't feel like he was propositioned to a degree he could actually answer to, but that's him, right? old-fashioned. he misses the simple life. right. ]
You wanna hear something sad, Jones? I mean, really sad. [ she probably doesn't, but he's licking his busted lips and rearing back to tell her anyway. ] I don't. Miss it. That married life, that family life... I loved my family, of course I did, more than anything in this whole goddamn rotten world, but. I sucked at it. I was never there for my kids, because being a Marine? That would always come first. You think I look back on it with rose-tinted glasses, but the truth is? The real truth is this is who I am. This is who I always was.
[ he leans real close to her now, hand out on the counter to stabilize himself. It's just as bruised up as his face, if not more. ]
You think you could break me? I know you've got some knockoff Captain America shit going on, but I've been shot, stabbed, bitten, tortured. That's a Sunday afternoon to me. A goddamn stroll through the park. The Punisher is Frank Castle. One in the fucking same.
[ his eyes flash dangerously, he'd gone from prey to predator in an instant, but the real truth is... he really wants to kiss her right now. his gaze draws down to those full lips before he remembers himself, snapping back up. yeah, okay, he admits it: if anyone's in trouble here, it's him. ]
[ this must be the part where people are intimated by him, where they start to cower and regret whatever topic it was that brought him to this point... but not jessica. she sits there, silently, watching him with no real expression on her face. internally, she's feeling a little victorious because this kind of reaction? not necessarily something someone does unless she hit on something a little too close to home.
she will admit that bringing back memories of his family isn't really the string she intended to pull on, but that's always what it comes back to, doesn't it? whether or not she meant to bring them back to the surface, he still struggled with it. she can see it now, in his eyes, as he talks about them and all she can do is understand and sympathize internally for him, because she knows. she knows what it's like to lose an entire family, and that thought is always with you, and always will be for the rest of your life. it never really gets better, you just keep on living.
his captain america comment does get a small nasal laugh out of her before she quickly resumes her deadpan expression. frank has expert military training under his belt. she might have the strength to do it, but what good is it if you're not properly equipped with how to use it? there is no losing with the punisher, the only way you win is if he dies. he didn't need to tell her that, his face, his hands--his entire body did.
despite everything, she can't help but wonder how fucked up she is by being even more attracted to him now more than ever. she feels tension in the air and whether or not it's one sided, she holds herself back from grabbing him and pulling his lips into her. ]
I know. [ she responds coolly, her voice having no real emotion to back it up. ] Not so funny now when you think about it like that, is it? [ she lets that sit--linger there for a minute as she watches him intensely. ]
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I can only assume with you sticking around that makes me somewhat enjoyable company. And my response to that would be you need better taste.
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Right back atcha, Jones.
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[ her fingers motion for the bartender, inspired by his own throw back of his bottle. ]
But here we both are.
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[ company, she says. but look at him. hell, look at her. even he's not that stupid. ]
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Sex. Clearly.
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With me? [ probably a stupid question, but he's serious because huh? ]
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No, asshole, the dude in the corner who's so drunk he's probably sitting in a pile of his own piss and vomit. Yes, you.
[ she turns, surprised to see her glass filled to the brim. at least someone was looking out for her. ]
Jesus... [ it's the only thing she whispers to herself before throwing her head back and taking a generous shot. thank god for alcohol. she wasn't drunk enough for this kind of sloppiness. ]
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I assumed you had something to ask me. About a case, or... I dunno, it's a small town.
[ hell's kitchen that is. jessica jones doesn't seem the gossiping type, but frank castle sure as fuck is. her reaction to the state of him makes more sense now, he probably couldn't even hold his intestines inside long enough to fuck her at this rate. give him a few weeks, he's terrifyingly resilient. ]
Sorry to waste your time. [ he takes a sip - what? he's at least going to finish his drink. ]
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[ she definitely feels a little dumb right now, and normally things like these don't bother her, but... man, when the hell did she start caring about what frank castle thought of her? ] If I'm being honest, I'm not used to these things not working out in my favor.
[ it probably came off overconfident, but that's the nice thing about jessica. it is what it is with her. ]
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It's not like I'm not flattered. [ she's a good-looking woman, it's not like he's blind. just fucked up and super ultra bad at this. there's something else, too... jessica jones might just be the one person in this city who has nothing to lose. that he couldn't bring his own bullshit down on because she's already buried under her own. maybe that was the appeal for her when she called him? things are slowly clicking together in his mind and he gives a thoughtful hum as he turns towards the bar to place his second empty down and gesture for another. ] Since we're already here, may as well get a little shitty, right?
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[ she slumps forward, heading back for another drink. when she takes a glance at him, she begins to wonder if his face looked like that, how bad did the rest of him look? even if he was up to it, he probably... wouldn't really be up to it. especially with her, of all people. ]
We're pieces of shit. Other than ruin peoples day, what else are we supposed to do? [ other than strike out miserably, apparently. ]
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See, that's the spirit.
[ he likes that, so he clinks his bottle against her glass again and takes a long sip. ok... now he's ready to say something about the actual topic at hand. well, maybe. (probably not.) ((frank shut the fuck up)) ]
So you thought... hey, the Punisher probably isn't doing anything important and he's kind of a loser so I'm gonna hit him up for...?
[ oh god, two and a half beers on no food and very little sleep is a recipe for disaster, he's laughing again, laughing so hard he has to wipe his eyes. this looks bad. he thinks it makes him out to be way more pathetic than her but he knows he's being an asshole. ]
Sorry, fuck— sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It just honestly didn't... [ even occur to him, because...? ] Kind of assumed you were outta my league, you know.
[ he still 100% thinks that btw. ]
thank you for giving me a reason to actually use my smile icon
I tell you not to try and make me feel better so, what... You decide if you can't be nice you're just going to be the biggest asshole? [ the corners of her mouth are fighting back a smile that her lips are naturally curving into from all of this. ] Go to hell, Frank.
yes good yw
That's kinda just the way I was made, you know, but... if it makes you feel better, I guess that's a bonus, right?
[ she looks... younger when she smiles. lighter, somehow. it makes something flutter behind his breastbone and he has to look away, his own grin lingering as he leans his head over the bar. ]
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I don't know. Sounds like I dodged a bullet.
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[ possibly literal, you never know with the way things go for him usually. it takes a long time for his smile to fade even after a few more sips, but eventually he laces his hands against the counter to rest. ]
You're not workin' on anything interesting then...?
[ probably bad business to tell him anything, he realizes, but he's still a nosy dick-for-brains at the end of the day. ]
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[ she realizes that's a rhetorical question with him, and also that she doesn't really give a shit, anyway. ]
No, nothing interesting. People live sad and boring lives. Most of the cases I get are cheating cases, so... I basically watch people fuck for a living.
[ a case is a case, but if she never had to spy on someone sleeping with someone else, she wouldn't be sad about it.
she looks over at him, thinking he probably has more interesting stories than anything she's ever worked on. between being in the military and being the punisher, he's probably loaded with them. hell, his face was a perfect example of that, but she tried going there and he wasn't having it, so she wasn't about to continue to pry. if anyone knew what it felt like to deal with your demons and walk away from it, it was her. she images he just wants to forget, move on. like she did. ]
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[ doesn't mean he abides by it, or any other hard and fast rule not set about by well, himself. so yeah: 100% rhetorical despite his answer. her follow-up gets a loud laugh and a gentle shake of his battered head. ]
I guess you, uh, must see some pretty freaky shit. [ shit guys won't do with their wives, right? lieutenant vanilla over here wouldn't fucking know okay. he resumes drinking, a short sip as he turns to bottle in his hand. ] My job can get like that too.
[ he means boring. though occasionally... whatever. ]
Stakeouts are the worst. [ especially for an impatient piece of shit like frank castle. ]
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For you? I can only imagine. Patience doesn't really seem like a trait you excel in. No offense. [ there's a break in the conversation that causes her to reflect on everything that was just said. she couldn't be the only one to see the correlation, right? ] You know, if you ever needed something like that done you can always call me. I might charge you extra for rejecting me, but the prices are still pretty competitive, all things considered.
[ that gets him another grin and glance in his direction. ]
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[ frank, stop embarrassing yourself. he starts to look like he might take her up on her offer before she brings up the "rejection" again, and he has to laugh again. she's never letting this go, is she? ]
Man, you really know how to kick a guy when he's down.
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[ she takes another drink, and maybe it's the alcohol kicking in--okay, who are we kidding, it is the alcohol--she decides to poke a little fun at him. ]
You know, the more I think about it the more I think you probably couldn't handle me, anyway.
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Pretty sure that's exactly what I said, yeah. [ it's a bit dull as he takes a swig, but the amusement is plainly there also. don't beat a guy up for knowing his limitations, lady. ]
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[ her hand retracts back to it's position at her glass, sliding it close to her chest. ] From my angle, you're someone who likes it rugged and rough on the battlefield. But when you come home, you live a pretty low-key life. No real friends or relationships--because they just get in the way, and you're trouble, anyway. And then life throws you someone and you say, "Goddamn, I miss the simple life" and during that moment when you're inevitably fucking her and things feel normal you think to yourself--just for a split second--you're not the Punisher, you're just Frank Castle.
And me? Well,.. [ she begins, purposely adding in a pause for dramatic effect as she leans forward. ] I'm not normal, I could never have a normal life even if I wanted to, and I don't want that kind of passion. All that shit you leave out there on that battlefield? That's what I want. That's the kind of shit I give. I would break you, Castle.
[ she pulls back and looks down at the bar, a single finger tapping on the edge of it. another moment of silence falls between them, and she clears her throat to break it apart before speaking, not looking in his direction. ] Anyway, it's like I said, you couldn't handle me. I guess you did yourself a favor.
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frank sets down his beer and sits up, listening to her with his full body, expression impassive. she's practically shouting his name from where he's sitting, but no one even bats an eye. what a classy place. he has better things to worry about anyway. he can't figure out her goal here. does she want him to get pissed and leave, or maybe reneg on his supposed 'rejection.' he still doesn't feel like he was propositioned to a degree he could actually answer to, but that's him, right? old-fashioned. he misses the simple life. right. ]
You wanna hear something sad, Jones? I mean, really sad. [ she probably doesn't, but he's licking his busted lips and rearing back to tell her anyway. ] I don't. Miss it. That married life, that family life... I loved my family, of course I did, more than anything in this whole goddamn rotten world, but. I sucked at it. I was never there for my kids, because being a Marine? That would always come first. You think I look back on it with rose-tinted glasses, but the truth is? The real truth is this is who I am. This is who I always was.
[ he leans real close to her now, hand out on the counter to stabilize himself. It's just as bruised up as his face, if not more. ]
You think you could break me? I know you've got some knockoff Captain America shit going on, but I've been shot, stabbed, bitten, tortured. That's a Sunday afternoon to me. A goddamn stroll through the park. The Punisher is Frank Castle. One in the fucking same.
[ his eyes flash dangerously, he'd gone from prey to predator in an instant, but the real truth is... he really wants to kiss her right now. his gaze draws down to those full lips before he remembers himself, snapping back up. yeah, okay, he admits it: if anyone's in trouble here, it's him. ]
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she will admit that bringing back memories of his family isn't really the string she intended to pull on, but that's always what it comes back to, doesn't it? whether or not she meant to bring them back to the surface, he still struggled with it. she can see it now, in his eyes, as he talks about them and all she can do is understand and sympathize internally for him, because she knows. she knows what it's like to lose an entire family, and that thought is always with you, and always will be for the rest of your life. it never really gets better, you just keep on living.
his captain america comment does get a small nasal laugh out of her before she quickly resumes her deadpan expression. frank has expert military training under his belt. she might have the strength to do it, but what good is it if you're not properly equipped with how to use it? there is no losing with the punisher, the only way you win is if he dies. he didn't need to tell her that, his face, his hands--his entire body did.
despite everything, she can't help but wonder how fucked up she is by being even more attracted to him now more than ever. she feels tension in the air and whether or not it's one sided, she holds herself back from grabbing him and pulling his lips into her. ]
I know. [ she responds coolly, her voice having no real emotion to back it up. ] Not so funny now when you think about it like that, is it? [ she lets that sit--linger there for a minute as she watches him intensely. ]
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2/2
boo 0/10
<3 he's enjoying this sorry jessica messica
that is the absolute cutest name and i am here for it
it's her legal name ok
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