inbox.

[felledrook]

text. video. action.
let's give 'em somethin' to talk about.

Comments

[spktr]

[It's probably been a couple weeks since they've spoken, and when Marc finally does reach out, it's with a frustratingly simple text message at around 1:00 in the morning on a random Thursday:]

Hey.

[felledrook]

[ It really just takes one word to ruin a good time, huh? Frank isn't sure what to expect.
Marc is left on read for about, oh... fifteen minutes. ]

Can't sleep?

[spktr]

[Scared, Frank?]

Sort of.
Didn't see you out on the streets, been wondering where you are.

[felledrook]

[ Listen, that's one word for it. ]

Sounds like you miss me.
Recon work is still work.

So is walking my dogs and pretending like I have days off.

[spktr]

I was on vacation a while, not sure what's going on.

[as in, Steven was fronting pretty much 24/7 for a little while.]

You ever thought of taking one, even for a weekend?

[felledrook]

[ That leaves Marc on read for a few minutes again, but at least Frank has a better excuse. Still, he's not sure if this is about to be a threat or an offer or a lecture.

Also, "vacation"? He could swear he saw Steven the other day. ]

Sorry, had to bring dogs back in.
But no. Not a vacation guy. If I have days off I'm just at home anyway?

[spktr]

Right.

[It's his turn to not respond for a few minutes, mainly because he's trying to think of what he's actually trying to say, why he reached out at all. He ends up just biting the bullet and saying it anyway, frustrated with himself, because it's like pulling teeth:]

Thanks for taking care of Steven.
Looking out for him.
Whatever.

[felledrook]

[ Hm. That could have been worse. Way worse. All things considering. ]

"Whatever" me all you want, you know I don't do it as a favor.
I do it because I care about Steven...

You know that even if it's like chewing glass.

[spktr]

Yeah, I know.

[and he is still coming to terms with that: the fact that Frank genuinely cares, and vice versa.]

I'm trying to be nice here.

[felledrook]

I know. I know, sorry.
Wish you'd say that to my face though. You feel like a damn stranger.

You know how weird that is to say?

[spktr]

Yeah
I've kinda been mia dealing with some shit.
I though you liked having Steven all to yourself.

[felledrook]

Sure, but you're still my friend.
I've been keeping him safe.

You okay though? You've literally been stuck in your head.

[spktr]

I'm better now. I won't lie, hasn't happened for that long in a while though.

Just want to get back to normal.

[felledrook]

Steven was kinda worried but...
Yanno, only so much can be done out here.

Define "normal" amirite?

Okay, jokes aside.
Marc. You need anything??

[spktr]

I owe him one. You too. Drinks on me next time.

I don't know
kind of feel the need to punch something.
You got any leads you need an extra set of hands with?

[felledrook]

Hmm. Pretty sure you owe me a few punches?

Yanno, for sleeping around with your alter. Right?

[ Oh yeah. That's bait. ]

[spktr]

[Strangely enough, for once, that doesn't piss him off as much as it used to. He definitely plays up to the bait though because it feels better that way.]

And when I was being so nice to you...

It's not as much fun when you're expecting it.

[felledrook]

Yeah, maybe not. But the offer still stands. I can always get dressed for patrol.

Lemme ping and we can meet up.
Maybe... fill me in on how you can go "MIA" in your brain.

[spktr]

Definitely getting a few in the moment I see you.
But you better not make it easy for me.

Maybe. We'll see how things go.

[felledrook]

I'm looking forward to it! No new moves from this old man but I'll still drop you like a bag of rocks.

📍Radio scanner is quiet. No one around the park.

[spktr]

I can be there in 10.

[felledrook]

[ He tucks his phone back into his coat and stretches his legs out again. Frank folds his body back against the door of the car and stares up at the moon. It's been a point of focus lately. Maybe it won't give him the answers to fix all this shit but it quiets the noise in his head. And damn, if he didn't smoked before, he's been thinking about it lately...

The park is quiet, too quiet. That kinda deal. The quiet that doesn't stir paranoia in people in a positions of authority, but Punisher? Moon Knight? Maybe Hood if he hadn't gone nuts eight years ago and tried to take on the Avengers. Eh, it happens.

Frank takes out his phone again to checks the time. He adjusts the holster at his hip. ]

C'mon, Marc. You fuckin'...

[spktr]

[Marc isn't certain what compelled him to reach out to Frank tonight of all nights, but a part of him feels like he owes it to him to get shit squared out. Disappearing like that isn't new to Marc but it's probably not something the other is accustomed to, and he did look out for Steven that whole time while his alter fronted, probably confused and worried that Marc wasn't talking to him. He's definitely no saint.

He catches sight of Frank from above, his car standing out in the middle of the night. The park isn't the safest place this late at night but neither of them really worry about that sort of thing. They're probably the most dangerous people here. He contemplates turning tail and leaving but there's no point in delaying the inevitable.

Marc seems to glide down from seemingly nowhere, touching down beside Frank's car in a swift motion, an unnatural gust of wind following him. He thought he would want to attack on sight but instead he keeps a measured distance, staring, before his hood disappears to expose just his head to the night.]

Hey. [God. He's terrible at conversation.]

[felledrook]

[ It's definitely been a while since he's seen that white suit up close and personal, the damn cape possible of eclipsing the actual moon. Frank tilts his head and sighs. Right now, he's expecting the worst and has his body braced for it. Marc Spector has a lot of feelings and emotions he refusing to tap into it and one of them, being anger, is the only thing Frank wants to have bouncing off of him tonight.

Everything else they can work out from afar or through Steven. That being said, the absence of Marc in any form seemed to shake him up. Hard to be angry and want to cause physical harm to a body he knows so well. One he... protects. ]

Man of few words, as always. Marc.

[spktr]

You're one to talk.

[Is this how sort-of-friends say hello? It is when it comes to them. Frank is someone that Marc has fought against when it comes to friendship for a long time, and he still doesn't know why the man ever wanted to get to know Marc better in the first place, but now they've obviously reached a point of no return. Marc hasn't needed to be around consciously to know what's been going on, and maybe his complicated feelings on the matter are partially to blame for his disappearance.

God, the mere fact that Frank can piss him off that much pisses him off even more. There's a lingering nagging feeling in the back of his mind though, like those emotions aren't entirely his own.]

We're really doing this here in the middle of the park? [Whatever this is. His hands are naturally balled into fists but it's clear by his expression that Marc is hesitating, like a part of him doesn't want to punch the face standing feet before him, and God damn it, it's frustrating.]