[Fanfic] Unexpected Guest

[shuufleur93]

Status: Complete
Title: Unexpected Guest
Fandom: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Word Count: 3644 words
Type: OS
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: Frank Castle & Matt Murdock
Additional Tags: Sick Matt Murdock, Trope Bingo Round 10, Pre-Slash
Summary: Frank hadn't expected to find Daredevil soaked to the bone in his apartment.
Notes: Fill for an old DDKM prompt. Formerly titled: Cold Day.
AO3 Link: Unexpected Guest

Max dashed through the open door and sprinted up the stairs to the apartment where Frank was currently staying.

“Alright, boy, don’t worry, you’re gonna get warm soon,” he said when the dog started to scratch at the door, whining. Frank unlocked the door and opened it. As soon as he did, the dog barged inside and proceeded to shake himself, sending snow and water all around him. Frank sighed and followed suit.

“Who’s going to mop that up?’ Frank asked the dog. Max tilted his head to the right and wagged his tail even faster before darting into the living room.

“Yeah, yeah,” Frank muttered, closing the door and hanging the leash on the hanger in the hallway. He was going to put the groceries away in the kitchen when Max started to growl lowly.

Instantly, Frank put down the groceries and grabbed his gun. From his position, he could only see the arm of the couch, Max’s body hiding whoever he was growling after. Rear legs coiled under him, body tensed, Max seemed ready to pounce on whoever had sneaked in here. Frank joined his dog, raising his gun in case the fucker thought it had been a clever idea to enter the Punisher’s hideout.

When the couch came into full view, Frank had to take stock of the situation for a full second. He holstered his weapon and knelt in front of the couch.

“Red?”

The man laid on his stomach, his stupid suit drenched with droplets of water steadily falling and feeding the small puddle on the ground. The hero twitched slightly, tremors wracking Daredevil’s body.

“Sit, Max,” Frank ordered the dog, who whined but listened and plopped his butt on the ground. The only visible part of Red’s face was too pale, and his lips had a worryingly blue tint. He mustn’t have gotten in long before Frank; the couch wasn’t as soaked as he had thought.

“Damnit, Red.”

Frank sneaked his fingers underneath Red’s ridiculous mask to check his pulse. It was rapid and faint. Frank swore. Why did he have to come to Frank’s? How did he even know where to find him? He understood why Red wasn’t at the hospital (secret identity and all, but surely Red had friends that could help him, like Karen or any other person in New York City.

Red tried to get away from Frank’s fingers, lifting his arm to push him away but barely hit him. The idiot probably did the martyr thing during one of his saintly escapades, like diving into a fucking frozen river to save a little girl, or something even more righteous, knowing full well his stupidity couldn’t protect him from the cold.

Now, Frank might not appreciate Daredevil’s methods in dealing with scum, but he wouldn’t let him die on his watch.

First he should probably get Red dry and move him to his bed. Frank went to the bathroom to grab towels and a thermometer. When he came back into the living room, he grabbed his phone and sent a text to Curtis, asking him for more information about the situation. If this was hyperthermia, he was going to need help.

He pocketed the phone and rolled his eyes when Max had apparently jumped on the couch and snuggled against Red.

"Get down, boy,” Frank ordered with a snap of a finger. Max’s ears twitched, and he whined, hiding his snout under Red’s neck.

The superhero moved from the touch and sighed something about “Frank”, “dog” or maybe “God”.

“Max, down,” Frank repeated, getting his voice lower. “I can’t work with you on the way. Max let out of a sniffle, but finally stood, and jumped down to stand beside him. Frank scratched his head in thanks, murmuring, “Good boy.”

Frank needed to get him out of this suit first, that much he knew. Before he could start, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

RECEIVED @ 8:25 p.m.

Curtis

You OK?

SENT @ 8:25 p.m.

Yes. So?

When Curtis didn’t reply right away, Frank got to work. He hesitated to remove Red’s helmet but decided to do it just to make sure he didn’t have any other injuries. He’d rather have an angry Daredevil on his tail than a dead one. Frank made sure to ignore what this meant and grabbed the horned helmet and pulled it. Weakly, Red raised his arm and tried to swap Frank away. At least, he was still conscious, which reassured him a little. Red tried to roll on his back so Frank helped him finish the movement.

With better access to the helmet’s straps, Frank was able to pull out the helmet, revealing Red’s face. Frank’s heart skipped a beat at the familiar face. He knew who Red was ever since that fight on the rooftop between Red, his girl and the ninjas. But it was something to deduce and another to see Matt Murdock’s face behind the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Frank shook his head. He shouldn’t lose focus. As he was putting the mask on the coffee table when his phone vibrated again.

RECEIVED @ 8:28 p.m.

Curtis

Keep the person in a warm, dry place. Remove any wet clothes, hats, gloves, scarves. Prepare warm blankets & favor torso, neck, armpits & groin. If not enough, own body heat can help. Check temp often. If conscious, warm drinks are good. Avoid caffeine & alcohol. If they stop shivering & are unconscious go to hospital.

RECEIVED @ 8:28 p.m.

Let me know if you need help.

He sent a text thanking Curtis and turned back to Red. The man had his eyes open and was panting lightly, body still shaking.

“Frank?” he asked, voice hoarse. He lifted his trembling hand into the air.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

Frank grabbed his hand. Murdock’s face seemed to relax as if he was relieved to be with Frank. The vigilante frowned, confused by the contradiction that is Matt Murdock.

“Gotta get you out of your pajamas, Red.”

Murdock sighed but nodded. He tried to fend off Frank from undressing him, but he quickly realized that he was too weak to even grab the edge of his suit.

Frank started with his gloves, which fell with a splash on the ground. Then he looked at the top to see where he could unclasp it. There were two rivets that looked like snap fasteners. When Frank realized Red was wearing a vest, which blended so well with his suit, it didn’t look like it.

His suit might look ridiculous, but it was good craftsmanship.

When he was done removing the vest, Frank had a much easier time undressing Red. He had a sort of jacket that he unzipped and a black long-sleeved shirt, one of those athletic ones, which was also soaked.

Frank went to grab a towel and softly patted Red’s shivering chest with it. He then took his boots and his pants off. When he saw that even his boxer briefs were wet as well, Frank sighed and looked at Red. The man was tilting his head towards him, paying attention.

“I gotta remove your underwear, Red, it’s soaked. You fine with it?”

Murdock swallowed, hesitant but nodded curtly after a beat.

Frank tried to make it as clinical as possible. Even in his state, Red didn’t seem comfortable being undressed by Frank. It was a rather intimate gesture, but the vigilantes had been desensitized to the army. He’d seen his fair share of asses and dicks in non-sexual moments.

Frank removed the boxer and put a towel on the groin to offer a bit of privacy. He dried as much as possible of the wetness before wrapping Red in a warm blanket.

“Alright. We’re gonna move to the bedroom, you’ll be much more comfortable there. Is that alright?”

Red’s teeth were clattering so he opted for a nod. Franck secured the blanket and helped the other man stand, but Red’s legs gave out and he almost fell on the coffee table.

“Hold on,” Frank said, tightening his grip on Red’s shoulders. Now that he was closer, Frank could see beads of perspiration rolling from Red’s face. He really should check his temperature. Frank slowly walked to his bedroom with Red shuffling by his side. It seemed the trip to the bedroom lasted hours but Frank didn’t mind and Red didn’t complain.

Near the bed, Frank half carried a dizzy Red and helped him climb in. The other vigilante fell on the bed with a grunt, his eyes closing.

“Come on, Red, keep your eyes open, you can’t go to sleep.”

“Frank, I’m blind. Whether I keep my eyes open or not doesn’t matter.”

But he did open his eyes though unfocused and looking in the wrong direction. If Frank still had a sense of shame, he would have winced.

“Right. Sorry.”

Daredevil chuckled weakly.

“Must be bad if you’re apologizing.”

“Get under the covers, Red.”

Frank had lifted the blanket and helped Red get under it. He took the towels back and put them in the heater of the living room.

He went to the kitchen and started to think about what he should make for Red. Curtis had said that he had to avoid alcohol and coffee, which was basically all that he had. He wasn’t sure that just warm water would taste good. He texted Curtis again. The man could probably bring him what he needed. He didn’t like going himself if it meant leaving Red alone. He went back to his bedroom, where Red had completely burrowed himself under the covers.

“Red?”

The other man groaned and pulled slightly the cover down to let an ear out. It made Frank smile, and he was somehow grateful Red couldn’t see it.

“You, OK?” Frank asked.

“Cold. Hot. Dunno. ‘irsty.”

“I know, buddy.”

Red was still shaking like a leaf, and while he could always bring back the towels, it might not be enough. Frank sighed. There was another solution; one Frank wasn’t sure how well it would be received.

“Alright, here’s a deal, Red. You’re cold, I’m not. I can help you raise your temp so that you don’t die on me. But don’t punch me.”

“Kn-knew you want-ed snuggles,” The hero replied, a wan smile on his lips, slurring.

Frank rolled his eyes.

“Smartass.”

Frank undressed himself to his boxer briefs and t-shirt and slipped under the covers. He hesitantly touched Red. The other man startled at first, then relaxed and snuggled against Frank. He put his head on Frank’s chest, nose up in the crook between the neck and shoulder, buried his hands under his shirt, entangling their legs together. When he finally settled, Red sighed and tightened his grip on Frank, his muscles tensing occasionally from the shivers.

Frank had waited for the other man to relax and started to touch Red’s back, just a tentative brush. When the other man didn’t say or do anything, Frank moved more assuredly to help warm Red.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that. Frank left his phone in the kitchen, and he didn’t have any clocks in the bedroom.

Occasionally, he checked that Red was still conscious. At one point, he wanted to fetch the towels to wrap Red in it but the other didn’t seem to want to let him go. When Frank wanted to leave, Red grabbed his wrist and asked him to stay. So, he did, which he would chastise himself for being so weak.

A knock forced Frank to extract himself from Red’s grip.

“Frank, it’s Curtis. I know you’re there. Open up.”

Frank opened the door and ushered his friend in.

“What are you doing here?” Frank asked, ignoring the unhappy face Curtis made.

“A thank you would be appreciated, dude,” Curtis sighed. “I came to check on your friend.”

“Not a friend.”

“And I’ve brought stuff for whoever you got stashed in here with hypothermia.” Curtis shoved a plastic bag into Frank’s chest and went to the bedroom. If he noticed the Daredevil suit, the man didn’t show it. Frank gathered the suit and threw it in a cardboard box.

Curtis got out of the bedroom and stopped in front of Frank.

“He seemed to be OK.”

“Good.”

A long silence fell between them as Curtis tried to tell him to fess up with his eyes, but Frank stayed stubbornly silent. Curtis sighed.

“I’ll leave you alone with your friend. Don’t hesitate to call me if his state worsens. Or better yet, get him to the hospital.”

Frank grunted his assent. Curtis shook his head and finally left.

Frank looked at the stuff Curtis brought; apart from chicken soup and some infusions that almost made a Frank gag, there was an electric blanket as well as some pain meds, probably for when Red was strong enough to swallow it. At the bottom of the bag, there was also a thermometer, still in its package.

Frank went back to the bedroom to check on Red. The other man tilted his head when he came in.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been into freezing water.”

His speech didn’t slur as much and he seemed alert.

“Smartass. I’ve got some chicken soup if you’re hungry.”

Red took a beat before answering as if he was thinking about it.

“Sure. I guess I can eat.”

“Be right back.”

Frank went to warm up the chicken soup in a bowl and tasted it to make sure it wasn’t too hot. He didn’t have a tray so he threw the spoon into the bowl and went back to the bedroom. He walked to Red’s side and put the bowl on the table rest.

“Gotta sit up if you want to eat,” Frank said, hovering. The covers fell a little and showed the top of Matt’s head.

“Fine.”

“Do you need help?”

“No.”

Even though Red said no, Frank helped him and adjusted the still warm towels around Matt’s shoulders. He then sat on the edge of the bed and took the bowl of soup.

“Come on, open up, Red,” Frank asked with a smirk as he scooped up soup with the spoon. Red scrunched up his nose and made a face. The vigilante didn’t know if it was because Red hated chicken soup or because it was Frank feeding him.

Red made no movement or said anything to indicate to Frank he could start spoon-feeding him.

“Come on. Open your pretty lips and eat,” Frank continued, only realizing what he had said when Red blushed, a rosy tint on his cheeks, almost too glaring on his sickly pale face.

“Not sure… ’m feeling bett’r, Frank, no need—” Red protested weakly.

Frank tutted.

“That’s not gonna work with me, Red. I know you loved the snuggles and know you’re gonna love the soup.”

Matt grimaced.

“Embarrassing, Frank.”

“Hey,” he replied, falsely offended. “I had kids, Red. I wasn’t just some heartless monster before.”

It was a joke, but it seemed that Red didn’t get it. His face closed and he pressed his lips into a thin line. He was going to say something, but Frank stopped him. He didn’t really want to hear him preach about forgiveness or any of his other bullshit speeches.

“Red. Eat,” he said, more demanding than Red apparently appreciated. Amazingly, the other man didn't protest. With a slight touch, Frank warned Red where the spoon was. Red only ate a few spoons of soup before he started to feel nauseous. Frank put back the soup on the table rest, took the thermometer and checked his temperature. It was still a bit too low, but it didn’t seem like Red was going to die of cold this time.

“Stay under the covers. If you’re hungry, the soup is on the bedside table. Call for me if you need anything else.”

Frank left Red to go to the living room. Max’s head sprung from his bed and looked at Frank with humid eyes. Frank swore.

“Don’t scare me like that, Max.”

Max only wagged his tail and walked to Frank trying to sniff and lick his hand when he scratched his head. A smile spread on his lips as the enthusiastic licks warmed his heart.

“Come on, buddy. Time to eat,” he said suddenly, trying to tamper down that feeling.

Frank poured Max’s food into his bowl and the dog hurried to eat. Frank prepared a little something for himself as well. He yawned and thought he got a little sleep, since Red seemed to be well enough. But maybe he could go check on Red before doing that. Frank ate the sandwich he made, patted Max’s head once more and went back to his room.

In the doorway, Frank’s heart stuttered. The bed was empty, the covers pulled over. Frank stepped in, looking around the empty room. Where did he go? Frank hoped the idiot didn’t leave his apartment. If he did, Frank was gonna— He heard the flush of the toilets and he relaxed instantly. Everything was fine. Why was he worried, huh? Why should he be worried for the other man anyway? It wasn’t like the man was some kind of damsel in distress.

The bathroom door opened and Red stepped out. He froze, his hands tightening on the sheet he wrapped around himself like a toga.

“Frank?” Red said, tilting slightly his head, which strangely reminded Frank of Max.

“Yeah, sorry, didn’t tell you where the bathroom was.”

Red’s face looked confused and… embarrassed? Frank raised an interrogating eyebrow, knowing Red couldn’t see him. Red shuffled back to bed and sat.

“How are you feeling?” Frank asked when the other man stayed silent.

“OK. Still cold.”

Frank nodded and rearranged the blanket to cover Red completely when he lay down.

“You hungry?”

“Yeah,” the other man answered, curtly.

“You finish the soup or want something else? I can prepare it.”

Red turned his head towards his general area, looking pensive.  

“The soup is fine. I’m not sure I could eat anything else.”

He sounded a lot better too.

“Alright. You want some meds?”

“No,” Red replied, then added after a beat, “Thank you.”

Frank nodded and went to the kitchen to reheat the soup. When he came back, Matt hadn’t moved from his position.

“You can feed yourself, or do you need me to spoon-feed you?” Frank asked cheekily.

Red scowled.

“If I can go to the bathroom alone, I can eat.”

Frank gave him the bowl and the spoon and let go when Red had a good grip on it.

“If you’re OK, I’m gonna take a nap. I’ll be on the couch.”

“You could… you could always sleep here?” He asked hesitantly when Frank had turned away.

Frank couldn’t help but stare at the other man, observing him curiously. Matt shrugged to hide his embarrassment.

“It’s your bed. I don’t want to throw you out more than necessary. I’ll just finish eating and probably go to sleep too.”

Frank didn’t know what to say to Matt’s unusual request. Matt frowned at Frank’s silence.

Matt added, “Never mind.”

Frank had never pegged Red as needy. He was a stubborn man who didn’t want you to see his weaknesses. When he looked at Red’s pinched face, the way he hunched his shoulder inside the towels or how his hands strongly gripped the covers, Frank couldn’t, in good conscience, leave him here alone.

“You know what, you’re right. It’s my bed.”

Frank removed his shirt and pants. Red started to eat, not “looking” at Frank anymore. The other man knew intimately that Red would make his way out if the chance presented itself.

“By the way, I don’t want to see all my hard work go to waste when you go gallivanting off on the streets,” he said, going to lay down on the bed. Frank grunted as his body hit the mattress. Now that was good.

He heard a snort. He looked at Matt, and even though the lights were dim, he was quite sure Red flashed a grin before sipping another spoon of soup. Frank huffed, and settled on his back, hands on his stomach.

Tiredness took him by surprise now that the crisis was over. His mind and body could relax. His eyelids felt heavy.

Tonight, he didn’t want to fight against sleep.

---

Frank woke up too warm, which was unusual. He opened his eyes. The room was completely dark and he wasn’t alone. He blinked away the tiredness while his brain reminded him why he wasn’t alone and looked at his neighbors in bed. Matt was sleeping on his side, face under the covers, almost curled up against Frank. Max had joined them during the night and had wedged himself between both their legs. Max looked up at Frank when the vigilante moved.

“You know you can’t be on the bed,” Frank murmured at the dog, patting his head. Max wagged his tail and let out his tongue.

“You can stay, but only for tonight”, Frank sighed, weak because of the puppy eyes. “When Red’s gone, don’t expect to sleep in bed again.”

As if he understood Frank, Max lowered his head into Red, still looking at Frank. He rolled his eyes. What did he do to have this dog?

After a short trip to the kitchen then the bathroom, he went back to bed. Matt had taken up the space where Frank had been, forcing Frank to change sides. As soon as he was under the covers, Red took it as a cue to smush his face against his chest, putting an arm around his stomach.

Strangely enough, Frank didn’t seem… strange. It was comfortable, nice, even. And maybe a little emotional. It had been such a long time since he slept with someone. Frank turned his head towards Matt and closed his eyes.