Yes, Kastle is back. Or, the possibility of Kastle is back. That’s really all we needed. We’ve been living off crumbs for years. No, wait, we’ve been living off fanfic. And as we prepare for the possibility of maybe getting real canon Kastle, I wanted to give a nod to the fanfic that kept the ship alive for years. And since I’m feeling like I need a bit of comfort, I’m going to focus on this trope in particular — one that goes very well with Karen Page and Frank Castle.
I’m talking Hurt/Comfort.
So here are 5 Hurt/Comfort fics to keep you going as we await the possibility of canon Kastle.
Invictus by vardaesque (neonheartbeat)
A lot of the good Kastle fic was written a while ago, and this is a good example of one that still really works, even if it feels like so much happened after this was written. Yes, Season 2 of The Punisher gave us a little more context for Frank, but these are still the same characters, and they’re written in a way that makes sense. Plus, the way this fic gets them there feels very, very realistic.
This is a short little fic about Frank and Karen coming back together and then never leaving each other, and it’s entirely too simple, and also who cares? Sometimes you just want to be comforted by the notion that it could indeed be this simple and they could just be these two people, be out there together and live. It won’t happen, of course, because TV, but it’s a nice dream.
even asleep, i think of you by grootmorning
This one’s set mid-The Punisher Season 1, and though a part of me is very much of the ‘this is too obvious for canon Kastle’, we gotta remember the things we did get from canon Kastle, so there’s a part of me that almost wishes we’d gotten something like this. And though we can’t recreate this specific moment, maybe something similar, in the future …?
My weakness is fics where Frank has to choose between his war and Karen and he finally picks Karen. I’m also a sucker for fics where the people in Karen’s life can find a way to get along. It’s not that hard, Matt, is it? Foggy? Frank? Let’s all get along for Karen’s sake, okay? This fic has all of that, and it’s also not all angst. No, there’s a very good ratio of fluff, which is my favorite.
now we’re young enough to try to build a better life by tuntekorpp
Another long fic, and a slow-burn at that, because everyone deserves some slow-burns that actually work out for these two, considering all the time we’ve had to wait. We’re living a slow burn, and we want to believe it’s all going to turn out like this lovely and soft fic where they are soft for each other and end up as happy as they deserve.
What did you think? Are there other fics you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments below!
