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ellariasand · 2 years

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ♥️

Oh gosh, this is so sweet!! Thank you!

This took forever to put together, because tbh I’m overly critical of my own writing and it’s touch to look back on my work after I’ve written it, but I’m sure those of y’all who follow me will not be surprised to see most of this at all.

Hilariously, none of these are the pieces that are particularly beloved by readers — in fact, some of them have the lowest hit/kudos counts across my entire AO3 profile. And hilariously, only one of them is explicitly a Kastle fic, which seems like the only thing I ever write anymore, lol.

But hey, in no particular order:

language barrier — Maya Lopez & Frank Castle, gen, rated G. This spun off my excitement from the Hawkeye finale over Christmas, and is a short little piece of Maya coming to Frank for help after being injured. Frank doesn’t speak ASL, but he can’t not help a kid in need (Frank Castle, magnet for women in distress), so he does his best to learn. I just love Maya and Frank as a friendship, and I’m proud of writing a no-dialogue story while also getting Frank’s inner voice down fairly well. It’s also the first installment in what is slowly spiraling into a Thunderbolts concept I’m working on behind the scenes — which is really just an excuse to give Frank Castle a bunch of adoptive daughters, lol.

dead ringer — Boba Fett & Fennec Shand & Omega, gen, rated G. This was written for a Big Bang event for Book of Boba Fett, and is one of the few Star Wars fics I’ve written that isn’t some kind of modern day AU to allow me to avoid writing the nuances of sci-fi. It boils down to Boba searching for his fellow clone/sister, and there’s notes of Fennec/Boba in there, but it’s mostly a character piece for Boba, and I’m very proud of both my worldbuilding and the dialogue, particularly Fennec’s narration, since I’d never written for her before — I think this took me like, three days to finish despite being 7.5k.

hold on — Frank Castle/Maria Castle & Frank Castle/Karen Page, rated G. This was the brainchild of a conversation with one of my besties, and also partially out of spite because I was upset that there are virtually no Punisher fics (especially not recently) that touch on Frank’s relationship with Maria beyond just her death and the days leading up to it. The conceit is that Karen finds one of Maria’s old mixtapes that Frank had kept, and the song triggers a memory for Frank, of dancing with Maria to “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips, hence the title. There’s just something about the tone of this one that I really adore, and Maria is such a fun character to write, even though I’ve only ever done it in flashback — see also my hungry heart piece from recently. She’s so feisty and full of personality, and this fic really successfully pairs her with Karen and establishes that Frank can have two loves of his life without having to shove one to the side for the other.

a prize for rotten judgement — Oberyn Martell/Ellaria Sand, rated G. Ah yes, my other OTP. There is virtually no content for Oberyn and Ellaria as a ship on the Internet, so I took it upon myself to come up with a hitman AU for the two of them where Ellaria’s a surgeon, and this piece sees her sewing up Oberyn’s bullet wounds on her couch. I absolutely adore Ellaria in the same way that I do Maria Castle, and the dialogue and worldbuilding in this are just spot-on to me. I don’t like Game of Thrones at all, but it’s difficult to find Oberyn content that isn’t painfully oversexualized, and nigh on impossible to find Ellaria content at all, so I’m particularly proud of this corner of fandom that I’ve created.

tramps like us — Wanda Maximoff & Frank Castle, gen, rated G. My most recent piece, this was the result of me seeing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and going “god, Wanda needs to sit down and have a talk with Frank because their trauma is so similar”. One of my favorite things to write is a good character piece where two people are able to just talk without much at all happening, and this is just that. I really nailed Frank’s voice here, and this piece feels cathartic for a lot of reasons, not least of which being the fact that I will always defend women in film going apeshit. Also possibly part of that Thunderbolts concept if I ever get around to it, lol.

Honorary sixth place goes to you look like bad news (i gotta have you), which is the first in a series of fluffy Shane Walsh/Original Character fics I wrote entirely on impulse. It was my first foray into like, real, honest-to-god rom com writing, which is not something I’m normally half-decent at. But that sucker (which was initially supposed to be one chapter and turned into 16k and three chapters, oops) was so much fun and opened up an avenue for me to write easy, no pressure stories between projects if I need to blow off some steam.

#good lord this is so many words #but hey i got to be self-indulgent #my work #maggie #ask games #frank castle x karen page #kastle #oberyn martell x ellaria sand #wanda maximoff #boba fett #shane walsh x ofc #shane walsh #frank castle

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ninzied · 3 years

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how the grinch stole christmas kastle au

#kastle #kastle prompts #kastle au #okay hear me out #frank already has a heart three sizes bigger than most people’s #but imagine him sad on some mountain #with only a dog and his dark past for company #plus the asshole who lives in that cabin down the hill #and there's this blonde lady who keeps coming up to frank's door #he thinks she's trying to sell him something #that smile of hers definitely looks straight out of a hallmark movie #(maria always used to love those)#but actually - her name is karen and she gets kind of lonely around the holidays #she doesn't really have any family around you see #(except her dad who lives nearby and hasn't spoken to her in years)#so karen was wondering #if frank wouldn't mind some company on christmas #and he says yes obviously #well it's not obvious to him but it's obvious to his dog and just about everyone else in town #okay i guess if we're doing another kastle secret santa this year i know what i'm writing lol #q

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lightblindingme · 6 years

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Pairing: Frank Castle x Karen Page

AU Series: Kastle Christmas 2K17 AU - Kastle as neighbours

Part 5 summary: Frank, Karen, and Addie share a family dinner and Frank finally finds out Addie's full name.

spoiler alert: Addie hates it!

#kastle #kastleff #kastle fic #karen x frank #kastle au #kastle au fic #my fics #my kastle fic #kastle christmas 2k17 au series

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lpdwillwrite4coffee · 3 years

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Tagged by the wonderful @edourado <3

how many works do you have on AO3?

oh gosh, not that many - 12 right now

what’s your total a03 word count?

158,499

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

omg okay ready

1) Breaking Free - My first ever Kastle fic (which also doubles as a Christmas/holiday fic for those in need of cozy winter vibes) 2) Devil Inside Me - post TPS s2 Kastle (that, whoops, isn’t finished. my bad) 3) White Lies and Emotional Ties - yet another Kastle fic a;slkhf this one is essentially PWP ;) 4) Three Nights in Purgatory - my first ever Rollisi fic! Bed sharing! Mutual pining! Mild fluff and angst! It’s got a lot going on haha 5) Thought I Lost You - post infinity war snap Kastle fic that was a request and I loved writing it!

do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Absolutely! I love getting comments and I feel like the least I can do is say thank you or answer questions that come up. Also I’m a validation whore so it gives me that sweet sweet dopamine

what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I think it’s a tie between my Rollisi fics and my Mob City fic from waaaaaay back when. Giving Joe Teague a proper send off was such a lovely feeling.

what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I...... hmmm.................. gosh that’s hard. I tend to lean toward HEAs or something similar. Maybe the ones with the angstiest endings are the ones I haven’t finished lmao

do you write crossovers?

I haven’t, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t!

have you ever received hate on a fic?

No I haven’t, thank goodness! (I have, however, received hate on my actual books that I write for a living sooooooo xD)

do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Friend, 90% of what I write has smut in some way shape or form. It’s usually a more intimate moment with emotion, but I’ve never been opposed to writing just straight up raw dog filth

have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of....... >.>

have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I would be honored if it happened!

have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but never say never

what’s your all-time favourite ship?

don’t make me choose between my beloved children

what’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I have a draft of a Sterek Little Mermaid AU but I haven’t touched it in years and I probably won’t finish it, but I’d love to make art for it tbh

what are your writing strengths?

dialogue babyyyyyyy. I could write people talking all day

what are your writing weaknesses?

“He got up from the -- wait, he was already standing. He strode across the -- goddamn it, I used that word already. He moved to -- nope, hate that. She picked up her -- too bland. She sipped her coff-- she was drinking water. They glanced at -- nah. They stared at -- nope. They glanced at -- I ALREADY TRIED THAT.”

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I love it, but I’m very nervous about including it cuz I’ve lost all my language studies and I’m never sure if translators are getting it right.

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

Kastle/Daredevil/Punisher

what’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

stop making me pick a favorite child. Maybe a tie between Mob AU (which isn’t finished yet) and Trouble with a Capital T?? But all my Kastle fics mean so much to me, so I can’t choose.

Tagging: @kteague @carry-the-sky and anyone else who wants to do this!

#this was so fun!#tagged #fic questions

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goddamnitkastle · 3 years

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Tell Me Where Your Heart Is

Hello Brooke! (@the-restless-brook)! Yes, I am your Kastle Secret Santa. Ta da!

You prompted me with “anything cozy, domestic, or angsty (as long as there’s a happy ending).”

So full disclosure I really had no idea what I was gonna come up with for your gift. I thought about doing some sort of AU for you (because you really are the the Queen of the Kastle AUs) but that ended up being a red herring cause Season 2 of Virgin River came out and OH BOY did I get inspired lol

And so I ultimately decided to go full on angst, which I hope you will like. There is a happy ending, I promise. And there’s also a couple Marvel/Netflix Universe nuggets I threw in, I hope you’ll catch them :)

But to keep it simple, here’s a post The Punisher Season 2 fic in which Frank and Karen meet up at Josie’s. Will they make their way back to each other? (well, yeah, duh but it will be an angsty ride).

Enjoy! And Happy Holidays, Kastle Fam! <3

Josie’s on a Monday is pretty dead, even in December. Honestly a graveyard is more lively on this weekday than the bar in Hell’s Kitchen, despite the homely effort of the Christmas decorations put up by Josie herself. So when Karen comes strolling in, just dodging the light rain, and takes a seat, she’s not surprised by the look on the bar owner’s face.

“Wow. Must’ve been a hell of a day. Starting early for the week, huh?”

“I guess you can say that. Can I get a bourbon?” Karen asks as she places a twenty down on the bar top.

“You got it.”

Josie turns around and grabs the Four Roses bottle off the shelf. Karen takes a quick survey of the scene, clocks everyone here. Rob and Mira Donohue are having drinks at the table by the pinball machine and Tom Belkin is at the pool table with a friend.

“Here ya go, love.” Josie places the glass in front of her and takes the twenty. Karen takes a sizeable sip, tries to focus on the burn going down her throat rather than her rattling nerves. She doesn’t miss Josie’s eyes go wide though when she gives her her change.

“Hey should I be worried tonight, Page? This isn’t your usual night and look, I don’t mind... usually…”

“It’s fine, Josie. I’m just... meeting someone. And I need this place to be quiet. I think they need... quiet.”

Josie shakes her head, walks over to the end of the bar. She pulls back a small curtain, revealing a safe hidden under the register. She turns the combination lock, opens it, and pulls out a 9mm.

“Josie come on, that’s not…”

“It’s a precaution. I do trust you... usually... but I got an establishment to protect.” Josie says as she ejects and checks the mag.

She clips it back in and clicks the safety off when the bell rings by the entrance door. Karen resists turning around, even though she is dying to see him.

God how long has it been since the hospital she thinks.

She goes for another sip of bourbon, tries to feign casualness even though his very presence has changed the mood of this dull Monday night. The Donohues have stopped talking and Tom and his friend have stopped playing. Heavy boots pad their way to the bar. Out of the corner of her eye, Frank Castle comes into her line of sight. He’s in all black, sporting a full beard, and scowling, but it doesn’t feel lethal to her. Josie though is gripping her gun like a lifeline.

“What can I do for you... scary hipster?” Josie asks.

Karen has to choke down her laughter. She covers her mouth with her hand and squeezes her eyes shut.

“I’ll just take a beer.”

Frank sits down a seat away from Karen and the tension lifts once Josie clicks the safety back on. The bar patrons resume their activities as she quickly serves Frank a beer, gun still in hand. Josie walks toward the end of the bar toward the safe but not before giving Karen a quick I will never let you in here again if there’s trouble tonight look. She just shrugs in response.

Neither of them say anything for a good while. Karen just focuses on her bourbon. Frank was the one who called her, he can start this. Not like she has anywhere to be...

Although drinking at Josie’s on a Monday night isn’t exactly at the top of her list.

“Hell of a place you picked.”

“Didn’t know what I was getting into. Knew it wouldn’t be crowded here... and I needed a drink.”

“What about your place? Don’t tell me you had to move again…” Frank cracks as he takes a swig of his beer.

“Nope, I’m still there.”

Frank takes a step closer to her. Karen can’t help it, she turns to face him and take him in. No bruises and his hair is growing out again. He looks the way he did when he first came back into her life, just without a blanket and not asking for change.

“Wasn’t sure you were gonna say yes to meeting me.”

“I wasn’t either. Still debating on leaving, actually…”

“Do you want to?”

“Honestly? Yes.”

“Okay. You can go.”

“Right.”

Karen starts to get up and she wishes she missed Frank’s face. Looking like a puppy who got kicked for chewing on someone’s flip flop.

“Hey.” Frank says intensely as he grips her arm. “Come on. Don’t…”

“Don’t what, Frank?”

“Don’t... go.”

“You literally told me I could go. Look, what do you want Frank? Can you just tell me why you called…”

“I will when you stop this.”

“Stop what?”

“Being pissed at me.”

“Being pissed... oh boy.”

She bites down on her bottom lip; a suppression to not straight up scream at him.

“I want to talk, Karen. But if you need to say something to me just say it. Just get it out in the open so that we can move forward.”

His eyes bore into hers. Karen hopes Frank isn’t looking into her soul, he doesn’t get to do that anymore. She knows she needs to break this, needs to move on. He chose the war. He chose to continue being The Punisher. The people that care about him, the peace he could have found... he pushed it all away. And he can’t just decide to want it now after almost a year of silence.

“Fine. I do have some things to say. But first, you’re gonna buy me a drink. Okay?”

“Okay.”

She walks back over to the bar and sets her bag and coat down again on the chair. Frank follows. Josie saunters over.

“Another bourbon, Page?”

“No I’d like two shots of whiskey please. He’s buying.”

Karen jerks her head toward Frank who immediately pulls out a wad of cash from his coat pocket.

“You got it.”

Josie walks away to get the shots. Karen takes a seat and Frank takes the one next to her.

“Didn’t take you for a hard liquor kind of girl.”

Karen opens her mouth, then closes it. How exactly is she supposed to respond to that? People have been making assumptions about her all her life and she’s in no mood to tell Frank that he’s wrong.

“But I guess I don’t know that much about you, do I? You always... surprise me.”

The genuineness throws Karen off. She wonders if she should cut him some slack. It’s not like they owe each other anything. The connection that Madani had told her they had will probably always be there but as it stands she doesn’t fit into his life and vice versa. What’s the point in trying to make it work?

“No. You don’t know anything about me.” She says after a prolonged pause.

Josie comes back with the shots and makes herself scarce again. Karen takes the shot and gestures to other one.

“Come on.”

“Jesus…” Frank mutters.

“Not into hard liquor like me? Wait. Let me guess. You actually love wine.”

“I do actually.”

He stares at the shot glass then back at her. He sighs and downs it. The grimace he makes is brief, but then he turns back to her and she knows what has to come next.

“It’s been a year since the hospital Frank. ” Karen starts as she rotates her empty shot glass with her fingertips.

“I think. I’m honestly not sure… anyway. I thought we were done. I thought you were finally out of my life and then those pot of white roses landed on my desk last week and… I really don’t understand what you want for me at this point. If it’s to get information I am not going to do that for you. If you are looking to reconnect I don’t want that either. Not while you continue to wage this war of yours that you chose. Over life. Over love. Over… me.”

She places the shot glass down, the clink on the wooden bar top being the loudest noise in her ears.

“I’m sorry. About that day. And I’m sorry I never called you after that. But I thought you understood.”

“Understood?”

“Why I am doing this. Why I couldn’t accept what you were offering me that day in the hospital. I lost my entire family, Karen. I had to watch them die and then bury them. You can’t even begin to imagine…”

“I’ve buried people that I loved. I absolutely know what you are going through. I know hurt. I know guilt. I know how it feels to want to drive a knife into this world just to feel like I had some kind of control over it. So don’t you dare try to tell me how I feel. I just…”

Karen huffs as she runs her fingers through her hair. Frank scratches at his beard, clearly processing.

“Do you think I like feeling like this? I am never going to see Maria again. I am never going to hold Lisa or Frankie Jr. in my arms. They are gone, Karen. And it is my fault that they are gone. If I let myself love you…”

“Frank…”

“It’s just a risk I can’t take. If anything happened to you… I wouldn’t be able to survive it.”

Frank’s trigger finger taps away on the bar top.

“So is that it? Is that why you called me? To tell me that you will forever be stuck in this black hole of a life? Stuck in a war that can never be won and you think it’s what you deserve?”

“It is what I deserve.”

“No it’s not Frank. The loss of your family… that is something that you will carry with you with the rest of your life. And the grief will always come straight at you, unexpectedly. But you deserve an after…”

“Karen, no…”

“You do. I know you can’t see it but you will come to a day where you’ll be able to think about them but still go on with your life. And that won’t feel like a betrayal...”

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I should’ve never called you.”

He practically bounds out of the bar stool and heads for the door.

“Frank!” Karen shouts.

The door swings and he’s gone.

This is a crossroads moment. Karen can feel it. She could let him go, never see him again. Maybe at last find peace with this pain. Find someone else to build a life with.

“You love him don’t you?”

Karen turns around to find Josie looking at her. She’s cleared their shot glasses away and is washing them in the sink.

“Josie…”

“Don’t try to deny it. And he loves you too.”

“Yeah, sure he does.” Karen replies sarcastically.

“He does. I remember that news story a while about that crazy asshole who shot up that hotel trying to kill ya and that senator or whatever. I read that he took a few bullets for you. That’s love.”

“How did you... nevermind. Yes, that is true, but then when I offered the option to love someone else, he said he didn’t want to.”

‘Yeah but then he asked to see you again. Timing is a bitch, that much I know. Come on, at least go out there and give the man a hug. Man looks like he could use one.”

Karen turns back to the front door. Before she can process it she is heading out the door, barely catching Josie‘s laugh.

The sharp, winter air hits her and the light rain Is back. Karen looks down both sides of the street, knowing that he is probably long gone by now. The man knows how to disappear, and will only be found if he wants to.

She goes to her left to head home. As she turns the corner, he’s there. Against the wall of Josie‘s, barely standing.

“Frank?”

She walks toward him but he doesn’t acknowledge her. He looks so broken, looking up at the sky.

“You belong with someone else, Karen. Not with me.”

“Don’t.”

“You do.”

“Well I don’t want someone else, Frank. I want you.”

He turns away from the sky and stares at her, wide eyed.

“Yeah. It’s still on the table. But if you’re not even going to open yourself up to the possibility of an after… And I’m not saying an after with me. I mean for yourself. If you won’t even allow yourself to try to find it then it’s not going to work. I need hope, Frank. I need to believe that there is a better world to make and to be had. Even if that means I am not going to be around for it. I am still going to try to leave it better than I found it.”

“Who was it?” Frank asks after a few moments.

“What?”

“Who did you bury?”

“My mom. My brother, Kevin.”

“Tell me about them?”

“Okay. Walk me to my car?”

She thought it would be a lot harder to tell him about what happened to her mom and Kevin, about who she was before she came to New York City. But it fell out of her, everything. He doesn’t interject nor interrupt her. They’re still a block away when she’s done talking.

They reach her car as Karen fishes for her keys. They are stuck at the bottom of her bag and she groans in frustration. She had almost forgotten that Frank is still with her but then she feels a hand lightly touch her shoulder.

“Karen.”

She looks up. He is looking better but there is still that same lingering, soul crushing sadness in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

The sincerity of his apology stuns Karen. Then it comes back. The memory of when she told Matt about what happened to Kevin.

“Jesus Karen.”

Matt was wrapped up in trying to take down Fisk at the time. Karen was trying to pull Matt back, she knew it wasn’t the right time to tell him. She knows he would’ve probably have had a different reaction under different circumstances. Karen knows this. But Karen would be lying if his response didn’t haunt her dreams every now and then.

“Well I should get home. If you ever wanna talk… well I’m sure you’ll reach me somehow. I’ll keep an eye out for another pot of roses.”

She gets her car door open and climbs into the seat. She turns the key in the ignition but the engine stalls.

“Come on.”

Karen keeps turning the key but the engine continues to stall.

Frank knocks on her windshield window.

“Hey, let me check. I can probably jumpstart your car.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Jesus Karen.”

“I don’t want you here, Karen.”

Karen smacks the steering wheel repeatedly and then screams. And screams. And screams.

“Karen! Karen!”

Frank’s voice is muffled and Karen barely registers that he’s opened her door and is pulling her out of the car.

“Karen it’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here.”

The screams turn into sobs and Karen stops trying to pull away from Frank.

She doesn’t know how long they stand there in the light rain while he holds her. Her crying does subside in time and all Karen feels is his heartbeat and his hand running up and down her back.

“I know. I know.” He keeps repeating into her ear.

Frank asks if Karen wants a ride home. Karen just simply nods, now realizing that her legs are numb.

“Okay. Let me make a quick phone call.”

Frank gets on the phone and says hi to Micro. Karen manages a small smile. Good to know that he’s not dead.

“Okay so Micro is calling in some favors. Your car is gonna get towed to a lot nearby. I will take care of it tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Frank.”

“Let’s get you home.”

Frank holds his hand out and Karen takes it.

...

It takes an hour but they arrive in Karen��s neighborhood. Frank has to park ten minutes away from her apartment, which has him apologizing and cursing alternate side parking in one breath.

Karen feels simultaneously exhausted and wired. Frank hasn’t taken her hand in his since they got out of his van but they keep drifting and bumping into each other as they walk.

“Thanks for driving me back.”

“You’re welcome. You okay?”

“Yeah I just… I told Matt. About Kevin. And it... wasn’t the best timing and I had never told anyone before that moment and…”

“Yeah well I don’t think altar boy has the best bedside manner. Even on a good day.”

Karen can’t help but laugh. They walk up the front steps of her apartment building.

“Don’t worry about your car. It’ll be safe. I’ll pick it up tomorrow and take it to the shop. It’s probably the alternator.”

They reach her door.

“Okay so I have your car keys but you probably need these back.”

He hands her the rest of her key ring. He turns to go down the steps, their fingers interlocking around each other.

“So hold onto it. You have everything. Use two hands and never let go.”

Never let go.

Never let...

She grips on his fingers and he turns around. She doesn’t say or do anything but hold on to the key ring and his fingers. They just stare at each other but something changes, something shifts.

He walks back up the two steps, and they’re now face to face.

Karen can’t explain it but she’s filled with such a longing that she thought she had buried a long time ago.

They are still holding on to her key ring, the metal becoming warm from the heat of their hands. She inches closer and closer to his face, eventually ghosting her lips over his.

Karen places a small kiss on his mouth. He doesn’t react, which isn’t surprising, so she tries again. She can feel how taken aback he is but he starts to reciprocate soon enough. He angles his mouth as she pushes her tongue past his teeth, his hands cup her face as she wraps her arms around his neck.

The flurry and fury of their movements push them up the stairs. Karen has never been more grateful for her one floor walk up. He gets the door open as she gets to work on getting his jacket off. He helps her out of hers with ease, his mouth never leaving hers.

Karen is trying to take it all in but it’s too much. The ridges of the scars on his skin that have stories and how she wants to know all of them. How strong he is, taking her shirt off with a gentle force she has never felt. How soft his hair is, how his beard feels so fucking good on her neck.

They fall into her bed, still partially clothed but Karen doesn’t mind, she’s content to just kiss him and hold him close to her.

His mouth leaves hers and Karen tries to reach for it but stops. It’s that stare of his again. But it’s different this time. She’s seen him vulnerable but never this vulnerable. He honestly looks terrified.

“Frank what is it? We can stop…”

“No. I want to. I want this... I just... when we’re not together... when I don’t see you... it scares me. And I tried to hide from that feeling all year. Karen don’t…”

She runs her hands through his hair and he frames her head with his.

“It’s okay. It’s okay Frank.”

Instinctually, her hand slides down to his chest. Over his fast beating heart.

“It’s safe. You’re safe.”

She reaches for his face, her finger tips brushing against his lips. He kisses her palm and she pulls him back in.

...

Frank is warm. A comfortable warm, not the searing kind that comes from his nightmares. Hands are wrapped around his head and his face is pressed against soft skin. Karen’s skin. This stillness, after all that transpired last night between them, is strangely comforting. As is her slow, deep breathing. And when she wakes up, a smile forming at the sight of him, he still wonders if this is all a dream.

“Morning.”

“How do you feel?” Karen asks as she pushes away a strand of hair from his forehead.

“Happy.” Franks answers honestly.

“That’s good.”

“And safe.” Frank admits quietly.

“That’s exactly how I want you to feel.”

“I do. With you.”

“So do I.”

He reaches for her face, brushes the pad of his thumb on her cheek. For a brief, sudden moment he sees smoke and a bloody cut on Karen’s forehead. How close he came to losing her that day…

“I will come for you.”

Frank shakes away the memory and tries to focus on this one. He wants these kind of memories with Karen, not the ones filled with violence and open ended goodbyes.

“Is everything okay, Frank?”

“Look Karen… I want to be honest. I don’t want to lie to you anymore and… you should know why I called you.”

Frank pulls away from her and sits up against her headboard. Karen follows suit, pulling her comforter up.

“Okay.”

“I... want to be done. The Punisher… I want it to be over.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I won’t, uh, bore you with the details but… I was near death. About a month ago. I really don’t remember much but I wasn’t… planning to come back from this job. But I guess Curtis and Madani weren’t on board. They got me out and… I just remember cracks of light. From the car windows. And each time, I saw you. I honestly thought you had come with them. I kept wanting to let go though, finally be with… but you were there. Telling me to hold on. Cause there was another side to this. An… after. And I did. When I finally came to, I asked where you were. And yeah, I found out you weren’t really there but… it was real. And it got me through. And that was why I called. I want you there. But then you were ruthless... stomped on my heart... which I deserved... and I got scared. I’m still scared, Karen. But I don’t want to live without you anymore. And I don’t expect…”

Karen takes his hand, puts it in her lap. Whatever he was going to say next dies on his tongue.

“This is real, Frank. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

“Okay.”

He leans in to kiss her and it is the sweetest touch he can muster. He hopes it is enough.

It was a hell of a journey for them to get to this point. And they still have a long way to go. But her heart is safe with him. And now his heart can be safe with her.

#kastlechristmas #kastlechristmas2k20 #kastle #kastle fanfiction #meganerinff #frank castle #karen page #kastlenetwork #therestlessbrook #daredevil #the punisher #tell me where your heart is #I hope you enjoy it!

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152glasslippers · 3 years

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it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it

Summary: He moved into the building almost a year ago. He has two kids, a son and a daughter. The day she heard him laugh when she passed the three of them on the stairs, she almost missed a step, craning her neck over her shoulder to watch him disappear around the corner, chasing the warmth of that sound.

Artist/widower/neighbors AU.

For Kastle Christmas 2k20 and @songof-thelark, who prompted “AU where one is the artist and the other poses for them.” Somehow that spiraled into…this.

Happy holidays, Kamille! Thank you for waiting so patiently for your gift! I hope you like it. ❤️

Consider this a prologue. Chapter 2 coming tomorrow.

read it on ao3

chapter 1: before

The man across the hall keeps to himself. He is handsome and quiet. He calls her ma’am when he passes her in the hall, dark eyes, deep voice. He wears heavy tactical boots tucked into his jeans; she has never seen him wear anything else. He held the door open for her once, calloused hands and bruised knuckles.

He moved into the building almost a year ago. He has two kids, a son and a daughter. The day she heard him laugh when she passed the three of them on the stairs, she almost missed a step, craning her neck over her shoulder to watch him disappear around the corner, chasing the warmth of that sound.

She doesn’t know his name or what he does. She knows where he lives and the exact color palette of the flannel shirt he seems to favor. She knows that sometimes he looks the saddest she’s ever seen a person, except in the bathroom mirror.

Sometimes she wonders about him, her imagination wandering, filling in the blanks her observations can’t. Sometimes she wonders what it would be like to meet a person and not notice every detail.

But they haven’t met. Not yet.

#kastle #kastlechristmas #kastlechristmas2k20 #songofthelark #kastlenetwork #kastle ff #kastle fanfic #karen x frank #the punisher #mine: fanfic

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pasmonblog · 3 years

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top 5 fics for each of your top 5 ships to write?

Wow, alright. Not sure I have 5 for each, but I’ll include what comes to mind:

I listed my top 5 Winterwitch fics in this post.

And beyond the fic I’ve already suggested in the top 5 AOS fics post, I don’t think I could do a Huntingbird top 5.

Wintershock

Stumpy by @sarahbeniel (honestly several of their fics could make this top 5!)

Choosing You by @anogete (same as above)

A Mask of My Disguise by @amidtheflowers (somehow I only just read this and I’m kicking myself for it??)

I Will Be Waiting by Chellacat (I’m a sucker for a good soulmate AU, and this one rocks)

The Best Kind of Trouble by Triangulum

Taserhawk

Before We Get Lost by @treaddelicately (listen, this will FOREVER be one of my favourite Taserhawk fics)

Damned If I Don't by @treaddelicately (literally read any of Felicia’s Taserhawk and you’ll know exactly why I fell in love with this ship)

Lessons in Avoidance: Or How Darcy Lewis Learned to Have Feelings by Beckala (an absolute classic)

Some of the fics I would have listed here have since been removed from the archive :(

Kastle

while the iron's hot by @glycerineclown (I hope you all aren’t sick of me talking this up yet because it 100% deserves all the praise)

no other shade of blue but you by @gracenm (honestly lovely)

Lay Here Tonight by @treaddelicately (Felicia really said ‘Merry Fucking Christmas to Nat’ with this one)

I need to read more Kastle, and that’s on me.

Funny enough, I end up reading more from ships that I don’t write (or don’t write as often), with Wintershock being the main exception.

Moral of the story: I need to read more fic.

put “top 5” anything in my ask and i will answer

#it's either I'm reading everything and writing nothing or writing everything and reading nothing #there is no in between #there is no chill #Anonymous #ask me anything

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kanerallels · 4 months

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6, 11, and 13 for the fic writer asks!

6. What fic surprised you with how little interaction it got this past year? Hmm good question. Probably my Kastle Christmas fic-- but I think I overestimated how much of the fandom was still active! I still got more comments than I've received on a lot of other works, though, so I'm very lucky!

11. Do you have playlists for any of your fics/wips? YES a lot of them lol. I made one for my Inklings Challenge story, for the Steve Miller Au, and I'm working on one for my Sabezra Aladdin Au!!

13. What fic are you most excited to post in the upcoming year? More Steve Miller Au! Particularly the next chapter-- I'm very proud of it for an assortment of spoiler-ish reasons

#thanks for the ask!!#fan fic ask game

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carry-the-sky · 4 years

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wip title game!

rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you and i’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it!

CRASHING IN WAY LATE, but i was tagged by these lovelies: @redbelles, @heartonfirewrites, @ninzied, @devilbunnyking and @152glasslippers thank youuuuu <3

kastle:

good place au (google docs tells me i haven’t opened this outline since april *upside down smiley face*)

in your eyes au

pity this busy monster/stranger things au

built this town on shaky ground aka my kastle christmas gift from two?? years ago that is currently collecting dust on ao3

for the sinners to play as saints

star wars:

ahsoka in the world between worlds

tros final showdown with palpy fix-it

i thumb the edges of you (your grass sky, your numb mouth)

she-ra

a better ghost

a lot of people have been tagged already, but if you see this and want to do it, consider yourself tagged!

#writing woes #tag game

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heidiamalia · 5 years

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first lines

post the first line to your last 10 fics (or chapters) and see if you can spot any trends. then tag a few other writers to do this with you! tagged by; @fortysevenswrites & @carry-the-sky [ahh thank you ladies!]

all kastle.

the posted;

the blood in the blue [4th chapter] Amy left early to meet a friend at the diner for breakfast.

hidden treasure They're all addressed to Frank in the way of Karen Page but the postcards are always mailed to the Nelson's Meats front door.

canvassed “Okay, so tell me again why you can't just call this person?” she asks him, toes tucked around her chair, her knee bouncing.

split sutures “If you attempt to leave that bed again, Karen, I will call the nurse back and have her strap you down.”

uncommon goods It's Christmas Eve.

played They are trading barbs after group leaves when he spots her blonde hair peeking in from the doorway.

framed He finds out about the bombings when a new client with ties to the Gnucci crime family is suing his doctor for ignoring all of his injuries.

mud “Are you safe?”

the wips;

like the wind She keeps adjusting her hood.

[i’m lying, but what’s written beforehand are just a few quotes from the show to set the feel]

bartenders au [not chaptered, but everyone’s seen the rough cut of the beginning here so i will supply the next jump]

“We’re not having jello shots at ten in the morning, babe.”

well jees, okay. it looks like i have a habit of throwing you to the wolves. the dialogue always seems to be right in the middle of a scene, which i loooove, okay? i always want to dive right in! no regerts.

tagging (no pressure!): @the-restless-brook, @ninzied, @kteague, @bottled-bliss, @kastlecastles, @thevampirecat, and anyone else who wants a go!

#tag game #fun!#maybe one day i'll have more than 12 to play with lmao

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ninzied · 3 years

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this space for regrets, only

a kastle christmas carol au for heather, aka @fireblaze5555. happy holidays, lovely ♡ i hope you enjoy this fic, and i promise i didn’t make it too angsty for you :)

word count: ~18k.

It starts with one simple favor.

Or, Frank inadvertently sets Curtis and Karen up on a date, and three unexpected visitors from the past, present and future help him to understand the pain that comes with loving someone in a whole new light.

[read on ao3.]

#kastle #kastle ff #kastlenetwork #kastlechristmas #kastlechristmas2k20 #christmas carol au

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benedictsvestcollection · 4 years

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I would pay good money for a Kastle Cutting Edge AU fic for Christmas.

#Kastle

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lilhemmo · 5 years

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so... um... i've been imagining this in my head and i TOTALLY think you can bring it to life - kastle + holiday and fake married because i'm all about that fake married/dating trope and you're one of my fav writers :)

send me two au’s from THIS list + a ship/character

“I know this is the first time you’ve ever seen me and it’s Christmas so you probably have a family to get home to but I just-”

“Spit it out, lady.”

“This is my hometown and my stalker ex is here and I think he’s following me,” she breathes out at a frantic pace. Her strawberry blonde hair is falling in wisps around her face, her thin hand reaching up to push the lock away from her eyes. “I-I think he’s following me.”

The man’s dark eyes and brooding expression are the reason she chose him to try this rouse with her, but she’s wondering if he’s worse than the ex-fiance that’s been following her since her coffee shop stop this morning, approximately twelve hours ago.

Karen can feel her ex approaching like a cockroach crawling up her spine and she takes a step towards this man, her face paling as she sees him out of the corner of her eye.

“Sweetheart,” he pulls her into his side, wrapping one arm around her shoulder as he places his beer down on the counter with his other hand. “Listen, I’ve told you before you can have anything you want, no need to ask me like I’m going to say no.”

Karen finds herself leaning against his broad chest, her head falling perfectly against his pectoral. She feels a weight on her left hand and she pulls back to notice a simple diamond wedding ring on her fourth finger. She looks up at him in shock but he’s glancing down at her with warmth in his deep eyes.

“I-I know,” she stutters, unable to understand how this stranger can turn his attitude around so quickly. She’s thankful for it anyway. “I just like to ask, you know me.”

He pulls her closer and presses a warm kiss to her temple, the stubble around his jaw brushing her skin. He laughs and it’s a thick, throaty laugh that coats her heart, making her chest stick as she attempts to breathe.

“Another shot of whiskey for my lady, ‘uh?” he calls out to the bartender.

Karen watches as her ex slinks closer to them, observing them from across the bar. She makes eye contact with him and he must notice how she shrinks, how she falters when his gaze touches hers.

The shot glass is put in her fingertips by the man she is now letting call her sweetheart, and she does not hesitate for even a split second before bringing it to her lips and letting it sting her throat.

“Karen,” his voice is like lava seeping into her lungs and burning her alive. She bristles and the man holding her in his grasp can tell that this is the man she is wanting to be protected from. He still speaks, “K-Karen, look, I just wanted to-”

“Listen,” her savior speaks up, his voice gruff from the alcohol. “I know who you are. And I think you should leave Karen alone.”

“Who are you?” the other man turns his nose up.

“Frank.”

Karen’s ex huffs, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Frank licks his lips and takes a step forward, putting his left hand on the other man’s shoulder, “That’s supposed to mean that I’m her husband and we’re here to have a little Christmas getaway before we have to tell the parents for the third year in a row that no, we’re not pregnant with your grandkids.”

Karen feels a warmth that is welcome press against her temple, his deep chuckle resonating in her bones.

“So, buddy, please let us be,” Frank reasons, his voice sweet like honey but cutting in its undertone. “We have enough of a rough road ahead of us.”

The other man blows out a nervous breath, getting ready to speak again but Frank interrupts him with his hand reaching up to pat the man’s neck. It is a harsher warning than Frank’s hand on his shoulder and it appears that he knows this because he shrinks away.

“M-Merry Christmas,” he stutters. “Good luck with your parents.”

Frank nods, “Thanks man. Merry Christmas.”

As soon as he’s out of ear shot, Karen slumps into Frank’s arms and lets out the breath that she was holding captive and making her dizzy with lack of oxygen. She licks her lips, “Th-Thank you, Frank. I-I’m so sorry.”

“Nah, s’all right. I hate men like that,” he huffs, taking another sip from his beer.

His arm still has not left her shoulder and she wonders if he even notices. The ring on her finger is heavy and she wonders how she is supposed to offer it back to him without making a big fuss.

“Leave it,” Frank shrugs, “may as well keep up the charade a while longer. I think I see another one of your creepy exes over there in the corner.”

Karen is nervous as she looks across the bar, but soon realizes his joke. She slaps his chest but leans into him anyway, “You’re an interesting guy, Frank. Got a last name?”

“Castle. You?”

“Page.”

“Yeah,” he leans in with his lips ghosting the shell of her ear, “I definitely see a couple of your exes over there. Looks like they’re coming over right now.”

Frank kisses her temple with a smirk, “We’ll probably have to keep this charade up all night.”

a/n: not sure if i’m happy with this but thank you for requesting!!!!!! you’re so kind anon!!!

#kastle #frank x karen #frank castle #karen page #kastle imagine #kastle drabble #kastle one shot #kastle fanfic #kastle fanfiction #marvel #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #marvel drabble #marvel one shot #marvel imagine #my writing

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