THE DENNY'S MEME

[anonasu]

It's late. Like, 3 AM late. You're hungry as fuck, but nothing is open.





Except Denny's.

RULES

1. Post to the meme.
2. Find somebody to eat with. Figure out why the hell you'd do this to yourself.
3a. Oh god. There's a cartoon. Oh god. Oh dear god.
3b. Wash away the taste of... whatever the fuck that was with as much bacon as you can possibly stuff into your mouth.

Comments

frank castle | daredevil (mcu) | ota

[brutalize]

[Frank sweet-talked the wait staff out of a full pot of coffee and he is methodically working his way through it while parked in the corner booth, the one facing the door with a decent view of the street through the large front windows.

Just don't try to take any of his coffee. He might actually be willing to fight for it.]

[stickysituation]

[Peter has parked himself one booth down, papers and books spread out over the table, cramming for midterms in between late night crime fighting. For a while now, though, he's simply been slumped across his notes - Frank probably saw him like that when he came in, since he lost his battle against this involuntary nap a while back. His hair's a mess. He may have drooled a bit. He is easily recognizable as your average college student, except maybe for the fading bruises on his face.

He wakes up with a start as a car honks down the street.

For a few minutes there's the predictable shuffling of papers as he tries to sort out the mess he accidentally made of his notes. He keeps yawning, though, so eventually he grabs his cup and gets up to get some more coffee - only, the pot at the counter hasn't been replaced. He rubs at his eyes and looks around confusedly, before spotting it at Frank's table. He walks over.]

I'm just gonna grab a refill. Do you mind? Do they even know you took the pot, dude?

[He's not waiting for an answer before grabbing it.]

[brutalize]

[Red alert!!! Frank hooks a finger in the pot's handle, thinking he can keep it from going anywhere when Peter's hand makes contact. This is so rude. Never in his life has he suffered such disrespect]

They know I have the pot.

[He looks Pete up and down, from the ridiculous mid-Denny's bedhead to the suspicious facial bruising (hey look at that, they match), to the scuffed up sneakers. Nope. Probably wouldn't have shared even if he'd asked more politely.]

Which you would know if you hadn't been drooling on your table for the last half hour.

[Who takes their homework to Denny's?? Is that a thing? Frank wouldn't know, he definitely skipped college so he could enlist straight out of high school.]

You should go home, kid.

[stickysituation]

[Peter took his homework to Denny's because he knew that if he stayed at home, then his bed would have been right there, and he definitely wouldn't have been able to resist going to sleep. This way, he-- Also went to sleep, but he was uncomfortable about it?

And he's at that point in his desperate cramming where he'll absolutely try to fight over a pot of coffee. So he's going to try to slide that handle off Frank's finger.]

I wasn't drooling. I was just-- Getting a closer look at my notes. And maybe taking a small break, just five minutes, you know what it's like. I could go all night, though. If I could just have some coffee.

[He's absolutely tugging on that pot. It's going to spill if they're not careful but he might be too tired to care.]

They'll make a new pot if you replace it, you know. There'll be more for all of us.

[brutalize]

[Peter's tugging does end up upending some of the piping hot liquid over Frank's fingers (which he curls further around the handle to avoid losing it), but he doesn't let it go or flinch, he just breathes out harshly through his nose, once. He even maintains eye contact: to establish dominance, probably.

Coffee is very serious business.]

If you want some coffee, you can order your own goddamn pot.

[Then with his free hand, Frank gestures up towards the side of his face to indicate that Peter should be checking the corner of his own mouth for something stuck to it.]

And you, uh, got a little— [Seeing if he can get the kid to check for drool tbh.]

[stickysituation]

[Peter lets go, though. It takes him a second to notice, and then he looks horrified, drops the pot, scanning the table for napkins or anything he can use to mop that up.]

Shit. I'm sorry. Are you okay, man? I didn't mean to-- You were pulling, I was pulling, that was a bad idea, I didn't think I'd spill any on you--

[Except then he notices the almost complete lack of any pain reaction. He blinks. Rubs a hand behind one ear awkwardly.]

Uh. There wasn't anyone there. Think they were doing dishes in the back.

[And then-- Yes, he quickly wipes his mouth, just in case. This is getting embarrassing.]

Want me to see if they have a cold cloth for your hand?

[brutalize]

[Aw. That's actually, wow, Peter is absolutely not living up to his duty as an asshole New Yorker to be a much bigger dick than this.

Frank huffs, though whether it's exasperated or amused is hard to tell. (Mostly amused, to be honest.)]

Jesus Christ, kid, it's fine. Calm down. [He's had worse. Judging by Peter's shiner, he's not the only one. He sure is jittery for someone barely awake, though maybe he's just naturally this awkward. Frank sets the pot down too, gesturing at the booth.] Sit. If this is you without caffeine, you really don't need more.

[stickysituation]

[He sits. He doesn't even think about it, really - he's too tired to, so he just obeys. He rubs at his eyes for a moment.]

I used to just drink soda, but then I started college, you know?

[That and late night vigilantism. It's a bad combination if you're looking for a good night's sleep. The awkwardness, though, that he was born with.]

Are you sure you don't want me to get some napkins, at least? [A pause, then he kind of just. Reaches out to touch the pot to check. He flinches back when he feels how hot it is.] Ow. And you didn't even get burned?

[brutalize]

[Frank's eyebrows inch upwards. He's not 100% sure what that actually means, but he can hazard a few guesses.]

What, too poor now?

[That's the thing, right? Penniless college students. The Marines paid... well, not great, but they'd gotten food and board (generously defined) for free since boot camp, so he can't really relate. Plus there's just not enough caffeine in it for Frank, and it tends to be too sweet.

He shrugs either way, pressing the side of his hand against his mouth to get whatever liquid is still there. The skin of his hand is visibly pink, but otherwise it's doing fine.] You ever live in a desert? Accidentally leave something outside for an hour and that shit is hot. This is nothing.

[He nods at the table behind Peter, the one he'd been at before the confrontation began.]

What are you doing trying to study at a Denny's anyway?

[stickysituation]

[Peter shakes his head, repeatedly]

Nah. It's just not enough, not even close to enough, not anymore. No time for sleep, not with midterm's coming up, and reports to hand in, and several essays due next week. So I started drinking coffee. And I don't even like it, actually. But it's cheaper than most energy drinks.

[He yawns, and looks at the pot like he's tempted to make a grab for it again. But after having spilled on Frank once, his manners have gotten the better of him, unfortunately - even if it didn't even faze the guy.

He really is failing to live up to his New York asshole duty, isn't he. Aunt May raised him far too well.]

You lived in a desert? [He sounds a little impressed. Then:] Military? I've only ever lived in New York, so you've already got me beat. What was it like? [Wait-- That sounds like he's asking about his military experience, doesn't it. Manners, Peter. That's what he gets for not sleeping.] I mean. Was it the kind of desert that's freezing at night, scorching by day?

[...Peter, your nerd is showing again. He grins a little, shrugs.]

I was trying to avoid my bed. Thought it would help me stay awake.

[brutalize]

Yeah. [He gestures offhandedly to Pete's face. The whole mess of it, fading bruises and little bit of leftover drool.] Fight club must take up a lot of your time, too.

[He shakes his head, this time more visibly amused than before, taking a drink out of his own almost-empty cup.] Mm. Marines, tours to a couple different places. Never got to freezing while I was in any of them, no matter what time of day. [And when he got to wear all those layers of armor and equipment all day every day, he'd wished it was one of those types of deserts. Even though rapid temperature shifts every night probably would have been hell on their more delicate instruments.] Just hot as balls all the time.