Work Text:
The Tea vs Coffee Debate
The debate with tea vs coffee was always a hot topic among friends and family. If you knew Frank Castle, you knew the man was picking coffee all day long. Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if the bitter drink made up part of his bloodstream. But people that knew you knew well enough that you were a tea person. You liked tea so much, you had at LEAST five types that you kept in constant rotation.
Frank didn’t know this, that is, until he spent the night for the first time. You’d only been together for a few weeks, and his apartment was more safe for him so you typically stayed there. But he needed you, so he came to your apartment one night out of the blue.
After some shenanigans in the bedroom Frank went into your kitchen in hot pursuit of his favorite beverage.
You smirked as you leaned in the bedroom doorway, dressed only in one of his shirts and your underwear, watching him ransack your kitchen. You weren’t complaining, the view of a boxer-wearing Frank searching for coffee was a good one.
Frank turned around as he heard you giggle from the doorway
“What the hell is this? Full kitchen and there’s not a speck of coffee in sight. No beans, no filters, I mean for fucks sake you don’t even have a maker.”
“And? If you look in the cupboard above the microwave you’ll see why”
Frank reached for the cupboard door, revealing a tea kettle, various boxes of tea bags, and your favorite mugs.
“You’re shitting me right?”
“Nope”
“Ya know this is a serious issue we got here.”
”Oh yeah? What’re you gonna do about it?”
Frank chuckled, and walked toward you.
“First,” he said as he picked you up bridal style, “We’re gonna finish what we started earlier, second, I’m buying you a coffee machine”
“Over my dead body,” you joke.
“Oh we’ll see about that,” he says as he kisses you passionately, carrying you into the bedroom and closing the door behind him.
~~~~~
It had been a few weeks since that day. Frank got wrapped up in some mob business again, so he began keeping his distance. You weren’t happy of course, but he promised you he’d come back.
You had a long day at work, and even though a night at Josie’s with Matt and Karen made it better, you still longed for Frank. How he’d sweep you up into his arms, massage every sore muscle in your body, and whisper how much you meant to him in your ear as you fell asleep.
God you missed him. The hope of him being home lingered in your mind as you walked to your apartment door, unlocking the door with its familiar click.
The scent of vanilla and lemongrass wafted your senses as you stepped into the threshold. You walked into the kitchen to see where the scent had come from, and there he was.
Frank Castle was making tea in your kitchen, the kettle boiling water on the stove and an open box of your favorite tea next to him. He was beaten and bruised, there was definitely some blood on your tea kettle from where his hands were, but you didn’t care.
“Hey there baby, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he said as he pulled you in for a kiss.
“You’re one to talk, I was getting worried you know,” you say as you wipe his blood from his eyebrow “Let’s go get you cleaned up honey.”
“We gotta wait for the tea first, I gotta let it marinate.”
“Marinate? Frank, this is a tea bag, not steak. Tea bags have to steep,” you say with a small laugh.
A grin painted itself on Frank’s face.
“Well let me steep this tea bag, then I’ll let you clean me up.”
You kissed him again, the blood from his lip lingering on yours. “You want coffee baby? I bought some stuff for you when you’re over here,” you say as you walk towards the pantry.
“I haven’t been drinking coffee lately,” Frank said, grabbing your hand, “Being away from you was killing me, even the stuff you left at my house stopped smelling like you. So I went out and bought that leaf crap you drink. It’s not half bad actually.”
Frank thumbed your knuckles, as you looked into his tired loving eyes.
You smile thinking about him in his apartment, sipping a cup of your favorite tea.
“I missed you so much,” Frank muttered as he pulled you close “The last couple weeks killed me, not seeing you everyday hurt more than any bump or bruise those mob fuckers would give me.”
You hugged him tightly, not caring that your white button down and navy pencil skirt were now stained with blood.
“I love you Frank,” you whispered, holding his face gently.
“I love you too baby,” he says back, kissing you again.
“Aw man, I got you all dirty.” he says when you break the embrace.
“Good thing you’re gonna help me get cleaned up,” you smirk.
Frank picks you up like a bag of potatoes over his shoulder, and carries you to the bathroom while you laugh .
The tea sat on the counter well past the three minute steep time, but neither of you cared. You had each other, and that’s all you needed