[ whenever charlie does in fact want to visit, frank will make his way down to jfk airport to pick him up. no cabs!!! he's got this, his giant monster truck looming in the parking lot. well, okay it's just a truck but it's a really big black truck with duly wheels. it's basically the truck you would expect if someone said 'picture frank castle as a truck.' so here they are. he's also refusing to let charlie carry any of his own things, bags slung over each arm and shoulder as he leads the way through and smoothly deposits the luggage into the bed. he lifts his eyebrows and goes around to the driver's seat to unlock it and tie the bags to the side so they aren't knocking around on the highway. he draws the line at opening charlie's door for him, though it was a near thing. ]
How was the flight? [ he asks, a bit of nervous energy pulling under his skin and causing his fingers to dance against the steering wheel as they both settle in and buckle up in preparation for the journey back into the city. ]
[ they make an odd pair, walking through the airport: charlie didn't think to dress particularly comfortably for the flight, so he is in his usual attire, dark blue chinos and a checkered button down under a sweater vest and a windbreaker, his hair brushed to one side. even from afar, he looks as posh as his accent sounds. frank, meanwhile, looks like a brick wall.
(charlie happens to think that frank is a very nice brick wall. not many brick walls have hugged him in his lifetime.) ]
I could carry my bags. [ he offers somewhere between airport and car, only to be shot down, and so he falls quiet and follows frank instead until they're settled in the car. he's a little wide-eyed - it's his first time outside of england, after all. it's been his first time in an airplane. his first time at an airport, too.
a lot of firsts. ]
It was fine, I think? The plane did not crash. [ #standards. ] And I am here now. [ he's - really amazed by that fact. and quite happy. ]
[ frank nods like these are valid points instead of fucking weird things to say. ] That was your first time flying, wasn't it? [ that's kind of adorable honestly!! ]
[ it's adorable until it becomes annoying, probably — even charlie's friends had found his questions, his lack of understanding tiring at times, pointless. he has been trying to use google a lot more instead of asking people. ]
Yes. It is very quick.
[ it's not entirely true: he has travelled through space before and that was much, much quicker — but he is trying to pass for human still, so he doesn't mention it. ]
[ frank nods as he eases the car onto the road, it's been a while since he flew too. years since he came back from afghanistan now, actually. ] Better than walking across the pond, right? [ a lame joke as is frank's wont, once you get to know the guy's humor anyway. ]
[ charlie has been in cars before. he has never driven one because he has no licence, but he has been in cars, so he stops being quite so wide-eyed after a little while, but he keeps throwing little glances at frank. like he can't quite believe that this is real.
that he's here. ]
I don't think anyone could. People cannot walk on water, can they? Except this Jesus fellow. [ he's heard about it on tv!! ]
Fuck if I know how it works. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those freaks could, though. [ 'freak' doesn't sound derogatory when it comes out of his mouth. like, it might be slightly impressed. like he could criticize anyone for using all the resources at their disposal. ]
[ oh wow charlie you really are out of touch. ] As far as I know, vampires are still fake, but what do I really know? I was overseas for most of this shit. There was an alien invasion and a bunch of people in pajamas fighting them off. Then our government thought it would be a great idea to just blow up Manhattan because blowing shit up is what Americans do best. [ like he would know that for damn sure. ] One of the guys, Ironman or whatever, flew the nuke into space and saved New York. And now people like them are just coming up out of the woodwork. [ it's kind of fascinating to watch honestly ]
[ but despite the words, there's no suspicion or disbelief in charlie's tone. of course he believes frank. not only does he consider frank good and trustworthy, his own life features aliens and a rift in time and space. he is an alien. they make tv shows about this sort of thing, too. ]
[ he snorts, nodding at the other man's assessment. his whole life is like that now, undead ninjas, some guy who got his powers from a dragon, whatever. it's not frank's place to judge. ]
Oh it did, with blow-by-blow replays of every minute. [ if frank doesn't seem the sort to believe what he hears, well. he believes what he can see and process with his own eyes. sometimes that isn't the whole truth, but he tries. ] Britain doesn't have any of those assholes, running around in their pj's, fighting bad guys?
Not as far as I know, no. Maybe they're doing it very secretly?
[ the same way he and his friends fight alien invasions very secretly. or fought. they aren't doing that anymore. he's not even sure they're friends anymore. not after what happened, not after what he did. charlie falls quiet at the thought, looking away, but it just means that he's looking out over new york as seen from the highway and that's — actually somewhat of a very welcome distraction. ]
Yeah, kid. Maybe. [ but frank doubts it. vigilantes aren't great at keeping secrets, imagine that. ] Anyway, what do you wanna do first? [ frank's prepared to take him to all the good places. empire state building, lady liberty, coney island, and even central park though he might strategically avoid the carousel for his own sake. ]
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doing tags from work a cautionary tale
i'll show you around if you do
i feel you on that
surprise thing!!!!
How was the flight? [ he asks, a bit of nervous energy pulling under his skin and causing his fingers to dance against the steering wheel as they both settle in and buckle up in preparation for the journey back into the city. ]
cries this is so good i love them so much
(charlie happens to think that frank is a very nice brick wall. not many brick walls have hugged him in his lifetime.) ]
I could carry my bags. [ he offers somewhere between airport and car, only to be shot down, and so he falls quiet and follows frank instead until they're settled in the car. he's a little wide-eyed - it's his first time outside of england, after all. it's been his first time in an airplane. his first time at an airport, too.
a lot of firsts. ]
It was fine, I think? The plane did not crash. [ #standards. ] And I am here now. [ he's - really amazed by that fact. and quite happy. ]
;; i'm so glad bc hard same
good ;;
Yes. It is very quick.
[ it's not entirely true: he has travelled through space before and that was much, much quicker — but he is trying to pass for human still, so he doesn't mention it. ]
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that he's here. ]
I don't think anyone could. People cannot walk on water, can they? Except this Jesus fellow. [ he's heard about it on tv!! ]
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People can actually walk on water?
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[ yes, he watches that show. everyone is very pretty. ]
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[ but despite the words, there's no suspicion or disbelief in charlie's tone. of course he believes frank. not only does he consider frank good and trustworthy, his own life features aliens and a rift in time and space. he is an alien. they make tv shows about this sort of thing, too. ]
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Oh it did, with blow-by-blow replays of every minute. [ if frank doesn't seem the sort to believe what he hears, well. he believes what he can see and process with his own eyes. sometimes that isn't the whole truth, but he tries. ] Britain doesn't have any of those assholes, running around in their pj's, fighting bad guys?
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[ the same way he and his friends fight alien invasions very secretly. or fought. they aren't doing that anymore. he's not even sure they're friends anymore. not after what happened, not after what he did. charlie falls quiet at the thought, looking away, but it just means that he's looking out over new york as seen from the highway and that's — actually somewhat of a very welcome distraction. ]
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