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There was something about the girl living in the apartment next to his that always caught Frank’s eye. How she always kept to herself, never looked anyone in the eye, always hunched down and silent. Whenever he caught sight of her, he tried not to bother her, she seemed scared enough, but he was curious about her.
One time, he caught her looking at him. He caught it from the corner of his eye, and she immediately averted her gaze when he turned to look at her. He couldn’t stop himself from the smile that crept its way to his face as she hurriedly unlocked the door and went inside her apartment. This wasn’t the last time they’d interact like this. It wasn’t common for it to happen, but it did, and he always found it endearing. Until one day, when Frank got home from work, he didn’t see her.
He heard a commotion coming from her apartment. Things being thrown around, shouting, a glass shattering. A man’s voice. Her crying. Frank dropped his bag and immediately knocked on her door. He knocked again when the shouting kept going. He was about to knock again when the door opened, revealing a man. He was tall, about Frank’s height. Brown shaggy hair and angry, crazy blue eyes.
“The fuck you want?” The man asked.
“Is there a problem here?”
Frank never took his eyes from the man’s, until he heard a small whimper. He tore his eyes from the man to see the girl curled up at the corner of the room. She was covering her head and trembling a lot. When she looked up at him, he could see the fear in her eyes, tears running down her face.
“Who the fuck are you? You fucking her? Are you- is he your new boyfriend? Huh?” The man turned from him to her, making her cower in fear. “You’re fucking him, aren’t ya? You fucking slut!”
Just as the man was about to land a punch on the girl’s face, Frank’s voice sounded loud and clear above her scream.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
The man stopped mid-way, the girl covering her face in her arms.
“… The fuck does that mean?”
“Ah, I don’t know. Something about shitheads beating their girl…” He started, shrugging, hands in his jacket pockets. “Guess it just rubs me the wrong way.” He lowered his gaze down to her, his voice lowering down to a grave tone. “But if you want to keep both of those arms in your sockets, you’ll get out, right now.”
The guy just stared at Frank and, after a few seconds, turned back around and went to punch the girl again.
Frank took a step forward and grabbed the man’s hand, pulled him back to him and punched him in the face, twisting his arm behind his back.
“The fuck is your problem, man?!” The man cried out.
“Didn’t I say I would break your arms if you didn’t get out?” Frank said calmly, “You touch her again, I swear I’m breaking both your arms. Got it?”
“Fuck you!” The man shouted. Frank pull harder on the arm, causing the man to scream.
“Do you understand?” Frank said a bit louder.
“Okay, I won’t touch her again!”
“I don’t want to ever see you in this building again.” Frank pulled again.
“Okay man! Fucking let me go!”
Frank let go, making the man fall face first to the floor. He slowly stood up and rubbed his shoulder, sending one last look at the girl, who was watching everything with wide eyes.
The man spit and turned to look at Frank, who had a stone cold look on his face.
“She’s not that good of a fuck, anyway.”
He slammed the door behind him.
There was an uncomfortable silence left. The girl was still shaking as she stared behind Frank, at the door. He looked around him, assessing the damage that fucker made. There was glass on the floor, the dining table flipped on the floor, chairs as well.
“Is there…” He started, making her eyes lock on him. “Is there somewhere you could go to? Somewhere he doesn’t know about?”
She slowly shook her head, letting him know her answer to his question, making Frank sigh. He ran his hand through this hair and down his face, slightly pulling on his beard on its way down.
“I… Thank you. For getting him out.” She said with a small voice. He turned to look at her again, noticing that the fear in her eyes was slowly fading away.
“If you need anything, or if he comes back, you know where to find me.” He said, not waiting for her to respond. He turned around and left her apartment.
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A couple of days later, Frank noticed that his neighbor was smiling a bit more. She didn’t seem hunched or scared anymore. She still couldn’t see people in the eye, but he felt her less… closed off.
“Good evening, Pete.” He heard, seeing her about to open the door to her apartment, a bag of takeout in her hand. He nodded at her, turning again to open his door.
“Hey,” she said. “I um, I’d like to thank you for what you did the other day.” She looked down at the bag in her hand. “I… I bought some Chinese food if you’d like. You don’t have to join me if you don’t want to, but I brought you some if you’d like.” She said a tiny smile on her lips.
He kept looking at her, he didn’t know why. He wanted to refuse her invitation, he did. But there was something about her that pulled him in.
“Thank you, Cassandra. I.. I can’t join you, but thanks for the food.”
Her tiny smile faltered a bit, but she put it back in place. “It’s okay, you’re busy, I get it.” She took a box out of the bag. “Here, I hope you like it.”
Frank took the box from her hand, and they both entered their respective apartments.
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That wasn’t the last time they saw each other. Every evening, they’d meet outside their doors, and chat a bit. This, against Frank’s common sense, created a friendship he didn’t know he needed.
He liked Cassie. He wanted to protect her. Her douchebag of an ex-boyfriend never came back, but he was ready for it.
Their evening chats transformed into having dinner together once a week, then they were twice a week, then every day if they were both available. Frank realized he was happy for the first time in a while since his family was murdered. He smiled more, he laughed, and it all happened because of the little woman that lived next door.
And she changed, too. She no longer looked scared or had to check every single corner she turned. She smiled more and, she was surprised to say, she felt safe with this big gruff man.
One night, they stayed too long chatting in her apartment, they both fell asleep on her couch. Her head on his shoulder, his arm around her shoulders, everything was peaceful.
Until he woke up in a flash, gasping for air and screaming. Her eyes were open wide when she felt him jerk up, scared someone had broken in.
He calmed himself down, breathing heavily and deeply.
“Pete? Are you okay?” He turned fast to look at her, momentarily forgetting where he was. He stood up, got his shoes, and stomped towards the door, opening it and leaving.
Cassie stayed on the couch, shocked and not knowing what had just happened. Did she do something wrong? She decided that she’d talk to Pete later on, letting him have some space and time to get himself together.
It wasn’t until two weeks later when she finally found him outside his apartment. He had been avoiding her like the plague, and she didn’t understand why. She really liked him, she felt like she could have a second chance at a relationship with him, so what happened?
“Did I do something wrong, Pete?”
Frank looked down at his boots, not being able to look her in the eye.
He took a deep breath and opened the door, signaling for her to get inside.
“There’s something you should know.”
He sat down next to her on his couch and told her everything. About his time as a Marine, the murder of his family, and… his time as the Punisher.
She stayed quiet for a while. That was a lot of information to take it. But her eyes never left him. She stared at him throughout the whole explanation, and he were on his hands.
“Pete - I mean Frank… I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
He didn’t look at her, but then she did something he never thought she’d do. She placed her hand over his and squeezed it.
“We’re quite the pair, huh?” She joked, making him laugh a bit.
“A pair of broken people.” He said, holding her hand in his.
“Life messes us up in so many ways, messes all of us right the hell up.” She started, lacing her fingers with his. “But we can either move on and try to make out the best of it or let life make us it’s bitch.”
Frank turned to look at her, finally. And when he did, she had tears in her eyes, but there was a big smile on her face. He couldn’t help but smile, too, and leaned in, resting his forehead against hers, both closing their eyes.
“Let’s make life our bitch, then.” He whispered, opening his eyes and looking straight at her.
She smiled more, giggling at his comment, and nodded.