#so does jack

Matt POV

Matt heard children singing Happy Birthday from outside the hospital. Their high-pitched voices absolutely butchered the tune, but the uptick of your heartbeat, the laugh leaving your lips made it music to his ears.

He pulled the cluster of flowers close to his chest, practically running up the stairs toward the cafeteria. The joy radiating from you two floors away was enough to put a wide smile on his face.

Just before passing the doors, Matt tucked the flowers behind his back. He could hear your laugh and imagine your smile as a handful of kids raced toward you. Maybe he couldn't see it, but he loved that smile.

"Woah!" you exclaimed through raucous laughter, "one hug at a time, guys!"

They ignored you, giggling and grappling onto your legs as if they were on a mission to tackle their favorite doctor to the ground. Your arms reached out as you tried to pull each kid in, accepting your fate. Little heartbeats gone wild filled Matt's ears and he couldn't help the grin settling on his lips.

He didn't need eyesight to feel the love in the room. The kids were ecstatic to celebrate someone who took such good care of them. And you did. You cared about your patients with every ounce of your being.

Matt had witnessed it multiple times, simply in the way you talked, or the way you rushed to the hospital upon getting a call. It was part of what made him fall for you. He had such a soft spot for kids and the innocence they carried.

You did too and they were drawn to it. It seemed every time you two had gone out, a baby would stare while you made faces at them, or a small child would approach you to spark up a confusing conversation. It always brought a warm smile to Matt's face, and your enthusiastic reactions nearly made his heart explode.

There was a shift in the room when you saw him. Your heartbeat quickened, beating loudly in his ears, a rhythm he could pick out in a crowd of millions.

Y/N POV

You looked up, your smile growing wider upon seeing Matt. He grinned like a fool as if he could see the litter of kids crowding your feet. Part of you wished he could, so you could share this with him. There was so much joy in each of their bright eyes it nearly broke your heart.

The arm held behind his back caught your eyes, squinting slightly. A lot of time was taken up by your work, so when Matt asked what you wanted to do for your birthday, you didn't bother to make plans. Yet, here he was, making you smile without a single word. Apparently, everyone wanted to surprise you today.

A coworker had gotten all your patients together in the cafeteria, unbeknownst to you of course. As soon as you walked in they screamed happy birthday and broke into song. The tune could've made your ears bleed, but it warmed your heart all the same.

Kids you hadn't seen out of bed in weeks wore happy smiles and a few jumped around gleefully. When they all rushed your legs, you couldn't help but wrap your arms around each one. They went through all that effort just to wish you a happy birthday. And they were all so goddamn cute.

You managed to disperse them by asking if they wanted cake. Of course, the answer was yes, and off they were bounding toward a lunch table.

Your own walk had a little skip in it as you approached Matt, a giddy smile on your face.

"Matt, hi! What are you doin' here?" you asked.

He tilted his head toward you, his lips curling up. When you pulled him into a tight hug he said, "I thought I'd come see you. Happy Birthday."

The hug was awkward and half-assed, one arm slung around your waist. His free arm stayed behind his back, hiding. You pushed up on your toes to spy flowers over his shoulder. The sight of them made your heart flutter, chest full of tiny butterflies. Blue and white daisies, your favorite.

Matt chuckled and revealed them. The bouquet was simple, the stems cut short and tied together with a small black bow.

He held them out and you happily accepted, raising the bundle to your nose. They smelled like fresh spring air and picnics and fluffy white clouds in the sky, new beginnings, and every other lovely thing this time of year.

"Thank you." You smiled, leaning in to peck his cheek.

Before Matt could respond, a little hand tugged at your white coat.

"Hi, Dr. y/l/n!" one of your patients exclaimed before eyeing the strange man he'd never seen before. He asked, "Is this your boyfriend?"

"Oh! Hmm," Your eyes went wide, mouth parting slightly. "Uh..." you struggled to find the right words, the unexpected question sent you for a tailspin.

You glanced at Matt, unsure of the answer. If you said the wrong thing it might get awkward very quickly. That was the last thing you wanted.

You'd only gone out a few times, every moment so perfect your heart ached at the thought of it ending. Neither of you had brought up exclusivity yet, commitment. Maybe it was an unspoken rule to bask in the newness of the relationship first. The dynamic suited you much better than tip-toeing around your feelings, that's for sure.

Foggy would say it was beyond obvious you had eyes for each other way before Matt asked you to dinner. Your flirting had gotten increasingly obnoxious over the year, closeness being your only goal sometimes. Often you leaned a little too close or he held you a little too long when you hugged goodbye.

It was probably your conversations that were the most annoying. You almost always walked that line between love and friendship, no room for others to chime in. For a while, it had been a line growing thinner and thinner. A few weeks ago it finally broke loose, news Foggy and Karen were elated to hear. They could finally stop banging their heads against every wall in sight, watching and waiting for something, anything to happen...or so they said, quite dramatically if you got an opinion.

Matt seemed to sense your hesitation and kneeled down in front of the kid, one hand on his ID cane and the other on his knee. There was a small smile on his face as he answered, "Yes, I am. My name's Matthew, what's your name?"

His response snapped you back to reality. You looked down to see Matt's head tilted slightly toward you and a slight blush settled on your cheeks. Maybe you didn't need to talk about it at all, you were on the exact same page. A smile threatened to show, but you bit it back.

“Jack,” your patient answered.

Matt's lips pinched together briefly, his smile turning nostalgic. He'd recently told you about his father and the way he died. Hearing his name probably brought back a lot of memories. Good ones, you hoped.

"That's a great name," Matt told him. His eyebrows twitched up for just a second before he asked, "Can I tell you a secret, Jack?"

Jack nodded, excited to be in the loop. As Matt whispered in his ear, the boy giggled. You couldn't hold back the smile on your lips. This was the happiest you'd seen Jack in a week, maybe longer.

When Matt pulled back, you heard him ask, "So, you mind if I borrow Dr. y/l/n for a little bit?"

"Nope!" Jack giggled and ran off, calling out behind him, "bye!"

Matt stood up, a wide grin plastered on his face once again. Before you could ask what that was about, Matt offered you his arm.

"Can I take you to lunch, Dr. y/l/n?"

You couldn't help but match his smile. It was contagious.

"Absolutely, Mr. Murdock," you said, curling your arm around his. "Just let me put nicer clothes on."

You basically dragged him to the locker room, leaving him in the hallway while you changed as fast as you could. Anxious and excited fingers ripped your poor scrubs off, leaving them in a pile at the bottom of your locker.

Matt's impromptu visit and lunch plans had you jumping out of your skin. He wouldn't tell you where he was taking you, insisting on it being a surprise. It made you chew at the inside of your lip, a nervous habit you'd never quite knocked.

You were never one for birthday surprises. Mostly because they usually involved fancy restaurants or gifts you didn't know how to accept. For all you knew, he could be taking you somewhere they only served red wine so you could spill it all over your white sweater.

What if he took you somewhere a little too nice and you made a fool of yourself trying to pronounce some foreign dish? You could see it now, some sort of tortellini decorating your clean clothes, bleach in hand as you hopelessly scrubbed it out in your bathroom sink.

You looked in the mirror, fixing your hair as a heavy breath caved your chest in. Maybe you were getting all worked up over nothing. One more deep breath and you decided right then it didn't matter where Matt took you. It would be amazing regardless of the setting. His company made nearly anything worth it.

You walked out of the locker room and stopped in front of Matt, asking just one more time, "Could you at least tell me where it is?"

He smiled and started walking away with a shake of his head, too aware of your blatant reach for clues. His answer remained vague, "It's just a couple of blocks from here."

Hmmm, you pulled your bottom lip in between your teeth.

The crime rate made it difficult for restaurants to survive in the area. There was certainly nothing upscale around. A few small businesses littered the streets, but you couldn't recall a single diner within a few blocks.

The hospital wasn't in a wonderful part of town, but it seemed almost purposeful. Most people in need of medical attention lived or got hurt right around the corner. Often you tried not to think of the echoing gunshots within range, dragging wounded patients in one after another.

Lately, there had been a lot of talk about a man in black, saving women and children from harm. Some people called him the Devil, but as long as he kept children safe, you considered him an angel.

Matt's voice broke your train of thought as you walked out of the hospital, "How's your day been so far?"

You smiled, thinking of all the kids singing happy birthday. "Pretty good," you said, "no patient emergencies and a lot of smiles."

"I heard the kids singing to you in the cafeteria," he mentioned, smiling straight ahead.

How long had he stood in the doorway listening in on your moment? You only caught sight of him after being bombarded by the kids and that was well after their song. If you could call it a song. 

Matt was sweet like that. He never barged in and he always knew what to say, when to say it. His ability to read a room so perfectly without sight never ceased to amaze you.

"They really are a bunch of sweethearts," you said, before adding, "but, yikes, the poor kids could not join a choir."

Matt chuckled, reaching over to keep hold of your arm as you walked. You bit back a smile, glancing down for just a second. He only started doing that recently. Every single time, it lit a match in your chest, spreading warmth to each of your fingertips.

Maybe you read too far into it, but somehow it made you feel closer to him. You found a lot of faith in the small gesture, like he trusted you to guide him.

It wasn't long until Matt pulled you to the side toward an old, brick building. A place you'd never thought to wander into. He held the door open and you walked in to see wall upon wall covered floor to ceiling in books.

A quiet breath escaped you, "Woah."

Your eyes darted everywhere at once, drawn in. Bookshelves stretched all the way to the back of the restaurant, little round tables scattered here and there. Old wooden ladders on wheels connected to the shelves on each wall, reaching up for the tallest books.

It was rustic, everything dark brown or black. Baskets with green plants hung from wooden beams in the ceiling, vines reaching down for the tables, old school Edison lights highlighting the stems.

You looked back at Matt, the yellow lighting reflecting orange in his glasses. A sly smile pulled one corner of his lips up.

It quite honestly took your breath away. Years you'd lived here, how had you not found this magical little nook?

"This place is beautiful, Matt," you voiced your thoughts. "Is it new? How'd you find it?"

"Through the grapevine," he answered, "Ben told Karen about it, Karen told me. It's not new, I guess he and his wife used to come here a lot."

"That's so sweet," you replied before looking around again and muttering, "this is awesome."

He smiled and took your hand, sending sparks up your arm. You walked to a table and sat down. A bar with a wooden top stood a few feet away, a chalkboard up above.

You scanned the calligraphy-like writing and asked, "Is this a coffee shop?"

Matt nodded. "Coffee and food. They have regular lunch items too."

"Hmm okay," you hummed, looking around for a menu. The table next to you had them sitting in a holder, so you reached over to grab one.

Just as you were about to read it, Matt's tentative voice made you look up, "I know this isn't the most extravagant place, but it sounded like something you'd love and I thought it was better to keep things low key? I wasn't sure if you—"

"No, you're right. I do love it," you cut him off, "this is amazing, really, so perfect. I was nervous you were gonna take me to some 5-star restaurant where they only serve wine and pasta."

Matt chuckled, sarcasm in his voice, "Ah well, that's more of what I had planned for dinner tomorrow night."

You giggled and rolled your eyes, your head shaking slightly. Matt gave in quickly, saying, "No, that sounds terrible, I'll admit it."

You loved the smile that stretched across his lips. It made butterflies dart around your stomach like you were a teenager in love for the first time again. The way he held your heart in a chokehold without having a clue. It terrified you, but you couldn't bring yourself to want it any other way.

"Right?" you laughed along with him.

You'd known Matt a long time, but this was the first time you'd really talked to him in this light. Openly, at least. You two had your fun before but it was never serious. It seemed you were both too nervous, or maybe too clueless, to make a real move.

Only weeks ago you were tiptoeing around each other, flirting and wishing, but never diving in. That felt so far away. Now he was surprising you at work and bringing your favorite flowers, whisking you away to a spot that felt like a separate dimension.

You ordered lunch and talked, laughed. Every second you got to see more of his humor, his interests, his past. The more he talked, the more you liked him. It was that simple.

Maybe that's why you were so nervous before. If you jumped into this, into him, you knew it would be a swan dive; the fall fast and hard, flying by in a blink of an eye. But if it was right, and it felt so, so right, he would catch you without harm and you could make a home in his arms.

Before you knew it, the two of you were browsing the bookshelves. Every now and then you'd read Matt a couple of pages from a book upon his request. The smile on his face, while he listened to your voice, made your heart skip a beat, maybe three.

There were a few books he liked, a few he chuckled at and called cheesy. Some you picked up on purpose, reading lovely, silly sentences just to hear him laugh again. The sound tied your stomach into pretty knots and you hung onto his every grin.

Now and again, you would twist your wrist upward to check your watch. Time flew by dangerously fast when you were together. You chewed on your lip as one o'clock came and went, nearly one-fifteen now.

As if Matt read your mind, he asked, "What time is it? Do you need to get back to the hospital?"

You frowned and sighed out, "Yeah, I do actually... This has been lovely though. A really, really wonderful surprise."

He reached for your shoulder, lightly sliding his hand down over your soft sweater, grasping your hand. Goosebumps formed at his simplest of touches. You took a step closer and his free hand cupped the side of your face.

You nuzzled into it and he grinned down at you. Slow, too slow. He moved in, barely brushing his lips to yours, making fire rush down your spine. All you wanted was more, but Matt backed off and nudged your nose with his own. That in itself nearly made your knees buckle.

If his sweet gestures could sweep you off your feet, you couldn't help but wonder what else was hidden in his arsenal of tricks. You leaned your forehead against his, eyes closed as you let out a sigh.

"I don't want to go," you said.

The moment was magical. Everything was so wonderful it didn't even feel real.

"Me either," he whispered.

Without warning, you shot up on your toes to close the gap between you. You kissed him harder than any time before. He responded readily, pulling you in by your waist and tangling his hand in your hair. The kiss sent heat through your body, hot lips moved together in sync, your tongue running against his bottom lip.

He let out the quietest groan before pulling away. His voice husky as he chuckled, "Not exactly the place for that, y/n."

"Maybe we should find a better place," you suggested, your tone matching his. You looked up at him through your eyelashes, scanning his face, barely catching his lidded eyes through red-tinted lenses.

Another chuckle left him as he kissed your cheek and pulled away, holding just your hand again. He said, "You have to get back to work, sweetheart."

You stepped right back into his arms, missing the warmth of his touch a little too quickly. His hands found your shoulders as you leaned your forehead into his chest and sighed out, "I guess you're right."

You and Matt had only kissed a handful of times and they were all sickeningly sweet. Once or twice you thought there was an opportunity for more, but Matt stopped before it went anywhere. The first time you figured he just didn't want to move too fast, which you could whole-heartedly stand behind.

But the last time he stopped, you were on your couch enjoying takeout. You had both finished your food so you inched closer, playfully kissing him on the cheek. He chuckled and cupped your face with both hands, meeting your lips with the softest touch you think a man has ever kissed you with.

When you tried to deepen it, Matt pulled away, taking your breath right along with him. He explained his lack of good fortune and how he didn't want to ruin a perfect night.

You took everything in stride, of course, but if you were honest, you didn't understand. If anything, being with him would make the night 100% better. The suspense was quite honestly killing you.

Matt chuckled, his hands falling from your shoulders to your waist as he kissed the top of your head. You looked back up at him, stealing a quick peck as he spoke, "I'll walk you."

You held hands on the way back, fingers intertwined and swinging as you walked through the chilly air. Every now and then you'd glance over to see a small smile settled on Matt's lips. He was enjoying this every bit as much as you and it put you on cloud nine.

The lunch date was perfect, he was so, so perfect. Matt always seemed to know what you wanted even when you didn't say it out loud. At times, he seemed like a mind reader, but really, he was just good with people. Attention to detail was something he prided himself on, something you liked about him.

He could pick up on things quick as a fox. Any slight change in someone's voice, their demeanor, hell, their breathing. You were amazed at how well he read people, the way he worked.

Years of practice, you figured, of listening, being a fly on the wall. However he pulled it off, you were always impressed with him.

When you got back to the hospital you turned toward Matt to press a kiss into his cheek.

"Thank you for lunch, handsome," you murmured against his skin.

He smiled, turning his head to capture your lips with his own before you pulled further away. The unexpected kiss made your heart skip a beat, your cheeks burning a light pink.

"Anytime, beautiful. Happy birthday," his voice was soft.

The widest smile graced your lips as your eyes found the ground. You were glad he couldn't see the way your cheeks turned a darker shade yet.

You recovered quickly, saying, "It's been the best birthday so far."

He laughed, the deep rumble made your chest feel so full. You wouldn't admit it so soon, but that swan dive of yours was coming to an end. A few more feet and you'd tumble straight into him, arms wide open to catch you or not.

You took his hand in yours, running your thumb along his knuckles. They were dry and rough on your skin, but you didn't mind. Pushing up on your tiptoes, you pressed your lips to his, one last solid kiss before you had to leave.

You pulled back with a deep exhale. "Okay, I have to go," you said. "Call you later?"

His mouth pulled up into a close-lipped smile and he nodded. "I'll be waiting."

Your chest burned as if your heart caught on fire. Slipping your hand from his, you turned to enter the hospital. Before you got through the door, you glanced back to see Matt still standing there. As if waiting to make sure you got inside safely. A wide grin pulled the corners of your lips up.

***********

You walked into Jack's room to see him curled up on the bed. His day was good, but nights were always hard. Once exhaustion set in pain visited easier, an unwanted guest forcing its way through the door.

Comfort was all you could offer. His parents couldn't be at the hospital this late with four other kids to take care of. You couldn't blame them either, it was a lot for anyone to juggle.

"Hey Jack," you spoke softly as you pulled a chair up to his bed.

"Hi," his voice was barely a whisper. "I hope you had a good birthday."

You gave a small smile. More than good, it was perfect. The kids and your coworkers surprising you, Matt showing up unexpectedly. The whole day was beyond wonderful.

"I did, Jack," you responded, "thank you."

Jack's eyes closed for a moment, resting, then he looked back up at you. He said, "Matthew is cool."

You smiled again, unable to keep a straight face. Jack really had it out for you today.

"Yeah," you responded with a laugh, "I think he's pretty cool too."

The kid was funny, always asking all the wrong questions at the goofiest times. On more than a couple of occasions, he'd left you dumbfounded and cackling, unable to form words. He was such a joy to have around and yet you wished he'd never stepped foot in the hospital at all.

There were a handful of patients in your department, but none like Jack. He could entertain more than a kid should at his age. And you knew why. It was his defense against the world, against sickness and death. Chemo is hard on anyone, especially children, but Jack was resilient.

As much as you wished you never got the chance to meet him you'd be lying if you said he wasn't your favorite.

Just then, Jack cringed and turned on his side, heavy eyelids propped open to look at you as he said, "He loves you a lot, you know.”

Your eyebrows shot up and you leaned in closer, your head tilted to the side. "What?"

The boy's voice was small and meek and your ears were tired from listening to people talk all day. There was not a single chance you'd heard him correctly.

"He loves you," Jack repeated, "I can tell."

You nearly laughed aloud, biting down on your cheek to keep it inside. Leaning back in your chair, you took a deep breath. So, your ears weren't failing you after all. An amused smile took its place on your lips.

"Oh, yeah?" you questioned, "why do you think that?"

Jack shouldn't have an answer. He met Matt for all of two minutes and saw you guys interact for less than one.

Sure, you'd been friends for what felt like forever, so there was a familiarity there, but nothing else obvious to strangers. Especially to a kid. He was probably reading too much into it, creating fairytales where there were none. That's what kids do, right?

"He talks about you the same way dad talks about mom," he explained.

Your lips parted, heart cracked open at his words. A couple of times you'd walked in the room while his dad carried on about some upcoming surprise or gift for his mother. Jack's face always lit up like a match, excitement filling his frail little body. It usually had you grinning ear to ear as well, the enthusiasm and love contagious.

You smiled sweetly at the boy, eyes half-lidded as his head fell to rest against the pillow. That's why Jack thought he loved you. Matt had done the exact same thing today in the cafeteria by whispering in his ear.

In his mind, there was absolute truth to his conclusion, but in yours, it was a child's words spoken through a sleepy haze. No need to think too hard about it. Nonetheless, it echoed in your head, over and over.

He loves you, you know.

Your hand reached out, clasping his as he blinked a few times, his eyes falling shut. You spoke softly, "That's lovely, Jack. Thank you for telling me that."

Jack smiled but didn't answer, his little grasp loosening around your hand. You sat there for a while, letting him fall into a deeper sleep before you tip-toed out of his room.

You slipped down the hall to an on-call room, collapsing onto a bed. Pulling your phone out, you dialed Matt.

"Hey, you," he answered within two rings.

Your eyes closed as a smile crept onto your lips. His voice was like music to your ears.

"Hi," you breathed out.

If you could be on the phone with him all day, you would never complain again. Matt's soothing voice in your ear could relax you at every turn, like a little angel on your shoulder.

His voice interrupted your thoughts, "So how was your day, birthday girl?"

You heard a slight ruffle in the background as he sat down on what you figured was his bed. For just a moment, your mind wandered to the two of you wrapped up in his sheets, how much more comfortable his chest would be than this damn hospital pillow. You'd more than settle for cuddling, his arms around you tight, pulling you into him.

You shook your head, diminishing the fantasy. Someday, but unfortunately not tonight.

Finally, you answered, "It's been great. That lunch date was really somethin' else."

You could practically hear his smirk through the phone. "I'm glad you liked it."

"I loved it."

"Ah well, I'm glad you loved it," he corrected himself.

His voice was low and tired, something you could fall asleep to every night if he'd let you.

You could imagine it now: laying in bed with him after a long day of work, talking about your day. Drifting off to the sound of his sweet voice as he whispered goodnight. He'd pull you in closer and kiss your forehead just before darkness took you under.

A sigh brushed your lips followed by a frown as you wished it was more than a daydream. Really, you just needed to be patient, but that's never been your strong suit.

You pulled yourself back to the present, saying, "So, I just got done talking with Jack."

"Oh yeah?" Matt sounded amused. "What did he say?"

"What did you whisper to him earlier?" you asked, ignoring his question in place of your own.

Matt chuckled. "I said I had a really big surprise for you."

You turned on your side in the twin-size bed, squinting at the wall. "That's all?"

He hummed on the other end and answered, "I may have also mentioned you were the most wonderful person in the room."

Your lips parted, a wide smile taking over. Well, that was fuckin' cute. Matt was always sweet, but something about him had your heart beating out of your chest more than once today. 

"He thinks you love me," you blurted out before you could bite your tongue. It wasn't what you wanted to say, definitely not what you intended to say...but it's what came out. Heat rushed your cheeks as brief silence hovered.

Matt just chuckled, too entertained. "And what do you think?"

You sucked in a deep breath, swallowing hard. Two times in one day you've been given the opportunity to make an utter fool of yourself. The possibility to make everything fall apart or become awkward made you freeze.

A moment passed before your short-circuited brain conjured a risk-free answer, "I think... it's too soon to say."

Barely a beat skipped before Matt responded, "Too soon to say out loud maybe."

Butterflies fluttered in your stomach and flew through every inch of your body as the line fell silent. How do you respond to that? It sure sounded like a confession to you, but what if he meant something different? You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, chewing on it.

Maybe you should ignore it, move on. If you couldn't find the right words then maybe none needed to be said for now.

You settled on, "Thanks for an amazing day, Matt."

"Eh." You imagined a shrug of his shoulders. "It's not so hard to do amazing things for amazing people."

Butterflies, butterflies, butterflies. They never seemed to stop around the handsome devil. He always managed to say something that turned your insides into a beautiful mess.

If the man was out to steal your heart, he was well within reach. Your swan dive neared its end, catapulting your heart right at him. It would be on full display soon as you hoped he’d hold it safely in his hands.

"Oh, stop it," you said, your tone flirtatious, "you're gonna make me blush."

"Good," he responded, his light chuckle filling your chest with air.

You sighed happily. "You really are somethin' else, Murdock... also thank you for answering so late. I just wanted to talk to you before getting a few hours of sleep."

"Always," Matt responded, "I love hearing your voice."

You pressed your lips together to hide another grin.

"I should probably get some sleep too," he added, his voice soft.

You shut your eyes, darkness pooling your sight. Exhaustion took over, your limbs heavy. 

"Goodnight, Matt," you whispered.

"Sleep well, y/n," he responded.

You reluctantly hit 'end call', a dumb grin on your face. The phone tumbled from your fingers, sliding down the pillow. Your chest felt like a cloud, floating up into the stratosphere. 

Too soon to say out loud, he said. But it was there, you both felt it. 

Who were you kidding? Everyone could tell. Karen and Foggy said it, and hell, it only took Jack a single conversation to see it. 

You yawned, the grin permanently glued to your lips. Even as you fell into a deep sleep, your mind was focused on the one and only Matt Murdock.

********