Epilogue
The city was different at dawn. Quieter. Softer.
Karen sat on Frank’s fire escape, the chill of the metal seeping through her jeans as she sipped at a lukewarm cup of coffee. Below, the streets were waking up—delivery trucks rumbling past, the distant murmur of early risers heading to work. Normal life, moving forward.
Karen thought back to a couple of months ago, sitting on her own fire escape, watching a man without the balls to speak to her.
Behind her, the window creaked open.
“You should sleep,” Frank said, voice still rough from the night before.
She didn’t turn around. “So should you.”
A low huff, something close to amusement. He stepped outside, settling beside her with a grunt, his body still stiff from the fight. He had a fresh bandage at his temple, bruises painting his skin in dark shades. He looked like hell.
He looked alive. She would take that.
Matt didn't know what to take of their relationship. He didn't know what they were. But that wasn't for him. That was for the two of them. Karen and Frank. Nothing was more complicated and nothing was more beautiful.
Karen took another sip of coffee before passing the cup to him. He took it without a word, cradling the warmth in his hands.
For a while, they just sat there, the quiet stretching between them.
Then, Frank exhaled, long and slow. “You could walk away, y’know. I'm not the decider in this. Don't stay just cause I am.”
She turned to him, brow raised. “And what, pretend I don’t know what I know? Pretend I don’t care?”
"Pretend you aren't everything" She wanted to say. And you know what, she did. Because someone had to be the brave one and she'll be damned if the words are never spoken.
"You are everything. I need you."
He let a long breath out of his chest. Old Frank would've run. She wouldn't be mad. He needed space sometimes and she understood that. She half expected him to get up and take another long shower, but instead he said,
"I love you, I think."
She smiled at that wanting to push him just a little, "You think?"
He rubbed his jaw and instead of hiding from himself, he went for it.
"It's different with you, than Maria. I'm always gonna love her-"
"And i'd never expect you not to. She will always be your wife, Frank." She said, cutting him off.
He smiled at her. Karen tended to do that when she didn't want her opinion to be misconstrued. He thought it was kind, genuine.
"But... It's not the same. I'm not the same Frank Castle I was then. I had a family, friends, a life outside of whatever I did for the government. I was Frank Castle: Husband and Father. And now-" He paused.
"Now?"
"Now I don't know who I am supposed to be without this war. I just know whatever life I have, I want to live it with you. So yea, I love you. I just don't know exactly how I'm supposed to show that. "
She smiled and sipped on her coffee.
"You're enough. You do enough. Just come home and we will be okay."
His jaw tightened. “It ain’t safe. I will never be normal, Karen. And if someone comes after you or me, I will do what needs to be done. I'll put them down.”
Karen reached out, fingers brushing against the back of his hand. He didn’t pull away.
“I don’t need safe,” she said softly. “I just need real. I just need you”
Frank studied her, something unreadable flickering in his dark eyes. Then, finally, he nodded, just once.
"And I love you too."
She had never seen his cheeks get pink before but she swore they turned as Red as Matt's suit.
The sun broke over the skyline, spilling gold over the rooftops.
For now, they had this.
And for now, it was enough.