In Which Alec Utgoff (Alexei) Is All Of Us.

Frank ‘ 😍 😍 😍 ’ Castle.

Sydney Adamu + Richie Jerimovich in THE BEAR

some richie/ebon moss bachrach face notes

karen should be able to drop kick wwe style matt at least five times a day i would even pass her the chair from beneath the ring oh my god

the bodyguard

[status: in progress]

summary: after a series of terrorist attacks in new york, an article you wrote calling out the cowardice of the organization's leader causes you to become a target, and frank castle is assigned to be your bodyguard. the resurgence of former flames and shocking sinister revelations will test just how far frank is willing to go to protect you. divulgences of his mysterious and convoluted past will make you question just how much you can actually trust him. will frank be your savior? or the reason for your demise?

a/n: a HUGE thank you to my love @thyme-in-a-bubble for that incredibly breathtaking header. this series was inspired by the absolutely lovely @lowkeythor's genius request for a bodyguard!frank x reader fic. it is a slow burn-so get comfy. this is a punisher series friends, so there will be mentions of violence and gore, as well as other mature themes. (there will eventually be spiciness bc i can't resist) if you'd like to be added to the tag list for updates, please let me know!

»— anything marked with an astrik contains explicit content. minors dni.

»— all work is my own. please do not repost anywhere else without my consent.

chapter one: it's my job

chapter two: take the day off

chapter three: trouble

chapter four: it's like that

chapter five: conflict of interest

chapter six: invasion of privacy

chapter seven: checkmate

chapter eight: sorry

chapter nine: stakeout

chapter ten: pancakes

chapter eleven: we got a problem

chapter twelve: confession

chapter thirteen: desire*

chapter fourteen: i got you

chapter fifteen: teach me*

chapter sixteen: an adjustment

chapter seventeen: a favor

chapter eighteen: first date*

chapter nineteen: personal

chapter twenty: secrets

chapter twenty one: a little more time

chapter twenty two: fade to black

chapter twenty three: revelation

chapter twenty four: i love you

chapter twenty five: promotion

chapter twenty six [coming 9/20]

the bodyguard soundtrack

filtering down ao3 results from 14000 to 6 based on a single tag is foul. im sorry none of you are as enlightened as me ig.

may i share with you the best video on the internet

He’s fucking you in missionary but you’re stroking his face and saying “that’s it, baby. That’s my good boy.”

100 posts!

✈️ Business or Pleasure ✈️

Relationship: Frank Castle x F!Reader Fandom: The Punisher Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6658

Warnings and other tags: Alternate Universe – First Meetings – Hotel sex – Gift fic – Explicit sexual content – One-Night Stands – Enthusiastic Consent – Porn with feelings – Soft – Unprotected Sex

Summary: You meet him on a business trip.

Also on AO3

Late birthday gift for @darlingshane. Last time it took me 3 days to write you a fic, this time it took me 3 weeks. It's very different from the one I wrote you last year, but I hope you enjoy it as well 🧡🧡🧡

The hotel bar that you are sitting in is cast in a soft light, while jazz notes drift through the atmosphere. It is as cliché as it gets from a hotel bar, but the place is decorated tastefully, and you enjoy the drinks they serve. 

The clock reads five to ten, and while you had already had dinner, you had not felt like heading to your room yet, instead settling at the bar. You have casually been observing the other patrons while sipping from your glass of wine, but nothing or no one interesting has caught your attention. You are finally considering calling it a night, particularly because you are having an early flight tomorrow, when you see a new client coming through the doors that separate the lobby from the bar. 

He is on the phone as he walks straight for the bar, dressed in dark slacks and a deep gray button down, the first three buttons undone. The hair, longer on top, is tousled and looks like he has repeatedly been running his fingers through it. The man frowns at what the person on the other side of the line says, before his face shifts into a smile and a warm chuckle reaches your ears. He absently nods at you in polite greeting, since he sits down on the stool just to your right, and orders himself a drink from the bartender. 

You keep your face forward as much as you can while you observe his profile as inconspicuously as possible. His jawline is sharp and smoothly shaved, his broad nose, giving his profile something special, runs into the curve of a pair of beautiful lips. 

“Yeah, alright. Let’s talk about it tomorrow. Debrief should be an interestin’ one— Yeah— you too, man.” He hangs up and slides the phone into the pocket of his pants. 

His drink arrives, and he thanks the bartender with a brief nod and small smile. 

“Well, that sounded more like business than pleasure,” you state out of the blue, even surprising yourself with your words since you had not intended to say anything. 

The man turns his face towards you, his eyebrows raised, and looks as surprised as you. You can see him focusing his attention on you, his eyes moving over your face before they slowly take your whole form in. You fight to keep your expression as neutral as you can, not wanting to show just how much his perusal is getting to you, although you can feel your face warming. 

“It was until now,” he finally says with a one-sided smile, as he turns his entire body in your direction. 

Your eyes widen a fraction at his statement, not having expected such an answer from him. You lower your eyes as you smile, almost shyly, before looking back at him. 

“Frank Castle.” He extends a hand to you. 

“Nice to meet you,” you reply once you have introduced yourself and shaken his hand, marveling at their warmth and especially their size. 

“So, what brings you to this place?” He asks as he leans an elbow on the bar and takes a sip from his drink. 

You shrug as you drink from your glass, before you send him a small smile. “Pretty much all business, too.” You pause for a second before deciding to share a bit more. “Had an important deal to take care of.”  

“Yeah? What field do you work in?” 

You consider him for a moment, tilting your head to the side curiously. You think that he is purposely putting all the attention on you instead of himself, but he also looks genuinely interested.

“I work for a small corporation… Not that interesting, I’m afraid,” you chuckle and look at your drink. 

“Ah, come on. I’m sure it is.” 

“Well, I guess it depends— Do you know anything about computer software or graphic design?”  

Frank’s mouth twists into a small grimace as he nods in understanding. 

“No,” he replies with a huffed laugh. 

You grin and shrug again. It is a specific field. 

“And, how did that deal go?” He wants to know, watching you expectantly. 

You cannot help the proud smile that rises to your face as you think back to this afternoon and the accomplishment of months of hard work.

“My new program got signed, so I guess pretty well.” 

“Attagirl!” Frank calls out, toasting you with a warmth in his eyes. 

The back of your neck tingles and warms at his unexpected praise. You smile and take a sip from your drink to hide the effect that this single word has on you. 

“What about you?” You ask, swiping your eyes over him from his feet to his head, analyzing him somewhat. “Secret agent or some sort of military?” 

Frank’s eyebrows go up his forehead in surprise. You had delivered your words with a hint of humor in them, but that had been your first thought after hearing and seeing him. 

“What makes you think that?” He questions with an amused smile, his eyes narrowed curiously. 

“A hunch, I guess— The way you hold yourself, what you said on the phone. I heard you using the word debrief and how you said the time? Fifteen hundred? Sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation.” You quickly add, not wanting to make it seem like you had purposely been eavesdropping. 

Frank stares at you with a small frown, but he doesn’t look upset; more intrigued, really. 

“You got some good observational skills,” he mutters with a faint smile. 

“Does that mean I’m right?” You grin at his easy demeanor. 

Frank doesn’t say anything, just lifts his glass to his lips and drinks while keeping his eyes on you. 

You laugh through your nose. 

“I am, huh—? Alright. I won’t ask more— Although,” you say slowly as a thought crosses your mind. “Is Frank Castle your actual name?”

Frank snorts in amusement. 

“Yes.” 

“I guess I’ll just have to believe you,” you sigh dramatically, making Frank laugh loudly. 

“Let’s just say that my job is to protect others”, he confides, still chuckling from your antics. 

“As in bodyguard?” You had said that you would not ask, but since he had told you more, the question had come naturally. 

Frank shrugs and moves his head from side to side in a more or less motion. 

You look at Frank a little more closely, at his straight back and shoulders, the way his eyes keep skimming the room, and smile. Yeah, he does fit the part. Frank stares back, expression open, although he is not easy to read all the same. You find him entirely compelling. So much that you had not noticed, until now, that you have moved closer to each other during the conversation.

“So— You stayin’ long?” 

He clearly wants to change the subject, and you had told him that you would not pry, so you play along. 

“No— I’m flying home tomorrow. All done with business,” you smile, feeling the heat coming from him as he shifts closer yet. 

One side of Frank’s mouth tilts up in a faint smile, as he tips his head to one side. 

“Only pleasure left, then?” His voice is low and intimate. 

You quickly lick your lips at that. 

“I hope so,” you breathe, before your eyes widen minutely, and you look down with a small, shocked laugh at your words.

You don’t know what has gotten into you tonight. This isn’t your style. Flirting with men during your trips, yes, but not this obvious desire for more. Especially since you have only been talking for a few minutes. You don’t know what it is about Frank that makes you act like this. Something about him puts you at ease while simultaneously turning you on. And he is obviously interested too. Has been from the moment that he has really looked at you. Why shouldn’t you indulge yourself for once? 

“I think I should be going back to my room.” You stand, suddenly wishing you had not left your phone in your room, so your hands had something to do and would not show your nerves as they shake lightly. 

Frank blinks and leans away from you with a few short nods. You know what he is thinking, and he has it all wrong. 

“Yeah, sure. Uh— Have a good flight tomorrow.”

You neither answer nor move away from his side, only standing there, looking at him. Frank eventually stares at you once he has noticed that you have not left. He frowns slightly, confused, before he really locks eyes with you and his face morphs into surprised understanding. 

With his eyes still on you, he pulls out his wallet and leaves a few notes on the counter. Swallowing your nerves, you turn on your heels and head for the exit and straight for the elevators. You don’t check if Frank is following you, but you can hear sure footsteps a few paces behind you. You press the call button for the elevator and find Frank coming to stand next to you out of the corner of your eyes. It doesn’t take long for the elevator to arrive, the doors emitting the usual ding as they open. You step inside, with Frank following close by, and push the button for your floor. You stand against the mirrored side of the elevator, face pointed downwards, while your fingers move nervously at your side. 

“Hey,” Frank says softly, coming to stand in front of you. “You’re alright? If I got it wrong, I-”

“You didn’t. I—” You close your eyes and release a small, exasperated laugh, before finally meeting his eyes again. “It’s not something I ever do. I— I don't – I-”

“Hey, hey. It’s alright, Sweetheart,” Frank’s voice is soothing and low. He is still standing close but doesn’t touch you. “If you’ve changed your mind, that’s fine. It’s your choice. I can go back to-”

“No,” you say it softly but with conviction before leaning your head back against the mirror and laughing lightly again at how surreal this feels to you. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Frank is quiet for a beat, before he steps forward, right into your space but still not touching you anywhere. 

“Can I touch you?” He rumbles, getting you to look at him and into his warm but intense eyes. 

You exhale a harsh breath and make small but fervent nods of agreement. His eyes dip to your lips, then back up. 

“Need you to say it,” he rasps, his voice deepening. 

“Please?” You breathe, and even to you, the desperation sounds clear in your voice. 

Frank’s nostrils flare at that word, his eyes swallowed by black. 

“Not that. Not yet, at least— Yes or no, Sweetheart?” 

“Yes!” You say it with such want that it comes out as a hiss at the end. 

The elevator dings and the doors slide open, but Frank moves in anyway, paying them no mind, as a hand goes to your nape to pull you towards him and into a long kiss. Your knees nearly buckle at the sheer intensity of his kisses, making you stumble backwards. Frank follows and catches himself with his other hand against the mirror. He presses you against it, his whole body aligning with yours as he licks between your parted lips. You grip the shirt at his back, tilting your head this or that way to reciprocate with just as much ardor. 

You only snap out of it once the elevator doors close again, and you manage to slam your hand against the button to open them again before someone can summon the cart back down. Frank stops the kiss with a chuckle after noticing what you have done. Finding new confidence, you side step Frank and take hold of his hand to pull him out of the elevator and towards your room. You slip the key card out of your pants’ pocket and quickly slide it into the slot at the top of the handle to unlock the door. It clicks and you hurriedly push it open. Frank follows without a word and closes the door behind himself. You move back to him and shove him against the door, before taking his lips again. Frank makes a surprised noise at your actions, but it’s a pleasant surprise from how he groans into the kiss and lets your tongue glide against his. 

Undressing is a quick affair. You don’t have the patience to tease or be teased, and from how Frank’s hands pull and tug at your clothes to get to your skin, the feeling is quite mutual. You do take a moment to stare at him once he is topless, his jeans open and revealing dark boxer shorts. A small breath shudders out of you at what you see. You really did luck out with this one. You meet his eyes again, only to see him looking at you with a one-sided smile, letting you observe him at leisure. He lets his eyes travel appreciatively over you as well, dressed in only your underwear. You can feel your hard nipples pushing against the thin fabric of your bra, his gaze making you shiver. Glancing down at his thighs as he shuffles while he waits you out, your eyes take in the distinct line of his erection pressed against one side of his crotch, still covered by his jeans and boxers. You only realize that you have moved once your knees meet the carpeted floor and your hands have gone to the top of his pants. You had not even made any conscious decision about kneeling at his feet, pure lust making you act. Staring up at Frank, you find him staring right back, his lips parted and panting faintly. He seems as surprised as you to find you kneeling so boldly, so obviously hungry for more. With his eyes remaining on you, Frank pushes his jeans lower, his erection springing out of it and catching your immediate attention. You utter a sharp breath at the size of him, your jaw aching in delicious anticipation. You would feel embarrassed with how your mouth floods with saliva at the idea of using your mouth on Frank, or at the unbidden, high-pitched, keening sound that comes from you at the wave of want, but you cannot regret anything, as you see how Frank closes his eyes as if fighting to keep in control. 

“Please?”

Frank makes a small laugh that sounds between amazed and incredibly turned on after you have spoken. 

“Feels like I should be the one beggin’, Sweetheart.” 

Warming all the more from his words, you shuffle closer. You slowly curl your fingers around his length, feeling the heat and hardness under them, and lean in. You kiss the tip, just over the slit, before opening your mouth to let the flat of your tongue press under the head. Curling your tongue this time, you pull him in and suck gently over the tip. Frank exhales loudly as you moan around him, getting the first taste of him. It’s heady to get this kind of reaction from him right off the bat. You open your mouth again and let your tongue slide down the base of his cock, before moving back up and sucking the head back in. You keep it slow, fighting the urge to take him in as deeply as you can. For now at least. You crave more of the small, aborted movements that Frank makes, like he is also trying to hold back from thrusting forward. You end up being the one to give in first, the second that Frank’s fingers slide into the small hairs at the back of your skull. With your other hand on his hip, you moan, high, and relax your jaw, letting saliva coat Frank’s cock until he hits the back of your throat. He’s about to pull away as you choke a bit harder than expected, but you don’t let him, taking him right back in, humming and moaning repeatedly as you move back and forth over his length. Your mind is in a haze of lust, your eyes closed and your whole body only feeling, taking pleasure in tearing sounds from Frank; cut-off groans and grunts that only make you work harder. 

The hand in your hair tightens suddenly, Frank pulling you off him with a decisive growl. 

“Fuck, you’re somethin’ else,” he says in a rumbling tone, as he pulls you up until you are standing again. 

He doesn’t give you any room to reply as he kisses you deeply again, while walking you backwards until you encounter the foot end of the bed. Agile fingers unclasp your bra, the garment falling from your skin and leaving your breasts on display for Frank. He takes a step away from you and has you sitting on the bed before it is his turn to kneel between your parted legs. He leans into you as you cup his face and kiss him again, the position different now. Frank quickly makes his way down your neck with his mouth, while his hands slowly stroke down your back and over your sides, making you squirm a little. Frank chuckles and takes one nipple into his mouth, playfully pulling at it with his teeth. You whimper and clamp your legs together, only his body stopping you as you feel the heat getting stronger and stronger between your legs. Taking pity on your breasts, Frank moves lower again, leaving small licks and kisses over your skin to reach your underwear. His fingers hook into your panties, and you obligingly lift your hips to help him remove them. You are sitting, fully bared to him, while he still has his pants on. You fight the impulse to cover yourself, your legs still blocked by Frank’s presence between them. His hands are on your thighs now, his thumbs trailing slowly, teasingly over the inside of your thighs, the skin already feeling sensitive when he has barely touched you yet. His hands move to your hips and pull at you until you slide forward. Enough for him to— With a kiss to the inside of your thigh, Frank leans in, the bed at the perfect height that he does not have to really lower himself a lot to press his lips against your core. You watch him with wide eyes as he nuzzles against your mound, before the tip of his tongue strokes around your outer lips. Your mouth opens slightly as you observe him, let him tease you, only your trembling legs and your arms that hold you up behind you are proof of how much he affects you. You whimper as he gently suckles at your inner lips, avoiding your clit purposely. A moment later, his tongue passes through your folds and finally runs over your neglected clit. You jerk at the contact, your body so high-strung already that this simple tease is enough to get a strong reaction out of you. As if that had been what he had been hoping for, Frank folds his arms under your thighs and squeezes your hips. He keeps you in place as his ministrations gain intensity, his tongue pressing harder, his mouth sucking at your flesh. You curl over him, your hands in his hair as your hips undulate to get more. You can’t help yourself, your body moving on its own accord from Frank’s devoted mouth and the enthusiastic sounds coming from him. 

“F-Frank? I – Ah – Please. I-”

“Mhm?” Frank does not stop what he is doing, that sound the only hint that he is listening to you. 

“Iwannacomewithyouinsideme,” you get out in a rush, your voice catching on another moan as your body trembles from Frank’s tongue teasing its point around your clit. 

Frank stops, and you look down at him, meeting his dark gaze. Your whole face burns at the sight of Frank’s mouth, nose, and chin covered in your juices. He swipes a palm over his lower face as he straightens on his knees before he stands, his dick bobbing proudly at the motion. 

“Yeah?” He leans over you, getting you to instinctively lie down on the bed. 

“Uh huh.” 

Frank smiles faintly as he kisses you slowly, one hand holding him up at your side while the other returns between your legs. He presses two fingers inside you, making you moan into his mouth and squeeze his legs with yours that are still folded over the end of the bed. Frank gathers both of your knees over his arms, lifting your legs off the ground and pressing them up. Withdrawing to look at you, Frank puts one of his knees on the bed, while he keeps his balance with the other foot on the floor and guides himself inside you. Your eyes don’t waver from his, unable to tear your gaze away from his undivided attention as he fills you so completely. Your mouth falls open on a silent cry, that transforms into a low moan of deep pleasure as inch after inch strokes against your walls as his cock creates space for itself. You reflexively clench around him, making Frank buck his hips sharply forward and ripping an electrified gasp from you. Finding the right position, Frank starts moving, slowly at first, until you press your heels into the small of his back and he suddenly pistons forward, hard. Your head snaps back, and you cry out with each slap inside you. Your hands grip at his arms and shoulders as a wave of jumbled words comes out of the both of you; you beg for more, while Frank is telling you how good you feel. 

Your orgasm runs through you slowly, growing in strength as it goes from your center until it goes through your whole body, your toes tingling and curling with the force of it. You can feel yourself clenching around him repeatedly, which makes Frank curse at the back of his throat, and his hips snap shortly. He watches raptly as you fall apart underneath him, waiting until you are reaching the end of your climax for him to fall into his own. His head bows forward and his knee buckles a little as pleasure takes over his body. You watch him through heavy lidded eyes, your breath coming in quick pants. You let your fingers slide over his back and shoulders and bite your lip on a soft smile when he frowns with his eyes still closed and lets out a long breath through his nose. He slowly opens his eyes and catches your gaze after you have slid your fingers into the hair at his nape. He leans in without a word, grazing his lips against yours before his tongue teases at your upper lip. Frank lets go of your legs for you to wrap them loosely around the back of his thighs as you nibble at his tongue. He huffs out a small laugh at your action and presses his lips fully against your smiling ones. There is no urgency anymore, the exchange slow and sensual. It’s as Frank shifts and almost pulls out of you that you remember that your ass is hanging halfway over the end of the bed. You start giggling at your realization, and Frank draws back with a curious smile on his lips. 

“We didn't even fully make it on the bed.”

Frank blinks and lifts his eyes to the top of the bed. He hangs his head and chuckles warmly, then presses a few kisses into your jaw. 

“Got caught up in the moment, I guess.”

You hum contentedly and turn your head to the side to give Frank better access to your neck. You stay that way a while longer, anyway; you never feel cold with the warmth coming from Frank.

Ultimately, you do have to move, remembering your flight the next morning. 

“I’m going to take a quick shower.” You stand on wobbly legs and make your way to the bathroom. Frank only makes a sound indicating that he heard you. You stop at the door and bite your lip. “If you want to stay, you can take a shower too.” 

You say it as nonchalantly as possible, since you don’t want to pressure him into anything. You know that this is a one-time thing, but why not spend a little more time together. If he wants to.

“Sure.” There is no hesitation, not even a second of consideration. 

You smile and nod before vanishing in the bathroom. 

Once the two of you are done with the bathroom, Frank joins you in bed in only his boxers, while you wear an oversized tee shirt and a pair of panties. 

“You’re sure you don’t want to go to your room to get something?” 

“Nah, I’m good like that.” 

You had thought that it would feel awkward, but you settle comfortably next to each other, and you switch off the lights. Frank shifts next to you, and you feel him wrapping an arm around your waist as he moves to face your back. 

“That okay?” He whispers into your ear. 

Always so considerate. 

“Yeah,” you breathe, resting an arm over his. “At least I know I won’t be cold tonight.” You grin. 

Frank chuckles, moving the hair at your nape. With his heat at your back, you fall asleep in no time. 

You wake some time later, feeling slightly disoriented. There is a warm presence against you, and that is when you remember Frank. You smile softly to yourself, realizing that you have moved in your sleep since, you are now curled into Frank’s side, the man himself lying on his back with an arm outstretched and under your head. The darkness all around you tells you that it is still very early. A quick glance at your smartwatch confirms your assumptions; a few minutes past 3. Glad that you have another three hours to sleep, you borrow further into Frank’s side. His body radiates warmth and from this close, you can smell the shower gel as well as the last traces of his aftershave. A shiver travels down your back at the scent, a heat that has nothing to do with Frank’s body slowly curls in your belly. Your eyes open, and you can faintly make out the contours of Frank’s profile. You bite your lower lip as you think. Your face is only a few inches away from Frank’s. Would he mind if you—? He wanted to stay the night, so you guess that— Feeling emboldened by the darkness, you decide to make the most out of the night with Frank. Tentatively, you lean in and slide your lips against the side of Frank’s neck, until you reach the underside of his ear. There is a faint grunt that comes from Frank, but he otherwise neither moves nor says anything. This time, you graze your teeth over Frank’s ear lobe, before you gently suck on it. A deep breath is the only response you get to this, and you wonder if he is awake yet. Pressing your whole front against Frank’s side, you tickle your fingers over his stomach and follow the line of the elastic of his boxers. Your mouth continues to give attention to his ear. 

“You do realize that there will be consequences for what you’re doin’, right?” Frank suddenly rumbles, his voice rough from sleep and something more. 

You startle a bit at the sound of his voice, but chuckle a second later. 

“I sure hope so.” You nip at his ear lobe and slide a finger lower to find Frank already more than half hard. 

Frank growls and rolls onto his side to face you, forcing you to pull away from his ear. The hand from the arm you are lying on moves to your hair to fist in it; not enough to hurt, but there. You can feel his breath over your face, he is so close, yet he does not kiss you or move any closer. 

“Think you can take it? I don’t take kindly to being woken up and teased like that.” The tone is playful, you can tell that he is smirking, but what makes you say your next words is the hint of delicious danger in his voice. 

“Try me.” 

There is a dark chuckle right before Frank moves. Within a few, short seconds, you find yourself on your front, your face in the pillows and Frank straddling your legs. You barely have the time to gasp before Frank takes hold of your hips and pulls your ass up. Your panties get lowered to mid-thigh, keeping your legs together, while Frank pushes your tee shirt up and off. You raise onto your elbows and try to look behind you despite the almost full darkness, only the outlines of Frank’s body visible to you. Frank pulls you back towards his hips, the motion followed by the feeling of the blunt head of his cock parting your damp folds and pushing inside swiftly. 

“Oh fuck,” you cry, as your closed legs create an even tighter passage for him. 

Frank does not go easy on you, as warned, and fucks you quickly, his hips smacking loudly against your ass, his hands firm over your waist. Your elbows quiver, while moan after moan and small cries of pleasure are torn out of your mouth every time he dives back in. You love every second of it, and it comes as no surprise that you come explosively, his cock rubbing against your walls in the most perfect way, your closed legs making sure of that as well. Frank fucks you through your release, the thrusts slower, but he still goes as deep as possible until your upper body crumbles to the mattress as you come down again. You gasp after he suddenly pulls out, your walls now clenching around nothing, and see him moving to your side of the bed in the darkness. 

“Wanna feel your mouth again.” 

You are off the bed and with your knees on the floor in a matter of seconds after he has spoken. Your legs are still feeling like jello, meaning that this position is perfect for you, the eagerness to take him into your mouth again returning with full force. 

“Shit, you’re fuckin’ perfect,” Frank groans once you have sucked the head between your lips. 

You whimper at the praise and pull off to lick your way around his whole length. You moan as you taste yourself, his whole cock slick with your essence, and press your thighs together at the phantom feeling of having him still deep inside you. Frank’s fingers move into your hair, while his hips start thrusting shallowly. You groan and stop moving, while you relax your jaw and make small, affirmative sounds. Frank understands your intentions just fine and starts thrusting in and out at a quicker pace. His hands hold your face in place, while you are holding yourself steady at his thighs. 

“Fuck, Sweetheart, I'm—”

You keep him close, wordlessly telling him that you want all of it. Frank’s hands tighten in your hair as he starts coming with a cut-off expletive, coating your tongue with his bittersweet release. 

You slump back against the bed, resting your back there for a moment as you catch your breath and swallow. Frank joins you and cups the sides of your face with his large palms. He does not say anything, yet the way he presses his lips against yours tells you that he more than enjoyed himself. As he helps you stand, you realize that your panties are still around your thighs. You huff out a small laugh and quickly pull them back in place, before going to blindly hunt for your tee shirt on the bed. You settle back on the bed like earlier, except that you are now facing him. 

“Told you I can take it,” you say with a wide grin as Frank puts a hand on your thigh. 

“You’re a goddamn menace once all the shyness has gone, you know that?” Frank snorts and squeezes your thigh. 

Your grin turns soft as you take in his words and think back to how nervous you had been a few hours earlier. Frank’s tone clearly implies that he likes it, as surprised as he might be about it. You are just as surprised as him, if you have to be honest. 

“Guess you make it easy.” You shrug with one shoulder. 

Frank does not reply, but his hand moves from your thigh and comes to slide the fingers over the side of your face and gently to the back of your neck. He keeps his hand there for a moment, the gesture affectionate and making you smile. 

“Get some rest, Sweetheart.” Frank leans in to press a soft kiss against your forehead. 

You hum in agreement, your stomach tightening at the kiss, and close your eyes. Sleep takes a little longer before it gets you this time, but you fall into a dreamless sleep once it does claim you. 

This time you wake because of the alarm on your phone going off. It lies on the bedside table where you had left it before heading into the bar. You quickly snatch it from the surface and stop the alarm. Frank groans next to you and turns to lie on his stomach. You stare at him for a few seconds before you force yourself to get up, not wanting to miss your flight. You freshen up in the bathroom and get ready in record time, glad that you had packed your suitcase before dinner, leaving you to only put back your pajamas and other necessities like a toothbrush and such. You look around the room to check if you have not forgotten anything. Your eyes return to the bed once you are sure that you have everything packed, and stare at Frank. He has not moved again after you had gotten up. You cannot help smiling to yourself at the thought that his tiredness might also be your fault and not only his job. You bite the inside of your cheek as you watch him. Should you wake him? For what? Yeah, you like him, but you know near to nothing about each other. What more is there to say? 

You finally decide to write him a quick note, not wanting to leave just like that. 

I had a wonderful night. Thank you. 

You scribble it on a square of paper with the logo of the hotel on it and leave it on the pillow you slept on. You get your carry-on suitcase and silently open the door, throwing Frank one last look before walking away. 

---

Back at work, you celebrate your success with your team. You open a bottle of overpriced champagne, but you had all worked your asses off, so this felt needed and deserved. Everyone has a lot of fun and that is what really matters. 

Thoughts of Frank come unbidden every now and then, mostly after you have gone home. However, you also remember his expression as he had realized that he knows nothing about the field you work in as you pull up a draft of a company logo that you had been working on before going on your business trip. You laugh to yourself at the memory. 

At times, you wonder if you should have asked for his number, only to shake your head at the thought; with his job, that is not the best idea, and he probably does not have the time for dates. A shame, in your opinion, but it isn’t like you can do anything about it anymore. Moving on is the best thing to do. 

---

Close to a month after you had met Frank, you are having a lazy weekend at home. You are sitting on your couch, legs crossed under you, and your laptop on your thighs. Graphic design might be part of your job, but it has started as a hobby and that is still something that you love to do whenever you are off work. Particularly now, as you are working on a fun birthday card for a close friend. You are clicking away on the mouse and adjusting the size of the text over the top of the card, when there is a knock at your apartment door. 

You turn your head and stare at the door with raised eyebrows, since you are not expecting anyone today. Putting the laptop beside you, you get up and head towards the entrance. You curiously look through the peephole and nearly do a double take after glimpsing who is on the other side of the door. You take a step back as you frown in confusion, before slowly opening. 

Frank’s head lifts from where he had been staring down, his eyes immediately catching yours. 

“Hey,” he says tentatively, looking sheepish. 

“Hi.” You blink rapidly a few times, still slightly shocked. Your mouth opens and closes a few times as you try to form words, but you have no idea where to start. “How – I – Did—”

“Sorry for showin’ up like that, I – I wasn’t sure if I should call first or— Now I think I should've, and— Yeah.”

You stare at him for a beat, before glancing behind you. 

“You want to come in?” You have a nosy neighbor, and you would prefer it if that conversation happens inside. 

Frank nods before he walks into the apartment after you have moved inside to let him in. He closes the door while you lean against the back of your couch, your hands holding you up on the headrest. You observe Frank, who glances around your place before he returns his eyes to you. 

“Nice place.”

“Thanks.” A beat of silence. “Did you look me up?” You question, completely baffled, but you cannot help smiling in amused astonishment and at Frank’s apparent uneasiness. 

Frank grimaces and scratches at the back of his neck as he nods sheepishly. 

“Shit, yeah, I know how it looks— I promise I don’t usually do shit like that. I just— You were gone when I woke up and— I dunno, I guess— I wanted to see you again and-”

“Frank, it’s fine. Well— I can’t say I’m not surprised, but— I guess it’s part of your job to do stuff like that?”

Frank visibly relaxes as he realizes that you are not mad at him. “Yeah,” he sighs. “At first I was just curious, y’know. Didn’t plan on just bargin’ in like that. Then I realized that we’re both from New York.”

Your eyebrows go up in surprise, and Frank nods in confirmation at your expression. 

“Hell’s Kitchen.” 

“Guess it really is a small world, huh?” 

Your neighborhood is only one down from Hell’s Kitchen. 

Frank nods before he looks down and frowns. 

“Listen, I know this is weird, and the night we spent together was meant to be just that, one night, so I can just leave and—” Frank trails off with a self-conscious shrug. 

You stare at him for a bit. You definitely do not want him to leave. As surprised and confused as you are that he wanted to see you again, you cannot lie about not having thought about him either. 

“Are you here for business or for pleasure?” You ask as you throw Frank a small, tender smile, echoing your first words to him. 

Frank’s head snaps up at your words, a pleased smile slowly forming on his face. He tentatively comes closer, as if checking if this is alright with you. You stay where you are and wait for him to reach you. He cups your face and strokes his thumbs over your cheekbones. 

“More than just pleasure,” he promises before he kisses you.