You and I

Part Six

Karen decided it was time for a girls’ night. You had met Marci a couple times when you’ve dropped by the office with coffee or met Karen for lunch and the two of you got along so far. When Karen pitched the idea to you, you were a little nervous but thought a fun night without the sexual tension you felt with Matt would be a nice change. You knew Marci and Foggy were serious and could tell from how Foggy spoke about her that she was end game for him. Since you’d quickly grown to adore Foggy, this was the perfect opportunity to develop a friendship with Marci.

Marci suggested a nice dinner somewhere with an excellent bar and you quickly agreed. It was a little bit of a walk from the Nelson, Murdock, and Page office but doable and you could take a cab home. This was the first time you had the occasion to dress a little nicer than usual, so you took your time getting ready, enjoying the process. You couldn’t remember the last time you wore a dress or heels and decided to go for it tonight but made sure you took a bag large enough to slip a pair of flats in, just in case. You dabbed a small amount of your favorite perfume on your wrists and throat before giving yourself a final once over in your full-length mirror.

Your burgundy sweaterdress would help keep you warm under your coat in the early December chill while your heeled ankle boots did little for warmth but looked too cute to pass up. You were grateful to Karen for the reminder to pick up tights the last time you were out, knowing you may need them to help layer as winter fully set in. You felt girly and pretty and just excited to make a new friend and have a relaxing night out.

Walking to the office to meet Karen, you reflected on the last few months of your life. While you still missed your mom and had days where the grief kept you from functioning properly, those days were happening less and less. You felt you were exactly where you needed to be at this moment in your life and you knew your parents—your mom, stepdad, and biological father—would be pleased with the close relationship you and Karen had developed. As you arrived at the office and pulled open the outer door to head into the warmth of the building, you sent up a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening.

The office was quiet for a change as you entered through the interior door, finding it a little unsettling. The lights were on and Karen’s desk looked to be in a slight state of disarray as it was typically mid-day, not how she liked it when she was about to leave.

“Hello?” you called quietly.

You heard a chair move and steps towards the open door of Matt’s office before he stepped into the shared space. “Hey, Y/N, I didn’t know you’d be stopping by today.”

“Hey Matt,” you stepped over to give him a quick hug which he reciprocated without hesitation. As you started to pull away, he held you still with his hands as his face was buried in your hair and neck.

“You smell incredible,” he said softly.

“Oh,” you blushed at his compliment as he released his hold to let you step back. “It’s my favorite perfume, thank you.” You stood staring at him, noticing a light bruise on his cheek and a cut on his lip. “Matt, what happened?” you asked as you gently stroked the bruised area to indicate what you meant. You started looking him over for other injuries, your night out pushed to the back of your mind with your concern for him.

“It’s nothing, I promise. I like to box from time to time and stopped a couple of the punches with my face. It’s no big deal.”

“Well, I disagree, I think it is a big deal,” you started, scolding him lightly, “I happen to like your face, so you need to be more careful with it.”

“You do, huh?” Matt smirked at your admission. You could have smacked yourself for confessing it so plainly but decided to go with it. You could moan and groan to Karen and Marci later over drinks.

“Come off it, Matt. You know you’re beautiful, I’ve heard the stories from Foggy about all the ladies over the years.”

“Maybe I’m just charming?” Matt countered, grinning fully now. “But we seem to have gone from you liking my face to finding me beautiful. That’s a big jump, sweetheart.”

“Ah, goddamn it,” you murmured softly as you looked up for some deity to save you from yourself.

Chuckling at your distress, Matt stepped forward and slipped a hand under your open coat to rest it on your lower back and tugged you closer to him. Without his glasses and his face so close to yours, you could see how beautiful his hazel eyes were as his gaze rested on your cheek. You were trembling slightly at the intense need that flooded your system at his closeness and touch. Matt took a deep inhale and closed his eyes as if he were trying to keep his composure. The hand on your back flexed slightly and his other hand came up to brush away the piece of hair that managed to get stuck in your lip gloss. He tucked the stray hair behind your ear and your eyes looked longingly at his mouth. As if he knew, Matt slowly licked his lips before taking another inhale and groaning softly.

“For the record, I find you quite beautiful as well.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible,” you whispered.

“I don’t have to be able to see to know that you are,” Matt responded with a slight frown.

“No, I don’t mean that,” you clarified softly, “I just mean that I’m not beautiful. I’ve been called cute, pretty on special occasions, but never beautiful. So, I think you may be mistaken.”

Matt pulled back slightly in shock at your response but before he could formulate a reply, the door burst open as Karen and Foggy rushed inside. They both froze at the sight before them, and you flushed a dark crimson at getting caught in a semi-intimate position with Matt again. You stepped away from Matt and cleared your throat, “You ready to head out Karen?”

“Um…yeah…” Karen slowly responded as she walked to her desk to drop the paperwork in her hand.

“What is happening right now?” Foggy asked, still frozen and looking from you to Matt and then glancing at Karen before moving his gaze back.

“We’re having a girls’ night with Marci. Didn’t she tell you?” You responded, keeping your eyes on Foggy and Karen, avoiding Matt’s reaction.

“I think she mentioned it but that is not what I meant.”

“Well, I just came to meet Karen and then we’re walking to the restaurant so, that’s what’s happening,” you answered, avoiding what you thought he was actually asking.

“We’re going to have to leave now to make it on time for the reservation,” Karen interjected as she observed the situation. You wore a nervous and slightly downcast expression while Matt was looking towards you with a mix of emotions and his hands on his hips as if he were going to start a cross-examination. Foggy, for his part was still rooted to his spot just inside the door with a look of bewilderment on his face.

“Right! Okay, have a good night, guys. Don’t work too late,” you said as you gave a haphazard wave and rushed out the door.

Karen followed you and whispered to Matt and Foggy as she pulled the door closed, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

The two of you walked quickly towards the restaurant in silence. Karen wanted to give you time to settle and relax with a couple drinks before getting you to divulge what she had just witnessed. You were praying that she would let what she saw drop but had a feeling it wouldn’t be that easy.

Marci arrived just as you and Karen were opening the doors to the restaurant. Relieved she wasn’t kept waiting, the three of you exchanged greetings and quick hugs before checking in with the host. After checking your coats, the three of you were led to a booth in a far corner.

Drinks and dinner were ordered quickly and conversation began without mention of the incident. The longer you sat there, the more you found that you liked Marci and could see how she and Foggy worked well together, even if it wasn’t quite as obvious at the outset. Finishing your second gin and tonic, you laughed at story Marci was telling about a partner in her law firm.

“And he didn’t even bother locking the door! I walked in to give him the settlement paperwork and he was standing in the middle of his office with his pants in one hand and a hair dryer in the other! I’ve never seen someone turn that shade of red!”

Wiping away a tear, you commented, “You would think after getting caught drying his pants like that the first time he’d learn to lock the door! Or keep a spare set of pants at the office!”

“Those WERE his spare pants!”

The three of you cackled and you managed to flag down the waiter to order another round of drinks. As your laughter died down, you smiled at the women across from you and said, “This was such a good idea. I can’t remember the last time I went out like this.”

“Agreed!” started Marci as she sipped her fresh cocktail, “but Foggy Bear mentions that you join them at Josie’s pretty often.”

“Well, you know, it’s different with the guys…”

Karen saw her opening and pounced, “You mean it’s different with Matt.”

You flushed slightly at her call-out and just responded, “Mmhmm.”

“I am so out of the loop!” exclaimed Marci, “What is happening between you and Matt?”

You glanced at Marci and Karen, unsure of what to say. You settled on keeping it simple, “You know, he’s my neighbor and works with Karen so I see him a lot…that’s all.”

“That is so not all,” Karen quickly responded. She turned slightly to Marci while also keeping you in her periphery. “I have walked in on them twice now on the verge of kissing and when Y/N had us over for dinner, Matt was calling her sweetheart, and you could tell they completely forgot Foggy and I were at the table by the end of the night. I thought she was going to crawl into Matt’s lap during dessert!”

“Karen!” you admonished as you placed your cool hands on your cheeks in hopes to calm your flushing.

“Am I wrong?” Karen challenged.

“No,” you answered in a quiet voice.

“Let me get this straight,” Marci started using her lawyer voice as if she were presenting facts to the jury. “There is tension, like extreme sexual tension and you two literally live across the hall from one another but based on the way the two of you are talking about this, you haven’t even kissed yet?”

“Um…maybe? I mean, I feel the tension but I don’t know if Matt does.”

“Trust me,” Karen interjected, “Matt feels the tension. We all feel the tension.”

You dropped your head in your hands and groaned as Marci asked, “Okay, I gotta know, what is the problem here?”

What was the problem? you asked yourself. Honestly, there were two main issues that held you back and you took a moment to mull over the best way to explain.

“If I’m being honest,” you began hoping to explain yourself clearly, “there are two things holding me back right now. The first is that I know Matt is a flirt so I’m not sure if he’s flirting with me because it’s fun or because he’s actually interested.”

“He’s interested, trust me,” interrupted Karen.

“Is he? Because I’ve watched him flirt with other women in front of me when we’ve picked up coffee or even at Josie’s.”

“I am seriously going to have to have a talk with that man,” muttered Karen.

“I’m going to have to withhold judgement on your first point until I can see how he is with you,” Marci said. “However, based on Karen’s description and your reaction, I have a feeling there’s a difference between what he’s doing with you and what he’s doing out in the wild, so to speak. Sometimes people flirt to smooth over interactions that might be a little prickly otherwise.”

You considered Marci’s suggestion and filed it away to give more thought when you were fully sober. It seemed logical but you knew you couldn’t trust your judgement right now.

“You said two issues, what’s the second?” Karen asked.

You blew out a breath to help steady yourself. This was the issue that was truly getting in your way. “The second point has more to do with me. The best way to explain it is just that I’m not a fan of casual dating or hookups. I’ve been told that I’m the ‘relationship’ or ‘marriage’ girl and it’s true. And honestly, at this point in my life, I don’t want to get into something if the other person isn’t also looking for something long term.”

“I’m still not quite seeing the problem here…” Marci said.

“I’ve heard the stories about Matt from Foggy and Karen and I don’t judge him, but it doesn’t sound like he’s interested in settling down. I don’t want to ruin what is starting to be a lovely friendship or make things awkward for anyone.”

“For arguments sake,” started Karen, “have you tried casual dating?”

“Yeah, before mom got sick,” you threw back the rest of your drink and contemplated another. “It was awful. I can’t tell you the number of times I came home crying because some douchebag tried to pressure me into giving him a blowjob twenty minutes after meeting or the ones who basically negged me until I left.”

Karen reached over to pat your hand reassuringly and Marci gave you an understanding smile. You continued, “The worst one was when I tried a one-night stand. The sex was mediocre and after the guy answered the phone on speaker and it was another girl he was arranging a hookup with for that night! I think I scrubbed off a layer of skin in the shower that night; the whole thing made me feel used and disgusting.”

“Matt would never treat you that way, if you guys did just hook-up, you know,” Karen said softly.

“I know, and it’s not about how I think Matt would treat me in that kind of situation. It’s more that I just can’t do it and I don’t want to end up resenting Matt because of a choice I made. At this point, I like him too much for a casual thing to be enough for me anyways.”

Marci looked at you with a shrewd but not unkind expression as she tapped the glass she was holding thoughtfully. “Based on conversations with Foggy Bear and what I’ve witnessed over the past couple years, I would say that Matt may be at a point where he’s ready to settle down. Karen, have you heard about any hookups lately?”

Karen thought for a moment as you watched her, “Actually I think it’s been several months, even before you moved here, Y/N.”

You felt your heart flutter with hope in your chest, “Really?”

Marci continued, “To be perfectly honest, I thought Karen was going to be the one to tie Matt down.”

The hope you felt fluttering in your chest sunk like a rock into the pit of your stomach. “What do you mean?”

Your question caused both Marci and Karen to freeze as you waited for an answer. “Did you and Matt date, Karen? Was it serious?”

Karen sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “We went on a couple dates and kissed but that was it. This was a few years ago, not too long after I met him.”

“Why didn’t it work out?” you asked quietly as you fiddled with the napkin in your lap.

Karen thought for a moment and you appreciated that she was attempting to give you honest answers rather than brush away the information and what you were feeling. “I think in part it was timing,” she began, “and then a lot of things happened that drove a wedge between us. We were able to come back from it all to be friends but we missed our window and the romantic feelings weren’t there anymore.”

“So,” you began nervously, “you know the romantic feelings weren’t there for you but they could still be there for Matt?”

“They’re not,” Karen quickly answered.

“How do you know? Did you two ever actually talk about it after things settled down?”

“Well, no, but I can tell it’s not there for him anymore either. If it were, he wouldn’t be flirting with you, Y/N.”

You sat quietly as your thoughts swirled in your head. You knew you couldn’t think through all of this new information logically, but it didn’t stop your emotions from swelling and a tear sliding down your cheek.

Karen panicked slightly and glanced at Marci who appeared equally as alarmed. Sliding in the booth closer to you, Karen put an arm around you to help ground you and to pull your focus. “Hey,” she said softly, “what’s going on? Why are there tears?”

“How can he want to be with me when he could be with you Karen?” you whispered. “You’re so beautiful and I know we’re sisters but we’re not physically alike at all. I know he can’t see us but the difference is going to be so obvious he’s not going to want me if he could have you.”

“He can’t have me, Y/N,” Karen replied softly.

“You know what I mean,” you sniffled.

Marci, having heard your quiet response to Karen, reached across the table for your hand. You obliged and slipped yours into her waiting one and she clutched it tight. “Why do you think so poorly of yourself, Y/N? From what I can tell, you’re a smart, driven, kind, lovely person, inside and out, and you are WAY out of Matt’s league.”

You laughed softly and wiped at your tears with your napkin. “I’m not sure about that last part,” you began, “I can usually keep the negative self-talk at bay, but it always rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times.” You sighed and decided to tell them the rest, to get it all out on the table. “I don’t want to be anyone’s consolation prize or backup plan. I’ve been that before and it hurts too much.”

“What makes you say that Y/N? What happened?” Karen asked gently.

You cleared your throat and started fidgeting with your napkin again. “The boyfriend I had in college told me when he broke up with me. He wanted to date my friend but she was already in a relationship so he pursued me so he could basically have a warm body but also to have a chance to hang out with my friend more.”

“Motherfucker,” spat Marci in disgust.

“Oh, it gets better, or I guess, worse,” you laughed bitterly. “When my friend and her boyfriend broke up, he waited just long enough and swooped in after being her shoulder to cry on. They hooked up and started dating. Only after did he tell me and break up with me.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Karen said with outrage in her voice.

“I wish I was. I wish I could say they both got their comeuppance, and it blew up in their faces but…”

“No,” whispered Marci.

“Yep, they’re married now.”

“Jesus Christ,” Karen said before finishing her drink. “No wonder you feel this way. You know Matt would never do that to you, right?”

“I know, but it doesn’t mean the insecurity and fear just goes away. I guess the surprise of this history with you two brought these old emotions back to the surface.” You ran your hands through your hair to try and shake off the baggage that decided to make an unwelcome appearance on what was supposed to be a fun night.

“I’m sorry for dumping on you guys, I think my drinks were a little stronger than I expected,” you chuckled.

Karen looked at you thoughtfully and then asked, “You mentioned a while back that no one had managed to get you off or really even turn you on much before. Is what you mentioned, the boyfriend and disgusting casual dates all you’ve experienced? Like have you ever dated anyone at least considerate and sweet to you, even if the chemistry wasn’t there?”

You shook your head sadly, “When I decided to moved here, I thought that maybe it wasn’t in the cards for me. I’ve been lucky enough to have an amazing family and the career of my dreams. Maybe it was just too much for the universe to give me a romantic love on top of it all?”

Marci’s eyebrows were practically in her hairline with the skeptical look she was giving you. “You know it’s not like a pie, right? Love and happiness aren’t finite things.”

“I get that in theory, but it hasn’t seemed to pan out in my life that way.”

“Maybe,” Karen interjected, “it’s because you weren’t supposed to meet anyone yet. So you could focus on your family like you did the last couple years. And now you’re ready to find that romantic love?”

You stared at the table with a frown on your face. You hadn’t really considered that timing may have been the biggest factor. With all the caretaking and death that happened in the last few years, along with juggling your budding writing career, you don’t know if you would have been able to give a romantic relationship the attention it deserved.

“Can we rewind for just a second?” Marci started, “Did I hear Karen right that none of these guys, even that piece of shit boyfriend in college, ever managed to get you off?”

Snapping your head up you looked at Marci and then sagged back into your seat. “Not one. Not even close.”

“This is a travesty,” Marci said with indignation. “Please tell me you’ve at least ascribed to the school of self-love?”

You laughed at Marci’s phrasing and the genuine smile on your face relaxed the two other women into smiling with you. “Oh, I am well-versed. You could say I have a double PhD—one in history and one in orgasms.”

The three of you laughed and Marci flagged the waiter for a final round of drinks. Once they arrived, she lifted her glass and you and Karen followed suit. “A toast for you, Y/N. May Matt Murdock get on his knees and atone for the disappointing past lovers! And sooner rather than later!”

Flushing from the alcohol and her toast, you clicked glasses with your friends and hoped Marci’s toast would become a reality.

Part 5

You watched Matt as he entered his apartment, vaguely aware of how good his ass looked in the jeans he was wearing. Before closing the door, he turned, slipped his glasses off, and winked at you as if he could see that you hadn’t moved from your spot in the doorway.

The click of the door shutting shook you out of your aroused shock and you quickly slipped back into your apartment. You moved in a slightly drunk daze into the main area and stood for a moment staring blankly, trying to remember what you were planning to do before Matt decided to unknowingly finish wrecking your panties. Deciding to rectify your current uncomfortable situation, you headed into your bedroom and pulled out a pair of loose shorts. You slid out of your leggings and panties and the cool air hit your wetness causing a small groan to leave you. Would it be the worst thing to take care of yourself now? Thinking about it as you slipped on your shorts, you decided to do the cleanup in the kitchen first so you could properly enjoy yourself after. You didn’t want to be thinking about the food that needed to be put away or dishes that needed soaking while you were trying to get off.

With a sense of purpose, you marched in a mostly straight line into your kitchen to get things done as quickly as possible. As you were doing the bare minimum in your anticipation, you daydreamed about Matt’s unobstructed eyes visible while the lower half of his face was buried in your cunt. The idea of his stubble lightly scratching your inner thighs as he made you come with that gorgeous mouth had you pausing and gripping the edge of your sink. After the first unenthusiastic attempt your old boyfriend made at going down on you, you decided it wasn’t something you cared to experience again, and you hadn’t. But something about Matt’s mouth and ability to turn you on more than any man you’d ever met made you want to try again.

Finished with what needed to be done, you tossed the hand towel you were using onto the counter and shut off all the lights in your main living area on your way to your bedroom. You slid your door shut out of habit rather out of any concern of getting caught and paused. How did you want to proceed? Get off as fast as possible? Or take your time and really savor your desire? You glanced at your bedside clock and decided it was the perfect time to really enjoy yourself. You didn’t have anything concrete planned for the next day and you couldn’t remember the last time you had a little drawn out self-care.

Grinning and feeling pleased with your decision, you pulled out your phone and selected your “panty dropper” playlist. Listening to the lyrics you took your time undressing as you headed into the bathroom for a shower, imagining what it would be like to have Matt help you slip everything off.

Bottles of Merlot, I can't stand up now Boy, you got me feeling so weak Your ocean was drowning me, arms wrapped around me Now I'm getting in too deep, not falling 'cause I want to Baby, you keep pushing me Don't love you 'cause I need to But it's everything you doin' to me, yeah Make music when you're moanin', from night until the morning Just tell me when you're ready And I'mma paint your body with my lips

You hummed along with the melody as you turned on your shower to let the water warm up. Pinning up your hair, you sung along softly to the chorus:

Baby, I'll do anything you want Lock me down like I'm your slave 'Cause ooh, when you're done with me I can't even concentrate, concentrate ooh I can't even concentrate, no eh yeah

Steam started to billow out of the shower stall as you stepped in. The hot water felt heavenly on your tired muscles, and you stood and enjoyed the heat for a few minutes. Inevitably, your mind wandered to Matt again and you started to think about what it would be like to shower with him. Would it be after a night of mind-blowing sex, the need to rinse your sweat and release encouraging you to slip into the shower together? Or maybe in the morning, both of your running a little late and sharing the shower to save on time and getting in a few kisses to start the day? Or perhaps your favorite, sliding into the shower with him, unexpected, and dropping to your knees to show him how much you cared for him, how much you wanted to help him relax?

This last thought sent an intense wave of arousal through you, and you slid your hand slowly down your abdomen until your fingers found your swollen clit. The first touch sent shivers down your spine as you imagined Matt behind you, softly caressing your body under the hot water with one hand as his other played you with an expertise you knew he had. You moaned softly as you stroked yourself, building your pleasure slowly. You continued to imagine the attention Matt would pay to you and how incredibly sexy it would be if he got you worked up to the edge and then stopped only to spin you around and press you against the shower tile. Lifting your leg to slide into your hot, wet, heat would make both of you moan loudly as you were doing now.

Your eyes were closed tightly as one hand rested on the shower wall, bending at the waist slightly, and widened your stance so the fingers playing with your clit could slip down to your sopping entrance. You teased yourself with one finger and slipped it inside. You knew it wasn’t enough and dreamed of Matt’s calloused masculine hands playing with you the same way. The thought of his thick fingers sliding into you sent another wave of arousal as you slipped a second, then third finger in. You fucked yourself with your fingers as you imagined him behind you, his fingers instead of yours, whispering the filthy things he wanted to do to you, and you careened over the edge loudly crying out, “Matthew!” You took your time, drawing out your orgasm as best as you could as the water began to cool on your back. Slipping your fingers out, you hissed slightly at both the mild discomfort and the emptiness you felt.

Turning the water off, you grabbed your towel and stepped out to dry yourself off. You knew you weren’t done but decided to take a couple minutes to slather on lotion that you knew your skin would appreciate come morning. Your playlist continued in the background and you sang along to the next song as you enjoyed a little afterglow. You let your hair down and walked back into your bedroom, tossing your towel haphazardly into the hamper. Sliding under the covers, you relished the soft sheets against your bare skin and had a moment of gratitude for your past self making the effort to set up the timer to your small electric blanket. You snuggled into the warm sheets and sighed happily.

After a moment, your mind began to drift to Matt again and you knew the orgasm in the shower wouldn’t be the only time you got off tonight. Between the wine, the touches, and the whispering in your ear, you were still too turned on to sleep. Reaching into your bedside table, you pulled out your small wand vibrator. You slipped your arms back under the covers and let your imagination run wild.

-X-

Matt chuckled as he closed the door, sensing your frozen body still in the doorway of your apartment. He tossed his glasses on the entry table and walked towards his kitchen while he listened for you in yours. While he filled a glass with water, he was pleased that you still seemed to be a bit dazed from his goodbye as he listened to your heart and breath standing still in your living space. He wasn’t planning on going out as Daredevil for another hour so he decided to indulge himself by listening to you and imagining what it would be like to finally be with you.

He heard you walk into your bedroom and change…just your bottoms? His face broke into a slow, lascivious grin at this. Did he get you so aroused that you needed to change your panties? The idea of this delighted him. He knew you were very turned on for a good portion of the evening and your scent—both your pheromones and arousal—made it difficult to keep from dragging you to your bedroom, dinner be damned. Matt had been at least half hard from the moment he stepped into your apartment.

Walking to his couch, Matt sipped his water before setting it down on the table and stretching out to continue to listen to your movements. You stumbled slightly walking to the kitchen, but you kept a quick pace as if you didn’t even realize it. He covered his mouth and chuckled. He could tell you had a decent amount of wine and despite the delicious meal you made, it wasn’t enough to soak up all the alcohol. The wine was why he hadn’t leaned in and kissed you after Karen and Foggy left; he wanted you completely sober and consenting when he finally did.

Your movements in the kitchen were confident and relaxing as Matt lay on the couch, enjoying the sounds. You finished quicker than he was expecting, and he heard you click the light switches and lamps off. Matt figured you were going to crawl into bed, and he could be reassured that you were sleeping and safe when heading out for his patrol. However, he tilted his head as he heard the first notes of what he realized was a fairly sensual song. Was this just a nighttime, relaxing playlist? He hadn’t heard it before but that wasn’t surprising considering he tried not to listen most of the time.

Matt listened as you undressed and walked into the bathroom, and he realized you were going to shower. Wary of invading your privacy further, he was about to focus himself to listen to anything else until he heard your soft voice sing so sweetly:

Baby, I'll do anything you want Lock me down like I'm your slave 'Cause ooh, when you're done with me I can't even concentrate, concentrate ooh I can't even concentrate, no eh yeah

Matt couldn’t remember a time when he got hard so quickly. He rushed to undo his belt and pants and slid everything down to his thighs before giving himself a rough stroke. The idea of fucking you stupid was a tantalizing one and he hoped he’d get to one day.

He heard you step into the shower, and he longed to join you. Even just slipping in with you after a long day and helping you wash your back and touch you would be more than enough. He wanted to appreciate you and make you feel good in general, not just sexually. Although, yes, sexually as much as you’d let him. Matt continued to stroke himself as he imagined his hands washing along your soft skin, teasing you a little as he was currently teasing himself. He almost missed it but heard you moan and, without thinking, listened more closely. Matt nearly exploded when he realized you were fucking yourself on your fingers. He could now hear the wet sounds of the movement under the falling water of the shower, and he began to stroke himself faster, throwing his head back, wishing he had your soaked panties pressed to his nose.

Matt was on the edge, trying to wait for you, for any indication you were coming when he heard it. The moan of his name as your orgasm crashed around you caused him to come so hard, he nearly passed out. With a slight ringing in his ears, Matt tried to calm his breathing as he came down from the unexpected intensity. He knew you responded to him and he was enjoying building the tension and teasing you but he didn’t know he was who you fantasized about. Smugness and pride filled his chest as he awkwardly stood from the couch and adjusted his pants enough so he could walk to the bathroom.

After cleaning up, Matt pulled out his Daredevil suit and started to change. You were certainly going to be sleeping soon and he was going to be living off the high of you moaning his name for the rest of the night. As he was pulling on his boots, Matt caught something unexpected coming from your apartment. The music was still playing and he had registered that you slipped in your bed and you sounded content. What was that new sound?

It took Matt a moment as he paused and focused his hearing, needing to make sure you were okay and that this new sound wasn’t from something dangerous. Suddenly, he realized what it was. You let out a breathy whimper as the buzzing noise moved slightly and Matt’s shock quickly shifted to a deep longing. He ran his hand roughly over his hardening sensitive cock and growled in frustration. One day, he’d make you come as many times as you could handle.

Part 5

You watched Matt as he entered his apartment, vaguely aware of how good his ass looked in the jeans he was wearing. Before closing the door, he turned, slipped his glasses off, and winked at you as if he could see that you hadn’t moved from your spot in the doorway.

The click of the door shutting shook you out of your aroused shock and you quickly slipped back into your apartment. You moved in a slightly drunk daze into the main area and stood for a moment staring blankly, trying to remember what you were planning to do before Matt decided to unknowingly finish wrecking your panties. Deciding to rectify your current uncomfortable situation, you headed into your bedroom and pulled out a pair of loose shorts. You slid out of your leggings and panties and the cool air hit your wetness causing a small groan to leave you. Would it be the worst thing to take care of yourself now? Thinking about it as you slipped on your shorts, you decided to do the cleanup in the kitchen first so you could properly enjoy yourself after. You didn’t want to be thinking about the food that needed to be put away or dishes that needed soaking while you were trying to get off.

With a sense of purpose, you marched in a mostly straight line into your kitchen to get things done as quickly as possible. As you were doing the bare minimum in your anticipation, you daydreamed about Matt’s unobstructed eyes visible while the lower half of his face was buried in your cunt. The idea of his stubble lightly scratching your inner thighs as he made you come with that gorgeous mouth had you pausing and gripping the edge of your sink. After the first unenthusiastic attempt your old boyfriend made at going down on you, you decided it wasn’t something you cared to experience again, and you hadn’t. But something about Matt’s mouth and ability to turn you on more than any man you’d ever met made you want to try again.

Finished with what needed to be done, you tossed the hand towel you were using onto the counter and shut off all the lights in your main living area on your way to your bedroom. You slid your door shut out of habit rather out of any concern of getting caught and paused. How did you want to proceed? Get off as fast as possible? Or take your time and really savor your desire? You glanced at your bedside clock and decided it was the perfect time to really enjoy yourself. You didn’t have anything concrete planned for the next day and you couldn’t remember the last time you had a little drawn out self-care.

Grinning and feeling pleased with your decision, you pulled out your phone and selected your “panty dropper” playlist. Listening to the lyrics you took your time undressing as you headed into the bathroom for a shower, imagining what it would be like to have Matt help you slip everything off.

Bottles of Merlot, I can't stand up now Boy, you got me feeling so weak Your ocean was drowning me, arms wrapped around me Now I'm getting in too deep, not falling 'cause I want to Baby, you keep pushing me Don't love you 'cause I need to But it's everything you doin' to me, yeah Make music when you're moanin', from night until the morning Just tell me when you're ready And I'mma paint your body with my lips

You hummed along with the melody as you turned on your shower to let the water warm up. Pinning up your hair, you sung along softly to the chorus:

Baby, I'll do anything you want Lock me down like I'm your slave 'Cause ooh, when you're done with me I can't even concentrate, concentrate ooh I can't even concentrate, no eh yeah

Steam started to billow out of the shower stall as you stepped in. The hot water felt heavenly on your tired muscles, and you stood and enjoyed the heat for a few minutes. Inevitably, your mind wandered to Matt again and you started to think about what it would be like to shower with him. Would it be after a night of mind-blowing sex, the need to rinse your sweat and release encouraging you to slip into the shower together? Or maybe in the morning, both of your running a little late and sharing the shower to save on time and getting in a few kisses to start the day? Or perhaps your favorite, sliding into the shower with him, unexpected, and dropping to your knees to show him how much you cared for him, how much you wanted to help him relax?

This last thought sent an intense wave of arousal through you, and you slid your hand slowly down your abdomen until your fingers found your swollen clit. The first touch sent shivers down your spine as you imagined Matt behind you, softly caressing your body under the hot water with one hand as his other played you with an expertise you knew he had. You moaned softly as you stroked yourself, building your pleasure slowly. You continued to imagine the attention Matt would pay to you and how incredibly sexy it would be if he got you worked up to the edge and then stopped only to spin you around and press you against the shower tile. Lifting your leg to slide into your hot, wet, heat would make both of you moan loudly as you were doing now.

Your eyes were closed tightly as one hand rested on the shower wall, bending at the waist slightly, and widened your stance so the fingers playing with your clit could slip down to your sopping entrance. You teased yourself with one finger and slipped it inside. You knew it wasn’t enough and dreamed of Matt’s calloused masculine hands playing with you the same way. The thought of his thick fingers sliding into you sent another wave of arousal as you slipped a second, then third finger in. You fucked yourself with your fingers as you imagined him behind you, his fingers instead of yours, whispering the filthy things he wanted to do to you, and you careened over the edge loudly crying out, “Matthew!” You took your time, drawing out your orgasm as best as you could as the water began to cool on your back. Slipping your fingers out, you hissed slightly at both the mild discomfort and the emptiness you felt.

Turning the water off, you grabbed your towel and stepped out to dry yourself off. You knew you weren’t done but decided to take a couple minutes to slather on lotion that you knew your skin would appreciate come morning. Your playlist continued in the background and you sang along to the next song as you enjoyed a little afterglow. You let your hair down and walked back into your bedroom, tossing your towel haphazardly into the hamper. Sliding under the covers, you relished the soft sheets against your bare skin and had a moment of gratitude for your past self making the effort to set up the timer to your small electric blanket. You snuggled into the warm sheets and sighed happily.

After a moment, your mind began to drift to Matt again and you knew the orgasm in the shower wouldn’t be the only time you got off tonight. Between the wine, the touches, and the whispering in your ear, you were still too turned on to sleep. Reaching into your bedside table, you pulled out your small wand vibrator. You slipped your arms back under the covers and let your imagination run wild.

-X-

Matt chuckled as he closed the door, sensing your frozen body still in the doorway of your apartment. He tossed his glasses on the entry table and walked towards his kitchen while he listened for you in yours. While he filled a glass with water, he was pleased that you still seemed to be a bit dazed from his goodbye as he listened to your heart and breath standing still in your living space. He wasn’t planning on going out as Daredevil for another hour so he decided to indulge himself by listening to you and imagining what it would be like to finally be with you.

He heard you walk into your bedroom and change…just your bottoms? His face broke into a slow, lascivious grin at this. Did he get you so aroused that you needed to change your panties? The idea of this delighted him. He knew you were very turned on for a good portion of the evening and your scent—both your pheromones and arousal—made it difficult to keep from dragging you to your bedroom, dinner be damned. Matt had been at least half hard from the moment he stepped into your apartment.

Walking to his couch, Matt sipped his water before setting it down on the table and stretching out to continue to listen to your movements. You stumbled slightly walking to the kitchen, but you kept a quick pace as if you didn’t even realize it. He covered his mouth and chuckled. He could tell you had a decent amount of wine and despite the delicious meal you made, it wasn’t enough to soak up all the alcohol. The wine was why he hadn’t leaned in and kissed you after Karen and Foggy left; he wanted you completely sober and consenting when he finally did.

Your movements in the kitchen were confident and relaxing as Matt lay on the couch, enjoying the sounds. You finished quicker than he was expecting, and he heard you click the light switches and lamps off. Matt figured you were going to crawl into bed, and he could be reassured that you were sleeping and safe when heading out for his patrol. However, he tilted his head as he heard the first notes of what he realized was a fairly sensual song. Was this just a nighttime, relaxing playlist? He hadn’t heard it before but that wasn’t surprising considering he tried not to listen most of the time.

Matt listened as you undressed and walked into the bathroom, and he realized you were going to shower. Wary of invading your privacy further, he was about to focus himself to listen to anything else until he heard your soft voice sing so sweetly:

Baby, I'll do anything you want Lock me down like I'm your slave 'Cause ooh, when you're done with me I can't even concentrate, concentrate ooh I can't even concentrate, no eh yeah

Matt couldn’t remember a time when he got hard so quickly. He rushed to undo his belt and pants and slid everything down to his thighs before giving himself a rough stroke. The idea of fucking you stupid was a tantalizing one and he hoped he’d get to one day.

He heard you step into the shower, and he longed to join you. Even just slipping in with you after a long day and helping you wash your back and touch you would be more than enough. He wanted to appreciate you and make you feel good in general, not just sexually. Although, yes, sexually as much as you’d let him. Matt continued to stroke himself as he imagined his hands washing along your soft skin, teasing you a little as he was currently teasing himself. He almost missed it but heard you moan and, without thinking, listened more closely. Matt nearly exploded when he realized you were fucking yourself on your fingers. He could now hear the wet sounds of the movement under the falling water of the shower, and he began to stroke himself faster, throwing his head back, wishing he had your soaked panties pressed to his nose.

Matt was on the edge, trying to wait for you, for any indication you were coming when he heard it. The moan of his name as your orgasm crashed around you caused him to come so hard, he nearly passed out. With a slight ringing in his ears, Matt tried to calm his breathing as he came down from the unexpected intensity. He knew you responded to him and he was enjoying building the tension and teasing you but he didn’t know he was who you fantasized about. Smugness and pride filled his chest as he awkwardly stood from the couch and adjusted his pants enough so he could walk to the bathroom.

After cleaning up, Matt pulled out his Daredevil suit and started to change. You were certainly going to be sleeping soon and he was going to be living off the high of you moaning his name for the rest of the night. As he was pulling on his boots, Matt caught something unexpected coming from your apartment. The music was still playing and he had registered that you slipped in your bed and you sounded content. What was that new sound?

It took Matt a moment as he paused and focused his hearing, needing to make sure you were okay and that this new sound wasn’t from something dangerous. Suddenly, he realized what it was. You let out a breathy whimper as the buzzing noise moved slightly and Matt’s shock quickly shifted to a deep longing. He ran his hand roughly over his hardening sensitive cock and growled in frustration. One day, he’d make you come as many times as you could handle.

Part Four

The smells coming out of your kitchen had you in heaven. After a rough couple of weeks organizing the delivery of your household goods and learning how to sleep with the city noise outside your window, you were starting to feel settled. To celebrate, you invited Karen, Foggy, and Matt over for dinner as a small and cozy housewarming. You found your mom’s lasagna recipe when you were unpacking your kitchen and after you sat on your floor and cried, you knew what you needed to do.

You checked on the lasagna in the oven to make sure all was well and were pleased. You unpacked the French bread and started preparing it for garlic bread. One of your more upbeat playlists was on in the background and you chuckled at the irony as one of your favorite Mariah Carey songs started. You began to sing along:

Oh, when you walk by every night Talking sweet and looking fine I get kinda hectic inside Mmm, baby I'm so into you Darling, if you only knew All the things that flow through my mind But it's just a sweet sweet fantasy baby When I close my eyes You come and you take me It's so deep in my daydreams But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy baby

It was if you could have written this song considering your current state. Matt had continued to be a considerate neighbor and was quickly becoming a friend you truly trusted. It wasn’t his fault that you practically swooned every time you were together and struggled to keep your composure when he brushed against you or flirted.

But was it flirting? You sighed as this thought crossed your mind for the millionth time since the almost kiss. It seemed like he might have been interested in something with you but after that evening, nothing happened. There were casual touches, but it appeared to be in the same way he interacted with Karen or Foggy and sometimes you wondered if it was simply accidental. He always had such a sweet smile for you, but you’d seen him give the same smile to one of your neighbors who opened a door for him. You were just living in a Fantasy like Mariah.

As soon as you finished wrapping the garlic bread and slipping it into the oven with the lasagna, you heard a knock at your door. You wiped your hands on your apron as you made your way to answer. Taking a breath, you opened your door to see Karen with a bottle of wine and a bag with “Casa Delica” written on the side. Smiling, you grabbed the bag and gave Karen a quick hug as you led her inside.

“Thank you so much for picking up the dessert order for me!” you grinned at Karen.

“It was no issue, they had it ready to go and told me to tell you they made the adjustments you asked for.”

“Ah, good! I paid a bit extra for that, but I think it’ll be worth it,” you replied as you slipped the container out of the bag to take a peek. “These are going to be amazing!”

Just as your oven timer started to go off, there was another knock at the door. “Would you mind getting that? I need to make sure everything cooked properly.”

Karen gave you a smile and a nod and headed to answer the door as you pulled the lasagna and bread out of the oven and checked everything over. Satisfied, you turned and nearly lost your balance as you bumped into Matt. Unconsciously, you settled a hand on his chest and he slipped his hands onto your hips to steady you. You had a fleeting thought of him gripping your hips as he slowly entered you and you felt your arousal roar to life. Matt’s hands flexed slightly as if he had the same thought before he dropped his hands and took a small step back. He flashed his standard charming smile at you, “Sorry, I just wanted to greet you…and get a closer sniff of our dinner. It smells amazing, I can’t wait.”

Matt leaned in and brushed a gentle kiss to your cheek and then whispered softly in your ear, “Thank you for cooking.”

Your heart was beating so hard at this point it was a miracle you could hear anything over the thundering in your ears. You licked your lips as he pulled back and attempted a response of “My pleasure,” but even to you it sounded whiney and breathy. Matt’s smile shifted slightly to a devilish grin as if he knew exactly what he was doing to you.

Over Matt’s shoulder, you saw Foggy arrive. You relaxed slightly in relief and gave him a grin as he threw open his arms, “Y/N! Get over here! You deserve all the hugs because I can’t remember the last time I had a homecooked meal like this!” You moved across your kitchen to oblige Foggy’s request and you laughed as he proceeded to give you a tight bear hug. As you moved, you missed the slight frown that flashed over Matt’s face at the loss of your attention. Karen, of course, managed to take in all of this and packed it away for later.

“You guys have great timing!” you started, “It’s ready so have a seat and I’ll bring everything over.”

Foggy helped Matt to the table while Karen came to help you. You both placed the salad, bread, and lasagna on the table along with the small bowl of freshly shredded parmesan and you poured wine from the decanter you had ready on the table. As Foggy reached to help start serving the salad, you touched his arm to still him.

“Before we eat, I just want to say how much I appreciate you all and how welcoming you’ve been. It’s been a hard couple of years but I’m grateful that it’s led me to this moment with all of you.” You could feel the tears starting to prick your eyes as you attempted to blink them back. Karen’s eyes also appeared a little glassy and Foggy gave you a soft smile and patted your hand. Matt’s head was bowed but he was gripping your other hand and softly running his thumb across your knuckles. “Okay, that’s it! Before I cry into everything and ruin it, let’s eat!” You chuckled as you pulled your hands back and wiped your eyes as a couple tears escaped. As Karen and Foggy started, you quietly offered to make Matt’s plate for him. He agreed with a soft “Thank you,” and smiled.

Dinner quickly became an animated affair with groans over your cooking and laughter over the stories being told. Your mom taught you that food, especially good food made with effort and love, could bring joy and light into the home. As you all ate and drank and laughed, you could feel her with you, and it filled you with happiness and peace.

“Okay okay,” Karen laughed, “we know Matt refuses to do karaoke—”

“Because I can’t sing and I can’t read the monitor.”

“Yeah, whatever. All I hear are excuses,” Karen teased with a drink of her wine, “Foggy, what’s your go-to karaoke song?”

Matt started laughing at the question and Foggy shot a glare his way, “Despite Matt’s derision, the best karaoke song is ‘Purple Rain’ and I crush it every time, no matter what my detractors say!”

You burst out laughing along with Matt as you unconsciously gripped his shoulder in your mirth and tipsiness. “Purple Rain is one of the hardest songs EVER and that’s what you go with?”

“It’s classic, it’s timeless, and, I’ll have you know, it has gotten me laid quite a few times thank you very much!”

With a thumbs up, you respond, “Fair enough. Far be it from me to criticize the apparent animal magnetism of a drunk Foggy Nelson hitting those high notes. Ultimately, an unexpected yet…expected song choice. All right, Karen, what about you?

“Oh, I’m all about ‘Jolene.’”

“Ah, I should have known my own sister would love Dolly as much as me!”

Matt interjected, “So Jolene is your go-to song too?”

“Oh, definitely not. I love Dolly, but if I’m getting up to sing in front of strangers, I’m getting the bar singing with me. Depending on the crowd it’s either ‘Party in the U.S.A.’ or ‘Friends in Low Places.’ Get a read on the crowd by the end of the first beer and you know which one to do.”

“Genius!” Foggy exclaimed, “If you’re a little too drunk, the crowd does the work for you and everyone still has a good time.”

“Exactly! You get it Fog!” as you clinked wine glasses.

“Okay so karaoke isn’t Matt’s thing, so how about…” Karen pondered for a moment, “top three favorite songs, go!”

“Oooooo,” you and Foggy said in unison as your focus returned to Matt. The wine had stained his lips a slightly darker hue and you licked your own and caught yourself before you leaned in to taste his. Matt’s lips quirked up on one side as if he knew what your body almost did without thought. He considered the question and took another sip from his glass. You nearly whined at the sight, the sound catching in your throat before it released. You sat up straighter and mentally shook yourself—you had other people at your table! It would be rude to crawl into Matt’s lap and run your nose along his jugular before nipping at his ear…

Yes, it absolutely would be rude! Control yourself!

Matt set his glass down and turned slightly to face you, almost as if only the two of you were playing this game and you had asked the question. “Top three favorite songs would probably be… ‘Only Wanna Be With You’ from Hootie and the Blowfish, ‘I Want You to Want Me’ from Cheap Trick and… ‘Let’s Stay Together’ from Al Green.”

As Karen and Foggy began to tease Matt over his choices, he continued to face you with what you would only describe as a shit-eating grin on his face. The wine was slowing you down a little—were these really his favorite? Or is he trying to say something else? Was he flirting? You were beginning to wonder if maybe drinking around Matt like this was a bad idea.

“I know Y/N has better choices than these so I gotta hear!” Foggy exclaimed while Karen cheered you on. You thought for a moment but you knew what your favorites were. While they weren’t songs you listened to regularly, they were songs that touched your soul deeply. “All right so, the best song ever created is clearly ‘Ain’t No Way’ from Aretha. You can’t argue with the Queen and it’s perfect.” Karen interjected with “Hot damn! Murdock, Y/N shows superior taste with just a single song!”

“Hey! You said favorites, not best ever made!” Matt teased back.

“That’s a fair point,” you started, “however, mine happen to be both faves and excellent.”

Matt smiled at you fondly and replied, “I’d expect nothing less, sweetheart.”

Foggy, too blissfully unaware of the tension between you and Matt interrupted, “While that Aretha choice is top notch, you still have two more to give!”

You cleared your throat and finished your wine in hopes to settled yourself after Matt’s use of ‘sweetheart.’ He was still grinning at you as if he was completely sober and aware of everything he was doing to you and you were tempted to excuse yourself to your bedroom so you could change into fresh panties considering how uncomfortably damp your current ones were becoming.

“Um, well, my other two favorites are a little sad and dark but I think they’re both perfect too.”

“Don’t leave us in suspense!” encouraged Karen with a smile.

“Right, so it would be ‘Never Going Back Again’ from Fleetwood Mac and ‘I Will Follow You into the Dark’ from Death Cab for Cutie.”

“Oh, those are sad,” Foggy murmured as he stared into his empty glass. You weren’t sure how much he had with dinner but you had a feeling that if you didn’t shift the topic, you might see a drunk and weepy Foggy at your table and you really wanted this to be a happy occasion.

“I think,” you started, “that it’s time for dessert.”

The mention of dessert had Foggy lifting his head with interest and your glances at Karen and Matt confirmed you made the right call. They were both holding back laughs at Foggy’s quick mood shift.

You smiled at Foggy and patted him on the shoulder as you got up. “I found this little Italian bakery nearby and I ordered cannoli. I asked them to adjust the recipe a tiny bit so I hope they’re still good.” You brought the container over to the table and placed one on Foggy’s plate as he gave you a drunk, yet happy smile. You served Karen, Matt, and yourself as you settled back into your chair.  

You took a bite out of your cannoli and the flavor burst on your tongue and you hummed with pleasure. Casa Delica would definitely have your business again. You watched Karen and Foggy enjoy their dessert and then glanced at Matt, a little nervous. Karen had mentioned that certain foods could be a little overwhelming for him and you had explained this to the bakery and they were more than willing to make a couple adjustments so the sugar and chocolate wouldn’t be too much for him.

As you watched him, Matt took a tentative bite and his face flashed with surprise. He took another and hummed as if he were pleased. As he chewed and savored his bite, he turned slightly towards you and took his glasses off. His sightless gaze lingered around your collarbone and he asked, “What did you have them adjust?”

“Oh, um, well,” you started a little nervous now with Matt’s beautiful eyes and your unobstructed view of his face on display to you for the first time, “Karen said taste can be a bit intense for you. I explained this and they adjusted their recipe to account for that. They just asked if it worked for us to let them know so they can keep a record of it for the future. Is it okay?”

Matt took another bite and chewed slowly as he continued to face you. You began to twist your fingers in your lap as you watched him, unsure of what was happening. Across from you, Karen was watching you both with a sharp eye while Foggy reached for a second cannoli. After he swallowed, Matt answered, “This may be the best dessert I’ve ever had. Or at least since my accident. It’s perfect.”

A grin broke across your face at his compliment, happy you thought to ask for the adjustment. Matt reached over and placed his hand on yours as he continued, “That was very kind. Thank you.” Emotions were flitting across his face as he kept his glasses off.

“It was a simple ask, I didn’t really do much,” you responded softly.

“You don’t understand,” Matt began as he squeezed your hand a little tighter, “this kind of thing doesn’t occur to most people. The fact that it occurred to you shows how thoughtful you are.”

You began to get emotional again hearing this from Matt, at the thought of so few people taking his struggles into consideration. You realized that he had a low bar for the expectations of how he was treated, and it broke your heart. Now that you were here and in his life, you promised yourself you would make sure he knew he was valued and remembered.

“Oh Matty,” you said tenderly as you reached up without thinking with your free hand to run your fingers through his hair along his temple, “I’m so sorry this isn’t the norm for you.”

Before you could drop your hand back into your lap, still not quite realizing what you had done, Matt grabbed your hand and kissed your knuckles. You smiled at him and enjoyed the warmth in your chest until you heard a throat clear. Reflexively, you yanked your hand from Matt and looked up to find both Karen with a raised eyebrow and smirk and Foggy with a half-eaten cannoli in his hand and his mouth slightly slack.

“When did this happen?” asked Foggy.

“Nothing’s happening,” you quickly responded as you picked up your dishes and headed to the sink. With your response and abrupt departure from the table, Matt frowned. He slipped his glasses back on, suddenly self-conscious.

Matt’s head tilted slightly as he heard Karen whisper as softly as she could manage, “Don’t take it to heart, Matt. You make her nervous and she’s been single for a long time.” He relaxed slightly at Karen’s reassurance, relieved that he didn’t seem to have overstepped and made you uncomfortable.

Since you started cleaning up, the others began to rise from the table to help. Once you realized what was happening you stopped them, “Wait, wait! You all are guests! I’ve got it, I promise.”

“I don’t like the idea of leaving this mess for you,” Karen started.

“Seriously, don’t worry about it. It’s all part of the process for me. I’ll do what needs to be done tonight and finish in the morning. It’s important to me that tonight was only about good food and good company for you all. No chores for guests!”

“Can we at least help clear the table?” asked Foggy.

“Foggy,” you began slowly, “I will never cook for you again if you do.” His eyes grew wide at your threat and he put his hands up to show he wasn’t moving anything. Matt and Karen laughed and gave up their attempts as well.  

Knowing Matt still intended to do a quick patrol that night, Karen spoke again, “It’s getting late and I think we all *cough* Foggy *cough* may have overdone it on the wine a little. I think it’s time we headed out.”

“Hey! No fair!” Foggy responded with a slight slur.

You all laughed and started to make your way to the door. You pulled Karen aside, “Are you good to make sure Foggy gets home okay?”

Grinning at you, Karen replied, “This ain’t my first rodeo. Don’t worry about us.”

You gave Karen a tight hug, “Please let me know when you drop him off and when you get home, okay? I’ll be worried otherwise.”

“Of course. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

You leaned on the doorframe next to Matt as you watched Karen and Foggy slowly make their way down the stairs. On the first landing, Foggy saw you watching and waved enthusiastically causing you to chuckle and wave back. Matt turned to you with a confused expression, “Care to share with the rest of the class?”

“Oh,” you started, still smiling at Foggy’s goofiness, “Foggy was waving to us after he got to the landing.”

Matt smiled fondly and replied, “He always was a happy drunk. He was the best roommate in that regard.”

“I’m glad you two found each other. I don’t believe soulmates just means romantically; I think there are people we meet that are meant to be family too. Like family soulmates.”

Considering you for a moment, Matt placed a hand on the doorframe above your head and your breath caught in your throat at his sudden closeness. He slipped his other hand to rest on your hip again as he leaned his head down to whisper in your ear, “Does that mean you also believe in romantic soulmates? One person you were made for who was also made for you?”

His deep voice speaking so softly while his lips brushed the edge of your ear short circuited your brain as both hands flew to his chest and gripped his shirt to help ground you and to keep your knees from giving out from underneath you. You took a shaky breath, vaguely aware that you had officially soaked your panties, and managed a response.

“Um, yes, I do.”

“Hmmm,” Matt began thoughtfully as he nuzzled gently along your jaw and throat. His stubble scratched deliciously along the delicate skin and the light smell of his shampoo and soap caused you to take a big inhale and sigh. “I’m beginning to think so, too.”

As suddenly as he caged you in, Matt stepped back and gave you a smile. “Thanks again for dinner, sweetheart. I can’t remember the last time I had something so…delicious.”   

With that, Matt turned and strolled to his door, leaving you completely dazed and ruined.

Part Four

The smells coming out of your kitchen had you in heaven. After a rough couple of weeks organizing the delivery of your household goods and learning how to sleep with the city noise outside your window, you were starting to feel settled. To celebrate, you invited Karen, Foggy, and Matt over for dinner as a small and cozy housewarming. You found your mom’s lasagna recipe when you were unpacking your kitchen and after you sat on your floor and cried, you knew what you needed to do.

You checked on the lasagna in the oven to make sure all was well and were pleased. You unpacked the French bread and started preparing it for garlic bread. One of your more upbeat playlists was on in the background and you chuckled at the irony as one of your favorite Mariah Carey songs started. You began to sing along:

Oh, when you walk by every night Talking sweet and looking fine I get kinda hectic inside Mmm, baby I'm so into you Darling, if you only knew All the things that flow through my mind But it's just a sweet sweet fantasy baby When I close my eyes You come and you take me It's so deep in my daydreams But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy baby

It was if you could have written this song considering your current state. Matt had continued to be a considerate neighbor and was quickly becoming a friend you truly trusted. It wasn’t his fault that you practically swooned every time you were together and struggled to keep your composure when he brushed against you or flirted.

But was it flirting? You sighed as this thought crossed your mind for the millionth time since the almost kiss. It seemed like he might have been interested in something with you but after that evening, nothing happened. There were casual touches, but it appeared to be in the same way he interacted with Karen or Foggy and sometimes you wondered if it was simply accidental. He always had such a sweet smile for you, but you’d seen him give the same smile to one of your neighbors who opened a door for him. You were just living in a Fantasy like Mariah.

As soon as you finished wrapping the garlic bread and slipping it into the oven with the lasagna, you heard a knock at your door. You wiped your hands on your apron as you made your way to answer. Taking a breath, you opened your door to see Karen with a bottle of wine and a bag with “Casa Delica” written on the side. Smiling, you grabbed the bag and gave Karen a quick hug as you led her inside.

“Thank you so much for picking up the dessert order for me!” you grinned at Karen.

“It was no issue, they had it ready to go and told me to tell you they made the adjustments you asked for.”

“Ah, good! I paid a bit extra for that, but I think it’ll be worth it,” you replied as you slipped the container out of the bag to take a peek. “These are going to be amazing!”

Just as your oven timer started to go off, there was another knock at the door. “Would you mind getting that? I need to make sure everything cooked properly.”

Karen gave you a smile and a nod and headed to answer the door as you pulled the lasagna and bread out of the oven and checked everything over. Satisfied, you turned and nearly lost your balance as you bumped into Matt. Unconsciously, you settled a hand on his chest and he slipped his hands onto your hips to steady you. You had a fleeting thought of him gripping your hips as he slowly entered you and you felt your arousal roar to life. Matt’s hands flexed slightly as if he had the same thought before he dropped his hands and took a small step back. He flashed his standard charming smile at you, “Sorry, I just wanted to greet you…and get a closer sniff of our dinner. It smells amazing, I can’t wait.”

Matt leaned in and brushed a gentle kiss to your cheek and then whispered softly in your ear, “Thank you for cooking.”

Your heart was beating so hard at this point it was a miracle you could hear anything over the thundering in your ears. You licked your lips as he pulled back and attempted a response of “My pleasure,” but even to you it sounded whiney and breathy. Matt’s smile shifted slightly to a devilish grin as if he knew exactly what he was doing to you.

Over Matt’s shoulder, you saw Foggy arrive. You relaxed slightly in relief and gave him a grin as he threw open his arms, “Y/N! Get over here! You deserve all the hugs because I can’t remember the last time I had a homecooked meal like this!” You moved across your kitchen to oblige Foggy’s request and you laughed as he proceeded to give you a tight bear hug. As you moved, you missed the slight frown that flashed over Matt’s face at the loss of your attention. Karen, of course, managed to take in all of this and packed it away for later.

“You guys have great timing!” you started, “It’s ready so have a seat and I’ll bring everything over.”

Foggy helped Matt to the table while Karen came to help you. You both placed the salad, bread, and lasagna on the table along with the small bowl of freshly shredded parmesan and you poured wine from the decanter you had ready on the table. As Foggy reached to help start serving the salad, you touched his arm to still him.

“Before we eat, I just want to say how much I appreciate you all and how welcoming you’ve been. It’s been a hard couple of years but I’m grateful that it’s led me to this moment with all of you.” You could feel the tears starting to prick your eyes as you attempted to blink them back. Karen’s eyes also appeared a little glassy and Foggy gave you a soft smile and patted your hand. Matt’s head was bowed but he was gripping your other hand and softly running his thumb across your knuckles. “Okay, that’s it! Before I cry into everything and ruin it, let’s eat!” You chuckled as you pulled your hands back and wiped your eyes as a couple tears escaped. As Karen and Foggy started, you quietly offered to make Matt’s plate for him. He agreed with a soft “Thank you,” and smiled.

Dinner quickly became an animated affair with groans over your cooking and laughter over the stories being told. Your mom taught you that food, especially good food made with effort and love, could bring joy and light into the home. As you all ate and drank and laughed, you could feel her with you, and it filled you with happiness and peace.

“Okay okay,” Karen laughed, “we know Matt refuses to do karaoke—”

“Because I can’t sing and I can’t read the monitor.”

“Yeah, whatever. All I hear are excuses,” Karen teased with a drink of her wine, “Foggy, what’s your go-to karaoke song?”

Matt started laughing at the question and Foggy shot a glare his way, “Despite Matt’s derision, the best karaoke song is ‘Purple Rain’ and I crush it every time, no matter what my detractors say!”

You burst out laughing along with Matt as you unconsciously gripped his shoulder in your mirth and tipsiness. “Purple Rain is one of the hardest songs EVER and that’s what you go with?”

“It’s classic, it’s timeless, and, I’ll have you know, it has gotten me laid quite a few times thank you very much!”

With a thumbs up, you respond, “Fair enough. Far be it from me to criticize the apparent animal magnetism of a drunk Foggy Nelson hitting those high notes. Ultimately, an unexpected yet…expected song choice. All right, Karen, what about you?

“Oh, I’m all about ‘Jolene.’”

“Ah, I should have known my own sister would love Dolly as much as me!”

Matt interjected, “So Jolene is your go-to song too?”

“Oh, definitely not. I love Dolly, but if I’m getting up to sing in front of strangers, I’m getting the bar singing with me. Depending on the crowd it’s either ‘Party in the U.S.A.’ or ‘Friends in Low Places.’ Get a read on the crowd by the end of the first beer and you know which one to do.”

“Genius!” Foggy exclaimed, “If you’re a little too drunk, the crowd does the work for you and everyone still has a good time.”

“Exactly! You get it Fog!” as you clinked wine glasses.

“Okay so karaoke isn’t Matt’s thing, so how about…” Karen pondered for a moment, “top three favorite songs, go!”

“Oooooo,” you and Foggy said in unison as your focus returned to Matt. The wine had stained his lips a slightly darker hue and you licked your own and caught yourself before you leaned in to taste his. Matt’s lips quirked up on one side as if he knew what your body almost did without thought. He considered the question and took another sip from his glass. You nearly whined at the sight, the sound catching in your throat before it released. You sat up straighter and mentally shook yourself—you had other people at your table! It would be rude to crawl into Matt’s lap and run your nose along his jugular before nipping at his ear…

Yes, it absolutely would be rude! Control yourself!

Matt set his glass down and turned slightly to face you, almost as if only the two of you were playing this game and you had asked the question. “Top three favorite songs would probably be… ‘Only Wanna Be With You’ from Hootie and the Blowfish, ‘I Want You to Want Me’ from Cheap Trick and… ‘Let’s Stay Together’ from Al Green.”

As Karen and Foggy began to tease Matt over his choices, he continued to face you with what you would only describe as a shit-eating grin on his face. The wine was slowing you down a little—were these really his favorite? Or is he trying to say something else? Was he flirting? You were beginning to wonder if maybe drinking around Matt like this was a bad idea.

“I know Y/N has better choices than these so I gotta hear!” Foggy exclaimed while Karen cheered you on. You thought for a moment but you knew what your favorites were. While they weren’t songs you listened to regularly, they were songs that touched your soul deeply. “All right so, the best song ever created is clearly ‘Ain’t No Way’ from Aretha. You can’t argue with the Queen and it’s perfect.” Karen interjected with “Hot damn! Murdock, Y/N shows superior taste with just a single song!”

“Hey! You said favorites, not best ever made!” Matt teased back.

“That’s a fair point,” you started, “however, mine happen to be both faves and excellent.”

Matt smiled at you fondly and replied, “I’d expect nothing less, sweetheart.”

Foggy, too blissfully unaware of the tension between you and Matt interrupted, “While that Aretha choice is top notch, you still have two more to give!”

You cleared your throat and finished your wine in hopes to settled yourself after Matt’s use of ‘sweetheart.’ He was still grinning at you as if he was completely sober and aware of everything he was doing to you and you were tempted to excuse yourself to your bedroom so you could change into fresh panties considering how uncomfortably damp your current ones were becoming.

“Um, well, my other two favorites are a little sad and dark but I think they’re both perfect too.”

“Don’t leave us in suspense!” encouraged Karen with a smile.

“Right, so it would be ‘Never Going Back Again’ from Fleetwood Mac and ‘I Will Follow You into the Dark’ from Death Cab for Cutie.”

“Oh, those are sad,” Foggy murmured as he stared into his empty glass. You weren’t sure how much he had with dinner but you had a feeling that if you didn’t shift the topic, you might see a drunk and weepy Foggy at your table and you really wanted this to be a happy occasion.

“I think,” you started, “that it’s time for dessert.”

The mention of dessert had Foggy lifting his head with interest and your glances at Karen and Matt confirmed you made the right call. They were both holding back laughs at Foggy’s quick mood shift.

You smiled at Foggy and patted him on the shoulder as you got up. “I found this little Italian bakery nearby and I ordered cannoli. I asked them to adjust the recipe a tiny bit so I hope they’re still good.” You brought the container over to the table and placed one on Foggy’s plate as he gave you a drunk, yet happy smile. You served Karen, Matt, and yourself as you settled back into your chair.  

You took a bite out of your cannoli and the flavor burst on your tongue and you hummed with pleasure. Casa Delica would definitely have your business again. You watched Karen and Foggy enjoy their dessert and then glanced at Matt, a little nervous. Karen had mentioned that certain foods could be a little overwhelming for him and you had explained this to the bakery and they were more than willing to make a couple adjustments so the sugar and chocolate wouldn’t be too much for him.

As you watched him, Matt took a tentative bite and his face flashed with surprise. He took another and hummed as if he were pleased. As he chewed and savored his bite, he turned slightly towards you and took his glasses off. His sightless gaze lingered around your collarbone and he asked, “What did you have them adjust?”

“Oh, um, well,” you started a little nervous now with Matt’s beautiful eyes and your unobstructed view of his face on display to you for the first time, “Karen said taste can be a bit intense for you. I explained this and they adjusted their recipe to account for that. They just asked if it worked for us to let them know so they can keep a record of it for the future. Is it okay?”

Matt took another bite and chewed slowly as he continued to face you. You began to twist your fingers in your lap as you watched him, unsure of what was happening. Across from you, Karen was watching you both with a sharp eye while Foggy reached for a second cannoli. After he swallowed, Matt answered, “This may be the best dessert I’ve ever had. Or at least since my accident. It’s perfect.”

A grin broke across your face at his compliment, happy you thought to ask for the adjustment. Matt reached over and placed his hand on yours as he continued, “That was very kind. Thank you.” Emotions were flitting across his face as he kept his glasses off.

“It was a simple ask, I didn’t really do much,” you responded softly.

“You don’t understand,” Matt began as he squeezed your hand a little tighter, “this kind of thing doesn’t occur to most people. The fact that it occurred to you shows how thoughtful you are.”

You began to get emotional again hearing this from Matt, at the thought of so few people taking his struggles into consideration. You realized that he had a low bar for the expectations of how he was treated, and it broke your heart. Now that you were here and in his life, you promised yourself you would make sure he knew he was valued and remembered.

“Oh Matty,” you said tenderly as you reached up without thinking with your free hand to run your fingers through his hair along his temple, “I’m so sorry this isn’t the norm for you.”

Before you could drop your hand back into your lap, still not quite realizing what you had done, Matt grabbed your hand and kissed your knuckles. You smiled at him and enjoyed the warmth in your chest until you heard a throat clear. Reflexively, you yanked your hand from Matt and looked up to find both Karen with a raised eyebrow and smirk and Foggy with a half-eaten cannoli in his hand and his mouth slightly slack.

“When did this happen?” asked Foggy.

“Nothing’s happening,” you quickly responded as you picked up your dishes and headed to the sink. With your response and abrupt departure from the table, Matt frowned. He slipped his glasses back on, suddenly self-conscious.

Matt’s head tilted slightly as he heard Karen whisper as softly as she could manage, “Don’t take it to heart, Matt. You make her nervous and she’s been single for a long time.” He relaxed slightly at Karen’s reassurance, relieved that he didn’t seem to have overstepped and made you uncomfortable.

Since you started cleaning up, the others began to rise from the table to help. Once you realized what was happening you stopped them, “Wait, wait! You all are guests! I’ve got it, I promise.”

“I don’t like the idea of leaving this mess for you,” Karen started.

“Seriously, don’t worry about it. It’s all part of the process for me. I’ll do what needs to be done tonight and finish in the morning. It’s important to me that tonight was only about good food and good company for you all. No chores for guests!”

“Can we at least help clear the table?” asked Foggy.

“Foggy,” you began slowly, “I will never cook for you again if you do.” His eyes grew wide at your threat and he put his hands up to show he wasn’t moving anything. Matt and Karen laughed and gave up their attempts as well.  

Knowing Matt still intended to do a quick patrol that night, Karen spoke again, “It’s getting late and I think we all *cough* Foggy *cough* may have overdone it on the wine a little. I think it’s time we headed out.”

“Hey! No fair!” Foggy responded with a slight slur.

You all laughed and started to make your way to the door. You pulled Karen aside, “Are you good to make sure Foggy gets home okay?”

Grinning at you, Karen replied, “This ain’t my first rodeo. Don’t worry about us.”

You gave Karen a tight hug, “Please let me know when you drop him off and when you get home, okay? I’ll be worried otherwise.”

“Of course. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

You leaned on the doorframe next to Matt as you watched Karen and Foggy slowly make their way down the stairs. On the first landing, Foggy saw you watching and waved enthusiastically causing you to chuckle and wave back. Matt turned to you with a confused expression, “Care to share with the rest of the class?”

“Oh,” you started, still smiling at Foggy’s goofiness, “Foggy was waving to us after he got to the landing.”

Matt smiled fondly and replied, “He always was a happy drunk. He was the best roommate in that regard.”

“I’m glad you two found each other. I don’t believe soulmates just means romantically; I think there are people we meet that are meant to be family too. Like family soulmates.”

Considering you for a moment, Matt placed a hand on the doorframe above your head and your breath caught in your throat at his sudden closeness. He slipped his other hand to rest on your hip again as he leaned his head down to whisper in your ear, “Does that mean you also believe in romantic soulmates? One person you were made for who was also made for you?”

His deep voice speaking so softly while his lips brushed the edge of your ear short circuited your brain as both hands flew to his chest and gripped his shirt to help ground you and to keep your knees from giving out from underneath you. You took a shaky breath, vaguely aware that you had officially soaked your panties, and managed a response.

“Um, yes, I do.”

“Hmmm,” Matt began thoughtfully as he nuzzled gently along your jaw and throat. His stubble scratched deliciously along the delicate skin and the light smell of his shampoo and soap caused you to take a big inhale and sigh. “I’m beginning to think so, too.”

As suddenly as he caged you in, Matt stepped back and gave you a smile. “Thanks again for dinner, sweetheart. I can’t remember the last time I had something so…delicious.”   

With that, Matt turned and strolled to his door, leaving you completely dazed and ruined.

Part Three

Coincidence or fate, the apartment was exactly what you were hoping for. You managed to contact the landlord right before he put out ads for a new tenant. Your willingness and ability to pay for the first six months up front made the decision easy for him. It also gave you leverage to get permission to tackle a few cosmetic things you wanted done before you moved in.

How you were going to manage your blood pressure and libido with Matt across the hall, however, was something you were going to have to figure out. Blessing or curse? Only time would tell.

You stood in the middle of your new home with a huge grin on your face as you spun in a slow circle taking in everything. Your mom and stepdad would have been so proud and happy for you in this moment, and you could almost feel them next to you.

A sharp knock took you out of your reverie and you made your way to the door, expecting Karen to be on the other side. With a quick inhale of breath and a light “Oh!” you greeted Matt on your doorstep, holding a six pack of beer. “I wanted to be the first to officially welcome you to the building,” he said with a large smile.

You stepped aside and replied with a slight tremor in your voice, “That’s so sweet! Would you like to come in? Karen should be here any time now too.”

Carefully, Matt stepped inside the door and turned to you, “Could you lead me to your kitchen? That way we can use the counter and put the beers in the fridge, assuming you don’t have furniture yet, that is.”

“Oh, of course!” you replied as you held out your arm the same way you had seen Foggy and Karen do for him. Matt gently reached out to take your arm with one hand while he cradled the beer under his other arm. You led him the short distance to the kitchen and placed his hand on the counter so he could orient himself in the small space. He set the beers down and pulled two out before popping the tops off both. He handed one to you and then reached out with his to offer a toast, “Congratulations on your official move to New York.”

You grinned broadly at him and clinked your bottle with his. “Thanks, this is all so surreal but I’m so happy right now.”

Matt lowered his beer and faced you for a long moment. If you hadn’t known he was blind, you would have thought he was staring at something stuck on your face. You took a nervous drink from your beer, thrown a little from the sudden intensity of his focus. Matt snapped out of his thoughts and smiled again, leaning against the counter, “So when do you think you’ll be officially moving in? I’m sure you want to be out of the hotel sooner rather than later.”

“God, I’m so ready. Staying in a hotel is fun for a couple of days and then it gets claustrophobic.” You took another pull from your bottle and set it down long enough to hop on the counter. “I have painters coming in tomorrow and then my stuff should be here this time next week. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again!”

Matt followed your lead and lifted himself next to you on the counter, the small space causing your thighs to press against one another. The warmth of his leg soaked through your jeans, and you nearly sighed at the pleasure the heat brought. It made you wonder how deliciously warm you would get with his body wrapped around you, in your bed, with nothing between your skin and his. You felt the heat rise to your face at the unbidden thought and the arousal that had been simmering under the surface since Matt arrived cranked up full force.    

Taking a sharp inhale once he settled next to you, Matt’s face flashed quickly with surprise and longing before he schooled his features to what you were beginning to realize was a signature smirk. Nudging your arm he asked, “How’d you get the landlord to agree to let you paint? I didn’t think he let anyone make changes on their own.”

You laughed and finished your beer. “I can’t just give out my trade secrets, Murdock. You’ve got to earn it!”

Matt’s face showed surprise again at your flirtatious comment before a slightly devious expression slid over his face. “Earn it, huh? I think I might be up for the task.” He then shifted slightly, pressing his thigh more firmly against yours as he lifted his hand slowly to your cheek, to allow you to move away if you wanted to. Your breath hitched and your eyes grew wide at this sudden turn of events, and you held still as Matt’s fingertips brushed along your cheek and he tucked a stray hair behind your ear. Your eyes fluttered at the contact, and you could practically feel your heart ready to beat out of your chest. Just as it appeared that he was going to lean in to kiss you, another knock at the door caused you both to flinch in surprise. Before either of you could move off the counter, Karen burst in with a bag of takeout and a small gift bag in her hands.

“Oh!” she said in surprise, stopping her movements while taking in the scene before her. A slow Cheshire cat-like smile spread across her face as she continued, “Hi Matt, didn’t expect to see you here too. Am I interrupting something?”

Reflexively you hopped off the counter as you responded, “Nope, just two neighbors having a chat. Nothing to interrupt.” You walked towards Karen to take the bags out of her hands so you could place them on the counter where you were just sitting. You felt like a teenager caught making out with the cutest boy in the class and you were having a hard time getting your body back under control. No man had ever gotten you this aroused, this fast, especially after just smiling at you and barely touching you. You were going to need more batteries and panties on hand if living near this man was going to be your life now.

Unbeknownst to you, Karen was enjoying your flustered reaction as you avoided Matt, as well as Matt’s flushed cheeks and focus on you as he was trying to get a read on whatever he could sense from you. She stifled a laugh as Matt slid off the counter and attempted to discreetly adjust himself in his pants. While you were busying yourself unpacking the takeout, Matt slid his hand along the counter towards Karen and the door.

“Not a word, Karen,” Matt whispered as he passed her. He turned towards you and said louder, “I’ll let you two enjoy your first dinner here, Y/N. I’m glad I got to be your first visitor.”

You turned to respond, “Me too, Matt. Thank you for coming by, it was very sweet of you.” Part of you wanted to kick Karen out so you could see what Matt was planning to do but the moment had passed and now it would just be awkward.  

Karen walked with Matt towards the door under the pretense of guiding him and whispered teasingly, “Try not to listen too hard, Matty.”

Managing to keep from bursting out a laugh as Matt flipped her off on his short walk back to his apartment, Karen closed the door and headed back into the kitchen where you were standing. You seemed to be in a dazed state with chopsticks in one hand and your other on your stomach as though you were settling yourself.

“All right, it’s just us now,” Karen started, “spill.”

You turned to face her slowly after setting down the chopsticks. You grabbed two beers out of the pack Matt brought over and you opened both and handed one to Karen. Taking a couple of gulps, you set your bottle down and placed your hands on the counter. Karen watched you do all of this, interested to see where your head was with this new development.

“Mom is totally laughing at me right now.”

Not expecting this to be your first response, Karen replied, “Okay…continue…”

You sighed as you ran your hands through your hair. “He is exactly the kind of man she would have picked out for me. Smart, funny, thoughtful, kind, and Jesus Christ just so fucking beautiful. And now he’s my neighbor. She’s laughing her fucking ass off right now, Karen!”

“Okay, I think I see where you’re at. Is that a bad thing? You trusted your mom’s opinion on a lot of things so wouldn’t this maybe her way of setting up the dominos for you to be happy?”

“Dude, you don’t get it. Mom knew that none of my ex’s really…got my motor running…if you’re catching my drift.”

“Are you telling me,” Karen started slowly after taking a sip of her beer, “that no one has given you an orgasm? Or just that none of them knew how to properly turn you on? Or both?”

“Both,” you said with a slightly hysterical sense of exasperation.

Karen blew out a breath at this new information. Debating on the best way to proceed, she took a long draw from her beer and leaned on the counter. “So, are you flipping out because something happened? Or was about to happen? You’re a little too keyed up for this sort of,” Karen paused to find the words, “existential revelation. I mean, you met him before deciding you’d be his neighbor so his general qualities can’t be the only issue here.”

Damn Karen and her investigative instincts, you thought. You were still getting used to having a sister and admitting these kinds of ultra personal things were hard for you in general. You decided to take the leap and just tell her. You leaned down to put your elbows on the counter so you could put your head in your hands so you wouldn’t have to look at her as you admitted, “I have literally never been so turned on in my life as I was right before you walked in.”

Grinning, Karen knew she was getting the meat of the issue. “So, Matt really does it for you, huh,” she teased. At your groan she continued, “What were you guys even doing to get you to that state? It didn’t look too risqué, or I would have turned right back around and left you to it.”

Lifting your head, you finally really looked at Karen and while she was teasing you, you could tell she was genuinely trying to help you work out your feelings. “I mean, nothing was really going on. We were just chatting, and he was sitting so close, and it was really nice. And then he was touching my face, and was just so soft and gentle, and then he was leaning in, and I swear I thought he was going to kiss me…” you said quickly.

“And then I came in,” Karen finished.

“Yeah.”

“Well,” Karen clapped her hands together as she moved towards the briefly forgotten food, “I’m sorry I interrupted the moment. I’ll do my best not to be a cock-block in the future.”

You laughed as you leaned over to pick up the forgotten chopsticks so you could start eating. “I appreciate that, but you don’t need to apologize. I invited you over and you didn’t know all that was going on. But thanks for listening and trying to understand me.”

“Hey, what are sisters for?”

-X-

Matt barely had the door shut to his apartment before he ripped his glasses off and his hands were unbuckling his belt. He continued to work on his pants as he did everything he could to not listen to your conversation with Karen. He made his way to the bathroom and quickly turned on the shower to help drown out your voice. He heard, “Mom is totally laughing at me right now,” before Karen’s response was muffled by the sound of the water hitting the tiles.

He was definitely curious and wanted to hear what Karen would inevitably manage to pull out of you, but he didn’t want to invade your privacy, that would be wrong. It would also be wrong to touch himself with the smell of your arousal lingering in his nose and on his lips as he delicately licked them to savor the faint taste. There was only so much he could hold himself back from; he would go to confession later if it meant he could ease the ache he felt as soon as he touched your arm after entering your apartment.

Matt shoved his pants down to his knees and roughly pulled his shirt over his head, not even bothering to finish unbuttoning it. Getting in the shower would help him drown out you and Karen but he wanted to savor what little of your scent remained with him.

The moment you met in the office, he knew he was in for it. Your reaction to him was adorable but your pheromones had practically screamed at him, even after you hurriedly left. He had never wanted someone so badly, so quickly based almost solely on how they smelled to him. Meeting with you, Foggy, and Karen for drinks that evening practically sealed his fate. Learning that you were smart, driven, and kind on top of your alluring scent had him practically drunk by the time he walked home that night. He knew that it was probably not a great idea for his self-control to propose living so close to him, but he couldn’t help but to suggest. The apartment was empty, after all. Matt knew his motives were selfish and probably creepy, but he managed to convince himself that it only made sense for you to move to his building if you liked the apartment; plus, he could help Karen keep an eye on you and keep you safe as you got used to the city.

Each time he saw you made it more and more difficult to keep his hands off you, or himself when he was alone. The steam from the shower made him feel like you were surrounding him as he finally reached down and slowly stroked himself. He gasped at the feeling and knew his guilt-ridden self-denial would result in a quick finish tonight. Matt allowed himself to give in to his pleasure as he sped up his strokes, squeezing slightly at the base at each pass. His other hand reached down to gently massage his balls as he picked up speed. Pre-cum had been leaking heavily since before he entered his apartment, and he used it to help tease the tip and the sensitive underside of his head. Matt imagined what it would be like to have you on your knees before him, teasing that spot with your tongue before taking the rest of him down your throat.

This final thought had him crying out your name as he came, pumping himself slowly to prolong his orgasm until the pleasure turned into oversensitivity. He sighed, finally stepping out of his pants that had pooled around his ankles and moved into the now lukewarm shower. He washed off his release and turned the water off. There was no point in a proper shower if he was planning on going out as Daredevil tonight.

As Matt dried off and began to pull on his suit, he listened for you and Karen. You were both still eating dinner, perched on your counter again and laughing together. He smiled at the happiness he could hear from both of you. He said a quick prayer of thanks for the joy getting brought into his world.

Part Three

Coincidence or fate, the apartment was exactly what you were hoping for. You managed to contact the landlord right before he put out ads for a new tenant. Your willingness and ability to pay for the first six months up front made the decision easy for him. It also gave you leverage to get permission to tackle a few cosmetic things you wanted done before you moved in.

How you were going to manage your blood pressure and libido with Matt across the hall, however, was something you were going to have to figure out. Blessing or curse? Only time would tell.

You stood in the middle of your new home with a huge grin on your face as you spun in a slow circle taking in everything. Your mom and stepdad would have been so proud and happy for you in this moment, and you could almost feel them next to you.

A sharp knock took you out of your reverie and you made your way to the door, expecting Karen to be on the other side. With a quick inhale of breath and a light “Oh!” you greeted Matt on your doorstep, holding a six pack of beer. “I wanted to be the first to officially welcome you to the building,” he said with a large smile.

You stepped aside and replied with a slight tremor in your voice, “That’s so sweet! Would you like to come in? Karen should be here any time now too.”

Carefully, Matt stepped inside the door and turned to you, “Could you lead me to your kitchen? That way we can use the counter and put the beers in the fridge, assuming you don’t have furniture yet, that is.”

“Oh, of course!” you replied as you held out your arm the same way you had seen Foggy and Karen do for him. Matt gently reached out to take your arm with one hand while he cradled the beer under his other arm. You led him the short distance to the kitchen and placed his hand on the counter so he could orient himself in the small space. He set the beers down and pulled two out before popping the tops off both. He handed one to you and then reached out with his to offer a toast, “Congratulations on your official move to New York.”

You grinned broadly at him and clinked your bottle with his. “Thanks, this is all so surreal but I’m so happy right now.”

Matt lowered his beer and faced you for a long moment. If you hadn’t known he was blind, you would have thought he was staring at something stuck on your face. You took a nervous drink from your beer, thrown a little from the sudden intensity of his focus. Matt snapped out of his thoughts and smiled again, leaning against the counter, “So when do you think you’ll be officially moving in? I’m sure you want to be out of the hotel sooner rather than later.”

“God, I’m so ready. Staying in a hotel is fun for a couple of days and then it gets claustrophobic.” You took another pull from your bottle and set it down long enough to hop on the counter. “I have painters coming in tomorrow and then my stuff should be here this time next week. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again!”

Matt followed your lead and lifted himself next to you on the counter, the small space causing your thighs to press against one another. The warmth of his leg soaked through your jeans, and you nearly sighed at the pleasure the heat brought. It made you wonder how deliciously warm you would get with his body wrapped around you, in your bed, with nothing between your skin and his. You felt the heat rise to your face at the unbidden thought and the arousal that had been simmering under the surface since Matt arrived cranked up full force.    

Taking a sharp inhale once he settled next to you, Matt’s face flashed quickly with surprise and longing before he schooled his features to what you were beginning to realize was a signature smirk. Nudging your arm he asked, “How’d you get the landlord to agree to let you paint? I didn’t think he let anyone make changes on their own.”

You laughed and finished your beer. “I can’t just give out my trade secrets, Murdock. You’ve got to earn it!”

Matt’s face showed surprise again at your flirtatious comment before a slightly devious expression slid over his face. “Earn it, huh? I think I might be up for the task.” He then shifted slightly, pressing his thigh more firmly against yours as he lifted his hand slowly to your cheek, to allow you to move away if you wanted to. Your breath hitched and your eyes grew wide at this sudden turn of events, and you held still as Matt’s fingertips brushed along your cheek and he tucked a stray hair behind your ear. Your eyes fluttered at the contact, and you could practically feel your heart ready to beat out of your chest. Just as it appeared that he was going to lean in to kiss you, another knock at the door caused you both to flinch in surprise. Before either of you could move off the counter, Karen burst in with a bag of takeout and a small gift bag in her hands.

“Oh!” she said in surprise, stopping her movements while taking in the scene before her. A slow Cheshire cat-like smile spread across her face as she continued, “Hi Matt, didn’t expect to see you here too. Am I interrupting something?”

Reflexively you hopped off the counter as you responded, “Nope, just two neighbors having a chat. Nothing to interrupt.” You walked towards Karen to take the bags out of her hands so you could place them on the counter where you were just sitting. You felt like a teenager caught making out with the cutest boy in the class and you were having a hard time getting your body back under control. No man had ever gotten you this aroused, this fast, especially after just smiling at you and barely touching you. You were going to need more batteries and panties on hand if living near this man was going to be your life now.

Unbeknownst to you, Karen was enjoying your flustered reaction as you avoided Matt, as well as Matt’s flushed cheeks and focus on you as he was trying to get a read on whatever he could sense from you. She stifled a laugh as Matt slid off the counter and attempted to discreetly adjust himself in his pants. While you were busying yourself unpacking the takeout, Matt slid his hand along the counter towards Karen and the door.

“Not a word, Karen,” Matt whispered as he passed her. He turned towards you and said louder, “I’ll let you two enjoy your first dinner here, Y/N. I’m glad I got to be your first visitor.”

You turned to respond, “Me too, Matt. Thank you for coming by, it was very sweet of you.” Part of you wanted to kick Karen out so you could see what Matt was planning to do but the moment had passed and now it would just be awkward.  

Karen walked with Matt towards the door under the pretense of guiding him and whispered teasingly, “Try not to listen too hard, Matty.”

Managing to keep from bursting out a laugh as Matt flipped her off on his short walk back to his apartment, Karen closed the door and headed back into the kitchen where you were standing. You seemed to be in a dazed state with chopsticks in one hand and your other on your stomach as though you were settling yourself.

“All right, it’s just us now,” Karen started, “spill.”

You turned to face her slowly after setting down the chopsticks. You grabbed two beers out of the pack Matt brought over and you opened both and handed one to Karen. Taking a couple of gulps, you set your bottle down and placed your hands on the counter. Karen watched you do all of this, interested to see where your head was with this new development.

“Mom is totally laughing at me right now.”

Not expecting this to be your first response, Karen replied, “Okay…continue…”

You sighed as you ran your hands through your hair. “He is exactly the kind of man she would have picked out for me. Smart, funny, thoughtful, kind, and Jesus Christ just so fucking beautiful. And now he’s my neighbor. She’s laughing her fucking ass off right now, Karen!”

“Okay, I think I see where you’re at. Is that a bad thing? You trusted your mom’s opinion on a lot of things so wouldn’t this maybe her way of setting up the dominos for you to be happy?”

“Dude, you don’t get it. Mom knew that none of my ex’s really…got my motor running…if you’re catching my drift.”

“Are you telling me,” Karen started slowly after taking a sip of her beer, “that no one has given you an orgasm? Or just that none of them knew how to properly turn you on? Or both?”

“Both,” you said with a slightly hysterical sense of exasperation.

Karen blew out a breath at this new information. Debating on the best way to proceed, she took a long draw from her beer and leaned on the counter. “So, are you flipping out because something happened? Or was about to happen? You’re a little too keyed up for this sort of,” Karen paused to find the words, “existential revelation. I mean, you met him before deciding you’d be his neighbor so his general qualities can’t be the only issue here.”

Damn Karen and her investigative instincts, you thought. You were still getting used to having a sister and admitting these kinds of ultra personal things were hard for you in general. You decided to take the leap and just tell her. You leaned down to put your elbows on the counter so you could put your head in your hands so you wouldn’t have to look at her as you admitted, “I have literally never been so turned on in my life as I was right before you walked in.”

Grinning, Karen knew she was getting the meat of the issue. “So, Matt really does it for you, huh,” she teased. At your groan she continued, “What were you guys even doing to get you to that state? It didn’t look too risqué, or I would have turned right back around and left you to it.”

Lifting your head, you finally really looked at Karen and while she was teasing you, you could tell she was genuinely trying to help you work out your feelings. “I mean, nothing was really going on. We were just chatting, and he was sitting so close, and it was really nice. And then he was touching my face, and was just so soft and gentle, and then he was leaning in, and I swear I thought he was going to kiss me…” you said quickly.

“And then I came in,” Karen finished.

“Yeah.”

“Well,” Karen clapped her hands together as she moved towards the briefly forgotten food, “I’m sorry I interrupted the moment. I’ll do my best not to be a cock-block in the future.”

You laughed as you leaned over to pick up the forgotten chopsticks so you could start eating. “I appreciate that, but you don’t need to apologize. I invited you over and you didn’t know all that was going on. But thanks for listening and trying to understand me.”

“Hey, what are sisters for?”

-X-

Matt barely had the door shut to his apartment before he ripped his glasses off and his hands were unbuckling his belt. He continued to work on his pants as he did everything he could to not listen to your conversation with Karen. He made his way to the bathroom and quickly turned on the shower to help drown out your voice. He heard, “Mom is totally laughing at me right now,” before Karen’s response was muffled by the sound of the water hitting the tiles.

He was definitely curious and wanted to hear what Karen would inevitably manage to pull out of you, but he didn’t want to invade your privacy, that would be wrong. It would also be wrong to touch himself with the smell of your arousal lingering in his nose and on his lips as he delicately licked them to savor the faint taste. There was only so much he could hold himself back from; he would go to confession later if it meant he could ease the ache he felt as soon as he touched your arm after entering your apartment.

Matt shoved his pants down to his knees and roughly pulled his shirt over his head, not even bothering to finish unbuttoning it. Getting in the shower would help him drown out you and Karen but he wanted to savor what little of your scent remained with him.

The moment you met in the office, he knew he was in for it. Your reaction to him was adorable but your pheromones had practically screamed at him, even after you hurriedly left. He had never wanted someone so badly, so quickly based almost solely on how they smelled to him. Meeting with you, Foggy, and Karen for drinks that evening practically sealed his fate. Learning that you were smart, driven, and kind on top of your alluring scent had him practically drunk by the time he walked home that night. He knew that it was probably not a great idea for his self-control to propose living so close to him, but he couldn’t help but to suggest. The apartment was empty, after all. Matt knew his motives were selfish and probably creepy, but he managed to convince himself that it only made sense for you to move to his building if you liked the apartment; plus, he could help Karen keep an eye on you and keep you safe as you got used to the city.

Each time he saw you made it more and more difficult to keep his hands off you, or himself when he was alone. The steam from the shower made him feel like you were surrounding him as he finally reached down and slowly stroked himself. He gasped at the feeling and knew his guilt-ridden self-denial would result in a quick finish tonight. Matt allowed himself to give in to his pleasure as he sped up his strokes, squeezing slightly at the base at each pass. His other hand reached down to gently massage his balls as he picked up speed. Pre-cum had been leaking heavily since before he entered his apartment, and he used it to help tease the tip and the sensitive underside of his head. Matt imagined what it would be like to have you on your knees before him, teasing that spot with your tongue before taking the rest of him down your throat.

This final thought had him crying out your name as he came, pumping himself slowly to prolong his orgasm until the pleasure turned into oversensitivity. He sighed, finally stepping out of his pants that had pooled around his ankles and moved into the now lukewarm shower. He washed off his release and turned the water off. There was no point in a proper shower if he was planning on going out as Daredevil tonight.

As Matt dried off and began to pull on his suit, he listened for you and Karen. You were both still eating dinner, perched on your counter again and laughing together. He smiled at the happiness he could hear from both of you. He said a quick prayer of thanks for the joy getting brought into his world.

Part Two

Standing outside Josie’s you took a deep breath to steady yourself. After embarrassing yourself in front of Karen, Foggy, and (oh God) Matt you knew you needed get it together to avoid a repeat of the afternoon. You were going to be living in this city and, most likely, spending a lot of time with Matt and Foggy based on how much Karen talked about them so you needed to start acting normal around them, the sooner, the better.

You scrambled to complete the introductions earlier that day and bolted out of the office as fast as you politely could. Karen, holding back the commentary you knew she was dying to give, told you the address and time to meet them that evening so you could go back to your hotel and regroup. It had been a long time since anyone had made you react like that upon first meeting. It didn’t help that you could hear your mother’s voice in your head, “Oh honey, the two of you would make me some beautiful grandbabies.”

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door and stepped inside. Josie’s was grungy and dirty and just perfect. You weren’t lying when you told Karen that you liked dive bars. Something about them stripped away pretense and allowed you to be yourself and see others for who they were too. There were no ridiculously named cocktails with too little alcohol and too much sugar at places like these. You valued the simplicity.

You ventured a bit further and saw Karen moving chairs to a table and made your way towards her. “Hey, we the first ones?”

Turning, Karen smiled and gave you a quick hug. “Yeah, but they’re right behind me, just wrapping up. I told them I’d secure our table and meet you.”

“You know,” you started, “you could have warned me that one of your friends looked like that.”

Karen laughed as she sat, and you took the chair next to her. “Honestly, I kind of forget about it since I see him every day. I didn’t think the first meeting would have you reacting that way.”

“Kareeeennnn,” you whined, “you know my dry spell is basically breaking records and then one of the first men you introduce me to is not only your friend and co-worker but the hottest man I have ever seen. I’m a puddle over here!”

“He’s smart and kind too,” Karen replied as she patted your hand. “And, most importantly, single.”

You dropped your head in your hands as you groaned, “Don’t tell me that! If you add smart and kind into that equation, I’m doomed! A hot guy who can keep up an intelligent conversation and not be a total asshole about it? Dear lord, it’s my kryptonite!”

“Kryptonite? You a comic book fan?”

You whipped your head around to see Matt, smirking again, with a cane in one hand, two beers in the other standing next to the table with Foggy a couple steps behind with the remaining beers.

“Something like that,” you quietly replied while shooting a glare at Karen for not warning you. For her part, she was trying very hard not to laugh behind her hand while giving you a thumbs up with the other and a wink.

Matt settled into the seat next to you while Foggy took the remaining empty one across from you, apparently oblivious to your current flustered state. Matt slid one of the beers he was holding over to you, “I hope this is okay to start. We didn’t really know what you like.”

“Beer is good. Always a solid choice,” you answered with a sip. Not your favorite but also not the disgusting cheap kind you drank in college.

“Now that we’re all here and off work, a toast!” proclaimed Foggy, holding his beer up. “To friends, the new resident of Hell’s Kitchen, and beer!” Laughing you all clinked your beers together and you drank a bit more from your bottle.

“Thanks for the warm welcome; it’s nice coming into a new place and meeting people so fast,” you replied.

“I’m sure you have a lot of items on your to-do list now that you’re here,” Matt started, “but Karen never said if you had a job, or something lined up? Or if you need us to keep the ear to the ground for places that are hiring, we could do that too.”

“Well, um, I don’t really need to find a job. I’m a writer. My biggest task after finding somewhere to live is places to write when I need a change of scenery.”

“So, are you a writer like a journalist?” asked Foggy.

“Actually, I write both historical non-fiction and historical fiction. Occasionally, I write or edit for textbooks. I know it seems a little dry, but I love it and it’s paid the bills so far.”

Matt spoke up, “How do you get into something like that? It’s pretty specific.”

You took a swallow of your beer and considered him and his question, “Do you want the long answer or the short answer?”

Foggy chuckled, “We’re lawyers. We want both!”

With everyone laughing, Matt signaled to Josie for another round of beers knowing it would take her a few minutes. He turned to fully face you with his undivided attention. You became overwhelmed at the intensity of his smile and focus, and you could feel your heart start to race again. “Start with the short answer and then give us the context,” Matt encouraged.

“Well, the short answer is that I sold my doctoral thesis to my university press, and I was able to maintain interest in my work after.

“Wow,” said Foggy. “That thesis must have been good to be picked up and published like that. Did they contract for more?”

Smiling, you answered, “They did. It actually was pretty successful, and not just with professors and history students. They ended up selling it for mass printing to another publisher, so I was able to get interest in a second book. It sold well too.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” started Matt. “Are you saying you’ve contracted and sold multiple successful history books? To the point where you can write full time?”

“I am saying exactly that,” you responded with a chuckle. You felt pride looking at the impressed looks on Matt and Foggy’s faces. You had worked hard to get where you are and didn’t brag about it, but it always felt validating when you got such positive reactions to your work.

“Give them the slightly longer story,” Karen encouraged as she sipped her beer and leaned back.

“Well, essentially, I got a full ride to a local university that had a decent history program for my B.A. I didn’t know what I wanted to do at the time, so I wasn’t trying for the best programs then. Once I took a couple of the required history classes, I was hooked. I was able to get into a really good competitive graduate program. A couple of the professors liked my writing and research skills and they advocated for me and my thesis to the university press. One of them wanted to use it as required reading for a course he was due to teach.”

You paused and took a swallow of your beer and assessed the others. Matt and Foggy didn’t seem bored with your story and Karen, while already knowing this, was paying attention as well. Reassured, you continued, “The crazy part of it was that one of the main editors took a copy of my book home and his husband saw it and read a few pages. He got really into it, apparently, and finished it in just a couple days. After, he called me and asked if he could publish it at his company too because they had widespread distribution. We hashed out the details and they got it into bookstores, and it did really well. That led to more book deals and here we are.”

Matt whistled softly and looked impressed.

“What was the title of the first one? Do you think we would have heard of it?” asked Foggy.

“Maybe,” you replied and gave him the title.

“Goddamn! My mom read that! She went on and on about how fascinating it was and that it was written so anyone could understand.” Foggy added.

“Told you guys she was smart,” added Karen as she sipped her beer.

You laughed, “Tell your mom ‘Thanks’ for reading it. That book was such a labor of love.”

“I’ve heard of it but haven’t read it. Is it on audiobook?” asked Matt.

“It is! I was actually able to do the recording for it which was such a cool experience.”

“I’ll definitely be giving it a shot since I know the author now,” Matt replied and the grin he gave you would have made your knees give out if you had been standing. “But I have another question. You said you also write historical fiction?”

At his question you blushed a little since you were hoping the focus would stay on your non-fiction work for now. “Um, yes, I do. I get really into the research for my non-fiction, and it often involves a lot of first-person accounts. I started asking myself ‘what-if’ and imagining a different path for some of the people I was reading about. Or how I would handle certain scenarios and then started writing bits and pieces for myself, sort of like a wish fulfillment. Before I realized it, I had a fairly historically accurate novel on my hands, so I passed it along to my second editor and he loved that too. I’ve written two so far and they’ve done pretty well. I do publish those under a pseudonym though, to keep the work separate.”

Foggy downed the rest of his beer and blew out a big breath. “Karen, you kind of undersold your sister to us.”

Karen laughed loudly at this while you chuckled, “It’s more impressive with minimal hype. She brings the thunder all on her own.”

You waved away the compliment as you added, “I’m seriously just lucky. I was encouraged to follow my passion and then had some really supportive mentors. Timing plus luck and all that.”

“No, Karen’s right,” Matt interrupted with a grin. “You definitely bring the thunder. Are you writing a book right now? Or have ideas for your next one?”

Your heart skipped a beat as you took in Matt’s smile and attention, “I submitted my last one around the beginning of the year and I finished up the last edits before moving so I think it’s going to the printers soon. After…everything…I was kind of stuck and none of the ideas I had made me motivated. Once I decided to move here though, I started researching the city and I have a couple ideas I’m excited about, but I need to do more preliminary research first to make sure there’s enough source material.”

“Don’t leave us in suspense!” encouraged Foggy, making you laugh.

“Well, Hell’s Kitchen has a really interesting history with different immigrant populations. I’d love to be able to write something focusing on the journey through the lives of a handful of people, or maybe follow the genealogy and talk to families who are still in the neighborhood, or at least on Manhattan. I’m still brainstorming the approach.”

“I don’t think you’ll have any problems finding what you need for something like that,” said Matt. “There’s a lot of pride in the neighborhood so if the information is out there, people will want to share it if it means stories of Hell’s Kitchen get told to a wider audience.” Matt reached out and placed his hand on your arm and continued, “Foggy and I know a lot of people and places that have a deep history so we can always point you in the right direction.”

“Absolutely!” exclaimed Foggy. “So, if you’re going to be writing and researching in Hell’s Kitchen, I’m assuming you’ll want to live nearby? Is there anywhere in particular you know you want to live? You don’t need our help on the job front but maybe we can help give pointers on where to check out.”

You only met Foggy that day, but he was clearly eager to help you with this transition in your life. It was another bittersweet reminder of your mother, and you felt touched by his insistence.

“Well,” you started as you fidgeted with the label on your beer, “I have a meeting with a broker tomorrow to start looking at places. You’re right, I do want to be in Hell’s Kitchen and also walking distance from Karen. I’d like to be closer to the top floor of the building with good windows for some natural light. I only need one bedroom so hopefully it won’t be too difficult to find something quickly. If there’s anywhere you guys know of that would be good, send it to me so I can take a look.”

Matt made a humming sound as he tilted his head towards you as if he were considering something. You noticed Foggy and Karen had exchanged glances and then looked over at Matt as if he could see their stares. Unsure of this sudden shift, you sat quietly and observed while finishing the remainder of your beer.

“It’s quite the coincidence,” Matt started, “but my neighbor recently moved, and I don’t believe they’ve found a new tenant for her apartment. If I’m not mistaken, I think her floorplan is like mine and might be what you’re looking for.”

Oh shit.

Part Two

Standing outside Josie’s you took a deep breath to steady yourself. After embarrassing yourself in front of Karen, Foggy, and (oh God) Matt you knew you needed get it together to avoid a repeat of the afternoon. You were going to be living in this city and, most likely, spending a lot of time with Matt and Foggy based on how much Karen talked about them so you needed to start acting normal around them, the sooner, the better.

You scrambled to complete the introductions earlier that day and bolted out of the office as fast as you politely could. Karen, holding back the commentary you knew she was dying to give, told you the address and time to meet them that evening so you could go back to your hotel and regroup. It had been a long time since anyone had made you react like that upon first meeting. It didn’t help that you could hear your mother’s voice in your head, “Oh honey, the two of you would make me some beautiful grandbabies.”

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door and stepped inside. Josie’s was grungy and dirty and just perfect. You weren’t lying when you told Karen that you liked dive bars. Something about them stripped away pretense and allowed you to be yourself and see others for who they were too. There were no ridiculously named cocktails with too little alcohol and too much sugar at places like these. You valued the simplicity.

You ventured a bit further and saw Karen moving chairs to a table and made your way towards her. “Hey, we the first ones?”

Turning, Karen smiled and gave you a quick hug. “Yeah, but they’re right behind me, just wrapping up. I told them I’d secure our table and meet you.”

“You know,” you started, “you could have warned me that one of your friends looked like that.”

Karen laughed as she sat, and you took the chair next to her. “Honestly, I kind of forget about it since I see him every day. I didn’t think the first meeting would have you reacting that way.”

“Kareeeennnn,” you whined, “you know my dry spell is basically breaking records and then one of the first men you introduce me to is not only your friend and co-worker but the hottest man I have ever seen. I’m a puddle over here!”

“He’s smart and kind too,” Karen replied as she patted your hand. “And, most importantly, single.”

You dropped your head in your hands as you groaned, “Don’t tell me that! If you add smart and kind into that equation, I’m doomed! A hot guy who can keep up an intelligent conversation and not be a total asshole about it? Dear lord, it’s my kryptonite!”

“Kryptonite? You a comic book fan?”

You whipped your head around to see Matt, smirking again, with a cane in one hand, two beers in the other standing next to the table with Foggy a couple steps behind with the remaining beers.

“Something like that,” you quietly replied while shooting a glare at Karen for not warning you. For her part, she was trying very hard not to laugh behind her hand while giving you a thumbs up with the other and a wink.

Matt settled into the seat next to you while Foggy took the remaining empty one across from you, apparently oblivious to your current flustered state. Matt slid one of the beers he was holding over to you, “I hope this is okay to start. We didn’t really know what you like.”

“Beer is good. Always a solid choice,” you answered with a sip. Not your favorite but also not the disgusting cheap kind you drank in college.

“Now that we’re all here and off work, a toast!” proclaimed Foggy, holding his beer up. “To friends, the new resident of Hell’s Kitchen, and beer!” Laughing you all clinked your beers together and you drank a bit more from your bottle.

“Thanks for the warm welcome; it’s nice coming into a new place and meeting people so fast,” you replied.

“I’m sure you have a lot of items on your to-do list now that you’re here,” Matt started, “but Karen never said if you had a job, or something lined up? Or if you need us to keep the ear to the ground for places that are hiring, we could do that too.”

“Well, um, I don’t really need to find a job. I’m a writer. My biggest task after finding somewhere to live is places to write when I need a change of scenery.”

“So, are you a writer like a journalist?” asked Foggy.

“Actually, I write both historical non-fiction and historical fiction. Occasionally, I write or edit for textbooks. I know it seems a little dry, but I love it and it’s paid the bills so far.”

Matt spoke up, “How do you get into something like that? It’s pretty specific.”

You took a swallow of your beer and considered him and his question, “Do you want the long answer or the short answer?”

Foggy chuckled, “We’re lawyers. We want both!”

With everyone laughing, Matt signaled to Josie for another round of beers knowing it would take her a few minutes. He turned to fully face you with his undivided attention. You became overwhelmed at the intensity of his smile and focus, and you could feel your heart start to race again. “Start with the short answer and then give us the context,” Matt encouraged.

“Well, the short answer is that I sold my doctoral thesis to my university press, and I was able to maintain interest in my work after.

“Wow,” said Foggy. “That thesis must have been good to be picked up and published like that. Did they contract for more?”

Smiling, you answered, “They did. It actually was pretty successful, and not just with professors and history students. They ended up selling it for mass printing to another publisher, so I was able to get interest in a second book. It sold well too.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” started Matt. “Are you saying you’ve contracted and sold multiple successful history books? To the point where you can write full time?”

“I am saying exactly that,” you responded with a chuckle. You felt pride looking at the impressed looks on Matt and Foggy’s faces. You had worked hard to get where you are and didn’t brag about it, but it always felt validating when you got such positive reactions to your work.

“Give them the slightly longer story,” Karen encouraged as she sipped her beer and leaned back.

“Well, essentially, I got a full ride to a local university that had a decent history program for my B.A. I didn’t know what I wanted to do at the time, so I wasn’t trying for the best programs then. Once I took a couple of the required history classes, I was hooked. I was able to get into a really good competitive graduate program. A couple of the professors liked my writing and research skills and they advocated for me and my thesis to the university press. One of them wanted to use it as required reading for a course he was due to teach.”

You paused and took a swallow of your beer and assessed the others. Matt and Foggy didn’t seem bored with your story and Karen, while already knowing this, was paying attention as well. Reassured, you continued, “The crazy part of it was that one of the main editors took a copy of my book home and his husband saw it and read a few pages. He got really into it, apparently, and finished it in just a couple days. After, he called me and asked if he could publish it at his company too because they had widespread distribution. We hashed out the details and they got it into bookstores, and it did really well. That led to more book deals and here we are.”

Matt whistled softly and looked impressed.

“What was the title of the first one? Do you think we would have heard of it?” asked Foggy.

“Maybe,” you replied and gave him the title.

“Goddamn! My mom read that! She went on and on about how fascinating it was and that it was written so anyone could understand.” Foggy added.

“Told you guys she was smart,” added Karen as she sipped her beer.

You laughed, “Tell your mom ‘Thanks’ for reading it. That book was such a labor of love.”

“I’ve heard of it but haven’t read it. Is it on audiobook?” asked Matt.

“It is! I was actually able to do the recording for it which was such a cool experience.”

“I’ll definitely be giving it a shot since I know the author now,” Matt replied and the grin he gave you would have made your knees give out if you had been standing. “But I have another question. You said you also write historical fiction?”

At his question you blushed a little since you were hoping the focus would stay on your non-fiction work for now. “Um, yes, I do. I get really into the research for my non-fiction, and it often involves a lot of first-person accounts. I started asking myself ‘what-if’ and imagining a different path for some of the people I was reading about. Or how I would handle certain scenarios and then started writing bits and pieces for myself, sort of like a wish fulfillment. Before I realized it, I had a fairly historically accurate novel on my hands, so I passed it along to my second editor and he loved that too. I’ve written two so far and they’ve done pretty well. I do publish those under a pseudonym though, to keep the work separate.”

Foggy downed the rest of his beer and blew out a big breath. “Karen, you kind of undersold your sister to us.”

Karen laughed loudly at this while you chuckled, “It’s more impressive with minimal hype. She brings the thunder all on her own.”

You waved away the compliment as you added, “I’m seriously just lucky. I was encouraged to follow my passion and then had some really supportive mentors. Timing plus luck and all that.”

“No, Karen’s right,” Matt interrupted with a grin. “You definitely bring the thunder. Are you writing a book right now? Or have ideas for your next one?”

Your heart skipped a beat as you took in Matt’s smile and attention, “I submitted my last one around the beginning of the year and I finished up the last edits before moving so I think it’s going to the printers soon. After…everything…I was kind of stuck and none of the ideas I had made me motivated. Once I decided to move here though, I started researching the city and I have a couple ideas I’m excited about, but I need to do more preliminary research first to make sure there’s enough source material.”

“Don’t leave us in suspense!” encouraged Foggy, making you laugh.

“Well, Hell’s Kitchen has a really interesting history with different immigrant populations. I’d love to be able to write something focusing on the journey through the lives of a handful of people, or maybe follow the genealogy and talk to families who are still in the neighborhood, or at least on Manhattan. I’m still brainstorming the approach.”

“I don’t think you’ll have any problems finding what you need for something like that,” said Matt. “There’s a lot of pride in the neighborhood so if the information is out there, people will want to share it if it means stories of Hell’s Kitchen get told to a wider audience.” Matt reached out and placed his hand on your arm and continued, “Foggy and I know a lot of people and places that have a deep history so we can always point you in the right direction.”

“Absolutely!” exclaimed Foggy. “So, if you’re going to be writing and researching in Hell’s Kitchen, I’m assuming you’ll want to live nearby? Is there anywhere in particular you know you want to live? You don’t need our help on the job front but maybe we can help give pointers on where to check out.”

You only met Foggy that day, but he was clearly eager to help you with this transition in your life. It was another bittersweet reminder of your mother, and you felt touched by his insistence.

“Well,” you started as you fidgeted with the label on your beer, “I have a meeting with a broker tomorrow to start looking at places. You’re right, I do want to be in Hell’s Kitchen and also walking distance from Karen. I’d like to be closer to the top floor of the building with good windows for some natural light. I only need one bedroom so hopefully it won’t be too difficult to find something quickly. If there’s anywhere you guys know of that would be good, send it to me so I can take a look.”

Matt made a humming sound as he tilted his head towards you as if he were considering something. You noticed Foggy and Karen had exchanged glances and then looked over at Matt as if he could see their stares. Unsure of this sudden shift, you sat quietly and observed while finishing the remainder of your beer.

“It’s quite the coincidence,” Matt started, “but my neighbor recently moved, and I don’t believe they’ve found a new tenant for her apartment. If I’m not mistaken, I think her floorplan is like mine and might be what you’re looking for.”

Oh shit.

Part 1

The remnants of summer still lingered in the warm September afternoon as you stepped out of the cab in front of the coffee shop. Glancing at your watch, you realized you were still a little early but that’s how you preferred it. This would allow you to order your drink and calm your nerves a little before she arrived.

When your turn came at the counter, you took the barista’s suggestion of the monthly special and moved to wait for your drink. Looking around you noticed the little pieces of fall décor another employee was putting up around the shop giving it a cozier vibe. Once the barista called your name, you found a small empty table in a corner that would allow you to watch the door and enjoy the city street chaos through the large window next to you.

This shouldn’t have been as nerve racking as it was but while you had spoken with your half-sister several times over the last year, you hadn’t seen her in person since your father’s funeral a little over a year ago. You prayed this was a good idea. You needed a win after the heaviness you had dealt with over the last few years. You needed some joy and connection, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity but now you were second guessing yourself.

Just as you were beginning to spiral and doubt your decision for the umpteenth time that day, you heard the ding of the door and watched your half-sister, Karen Page, rush in searching for you. The moment she saw you, she broke into a huge smile and hurried over to envelop you in a hug.

“Y/N! I’m so glad you made it safely! I hope you weren’t waiting long; I told Matt and Foggy I needed to leave sooner but they’re drowning in a sea of paperwork for a case, and we lost track of time.”

“Don’t worry about it! I’m usually early and you’re only a couple minutes late. No harm, no foul.” You released her from the hug and in that instant, you knew you had made the right decision. You didn’t realize how much you needed a hug from family until that moment and you felt more settled than you had in weeks.

“Do we need to postpone so you can get back to the office? Are you on a time crunch?” you asked.

“Oh, hell no, we are not postponing! They’ll be fine without me for a little while. I want to caffeinate while I hear about how you’re feeling now that you’re here!”

-X-

Your biological father may have been a world class asshole, but at least he had the decency to tell you and Karen about each other before he died. It was weird growing up as an only child to find out as an adult that you had a sister, especially when you had so desperately wished for one when you were younger. For her part, Karen could have decided she didn’t want a sister, but she welcomed you into her life with open arms. Admittedly, you struggled some, not because you were unhappy to find out about her, but because the news came during one of the worst times of your life.

If you had a terrible biological father, then luckily, you had the most amazing mother you could have asked for. When you and Karen found out about each other, you had just received news that your mother had been diagnosed with cancer for the second time. This time, it was late-stage and had spread with abysmal survival rates. This news alone meant your plate was beyond full. The idea of figuring out how to grieve the parent who didn’t want you while struggling to accept the awful news about your mother was overwhelming. It was nothing to say of the struggles to cultivate a new relationship with your sister under your poorly hidden sorrow, but Karen had been lovely and understanding. She did so much of the early legwork to develop your relationship, checking on you when she knew you were focused on your mother and often reminding you to do basic tasks to take care of yourself.

When your mother passed in the late spring, you were understandably devastated. She had been your sounding board your entire life and, without her, you felt unmoored. Thankfully, Karen had been there. She hadn’t been able to come to the funeral, but she called you every day for the first couple weeks after to make sure you were eating, hydrating, and showering. She listened to your stories and cried with you when the grief threatened to eat you alive.

During a conversation expressing your untethered feelings, Karen raised the idea that led you to the coffee shop in the midst of Hell’s Kitchen.

“Hey, I know you’re not sure what to do but…what if you moved here? Maybe a big change of pace and scenery will help you move forward.”

If you were being honest, moving to New York was an idea you had for a long time. You had applied to Columbia and NYU in your final year of high school but a full ride to a local university secured your undergrad path. Despite this decision, you never let go of the idea of New York. When Karen tentatively suggested the idea, it was like your mother was holding a huge neon sign for you, telling you to get off your ass and GO! A light burst into life within you, and you scrambled to make the arrangements so you could move as soon as possible.

-X-

Once Karen had her coffee and settled into her seat, you relayed some of your travel mishaps and your ideas and loose plans for her input.

“Honestly, I can’t really believe I’m here. It’s all still so surreal. But I’m hoping the apartment hunting will help ground me a little and once I can actually get my things here, it’ll start to sink in.”

“That makes sense. I imagine it’ll feel more like a vacation until you have your things around you. I’m so glad you’re here to experience fall in New York! I think you’ll love it,” Karen gushed, beaming at you.

As you grinned at Karen, you felt a peace and a warmth spread in your chest that you hadn’t felt since before your mom passed. You reached across the table and grasped her hand. “Thank you, Karen, for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you this last year. I’m so grateful you’re my sister.”

Karen’s eyes started to well up as she gripped your hand in return, “I’m grateful you’re my sister too.”

Shocking you both out of the moment, Karen’s phone buzzed, and she rolled her eyes once she saw the caller ID. “I’m so sorry, Y/N. He knows I’m with you so I’m not sure why Foggy’s calling.” You waved her to answer it, unbothered by the interruption as it gave you a moment to reign in your emotions a little more. You didn’t need to start sobbing in the middle of a coffee shop; you’d have your bigger emotions in private later.

You took a sip of your coffee as you heard Karen’s exasperated tone, “Yes Foggy I know it’s a big deal. YES, I know we need the revenue. Okay, okay but you both know why I took an extended break and who I’m with…Seriously?? Now? Ugh, fine. You both owe me AND Y/N for interrupting.”

Karen sighed as she ended the call and looked at you apologetically. Before she could even say anything, you started, “Let me guess, they need you back ASAP because they don’t know how to function without you?”

She chuckled and confirmed, “Basically. He also asked me to bring back coffee. They’re losing steam fast. If you’re not too tired, do you want to walk back with me? You can meet them, so you know who to look for when we get drinks at Josie’s tonight!”

“Wait, what’s Josie’s?”

“It’s this local dive bar that Matt and Foggy love and they want to welcome you to the city! We planned on going tonight if you felt up to it, but we can do another night or somewhere else if that works better for you?”

You could tell Karen was a little nervous. Whether it was encouraging you to meet her co-workers and friends so quickly or having you go drinking your first night in an unfamiliar city, you didn’t know but you wanted to start living your life, not hide away in a hotel room.

“That all sounds great! I love a good dive bar, sounds like my kind of place.”

Fresh coffees in hand, you and Karen made your way back to her office making small talk about the neighborhood and places to consider when you went apartment hunting the following day with a recommended broker. You wanted to be near Karen, not necessarily in her building, but within walking distance so it would be easy to see each other when you wanted.

You nearly missed the sign “Nelson, Murdock, and Page” until Karen directed you to the door next to it. Once you made it to the interior door, you could hear the loud voices before Karen opened the office door.

“I come bearing caffeine. If you want it, stop arguing and get out here so you can meet my sister!”

You heard chairs scraping right before you saw a tall, blonde man with a huge smile step out of a side room. Holding out his hand for you to shake he said, “Hi! I’m Franklin Nelson but you can call me Foggy.”

Unable to hold back your grin, you took his hand for a quick shake and replied “Nice to meet you, I’m Y/F/N Y/L/N.”

The sheer happiness and light that shone out of Foggy reminded you of your mother. You knew this man was going to be your friend, come hell or highwater.

Behind Foggy you could hear a shuffling sound and you peered around him. Once you saw the other man, you nearly forgot to breathe. Your heart stuttered in your chest as you gazed at easily the most beautiful man you had ever seen in person. Like Foggy, he had his sleeves rolled up to just under the elbow and the top button of his shirt was undone along with a loosened tie. His red reflective glasses did nothing to distract from the sharp jawline and days-old stubble. His dark hair was slightly mussed, as if he had recently been running a hand through it. As beautiful as he was standing before you, you were most distracted by his mouth. It was lush and soft while still looking deliciously male and it was quirked up on one side like he was in on some kind of joke you had missed.

Loudly, someone cleared their throat and shook you out of your stare. You realized you had missed something as Karen looked at you with a raised eyebrow and a smirk and Foggy was shaking his head while rolling his eyes.

You gave a little embarrassed chuckle as your cheeks flushed, “Um, sorry, what did I miss? I’m a little out of it, all the excitement and travel today.”

The beautiful man gave a full smile and you nearly stopped breathing again. He stepped forward and with one hand extended, he repeated,

“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N. I’m Matt Murdock.”