Angel of God, My Guardian Dear

by ThirstyForMattMurdock (LoverOfTooManyFandoms)

Summary:

While speaking at a local school for visually impaired youth, Matt runs into his childhood best friend, with whom he lost touch almost 20 years prior.

(Edit: Now a multi-chapter story!)

Notes:

Title is from the Catholic prayer "Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide, Amen."

Chapter 1: Matt

"All set to go to Lavelle?" 

Matt Murdock turned his head as his friend and business partner, Foggy Nelson, came into his office. "Yeah, just need to finish up here and I'll be on my way."

"It was really cool of them to ask you to come speak," Foggy added.

Matt nodded. "I hope I can help these kids realize that their disabilities don't define who they are and that they can be whoever and whatever they want to be, including lawyers."

Foggy huffed out a laugh. "Or crime-fighting vigilantes?"

Matt grinned. "Well actually, there's probably only room for one blind crime-fighting vigilante in this city, so I probably won't suggest that as a potential career path."

Foggy patted Matt on the shoulder. "You're a great speaker, I'm sure you'll motivate the heck out of those kids. Have a good time, dude."

"Thanks, Fog."

Matt grabbed his briefcase, headed outside, then hailed a cab.

"Alright, where we goin'?" The cabbie asked.

"The Bronx," Matt answered. "Lavelle School for the Blind."

The cabbie tapped on a screen, presumably putting the address into his GPS. "Alrighty, just sit tight and we should be there in about half an hour."

Matt sat back as the cab began to move.  Think of it like a jury, Karen had said when Matt had told her and Foggy about the opportunity over a couple of pints at Josie's a few weeks before. Just a younger, way more judgmental jury.

Matt had laughed. Not helping.

You'll do great.

He mentally practiced his speech during the ride and before he knew it, the cab was pulling up in front of the school.

"Thanks," Matt said as he paid the cabbie.

"No problem," the cabbie replied. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"You too."

Matt headed inside.

Almost immediately, a somewhat familiar voice asked him, "Hi, may I help you?"

Matt turned towards the voice. "Hi, yes, my name is Matthew Murdock. I'm one of the speakers for today?"

"Ah, yes, Mr. Murdock, I'm Dr. Bowman, we spoke on the phone."

Matt nodded, now placing the voice. "Right, right."

"We'll be in the meeting hall, which is straight down this corridor. If you'll just come with me…"

Dr. Bowman led Matt down to the meeting hall. "We really appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to speak to our students," she said as they entered.

"It's really not a problem."

"The students and their parents will be starting to arrive in a while, but if you'd like we could have someone escort you around to the exhibitor tables once they're all set up."

"Yeah, maybe."

"We have a Braille program if you'd like one -- it lists all the speakers and exhibitors for today."

"Yeah, I'd love one."

"Okay, one second."

Dr. Bowman stepped away for a minute then returned, handing Matt a booklet printed on Braille paper. "Okay, here you go."

"Thanks." Matt pointed to a nearby table. "Is it okay if I sit over here?"

"Yes, of course. Just let us know if you need anything."

"Will do."

Matt sat at the table and began to read the program. Staff, sponsors, speakers, exhibitors…

He began to read the exhibitor list. American Council for the Blind, representative Ashley Prewitt. VISIONS, representative Clay Markham. NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, representative Barbara Franklin. Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, representative Y/F/N Y/L/N --

Matt froze and read it again. Could it really be the same Y/N?

Y/N, who at 8 years old had taken 9-year-old Matt, who had just arrived at the orphanage, by the hand and declared that she would be his friend. Y/N, who had giggled when Matt had asked her a few days later if she was an angel and replied, 'no, silly, I'm a girl!' . Y/N, who had been Matt's fiercest protector and had gotten into almost as many fights as Matt himself had. Y/N, who would stroke Matt's hair softly until he fell asleep on the nights when he would sneak into her room because all the stimuli flooding his senses became too overwhelming. Y/N, to whom Matt had taught Braille so they could pass secret notes to each other without anyone else being able to read them. Y/N, who 17-year-old Matt had held while she cried the day they found out that Y/N had been taken in by her long-lost aunt and would be leaving Saint Agnes… and him. 

Y/N, his own personal guardian angel, the one person in the world Matt could tell everything to… except the one thing he had wanted to tell her most of all.

---

"I don't want you to leave," he admitted quietly as he and Y/N stood at the entrance to St. Agnes.

"I don't want to leave either," Y/N replied. "I wish you could at least come with me."

Matt chuckled wryly. He had overheard one of the nuns talking to Ms. Y/L/N earlier that morning, warning her about 'that Murdock boy' and telling her how it was best for Y/N to be separated from him 'before he gets her into trouble'. "I don't think your aunt would go for that."

"Then can we run away together instead? We could travel the world, just you and me on the epic best friend adventure that we've always dreamed of." 

God, Matt wanted to say yes. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Y/N by his side, be it as his best friend or -- as he knew deep down in his heart -- something more.

However, Sister Bernadette had been right. Y/N really was an angel sent from on high who deserved all of the goodness in the world, and Matt… Well, Murdock boys had the devil in them.

He shook his head sadly. "Your aunt's waiting. You should go."

Y/N was quiet for a few moments. Finally, she said, "Before I go… I got you something."

She took Matt's hand and dropped a thin, wiry chain into his palm. "I saved up for six months to buy it from the church's gift shop. I was going to give it to you for your birthday, but…" She trailed off. "Anyway, think of me when you wear it, okay?"

Matt picked it up with his other hand. Attached to the chain was a small cross. 

He nodded. "I will. Thanks."

"I'll write to you, give you my aunt's address." Y/N pulled him into a tight hug then gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll miss you, Matty."

"I'll miss you too. Goodbye, angel."

Matt waited as half of his heart climbed into a cab and left, the note he had written to her the previous night still in his pocket.

---

Matt mentally shook his head. Don't get your hopes up. It may not be her.

…But deep down he knew it had to be.

He stopped someone who was walking by. "Excuse me, can you tell me if the representative from the Heiskell Library is here yet?"

"Umm…" the woman paused as she turned towards the exhibitor tables. "Yeah, actually, it looks like she's talking with Dr. Bowman at the moment."

"Okay, thank you."

"No problem."

As the woman walked away, Matt turned his head so he could listen in on the conversation.

"...So glad you could be here," Dr. Bowman was saying. "We really appreciate you taking time to come out and speak with our students and their parents."

"It's no problem, Dr. Bowman," the other voice replied. "I'm always happy to promote the library's services."

Matt sucked in a breath. It *is* her. 

Even after all the years that had passed since he had last spent time with Y/N he had never forgotten the sound of her voice, the times he had sat listening to her read to him still among his favorite memories.

Y/N and Dr. Bowman were wrapping up their conversation, so Matt stood and headed over towards them.

Either Y/N didn't notice that Matt was behind her or Matt had misjudged the distance between them, but Y/N turned around and bumped into him.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, sir, I--" Y/N gasped. "Wait, Matty?"

"It's just 'Matt' now, but yeah. Hi, angel." Matt was surprised at how easily his old nickname for Y/N slipped from his lips.

"Oh my God, hi!" Y/N wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "How are you? What are you doing here? Are you a teacher?"

Matt chuckled as he returned her embrace. "I'm well. I don't teach here, I'm actually one of the featured speakers."

"Oh, wow, that's wonderful."

"What about you? How have you been?"

"I'm well too, yeah. Oh my God, this is so crazy. Are you still in New York?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, still in Hell's Kitchen. You know me, I'm loyal to my city. What about you?" 

"Yeah, Florida was okay, but New York is home. I'm actually in Midtown West now, so I'm not far." Y/N paused. "Hey, would you want to maybe grab dinner or a drink or something after this is done, and I dunno, like, catch up? It's totally fine if you can't, I just thought maybe --"

Matt quickly shook his head. "No, no, yeah, I'd love to."

"Great! I'll have to run back by the library to drop all of my stuff off but I can meet you wherever after that."

Matt thought for a moment. "You still like Italian?"

Y/N let out a light laugh. "Of course."

"Then how about Bellissima Italia, over on 9th and 44th? That's near there, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great."

"Will 6:00 work for you? I'll make a reservation."

"That would be perfect. Here, let me give you my number in case something unexpected comes up. It probably won't, but then again, this is New York -- you never know what kind of craziness is going to happen next."

Matt chuckled and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "That's very true."

He created a new contact and typed in Y/N's name, then added her number once Y/N recited it to him.

He hit the button to call her, hanging up after Y/N's phone began to buzz in her pocket. "There, now you have mine."

"Awesome. I have to get to my table, but I'll see you tonight?"

Matt nodded as the doors opened and people began to trickle in. "Yeah, definitely. See you tonight, Y/N." 

"Bye, Matt."

Wow, what are the odds? Matt thought as Y/N walked back over to her table. 

He pulled his phone back out and headed back into the hallway to make their reservation, then called Foggy.

"Yo, Matt, what's up?" Foggy said in greeting.

"Hey, Foggy, do you remember me telling you about Y/N back when we were in college?"

"Y/N, as in Y/N, your childhood friend from the orphanage who you talked about non-stop and are still hung up on 16 years later Y/N? 'The one that got away' Y/N? That Y/N?"

Matt chuckled. "Yeah, that Y/N. Well, I actually just ran into her. It turns out she's a librarian at the Heiskell Library and is here promoting their library services, so we made plans to have dinner and catch up after this is over."

"Oh, wow, that's actually really awesome, dude. You said she works at the Heiskell Library?" 

Matt could hear Foggy sit down at his desk and start typing on his computer keyboard. "Yeah."

After a moment, Foggy said, "Damn it."

"What is it?"

"I knew she was gonna be hot!"

Matt huffed out a laugh. "Did you seriously just Google her?"

"I wanted to see what she looks like! You're a hot woman magnet, so of course your old childhood friend is hot. Is she single? Because if you change your mind about her…"

Matt just chuckled. "Not gonna happen. If I even remotely still have a shot with Y/N, I'm taking it." 

"Eh, I was just kidding anyway. Good luck tonight, man. Hope she's everything you remember her being and more."

"Thanks, Fog. I'll talk to you later."

"'Kay. Bye, Matt."

Matt hung up and headed back inside, both excited and nervous to catch up with Y/N later that evening.

---

Matt smoothed down his hair for what seemed like the tenth time as he arrived at the restaurant for his catch-up dinner with Y/N. 

He took a deep breath and headed inside.

"Buonasera," the seating host said. "Welcome to Bellissima Italia. How many in your party, sir?"

"Actually, I have a reservation for two at 6, under 'Murdock'," Matt replied. 

"Ah, yes, sir. Your companion's already arrived. Right this way."

Matt followed the seating host to where Y/N sat.

"Matt, you made it," Y/N said, standing and giving Matt a hug.

She had changed from the blouse and slacks she had worn earlier into a silk dress that hugged her form, and underneath the subtly floral perfume she wore was her familiar natural scent that had never failed to relax Matt when he was overwhelmed. Even now he could feel his nervous energy starting to calm.

He returned her embrace. "Hi."

"Joseph will be your server tonight," the host said as they sat. "If you need anything let us know."

"Thank you."

Matt folded up his cane and stuck it in his jacket pocket. "I hope you haven't had to wait long."

"No, I just got here a few minutes ago."

Their server walked up to their table. "Good evening, my name is Joseph and I'll be taking care of you. What can I get you to drink?"

"Can I get a glass of Pinot Grigio and a water?" Y/N said.

"Certainly, ma'am. And for you, sir?"

"I'll take a glass of Merlot and a water as well, thanks."

"Okay, certainly. I'll get that taken care of for you while you get a chance to look over the menu."

"Do you know what you want, or do you want me to read the menu to you?" Y/N asked as Joseph left.

"Actually if you don't mind telling me what's on the menu I'd really appreciate it," Matt replied. "I didn't get a chance to check it out before I came."

"No, it's not a problem at all." Y/N picked up her menu. "Let's see…"

Matt listened intently as Y/N quickly read the menu off to him. He nodded. "Okay, thanks. I think I know what I want."

A few moments later Joseph returned with their drinks. "Okay, here you are. And are we ready to order?"

Matt nodded. "I'm ready. Y/N, you want to go ahead?"

"Yes, I'd like the gnocchi in cream sauce, please," Y/N said. 

"Okay, and for you, sir?"

"I'll take the chicken parmigiana, thanks." Matt picked up his menu and handed it to Joseph.

"Okay, I'll put those in for you right away."

"Wow, I still can't believe this," Y/N said as Joseph left once again. "It's been, what, almost 20 years?"

Matt nodded with a grin. "Yeah, something like that. And even after all this time, you still look exactly the same."

Y/N laughed. "I'm glad to know that you haven't lost your sense of humor."

She took a sip of water. "So, catch me up on the past 20 years."

Matt shrugged. "Not much to tell. Left St. Agnes at 18, went to Columbia and got a law degree, opened my own practice with my college roommate, and that's about it." Except for the fact that I also became a crime-fighting vigilante, sent a mob boss to jail, and took down a secret organization of ninjas.

"Not married, no kids?"

Matt shook his head. "No, never found the right person." Because I already had found her but was too much of a coward to tell her how I felt before she left. "What about you? What have you been up to?"

"Finished high school in Florida, got my bachelor's degree in sociology, did my MLIS, and became a librarian. Did five years as a special services librarian in Florida, two in Indiana, then I managed to get on with the Heiskell Library and have been there ever since."

"No marriage or kids for you either?"

"No kids, almost got married once but it didn't work out. Wasn't anyone's fault, we just weren't right for each other."

Matt nodded. "How's your aunt?"

"Oh, she's fine. She's still in Florida so I talk to her every few days. Wait till I tell her I ran into you."

Matt gave a wry smile. "I dunno if she'll be happy about that. She didn't like me."

"What do you mean she didn't like you? She didn't even know you."

"She didn't have to. She had heard enough about me from Sister Bernadette to form an opinion."

"Ugh. Sister Bernadette. She did always seem to have it out for you."

Matt shrugged. "Well, in all fairness, I was kind of a troublemaker."

Y//N laughed. "Yeah, but I was usually right there with you in whatever trouble you were making, if not starting the trouble myself."

Matt grinned and took a sip of his wine. "You mean like the time we stole that bottle of Communion wine out of the church storeroom?"

Y/N laughed. "You know, that was the first thing I mentioned during confession after I started going to church in Florida. Seal of Confession or not, I wasn't about to confess to Father Reynolds about it."

Matt grinned. "Afraid of a harsher penance?"

"Yes! It was bad enough having to say five Acts of Contrition and three Our Fathers that time I punched Bobby Neyland in the face for tripping you in the hall. I had already gotten detention and I had to apologize to him, what more did they want?"

They were interrupted by Joseph bringing their dinners. "Alrighty, we have the gnocchi over here, and the chicken parmigiana here. Careful, those plates are hot. Is there anything else I can get you two?"

"No, I think we're fine," Y/N replied. "Matt?"

Matt shook his head. "We're good for now."

"Okay, let me know if you need anything else."

"Will do."

"Anyway," Y/N said, "we weren't always getting into trouble. Most of the time we were perfect little angels."

Matt chuckled. "I think your memory is faulty. You may have been an angel, but I certainly wasn't."

"We did have some good times together though, didn't we, Matty?"

Matt nodded, the quiet times he got to spend with Y/N floating through his mind. "Yeah, we certainly did."

The conversation continued to flow easily as Matt and Y/N reminisced about their childhood, and the next thing Matt knew dinner was over.

"Will that be one check or two?" Joseph asked as he cleared their plates.

"Just the one check, thanks," Matt said, handing Joseph his credit card before Y/N could protest.

"Next time, I'm paying," Y/N replied as Joseph went to go take care of the bill.

Matt grinned, thrilled that Y/N had even mentioned a 'next time'. "Deal."

He signed the check once Joseph returned for the last time, then unfolded his cane as he and Y/N stood. "May I walk you home?"

He could almost hear the smile in Y/N's voice as she replied. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that." 

Matt extended his arm. "Then shall we?"

They left the restaurant together, the ease and familiarity they once shared still there.

"So, what made you decide to become a librarian?" Matt asked as they headed towards Y/N's apartment building. "Last I knew you wanted to go out and save the world by becoming a big-time CEO of a Fortune 500 company."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Um, well, actually, it was you." 

Matt's eyebrows raised. "Me?"

"Yeah. When it was time to start thinking about college I spoke to my guidance counselor and told her about how my best friend was visually impaired and how I'd sit and read print books to him because there weren't any Braille or audiobooks in the orphanage where we grew up, and so she told me about how there were actually special library services for people with visual impairments and that maybe I should look into special services librarianship since I seemed called to that."

"And do you like it?"

"Yeah, more than anything. Like a lot of people might think that being a librarian is boring or an obsolete job, but you should talk to some of my patrons, Matt. They're all alone with no family or friends nearby, so listening to these audiobooks are the only things that they have to do all day. It's actually kind of heartbreaking."

Matt nodded with a soft smile. Y/N really was an angel.

"And I know I'm not like, saving lives or changing the world or anything," Y/N continued, "like by being a doctor or by helping innocent people who've been wrongfully accused of crimes like you and your partner, but I feel like I'm at least helping people in my own way, you know?"

Matt turned towards Y/N as they stopped at a crosswalk. "You think you haven't saved lives? 'Angel' wasn't just a nickname, sweetheart. You befriended a lonely, scared, angry little boy with absolutely zero fucks given as to what anyone else thought, and to this day I'm still so damn grateful for whatever made you see me and decide, 'Yes, that one. I want him as my best friend'."

Y/N let out a watery laugh. "Honestly, it wasn't a tough decision. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were going to be way cooler than everyone else."

Matt smiled softly. "You were my guardian angel, Y/N. I certainly wouldn't have made it without you."

He reached up and gently swiped his thumbs under her eyes, wiping away the tears that had collected there. "You okay?"

Y/N nodded. "Yeah."

Matt slipped his hand into Y/N's and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

They continued on their way to Y/N's apartment, Y/N seemingly as reluctant to let go of Matt's hand as he was to let go of hers.

"What about you?" Y/N asked. "What drew you to law?"

"I want to fight injustice and keep Hell's Kitchen safe, protect the people I care about," Matt said simply. "Going through the legal system seemed the best way to do that at the time."

"And now?"

"What?"

"You said 'at the time'. What's the best way now?"

Being Daredevil , Matt wanted to say. Protecting those I can't protect through the law. 

He shook his head. "I just know that everything's not as black-and-white with the legal system as I once thought."

"Yeah, I get that." Y/N slowed down as they reached her apartment building. "This is me."

Matt nodded. "I'm really glad we found each other again."

"I am too -- I've missed you so much, Matt. I tried to write to you after I moved but all of my letters came back 'return to sender'. Eventually I realized that they were returning my letters, but by that time it was too late, and it's not like I could just call up Sister Bernadette and ask for your forwarding address."

Matt shook his head. "I knew it. I knew something weird was going on. I could tell she was lying whenever I asked her if I had any mail from you."

"I still have them."

"The letters you wrote me?"

"Yeah, they're in a box in my closet."

"Can I read them?"

"Yeah, sure. You want me to go get them or do you want to come up for a drink and we can read them together?"

Matt nodded. "A drink would be nice." More time I can spend with you.

"Okay, then. Come on in."

Y/N led Matt through the lobby to the elevator and up to her apartment. "Make yourself at home," she said as she unlocked her door. "Living room is straight ahead, just mind the coffee table when you go around the couch to sit."

Matt sat while Y/N moved around her kitchen. "What's your preference?" Y/N asked. "I have wine, hard cider, amaretto, whiskey, rum…"

"Whiskey is fine. On the rocks."

He could hear Y/N adding ice to a couple of glasses then opening a couple of bottles, then smelled the scent of sweet & sour mix. "Let me guess. Amaretto sour for yourself?"

Y/N paused in her pouring. "How'd you know?"

"I can hear the difference in the shape of the bottles, and I can smell the sweet & sour."

"You're good." Y/N closed the bottles and put the sweet & sour mix back in her refrigerator. 

She handed Matt his glass before setting hers down on the coffee table. "Here you go. Give me just a second, I'll go grab the letters."

Matt took a sip of his whiskey as Y/N retreated to her bedroom.

She returned momentarily with a box. "Ok so remember, I was 16 when I started writing these, so don't judge me if they're cringy."

Matt chuckled. "I won't, I promise."

Y/N opened the box and handed him a manila envelope. "Here, start with this one. I'm pretty sure they're still in the order I wrote them."

Matt opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of Braille paper. "Can you still read Braille?" he asked.

"Yep, can still write in it too, although Braille printers make everything a lot easier these days."

Matt set the piece of paper on the coffee table and began to read aloud. 

"September 30, 2002

Dear Matty,

Just got settled in at Aunt Ruth's house. My bedroom here is as big as both of ours at St. Agnes combined. 

Hoping I can convince Aunt Ruth to let you come visit soon, maybe during Thanksgiving?

By the way, my address is 4685 Sandpiper Blvd., Miami, FL 33190.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Y/N"

Y/N snorted. "Yeah, 'I'm sure you'll be able to get away from the orphanage for a week or so to come hang out with your bestie in Florida!' Man, was I naive."

Matt shook his head. "You didn't know. Neither of us could've known that they'd actually try to keep us apart."

Y/N picked up the next envelope. "Here, I'll read the next one."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

"October 21, 2002," Y/N began.

Dear Matty,

I must've done something wrong with the postage on my first letter, because it came back marked return to sender. Adding double to make sure this gets to you.

Aunt Ruth wants me to join some after-school clubs, make some new friends. I don't want *new* friends, though. I just want you.

Speaking of making new friends, you know that song 'make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold'?  Well, it's not true. You're way more precious to me than gold. You're more like… I don't know, the rarest and most precious substance on earth, whatever that may be.

Anyway, address is 4685 Sandpiper Blvd., Miami, FL 33190. Write me back!

Always,

Y/N"

Matt picked up the next envelope. "November 12, 2002.

Dear Matty,

Another letter came back return to sender. Don't quite know what I'm doing wrong, but hopefully this one reaches you!

School has been okay. Don't think I told you yet, but Aunt Ruth enrolled me in some fancy all-girls Catholic school. I'm really enjoying English class. We're reading The Crucible. Maybe next time we're together I'll read it to you. Think you'd like it.

Anyway, hope you're doing okay. I miss you.

Always,

Y/N"

Y/N laughed. "You know, my offer to read The Crucible to you still stands."

Matt grinned. "In that case I might have to take you up on it. You're still my favorite audiobook narrator."

He could hear the smile in Y/N's voice as she began to read her next letter. 

"January 10th, 2003.

Dear Matty (or is it just Matt now that you're the big 1-8?),

Happy birthday! I wish I could be there with you to celebrate. I wanted to surprise you and come visit, but Aunt Ruth said no. (Party pooper.)

I hope your day is amazing and that you get everything you wish for, because you deserve it! *Heart*

Miss you like crazy and I really hope to hear from you soon!

Always,

Y/N"

Matt shrugged. "My 18th birthday was fine, nothing overly special." I didn't get my wish, but now I know why.

He cleared his throat. "April 6, 2003.

Dear Matt,

I don't know if I did something wrong before I left and you're mad at me or if I'm just that inept at mailing a letter, but I just got a bunch of letters back unopened again. I really hope it's the latter because if it's the first, I don't know what I did but whatever it is, I'm sorry. Just please talk to me. I want my best friend back.

Y/N"

Matt's heart broke. Damn them. Damn them all to Hell for making Y/N think she could ever do something to make me not want her in my life. 

He finished his glass of whiskey before picking up the next letter.

"Want a refill?" Y/N asked.

Matt nodded. "Sure."

Y/N stood and went to make them each another drink while Matt read the next letter aloud.

"September 3, 2003

Dear Matt,

I don't even know why I'm still trying. You're 18 now, I'm sure you're not even at St. Agnes anymore. You're probably off to college and have made fancy new college friends, so even if this letter somehow reached you you probably wouldn't respond anyway, but I wanted to tell you goodbye anyway and to wish you good luck.

Y/N"

Matt's brow furrowed. "But there's more letters."

"Yeah." Y/N sounded hesitant as she set Matt's drink down on the table. "I never sent any of the rest though."

She picked up the next one. "December 9, 2003.

Dear Matt,

I'm sitting here in English class (well, not now since I'm writing this in Braille instead of standard print) and our bell assignment today was to write a letter to someone who is no longer in our lives. I'm sure the point is probably to write to someone who's dead, but whatever, I'll write to whomever the hell I want.

Aunt Ruth finally told me the truth: that St. Agnes had been returning your letters to me before you even got them. Needless to say, I'm furious. I don't understand why they would go to such lengths to keep us apart, or why Aunt Ruth would even agree to it.

I hope you don't think I never tried to get in touch with you, because the thought of you believing that I would just abandon you like that tears me up inside.

I miss you, Matt, and I hope you're doing well.

Y/N" 

Matt shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Y/N. I hate that you ever even had to think that I would ignore your letters."

Y/N reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "It wasn't your fault."

They continued reading, Y/N telling him about getting into college, the classes she was taking each semester, graduation, getting into grad school and getting her library science degree, her first job as an official librarian… 

Y/N took a sip of her cocktail before starting the next letter.

"March 8, 2012

Dear Matt,

I've met someone . His name is Alex and he works in the I.T. department of the library. I think you two would get along -- you're a lot alike.

We've been dating for a few months now and things are going pretty well. I'll keep you posted as to where things lead.

Y/N"

Matt picked up the second-to-last letter. 

"January 13, 2013

Dear Matt,

Alex proposed, and I said yes. We're planning a fall wedding -- nothing big, just close family and friends.

I wish you could be there. I thought about asking Alex if he could look you up on the internet to see if he could find an address for you. Could you imagine? We haven't been in contact in over 10 years and suddenly you get an invitation to my wedding.

Crazy, right?

Y/N"

Even though Matt knew that things didn't work out between Y/N and her ex-fiancé, his stomach was still in knots as Y/N began to read her final letter.

"June 29, 2013

Dear Matt,

I ended my engagement with Alex today. We were touring wedding venues over the weekend but none of them felt right, and I realized this morning that it wasn't the venues that felt wrong, it was me.

You see, I can't marry Alex, not when-- " Y/N paused and took a deep breath.   "Not when I've been in love with you for most of my life."

Matt's brain screeched to a halt. What did she just say? 

"God, I'm so pathetic," Y/N continued, "pining over someone to whom I haven't even spoken in years. It's not fair to Alex to marry someone who's in love with another man and it's not fair to myself to keep holding on to something that I can never have. 

I guess I've kept writing to you in order to somehow hold on to you and to feel like we were still teenagers writing secret notes to each other, like maybe one day I'd have the courage to finally tell you how I feel.

I'll always love you, Matt, but maybe it's time for me to finally let you go.

Y/N"

Matt turned towards Y/N, who had picked up her drink and was currently draining it. "You were in love with me?"

Y/N remained silent, but the uptick in her heartbeat gave Matt hope. 

He took her glass from her and set it down on the table before taking her hand in his. "Y/N? Please, angel, talk to me."

Y/N took a deep breath. "I still am, Matt. I still love you. I never stopped."

Oh, thank God. "I love you too," Matt murmured. "I've loved you probably since the moment I met you, it just took me a few years to figure out what it was I was feeling." 

He pulled out the cross Y/N had given him out from under his shirt. "I've always kept you close to my heart, Y/N."

Y/N reached out and placed her hand on his chest, warming the metal cross pressing against Matt's shirt. "I was wondering if you still had that."

Matt nodded. "I've rarely taken it off in the past 20 years." 

He paused. "I was going to tell you I loved you the day you left for Florida. I had written you a note telling you how I felt."

"Why didn't you give it to me?"

"Right before I was going to I overheard Sister Bernadette talking to your aunt about how it was best to separate us so I wouldn't ruin your life, and I realized it definitely wasn't fair for me to tell you I loved you right before you moved a thousand miles away."

"What the hell? How would you have ruined my life?"

Matt huffed out a laugh. "Well, let's see, the exact phrasing she used was 'before he gets her into trouble'."

"Before you 'got me into trouble'? Wait, did she -- did she think we were sleeping together ?" Y/N sounded both horrified and amused.

Matt shrugged. "Well, she wouldn't have technically been wrong."

"Well no, but all we ever did was literally sleep together!"

"Maybe, but it's not like I never thought about doing the other kind of sleeping together with you."

Y/N gave a playfully scandalized gasp. "Why, Matthew, I certainly hope you went to confession for that."

"More than once." Matt chuckled. "I mean, I was a hormonal teenage boy who was hopelessly in love with my best friend, of course my thoughts drifted there from time to time."

Y/N was quiet for a moment. "I wonder if maybe someone saw you sneaking out of my room one morning and reported us, and that's why Sister Bernadette thought something was going on. She could've confronted us though instead of just shipping me off and keeping us apart for almost 20 years. So much wasted time, and over what was probably a complete misunderstanding."

Matt shook his head. "Angel?"

"Yeah, Matty?"

"I'm going to kiss you now."

Y/N sucked in a breath. "Uh huh, yeah, okay."

Matt reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, then -- after over 20 years of longing -- gently pressed his lips to hers.

He leaned back, a smile spreading on his face as he caressed the matching smile on Y/N's with his thumb. "So, how about dinner again tomorrow night?"

Y/N hummed. "What, you don't want to lose touch for another 20 years and hope we randomly run into each other again?"

Matt shook his head with a laugh at Y/N's teasing tone. "No way, angel. I spent almost 20 years without you, so now that I've got you back in my life I'm not letting go."

Chapter 2: Reader

Notes:

Soooo I totally fell in love with this story and realized that there was SO much more to it, so I decided to continue it. *Shrugs*

I still can't believe it's really him.

Matthew Murdock -- Y/N's childhood best friend, the boy she had never stopped loving since the moment she had realized what the butterflies in her stomach when she was around him were being caused by, the one person in the whole world that she had never wanted to live without but had been unwillingly forced to do so for the past 19 years -- was not only sitting on her sofa, but also reciprocated Y/N's feelings that she had carried for so long.

Y/N had honestly forgotten about the contents of that last letter she had written to Matt -- she had written it as a means of catharsis during a bout of self-pity fueled by her breakup with Alex and had only vaguely remembered writing Matt a goodbye letter when she had awoken the next morning, all cried out over the loss of not only her relationship, but also the renewed pain of never knowing what possibly could have transpired between her and Matt, had Y/N been given the chance to tell him how she felt. 

It had taken every ounce of courage she'd had to finish reading her letter out loud to Matt, and after she had finished and seen the stunned look on his face all she had wanted to do was to go crawl into a hole and hide for the next 19 years.

Instead she had picked up her drink and drank it as fast as she could, hoping the alcohol would numb the sting of rejection she had surely been about to face.

"You were in love with me?" Matt had asked.

Y/N had squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the look of scorn or, worse, pity , that Matt's face was sure to have worn.

She had been about to get up and pour herself another shot of amaretto when Matt had gently taken her glass and set it on her coffee table, then took her hand in his. "Y/N? Please, angel, talk to me."

Y/N's eyes had snapped back open in surprise at the undisguised plea in Matt's tone. There had been no mistaking his expression, either -- there was hope written plainly on his face.

Fueled by liquid courage and her own tentative hope, Y/N had taken a deep breath and told Matt the truth, that she was still in love with him. 

Her heart had leapt for joy when Matt had told her that he not only had, but also still reciprocated her feelings, then he had pulled the cross necklace she had given him right before she had left for Florida out from under his shirt. I've always kept you close to my heart.

A strange mix of happiness and anger had flooded her system and while she was still fighting the urge to march down to St. Agnes to give Sister Bernadette a piece of her mind, her anger had admittedly been somewhat abated when Matt had kissed her a few moments ago and asked her out to dinner for the following evening. 

Matt was currently looking at her somewhat nervously. "So? What do you say, angel? Go on a date with me?"

Y/N nodded. "Of course, Matty. I'd love to."

Matt grinned. "What time do you usually get off work? I'm thinking maybe you can come to my place? I'll cook."

"I get off at 5, but I'll want to come home to shower and change first, so is 6:30 okay?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's perfect."

"Okay, awesome."

Matt's expression grew serious. "There's something I should probably tell you though."

Y/N's brows furrowed. "Okay."

Her mind began to race. What the hell could he possibly be talking about? "You didn't lie about being married, did you?"

Matt's face twisted into confusion. "What? No, I've never even been engaged."

"Then are you in the mob? On the run from the law? Joined some sort of weird sex cult?"

Matt laughed. "None of the above, actually."

"Then what is it? Because I honestly don't know what could be worse than you being in a sex cult, except maybe if you're a serial killer or something. Oh my God, you're not a serial killer, are you?"

Matt shook his head. "No, angel, it's nothing like that. Quite the opposite, in fact."

He took a deep breath. "You've heard of Daredevil, right?"

"That vigilante dude?"

"Yeah. Well, you see -- the thing is…" Matt trailed off.

Suddenly the lightbulb in Y/N's head went off. "It's you."

"Yeah." Matt nodded. "I'm him. I'm Daredevil."

It honestly made sense once Y/N thought about it. She had known about Matt's heightened senses as a kid and his training sessions with Stick, and the fighting style had seemed familiar in the few grainy videos of Daredevil that Y/N had seen on the news. Thinking about it now though, she figured that deep down she had kind of always known that the Devil of Hell's Kitchen had to have been the same person that had taught her self-defense as a teenager.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I can deal with that. Just… just don't do anything too reckless or stupid and get yourself killed though, okay? I just got you back, I can't lose you again."

Matt took her hand and raised it to his mouth for a kiss, visible relief on his face. "I'll try my best, I promise. Thank you for being so understanding."

"Thank you for still trusting me even after all these years." Y/N bit her lip. "Any other secrets you want to tell me?"

Matt shook his head with a smile. "Nope, the fact that I'm secretly a vigilante crime-fighter is the only big secret I got. Oh, no, wait-- there is one more. You remember Sister Maggie from the orphanage?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. She was always nice. I liked her."

"She's my mother."

"She's your -- you're kidding, right?"

Matt shrugged. "Afraid not."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah."

Y/N huffed out a breath. "Did you know that when we were kids?"

Matt shook his head. "No, I just found out fairly recently. Needless to say I wasn't too happy about it at first, but I've made peace with it now."

"Well that's good."

"She asked about you, you know."

Y/N was taken aback. "She did?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, she asked me how you were doing and seemed genuinely surprised that we hadn't spoken since you left St. Agnes, especially considering we had always been pretty much attached at the hip as kids."

Y/N sighed. "I'm assuming she wasn't in on Sister Bernadette's plan to separate us then."

Matt grinned and shook his head. "Actually I'm pretty sure she thought we'd be married with a bunch of kids by now."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Sister Maggie's your mom. Wow. Any other bombs you wanna drop?"

Matt shook his head. "Nope, that's all of them."

"Ok good, because I have a secret of my own."

Matt raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You're also secretly a crime-fighting vigilante?"

Y/N giggled. "No, nor am I actually married, running from the law, in the mob, or in a weird sex cult either. Oh, nor am I a serial killer, I promise."

"Then what is it?"

Y/N leaned in to whisper in Matt's ear. "You weren't the only hormonal teenager who occasionally had dirty thoughts about their best friend."

Matt hummed playfully, wrapping his arms around her. "Well now… Pot, meet kettle."

Y/N trailed a finger down Matt's torso. "I'll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours."

Matt smirked. "You really want to know what I would think about?"

Y/N nodded. "Mmhmm." 

"Well, by the time my thoughts had gotten to that point I'd already been wanting to kiss you for years, so first off I would think about finally being able to know if your lips would taste like that coconut lip balm I always smelled on you."

Y/N licked her lips reflexively. "And did you think they would?"

"Mmhmm. I bet your lips would've tasted amazing , angel. Had to fight the urge to kiss you that last day just so I could find out once and for all."

Y/N swallowed. "What else would you think about?"

"I'd think about kissing your neck. I knew if I ever got the chance to feel your pulse fluttering under my lips that I would have to be extra careful not to leave any marks, although I'd want to so I could show everyone that you were mine ."

Y/N sucked in a breath. Holy shit . She had never known that Matt had a possessive streak but Christ, that turned her on.

Matt licked his lips and smirked. "Oh, you like that, don't you, angel? You like the thought of me marking you up for everyone to see?"

Y/N huffed out a breathless laugh. "Sister Bernadette probably would've shipped me off to a convent overseas instead of my aunt's house in Florida had you ever given me a hickey, although I probably wouldn't have minded you leaving some in more… inconspicuous places."

"Oh really? Wanted to feel my mouth on you, sweetheart?"

God, yes. Y/N took a shaky breath and nodded. "I used to think about your lips a lot, Matty, used to think about -- about kissing you, be it sweet, innocent pecks or full-on makeout sessions leading to those aforementioned inconspicuous hickies."

"What else?" 

"I also used to think about your hands. Wanted you to touch me, wondered what it would feel like to have those long fingers of yours tracing more than just my face."

Matt groaned. "I used to think about that too, what it'd feel like if I'd been allowed to touch you outside of the platonic cuddles and chaste hugs we used to share."

Y/N shivered with desire, the gruff tone in Matt's voice sending lightning straight to her core. 

Matt made a vague gesture towards Y/N's face. "Speaking of me tracing your face though, may I? I'm still picturing teenage you and to be honest, it's kind of freaking me out -- all things considered."

Y/N chuckled. Matt had mapped out her face a couple of times as they were growing up, and she still remembered the look of concentration on his face as he had put together a mental picture of her. "Yeah, of course."

"Okay. Good. Great." Matt shifted to face Y/N more fully and tentatively reached out to touch her. "You ready?"

Y/N nodded and closed her eyes. "Yeah. Go for it."

She fought to not lean into Matt's touch as he took his time tracing her features, his fingertips slowly gliding over her forehead, eyes, cheeks, nose, lips, and finally jawline.

Y/N opened her eyes as Matt leaned back. "I know I got older, but do I still somewhat look like what you remember?"

Matt shook his head solemnly, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Actually… no."

Y/N blinked in surprise. " No ? Have I really changed that much?"

A smile spread on Matt's face. "You're even more beautiful now than you were back then."

Y/N huffed out a laugh even as her face heated. " Matthew ."

Matt shrugged, his smile widening into a grin. "What? It's true."

Y/N shook her head fondly. "Actually as attractive as I thought you were when we were kids, I think you're even more handsome now."

Matt chuckled. "That's nice to hear."

Y/N licked her lips, the lust and alcohol coursing through her veins emboldening her. "Matty?"

"Yeah, angel?"

"Enough talking."

Matt grinned and cupped the sides of Y/N's neck with his hands, then pressed his lips to hers once more.

Y/N relaxed into Matt and willingly opened up to him as he deepened the kiss, the flavor of Matt himself even more intoxicating than the whiskey Y/N could taste on his tongue. 

Matt slid one hand down to her waist and pulled her closer to him, his other hand sliding up to tangle in her hair.

Y/N pressed her hands to Matt's chest to stabilize herself, marveling at just how solid he was under her touch. 

Matt groaned, trailing his lips down Y/N's jawline to her neck. "Used to dream about being with you like this, Y/N," he murmured against her skin. "Wanted you so much."

Y/N gasped as Matt placed a kiss just under her jawbone. "Wanted you too, Matt. Still do."

Matt let out a soft growl against her pulse point. "As much as I want to make love to you, the first time I take you to bed I want both of us to be clear-headed." 

Y/N nodded. As much as she wanted Matt and as amazing as his five o'clock shadow felt scratching against her skin, she knew it wasn't a wise decision to jump into bed with him right then. "Yeah. Yeah, me too."

Matt sighed and nuzzled Y/N's neck before leaning back. "Actually, I should probably get going. It's getting late." 

He pointed to the letters that were still on Y/N's coffee table. "May I have those?"

Y/N nodded again. "Yeah, of course."

They gathered the letters and put them back in the box, then stood. 

Y/N wrapped her arms around Matt in a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow night?"

Matt nodded and pressed a kiss to Y/N's forehead. "Can't wait."

Y/N tilted her face up to him and smiled. "Me either."

Matt reached up and caressed Y/N's cheek with his thumb, then gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "I'm really happy I ran into you today. I've missed you."

Y/N nodded, her heart fluttering. "I've missed you too."

"Good night, angel."

"'Night, Matty."

Y/N let Matt out and locked the door behind him, then let out a happy sigh. Never had she imagined that her day would turn out like it did, but she couldn't have been happier that it had. 

Chapter 3: Matt

Notes:

Sorry for the long delay in updates -- October and November have been extremely busy for me, but updates should come faster now!

That being said, please accept this super long chapter as penance.

Knock-tap-tap-knock tap-tap-knock knock knock-tap-knock-knock!

Matt grinned as he heard the secret knock he and Y/N had used when they were kids on his door. He walked over to the door and opened it. "You remembered it." 

"Of course I did," Y/N replied.

Matt stepped out of the doorway. "Come on in."

He waited until Y/N had stepped inside and closed the door behind her, then wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Hi."

Y/N melted into him, tilting her face up towards his. "Hi."

Matt gave her a soft, slow kiss. "Hi."

Y/N giggled, nuzzling his nose with hers. "Mmm, hi."

Matt gave her another quick peck before letting go and stepping back. "Dinner will be ready in a minute. Want anything to drink while we wait? I've got beer, wine, water, soda…"

"Water is fine."

Matt walked over to his refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water, then handed one to Y/N. "Here you go."

He gestured towards his couch. "Wanna sit for a minute while we wait for dinner?"

"Yeah, sure."

They moved over to Matt's living area and sat facing each other.

"I like the new designer sunglasses," Y/N said. "Very chic."

Matt huffed out a laugh. "Quite the upgrade from the cheap dollar-store pair I used to wear, huh?"

Y/N hummed. "I dunno, I always thought those had looked fine on you. I do really like these though. They suit your face shape a bit better than your old ones did."

Matt bit his lip. "Actually, do you mind if I take them off? I don't usually wear my glasses at home but I wasn't sure if you'd still be comfortable with it."

"No, of course I don't mind. Never bothered me before, why should it now?"

Matt took his glasses off and set them on his coffee table, then turned back towards Y/N.

He had never really worn his sunglasses whenever he and Y/N were alone -- about 3 months into their friendship he had accidentally misplaced them in his room and had been frantically searching for them when Y/N had walked in. "What's wrong?" Y/N had asked.

"My sunglasses," Matt had replied, fumbling around the small desk that was the only other furniture in the room besides his bed and the bedside table where he usually kept them. "I can't find my sunglasses."

Y/N had taken his hand and sat him down in the chair next to his desk. "Here, it's okay, I'll find them for you."

After searching for a few minutes, she had located Matt's glasses under his bed. "You know," she had said as she handed them to him, "you don't have to wear them when it's just us if you don't want to."

Matt had turned towards her, his brow furrowing. Most people had seemed uncomfortable around him when he wasn't wearing his sunglasses -- but then again, he was very quickly learning that Y/N wasn't most people. "Really?"

"Yeah. Your eyes are really pretty. I like them."

"Okay. Thanks."

Y/N was the only person Matt had ever truly felt comfortable around without his glasses -- just another reason he was sure she had to have been an angel.

He could feel her eyes on him now. "What? Is there something on my face?"

Y/N huffed out a soft laugh. "Oh, no, I'm sorry."

She reached out and cupped Matt's cheeks in her hands, tracing her thumbs underneath his eyes. "I'd forgotten just how beautiful your eyes are. Got lost in them for a second."

Matt felt his face heat. God, I love her.

Y/N gave him a gentle kiss between his eyes before letting him go. "So, how was your day?"

Matt smiled. "It was good. How was yours?"

"Good. Had a lot of kids from Lavelle sign up for library service today, and even got a few interested adults."

"That's great."

Y/N took a sip of her water. "I noticed you're not a patron."

Matt shook his head. "I don't have a lot of time to read these days."

Y/N tsk ed . "Well that's sad." 

"I probably should sign up though, shouldn't I? Especially if I'm dating one of the librarians."

Y/N giggled. "You don't have to, Matty, I was just surprised you weren't a patron, especially since I know how much you used to like listening to me read to you when we were kids."

That's because it was you reading to me, Matt thought. 

He grinned and shook his head. "No, I want to. What do I need to do to get signed up?"

"Well, I can either bring you an application or we can pull it up online and print it out, but either way I'll help you fill it out.  Or if you've got time one day you can come by and sign up in person."

"Would I get to see you? Because that would definitely work for me."

Y/N let out a light laugh. "Actually, yes. While I am the children's librarian, I also handle adult patrons whose last names begin with the letter M, so when you come in I'll be the one to assist you. Just let me know when you'll be coming by and I can get everything together."

"How about tomorrow? We can grab lunch and I'll get signed up while I'm dropping you off."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Matt grinned. "So that means you'll be my own personal librarian, right?"

Y/N laughed. "Of sorts. You'll just have to share me with about 500 other patrons."

"Mmm, I guess I can do that." Matt wrapped his arms around her waist. "As long as I'd be your favorite."

Y/N pretended to think for a moment. "Well, I dunno, considering it'd be a toss-up between a 98-year-old former actress and my, um, my…" Y/N paused.

Matt licked his lips nervously. While he knew that he and Y/N were on the same page as far as dating went, he still wasn't sure if she was ready to label their relationship, especially since it was so new. Worth a shot though. "Your… boyfriend?"

Y/N hummed thoughtfully and slid a hand up Matt's torso to rest on his chest, right where the cross she had given him still rested. "Well I was going to say 'best friend turned love of my life', but considering you've been the love of my life pretty much since the moment we met, yeah. Let's go with 'boyfriend'."

Matt grinned. "Hmm. Well yeah, I don't know if I can compete with a 98-year-old former actress. I bet she's got some really interesting life stories."

"Well now, hang on, while Ms. McSwinney does have a lot of interesting life stories, I know for a fact that you do too, especially since I was personally involved in the making of several of them… and I plan on being involved in a lot more." 

Matt nuzzled Y/N's nose with his. "Will you still read to me?"

Y/N reached up and caressed his cheek with the hand that wasn't currently still resting on his chest. "Of course. Some of my favorite memories were of us in the library at St. Agnes… you laying with your head in my lap while I stroked your hair and read aloud to you from some of our favorite books. In fact, I brought my copy of The Crucible if you want me to start making good on my offer to read that one to you."

Matt shook his head. "Mmm, as nice as that sounds, maybe next time? I kinda had other plans for us after dinner."

"Oh really? And what kind of plans are those , Mr. Murdock?"

Matt grinned at Y/N's teasingly suggestive tone. While he did hope that they'd be getting naked later, he had a surprise for her beforehand. "You'll see."

He bit his lip. "But speaking of being involved in the making of some of my more interesting life stories, Foggy wants to meet you."

"Foggy… your business partner?"

Matt nodded.

"Yeah, ok. Just tell me when."

"How about Tuesday evening? He and I and our former office assistant Karen all get together at Josie's Bar for drinks after work. Also, how would you like to go visit my mother with me? We can go to Mass together on Sunday and talk to her afterwards."

"Yeah, both sound fine. It'll actually be really great to see Sister Maggie again, and it'll be nice to meet your partner."

Matt smiled. He knew that his mother would be delighted to see Y/N as well and would be happy to see that they were finally together. "Great. I'll let Foggy and Karen know about Tuesday, and I know for sure that my mother will be happy to see you again too."

"Um, so speaking of meeting each other's friends and families, I usually Zoom with Aunt Ruth on Sunday afternoon after she gets back from Mass around 1 o'clock or so, so would you want to join me this week so I can introduce you?" Y/N sounded hesitant, as if she thought Matt would refuse. 

Matt hadn't formally met Y/N's aunt when she had come to pick Y/N up 19 years ago, which wasn't surprising considering what the woman had thought of him at the time. He just hoped she had eventually changed her mind or was at least willing to give him a chance now. "Yeah, okay."

"Great."

Matt turned towards his oven as the timer went off. "That'll be dinner."

He gave her a quick kiss then stood. "Ready to eat?"

"Yeah, ready when you are."

Matt took the casserole he had baked out of the oven, then they served themselves and sat at Matt's table. 

"Mmm," Y/N said as she took a bite. "This is delicious."

"Thanks."

"So did you learn how to cook in college?"

Matt nodded with a smile. "I couldn't just live on take-out and ramen, so I kind of had to."

Y/N laughed. "Yeah, that was one good thing about living at home during college. Aunt Ruth and I took turns making dinner."

They continued talking while they ate and once they were finished Matt cleared their plates.

"Okay, so…" Matt said as they walked back into his living area, "I have something for you."

He picked up the note he had written to Y/N the night before she had left St. Agnes. "You weren't the only one who kept old letters."

Y/N gasped. "Is that --"

Matt nodded. "The letter I wrote you right before you left. I had hidden it with all the notes I got from you when we were kids and just remembered that I still had it after I got home last night."

"Will you read it to me?"

Matt nodded. "If you want." 

He unfolded it and set it on his coffee table.

" Dear Y/N, " he began, " There's so much I want to say to you that I don't even know where to begin, but since you're leaving tomorrow to go live with your aunt I need to at least try to put some of it into words.

You're not even gone yet but I already miss you, angel. I miss the sound of your voice while you're reading to me, the feel of your fingers gently carding through my hair when you're calming me down whenever I'm overwhelmed, and the combination of the rhythm of your heartbeat and steady breathing while we lay in each other's arms on the nights when one of us sneaks into the other's room because we can't sleep.

I know I've always been able to tell you everything, but there's one thing that I haven't ever found the courage to… at least, not while you were awake, anyway. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've whispered it to you while you were asleep in my arms.

So here goes, my biggest secret coming to light: I'm in love with you.

Yeah, you read that right, angel. I'm in love with you, and it scares the hell out of me. You're the best thing I ever could've hoped for when I arrived at St. Agnes 8 years ago and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but as much as I want it, I know I'm not even remotely worthy enough to ask for your love in return.

If you don't feel the same way, we can just forget I wrote you this letter and go on like we always have been. I'd rather have you in my life as my platonic best friend than not at all. 

But if by some miracle you do feel the same (and even though I don't deserve it, God, how I hope you do) then I promise you that I will spend every day of the rest of my life trying to prove myself worthy of you. 

I love you, Y/N. Hopefully one day I'll get the chance to tell you in person.

Forever yours, 

Matt"

"You thought you weren't good enough for me?" Y/N said after a few moments of silence.

Matt shook his head as he turned to face her. "You were always so gentle, and caring, and kind, and loving, and -- and, well, angelic , and it was like my grandmother always said, 'Murdock boys have the devil in them', so…" He trailed off.

Y/N scoffed. "So, what? You figured you'd atone for whatever imaginary sins you thought you'd committed by not allowing yourself to be loved in return?" 

"Actually it was more like I was afraid I'd corrupt you."

" Corrupt me? What the --" Y/N sounded frustrated. "How could you 'corrupt' me when you were literally the answer to my prayers, Matthew?"

Matt furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Y/N let out a deep sigh. "I guess I actually did keep a couple of secrets from you, because a few days before you arrived at St. Agnes I asked God to send me a friend, someone around my age with whom I could sit and read or talk and laugh -- someone with whom I could share my deepest thoughts and desires. I never would've thought that He'd answer my prayer so quickly, but as soon as I saw you I knew you were the one I had asked for."

Matt sucked in a breath. He'd always assumed that Y/N had been bored and just wanted someone to talk to that first day. He'd had no idea that she had actually prayed for someone and had believed that he had been the answer to her prayers.

He shook his head. "How could you possibly have been so sure it was me?"

Y/N reached up and cupped Matt's face in her hands, smoothing his eyebrows with her thumbs. "Because I specifically asked God to send me someone special, someone unlike anyone else I had ever met."

Matt swallowed, trying to keep his voice even. "Well, I certainly was different, wasn't I?"

Y/N gave him a gentle kiss. "You are everything I ever could have hoped for, Matt."

Matt's heart squeezed at the certainty in her tone. " Y/N ."

Y/N snuggled up against his side. "Do you think we would've eventually gotten together when we were kids had I not left?"

"I would have hoped so." Matt turned and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Before we found out you were leaving I had promised myself that if I hadn't already done it, that I'd tell you how I felt on my 18th birthday." 

Y/N let out a light laugh. "Hoping to score a good birthday present?"

Matt shook his head with a chuckle. "Only if it'd have been you, angel. I knew I'd be leaving for college soon after that, so I'd either just have to deal with the sting of rejection for a few months or I'd at least be able to spend a few months with you as my girlfriend before we would only be able to get together on weekends until you had also graduated and joined me at school… assuming you had decided to go to the same college as me."

Y/N trailed a finger down Matt's chest. "Mmm, that would've been fun. Sneaking around even more than we already did, making out when we were supposed to be studying or while we were alone in the library when I was reading to you, actually doing what Sister Bernadette thought we were up to…"

Matt huffed out a laugh. "As much as I wanted to, I probably would've waited for that last part, at least until we were no longer both at St. Agnes. Can't promise what would've happened once I got you alone in my dorm room, though."

Y/N let out a chuckle of her own. "Yeah, now that I think about it it probably would've actually felt really weird hooking up in our bedrooms at St. Agnes."

"Still would've been a lot of making out though."

"Oh, absolutely." 

Matt smiled softly. "Before you left I used to imagine what our life together would be like after St. Agnes." 

"Oh?" Y/N snuggled back up against him. "Do tell, Mr. Murdock."

"Well, having assumed that I had finally worked up the nerve to tell you that I was in love with you and also having assumed that you had felt the same, since you'd just be starting college we'd probably live in separate dorms for the first few years even though we'd probably spend more time together than apart, so by the time you'd be a junior and I'd be a senior I'd ask you about moving in together. Presuming you'd say yes, we'd get an apartment and spend the year in domestic bliss, then I'd graduate and start law school while you finished up the final year of your bachelor's program."

Matt paused. "By the time you'd graduate with your bachelor's degree I'd be ready to propose, so I'd plan something special like take you on vacation disguised as a graduation celebration or something like that. Then when the moment was right I'd get down on one knee and ask you to spend the rest of your life with me as my wife. We'd finish school, get married, have a few kids, and live happily ever after, me as a successful attorney and you as a successful… well, librarian, I suppose."

Y/N sucked in a breath. "I'd have said yes, you know. To all of it."

Matt sighed. "I know, angel." Hopefully you'll still say yes when the time comes.

"Speaking of making out, I, um, I have a surprise for you too. I mean, it's actually pretty stupid, but…"

Matt heard Y/N rummage through her purse and pull something out, then he heard the soft 'pop' of a plastic cap being taken off of a tube before the scent of coconut filled his nose.

A smile spread across his face as he recognized the lip balm Y/N had worn as a kid. "Is that what I think it is?"

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "Maybe. Why don't you kiss me and find out?"

Matt cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

Holy shit . He had been right -- Y/N's lips did taste amazing. He slid his hands down her arms and around her waist, savoring the combination of coconut and Y/N as Y/N deepened the kiss. 

Matt pulled her closer, one hand moving to slide up under the skirt of the silk dress she wore in order to grip her thigh.

Y/N let out a whimper into his mouth as Matt pulled her into his lap.

Heat and desire raced through Matt's blood. He wanted to hear Y/N make that noise over and over again… preferably while he was buried deep inside her.

He groaned as Y/N ground down against him, the scent of her arousal filling his nose and making his head spin. "Fuck, Y/N… "

Y/N ground down against him again. "Take me to bed, Matty, baby, please ."

Shit . How could he deny his angel anything when she asked so sweetly? "Hold on to me."

Y/N linked her arms around him as he stood and carried her to his bedroom, intent on showing her just how much he loved her.

Notes:

In case you didn't figure it out, the secret knock is morse code for "Angel". 😁

Chapter 4: Reader

Notes:

In honor of Charlie Cox's 40th birthday, have some smut. *Throws confetti*

Y/N sat up and pulled Matt into a kiss as soon as he set her down on his bed, mind still reeling from the fact that all of her teenage (and admittedly most of her adult) fantasies were actually coming true.

Matt's hands immediately went exploring as they kissed, eventually sliding down the sides of her dress. "May I?"

Y/N sucked in a breath, pleased that Matt was still just as tactile as he had been when they were younger. "Yes."

She was also glad she had decided to go with the matching silk bra and panty set in case their evening had gone the way she had hoped. She had remembered that Matt's skin was sensitive and figured the lace set she had also considered wearing would be too harsh, no matter how sexy it made her feel.

Matt pulled her dress up and off of her then immediately slid his arms around her back in order to undo her bra, raining kisses over her collarbone and chest all the while.  

Y/N let out a soft moan as Matt got her bra undone in record time and slid the straps down and off, discarding it onto his floor. 

He latched onto one of her breasts, circling her nipple with his tongue and giving it a gentle suck before turning the same attention to the other. 

He kissed his way back up Y/N's chest to her neck. "Still okay with me leaving marks as long as they're in places only we'll know about?"

Y/N gasped as he gently grazed her pulse point with his teeth, desire shooting straight to her core at the thought of Matt marking her as his. "Uh huh, yeah, yep."

Matt chuckled darkly. "Good."

He kissed his way back up her jawline to her lips, one hand sliding around the back of her neck while the other caressed her side.

He reached down and picked Y/N up with one arm while hitching her leg around his waist with the other, causing her to fall backwards on his bed with a gentle 'plop'. 

Y/N let out a light giggle as he pulled her closer to him. "Smooth move, Murdock."

Matt smirked. "Oh, angel, you haven't even begun to see my moves yet."

He slowly traced his way down the side of Y/N's face to her neck. 

Y/N's breath hitched as Matt's hand briefly circled around her throat. While she absolutely loved how gentle he was being with her, she also kind of liked the thought of him letting the Devil out.

Apparently Matt had caught Y/N's minute reaction, because while he didn't say anything he still smirked, his fingers flexing around her throat briefly before moving on down to her chest.

He followed his gentle caresses with his lips, eventually tracing and nosing his way down Y/N's stomach to her clothed core.

He inhaled deeply. "God, Y/N, you smell divine. I bet you taste just as sweet."

He reached up and grasped the top of Y/N's underwear, then slowly slid them down and off.

Y/N instinctively covered herself, suddenly feeling self-conscious. 

Matt stilled, a small smile blooming on his face. "Are you trying to hide yourself from me?"

Y/N's face heated. "Um… No?"

Matt shook his head and slowly moved Y/N's hands from her body, then linked their fingers together and pressed his lips to her knuckles. "You never have to hide yourself from me, angel, you know that, right?"

Y/N's breath hitched at the tenderness in Matt's voice. " Matt… "

Matt placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Let me take care of you, sweetheart? Please?" 

Y/N took a deep breath and nodded. " Yes ."

She began to relax as Matt slowly kissed his way back down her body towards the place she wanted him the most, pausing to suck a mark onto her hip before lowering himself to her core.

Matt kissed his way along the inner thigh of her right leg, pausing again to suck another mark into her skin before licking a firm stripe up Y/N's folds.

He groaned. " God , Y/N, you taste even better than I ever imagined. So sweet, angel."

Y/N let out a gasp as Matt pressed his tongue into her, working magic on her almost immediately.

She was torn between jealousy at the fact that Matt must have had a lot of previous practice at oral sex and thanking the fact that Matt must have had a lot of previous practice at oral sex, because the things he did with his mouth and tongue had her on the precipice of climaxing in a matter of minutes. 

Matt seemed to instinctively know that Y/N was close, because with one gentle suck and a swirl of his tongue Y/N was shattering against him.

Matt slowed down then eventually sat back, looking extremely satisfied with himself.

Y/N sat up and pulled him in for a deep kiss, moaning at the taste of herself on his tongue. She couldn't even begin to describe just how amazing his mouth had felt on her, but if she died right then she'd have gone out a happy woman.

She pulled Matt's shirt up and over his head with shaky hands, then reached down and began unbuttoning his pants, finally managing to shove them down his hips.

Matt stepped out of them and climbed back into bed, his long, thick cock standing proud and at attention.

Jesus Christ. Y/N couldn't wait to have him inside of her, but she had been dying to get her hands on Matt's toned body since the moment she had felt his abs underneath her hands the previous evening, so first... "I want to touch you, Matty."

Matt nodded enthusiastically. " Yes ," he breathed. " Please, angel. "

Y/N waited until Matt had laid back before tracing the pads of her fingers down his face.

Matt sighed blissfully and leaned up into her touch.

Y/N couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since Matt had been touched with the tenderness and care he so obviously craved. Should've figured he was a giver in bed. "Shh," she soothed. "It's okay, Matty, I've got you."

She continued caressing her way down to Matt's torso, sucking in a breath when she ran across the numerous scars littering his chest. " Jesus , Matt," she said shakily as she traced a particularly long scar on Matt's side. "Have you gotten all of these since you've been Daredevil?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, but it's not… I'm a lot more careful now."

Y/N followed each caress of her hands along Matt's scars with quivering lips, pressing gentle kisses to the raised skin. Thank you for keeping Matt alive, she sent up in silent prayer. Thank you for returning him safely to me . 

By the time she had reached Matt's waist, he was a gasping, writhing mess. "God, Y/N ."

Y/N gently raked her nails down his legs as she placed a kiss to his femoral artery, fully intent on returning his earlier oral favor.

Matt reached for her and pulled her up for a kiss, shaking his head. "Not gonna last if you do that, angel, and I want to be buried deep inside you the first time I come tonight."

Y/N grinned, not missing the inference that there would be multiple rounds. "Mmm, well now, when you put it like that ..."

Matt flipped them over and kissed her again before leaning back and reaching towards his bedside table drawer for a condom.

Y/N grabbed his arm. "Wait-- Um, I'm clean and on birth control, and I mean if you're clean too, then…"

Matt groaned. "Are you sure, angel?"

Y/N nodded. "I'm sure. Want to feel you, Matty, only you."

" Christ , Y/N, you're gonna be the death of me," Matt muttered, then took a deep breath and repositioned himself over her. "Give me just a second."

Y/N nodded, reaching up to trail her hands across his shoulders and down his arms. 

Matt slid his cock through her folds a couple of times before notching himself at her entrance. 

Y/N gasped as he slowly sank into her. 

Matt pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You okay, angel?"

Y/N nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

Matt slowly drew himself out of Y/N until just his tip remained before sinking back in with a groan. "Oh God, Y/N, you feel so good, better than I ever imagined."

Y/N wrapped her arms around Matt as he set a slow rhythm, the steady drag of his cock alighting something inside of Y/N that set her nerve endings on fire. "So do you, Matty, please, don't stop, feels so good."

Matt made love to her slowly, gently caressing her face as he meticulously cataloged each involuntary flutter of her eyelashes and hitch in her breath. "You're so beautiful, Y/N," he murmured. "My beautiful angel."

Y/N gasped out a moan as Matt slightly adjusted his angle, reaching places inside her no one else ever had before. "Oh God, Matt, yes, right there."

Matt's strokes became firmer and more sure. "Missed you so much, angel, can't believe how lucky I am to have found you again. Wanted you for so long, can't believe that I get to have you like this."

"Me too," Y/N panted. "Never forgot about you, Matty, thought about you every day."

She could feel the familiar coil inside her getting ready to snap. "Matt, baby, I'm close."

Matt rained kisses along Y/N's throat as he sped up his rhythm. "That's it, Y/N, let go for me, angel, I got you. Let me feel you come around me while I fill you up."

Y/N gasped out Matt's name once again as she shattered beneath him, Matt following soon after with a groan of Y/N's.

Matt stroked Y/N's hair and gave her a tender kiss as he carefully pulled out of her.

He reached towards his bedside table and pulled out a pack of wet wipes, taking a couple out before placing the pack back in his drawer.  

Y/N barely registered the feel of Matt carefully wiping between her legs. 

He kissed the inside of her thigh, right on the spot where Y/N knew a bruise would be in the morning. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Y/N shook her head. "No, not at all."

She snuggled up against him and kissed him softly. "I love you."

Matt nuzzled her nose with his. "I love you too. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Mmhmm."

Matt smiled as he gave her another kiss, then left his bedroom.

While Y/N had been with a handful of men in her lifetime, none of them had ever made her feel nearly as good as Matt just had -- but then again, none of them had ever actually been Matt. Yeah, he's it for me.

A minute later Matt returned with two bottles of water and a worn-but-comfortable-looking Columbia Law School T-shirt.

He sat back on his bed and handed her one of the bottles of water. "Here. I don't want you to dehydrate."

Y/N sat up and took a sip of the water as Matt did the same with the other. "Thanks."

"Of course." Matt set his water on his bedside table and fiddled with the shirt in his lap. "I, uh, I thought you might want to wear this tonight… if you'd like to stay, that is."

Y/N's heart fluttered. "Yeah, I'd love to."

Matt smiled softly. "That was another thing I had fantasized about a lot -- you wearing my clothes to sleep in after we'd made love."

Y/N hummed happily. "Well luckily we have all the time in the world for that now, don't we?"

She took the shirt from Matt and moved it aside before straddling his lap. "Before that happens though, I believe you said something about coming for the first time tonight, which would imply that there would be multiple rounds, wouldn't it, Counselor?"

Matt grinned and pulled her into his lap, his cock already starting to harden beneath her. "Why, yes, yes it would."

Y/N gently raked her nails down Matt's chest, grinning at the pleased groan he let out. "Good, because I'm not nearly done with you yet."

Chapter 5: Matt

Matt whistled cheerfully as he walked to the office the next morning, unable to fight back a pleased grin at the memory of his and Y/N's activities from the previous evening.

After he and Y/N had made love for the first time they had gone for a second round, then while in the shower together Y/N had given Matt the best blowjob he had ever received in his life before they had returned to bed for a third round of lovemaking, after which they had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

Matt had always slept better with Y/N in his bed, and getting to wake up next to her after making love had been even better. He had wanted nothing more than to just stay in bed together all day, but since they'd unfortunately both had to work Matt had gently extracted himself from Y/N's embrace and gone to shower and make breakfast while Y/N had peacefully slumbered on.

Normally he just had a cup of coffee and a piece of toast or grabbed something on the way to the office, but since he had woken up early (and surprisingly well-rested considering the fact that it had been rather late when he and Y/N had finally exhausted themselves) he'd had the time to make breakfast for the both of them.

Y/N had come out of Matt's bedroom right as he had finished preparing everything, and it had taken every ounce of his self-control to not pick her up and carry her back to bed, work be damned. He had known that Y/N wearing his clothes would be a turn-on, but he'd had no idea exactly how much hearing the shift of fabric across Y/N's skin and smelling his laundry detergent on her would be. 

They'd had a quick breakfast together then Y/N had changed back into her dress from the evening before and gathered the rest of her belongings.

She had given Matt a soft, slow kiss before leaving. "I had a great time last night."

Matt had wrapped his arms around her waist and smirked, his thumb gently brushing against one of several marks he had left on her over the course of the night. "Oh believe me, angel, it was my pleasure."

Y/N had shivered. "I'll see you later?"

Matt had nodded. "I'll let you know if anything comes up, but otherwise I'll be by right before noon."

"Okay."

Matt had kissed her again. "Love you."

"Love you too."

"I take it you had a good night," Foggy's voice said as Matt reached Nelson and Murdock. 

Matt grinned, turning towards his friend coming towards him from the opposite direction. "Very."

Foggy unlocked the outer door. "Let's head up and you can tell me all about it. I'm sure random strangers on the street don't want to hear about your sexcapades."

Matt chuckled and followed Foggy upstairs. "What makes you so sure it was that kind of night?"

Foggy huffed out a laugh. "Please. We've been friends since college, I know what your 'I got laid last night' face looks like."

Matt shook his head with a grin. "Yeah, okay, good point." 

"I knew it." Foggy unlocked the inner door and they headed inside. "So did you talk to Y/N about Josie's on Tuesday?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, she's in. We're also going to go talk to my mother after Mass on Sunday, as well as Zoom with Y/N's aunt Sunday afternoon so I can meet her."

"Wait, you didn't meet her when she came to pick Y/N up?"

Matt shook his head. "She wasn't exactly interested in meeting me at the time. Actually I'm surprised she even let Y/N tell me goodbye."

He chuckled. "I at least know for sure that Y/N and my mother will be happy to see each other again. Those two always had a soft spot for each other -- in fact I'm pretty sure the reason Y/N and I got away with as much as we did was because Y/N had always been my mother's favorite."

"So, what else happened last night -- besides sex, obviously. Any other big revelations?"

Matt smiled to himself. He kind of liked the idea of keeping the fact that Y/N considered him the answer to her prayers just between the two of them, at least for a while. "No, not really. Although Y/N and I did go ahead and decide to label our relationship since we're both sure of what we want. Oh, and by the way, I'll be out of the office for a couple of hours around lunchtime unless something comes up."

"You're not getting hitched without me there, are you?"

Matt huffed out a laugh. "What? No, I'm just having lunch with Y/N and getting signed up for library service. Besides, it's a bit soon for that, isn't it?"

Foggy chuckled. "Honestly, buddy, I'm surprised you two haven't run off to Vegas already."

Matt grinned. "To be honest I probably am going to propose sooner rather than later, especially if everything goes well with Y/N's aunt since I want to get her blessing, but I'll also need to find a ring and actually plan a proposal."

"Well just let me know when the time comes and I'll help out however I can."

"Thanks, Fog."

"Anyway, that's fine. We're expecting a courier delivery from Marlowe, Reynolds, and Coleman but I can receive it."

"Want me to bring something back for you?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I've got leftover pizza in the fridge. Beer after work though?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

He retreated to his office and got started on the day, reviewing a case briefing for a(n innocent) client being accused of armed robbery, his notes from another client who was being (wrongfully) evicted from their apartment by a greedy landlord and was going to court the following week, and did some research in order to find a precedent that would help a third (paying) client who was being accused of the theft of high-tech equipment (technically guilty, but since there were extenuating circumstances regarding the fact that Matt's client didn't actually steal the equipment, he had just never turned it over to the government while his employer was being investigated -- Matt felt morally okay with representing him).

About 11:30 he got up from his desk and grabbed his cane. "Foggy, I'm leaving!" he called out.

"Okay, see you later!" Foggy's voice replied.

Matt headed downstairs and caught a cab. 

"Mornin'," Matt's cabbie said in a thick Brooklyn accent. "Where we headed?"

"Andrew Heiskell Library, please," Matt replied.

"Alright, we'll have you there in just a bit."

He spent the ride making small talk with his cabbie and by the time they had arrived Matt had slipped him his business card along with his payment.

He grinned as he got out of the cab. He still couldn't believe how lucky he was that he had Y/N back in his life. 

He headed inside.

"Hi, may I help you?" A voice said ahead of him.

"Yes, hi, I'm here to see Y/F/N Y/L/N," Matt replied. 

"Ah, yes, she's on the 4th floor. Here, let me direct you to the elevator."

Matt let the receptionist lead him to the elevator. "Thank you."

"As soon as you get off the elevator the Talking Book Library is straight ahead."

"Okay. Thanks again."

Matt stepped into the elevator and found the button for the 4th floor, pressing it and waiting for the elevator to ascend.

Once it had arrived he stepped out and headed straight until his cane bumped into a door, then reached for the knob and opened it before stepping inside.

"Good morning, may I help you?" A different woman's voice said from his right.

Matt turned towards the voice. "Ah, yes, I'm here to see Y/F/N Y/L/N?"

"Oh yeah, one second. I'll get her for you."

Matt waited as the woman picked up a phone and pressed a few buttons, smiling softly to himself as he heard Y/N's voice on the other end. "Yes?"

"Y/N, there's a gentleman here asking for you," the woman replied.

"Okay, tell him I'll be right there. Thanks, Jess."

The woman hung up the phone. "She'll be right with you, sir."

Matt nodded. "Thanks."

A few moments later he heard Y/N's voice. "Hi, sweetheart."

Matt grinned, turning towards her. "Hi, angel."

Y/N gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Matt, this is my co-worker, Jessica. Jess, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Matt."

Matt smiled and nodded at Jessica. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Jessica said in surprise.

Y/N shifted her purse on her arm. "I'm heading out to lunch."

"Okay, have a good one."

Matt placed a hand on Y/N's arm so she could lead him out of the office.

He waited until they had gotten on the elevator and were headed back down before turning and giving Y/N a soft kiss on the lips. "Hi."

Y/N smiled against his mouth. "Hi."

They stepped out of the elevator together and headed outside. "Did you have anything in particular in mind to eat?" Y/N asked.

Matt shook his head. "I know you only have an hour and have to be quick, so is there anywhere nearby that you like?"

"Actually, yeah. There's a really great diner right around the corner that does quick lunches."

Matt grinned and took Y/N's hand. "Lead the way then."

They walked down the street hand in hand. "So how's your day going?" Matt asked. 

"It's been good. How about yours?"

"Busy, but good. Have a couple of cases I'm trying to determine how best to proceed with."

Y/N gave his hand a squeeze. "I know you'll figure it out."

As they rounded the corner, Matt could smell freshly-baked bread.

Y/N slowed down to a stop. "We're here."

"Hi Y/N," a woman with a strong Southern accent greeted them as they entered. "Sit anywhere you like and I'll be right with you."

"Thanks, Charlotte," Y/N replied. "Can we get a Braille menu?"

"Absolutely."

Y/N led Matt over to a booth. "This good?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, anywhere is fine with me. So I take it you come here often?"

Y/N laughed lightly as they sat. "Charlotte's daughter is one of my juvenile patrons, but yeah, actually, I usually get lunch here once a week or so."

Matt smiled. "How old is your patron?"

"She's six."

As if on cue, a little voice cried out, "Miss Y/N!"

Matt turned as the sound of little footsteps pitter-patter ed towards them.

"Hi, Sophie!" Y/N said. "How are you today?"

"Good. Are you at the library today?"

"I am, but I decided to come spend my lunch break here with my friend, Matt."

"Hi," Matt said.

"Is he your boy friend?" Sophie asked.

Matt grinned as Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Yes, actually, he is. Matt, I'd like you to meet Sophie. She's one of my special friends. Isn't that right, Soph?"

"Uh huh!" Sophie replied. "Miss Y/N brings me books from the library, and sometimes she'll stay and read to me!"

Matt smiled at Sophie's enthusiasm. "Wow, that's exciting. You know, Miss Y/N used to read to me back when we were growing up."

Sophie gasped in childlike wonder. "Really?"

Y/N chuckled. "I did. And remember when you asked how I learned Braille and I told you my friend taught me? Matt was that friend."

"Wow. So you've known each other forever, huh?"

Matt laughed. "Pretty much."

"Do you need some more books?" Y/N asked. "I can choose some for you when I get back to work and come drop them off here on my way home."

"That would be great," the woman who had spoken when they had first walked in -- Charlotte, Y/N had said her name was -- interjected as she walked up. "Thanks so much."

"It's no problem. Just twin-vision or audiobooks too?"

"Both would be good." 

"Okay. I'll stop back by after work."

"Have fun with your boyfriend!" Sophie said before running back off.

"Sorry about that wait," Charlotte said as she set their menus down. "Bethany called in sick so it's just me today."

"It's fine," Y/N replied. "Matt, this is Charlotte, Sophie's mom and the owner of Southern Grace . Char, this is my boyfriend, Matt."

Matt nodded in Charlotte's direction. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Charlotte clicked a pen.  "Now, can I get you two something to drink?"

"Just water for me today, thanks, Char," Y/N replied.

"I'll take water as well," Matt added.

"Okay, two waters coming right up. I'll give you a minute to go over the menu in the meantime."

"So what's good here?" Matt said as Charlotte left.

"Honestly, everything," Y/N replied. "I'll usually do soup and a sandwich though for a quick lunch, or sometimes I'll call in a to-go order for breakfast if I don't have time for breakfast at home before work."

Matt began to read over the menu. "Maybe we can have breakfast here one day then. Or brunch."

"Yeah, that would be nice."

"So what kind of soup and sandwich do you usually get?"

"Depending on what the soup of the day is I'll get that and a grilled cheese sandwich, or if the soup is something I don't really care for I'll sometimes get a burger and fries… unless the lunch special happens to be lasagna or meatloaf, both of which are amazing here. I don't think it's either today though."

Matt nodded. "Noted."

"Okay, here are those waters," Charlotte said as she returned. "Do you need a few more minutes to go over the menu?"

"What's the soup today?" Y/N asked. "I forgot to look at the board when we came in."

"Loaded potato," Charlotte replied.

"Okay, then I'll have that with the grown-up grilled cheese."

"Actually, make that two," Matt added, closing the menu.

"Okay, those'll be right out."

Y/N rummaged around in her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. "Oh, hey, I figured we can fill out your application for service while we're here in order to save you some time, if you're still interested in signing up."

"Yeah, that sounds great. What information do you need from me?"

"Well I already filled in your basic info -- name, address, phone number, date of birth and the like, so we just need to go over what types of service you want and subject preferences and such."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

They filled out the form together, then Y/N slid it over to him and handed him the pen. "Sign by the sticky flag."

Matt signed his name with a flourish. "Kinda feels like I'm signing my life away," he joked as he slid the paperwork back over to Y/N.

"Oh yes," Y/N deadpanned with a giggle as she put the papers back in her purse. "You're mine now, Murdock."

Matt grinned. "Considering I've been yours since pretty much the moment we met, I'm okay with that."

Y/N reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. "Me too."

She let go as Charlotte returned once again.

"Okay, here are those soup and sandwich combos. Need anything else?"

"We're good, thanks, Char," Y/N replied.

Matt quickly dug his wallet out of his pocket. "We can go ahead and take care of the check now since it's busy," he said, handing Charlotte his credit card. "No rush, just whenever you get a second."

"Okay, no problem. You two enjoy."

"Thanks."

"Oh, before I forget," Y/N said as Charlotte left again, "what time is Mass on Sunday and do you want me to come over and we'll go together, or do you just want to meet at the church?"

Matt bit his lip. "I usually go to the 11 o'clock Mass, but, um… What do you think about staying over at my place tomorrow night? I'll cook again."

"I'd love to, but how about you let me make you dinner instead? I feel bad about you having to cook for me twice in a row."

"How about we make dinner together then?"

Y/N hummed as she pretended to think. "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Murdock, but okay."

Matt grinned. "Part of what makes me such a good lawyer is my ability to come up with a compromise that's satisfactory for all parties, angel."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "What time do you want me over?"

"Four? We can go to the market together to get ingredients for whatever we decide to make."

"Okay."

They finished their lunch, only being interrupted once more by Charlotte dropping off the receipt, and headed back towards the library.

"Okay," Y/N said as they arrived on her floor and headed back into her office. "Let me go get your application certified and I'll be right back. You can have a seat if you want."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

As soon as Y/N had walked off he could hear the co-worker he had met earlier say, "So that's why you wouldn't let me set you up on a date with Eric's friend last week!"

Matt grinned to himself. He figured Y/N's co-worker had been waiting for her to return so she could grill her about Matt.

"No-- well, yes, but no," Y/N replied with a laugh. "It's kind of a long story, so how about I explain it to you later? Matt's actually in the lobby. We're getting him signed up for service and I was coming to see if Will would certify his application for me."

"Oh, okay. Drinks after work, then?"

"Yeah, I just need to run by Southern Grace to drop off some books for a patron, but we can do that on the way." 

"Okay, sounds good."

Matt waited until Y/N had returned. "Okay, you're all set," she said, sitting behind the reception desk. "Let me just get you put into the system…"

Matt waited as she began typing and clicking away. A few minutes later she paused. "Okay, I can finish inputting your preferences and stuff later, but let me go ahead and get you a player and pull a couple of audiobooks for you. Anything in particular?"

Matt shook his head. "Nah, whatever you choose will be fine."

"Ok, so the spiciest erotica we have, then. Got it."

Matt huffed out a laugh even as his face heated. "Really?"

Y/N giggled. "Only if you actually want it, honey. We don't judge. How about a few childhood favorites?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that'll work."

"Okay, one second."

Y/N clicked and typed some more, then stood. "Okay, be right back."

Matt waited as Y/N walked through another doorway.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned the ringer back on, then checked to make sure he didn't have any missed calls.

A few minutes later, he heard Y/N's voice growing closer as she spoke to someone. "Great. Thanks, Jordan!"

The door opened once again. "Alright, sweetheart, you're all set."

Matt stood as Y/N handed him a bag. "Thanks, angel."

"The player's pretty easy to figure out, but I can help you with it tomorrow if you have any questions. And we can get the online downloading service set up on your phone too so you can download Braille books to your e-reader."

"Great. Thanks again."

"Here's my card if you need to reach me at the office."

Matt grinned as Y/N handed him an oversized business card printed in Braille.

Y/F/N Y/L/N

Youth Services Librarian

NYPL, Heiskell Library

40 W. 20th St., #1

NY, NY 10011

212-555-6473

"Thanks for lunch, Matty." Y/N gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya."

Matt smiled to himself as he left Y/N's office. Thank you, Lord, for bringing Y/N back to me.

Chapter 6: Reader

"...The Mass is ended. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord," the priest at Clinton Church intoned at the end of Mass a couple of days later.

"Thanks be to God," Y/N -- along with Matt and the rest of the parishioners -- responded automatically.

"Please join us in singing the closing song, 'On Eagles Wings', number 280 in the Gather songbook," the head of the church choir stated. "Number 280, 'On Eagles Wings'."

Y/N sang along as the recessional proceeded, waiting until the priest had passed before gathering her purse and following Matt out of the pew. 

"I'm kind of nervous," Y/N admitted as they headed towards the back of the church.

Matt took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Having flashbacks to our youth?"

Y/N huffed out a breath. "More like I'm about to see your mother -- who is a nun , mind you -- for the first time in 20 years, especially after the things we did to each other last night… and this morning."

Matt chuckled. "Trust me, angel, my mother knows I'm no saint. You, however, she might be surprised to find out has a dark side…"

He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "... My good girl. "

Y/N's face heated as she sucked in a breath. While their first night together had been soft and slow, the previous night had been wild and passionate. Y/N had encouraged Matt to 'let the Devil out' , and boy , had he -- in the best possible way. 

He had whispered filthy praises into her ear while he had taken her from behind, the hand that had been carefully wrapped around her throat restricting air to her lungs also holding her upright against him as he had thrust up into her. "Fuck, you're a dream, Y/N, taking me so well," he had murmured. "Such a good girl, moaning so prettily for me, letting me know how good I'm making you feel. Used to imagine us together just like this, angel -- on our knees in the library at St. Agnes, having to keep you quiet while I stuffed you full of my cock so Sister Bernadette wouldn't overhear and know what we were up to..."

Y/N had let out a breathy moan and clenched around him in response at the thought of Matt's long, thick cock dragging slowly in and out of her, his hand over her mouth muffling her whimpers of pleasure as he whispered what a good girl she was being for keeping quiet while they waited for Sister Bernadette to pass by...

Matt had chuckled darkly and slightly tightened his grip. "Oh, you like that idea, don't you Y/N? You like the thought of possibly getting caught down on your knees with my cock deep inside you, my name the only prayer on your lips while I'm filling you up? Want everyone to know who makes you feel this good, huh angel? Want to show everyone that you're mine and mine alone?"

The delicious pressure inside of Y/N had built up to a pinpoint, shattering as she came with a weak croak of Matt's name.

Matt had continued to thrust into her in just the right spot, quickly triggering a second orgasm before spilling inside her with a groan.

After they were both spent, Matt had immediately switched into protective mode, making sure that he hadn't squeezed Y/N's throat too tight and accidentally left bruises. "Never want to hurt you," he had murmured as he rained gentle kisses where his fingers had been minutes before. "Wanted you for so long, so fucking lucky that I finally get to be with you. Love you so much, my beautiful angel, want to be with you forever."

Y/N had sighed blissfully, boneless from the back-to-back, earth-shattering orgasms Matt had just given her. "Mmmm, me too. Love you, Matty." 

Matt had then cleaned her up and made sure she drank some water, then had pulled her into a cuddle as they had fallen asleep together.

That morning Y/N had woken up to Matt latching onto her like a koala and snoring softly into her neck. She had kissed him awake then stroked him to hardness before taking him into her, still slightly sensitive from the previous night.

They had made love slowly again, Matt's hands gripping Y/N's hips as she rode him into oblivion.

Y/N quickly looked around to make sure that they hadn't been overheard by any of the other exiting parishioners. "We are in church, " she hissed.

Matt gave her a kiss. "It'll be fine. Like I told you, my mother will be absolutely delighted to see you again… no matter what sort of kinky fun you got up to with her son the previous night."

"Matthew!"

Matt chuckled and planted a kiss to the side of her head. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, angel. I'll stop."

They exited the church and headed around the back of the building to the church offices.

Y/N waited as Matt knocked on the door of the inner office where Sister Maggie had told him to meet after he had called her and said that he needed to speak to her.

"Yes?" Sister Maggie's voice came through the door.

Y/N stepped out of the doorway so Sister Maggie wouldn't spot her as Matt opened the door and walked in. "Hi."

"Matthew, it's good to see you. Is everything okay? It sounded urgent on the phone." Sister Maggie sounded worried.

Matt cleared his throat. "Yes, everything is fine. Great, actually."

"Then what did you need to see me about? It's not like you to just pay me a social visit."

"Well it's more like someone else needed to see you…" Matt's voice grew louder. "You can come in now."

Y/N took a deep breath and opened the door, then walked in. 

Sister Maggie gasped. "Is that -- Y/N ?"

"Hi, Sister Maggie," Y/N replied.

Sister Maggie walked over and wrapped her in a hug. "It's so good to see you, my dear."

Y/N hugged her back. "It's good to see you too. How have you been?"

"Oh, same as usual for the life of a nun." Sister Maggie stepped back. "Look at you, all grown up. How have you been? Are you back in New York?"

"I'm well. And yeah, I moved around a bit for work after college but I finally made my way back here about 5 years ago."

Matt grinned. "Y/N's a librarian at the Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library." 

Sister Maggie shook her head fondly. "I'm really not surprised that that's the career path you chose. You were always in the library reading -- even more so after Matthew came along. I used to be able to hear you reading aloud to him when I would pass by."

Y/N smiled. "Yeah, those were some of my favorite memories and really influenced my decision to go into library science -- and special services in particular."

"See?" Matt added. "Despite what Sister Bernadette always said, I actually was a good influence on Y/N."

Sister Maggie huffed out a laugh. "You were both good for each other. So is that how you reconnected? Through the library?"

"Sort of," Y/N replied. "We bumped into each other at White Cane Day at the Lavelle School for the Blind on Wednesday -- I was there promoting our library services and Matt was a guest speaker. We talked for a bit then wound up having dinner together that evening, and well, it's been like no time has passed."

Sister Maggie smiled softly. "You two were always inseparable. I'm glad to see nothing's changed."

Matt smiled and took Y/N's hand in his, giving it a tender kiss. "Actually one thing has changed. We finally admitted how we had felt about each other, and luckily -- for me at least -- still do."

A bright smile spread across Sister Maggie's face. "I always suspected you two had feelings for each other."

Y/N laughed and gave Matt's hand a squeeze. "Yeah, Matt did say that you had expected that I'd be your daughter-in-law one day."

Sister Maggie's eyebrows raised. "You know I'm Matthew's biological mother?"

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, he told me."

"I told her everything," Matt added. "Even about me being Daredevil."

Sister Maggie looked even more surprised. "And you're okay with him going off and fighting criminals almost every night?"

Y/N shrugged. "I'm less okay and more understanding about it, although I did tell him to not do anything too reckless or stupid and actually get himself killed."

Sister Maggie sighed. "Hopefully he'll listen to you. Murdock men are so damn stubborn." 

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Oh, don't I know it."

Matt shook his head, a playful smile spreading on his lips. "I knew it was a bad idea getting you two in the same room again."

Y/N gave him a gentle nudge. "Oh, hush, you."

Matt chuckled and gave her a quick kiss on the temple. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Sister Maggie smiled at the two of them. "I'm really happy for you both. I couldn't have chosen someone more fitting for either of you." 

Y/N nodded at her. "Thank you." 

"We should probably get going," Matt said as the church bells chimed the half-hour. "We're Zooming with Y/N's aunt in a little while."

Sister Maggie nodded. "Okay."

Y/N gave Sister Maggie another hug. "It was really good to see you, Sister Maggie."

"You too, dear," Sister Maggie replied, giving Y/N an affectionate squeeze. "I'm so happy that Matthew found you again. Take good care of him for me, okay? And come see me again soon so we can catch up."

Y/N nodded. "Thank you, and of course I will -- on both fronts."

She and Matt bade Sister Maggie goodbye and walked back to the front of the church so they could hail a cab back to Y/N's apartment.

As soon as they made it back, Y/N got her laptop from her bedroom and set it on her coffee table. "Ready?"

Matt nodded, although he looked somewhat nervous.

Y/N gave him a quick kiss. "Love you."

"I love you too, angel."

Matt moved out of frame while Y/N sat and started the Zoom meeting.

She smiled as her aunt appeared on the screen. "Hi Aunt Ruth." 

"Hi," Aunt Ruth replied. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How's your wrist doing? Did you wind up seeing the doctor for it?"

Aunt Ruth nodded. "Yes, it just wound up being a touch of tendonitis, so she told me to take it easy for a few days and prescribed some medication for it. I'll be fine soon though."

"That's good to hear."

"How was your week? Didn't you say you were exhibiting at a library conference? How did that go?"

"It was at a school, and yeah, actually…" Y/N looked over at Matt, who gave her an encouraging smile. "It went well. Really well, in fact, because I met someone -- well actually, it's more like I found someone. An… an old friend, someone I've missed terribly."

Aunt Ruth gasped softly. "You mean…"

Y/N turned towards Matt. "You want to join me?"

Matt took a deep breath and sat next to Y/N on the sofa, taking her hand in his.

Y/N gave Matt's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Aunt Ruth, this is Matthew Murdock, my best friend from while I was at St. Agnes. Matt, meet my Aunt Ruth."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Ms. Y/L/N," Matt said politely.

Aunt Ruth nodded. "It's nice to finally meet you too, Matthew."

"Matt and I ran into each other at that school I was exhibiting at on Wednesday," Y/N explained.

"Quite literally," Matt added with a chuckle. "Never been so happy to accidentally bump into someone though."

Y/N smiled over at Matt. "Me either."

Aunt Ruth nodded. "Well now, Matthew, I've heard a lot about you as a child from Y/N, but why don't you fill me in on the rest of it."

Matt cleared his throat and sat up a bit straighter. "Well, ma'am, you already know that I grew up at St. Agnes with Y/N, but after I left there I went to Columbia University, where I graduated with my Master's degree in law, then I opened my own law practice with my college roommate here in New York."

"Matt's handled some pretty high-profile cases over the years," Y/N added. "He and his partner helped take down a mob boss a few years ago, and he's gotten several people exonerated after they were falsely accused of some pretty serious crimes."

Matt nodded. "My partner and I believe in helping the innocent rather than taking cases from whichever client has the most money -- although we do also take on cases that will pay the bills, of course."

"Hmm." Aunt Ruth looked impressed. "So Y/N said you ran into each other at that school event? Do you have a child who's a student there?"

Real subtle, Aunt Ruth, Y/N thought.

Matt just smiled and shook his head. "No, ma'am, I actually don't have any children. I had been invited there to give a speech to the students on not letting their visual impairments define who they are and to show them that they could do anything they want to do and be whoever they want to be as long as they work hard and put their minds to it."

Y/N gave Matt's hand a squeeze. "That was a beautiful speech, by the way."

Matt shot her a smile. "Thanks. Anyway, when I read Y/N's name in the list of exhibitors I knew I had to go talk to her, and in my haste I accidentally bumped into her." 

Y/N let out a light laugh. "I still maintain that I bumped into you , but the point is that we talked for a minute but since the exhibits were about to open we decided to have dinner together so we could catch up."

She took a deep breath. "We had a nice, long talk, part of which was about how we had felt about each other as kids and the fact that even though we had both grown as people and had had other relationships over the years our feelings for each other never went away." 

Matt squeezed her hand encouragingly.

Y/N smiled up at him. "So needless to say we've decided to see where this goes."

Aunt Ruth nodded, a soft smile on her face. "Well then, I can safely presume that you'll be accompanying Y/N when she visits me next month, correct, Matthew? I'd like to get to know the man who has had my niece's heart all these years."

Matt nodded, relief visible on his face. "Yes, ma'am. I can definitely do that."

"Good. Now, I have to run -- I've got my pokeno group in an hour and I still need to make something to bring -- but I'll see you both soon."

"Have a good time, Aunt Ruth," Y/N said. "Love you."

"Love you too, dear. Matthew, looking forward to meeting you in person."

"You too," Matt replied.

"Bye now."

"Bye." Y/N ended the call and turned to Matt. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Matt shook his head. "Actually, it went way better than I expected."

He gave her a kiss. "So when exactly are we going? I'll let Foggy know that I'll be out of town."

"Labor Day weekend. I was going to fly out the Friday afternoon before and come back on Labor Day. Would that work for you?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I don't have court scheduled for that week and the office is closed on the holiday."

"Okay. I haven't booked my flight yet, so we can just book together now if you want."

"Yeah, that sounds fine. Do I need to get a hotel or anything?"

"No, Aunt Ruth has a guest room. Any airline preferences or whatever?"

Matt shook his head. "Whatever you choose is fine with me."

"Okay." Y/N's phone buzzed with an incoming text. "Oh, wait a second."

She picked it up. "Aww." 

Matt tilted his head curiously. "What is it?"

Y/N shook her head. "Aunt Ruth. She said, 'I've hated seeing you so heartbroken all these years and have been praying for you to find peace. I'm glad you found Matthew again -- I'm looking forward to meeting him properly'." 

"Well that's nice of her."

Y/N huffed out a laugh as her phone chimed again. "Yeah but now she says, 'Also I can't wait to rub the fact that you're dating a handsome, successful attorney in Marisol Vaughn's face at Pokeno later. Might finally shut her up about the fact that her daughter's husband is a dentist.'."

Matt's face turned pink. "Ah. I see."

"Fair warning, we're going for her birthday, so don't be surprised if she winds up having a birthday dinner of some sort just so she can show you off."

Matt grinned. "That's fine. I can handle meeting your aunt's friends if it means I have her approval."

Y/N did a quick search for flights out of New York and pulled up the ones for Labor Day weekend. "Okay, here's one that leaves JFK at 4:30 Friday afternoon and arrives in Miami around 7:45…"

Matt nodded. "That's fine."

"For our return flight… afternoon okay? Leave at 11:30, back around 2:45? Or did you want to take a later flight?"

"No, morning is fine."

"Okay, one second…"

Y/N got their flights booked then shut her laptop. "Alright, that's all set."

She smiled. "Now I just need to meet Foggy and Karen and then all of the important introductions will be complete." 

Matt gave her a soft kiss. "They're excited to meet you."

"I'm excited to meet them too."

Matt stretched. "I've got some stuff I need to do before court tomorrow, so I should probably head out, but I'll call you later?"

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, okay."

She stood and walked Matt over to the door. "Hey, if you happen to go out as Daredevil tonight… Be careful, okay?"

Matt nodded and gave her a soft kiss. "I will, I promise. Love you."

"Love you too."

Y/N let Matt out and locked the door behind him, then went to change out of her church clothes and into something more comfortable before settling into bed for a nap, already missing the feel of Matt's arms around her.

Chapter 7: Matt

"Hey, how'd it go?" Foggy asked as soon as Matt walked into the office on Tuesday.

"It went great," Matt replied. "Judge Garcia found in favor of Mr. Perry and awarded punitive damages for harassment and illegal eviction on top of granting the injunction."

Foggy huffed out a laugh. "That's great and all, but I actually meant how’d it go with Y/N on Sunday."

"Oh, that! Yeah, that actually went really well too. As expected, she and my mother were both thrilled to see each other."

"And Y/N's aunt?"

"That went surprisingly well too. She wants to meet me." 

Foggy snorted. "Better late than never, right?"

Matt chuckled. "I suppose so. She invited me to come down to Florida when Y/N goes there to visit next month."

"That's great, man. I hope everything goes well."

"Me too." Matt grinned. "I can’t wait for you to meet Y/N tonight. You and Karen are both going to love her, I just know it.”

“I’m sure we will.” 

"So how did the meeting with Mr. Daniels go yesterday?"

Foggy scoffed. "What the insurance company was offering would barely even cover his lost wages, much less his medical bills, so he wants to go ahead and pursue his suit against his former company.”

"Okay."

"I have to run by the Clerk's office so I can file the paperwork before they close, so I'm gonna leave a bit early and will just meet you and Y/N at Josie's."

Matt nodded. "Okay, that's fine."

He headed into his office and set his things down, then set to work on his tasks for the day.

Luckily the day went pretty quickly, and before Matt knew it there was a knock on his door.

"Hey, I'm heading out," Foggy said. "I'll see you in a bit."

Matt nodded. "Okay, see you."

He continued drafting his answer to a lawsuit being filed against another client -- this one a woman who had been involved in a car accident but wasn't actually at fault -- and had just sent it off when he heard Y/N's footsteps coming up the stairs.

He stood and stepped out of his office as she entered the lobby. "Hi, angel."

Y/N walked over to him and gave him a kiss. "Hi, sweetheart. Ready to go?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, just a second."

He grabbed his suit jacket and cane and shut his office light off. "All set."

"So how was your day?" Y/N asked as they headed downstairs.

"Not bad," Matt replied, opening the outer door and letting Y/N out first before locking it behind them. "Managed to get a lot accomplished. How was yours?"

"It was good. I finally finished getting my summer reading rewards mailed out to all of the students that participated and got started on the article about White Cane Day for our monthly newsletter."

"That's great."

Y/N took his hand as they headed down the sidewalk. "So you said you and Foggy have been going to Josie's since college?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah. Josie's Tuesday 2-for-1 draft beer special got us through many finals weeks and most of our internship."

Y/N let out a light laugh. "My friends and I had a similar hangout in Florida while we were studying for our comprehensive exams, except we went to 'Wine-Down Wednesdays'."

She gave his hand a squeeze. "As great as my study group was though, you were always my favorite study buddy."

Matt smiled. "You were mine too."

He stopped as they reached Josie's, the familiar smell of cheap beer and stale peanuts in the air. "We're here."

"Hey, there you are!" Foggy said cheerfully as Matt guided Y/N towards their usual booth. "Karen texted and said she had a last-minute interview for the paper so she's running late, but is on her way."

Matt nodded. "That's fine."

He gave Y/N's hand a squeeze. "Foggy, I'd like you to meet Y/N. Y/N, this is Foggy."

"It's so nice to meet you," Y/N said. "Matt's told me so much about you."

"Likewise," Foggy said. "You were pretty much all he talked about during college."

"Aww, really?"

Matt shrugged. "We talked about our childhoods a lot, and you were an integral part of mine."

He gave Y/N a quick kiss. "I'm gonna go grab a drink. You want one?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Foggy?"

"Yeah, I'll take a whiskey."

Matt headed to the bar as Y/N and Foggy sat.

"So Matt said you're a librarian?" he heard Foggy ask.

"Yeah, I'm the children's librarian with the Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library," Y/N replied. 

"That sounds like it must be fun."

"Yeah, it is. I love being able to work with the kids and foster a love of reading in them." Matt could hear the smile in Y/N's voice. "And it all started with Matt."

He turned back towards the bar as the bartender approached.

"What can I getcha?" the bartender asked. 

"Two whiskeys on the rocks and an amaretto sour," Matt replied, handing over his credit card. "And I'd like to start a tab."

"Okay, one second."

Matt waited until their drinks were poured then headed back over to their booth. "Here you go," he said, setting the drinks down and taking a seat next to Y/N.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Y/N said.

"So Y/N was telling me that you were her very first library patron," Foggy added. 

Matt chuckled. "I guess I was, wasn't I? We certainly spent a lot of our free time together reading in the library."

"I'm surprised Matt didn't eventually get sick of the sound of my voice," Y/N added jokingly.

Matt shook his head and smiled over at her. "Never, angel."

He turned as Karen walked up. "Hey, Kare."

"Hey, Matt," Karen replied, setting her purse down and sliding into the booth next to Foggy. "Sorry I'm late." 

Matt shook his head. "It's fine. I'd like you to meet Y/N, my girlfriend."

"Hi," Y/N said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Karen replied. "So, what'd I miss?"

"Not much," Foggy said. "We haven't gotten to the embarrassing childhood stories yet."

Y/N laughed. "There's not really many of those, but has Matt ever told you about the time we set a mouse loose in Sister Bernadette's office?"

Foggy and Karen both laughed. "No, he hasn't," Foggy said.

"Well, we had just gotten back from recreation time…"

---

"...You stole a bottle of wine? " Foggy gasped out later as Y/N recounted the time she and Matt had snuck into the church's storeroom.

"They had just gotten a shipment in from the diocese, so I figured they wouldn't miss one bottle," Y/N said with a laugh. "Besides, it was Matt's 17th birthday and we were stuck indoors because of a snowstorm -- how else were we going to celebrate?"

"How did you manage to not get caught?" Karen asked in wonder.

"I distracted Father Reynolds with an impromptu confession so Y/N could sneak out," Matt replied. "I told him that I wanted to start my 17th year on Earth with a clean spiritual slate, so to speak, so it was very urgent, couldn't wait until later."

He grinned. "Totally worth the penance."

Y/N laughed. "We waited until everyone had gone to bed that night then drank it together in Matt's room while we ate the cake Sister Maggie had let me bake for him. Wasn't quite the celebration I had originally planned for my bestie's birthday, but I don't think it turned out too bad, do you, Matty?"

Matt shook his head. "It was great."

Y/N's phone began to ring. "It's my aunt," she said. "Sorry, I'll be right back."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

Y/N slid out of the booth as she answered. "Hello? Hey, Aunt Ruth, what's up? No, I'm out with Matt and a couple of his friends, but it's okay…"

Matt turned to Foggy and Karen as Y/N headed outside to talk to her aunt. "Well? What do you think?"

"I like her," Foggy said. 

"Me too," Karen agreed. 

Matt smiled in relief. "Good."

"She seems really nice." Karen took a sip of her drink. "And I think it's really sweet that she became a librarian because of you."

Matt chuckled. "Honestly she probably would've gone into library science anyway, but yeah, it's nice to know that she never forgot about me just like I never forgot about her."

Karen reached out and patted Matt's hand. "I'm really happy for you, Matt."

"Thank you."

"Sorry about that," Y/N said as she walked back up. 

"It's fine," Matt replied. "Everything okay with your aunt?"

"Oh, yeah, she's good. She was just calling to ask me the name of an author I had told her about the other day so she could suggest them at her book club meeting tomorrow."

"Ah, okay."

Karen finished her drink and stood. "I still have some research to do for my article before I turn it in tomorrow so I need to run, but it was so nice to meet you, Y/N."

"Yeah, you too," Y/N replied. "And my offer to help with future research still stands. We have some databases that you might not otherwise have access to."

"Yeah, I'll definitely take you up on that soon."

Foggy finished his drink as well. "Hey Kare, if you wait up just a second I'll walk you home."

"Okay, thanks."

"You ready to head out too?" Matt asked Y/N.

"Sure," Y/N replied. "I'm ready if you are."

Matt stood and took Y/N's hand, stopping by the bar to close out his tab before they all headed outside. 

"It was really nice meeting you both," Y/N said once they reached the sidewalk.

"Same here," Foggy replied, "especially after hearing about you for so long."

Y/N chuckled. "Next time you'll have to tell me more about Matt's wild college years." 

Foggy huffed out a laugh. "Absolutely, if you tell me more about the pranks you and he used to pull on the nuns at St. Agnes."

"Of course. There were some fun ones."

Foggy clapped Matt on the shoulder. "'Night, you two."

Matt nodded. "'Night, Foggy. 'Night, Karen."

"Good night," Karen replied, giving him a brief hug.

"So, are you ready to call it a night?" Matt asked as Karen and Foggy headed down the street together. 

"Actually… I was thinking we could do dinner since it's still early?" Y/N replied.

Matt nodded with a smile. "What do you have in mind?"

"My place? I can make us something to eat… And maybe you could stay the night if you want?"

Matt wrapped his arms around Y/N's waist and gave her a kiss. "That sounds perfect. Maybe we can stop by my apartment on the way to yours so I can grab some clothes and stuff for tomorrow though?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Y/N slipped her hand into Matt's as they headed towards his apartment. "By the way, I really liked Karen and Foggy."

Matt smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "They liked you too."

"Glad I got the seal of approval." Y/N paused. "Oh, that reminds me, I gave Aunt Ruth our flight information and she insisted on picking us up from the airport."

Matt chuckled. "Can't wait to cross-examine me, huh?"

Y/N let out a light laugh. "Actually I'm pretty sure it's more like she wants to make a good impression on my 'handsome, successful' boyfriend."

Matt shook his head with a soft smile. "Well in that case, I guess I can't argue."

They made it to Matt's building and headed up to his apartment.

"Would you mind pulling a suit out for me to wear tomorrow?" he asked as they headed towards his bedroom.

"No problem," Y/N replied. "Does it matter which one?"

Matt shook his head. "No, whichever one you choose is fine. Garment bag is at the back of the closet."

He grabbed his gym bag and placed a pair of socks and boxers in it, then headed into his bathroom for his toiletry bag, electric shaver and comb before walking back into his bedroom.

"All set?" Y/N asked as she zipped up his garment bag.

"Yep," Matt replied. "Ready to go."

"Want me to get us an Uber?"

"Sure."

Y/N tapped at her phone. "Okay… there's one just a couple of minutes away."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

They headed back downstairs, exiting Matt's building just as their Uber arrived, and a short ride later, they were pulling up to Y/N's apartment building. 

"How does baked chicken sound for dinner?" Y/N asked as they entered her apartment. 

Matt nodded. "That's fine."

"Okay, make yourself comfortable and I'll get it started."

Matt dropped his bags off in Y/N's bedroom then headed back to her kitchen, making his way to her sink to wash his hands. "How can I help?"

Y/N opened a cabinet and pulled out a couple of wine glasses and an electric corkscrew. "Can you grab a bottle of wine out of the door of the fridge behind you and to the left and uncork it for me, let it breathe for a bit?"

Matt nodded. "Sure thing."

He grabbed a bottle of wine and opened it, the subtly oaky aroma of pinot noir filling his senses. "What else?"

"Umm, could you prep the salad ingredients?"

"Sure."

Y/N handed him a knife and set a tomato and cucumber on a cutting board in front of him. "Lettuce is already in the bowl."

Matt nodded and got to chopping, finishing just as Y/N placed the chicken into her oven to bake. 

He wiped his hands on a dishtowel. "Anything else?"

Y/N took the cutting board and placed it in her sink. "Nope, that's it. You want to go sit while dinner is cooking?"

Matt shook his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket, finding the icon for the classical playlist he sometimes listened to when alone at the office.

He set his phone on the counter and wrapped his hands around Y/N's waist as a soft melody began. "Or you can dance with me instead?"

Y/N hummed and turned in his arms. "You know, that does sound like a much better idea."

Matt took Y/N's hand in his and pulled her close, pressing their joined hands to his chest as they began to sway. "You remember the last time we danced together?"

Y/N gave a hum of affirmation. "Sure do. The church's annual St. Valentine's dance, 2002." 

Matt nodded. "I had told you that I wanted to ask this girl that I really liked to go with me but that I was nervous because I had never danced with anyone before and was afraid I'd mess up, so you offered to practice with me so I'd feel more comfortable dancing with her."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "My motive in offering to practice with you wasn't completely selfless. I mean yeah, I wanted you to be happy and confident but also if you were interested in someone who clearly wasn't me then that was probably the closest I'd ever get to getting to dance with you, so I wasn't going to miss my chance."

"That's funny since I actually had been talking about you." Matt shook his head with a small smile. "I had come up with this grand plan in order to ask you to go with me, but when the time came to actually do it I chickened out and told you that I had asked the girl I liked to go with me but she had said no." 

He chuckled. "If I remember correctly you said she was 'obviously a dumbass' and offered to go with me instead so she could 'see what she was missing'." 

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "I was torn between wanting to kick some bitch's ass for breaking my best friend's heart and being relieved that I wouldn't have to see the boy I loved dancing with some other girl. I couldn't believe that she had turned you down, especially when I would've jumped at the chance to go with you."

"And I couldn't believe my luck. I screwed up my chance to ask you to go to the dance with me but wound up getting to go with you anyway."

Y/N gave Matt's hand that was joined with hers a squeeze. "I had a really great time that night, by the way."

Matt smiled softly. "Me too. The only thing that could've made it even better is if I had worked up the nerve to kiss you and tell you how I felt about you when I walked you back to your room after it was over."

Y/N hummed contently. "Well, you can kiss me now to make up for it if you want..."

Matt grinned at the teasing tone in Y/N's voice. "Gladly, angel."

He cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

"Mmm," he murmured as they broke apart. "Definitely worth the wait."

Y/N chuckled as the timer on her oven went off. "Continue this after dinner?"

"Oh, definitely." Matt gave Y/N one more kiss before letting her go. "We still have lots of missed opportunities to make up for, and I plan on making up for them all."

Chapter 8: Reader

"Do these still look okay?" Matt asked as he and Y/N stepped off the plane in Miami and headed down the jetway toward Arrivals three weeks later.

Y/N eyed the bouquet of white roses Matt had bought in New York and brought on the plane with them, then nodded. "Yeah, they still look perfect."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

Y/N shook her head. "You okay? I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous before."

Matt huffed out a breath. "I'm meeting the closest thing you have to a parent in person for the first time, so it's important that I make a good first impression… especially since her last first impression of me wasn't all that favorable."

Y/N shook her head. "Hey now, that was not your fault. Aunt Ruth knows that Sister Bernadette had just had it out for you and did whatever she could to keep us apart."

"Yeah, but--"

"But nothing." Y/N took his free hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I promise it'll be okay. Besides, I have a feeling that Aunt Ruth is more focused on making a good first impression on you than your first impression on her ."

She smiled to herself. Aunt Ruth had asked her over the past few weeks about Matt's culinary preferences, if he had any food allergies, what his beverages of choice were, what kind of coffee he liked and did he drink tea, and if she was sure Matt would be okay with the restaurant they were going to for dinner on Saturday. And on top of all that, she had informed Y/N the day before that she had had the furniture in the guest room rearranged to make it more open and accessible.

Matt squeezed her hand back. "I certainly hope so. I want her to like me."

"She will, sweetheart. Trust me." Y/N stopped to look at the Arrivals board. "Let's see… our bags are in Terminal B. This way."

She led Matt down to baggage claim, pulling out her phone as it chimed with a text message. "Aunt Ruth's here and will meet us in the lobby."

Matt nodded, looking a tiny bit calmer. "Okay."

"And she wants to know if you're okay with pizza for dinner. There's this local place near the house that's definitely not the pizza at home, but is still pretty good."

Matt smiled. "Yeah, that sounds fine."

Y/N nodded. "Okay, great." 

She typed out a reply to Aunt Ruth. Pizza sounds great, and Matt will be fine with our usual. We're waiting on our bags, see you soon!

She put her phone away as the luggage carousel began moving.

Luckily their bags were among the first ones out, so Y/N grabbed Matt's, then hers.

She wheeled Matt's over to him. "Here you go, sweetheart."

Matt gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, angel."

Y/N wrapped her free hand around his arm. "Ready?"

Matt took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

They made the short walk from baggage claim to the lobby, and as they rounded the corner Y/N saw Aunt Ruth's face light up with a smile.

Y/N led Matt over to her, briefly letting go of him so she could greet Aunt Ruth.

Aunt Ruth wrapped her arms around Y/N in a hug. "Y/N, it's so good to see you, sweetheart."

Y/N hugged Aunt Ruth back. "It's good to see you too, Aunt Ruth."

Aunt Ruth turned to Matt. "And Matt, hello. I'm very glad you came."

Matt smiled and nodded back at her. "Thank you. I appreciate the invitation."

He held the bouquet of roses out towards her. "These are for you. Y/N said white roses were your favorite."

Aunt Ruth's smile grew wider. "Oh my goodness, yes, they are. These are beautiful, thank you so much."

She raised the bouquet to her nose and took a deep breath. "That was so sweet of you, Matt. I can't wait to get these home and into a vase." 

She gestured towards the exit. "Got everything?"

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, let's get out of here."

She took Matt's arm once again and followed Aunt Ruth out to her car.

"So, how was the flight?" Aunt Ruth asked as they made their way to the short-term parking lot.

"It was fine," Y/N replied. "Matt and I listened to an audiobook together, so it felt like it went pretty quickly."

"That's good." Aunt Ruth unlocked her car and opened the trunk. "So, Matt, I'm sure you and Y/N are both tired from working all day then having to travel, so I thought we could all just take it easy tonight, have some dinner then turn in early. Y/N said you were okay with pizza?"

Matt nodded as he put his and Y/N's bags in the trunk. "Yes ma'am, that's fine."

Y/N grinned. "I told him it's not New York style, but it was still good."

Aunt Ruth chuckled as she closed the trunk and they climbed into the car. "Don't let Giovanni hear you say that. He'd start in on his speech about how New York style pizza is basically 'paper with toppings'."

"Hey, at least it isn't deep dish, otherwise you might as well be eating breadsticks at that point. You're supposed to be able to fold your pizza."

Aunt Ruth backed out of the parking spot and headed for the exit. "I do agree with you about the deep dish."

Y/N took Matt's hand. "No one had pizza quite like Antonelli's though, right, Matty?"

Matt grinned and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. "Right."

Aunt Ruth turned onto the highway. "Isn't that the place you said you two used to go to, Y/N?"

Y/N nodded. "When I moved back to New York I was so disappointed to find out that it had closed down."

"Yeah, it was a shame," Matt added. "52 years in the same location and one day the owner of the building just up and decides to sell it to a developer."

"I'm surprised it didn't relocate. Antonelli's was a staple of Hell's Kitchen."

Matt shook his head. "Mr. Antonelli said that he had been thinking about retiring anyway in order to spend more time with his grandkids, so it just wasn't worth trying to reopen in a new location since his son wasn't going to be taking over the business."

Y/N sighed. "I wish we could've gone there together one more time before it closed."

Matt gave her hand a squeeze. "Me too, but at least we have all the memories of eating there together as kids."

"Yeah." Y/N smiled. She and Matt had had a tradition of celebrating what they had called their "Friendiversary" by going to Antonelli's for pizza and sodas. "Mr. Antonelli was the best."

Matt nodded with a grin. "He really was."

They continued the small talk all the way to the pizza parlor.

"Okay," Aunt Ruth said as she pulled in and parked. "I'll be just a minute."

"Okay," Y/N replied.

She turned to Matt as Aunt Ruth got out of the car and headed inside. "You doing okay?"

Matt smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Good." Y/N reached over and patted Matt's knee. "Oh, by the way, I transcribed the menu for the restaurant we're going to tomorrow into Braille for you, so don't let me forget to bring it with us."

A soft smile spread over Matt's face. "You are so incredibly thoughtful."

He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. "Thanks, angel."

Y/N shook her head as her heart fluttered. "It's no problem, Matty, really."

"Okay," Aunt Ruth said as she returned to the car and moved her flowers to the middle console before setting the pizza on the passenger seat. "All set."

Y/N took Matt's hand once again as they headed back to Aunt Ruth's house.

Aunt Ruth lived in a moderately-sized, 1-story brick house in a quiet, 1-street neighborhood populated mostly by newlyweds and empty-nesters. Y/N had missed having people her own age to talk to when she had first moved to Florida (or actually, she had mostly just missed Matt ) but now she appreciated the quiet. 

Aunt Ruth parked in her garage. "Y/N, if you'll get the door and show Matt around I'll get your bags."

Y/N nodded and took the keys from her. "Okay. Thanks, Aunt Ruth."

She took Matt's hand and led him to the door, pausing to open it before stepping inside. "There's a small step up here."

Matt nodded and followed her into the house. 

Y/N looked around Aunt Ruth's kitchen. The house had been updated and remodeled right before she had moved back to New York but still held the homey feeling Y/N had come to associate with it over the years. "Here, let me give you the grand tour before we eat."

Matt grinned. "Okay."

Y/N led Matt around the kitchen. "So this is the kitchen. Over here is the pantry, refrigerator, coffee bar, stovetop and oven, and sink."

She stopped in front of the coffee bar. "Aunt Ruth used to have a built-in oven but took it out when she remodeled and converted the space into a coffee bar. Her Keurig and coffee pods and stuff are all right here if you want a cup, but she's also got a full-size coffee pot over there on the counter that she uses when she has company."

Matt trailed his fingertips over the items in the coffee bar and nodded. "Good to know."

Y/N then led him around the counter. "And this is the dining room. Table is over here by the wall and there's a wine fridge right next to the doorway into the living room."

"Got it."

"Alright, so right when you walk into the living room to your right is a cabinet where Aunt Ruth keeps her DVDs and next to that is a sofa, but if you take about 3 steps then turn to your left you're in front of the hallway. Your room will be straight ahead, Aunt Ruth's room is to the left of that, and I'm next door to you on the right. Bathroom is straight down at the end of the hall next to my room, and the hall closet is right in-between our rooms, but on the right wall."

She took him around his room then showed him where everything was in the guest bathroom. "Okay, and that's it."

Matt nodded. "Got it."

They headed back into the dining room. "What do you want to drink?" Y/N asked, grabbing a few paper plates from the storage cabinet. "We have beer, wine, soda, water…"

"Oh, uh, whatever you're having is fine," Matt replied.

Y/N grabbed three bottles of beer from the refrigerator. "Beer it is then."

She popped the tops and set one down in front of Matt. "Here you go, sweetheart."

"Thanks, angel."

Y/N grabbed a couple of slices of pizza for herself and Matt as Aunt Ruth came back into the dining room.

They ate dinner together while Matt answered a few more questions from Aunt Ruth about his life and work.

"So what made you decide to study law?" Aunt Ruth asked as they were finishing up.  

"I want to fight injustice," Matt replied. "Help the innocent. I've witnessed too many bad things happen to good people to just sit around and not at least try to fight for what's right."

Y/N smiled to herself. Matt had given a very similar answer when she had asked him why he had decided to become Daredevil.

Aunt Ruth nodded, looking pleased with Matt's answer. "That's very noble of you."

Matt shrugged. "It's a tough job, but it's very rewarding."

"And he's very good at it, too," YN added. "He's a hero, sometimes even literally saving lives."

Matt grinned, catching on to her double meaning. "I wouldn't necessarily say hero , per se."

Y/N shook her head. "You are to the people you help."

She reached over and patted Matt's knee before standing. "Here, I'll handle cleanup."

Matt stood as well. "I'll help."

Y/N shook her head. "Nah, I've got it, sweetheart."

Matt hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. It'll take me two seconds to get this picked up. Why don't you go ahead and take a shower, get settled in?"

Matt nodded. "Okay then."

Y/N pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too."

"Good night, Matt," Aunt Ruth said. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, I will," Matt replied. "Good night."

As Matt headed to his room, Y/N brought the leftover pizza over to the counter to transfer into a container.

Aunt Ruth grabbed their empty beer bottles and put them in the recycling bin, then sat across from Y/N. "I think this is the happiest I've ever seen you," she said with a soft smile.

Y/N grinned, then nodded. "Matt's… God, he's everything I have ever wanted, Aunt Ruth. He's so loving and kind and thoughtful and sweet, and even though we've both grown up and matured over the years I can still see the boy I fell in love with so many years ago."

She shook her head with a smile. "He has every right to be angry at the world, but instead here he is trying to make it a better place."

Aunt Ruth let out a light laugh. "I have a feeling you might have had a little something to do with that, my dear, just like he did for you."

She patted Y/N on the hand. "I'm gonna head off to bed. Good night."

Y/N bit her lip. "Aunt Ruth?"

Aunt Ruth paused as she got up. "Yes?"

"Thank you for giving Matt a chance."

Aunt Ruth nodded again. "All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, Y/N. I truly am glad that you found him again." 

She walked around the counter and gave Y/N a hug. "Love suits you, by the way. It's nice to see you so content."

Y/N smiled. "Thank you."

"Good night. See you in the morning."

"Good night."

Y/N put the leftovers in the refrigerator and headed to her room to unpack, the sound of Matt humming in the shower making her smile once again.

She had finished unpacking and was sitting on her bed reading a book when she heard the shower shut off, then a few minutes later the bathroom door opened. 

Matt stopped in Y/N's doorway, drying his hair with a towel. "Your aunt head to bed?"

"Mmhmm." Y/N set her book down. "Come sit with me for a minute?"

Matt walked over and sat, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Y/N leaned against him, breathing in Matt's familiar scent. "So, how much of that did you hear?"

Matt smiled softly. "Enough to tell you that you're everything I've ever wanted too."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you."

Y/N hummed happily. "I love you too." 

"I should be getting to bed, but I'll see you in the morning?"

Y/N nodded. "Mmhmm. 'Night, Matty."

Matt stood. "Good night, angel. Sweet dreams."

Y/N waited until Matt's door had closed then went to take a quick shower of her own before settling into bed, smiling to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 9: Matt

"Foggy, Foggy, Foggy, Foggy…" Matt's phone began intoning as he was getting dressed for Ms. Y/L/N's birthday dinner the following afternoon.

Matt answered it and put it on speaker before setting it on the dresser. "Hey, Foggy."

"Hey, Matt, you busy?" Foggy replied.

Matt pulled his shirt on and began buttoning it up. "No, just getting ready for Y/N's aunt's birthday dinner. What's up?"

"I was just calling to check in, see how everything is going."

"It's going well so far. Ms. Y/L/N has been really warm and welcoming, and it seems like she's making a genuine effort to get to know me."

"Well that's good. Have you gotten to, uh… talk to her yet?"

Matt slipped his jacket on, then grabbed his phone, taking it off of the speaker. "Not yet -- it's been a pretty busy day and I haven't really had enough time alone with her to have that sort of conversation."

The day had started late, with Y/N making a special birthday brunch for her aunt (while Matt helped out as much as he could in an unfamiliar kitchen), after which they had given Ms. Y/L/N her birthday gifts.

"Oh, sweetheart, this is beautiful," Ms. Y/L/N had said as she unwrapped the hand-carved jewelry box that Y/N had bought from the arts and crafts fair she and Matt had gone to the week before while on the hunt for a wine rack for Y/N's apartment.

"I saw it while Matt and I were out shopping the other day and immediately thought of you," Y/N had explained. "You don't have to use it for jewelry, of course -- I actually thought it'd be the perfect centerpiece for the baker's rack."

Ms. Y/L/N had run her hands over the carefully-carved engravings. "You know, you're absolutely right. I love it. Thank you."

"My gift's not nearly as personal," Matt had admitted with a nervous smile as he had handed over the birthday card Y/N had helped him select.

"No, this is wonderful," Ms. Y/L/N had replied graciously, pulling out the bookstore gift card that Matt had gotten her. "In fact, you really didn't have to get me anything, but I do appreciate it. Thank you."

After that they had headed out to run some errands then went to the salon, where Matt had patiently waited as Y/N and Ms. Y/L/N had their hair and nails done, then headed back to Ms. Y/L/N's house to get ready for dinner.

Matt grinned. "I'm definitely planning on talking to her before Y/N and I leave though, just to clear the air and let her know how serious I am about Y/N."

Foggy chuckled. "Oh, buddy, I'm sure she knows. It's pretty obvious how crazy you two are about each other."

Matt smiled as he heard Y/N humming to herself as she also got ready. "I still can't believe how lucky I am to have Y/N back in my life. You know she took the time to transcribe the menu for the restaurant we're going to tonight into Braille for me?"

Foggy huffed out a laugh. "Acts of service. I knew it."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Y/N's love language. Back in college Marci made me read this book about different ways people express their affection for their partner, and Y/N's is by acts of service. Reading to you back when you were kids, learning Braille so you could write notes to each other, teaching you how to dance…" Foggy huffed out a laugh. "Buddy, she's been showing you she loves you for a long time."

Matt grinned and shook his head. "She has, hasn't she? So what's mine?"

"Words of affirmation. You've always been a smooth talker."

Matt chuckled. "Okay, fair."

His watch beeped with the time. "Oh hey, I've gotta finish getting ready, but I'll talk to you after we get back on Monday?"

"Absolutely, man. Enjoy the rest of your trip."

Thanks, Fog. Bye."

He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

After combing his hair he walked out of the guest room and over to Y/N's, knocking softly.

"Come in," Y/N called out.

Matt opened her door and stepped in.

"Hey, sweetheart," Y/N said. "Ready to go?"

Matt nodded. "Do I look okay?"

Y/N hummed. "No, sorry, your outfit is terrible. You should take all of your clothes off immediately. Here, I'll help."

Matt chuckled at her teasing tone. "As fun as that sounds, I don't think that's a good idea, especially since your aunt is home."

"Oh damn, you're right. Raincheck for when we get back to New York then?"

Matt walked over to her and gave her a kiss. "Mmm, definitely."

Y/N traced a finger down the lapel of his jacket. "Seriously though, Matty, you look great."

"Thanks."

"Let me grab that Braille menu real quick… Ok, I'm ready."

Matt gave her another kiss. "Thank you again for doing that."

Y/N hummed happily. "Of course, sweetheart. You're welcome."

They made their way to the dining room, where Ms. Y/L/N was waiting. "All set?" she asked.

"Yep," Y/N replied.

"Okay then, let's head out."

They followed Ms. Y/L/N out to her car.

"So, Matt, what do you think of Miami so far?" Ms. Y/L/N asked after they were on the highway. "I imagine it's a bit of a culture shock, especially since you said you haven't traveled outside of New York much."

Matt nodded. "It's definitely different, that's for sure. Lot more spread out."

Y/N chuckled. "Yeah, the fact that I couldn't just walk everywhere definitely took some getting used to when I first arrived."

Ms. Y/L/N huffed out a laugh. "Y/N was so surprised when I first mentioned taking her to get her driver's license."

"More like terrified." Y/N leaned up and patted her aunt on the shoulder. "I had a good teacher though, so I passed my driving test on the first try."

"Do you still have a license?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, I keep it renewed just in case I ever need to use it, although I really only ever drive when I'm here."

"Ah. Okay."

They rode in peaceful silence the rest of the short drive, and soon they had arrived at the restaurant.

Matt took Y/N's arm as they headed inside.

"Hi, table for three?" The seating hostess asked.

"Actually, we're here for the Y/L/N party," Y/N replied. "We have the banquet room reserved."

"Oh, yes, of course." The seating hostess wrote something down. "Right this way."

She led them to the banquet room. "Your server will be with you shortly."

"Thank you," Matt said.

Y/N set Matt's copy of the menu in front of him as they sat. "Here you go, sweetheart."

Matt gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, angel."

He began reading it over as their server came by.

"Hi, my name is Gabby and I'll be your server tonight," she said cheerfully. "What can I get for you to drink?"

"Hi, yes," Ms. Y/L/N said. "Can I get a glass of the house rosé?"

"Certainly."

"Same thing for me, please," Y/N replied.

Gabby made a note on her notepad. "And for you, sir?"

"Glass of the house red, please," Matt replied. 

"No problem, and are we together or on separate checks?"

"All three on the same check."

Gabby wrote something else down on her notepad. "Okay, I'll be right back with that wine for you."

"Know what you want yet?" Y/N asked. 

Matt nodded. "You?" 

"No, not yet. What are you getting?"

"I think I'm going for the pesto pasta with chicken."

Y/N flipped her menu over to read the description. "Ooh, that does sound good."

They were interrupted by a woman walking into the room.

"Rosa, hi!" Ms. Y/L/N said, standing and giving the woman a hug. "So glad you made it."

Y/N stood and hugged the woman as well. "Hi, Ms. Rosa," she said. "It's so good to see you. How've you been?"

"Oh, doing just fine,” Ms. Rosa replied. "And from what I hear, you're doing pretty well yourself."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. “I sure am.”

She placed a hand on Matt’s arm. “Ms. Rosa, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Matthew Murdock. Matt, this is Ms. Rosa Perez, one of Aunt Ruth’s friends from work.”

Matt stood and extended his hand out to Ms Rosa. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Ms. Rosa took it and gave it a brief shake. "It's nice to meet you as well, Matt."

She sat on the other side of Ms. Y/L/N as more of Ms. Y/L/N's friends followed.

Greetings and introductions were shared as Gabby brought their drinks and took more orders. 

She had just left once again when the cloyingly sweet scent of expensive perfume wafted into the room, followed by the sound of designer high-heeled shoes. 

Ah, this must be the infamous Mrs. Vaughn , Matt thought.

"Mari, you made it!" Ms. Y/L/N said in a falsely cheerful tone.

"Hello, Ruth," Mrs. Vaughn replied. "Y/N, you're looking… Well, good to see you, dear."

"You too, Mrs. Vaughn," Y/N said stiffly.

"Is it just you tonight?" Ms. Y/L/N asked.

Mrs. Vaughn huffed out a breath. "Yes, well, you know how Roger is, always working, and Delia wanted to come but she's out of town this weekend at some big important dental conference with Charles. She did ask me to tell you hello, though, Y/N."

"Tell her hello back for me," Y/N replied before putting an arm around Matt. "Before I forget, let me introduce you to my boyfriend, Matthew Murdock. Matt, this is Mrs. Vaughn. She's in Aunt Ruth's pokeno group."

"Nice to meet you," Matt replied, standing and extending his hand.

"Mmmm," Mrs Vaughn replied noncommittally, ignoring Matt's offer of a handshake.

Matt retracted his hand and sat back down. Well okay then.

"Matthew is a highly successful attorney, you know," Ms. Y/L/N added in a slightly smug tone. "Has his own firm and everything. In fact, he was just telling us about this big court case he won recently, weren't you, Matt?" 

Matt nodded. "Actually, yes, I was just saying that my partner and I were able to prove our client's innocence in the murder of her husband after we submitted evidence showing that the bloody shoe print left at the scene belonged not to her, but to her husband's mistress, who wore the same shoe size."

"I was very proud of Matt for all of his hard work in getting that case dismissed," Y/N added. "I know it wasn't easy given the overwhelming amount of evidence that pointed towards his client being the guilty party, but being the brilliant lawyer that he is, he figured out the truth."

Matt shook his head. "Couldn't have done it without you, sweetheart."

"Mmhmm," Mrs. Vaughn said. "Yes, well, I'm going to go have a seat."

"Apologies for putting you on the spot like that, Matt," Ms. Y/L/N said quietly as Mrs. Vaughn headed to the opposite end of the table despite there being an open seat on their end. "But thank you for the quick thinking."

Matt chuckled. "It's no problem, really."

"Was that a real case of yours?" Ms. Rosa asked.

Matt nodded. "Actually, yes, one of my more recent ones. The mistress tried to frame my client by wearing a pair of my client's shoes while she committed the murder then stashing the bloody shoes back in the closet for the police to find, but what she hadn't counted on was us figuring out that the shoeprint she had purposely left behind didn't actually match our client's."

"That's very impressive."

Matt shrugged. "It was a group effort. I figured out that the shoe print was the key to proving my client's innocence, my partner helped by obtaining a shoe print from our client and proving that her print and the print found at the scene didn't match, and Y/N helped by being very understanding about me having to work late and stopping by my office with dinner to make sure I at least took a break to eat and clear my head."

Y/N had also successfully distracted Matt with means other than food (which had actually helped trigger Matt's breakthrough regarding the shoe print), but Matt was going to keep that part all to himself.

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "Well besides the fact that I missed you and wanted to see you, I know how you get when you're hyper-focused on a case, sweetheart. Just didn't want you to starve or burn out."

Matt shook his head. "That helped more than you know and is one of the many reasons why I love you."

Y/N leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I love you too."

"You two are adorable," one of the ladies from Ms. Y/L/N's book club said. "How did you meet? Through the library?"

"Actually, no," Y/N replied. "Matt and I were best friends growing up."

"Really? Aww, that's so sweet."

Matt nodded. "We had lost touch after Y/N moved here to Florida, but we recently reconnected after we ran into each other at an event we were both at for work."

"I had a table promoting our library services, and Matt had been invited as a featured speaker," Y/N added.

Matt smiled at the pride in Y/N's tone. "Y/N and I wound up having dinner together afterwards to catch up, and over the course of the evening it was revealed that we both had unresolved feelings for each other from when we were kids. We talked it over and decided to go ahead and do something about it, and well…" Matt took Y/N's hand in his. "Here we are."

Y/N squeezed his hand. "Best decision I've ever made. Well, besides going up to Matt and talking to him that first day we met, of course."

"That's so romantic," the woman said with a wistful sigh. "I wish you both lots of happiness together."

Matt nodded at her. "Thank you."

The rest of Ms. Y/L/N's birthday dinner was filled with conversation, with a couple of guests asking Y/N how she was doing and inquiring about Matt's law practice.

After the party had begun to wind down and everyone paid their bills, Ms. Y/L/N stood. "Before everyone leaves," she began, "I just want to thank y'all for coming to celebrate my birthday with me. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you."

Y/N stood and gave her aunt a hug. "Love you, Aunt Ruth."

"Love you too," Ms. Y/L/N replied. 

As everyone began leaving, Mrs. Vaughn stopped to say goodbye to Ms. Y/L/N. 

"Shame Delia and Charles couldn't make it tonight," Ms. Y/L/N said. "I guess they'll have to drop by next time Y/N and Matt are in town."

Mrs. Vaughn made a derisive sound. "Mmm, yes, well, I must be heading out. I'll see you at Pokeno tomorrow, Ruth."

"Bye, Mrs. Vaughn," Y/N said cheerfully, seemingly pleased at the older woman's continued annoyance. "It was nice to see you."

"Mmhmm. Goodbye."

Ms. Y/L/N stood as the sound of Mrs. Vaughn's heels faded. "I'm going to run to the restroom before we go. Be right back."

"Okay," Y/N replied.

Matt leaned over to whisper in Y/N's ear as Ms. Y/L/N left the table. "Mrs. Vaughn was lying about that dental conference, by the way."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Oh, I figured that. Delia is just as stuck up as her mother and only married Charles because he has 'D.D.S.' tacked on to the end of his name, so I'm not surprised that she didn't actually want to come since she wouldn't be the center of attention."

Matt nodded. "Well, I may have been listening in while Mrs. Vaughn was venting to the person who was sitting next to her at the other end of the table, and she seems to think that you're a desperate gold digger who'd only want to be with me because I can add 'esquire' to the end of mine."

Y/N sighed. "Oh damn, is it that obvious? And here I thought I was being so subtle in my quest to get my hands on the pies your clients offer as payment for your services." 

Matt grinned. "Hey, I don't blame you. Those are some really good pies."

Y/N huffed out a playful laugh. "I don't know, I can think of at least a few reasons why I'd want to be with you other than your job title."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm." Y/N trailed a finger down Matt's shirt, stopping just above the waistband of his pants as she leaned in to murmur into his ear. "For starters, you're incredibly hot and absolutely phenomenal in bed."

Matt's face heated at the praise. "Phenomenal, huh?"

"Oh, most definitely. Zero complaints." Y/N gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaning back. " But there's also the fact that I've been in love with you since I was a kid that might be a part of it too."

A broad smile crossed Matt's face. "Well what a coincidence, since one of the reasons I would want to be with you is because I've been in love with you since I was a kid."

Y/N let out a fake gasp. "Wow, imagine that. Here I was thinking you were only with me for my incredible audio narration skills."

Matt huffed out a laugh. "Oh well yeah, that's an important reason, just not the only one."

He smirked and leaned in to murmur into Y/N's ear. "There's also those breathy little gasps and sighs you make while I'm buried deep inside you, angel. You sound so beautiful when you fall apart for me."

Y/N sucked in a breath. " Matt. "

Matt chuckled and kissed her cheek before sitting back. "In all honesty though, I really have always liked the sound of your voice. It's soothing."

He smiled softly. "I could listen to you read the phone book and be totally entranced."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Good to know."

"Okay, ready to head out?" Ms. Y/L/N asked as she walked back into the banquet room.

"Yep," Matt replied, standing and extending a hand to Y/N. "Ready?"

Y/N took his hand. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Ms. Y/L/N fished her keys out of her purse. "Okay, let's go then." 

They thanked the seating host, then walked out to Ms. Y/L/N's car. 

"You know, I was really surprised to see Mrs. Vaughn here," Y/N said after they had all gotten in and buckled up.

"Me too, to be honest," Ms. Y/L/N replied, starting her car and heading out of the parking lot onto the highway. "I felt like I had to invite her -- after all, I had invited the rest of my pokeno group so I really couldn't exclude her -- but I'm surprised she actually showed."

Y/N huffed out a breath. "Ugh, I genuinely can't stand that woman. It was one thing to be rude to me, but she could have at least shaken Matt's hand. What a snotty bitch."

"I'm really sorry about that, Matt," Ms. Y/L/N added as she made a turn.

Matt shook his head. "It's okay. I've dealt with people like her most of my life, and they all just made me more determined to succeed."

Ms. Y/L/N hummed. "That's a very good attitude to have."

Matt took Y/N's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to quell the annoyance and anger still radiating from her at Mrs. Vaughn's blatant rudeness. "It also helped that I had my own personal bodyguard as a kid."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Hey, I will happily punch Mrs. Vaughn in the face for you, sweetheart."

Ms. Y/L/N chuckled. "As fun as that would honestly be to watch, I really wouldn't want to have to bail you out of jail for assault."

Y/N reached over and patted Matt on the arm with her free hand. "Hey, at least you wouldn't have any trouble finding me a really good defense lawyer."

Matt shook his head with a smile. "Sorry, sweetheart, unfortunately I'm not licensed to practice in Florida."

Y/N let out a fake sigh. "Oh, well in that case I guess I'll just have to restrain myself."

Ms. Y/N huffed out another laugh as she turned into her neighborhood. "By the way, Matt, thank you for dinner, and thank you both for making my day so special."

"You're welcome," Matt replied. 

"And of course," Y/N added. "We're glad you enjoyed it."

"Very much so." Ms. Y/L/N pulled into her driveway and pressed a button to open her garage door before turning in and parking. "It's definitely been one of my favorite birthdays."

"Good." Y/N unbuckled her seatbelt and patted her aunt on the arm as the garage door closed. "Glad to hear that."

Matt followed Y/N out of the car, taking her arm in order to follow her into the house.

"I think I'm going to turn in," Ms. Y/L/N said as she locked the deadbolt behind them. "I still have quite a few chapters of the book we're reading for my book club to get through before Tuesday."

"I actually think I'm going to go out in the back yard and sit on the swing for a bit," Y/N replied. "I'm still a bit miffed about Mrs. Vaughn and I think the fresh air will help."

Matt chuckled. "I might join you if you don't mind."

"No, of course not, sweetheart."

"Okay," Ms. Y/L/N said. "Just remember to lock up when you two get back in. Good night, see you in the morning."

"Good night," Matt replied. 

"'Night, Aunt Ruth," Y/N added.

As Ms. Y/L/N headed out of the dining area, Y/N took Matt's hand and unlocked the deadbolt on the back door before turning on the patio light. "Careful, there's a step down."

She guided him over to the swing and sat, taking her shoes off and tucking her feet underneath her. 

Matt took his glasses off and stuck them in his shirt pocket before putting his arm around Y/N's shoulders and gently pulling her to his side, smiling as she instantly relaxed against him. "It's really okay, you know."

Y/N leaned her head on his shoulder as they slowly began to rock back and forth. "I know, it's just… I keep thinking about all the years we lost because of Sister Bernadette's unfair judgment against you and it makes me mad all over again."

Matt shook his head. "Hey, think about it this way -- no matter how hard Sister Bernadette tried she couldn't keep us apart forever, right? We still eventually managed to find our way back to each other."

He turned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We have the rest of our lives together, angel."

Y/N was silent for a moment. "You know, before I knew that Sister Bernadette used my aunt to separate us I used to think about all the fun stuff we would do when you'd come to visit me here."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like walking around Aunt Ruth's neighborhood, going to the library to pick out some books that I could read to you, and going to the beach together." Y/N sighed. "I was so excited at the thought of taking you to the beach in particular that I had a whole scenario planned out in my head."

Matt hummed. "Oh really? And what was that?"

"Mmm. Well first, we'd find a secluded spot to have a picnic lunch, then after we ate I'd suggest that we walk down the beach together so I'd have an excuse to hold your hand."

Matt grinned. "Sounds romantic."

Y/N let out a light laugh. "That was kind of the point, sweetheart, although I would be terrified at the thought of you being able to hear my heart racing over the sound of the waves and figuring out just how badly I wanted to be holding your hand for real while simultaneously praying that you would just so I wouldn't have to keep my feelings for you a secret anymore."

"And if I did figure out how you felt about me? What would've happened then?"

"Well it depends." Y/N sighed. "If you'd have figured out how I felt but didn't feel the same I would've lied and told you that I had just missed you so much that my feelings for you had somehow gotten confused but not to worry, they'd have gone away eventually so we could just forget all about it." 

Matt smiled softly. "And if I had been brave enough to tell you that I did feel the same?"

Y/N squeezed his hand. "Then we'd have shared our first kiss while the sun was setting over the water, after which we'd have come back here and cuddled on the swing while we talked about how to navigate a long-distance relationship and what that meant for our future."

Matt contemplated for a moment. "Why can't we do all that now?"

Y/N picked her head up off of his shoulder. "Now?"

Matt shook his head. "Well, not now now, but maybe tomorrow afternoon while your aunt is hosting her Pokeno group? We could pack a picnic lunch then head out to the beach, find a nice quiet spot to eat, maybe read a bit then take that walk you were talking about…" 

He nuzzled her nose with his. "Kiss as the waves roll in around our feet..."

Y/N hummed happily. "That sounds wonderful, although it might be a bit difficult to find a secluded spot. The beach gets pretty crowded Labor Day weekend, especially if the weather is nice, but it should be okay if we get there kind of early."

Matt nodded with a smile. "And since we thankfully don't have to navigate a long-distance relationship now we can skip that part of the conversation, but we can still talk about the future."

He took a deep breath. "I still want everything I wanted when we were kids."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "I think we missed our chance to take our 'epic best friend adventure around the world', sweetheart." 

Matt grinned and shook his head. "Maybe so, but there's always other adventures we can experience together." Marriage, buying a home, starting a family… "I want to build a life with you, angel."

Y/N tilted her face up to his for a soft, slow kiss. "I want that too, Matty."

Matt pulled her close once again, the gentle rocking of the swing and the warmth of the woman he loved beside him filling him with a rare sense of peace. No matter what life had in store for him, he would always have Y/N by his side.

Chapter 10: Reader

"What a wonderful Mass," Y/N whispered to Matt as the congregation stood for the final blessing at church the next morning. "I'd forgotten just how much I've always enjoyed Father DeMaria's homilies. He always manages to tie the readings together so seamlessly."

"He's been here a while, hasn't he?" Matt asked.

" Thanks be to God -- Yeah," Y/N replied. "At least 20 years for sure, since he was already the priest here when I first moved to Miami."

"And I'm pretty sure he'd already been here for at least a few years before that," Aunt Ruth added as the recessional song began. "I'm trying to remember exactly when he took over from Father LaBauve. He's definitely the longest-serving priest in our parish, if not the whole diocese. It'll be sad to see him retire at the end of the year."

Y/N nodded. "Let me know if there's going to be some sort of retirement celebration for him. I definitely want to be there if there is one."

"Okay, I will."

Matt took Y/N's hand as Father DeMaria passed by.  "I'll try to come too, if I can."

Y/N smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great." 

They headed towards the exit, stopping briefly to greet Father DeMaria before heading to Aunt Ruth's car.

"Oh, Aunt Ruth, do you think we have time to stop by the store on the way home?" Y/N asked as they all buckled their seatbelts. "Matt and I decided to head to the beach while you're hosting pokeno this afternoon and I wanted to pick up some stuff for a picnic."

"Oh, yeah, of course," Aunt Ruth replied. "I forgot to get tortilla chips yesterday for the spinach and artichoke dip, so I needed to stop anyway."

"Oh, okay. I can grab some for you while we're there. Just 1 bag?"

"Yeah, just 1 should be enough."

"Anything else?"

"No, I'm pretty sure I've got everything else I need." Aunt Ruth turned out of the parking lot and onto the highway. "But remind me to get that little rolling cooler I got as a white elephant gift last year out of the storage closet for you when we get home. It'll be much easier for you to wheel that across the sand rather than have to haul our old picnic basket around. Oh, and you can use my car if you want, too."

"Oh that'd be great, thanks so much."

Matt nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's extremely generous of you. Thank you."

"It's no problem, really. No sense in making the two of you Uber to the beach when I'll be home all afternoon and won't be using my car anyway."

Y/N grinned and took Matt's hand. "Hopefully my driving doesn't terrify Matt."

Matt chuckled. "Hey, if I can handle riding with New York cab drivers, I can handle riding with anyone."

He gave her hand a gentle kiss. "Besides, I trust you with my life, which includes you being behind the wheel."

Y/N's heart fluttered. "That's good to know."

Aunt Ruth pulled into the parking lot and parked. "Get the scoop chips for me if they have them. If not, I'll take the regular ones."

Y/N unbuckled her seatbelt. "Okay. We'll try not to be too long."

Aunt Ruth nodded. "Okay."

Y/N got out of the car and waited for Matt to take her arm before heading inside the store.

She grabbed a shopping basket. "Okay, I was thinking we could get stuff for sandwiches, and maybe some different fruits and veggies, oh and maybe some cheese too."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, all that sounds great."

"Okay, good." Y/N led him over to the produce section and picked up a container of strawberries. "Ooh, how about some strawberries?"

"Sure." Matt gently took the carton from her before putting it back. "But not these. They're underripe."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "How about I leave the fruit selection to you then, sweetheart?"

Matt chuckled as he picked up another container of strawberries and set it in the basket. "Okay."

Y/N grabbed a couple of containers of different pre-cut vegetables while Matt chose a couple of apples and oranges and a bag of grapes before setting them in the basket with the strawberries.

They finished up in the produce section and moved on to the meats and cheeses, selecting a couple of different blocks of cheese to add to their purchases. 

Y/N was looking at the variety of sliced sandwich meats when she heard a familiar voice. " Y/N ?"

She turned around and smiled as she saw Mrs. Ortega, her former high school guidance counselor. "Oh my gosh, Mrs. Ortega, hi! How are you?"

"Doing good, how about you?" Mrs. Ortega replied.

"I'm good." Y/N took Matt's hand. "Matt, sweetheart, this is Mrs. Ortega, my guidance counselor from high school. She's the one who encouraged me to go into special services librarianship. Mrs. Ortega, this is Matt, the friend that I had told you I would read to when I was growing up in New York."

A broad smile spread across Mrs. Ortega's face. "Well, it's certainly nice to meet you, Matt."

Matt nodded, a smile on his own face. "It's very nice to meet you, too, ma'am."

"Are you still at St. Catherine's?" Y/N asked.

Mrs. Ortega nodded. "Yep, have a few more years left before I can retire. Are you here visiting? I think I remember your aunt saying you got a job at a library out of state the last time I ran into her."

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, I'm actually back in New York now. Matt and I just flew in for the weekend to celebrate Aunt Ruth's birthday."

"Aww, well that's wonderful."

"Actually, she's waiting on us, so we better wrap up our shopping and get going, but it was so nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too, Y/N. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"Thank you."

"And Matt, it really was very nice to meet you."

"Same to you," Matt replied.

He picked up a container of sliced turkey and put it in the basket as Mrs. Ortega walked away. "She was nice."

Y/N nodded as they continued their shopping. "Yeah, she really is. I spent a good bit of time in her office, especially when I first moved here since the school made me do counseling sessions twice a week during study hall to 'make sure I was adjusting'."

She shook her head. "At first I refused to talk to her, but she eventually did get me to open up."

"How?"

Y/N smiled. "She asked me about you -- or rather, she asked me if I had had anyone special in my life in New York."

She huffed out a laugh. "I think she probably already knew the answer to that from talking to Aunt Ruth, but it worked. I wound up telling her all about you, how you were my best friend in the entire world and how kind and smart and amazing you were, and how much having to leave you broke my heart."

Matt grinned. "Kind and smart and amazing? I think you oversold me just a bit there, angel."

Y/N gently tapped him on the arm. "I most certainly did not and you know it, Matthew."

Matt pressed a kiss to the side of her head as they stopped to grab a loaf of bread. "Love you."

Y/N smiled. "Love you too. So anyway, I started to feel more comfortable with her after that, so I did eventually wind up telling her how I was feeling about getting uprooted from the only life I'd ever really known to go live with an aunt I had literally just met. Mrs. Ortega helped me realize that Aunt Ruth was hurting too, that I was the only part of my mom that she'd had left so I couldn't honestly be angry or upset with her for taking me in."

Matt nodded. "That makes sense."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, but that was when I thought I'd still have you in my life. Needless to say, I was really pissed when I found out that you weren't even getting my letters."

The ensuing argument with Aunt Ruth had left both of them hurt and in tears.

"What?" Y/N had said incredulously after Aunt Ruth had also come clean about agreeing to keep her and Matt apart. "Why would you agree to that?"

"Because Sister Bernadette told me that he was a bad influence on you," Aunt Ruth had replied.  

"And you believed her!?"

"I had no reason not to, Y/N, I -- she said he was always causing trouble and getting himself -- and more importantly, you -- into fights, and that Lord only knew what other kind of trouble he would've gotten you into, not to mention…"

She had paused. " Well, you know."

Y/N had shaken her head. "No, I don't know. First of all, Sister Bernadette is a hypocritical old hag who absolutely hates Matt. I've never known or understood why , but she's had it out for him since the day he came to St. Agnes. Secondly, neither Matt nor I ever started any fights. Matt was always defending himself from bullies who thought he was an easy target just because he's blind, and I wasn't about to stand by and let my best friend be bullied, either."

She had slumped down on the sofa and begun to cry, her heart breaking all over again. "He probably thinks that I abandoned him just like his mom did, and now it's too late to try to fix it."

Aunt Ruth had sat next to her. " I'm sorry, Y/N. I thought I was doing what was best for you."

Y/N had seen red. "By keeping me away from my best friend? By keeping me away from the one person who has ever truly understood me, the one person who made my life at St. Agnes just that -- a life rather than just an existence?" 

She had shaken her head with a scoff. "You know, I always thought it was weird how Sister Bernadette just randomly called me into her office one day and told me that surprise, my mom had a sister and I was going to go live with her in Florida. Did you even actually look for me or did Sister Bernadette track you down and pay you to take me in?"

Aunt Ruth had reeled back like she had been slapped. "Is that honestly what you think?"

Y/N hadn't really thought that but she was angry and hurt, so she had just shrugged.

Tears had filled Aunt Ruth's eyes. "I promise you, Y/N, I'd have taken you in as soon as the police told me that your mother had died if I had known then that she'd had a child. It wasn't until I needed to request her death certificate for some legal paperwork regarding your grandparents' estate last year that I discovered your birth certificate, and as soon as I did I started searching for you. I felt so guilty about you having to grow up in that orphanage for 14 years that I just agreed to whatever Sister Bernadette said, thinking that she would've known what was best for you at the time. I never even considered that she might've been wrong or even lying about your relationship with Matthew." 

She had sighed. "He wasn't your boyfriend, was he?"

Y/N had shaken her head. "No, Matt and I are -- were -- always just friends."

Aunt Ruth had nodded in understanding. "But you wanted him to be?"

"Yeah." Y/N had sniffled and looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I did, but he never showed any interest in me, not like -- not like that."

Aunt Ruth had taken her hand and given it a gentle squeeze. "I truly am sorry, sweetheart. I know this probably doesn't help, but if I could go back and change things, I would. And you never know, maybe you'll find him again one day."

At the time Y/N had thought that ever finding Matt again would be impossible, but here she was with his arm linked through hers as they shopped for groceries together.

She sucked in a slight gasp. "Oh my God, I just realized something… Sister Bernadette knew that Sister Maggie was your mom, didn't she? That's why she always had it out for you!"

A look of realization dawned on Matt's face. "You know, you're probably right. That makes so much sense now."

Y/N shook her head. "I always thought it was because of your visual impairment -- which would've been really hypocritical of her considering her oath to the Church about caring for others and all -- so I'm glad that wasn't actually the case. Still doesn't excuse the way she treated you though."

"No, but like I said, people like her just made me more determined to succeed." Matt shrugged, a wry smile on his face. "Besides, there's only one opinion of me that's ever truly mattered."

Y/N grinned. "God's?"

Matt huffed out a laugh. "Okay, two opinions."

They stopped to get a bottle of wine.

"Do we need anything else?" Matt asked.

"Just the bag of tortilla chips for Aunt Ruth, which are… here." Y/N set them in the basket. "Okay, I think that's it."

"And we only took 10 minutes," Matt remarked, "even with stopping to talk to your old guidance counselor."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "If I'd have been in here by myself I'd probably still be picking out fruit. I'm glad you were with me."

Matt rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Um, actually, speaking of that, I was wondering if you would mind me tagging along when you do your weekly grocery shopping? Right now I do a grocery delivery service but the produce is never the freshest and it'd be nice to be able to choose my own while having someone there with me that can help me familiarize myself with the layout of the market."

Y/N nodded. "Of course, sweetheart."

She could picture them heading to the market together one Sunday after Mass, Y/N jokingly grabbing jarred pasta sauce for a planned spaghetti dinner in order to get a rise out of Matt before he caught on and redirected her towards the fresh ingredients for a homemade version.

They'd playfully argue over having garlic bread they'd bought from the bakery down the street and mixed the garlic butter for themselves vs pre-buttered garlic bread bought from the store (Y/N was sure Matt would be team homemade garlic butter) then grab a bottle of wine to go with dinner before making their purchases and heading back to their shared apartment, putting their groceries away before settling in together for a lazy Sunday afternoon at home.

A bright smile spread across Matt's face. "Yeah?"

"Absolutely. I love spending time with you, Matty, you know that. I would happily do all of my grocery shopping with you for the rest of my life."

Matt nodded, looking contemplative. "Okay. Good to know."

"Would Tuesday work for you? I took the day off to rest after our trip and was planning on doing my shopping then since I wasn't home to do it today, so I can come over wherever you get off of work and we can go then."

"Yeah, yeah that'd be great." Matt licked his lips. "But actually, I was thinking… how about you just stay at my place tomorrow night and use my washer and dryer to do your laundry so you'll have something clean to wear without having to stop by your apartment, then we can head to the market whenever we decide to get up? Just spend the day alone together before we have to go back to work on Wednesday?"

Y/N nodded, her heart fluttering. "Yeah, that sounds great." 

"Okay, great. I'll let Foggy know that I won't be in on Tuesday."

They headed towards the checkout. 

"Here," Y/N said. "We'll do self-checkout so we can be done faster. Would you hold the basket while I unload and scan?"

Matt nodded. "Sure thing, angel."

Y/N ran the barcoded items through the scanner then typed in the codes for the individual fruits and veggies before making sure she had gotten everything and pressing the checkout button. "Okay, there's that…"

She swiped her credit card then signed the electronic receipt. "...And that. All done."

She took Matt's free hand in hers and gave it a squeeze as they grabbed their grocery bags and headed towards the exit. "Alright, let's get back to Aunt Ruth's and get this stuff all cut up so we can get to the beach before it gets too crowded."

Chapter 11: Matt

"It was really nice of your aunt to let us use her car," Matt said a couple of hours later as he and Y/N headed to the beach.

"Yeah, it was," Y/N replied, "but I'm extra glad she did because then I could take you where I really wanted to." 

Matt smiled. "Which is where, exactly? We've been driving south for over an hour, so I'm assuming we're off the mainland."

Y/N took one hand off the wheel and linked her fingers through Matt's. "You would assume correctly, my love. We're in the Keys, heading to Islamorada."

Matt furrowed his brow as he quickly translated the Spanish. " Islamorada … 'purple island'?"

"Yep, or 'Island Home', depending on which origin story you believe. The first story goes that Islamorada was named by Spanish explorers who were amazed by all of the purple here. There's tons of purple flowers and purple sea snails, and at sunset, the horizon even has a purple hue." 

Matt nodded. "That really is a lot of purple. So what's the other story?"

"That it was named after a ship that had been built here called 'Island Home', but that the name sounded better in Spanish."

Matt chuckled. "Ah. Personally, I think I like the purple story better. It's more romantic."

Y/N gave his hand a little squeeze. "Yeah, I like that one too." 

"So do you and your aunt come to the Keys often?"

"Mmhmm." Y/N let out a light laugh. "Actually, one of the first places Aunt Ruth took me to was the Hemingway House in Key West. Not gonna lie, I thought it was pretty damn cool at the time."

Matt grinned, picturing teenage Y/N geeking out over Ernest Hemingway's manuscripts and writing instruments. "I bet."

"We'd visit a lot of museums and go on a lot of picnics and hikes and stuff like that," Y/N continued, "especially when I first moved here. After I started college though we didn't have time to do as much, although we still try to at least get in a picnic at the beach or hike at one of the parks whenever I visit if we have time." 

"So is this island your favorite?"

Y/N huffed out a happy sigh. "Yeah, it is. The second I set foot on the sand at Anne's Beach I knew I wanted to share it with you."

Matt smiled softly at her. "I'm glad we're getting the chance."

Y/N squeezed his hand. "I am too."

She made a turn into a parking lot. "We're here."

Y/N parked and cut the engine off. "It should be pretty quiet since all of the tourists are either in Miami or Key West and most of the locals will be at other beaches since the water's really too shallow to swim in here. It'll likely mostly just be windsurfers or people picnicking like us."

Matt nodded as they got out of the car. "Okay. Good to know."

Y/N opened the trunk and got the cooler and tote bag with their things out. "Would you mind carrying the tote bag?"

"No, of course not." Matt took it from her. "Need me to get the cooler too?"

"Nah, I got it." Y/N grabbed the cooler and took Matt's hand in her free one. "Come on, sweetheart, this way."

She led him down a small stairway to the sandy shore below, then walked a little to their right. "Okay, this should be good. What do you think?"

Matt tilted his head, listening for conversations between the smattering of other beach-goers, then nodded after determining that they were far enough away to not be a bother. "Yeah, this is good."

Y/N spread the blanket out and they sat. 

She unzipped the beach tote. "So the first thing we need to do is to put on sunscreen. We definitely don't want to get sunburned."

Matt nodded, then pulled his shirt up and over his head. "Right."

He smirked as the sound of Y/N's heartbeat picked up. "Like what you see, angel?"

Y/N huffed out a breathy laugh. "Uh, yeah . Let me just say that if teenage me had seen teenage you shirtless at the beach I definitely would've had a difficult time keeping my feelings for you a secret."

A chuckle rumbled through Matt's chest. "Mmm, wouldn't have been fair, though, now would it?"

"What do you mean?" Y/N asked, an adorably confused tone in her voice.

Matt reached out and trailed his fingers across one of Y/N's bare shoulders. "I still wouldn't have been able to admire you in a swimsuit… at least, not in public, anyway. Can't guarantee I wouldn't have wanted to drag you off somewhere private so I could… 'see' what it looked like."

He could feel the heat radiating from Y/N's face even through the hot Florida sun. "Jesus, Matt," she breathed out.

Matt smirked. "And you know, it's probably a good thing you're in a tank top and shorts, because I honestly don't know if I'd be able to handle not being able to admire you in a swimsuit now , either -- not to say I wouldn't like to privately admire you in this too, of course."

His smirk spread into a full-blown shit-eating grin as Y/N swallowed audibly. He still couldn't believe that she had always returned his childhood feelings for her and admittedly loved riling her up so he could bask in the evidence of her mutual attraction to him. "So, sunscreen?"

Y/N took a sharp breath. "Oh, uh, yeah."

They quickly took care of any exposed skin on their fronts, then Y/N moved behind Matt. "Want me to do your back?"

Matt nodded. "Sure. Thanks, angel."

Y/N pumped a few dollops of sunscreen onto her fingers and rubbed her hands together a couple of times. "Let me know if it's too cold."

Matt nodded again. "Okay."

He arched into Y/N's touch as she started gently rubbing the sunscreen into his skin, starting with the back of his neck and working her way down his back and shoulders. " Shit, that feels good."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "You know, if you ever want me to give you a massage or do some skincare on you, I'd be happy to. I'm sure I can find some massage oils and facial moisturizers that won't be too overwhelming for you."

Matt groaned under his breath as she continued downward, her thumbs applying a comforting pressure to his spine. "I'll probably take you up on that offer soon. This feels heavenly."

"Okay. Just let me know when." 

"Will do."

Y/N finished applying sunscreen to Matt's back. "Okay, all done."

Matt took the bottle of sunscreen from her. "Here, I'll get your neck and shoulders."

Y/N moved back in front of him and turned her back to him. "Thanks, Matty."

Matt pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her neck, smiling against her skin as he heard Y/N's heart flutter. "Mmm, love you."

"Love you too," Y/N replied, turning her head and giving Matt a quick kiss on the lips.

Matt warmed up some sunscreen in his hands and carefully applied it to the back of Y/N's neck and shoulders, taking extra care to not get any on her clothes. "Okay, you're all set."

Y/N handed Matt a moistened towelette to wipe his hands with. "Thanks, sweetheart."

"No problem, angel." Matt gave her another kiss then began pulling containers out of the cooler, pausing to read the Braille labels on each one before opening it and setting it down on the blanket, arranging everything before grabbing 2 bottles of water.

He handed one to Y/N. "Here you go, sweetheart."

Y/N opened it and took a small sip. "Thanks, Matty."

They spent the next hour eating and basking in the sunlight, just enjoying the peace and serenity of each other's company, then packed up the containers and set them back in the cooler.

Matt sat back and stretched his legs out on the blanket. "I get why you wanted to bring me out here. It reminds me of when we'd get the yard to ourselves at St. Agnes -- except with the added sound of the ocean."

Y/N sighed, sounding completely at peace. "Yeah, me too. I'm glad you like it." 

Matt took Y/N's hand and gave it a squeeze. "And speaking of getting the yard at St. Agnes to ourselves, that reminds me… want to read for a bit before we take our walk?"

"Yeah, sure." Y/N pulled her phone out of her pocket and tapped at it. "Let's see… ok, so in keeping with the theme of us finally getting to do things we didn't get to do together as teenagers, I figured we could finally read the book that we were supposed to start right before I moved. Locked in Time , by Lois Duncan."

Matt tilted his head. "Yeah, I remember that title. Remind me what it's about?"

"It's about a girl who moves to this creepy plantation in Louisiana to live with her dad and new step family and weird stuff starts happening."

"Oh, right, yeah, I remember now." Matt nodded with a grin. "That was during your 'spooky horror book' phase where we read nothing but R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike novels."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Hey, I never heard you complain!"

Matt shook his head. "That's because I didn't have a problem with it. I liked mostly everything we read, especially those books of spooky short stories you would check out of the school library every couple of weeks." 

"Oh, yeah." Y/N laughed again. "I think I single-handedly kept those books in circulation."

She shifted to cross her legs. "Wanna get comfy?"

Matt nodded and turned to lay his head in her lap. "Sure. Thanks."

"No problem, sweetheart. Okay, this one's pretty short so it shouldn't take too terribly long to finish -- probably just a couple of days depending on how much we get through out here reading." 

Matt shrugged. "I'm not in a hurry if you aren't."

"Well, there's one other place I want to take you but we're not on a time limit -- well, not yet, anyway." Y/N cleared her throat. "Okay, so, Locked in Time, by Lois Duncan. Chapter 1 -- " When I look in the mirror, the girl I see there is pretty. I know that sounds vain, but I don’t mean it that way. When you’re seventeen and a half, being pretty comes with the territory… "

Matt really hadn't been exaggerating when he had told Y/N that she had been his favorite audiobook narrator -- even the professionally-narrated audio versions of Matt's favorite books from when they were kids weren't quite as captivating as they had been hearing them being read by Y/N for the first time.

A content rumble went through his chest as Y/N absentmindedly started running her fingers through his hair. 

" It still seemed like springtime, a fragile season of cool, sweet mornings --" Y/N cut herself off with a giggle. "You are such a cat, you know that? You're literally purring."

Matt grinned. "Says the one who's petting me."

Y/N lightly tapped him on the nose then continued stroking his hair. " Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah -- ' It still seemed like springtime, a fragile season of cool, sweet mornings and pale lemon sunlight. It was the last I would see of that sort of weather'."

Matt could picture the novel playing out like a film in his mind as Y/N continued narrating the story, from Nore meeting her new step family, becoming suspicious of her new stepmother… and her new stepbrother's attempt at murdering her.

Finally Y/N paused. "Okay, I think this is probably a good stopping point for now… Oh gosh, yeah, we've been reading for two and a half hours straight."

Matt sat up. "I'm enjoying the story so far. It's very descriptive."

He stretched, rubbing the back of his neck to ease the tiny bit of stiffness that had gathered while he had been laying in Y/N's lap.

Y/N put her phone in her pocket. "Ready to go take that walk? Limber up a bit before the long ride home?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, sounds good."

He gestured to the cooler and tote bag. "Did you want to put this stuff in the car before our walk?"

"Actually, yeah, that's not a bad idea," Y/N replied.

Matt pulled his shirt back on then they gathered their belongings and put them back in the trunk of Ms. Y/L/N's car.

Matt held his hand out to Y/N with a grin as they headed towards the boardwalk. "Do you mind if I hold your hand? I might need you to guide me."

Y/N laughed and took it, intertwining her fingers with his. "No, Matty, I don't mind at all."

Matt took in his surroundings as they strolled hand-in-hand down the boardwalk. He could hear the birds calling from the trees, taste the salt in the sea air, and smell the freshness of the ocean, but the only thing he cared about was the sound of the steady heartbeat of the woman he loved standing next to him, the taste of her lips as she pressed them to Matt's own, and the smell of her natural scent as Matt held her in his arms.

He could feel Y/N looking at him. "Whatcha thinking about?" she asked.

Marry me, Matt thought.

Instead he shook his head. "You know how you once asked me if I missed being able to see, and I told you that if I had the ability to see one more thing, just for a moment, I wished that I could see the sky one more time?"

Y/N gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah."

"I changed my mind."

Y/N let out a sigh. "You'd want to see the ocean, right? Yeah, I totally get it."

"Uh uh." Matt shook his head. "I'd want to see you ."

Y/N suddenly stopped walking as her head turned towards him. "What? Matt--"

Matt took her other hand in his and turned her to fully face him. "No, wait, just hear me out. I already know you'd be just as beautiful as I picture you, but I figured if I knew for sure what you looked like… I'd maybe be able to picture what our children would look like one day too."

He could hear Y/N's heartbeat speed up. "You want to have kids with me?" she asked in a small voice.

"Well yeah, I mean…" Matt paused. "When I said I want to build a life with you, I meant it, angel. I want everything ."

He smiled softly, already imagining the pitter-patter of little feet running around them. "We'd need to get a much bigger place first though."

Y/N huffed out a watery laugh. "'Much' bigger? How many kids are you planning on us having?"

Matt shrugged. "Just a couple, but we'd also need a guest room for your aunt when she came to stay, and maybe an office."

He could hear Y/N chewing on her lip."I was thinking about moving back to Hell's Kitchen once my lease is up anyway," she hedged, "so I could… maybe start looking? Just to see if there's anything out there?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." 

Y/N trailed her hands up Matt's chest. "And just for the record, I've always imagined our kids looking like their handsome dad, because between seeing you and seeing pictures of your dad I can definitely tell that the Murdock genes are strong."

She leaned up and gave him a kiss. "No matter who they look like, I think we'll make some beautiful babies one day."

Matt laughed. "Definitely."

Y/N stepped back and took his hand once again.

They continued their stroll down to the end of the boardwalk, then turned around and headed back in the other direction.

Once they had gotten back to the car, Y/N grabbed another bottle of water for each of them from the cooler. "Okay, we should probably get going. We have one more stop and I want to try to get back to the mainland before it gets too dark."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

They climbed into the car, bucked their seatbelts, and soon were back on the road. 

Y/N re-linked her fingers through Matt's as they headed back towards the mainland. "You hungry?" 

Matt nodded, lunch having been several hours behind them. "I could eat."

"Good, because I figured since we had a nice picnic lunch that I'd also treat you to a true southern Floridian dinner. There's this wonderful restaurant in Key Largo that Aunt Ruth and I go to whenever we come down to the Keys. Their seafood is freshly caught every day and is processed at the restaurant itself."

Matt smiled. "That sounds great."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "Thank you for today, by the way. I had a really great time."

"I'm glad." Y/N squeezed his hand back. "And I did too."

They fell into a comfortable silence, Matt thinking back to their conversation on the boardwalk and what he had really wanted to say.

He knew without a doubt that Y/N was still the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and he didn't want to have to wait to be able to call her his wife.

I've got some plans to make.

Notes:

I'm back on Tumblr! Come say hi at Loveroftoomanyfandoms.

Chapter 12: Reader

Notes:

If sexy times aren't your thing, skip to the next chapter.

Y/N sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. 

Between all of the flirting and sexual tension between her and Matt over the past three days she was too worked up to even think about being able to sleep. Probably should've thought about that before you brought Matt to the beach today and rubbed sunscreen all over his naked, muscular back then talked about having his babies.

And on top of that Matt had kept rubbing his thumb on the inside of her thigh the entire drive home, which had just worked her up even more.

She kicked her covers off and was seriously considering getting herself off just so she could get some rest when suddenly there was a soft tap on her door. "Angel?" Matt whispered.

Y/N sighed again and reached for her bedside lamp as the door opened a crack and Matt appeared in the doorway. Of course he could hear me tossing and turning. "Yeah, Matty?"

"Can I come in?"

Y/N sat up. "Yeah, sweetheart, of course."

Matt stepped in and softly closed the door behind him. "Trouble sleeping?"

Y/N swallowed. The sight of Matt wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips made Y/N want to trace the vee of his hips with her tongue while slowly peeling them off of his body, which definitely did not help ease her tension. "Uh, yeah. Was I keeping you up?"

Matt nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, actually, yeah, you were."

Y/N grimaced. "Shit, baby, I'm sorry."

Matt shook his head. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

Y/N's heart quickened at the small smirk that appeared on Matt's face. "What do you mean?"

Matt slowly walked over to Y/N's bed, reminiscent of a predator stalking its prey. "I can smell your arousal, sweetheart, couldn't take it anymore."

His tongue poked out, wetting his lips. "Were you planning on doing something about it?"

Y/N's face flared with heat. No point in trying to lie. "...Yes," she admitted in a whisper.

Matt let out a barely audible groan. "Want some help?"

Y/N sucked in a breath, the thought of having Matt's face buried between her thighs turning her on even more. " Yes, Matty, please."

Matt reached out and cupped Y/N's chin in his hand, tilting her face up to his. "Think you can keep quiet for me, angel?"

Y/N nodded, a shiver running through her. "Uh huh."

Matt smirked. "Good girl."

He climbed into her bed, the hand that had been holding her chin sliding around to cup the back of her neck as he pressed his lips to hers.

Y/N immediately opened up for him, the slide of his tongue against hers sending a delicious shiver down her spine.

She wrapped her arms around Matt's waist as his free hand trailed up her thigh to the seam of her silk sleep shorts. 

"Mmm, love it when you wear silk for me, angel," Matt murmured against her lips. "Almost as soft as your skin."

Y/N sucked in a breath as Matt kissed his way down her neck, his fingers dipping inside the seam of her sleep shorts and sliding their way up to her inner thigh. "Matty… Matty, baby, need you."

Matt groaned. "What do you need, sweetheart?"

His fingers continued up towards her core, barely caressing her over her underwear as he dipped his tongue into the hollow of her collarbone. "My fingers? My mouth?"

He growled softly into her neck as he pressed his fingers to her covered core. "My cock ?"

"I – fuck – yes," Y/N gasped, her hips involuntarily bucking towards Matt's hand. "All of it, Matty, please ."

Matt gently grazed her pulse point with his teeth. "As you wish, my beautiful angel."

He reached down and slid Y/N's sleep top up and over her head, immediately latching on to one of her breasts as he pulled her into his lap then laid her down.

Y/N bit back a moan, her hands flying into Matt's hair.

"Mmm, love how you feel underneath me," Matt whispered against her skin, his tongue circling the nipple of her other breast before latching on and giving it a suck. "Can't believe how lucky I am, angel."

Y/N let out another whimper, giving Matt's hair a light tug. "I'm the lucky one, Matty, love you so much."

Matt reached for the top of Y/N's sleep shorts, giving gentle nips to her skin as he trailed kisses further down towards her core. " Fuck, angel, you smell so delicious, sweetheart, need to taste you."

"God, Matt, please ," Y/N whimpered. "Want to feel your mouth on me, baby, need it so badly."

Matt slowly peeled Y/N's sleep shorts and underwear off, then nosed at her entrance. "Don't worry, angel, gonna take care of you. I got you, my beautiful girl."

Y/N gasped loudly as Matt licked a broad stripe up her folds, then slapped a hand over her mouth.

Matt hummed as he licked at her again. "Now now, keep quiet, angel, you don't want us to get interrupted, now do you?"

Y/N quickly shook her head. "No, Matty, baby, need you, please ," she whispered.

"Mmm, that's my good girl." Matt licked at her core once more, then slowly slid two fingers inside. "So tight, sweetheart, God, this beautiful cunt of yours is just begging for me, isn't it?"

Y/N nodded, gasping as she bit back a moan. "Mmhmm. Been wanting you all day, Matty."

Matt withdrew his fingers then popped them into his mouth with a soft groan, his eyes closing as he savored her taste. "Shit , baby, you taste divine. So fucking sweet, angel."

He slid his fingers back inside her as he circled her clit with his tongue. 

Y/N bit her lip in an attempt to keep quiet as Matt pleasured her, one hand fisted into her bedsheets while the other grasped Matt's hair. 

She could have sworn that Matt was tracing patterns or letters or something against her, but was too focused on just how fucking good it felt to discern any shape in particular.

Matt growled against her core, his fingers plunging in and out of her. "So fucking perfect, Y/N, taste so goddamn good. Could spend hours making you come with just my mouth, sweetheart, can't get enough of you."

He crooked his fingers inside of her, his thumb beginning to rub her already-sensitive clit. "Come on, angel, I know you're close. Fucking soak my face, beautiful."

"Matty," Y/N gasped out in a breathy moan as Matt sucked a mark into her inner thigh. "Yes, baby, right there, oh shit, Matt –"

Matt quickly withdrew his fingers and latched his mouth onto Y/N's core, lapping up her juices as she came against his face.

He cleaned her up with his tongue then kissed and nipped his way back up to her body, kicking his sweatpants off in the process.

Y/N let out a soft whimper as she tasted herself on Matt's tongue. There was something so inherently intimate about it that it never ceased to quickly refuel her desire for Matt.

"Good girl, angel," Matt said, reaching down and aligning his cock with her core. "Think you can keep quiet a bit longer for me?"

Y/N nodded. "Mmhmm."

She let out a blissful sigh as Matt slid inside her. 

Matt dropped his head onto Y/N's shoulder as he slowly rolled his hips into hers. "Mmm, you feel incredible , sweetheart," he murmured.

Y/N wrapped her arms and legs around him as he set a slow pace, their breathy pants and whispers filling the silence of the room. "So do you, Matty. Fill me just right, baby, always know exactly what I need."

Matt let out a quiet groan. "God, Y/N, you've been driving me crazy all day. Been wanting to touch you, angel, feel your bare skin under my hands and mouth. Could smell your scent in the bathroom when I went to take a shower earlier, made me want to drag you in there with me and fuck you up against the shower wall. Didn't care who heard."

Y/N gasped and arched into Matt as she imagined him slamming her against the wall of the shower, her legs wrapped around his waist as he impaled her on his cock, her head thrown back in pleasure while he fucked her in a quick, rough pace until she came screaming his name, Matt filling her with his hot seed until it was leaking out around his cock…

Matt let out a rumble from deep in his chest. "Mmm, so good, angel," he whispered huskily into her ear, his hips pumping lazily as he thrust into her over and over again. " Such a good girl, keeping quiet for me while I fuck you. I bet this was part of your little teenage fantasy too, wasn't it, Y/N? Imagined me sneaking into your room after your aunt was asleep, tasting that sweet little cunt of yours then filling you up with my cum?"

Y/N nodded, her fingers tightening around Matt's back as she drew closer to the edge. "Yes, Matty, used to -- used to touch myself, imagine it was you. Wanted it to be you touching me so badly, baby, feel so empty without you filling me."

Matt let out a quiet groan, his hips stuttering slightly. "Fuck, angel, used to wonder what you'd feel like wrapped around me, think about what sort of beautiful sounds I could coax out of you. Never thought I'd actually get to have this, sweetheart."

He hissed and pumped his hips harder, hitting Y/N exactly where she needed him the most. "Shit, I'm so fucking close, sweetheart, want to feel you let go for me, need to feel you let go for me, angel, please, fuck -- you feel so good, Y/N, feel so -- fucking -- perfect ."

Y/N let out a sharp gasp as she came around Matt's cock, the feel of him pulsing deep inside her as he joined her in bliss prolonging her pleasure.

Matt gently collapsed on top of her with a shiver, his breath coming out in light pants on her neck. "Mmm," he murmured. "Love you."

Y/N trailed her hands up Matt's back and across his shoulders, every muscle in her body feeling like jelly. Yep, definitely going to be able to sleep now. "Mmhmm. Love you too."

Matt pressed a kiss to her lips before easing out of her and grabbing some tissues from the box on her nightstand. 

Y/N huffed out a breathy giggle. 

Matt tilted his head. "What?"

Y/N shook her head with a grin. "The mouth on you, Murdock."

Matt chuckled as he began gently cleaning her up, his cheeks pinkening adorably in the soft lamplight. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but what can I say? You bring it out of me."

"Oh I'm not complaining." Y/N pulled her underwear and pajamas back on as Matt tossed the tissues into the trash can and grabbed his sweatpants off of the floor. "Far from it, in fact. I love your filthy mouth."

Matt raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Noted."

He pulled his sweatpants on and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Think you can sleep now?"

Y/N nodded. "Mmhmm. Stay with me though? Just until I fall asleep?"

Matt smiled softly. "Of course, angel. I'm not going anywhere."

He turned Y/N's lamp off then climbed back into bed, pulling Y/N into his arms.

Y/N snuggled up against him and breathed in his comforting scent as he pulled the covers over them both. "I'm so happy you're here."

Matt nuzzled his nose into her hair. "I am too."

A yawn bubbled up out of Y/N's throat, the steady rise and fall of Matt's chest already beginning to lull her into a peaceful slumber.

Matt pressed a kiss to her head. "Sweet dreams, angel."

Y/N yawned again. "Mmhmm. Love you, Matty." 

She barely registered Matt's soft, "I love you too, Y/N," before sleep pulled her under.

Chapter 13: Matt

Notes:

If you want to skip the smut, stop after Matt and Reader sit down at the airport. 🔥

Matt awoke early the next morning to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee.

He could tell by the sound of the carefully quiet footsteps in the kitchen that Ms. Y/L/N was up and about, so he pressed a soft kiss to Y/N's forehead then carefully extracted himself from her embrace before returning to his bedroom to get ready for the day. 

Once he was dressed, he listened to make sure Y/N was still peacefully slumbering before making his way into the dining room. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Matt," Ms. Y/L/N replied from the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee?"

Matt nodded. "Yes, please."

"Have a seat and I'll bring it to you. Cream or sugar?"

"No, thanks."

He sat as Ms. Y/L/N poured a cup of coffee. "How did you enjoy the beach yesterday?" she asked.

"It was nice." Matt smiled. "We managed to find a pretty private spot to relax and eat, and afterwards Y/N read aloud to me for a while before we took a walk along the shore, then on the way back here she took me to this seafood restaurant where we had coconut martinis and something called 'conch'."

Ms. Y/L/N let out a light laugh. "Ah, so Y/N did take you to the Fish House. I figured she would. Was Hugh your waiter?"

Matt nodded with a grin. "Actually, yes, Y/N specifically requested him. He said to tell you hello, by the way."

Ms. Y/L/N sighed wistfully. "Such a lovely man, always takes such good care of us when we go. So how'd you like the conch fritters?" 

Matt chuckled. "I wasn't too sure about trying them at first, but Y/N assured me that I'd like it, and it really was actually very good. I definitely wouldn't mind going back to Islamorada with Y/N again when it's not quite as busy."

"Spring and fall are good times to go, especially if you don't plan on actually getting in the water." Ms. Y/L/N set Matt's coffee down and took a seat adjacent to him. "Here you go, dear."

"Thank you." Matt picked his cup up and took a sip. "And thank you for your hospitality this weekend. I've enjoyed my visit."

"You're more than welcome. It's truly been a delight getting to know you, especially after hearing so much about you from Y/N over the years." Ms. Y/L/N took a deep breath. "And speaking of that, Matthew, I've been wanting to apologize to you for my involvement in separating you and Y/N back when you were teenagers. I had apparently been… shall we say… misinformed by Sister Bernadette about you and the nature of your relationship with Y/N at the time and did what I thought was best based on the information I had been given, and for that I am truly very sorry."

Matt shook his head. "I'm sure you hadn't been completely misinformed, at least not about me, anyway, although I'm sure what you'd been told had probably been at least somewhat exaggerated. As for my relationship with Y/N, though, I promise you that it really was strictly platonic at the time, despite what Sister Bernadette may have assumed was going on between us."

He huffed out a laugh. "Make no mistake, I was completely head-over-heels in love with Y/N even way back then, but I thought that I didn't deserve someone as amazing and special as she is, so I kept my feelings hidden."

"She is quite special, isn't she?" Matt could hear the fond smile in Ms. Y/L/N's voice. "But from what I gather, Matthew, so are you . You've definitely helped shape Y/N into who she is as a person, and for that I must thank you."

Matt smiled softly and nodded. "She's definitely helped shape me into who I am as well."

He paused. "Did she ever tell you what my nickname for her was when we were growing up?"

Ms. Y/L/N hummed in thought. "No, I don't believe she did."

"It was 'Angel'. When I first arrived at St. Agnes I was so nervous and so scared, but then Y/N came up to me and offered to be my friend, no questions asked. She was so kind and so gentle that I thought for sure that she must have been my guardian angel sent from Heaven to watch over me." Matt chuckled. "Honestly, sometimes I still think she is. Since the moment I met her Y/N has been the kindest and most beautiful, selfless, caring, patient, loving, and nurturing person I know, and I thank God every single day for returning her to me. When she left it felt like a piece of my soul had left as well, and the day I got her back I became whole again."

Ms. Y/L/N huffed out a light laugh. "I suppose I don't need to ask what your intentions are with her then."

Matt shook his head with a small smile. He had originally planned to just clear the air with Ms. Y/L/N this trip and broach the subject of marriage at a later date, but given the way the conversation was heading he figured he might as well just go ahead and lay all his cards on the table now. "I would think they'd probably be quite obvious, but just in case they're not..." 

He paused and took a deep breath. "I know Y/N and I just recently reconnected and haven't been dating all that long, but I have loved her since I was 9 years old and known that I wanted to spend my life with her for almost as long, which is why I want to ask you for your blessing to marry her."

Ms. Y/L/N was silent for a moment. "Did you know that Y/N was engaged once before?"

Matt nodded, his heart thrumming nervously in his chest. "Yes, ma'am. She told me."

"Alex was a nice young man, but I could always tell that Y/N was never truly in love with him." Ms. Y/L/N sighed. "I really hate to admit it because I know it sounds awful, but I was relieved when she broke off the engagement. The last thing I wanted was for her to marry someone to whom her heart didn't belong."

She reached over and gave Matt's hand a squeeze. "Y/N's heart has always been yours , Matt, and from seeing the two of you together this weekend I can tell that she's always had your heart as well. So, I happily and wholeheartedly give you my blessing."

Matt sighed in relief, unable to help the huge smile that spread across his face. "Thank you, Ms. Y/L/N."

Ms. Y/L/N patted Matt on the arm. "Oh and by the way, you can call me Aunt Ruth, you know. After all, you should've been my nephew-in-law years ago."

Matt chuckled, then gave a slight nod. "Okay then. Thank you, Aunt Ruth."

Aunt Ruth took a sip of her coffee. "Now, I assume you'll be proposing soon, correct? I wouldn't imagine that you would want to lose any more time with Y/N than you already have."

Matt nodded, relieved that she had given him her blessing so readily. "Yes ma'am, probably in the next couple of months. I just need to find the perfect ring first."

"Well if I can help in any way, let me know."

"Okay, I will."

Aunt Ruth stood. "More coffee?"

Matt shook his head. "I'm good for now. Maybe in a minute."

Aunt Ruth walked over to the kitchen area. "Breakfast, then. I'm sure Y/N will be up soon."

As if on cue, Matt heard Y/N's door open.

He turned towards the doorway with a grin as Y/N walked into the dining room. "Morning, angel."

Y/N wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a kiss. "Mmm. Good morning, yourself."

She walked over to Aunt Ruth, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Morning, Aunt Ruth."

"Good morning, dear," Aunt Ruth replied. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept great." 

Matt couldn't help but smirk to himself as he took a sip of his coffee. While he admittedly felt a little guilty about sneaking into Y/N's room the previous night for a late-night romp, neither one of them would have gotten any sleep otherwise. (And as a bonus, he had wound up getting to fulfill several fantasies he had always had involving Y/N.)

Y/N poured herself a cup of coffee before sitting down next to Matt. "So what have you two been up to this morning?"

"Just talking about your trip to Islamorada yesterday and discussing breakfast options." Aunt Ruth moved towards the refrigerator. "What would you like?"

Y/N hummed thoughtfully. "Scrambled eggs?"

"Sure thing. Matt?"

"That's fine, thank you."

"Okay, coming right up."

"You know, Matt's a wonderful chef," Y/N said as Aunt Ruth grabbed the carton of eggs. "Everything he makes is amazing."

"Oh really?" Aunt Ruth replied. "Now why am I not surprised?"

Matt smiled. "You'll have to let me cook for you the next time you're in New York… Or maybe the next time Y/N and I come here for a visit."

Aunt Ruth gave a hum of affirmation. "That would be wonderful, Matt, thank you. And actually, that reminds me, we should probably start discussing plans for the holidays this year. Since there's a chance you two would be back here at the end of the year for Father DeMaria's retirement celebration anyway, I was thinking that I could come up to New York for Thanksgiving and you two come here for Christmas?" 

"Makes sense to me," Y/N said. "Will that work for you, sweetheart?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that should work just fine."

"Okay, then it's settled." Aunt Ruth poured the eggs into her electric skillet. "Y/N, maybe we can do some shopping while I'm in New York."

Y/N took a sip of her coffee. "Sure, that would be fun." 

Matt took Y/N's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thanksgiving at your place or mine?"

"Mmm…" Y/N thought for a moment. "Well, your kitchen is bigger… so probably yours, if you don't mind?"

Matt shook his head. "Of course not, angel. Not at all."

He smiled to himself as he thought about spending future holidays together in New York, Y/N nervously checking on dinner every five minutes until Matt gently reminded her that if she kept opening the oven whatever she was cooking would never be done, then whisking her off to their bedroom to distract her while they waited.

Y/N pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Matt could feel Aunt Ruth watching them with a smile as she cooked their eggs. "So what time is your flight again?" she asked.

"11:30," Y/N replied, finishing her coffee and getting up, presumably to fix herself another cup. "Which reminds me, I need to finish packing."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, me too, actually."

Aunt Ruth hummed in confirmation as she plated their eggs. "Okay, just let me know when you're ready to head to the airport."

"Okay, we will."

Y/N and Aunt Ruth walked back over to the table, Y/N setting Matt's plate in front of him. "Here you go, sweetheart."

Matt gave her another kiss. "Thanks, angel."

They quickly ate, then Matt and Y/N went to go finish packing.

Matt had just finished folding his garment bag into his suitcase when Y/N appeared in his doorway. "All set?" she asked, stepping inside the room.

Matt nodded as he zipped his suitcase closed. "Yeah, I think so. Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything important. I'd hate to have to wait almost 3 months to get it back."

"Want me to double-check?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, if you don't mind."

He waited as Y/N gave his room a quick once-over. "Nope, I think you have everything."

Matt wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for checking."

"No problem, sweetheart." Y/N gave him a kiss. "Here, let's strip your bed so we can help Aunt Ruth get a head start on washing our sheets and pillowcases and stuff."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

They quickly stripped the bed and brought the covers to the laundry room, where Y/N put them to wash along with her own.

Y/N checked the time as they walked back into the kitchen, where Aunt Ruth was loading her dishwasher. "I think we should probably go ahead and head to the airport now since lots of people will be traveling today and traffic might be heavy."

"Okay," Aunt Ruth replied. "Give me one second to grab my purse and we'll head out."

Matt and Y/N gathered their belongings and loaded them into Aunt Ruth's trunk while she grabbed her purse.

The drive was filled with pleasant conversation about their upcoming holiday plans, with Matt promising to introduce Aunt Ruth to Foggy and Karen when she came to visit for Thanksgiving.

"By the way, it's been wonderful being here," he said as they neared the airport. "Thank you again for everything this weekend, Aunt Ruth. I really appreciate it."

Matt could feel Y/N looking at him curiously. "Yeah, Aunt Ruth , " she said, the slight emphasis on Aunt Ruth only detectable to Matt's ears. "Thanks."

"Oh, you're both more than welcome," Aunt Ruth replied as she pulled into the Departures' drop-off lane. "It's been an absolute delight having you here, and I'm looking forward to having you both back over Christmas."

She parked and popped the trunk, then they all got out to unload Matt and Y/N's suitcases.

Y/N gave Aunt Ruth a hug. "Bye, Aunt Ruth."

"Bye, Y/N." Aunt Ruth turned and gave Matt a hug as well. "Bye, Matt. Love you both. Have a safe flight home, and Y/N, text me when you land."

"We love you too, and I will," Y/N replied, taking Matt's free hand in hers. "See you at Thanksgiving."

They waited until Aunt Ruth had driven off, then headed inside the airport.

"I'm glad to hear she's Aunt Ruth now," Y/N said with curiosity on top of genuine happiness in her voice after they got their luggage checked in and headed towards the security screening area.

Matt chuckled. "Uh, yeah, she and I actually didn't just talk about our trip to Islamorada this morning… She apologized for misjudging me and for her part in our forced separation and said that since I obviously planned to stick around for a while that I might as well call her 'Aunt Ruth'."

He smiled to himself. Of course, that hadn't been the whole conversation, but… well, he would tell Y/N the rest when the time came.

Y/N huffed out a laugh as they took their shoes off and emptied their pockets then headed through the metal detectors. "For 'a while', huh? And just how long is 'a while'?"

As long as we both shall live. Matt shrugged with a grin as he slipped his shoes back on and put his wallet and phone back in his pocket. "As long as you'll have me."

Y/N linked her fingers through his as they headed towards their gate. "Oh, so 'forever' then?"

Matt chuckled, his heart full of happiness. "Yeah, sounds good to me."

Y/N gave his hand a squeeze. "Good."

They made their way to their boarding gate and sat.

Matt could hear the gentle shift of fabric as Y/N crossed her legs, the memory of being buried between her thighs the previous night creeping into his mind and flooding his thoughts.

He could feel Y/N studying him. "You okay?" she asked. "You suddenly look a little flushed."

Matt pulled his phone out of his pocket and popped in an earbud, then typed out a message to Y/N. I can't stop thinking about how much I enjoyed last night, angel. Keep thinking about the way your body spoke to me. 

A few seconds later, his phone chimed in reply. I enjoyed it too, Matty. It's how I had always imagined our first time to be.

Matt let out a soft groan. Me too, angel, except I missed hearing that heavenly voice of yours letting me know how good I was making you feel. God, how I love to hear you, Y/N, love the way my name sounds on your lips when you come for me, be it on my mouth and fingers or on my cock. Can't wait to get you home so I can fuck those pretty moans out of you that I didn't get to hear last night. 

He smirked as Y/N sucked in a breath. Ohh, you can't wait either, can you angel? Can't wait to have my cock buried deep inside your needy little cunt, drawing out those beautiful sounds only I've ever been able to pull out of you? 

Y/N shifted in her seat, the sweet perfume of her arousal filling Matt's nose. You do realize we have a 3-hour flight ahead of us, right?

Matt grinned, feeling Y/N's eyes on him. Yes, but once I get you back to my apartment I'm going to have that beautiful voice of yours screaming out my name. 

The scent of Y/N's arousal grew stronger. Is that a threat, Murdock?

Matt shook his head. Oh no, my beautiful, sweet angel. That's a promise.

---

They had barely gotten themselves and their suitcases inside and shut the door of Matt's apartment 4 hours later when Y/N whirled around on Matt, pressing her lips to his as she pushed him against the wall.

Matt grinned against her lips as he took his glasses off and tossed them onto his end table. "Someone's impatient." 

Y/N tugged Matt's shirt out of his jeans and pulled it over his head. "Well I wouldn't be if you wouldn't have worked me up the whole fucking flight home, Matthew."

Matt groaned as she ran her hands across his chest and down his stomach to the waistband of his pants. "Can't help that I love to touch you, angel."

Y/N unbuckled his belt and pulled it loose before tossing it away. "Yeah, well, get to touching then."

Matt chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

He spun them around, quickly placing a hand behind Y/N's head so she wouldn't bump it against the wall.

Y/N gasped in a breath, her already-rapid pulse quickening even more.

Ah, so that's how she wants it. Matt had originally planned on taking his time with Y/N and teasing her into an incoherent mess before taking her apart, but Y/N's brief attempt at taking charge put Matt in the mood to give her exactly what she wanted.

(…Didn't mean he wasn't going to tease her a bit first , though.)

He nosed her neck. "God, you smell amazing, angel. Been driving me crazy, wanted to drag you off to go fuck you in the bathroom on the plane. Guess I'll just have to fuck you right here instead."

He unbuttoned her shorts and slid his hand inside, cupping her mound over her underwear and groaning at the damp patch he felt. "Jesus, angel, you're practically dripping for me."

Y/N let out a moan. "Yes, Matty, all for you, baby. Need you in me."

Matt smirked as he pulled his hand out of Y/N's shorts then tugged her shorts and underwear down. 

He slid two fingers into her. "Mmm, is this what you want, sweet girl? Or do you want my cock deep inside you, filling you up with my cum?"

Y/N gasped. "Want your cock, Matthew, please ."

The combination of his given name and the outright plea coming from Y/N's lips broke the final strand of Matt's resolve. He withdrew his fingers, bringing them to his mouth to taste Y/N's nectar.

He groaned in pleasure. "Fuck, you taste so good, Y/N. Gonna get my mouth on you properly later."

He pulled her shirt up and off of her then pulled her bra down, kissing and nipping his way down to her breasts as Y/N frantically unbuttoned Matt's pants and shoved them down, freeing his hard cock.

Matt slipped his hands around her thighs. "Hold on."

He picked her up and pressed her against the wall, Y/N wrapping her arms around his neck for support.

Matt lined himself up with her core, using her wetness to coat himself before barely pressing inside and holding himself there.

Y/N whimpered. "Matt, stop teasing."

Matt growled deep in his chest. "Mmm, so needy, angel. Come on, pretty girl, beg for me."

He could feel Y/N's channel tighten right above where he was nestled in her.  " Please Matthew," she pleaded. "Need you to fuck me, want to feel you stretching me out with your co -- ohmyfuckingGodyes ."

Matt buried himself to the hilt in one smooth motion, biting his lip as he resisted the urge to come on the spot like a prepubescent teenager. "Gonna stuff you full, my sweet angel, make you forget everything but my name and how good my cock feels inside you."

Y/N moaned. "God, yes. Fucking wreck me, Matthew."

Matt slid out, leaving just his tip inside Y/N before plunging back into her, setting a quick, rough pace. "Shit, such a perfect little cunt. And it's mine , isn't it, Y/N?"

Y/N sucked in a sharp breath. "Yes, yes, yours, Matt, fuck , I'm all yours, every part of me. I've always been yours."

Matt groaned. "I'm yours too, angel, God , I love you so much. You're it for me, Y/N, always have been."

"Love you, Matty, want to spend forever with you, want to --" Y/N cut herself off with a gasp. 

Matt could feel the edges of his orgasm quickly approaching. "Shit, fuck , I'm -- I'm not gonna last, angel."

"Me either, Matty. I'm so close, need you to come inside me, please. "

Matt tightened his hold on her and began to thrust even harder, his cock reaching that perfect spot inside Y/N that he knew would have her coming around him in less than a minute.

Y/N cried out in pleasure, digging her nails into Matt's shoulders. "God, yes -- right there, Matt, feels so fucking good, don't stop, sweetheart, please."

Matt adjusted his hold and began to circle her clit with his thumb. "Want you to come with me, angel, want to feel that sweet little cunt of yours milking my cock, taking all of my cum deep inside you."

He could feel Y/N's walls begin to tighten around his cock. "That's it, angel, let go for me. I'm right there too, beautiful, gonna fill you up, give you what you need."

Y/N hissed in a breath. "Yes, oh my God, Matt, please, yes, yes, yes, yes, Matt --" 

Matt slammed into Y/N one last time, emptying himself deep inside her as she came around him.

Y/N shivered and buried her face in Matt's neck. " God, I love you," she panted.

"Mmm, I love you too," Matt murmured, carefully pulling out of her. 

He gingerly set her down, making sure she wasn't going to fall before letting her go. "You okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Y/N gave him a kiss. "No, I'm okay."

"Okay, good." Matt grinned. "That was pretty unexpected, but fun."

Y/N laughed. "Yeah."

Matt pulled his boxers and pants back up. "So, how about we get your laundry going, then shower and eat?"

Y/N hummed happily. "Mmhmm. Oh, and we need to make a grocery list for you." 

"Okay." Matt found his shirt and held it out to her. "Want to wear this until we shower? I can give you something clean to wear afterwards since your clothes won't be done for a while."

Y/N took it from him. "Yeah, thanks, sweetheart."

She gave him another kiss. "Oh, and just for future reference, the next time you decide to tease me like that on an airplane I'm dragging you off to go join the mile-high club."

Matt grinned, already planning to rile her up on their flight to Florida for Christmas. "Deal."

Chapter 14: Reader

Y/N took a deep breath as she stood outside of Clinton Church. She was meeting with Sister Maggie and was actually more nervous than she had been during her first visit with Matt a month ago. 

While she knew that Sister Bernadette had single-handedly orchestrated her and Matt's forced separation, she had no idea if Sister Maggie eventually knew about it or if she had spent the past 20 years thinking that Y/N had never bothered to write to Matt. Well, I'll never find out by just standing out here.

She walked up the steps and headed down the sidewalk to the small activity center where Sister Maggie had asked to meet, then took another deep breath before going inside. 

Sister Maggie smiled as she spotted Y/N. "Y/N, hi."

Y/N walked over to her. "Hi, Sister Maggie."

Sister Maggie gave Y/N a warm hug. "How are you?"

Y/N couldn't help but smile despite her nervousness. "I'm good. Really good."

Sister Maggie smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Have a seat and I'll get you some coffee."

"Thanks." Y/N sat at a nearby table. "Sorry I took so long to come visit. Between work stuff and trying to spend as much time with Matt as possible things have been pretty busy."

Sister Maggie nodded. "That's quite alright, my dear."

She began to fiddle with the coffee machine. "So how is Matthew? I don't get to speak to him very often."

Y/N studied Sister Maggie. While Matt definitely did favor his father -- Y/N hadn't been kidding when she had told him that the Murdock genes were strong -- if Y/N looked closely enough, she could see traces of Matt's mother in him too. "He's fine. We actually just got back from visiting my aunt in Florida a couple of days ago."

"Oh, that sounds lovely. Did you have a nice trip?"

"Yeah, it was my aunt's birthday weekend so we all went out for dinner with a bunch of her friends on Saturday, then Matt and I went to the beach after Mass on Sunday while my aunt hosted her pokeno group." Y/N's face heated as she thought about what had occurred after their trip to Islamorada.

"Well that's good." Sister Maggie set a cup of coffee next to Y/N along with some cream and sugar. "You know, I have to admit that I was surprised when Matthew told me that he hadn't spoken to you since you had left St. Agnes."

Y/N winced. Getting straight to the point, I see. "I tried to keep in contact with Matt after I moved -- I wrote to him for over a year, but Sister Bernadette kept returning my letters before Matt could get them and she had also made sure that my aunt wouldn't allow us to visit each other by convincing her that Matt's and my relationship was… well, less platonic than it actually was back then and that we should be separated quote-unquote 'before he ruined my life'. By the time I found out the truth it was too late -- Matt had already left for college and I had no way of trying to reach him since I didn't know where he had gone." 

She huffed out a breath. "Matt was -- no, is -- the best thing to ever happen to me and I would never have broken his heart like that on purpose."

Sister Maggie nodded. "I know you wouldn't. So, I take it your aunt approves of the relationship now, then?"

Y/N nodded with a smile. "Oh, yeah, Matt said that they talked things out on Monday before we left and that Aunt Ruth apologized to him for believing Sister Bernadette and misjudging him because of it."

Sister Maggie shook her head. "Had I known what Sister Bernadette was plotting I would have spoken to your aunt myself and set the record straight."

She gave Y/N's hand a squeeze. "I could tell from the moment you walked up to Matthew that first day that you two would share something truly special."

Y/N let out a light laugh. "Had me pegged as your possible future daughter-in-law from the beginning, huh?"

Sister Maggie nodded with a small smile. "You have always been like a daughter to me, Y/N, even before you met Matthew, but the moment you took Matthew's hand and said that you would be his friend I knew that you would wind up being someone very important in his life."

She stood. "Actually, I have something to show you. Just a moment."

Y/N waited as Sister Maggie left then returned a few minutes later with a book in her hands.

Sister Maggie handed it to her. "I thought you might like to have this."

Y/N gasped softly as she opened it. It wasn't a book -- it was a photo album full of pictures of herself and Matt over the years they had spent together, from candid photos of them playing and reading together to posed photos of them and the other children who lived at St. Agnes.

She lovingly caressed a picture of her and Matt as teenagers. They were outside in the courtyard at St. Agnes, Y/N's head tilted down towards whatever book they had been reading at the time while Matt's attention was focused on her, a look of absolute adoration on his face. "I never knew he looked at me like that back then."

Sister Maggie gave her a soft smile. "Matthew was so focused on you that I don't think he even knew I was there."

Y/N sighed. "I missed him so much, Sister Maggie. I tried to move on after I realized that I'd probably never see him again, but I never really could, I -- it's always been him. He's it for me."

Sister Maggie shook her head with a soft smile. "Matthew said the same thing about you -- that you were not only his best friend but also his one true love, and no matter how hard he had tried to move on after you left, no one else compared."

Y/N sniffled, her eyes tearing up as the pain of losing Matt for so long hit her all over. "I had asked God for him, you know, a few days before he came to St. Agnes. I prayed and asked God to send me a friend, but I didn't ask for just any friend -- I wanted a best friend, someone He had made just for me, unlike anyone else I had ever met."

Sister Maggie's smile grew wider. "And then Matthew showed up."

Y/N nodded. "I knew immediately that he was the answer to my prayers."

Sister Maggie huffed out a light laugh. "Then it seems like God answered both of our prayers. After Matthew's father died and it was decided that he would come live at St. Agnes, I prayed that he would find solace during his time of grief, solace that I knew I had no right to try to give him. I was so grateful when you offered to be his friend, because I knew then that he would always have someone who would be there for him."

She took Y/N's hand once again. "Thank you for loving my son. "

Y/N nodded. "I do. Very much so."

"And he loves you too." Sister Maggie gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I want you to know that when the time comes I will be honored to have you as my daughter-in-law."

Y/N leaned over and gave Sister Maggie a hug. "Thank you."

Sister Maggie sat back and cleared her throat.  "Okay, now, tell me more about what life in Florida was like…"

---

Two hours later, Y/N left Clinton Church well-caffeinated and with a happy smile on her face. 

She and Sister Maggie had talked and reminisced over several cups of coffee, laughing about some of the antics Y/N and Matt had gotten up to as children and confiding in each other about their worry for Matt while he was out Daredeviling at night.

Y/N was about to order an Uber to take her home when her phone rang.

She grinned at the caller ID and answered it. "Hey, Matty."

"Hi, angel," Matt's smooth voice sounded over the line. "Are you in the neighborhood?"

Y/N huffed out a light laugh as she glanced back at Clinton Church. "Actually, yeah, I'm just leaving from a visit with Sister Maggie. How did you know?"

Matt was quiet for a moment. "I'm at my, uh, my 'other' job and thought I picked up your heartbeat."

Y/N's heart fluttered. "Oh, okay. Yeah, I decided to drop by for a visit after work today and stayed a lot longer than I originally expected."

Matt hummed. "I was thinking about making one more round then calling it an early night if you wanted to come over?"

Y/N grinned. "I'd love to."

"Okay, great. There's a spare key under the mat, so you can just let yourself in and make yourself comfortable. I shouldn't be too long after you."

"Okay. See you soon."

"Love you."

Y/N grinned. "Love you too."

She hung up and headed towards Matt's apartment, letting herself in with the spare key.

She hung the key on the key rack next to the door before putting her purse away, then went to Matt's refrigerator.

She had just poured herself a glass of wine and was putting the bottle back when she heard the door to the roof open and Matt's footsteps descend the stairs. "Matty, sweetheart, do you want something to--"

Her mouth went dry as she turned around. "--Drink."

Seeing photos and video footage of Matt in his Daredevil suit was nothing compared to seeing him wearing it in person. Holy shit .

She swallowed. "Uh--"

Matt's head tilted slightly, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Hello, angel," he said in a low, gravelly voice.

Y/N sucked in a breath. If that's what he looks and sounds like while intimidating criminals every night, I might consider turning to a life of crime. "Hnng--"

Matt slowly stalked towards her, his smirk growing wider. "Like what you see?"

"Mm--" Y/N cleared her throat. "Mmhmm."

She reached out to touch Matt's suit as he stopped in front of her, her fingertips brushing across the material. "I uh, I just realized I've never actually seen you in this."

Matt took his helmet off and set it on the kitchen island, then wrapped his arms around her with a grin. "Well if I had known that I'd get this kind of reaction out of you I'd have worn it around you sooner."

Y/N huffed out a laugh then brushed some stray hair from Matt's face. "Well if I'd have known you'd be even hotter in it in person than in the photos and video I've seen, I'd have asked you to wear it around me sooner."

She leaned up to press a kiss to his lips. "I'm sure you want to change into something more comfortable though."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna go take a quick shower if you don't mind."

"'Kay. Hungry? I can make us something to eat."

Matt gave Y/N another kiss. "Actually how about takeout tonight? More cuddle time."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "Sounds good to me. What are you in the mood for?"

Matt grinned. "Well, if you have to ask…"

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes. "To eat, Matthew."

Matt's grin grew wider. "Yes???"

Y/N swatted his arm. "I mean food!"

Matt chuckled. "How about sushi from that place you love so much? Our usual order plus whatever else you might be in the mood for is fine with me."

Y/N nodded and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Okay, yeah, that sounds good."

"My wallet is in the island drawer, just grab my bank card out of it to pay for dinner."

"Okay." Y/N watched as Matt picked up his helmet and headed towards his bedroom.

She let out a whistle. "Be sure to thank whoever made your suit for me, Matty, because your ass looks fantastic in it."

Matt chuckled. "I'll be sure to let them know."

Y/N quickly placed their order for dinner while Matt went to go shower before grabbing her glass of wine and heading towards Matt's living room. "Dinner's gonna be about 20 minutes," she called out.

"Okay," Matt called back from the shower. "I'll be out in a bit."

Y/N sat on Matt's sofa and pulled her phone out again.

She glanced towards the bathroom before pulling up Google. Apartments for rent or sale, Hell's Kitchen, NY , she typed.

She pulled up the first search result. She'd have to discuss a budget with Matt, of course, but she wanted to see what sort of apartments were available and how much something like what they were looking for would cost.

Her salary as an experienced librarian wasn't terrible and she knew Matt at least made enough money to keep the firm afloat and to be able to afford to eat, so she figured that between the two of them they should've at least been able to afford rent on a big enough place to raise a couple of kids. 

She was scrolling through possible listings when Matt came out of his bathroom, clad in the gray sweatpants that would be the death of Y/N and a black t-shirt.

He sat next to Y/N on the couch, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. "Whatcha doing?"

Y/N set her phone down on the coffee table. "Looking at real estate listings."

"Mmm." Matt wrapped an arm around her. "Find anything?"

Y/N shook her head as she cuddled against him. "Just getting a feel for what's out there and how much we'd be looking at in rent."

Matt was quiet for a moment. "What do you think about buying a place instead of renting? I mean, we are looking for a forever home, right?"

Y/N shrugged. "I'm not opposed to buying a place at all if we can afford it. We can come up with a budget and a list of wants and must-haves then go from there."

Matt nodded. "How about this weekend? You can come over Friday night and we can spend Saturday working on all that and start looking for places that fit our criteria."

He took a deep breath and pulled a small, plain square box out of his pocket. "And maybe you can use this to let yourself in."

Y/N took the box and opened it to reveal a shiny new key attached to a keychain in the shape of an angel.

She looked up at Matt, a smile spreading over her face. "Matty…"

Matt shyly smiled back at her. "I thought you'd like to have your own key to my apartment."

Y/N threw her arms around Matt in a hug, then gave him a kiss. "I love you, you know that?"

Matt grinned. "I love you too, angel."

Y/N examined the keychain. "This keychain is beautiful, by the way."

Matt smiled. "I got the clerk at the hardware store to help me pick it out while I was getting your key made. They had a couple of different ones, but that one felt the best."

Y/N nodded. "I love it. I'll get a key for my place made for you tomorrow after work, okay?"

Matt shook his head, a slightly guilty look crossing his face. "You don't have to give me a key to your apartment just because I--"

Y/N grabbed his hand. "Hey… Hey no, I want to. I know we spend more time here than at my place since it's bigger and more accessible for you, but I love you and I want you to have equal access to my apartment as well."

Matt nodded and gave her hand a squeeze. "Okay then. Thank you."

Y/N leaned up for a kiss. "So is this a hint that you want me to come over more frequently or is it more of an 'in case of emergency' key?"

Matt bit his lip. "Both? I mean, yeah, it's good for you to have a key in case of an emergency, but I definitely wouldn't mind coming home to find you waiting for me here in my apartment more often."

Y/N hummed. "Would that also mean I'd get to see you in your Daredevil suit again?"

Matt shrugged with a grin. "Well, you could if you'd be here when I got back from patrol at night…"

"Mmm, really?"

Matt nodded, his voice pitching lower but not quite down to the tone he had used earlier. "Mmhmm. And depending on how late it is and if you're still up, you could help me take my suit off?"

Y/N licked her lips, liking where the conversation was going. "Oh, is it difficult to… get off?"

Matt smirked. "Well there's a zipper that's tricky, sometimes you have to… jerk it."

Y/N bit her lip. "Maybe you could also give me a demonstration of your Daredevil voice?"

A deep rumble sounded from Matt's chest. "Oh, I was already planning on it, sweetness. Especially since I can tell how much it turns you on." 

He leaned up to murmur into her ear. "You wanna be my good girl tonight, do what the Devil tells you to do?"

Y/N sucked in a breath, her face flaming. "Uh huh."

"That's my angel." Matt kissed her just below her ear before leaning back, a smirk on his face. "Dinner's here, but maybe we can continue this conversation later?"

Y/N almost said 'fuck dinner' so she could drag Matt off to his bedroom right then, but instead she nodded. "Mmhmm."

She just hoped Matt ate fast tonight.

Chapter 15: Matt

"...And then he said a unicorn appeared and started shitting Skittles everywhere," Foggy said as he stood in the doorway of Matt's office telling him about a new client.

"Mmm," Matt replied, his mind admittedly elsewhere. 

Foggy sighed. "You're not even paying attention, Matt. Did you just hear anything I just said?" 

Matt grimaced. "I'm sorry, Fog. I've got a lot on my mind."

"Are you okay? You've been acting weird ever since you got back from Florida yesterday." Foggy paused. "Aw, man, your talk with Y/N's aunt didn't go well, did it? I'm sorry, man --"

Matt shook his head with a smile. "Actually, no, that went better than I could've expected. I'm just thinking about some stuff." 

Foggy sat in the client chair in Matt's office. "Well since we're obviously not going to get any work done at the moment and neither of us have any appointments until later, tell me about your trip."

Matt grinned. "Okay."

He told Foggy about how comfortable Aunt Ruth had made him feel from the moment they had arrived and how he had overheard her telling Y/N how happy she was that Y/N had found Matt again, and how genuinely warm and accommodating she had been… and about how not warm and accommodating Mrs. Vaughn had been at Aunt Ruth's birthday dinner. "Needless to say Y/N was still pretty upset after we got home, so she and I sat on the swing out on the back patio."

He smiled at the memory. "She told me about what sort of things she would imagine us doing if I had gotten to visit her in Florida, like walking around her neighborhood and going to the beach, so I figured better late than never and suggested that we go to the beach the next afternoon while Y/N's aunt was hosting her pokeno group, then we talked about the future and I told her in no uncertain terms that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Aww, that's so sweet, man."

Matt grinned. "Then the next morning we went to Mass then to the grocery store to pick up some stuff for a picnic at the beach."

Foggy whistled. "Wow, a romantic beach picnic? I'll have to remember that for a date idea if I'm ever near the ocean."

Matt smiled. "Y/N and I already work so seamlessly together that grocery shopping was a breeze, and in fact we're going to start doing our weekly grocery shopping together."

"Hey, that's great, dude! I know you hated relying on that grocery delivery service."

Matt nodded. "Anyway, we ran into Y/N's old guidance counselor while we were at the store, so Y/N talked with her for a minute then we had to run so we could get back to Ms. Y/L/N's to get everything prepped for our picnic."

He grinned. "Ms. Y/L/N was kind enough to lend Y/N her car for the afternoon so instead of going to one of the local beaches Y/N took me down to this secluded little beach in the Keys."

"Oh wow, that's awesome."

Matt nodded. "She said that the first time she set foot there she knew she wanted to share it with me."

"Aww, that's sweet."

"Anyway, we ate then read for a while, then we put our stuff back in the car and went for a walk down the boardwalk. It was..." Matt smiled at the memory. "Magical. Everything was just so perfect that I wished I could actually see Y/N, just for a few seconds."

Foggy made a sympathetic sound, but said nothing.

Matt sighed. "Anyway, we got on the subject of having kids and how both our apartments are way too small to raise a family, and Y/N mentioned that once her lease was up that she was thinking about moving anyway, so we started talking about looking for a bigger place together."

Foggy clicked his tongue. "Man, it definitely sounds like you had a busy weekend full of important conversations. No wonder you're distracted."

Matt nodded. "Luckily I was also able to talk to Y/N's aunt Monday morning before we left."

"And??? Come on, Matt, I'm dying to know how that went!"

Matt chuckled. "Okay, well, Y/N was still sleeping when I got up but Ms. Y/L/N was in the kitchen making coffee, so I got ready and headed into the kitchen. Ms. Y/L/N offered me some coffee and we made small talk about Y/N's and my trip down to the Keys, then I thanked her for her hospitality over the weekend."

He smiled. "She said it was nice getting to know me after hearing so much about me that wasn't the total bullshit Sister Bernadette had told her, then she apologized for her part in keeping me and Y/N from each other and said that she could tell that I truly love and care about Y/N and that my intentions were sincere, so I told her about my nickname for Y/N and how I've loved her pretty much from the moment I met her… then I asked her for her blessing to marry Y/N."

Foggy gasped. "Way to bury the lede, dude! She did say yes, right?"

Matt chuckled. "Well first she asked me if I knew that Y/N had been engaged once before."

Foggy sucked in a breath. "Oh shit, did you?"

Matt nodded. "Oh yeah, Y/N told me about it at dinner that first day we ran into each other."

"Oh okay, good."

"Anyway, she said that Y/N's ex-fiancé was nice but that she could tell that Y/N wasn't really in love with him." Matt smiled. "And then she said that Y/N's heart had always belonged to me and that she could tell that mine had always belonged to Y/N, so she gave me her blessing."

Foggy made an 'aww' sound. "Dude, that's awesome. Congratulations."

Matt nodded with a grin. "And she also told me not to wait too long to ask Y/N to marry me and that I could call her Aunt Ruth since I should have been her nephew-in-law years ago."

Foggy huffed out a laugh. "I'm so happy for you, man. So when are you going to propose?"

Matt shook his head. "Honestly I almost blurted out a proposal while Y/N and I were at the beach, then again in the middle of the supermarket on Tuesday, then again last night when I got out of the shower and Y/N was looking at real estate listings to get an idea of what's on the market, so I'm definitely not going to wait too long. I do need to get a ring first though."

"I'll be happy to help you pick one out if you want," Foggy said. 

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I'd appreciate that. Thanks."

"No problem, buddy."

Matt bit his lip. "In the meantime, I gave her a key to my place."

Foggy chuckled. "I'm surprised you just didn't ask her to move in with you."

Matt chuckled. "Oh believe me, the only reason I haven't is because Y/N still has like 8 months on her lease."

He sat up. "Okay, now tell me again about our new client. I promise I'll pay attention this time."

Foggy chuckled again. "Okay. So, our client's name is…"

Chapter 16: Reader

Notes:

The last chapter was very short and very much filler, so enjoy this bonus update!

No, no, no… ew, too much white… this one isn't even in Hell's Kitchen… nope, nope… oh wait, what's this?

Y/N paused scrolling through real estate listings as she ran across an absolutely gorgeous 4-story townhouse with a private garden. Oh wow, this is beautiful.

She and Matt had come up with an agreed-upon budget and wishlist for their future shared home the night before and were now looking at listings -- or rather, Y/N was looking at listings and reading them off to Matt while he made stir-fry for lunch.

She scrolled through the photos then took a look at the floor plan. Basement area that Matt could slip in and out of while he's out Daredeviling, private garden, massive kitchen, 4 bedrooms and an office… oh my God, it has a library .

She scrolled down to the listing price and her heart sank. $6.7 million dollars. Fuck.

She sighed.

"No luck with that one?" Matt asked.

Y/N shook her head. "Actually it's the perfect place for us, but there's no way in hell we'd ever be able to afford it. Plus it's a townhouse, not an apartment."

"How much is it?" Matt asked.

"Almost 7 million bucks."

Matt whistled. "Yikes."

"Yeah." Y/N sighed again. "It is beautiful though."

Matt shrugged. "Is there an open house anytime soon? Maybe we can tour it to see if maybe we do want to look at townhouses instead of an apartment?"

Y/N glanced back at the listing. "Um, yeah, actually there's an open house tomorrow afternoon."

"Want to check it out then?"

"Sure, why not." Y/N laughed. "Who knows, maybe I'll actually hate it once I see it."

---

"Okay, definitely don't hate it," Y/N whispered to Matt as they walked into the open house the next afternoon. "This place is even more gorgeous than it was in the pictures."

"Hi, welcome," the listing agent greeted them. "Come on in. I'm Madison with Harcourt Realty."

"Matthew," Matt said, shaking Madison's hand. 

"Y/N," Y/N added. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Madison swept a hand around the foyer. "Would you like a tour?"

Y/N nodded and took Matt's hand. "Sure."

"Okay, well this lovely townhome was built in 1899 and measures out at 4,567 square feet if you include the basement -- one of the biggest townhomes in the area -- and it features 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, with an additional garden room and library.  Over here we have a downstairs bathroom and closet, and through here is an eat-in kitchen, a walk-in pantry complete with a wine cooler, and a formal dining room." 

Y/N looked around the kitchen area as Madison paused. She could definitely picture herself and Matt making breakfast together after a long night of lovemaking.

Madison continued to the dining room. "And if we keep going, we'll reach the garden room, which has 2 large skylights to let in the natural warmth of the sunshine and opens directly to the back garden."

Y/N and Matt followed him outside.

"Do you folks do a lot of entertaining?" Madison asked. 

"Not a ton," Matt replied, "but we do have relatives that come in from out of town. We're actually thinking about expanding our family so we're looking for somewhere with room for our kids to play."

"Ah," Madison said. "Well, you'll have plenty of space for little ones and your out-of-town guests."

He gestured back inside. "Okay, if you'll follow me, we can check out the basement area."

The basement was large and roomy with plenty of storage space and entrances in both the front and back.

"Matt, sweetheart, I think this would be the perfect 'man cave' for you," Y/N said lightly, hinting at the fact that Matt could come and go as Daredevil through the basement.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I could use this as a workout room."

Madison nodded. "The previous owners also used the space as their home gym. Now, if you're ready we'll head up to the living area."

Y/N and Matt followed Madison back upstairs. 

"Here's the formal living room/den," Madison said as they reached the second floor, "and through here is the library."

Y/N sucked in a breath as they stepped into the library. Definitely gotta add lots of bookshelves to the must-have list for whatever place we choose .

Matt gave her hand a squeeze. "I know which room will be your favorite," he said with a grin.

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Well of course."

Madison then led them upstairs once again to the spare bedrooms. "Here are 2 of the bedrooms with a shared bathroom in the middle. The right-side bedroom also comes with a fireplace and walk-in closet while the other bedroom comes with a slightly smaller closet."

Matt hummed. "We'd probably want to take the fireplace out of this room. Wouldn't want the kids playing with it."

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, I agree."

"Okay, one more floor." Madison led them to the stairs once more. "Here we have a walk-in closet right outside the primary bedroom and to the right over here is a bedroom with its own attached bath, and finally another bedroom that can be used as another walk-in closet or a small office."

Y/N grinned and turned to Matt. "This can be your office, I'm taking the library as mine."

Matt chuckled. "I wouldn't expect anything less, angel."

"Do you mind me asking what you do for work?" Madison asked.

"I'm an attorney," Matt replied, "and Y/N is a librarian."

Madison nodded with a chuckle. "Ah, well, that makes sense then. Now over here is the primary suite…"

Y/N marveled over the size of the primary bedroom and eyed the large walk-in shower in the primary bathroom with envy. Definitely could have some fun with Matt in here, she thought.

She turned towards Matt, who was smirking as if he could read her thoughts. "What?"

Matt just shook his head. "Just that we were probably thinking the same thing."

Madison gestured back towards the hallway. "Okay, shall we head back downstairs?"

Y/N nodded. She knew that she and Matt were just touring the townhouse basically for shits and giggles, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to not immediately go rob a bank so that they could afford it. "This is lovely."

Matt nodded. "We'll have to discuss some things and get back with you."

Madison nodded as well. "Well here's my card in case you have any questions, but if you decide to place an offer I wouldn't wait because I feel like this place is going to go fast."

"Yes, thank you so much for the tour," Y/N said. "We'll be in touch."

"Have a nice day," Matt added.

Y/N took Matt's hand as they left.

As they walked back down the steps to the street, Y/N sighed. "Feel like going rob a bank with me so we can buy this place?"

Matt chuckled. "You liked it that much, huh?"

"Matty, it's perfect. It has everything we want in our forever home." Y/N shook her head. "I really don't think we'll find anything even remotely like it in our price range, so if we want to stay in Hell's Kitchen we might have to start looking at renting a 3-bedroom apartment, maybe a 4-bedroom if we're lucky and find a place with bedrooms the size of closets."

Matt pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I'm sorry, angel."

Y/N shook her head. "It's not your fault."

"We'll keep looking, okay?"

Y/N nodded. "Okay."

Suddenly Matt's watch beeped. "Oh, shit, I forgot I was supposed to go meet Foggy at the office to go over our strategy for the Donnetto arbitration tomorrow."

"Oh, okay. Raincheck on dinner then?"

Matt nodded. "Here, let me get you home first, I'll call Foggy and tell him I'm running late."

Y/N shook her head. "Oh no, sweetheart, you go ahead. I'll just catch a cab back to my place."

"Okay, I'll call you when I'm done and maybe we can have dinner at your apartment? I shouldn't be more than an hour or two."

"Okay." Y/N gave him a kiss. "Love you." 

"Love you too. Here, let me get you a cab."

Y/N waited as Matt hailed a cab and opened the door for her. "Thanks, sweetheart."

"No problem, angel. I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

Y/N nodded. "Okay."

"Where we goin', ma'am?" the cab driver asked.

Y/N gave him her address and sat back with a sigh. She hoped she and Matt would find their forever home soon, but it unfortunately wouldn't be this one.

Chapter 17: Matt

Matt sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he sat on his sofa listening to an audiobook he had gotten from the library the previous week. Y/N was out of town at a library conference and he was waiting for her to call.

His book automatically paused as his phone began to ring.

Matt smiled as he swiped to answer. "Hi, angel."

"Hi, Matty," Y/N replied. "How's it going?"

"It's going good. How's the conference?"

"It's fine, just the usual library stuff -- how to deal with difficult patrons, the depressing increase in book banning attempts by morons who've probably never read a book in their life, what to do when you're stuck at a library conference away from your very sexy boyfriend for 5 days…"

Matt grinned. "Learn anything interesting in that last session?"

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "Actually, yeah, the presenter suggested calling him and telling him how much you miss him."

Matt chuckled, his heart warming. "I miss you too, angel."

He paused, listening for signs of anyone in Y/N's vicinity. "Are you settled in for the night?"

"Yeah, some of the others decided to go out for drinks but I wasn't feeling up to it. It's been a long conference and I haven't been sleeping too well."

Matt hummed. "Well maybe I can help you with that."

"Oh?" Y/N's voice piqued with interest. "How so, Mr. Murdock?"

Matt licked his lips. There had been something else he had been wanting to try with Y/N but the opportunity hadn't presented itself until now. "Remember how I helped you out the last time you couldn't sleep?"

Y/N let out a breathy laugh. "You mean how you made me come so hard my brain went completely blank for a moment? Yeah, I definitely remember that."

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could do something like that… just over the phone."

Y/N gasped playfully. "Matthew, are you suggesting that we have phone sex?"

Matt hummed. "Maybe… if you're interested."

"Oh, I'm very interested. Give me just a second to get situated though?"

Matt moved from the sofa to his bedroom. "Sure, angel."

"Are you in bed?"

"I will be in a minute. I was sitting on the sofa."

"Oh, okay." Y/N paused. "Just for the record… I, uh, I've never done this before, so… apologies if I'm awkward."

Matt shook his head even though he knew Y/N couldn't see him. "Hey, no, it's okay. To be honest, I haven't actually done this either, but it's just like our sexy talk at home, right? Except we'll just have to also tell each other what we'd like to be doing instead of actually doing it."

He grinned and dropped his voice down a register. "Plus you know how much I love the sound of your voice, angel. Can't wait to hear you while you're touching yourself for me."

Y/N sucked in a breath. "Okay."

"Are you settled into bed yet?"

"Uh huh. Oh wait, what are you wearing?"

Matt could feel Y/N cringe over the phone. While yes, that was typically a pretty stereotypical lead-in to phone sex, it actually was a pretty important question since they couldn't see each other. 

"Actually I just got out of the shower about 20 minutes ago, so I'm wearing a pair of boxers. What about you? What are you wearing?"

"Oh, um…" Y/N paused as she pulled the covers over her. "A black tank top and black and red plaid pajama pants."

Matt settled in his bed. "Those soft cotton ones you like to lounge around in?"

"Uh huh."

"Mmm, good to know. I like those on you." Matt grinned. "I like them even better on my bedroom floor."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Smooth, Murdock."

"Just telling the truth, angel." Matt sighed. "I wish you were here in my bed right now, because you know what I would do?"

Y/N's breath hitched. "Uh-uh, what?"

"I'd cup your face in my hands and kiss you. Love kissing you, angel, thought about it for years before I got the chance."

Y/N let out a breathy sigh. "Mmm, me too, Matty, used to stare at your mouth all the time when we were kids, wanted to know what your lips would feel like pressed to mine."

Matt groaned softly. "God, Y/N, had I known how you actually felt about me back then I probably wouldn't have been able to help myself, would've had to find out what your lips tasted like, both with and without that coconut lip balm on them."

"Good thing you can kiss me all you want now, hmm?"

Matt smiled. "Mmhmm. I'd kiss you breathless then tangle my fingers in your hair and tilt your head to the side so I could move down to your neck. Love to feel your pulse flutter under my lips, angel, have to hold back from marking you and feeling the blood rise to the surface of your delicate skin." 

Y/N's breath hitched. "No, baby, don't hold back. Want you to mark me, Matty."

Matt closed his eyes, picturing Y/N whimpering underneath him in pleasure as he tattooed his name in Braille on her skin, soothing each mark his lips left with his tongue before moving on to the next one. " Fuck -- don't tempt me, angel."

"Love to wear your marks on me, sweetheart, know that it's you who put them there." Y/N giggled. "My sexy vampire."

Matt grinned. "Mmm, definitely going to have to mark you up when you get home then, remind you who you belong to."

"Mmmhmm. So what else would you do?"

"I'd slide the hand that wasn't buried in your hair underneath your tank top so I could feel your soft skin." Matt let out a quiet groan. "Used to dream about it when we were younger, sweetheart, what your body would feel like under my hands and mouth if I ever got you in my bed other than to sleep."

"Mmm, and?"

Matt groaned. "The real thing is even better than I imagined. You feel so fucking incredible, Y/N, want you all the time."

He licked his lips as he heard the shuffle of clothing. "Touch yourself for me, angel."

Y/N sighed. "Mmm, Matty, love to feel your hands on my skin, baby, whether you're being gentle and caressing me while we're making love or gripping my hips tight while you fuck me into oblivion."

Matt hissed, his cock starting to stir. "Take your top off for me, sweetheart, want to hear your hand caressing that soft, smooth skin of yours."

He could hear Y/N pulling her shirt up and over her head. "That's my good girl."

Y/N hummed. "What would you do once you got my top off?"

"I'd move down to those perfect tits of yours. First I'd start with the left one, tease it to a peak with my tongue before getting my mouth properly on it." Matt groaned as Y/N gasped out a breath. "That's right, angel, touch yourself for me, imagine those are my hands caressing you."

Y/N's breath hitched. "Mmm, Matty, your hands feel so good on my skin, love the way you touch me."

Matt groaned. "By now I'd be able to smell just how fucking wet you were for me, angel. God, your scent is intoxicating."

"Mmhmm, just for you, Matty. Only you make me feel this way, God , you turn me on so much." Y/N let out a soft moan. "Want your mouth on me, sweetheart, need you."

Matt pulled his boxers down, freeing his cock. "Need my mouth on that beautiful cunt of yours, angel?"

"Uh huh. Feels so fucking good, Matt, God , that mouth of yours is magical."

Matt wrapped a hand around himself. "Mmm, well since you asked so sweetly I'd kiss my way down your stomach while I slowly slid your pajamas down, then when I finally had you naked I'd have to kiss and feel my way down your body one more time before I got to taste your sweetness."

Y/N whimpered. "God yes, please , Matty, want you to make me come on your mouth."

"Go ahead, angel, let me hear how wet you are for me." Matt groaned at the slick slide of Y/N inserting two fingers into herself. "You taste so fucking good, Y/N, could spend hours eating out that beautiful cunt of yours, see how many times I can make you come on my tongue alone."

Y/N gasped. "Fuck, Matt ."

Matt spit in his hand before taking himself once again, the dryness of his hand alone uncomfortable in its friction. "As good as you taste, it's nothing compared to the feeling of being buried deep inside your tight cunt, so once I had drunk my fill of your juices I'd slide my cock through your folds getting myself nice and slick, then I'd ease myself inside you. Gotta start out nice and slow, angel, don't want to hurt you."

Y/N bit back a moan. "Mmph -- fuck. You're so big, Matt, always make me feel so full, baby, stretch me out so good."

Matt sped his hand up. "Your pussy feels amazing, Y/N, like it was made perfectly to fit my cock."

"Feel so good inside me every time, Matt." Y/N sucked in a breath. "Love to feel your cock in me, sweetheart, fucking me so deep, filling me up."

Matt groaned. "Can't wait until you get home, sweetness, miss you so much."

"Fuck, Matty, miss you too, baby, hate not being able to see you, to touch you. Need you inside me, Matt, wanna feel you." Y/N gasped. "Want you to grip my hips tight while you pound into me, make me feel you deeper than ever before."

"Oh, don't worry, angel, gonna stuff you nice and full when you get home, come so deep in that tight wet cunt of yours that you feel my cum inside you for days ." Matt hissed, his orgasm edging closer. "Gonna come for me, angel?"

"Uh huh. Close, Matty."

Matt tightened his grip on himself. "Me too, Y/N. Fuck, you always take me so well, sweetheart, such a good girl for me."

"God -- yes, yours , Matty, always." Y/N's breath hitched. "I'm so close, baby."

Matt pitched his voice lower. "Want you to let go for me, angel, let me hear those pretty sounds you make for me while I'm filling your pussy up with my cum."

Y/N gasped. "Yes , Matt , sweetheart, want to feel it, want to -- Ah !"

Matt jerked himself roughly a few more times, the sound of Y/N crying out his name in ecstasy making him groan as ropes of hot cum shot out onto his stomach. 

He could hear Y/N panting on the other end as she came down from her high. "Fuck, Y/N ."

Y/N hummed. "Mmm, love you."

"Love you too." Matt grabbed a few tissues and wiped the quickly cooling cum off of himself. "Feel better?"

"Mmhmm." Y/N sighed. "Still miss you, baby, but luckily I'm just gone for a few more days."

Matt grinned. "I miss you too, and whenever you get home I'm going to show you just how much I'm missing you."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "Mmm. Is that a promise?"

"Oh, definitely. You're not leaving my bed for at least 24 hours."

"Deal." Y/N yawned. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

Matt nodded. "Okay, angel. I love you."

"Love you too."

"Sweet dreams."

"Mmm, you too, Matty. 'Bye, baby."

"Bye."

Matt hung up and pulled his boxers up, then lay in bed for a moment silently contemplating before getting up and going to his Daredevil trunk.

He pulled out the small square box he had hidden the day before and ran his hand over the contents, smiling softly before setting it back in his trunk.

He went back into his bedroom as his phone rang once again. "Hello, this is Matthew Murdock."

He grinned. "Yes, hi, thank you for getting back to me. I'm sorry for bothering you, but I need a favor…"

Chapter 18: Reader

Y/N smiled to herself as she headed up to Matt's apartment to celebrate their 27th Friendiversary together. 

She had happily agreed when Matt had suggested spending a quiet evening together at his apartment, preferring to be able to cuddle together on Matt's couch and reminisce about their childhoods to going out somewhere that wasn't Antonelli's.

She stepped off of the elevator and paused as she spotted a manila envelope taped to the door, her name written on the front in Matt's careful script. What in the world?

She took it off the door and opened it, then pulled out a note printed in Braille.

My dearest angel,

Meet me on the roof.

Love,

Matt

A broad smile spread across Y/N's face. She let herself in and set her bag down, then made her way up the stairs leading to the roof.

She gasped as she opened the door and stepped outside. 

The perimeter of the roof had been decorated in twinkle lights, which cast a soft glow in the fading twilight. A small jukebox sat on a table in one corner of the rooftop and was currently playing "You're My Best Friend" by Queen, which Y/N and Matt had (ironically) chosen as their 'friendship anthem' back when they were kids. Aw, Matt recreated Antonelli's.

Matt stood next to a table set for two, a wide grin on his face. "Hi, angel."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh as she walked over to him. "Hi, Matty."

"Happy Friendiversary." 

God, I love him. "Happy Friendiversary to you too."

Matt gestured to the table. "I figured since we can't go to Antonelli's for our Friendiversary this year, I'd try to bring Antonelli's to us instead."

Y/N reached out and took his hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "It's absolutely perfect, sweetheart. You did great."

Matt smiled and gave her a kiss. "Dinner's keeping warm in the oven. Let me go get it."

Y/N sat as Matt ran downstairs to get what Y/N presumed would be pizza.

Sure enough, a minute later he returned with a pizza -- topped exactly how they would get it when they would go to Antonelli's -- and two bottles of beer.

Y/N smiled to herself as he set them down. Wow, he really went all out. This even looks like Antonelli's pizza.

Matt grinned as he set their beer down. "Figured by now we'd have graduated from drinking soda with our pizza to drinking beer and wine."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "You would probably be right, sweetheart."

Matt sat, then took a slice of pizza and raised it up. "To us. Happy Friendiversary, angel."

Y/N raised her own slice. "Happy Friendiversary, Matty. Here's to many, many more together."

She took a bite, the familiar butter-and-herby taste of the crust filling her with nostalgia. She could immediately picture herself sitting across from Matt in "their" booth at Antonelli's, giggling as they clinked their deliciously cheesy slices of pizza together in toast to another year of best friendship.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked over at Matt, who was sporting a huge grin on his face. "Wait a minute, why does this taste exactly like how I remember Antonelli's pizza?"

Matt shrugged, a proud grin on his face. "Maybe because it is Antonelli's pizza, made by Mr. Antonelli himself."

"What? How ?"

"Well, I told you that Antonelli's closed after Mr. Antonelli's landlord sold the building, but what I didn't tell you was that Mr. Antonelli had already paid his lease for the following year, and when the building sold his landlord refused to return it. I helped Mr. Antonelli out by writing his landlord a letter threatening to file a lawsuit for breach of contract if he didn't refund Mr. Antonelli's advance payment, including the 5 months that was still on the current year's lease."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "God, I love it when you go all 'badass lawyer' on people. It's so sexy."

Matt chuckled. "Luckily that was all it took in order to get Mr. Antonelli's money back and I refused to let him pay me for my services, but he said if I ever needed anything to let him know, so I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and told him that we had reconnected then asked if he'd be willing to help me continue our Friendiversary tradition by making a pizza for us if I procured the ingredients he needed, to which he agreed."

Y/N shook her head fondly. As tough and intimidating as he was as Daredevil Matt was actually the sweetest, kindest, most giving person she had ever known. "I love you so damn much, you know that?"

Matt's face lit up with a smile. "I love you too, angel."

Y/N took a sip of beer as the song on the jukebox started over again. "You know… we sure did pick a pretty interesting song as our friendship anthem. I Googled the lyrics to this not too long ago and it turns out that the bassist for Queen wrote it about his wife, so when it says, 'you're my sunshine and I want you to know that my feelings are true, I really love you' they weren't exactly meaning it platonically like we always thought."

Matt grinned. "Well isn't that ironic, because neither was I."

Y/N laughed. "Me either."

She took another bite of pizza. "So how is Mr. Antonelli doing?"

"Oh he's good, said he's enjoying his retirement. He also said to tell you hello and that he was glad to hear that we finally got together."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Did anyone besides us not know that we had feelings for each other?"

Matt shrugged with a grin. "I guess not."

Y/N shook her head. "You think we'd still be celebrating our Friendiversary every year if we hadn't been separated? I mean, obviously it wouldn't be at Antonelli's, but like, in general."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to think that no matter how busy our lives got with work and kids, we'd still make time to celebrate the day we met."

He smiled. "Who knows, it might've eventually become our wedding anniversary as well."

Y/N's heart fluttered. "Yeah, more than likely."

They finished their pizza, then Matt stood and held a hand out to her. "Dance with me, angel?"

Y/N stood and took his hand. "Happily, my love."

Matt led Y/N to the middle of the rooftop, then pulled his phone out and tapped at the screen. "I heard this song a while back and it reminded me of you."

He repocketed his phone and pulled Y/N close as the song on the jukebox changed.

"I found a love for me…" the song began as they began to sway, Y/N laying her head on Matt's shoulder while Matt pulled their joined hands to his chest. "Darling just dive right in, follow my lead

Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet

Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

Not knowing what it was

I will not give you up this time…"

Y/N smiled as Matt gave her hand a loving squeeze.

"But darling, just kiss me slow

Your heart is all I own

And in your eyes you're holding mine

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favorite song

When you said you looked a mess

I whispered underneath my breath

But you heard it,

Darling, you look perfect tonight."

Y/N's heart fluttered as Matt whispered the last line aloud. 

She picked her head up off of his shoulder. "Matt..."

Matt smiled and gave her a soft kiss. "Well, you do."

"Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know," the song continued. "She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home

I found a love to carry more than just my secrets

To carry love, to carry children of our own

We are still kids but we're so in love

Fighting against all odds

I know we'll be alright this time

Darling, just hold my hand

Be my girl, I'll be your man

I see my future in your eyes…

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favorite song

When I saw you in that dress

Looking so beautiful

I don't deserve this

Darling, you look perfect tonight

Y/N blinked away oncoming tears. She knew it was just a song and that it didn't really mean anything, but she hated the fact that Matt could've ever thought that he didn't deserve the whole world.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favorite song

I have faith in what I see

Now I know I have met an angel in person

And she looks perfect

I don't deserve this

You look perfect tonight."

Y/N let out a watery laugh as the song ended. "Are you sure you didn't write this?"

Matt chuckled then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Remember how you said that a couple of days before we met you had asked God to send you a friend?"

Y/N nodded. "Mmhmm."

"Well, when I first arrived at the orphanage I was terrified -- I had just lost the only family I'd had and was being sent to live in an unfamiliar place with a bunch of strangers, so right before I walked into St. Agnes for the first time I asked God to help me be brave." Matt smiled. "From the moment we met I knew that you were the answer to my prayer." 

Y/N's heart fluttered. While Matt had understandably seemed a bit wary when he had followed Sister Bernadette into the backyard at St. Agnes, Y/N had never known just how scared he had actually been.

"You were so genuinely kind and so genuinely caring that I honestly thought that you must have been my guardian angel, sent from Heaven to help me be brave," Matt continued, "but little did I know at that moment that you would be so much more . You were my guardian angel, Y/N, but you're also my best friend and the woman I've always wanted to spend my life with."

He took a deep breath, a nervous look crossing his face. "Exactly 27 years ago you took my hand and offered to be my friend, and today I want to take your hand and ask you…"

He took Y/N's left hand in his and got down on one knee. "...If you'll be my wife."

Y/N gasped, her free hand flying up to her mouth in shock. Oh my God.

Matt reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a beautiful, sparkling engagement ring. "Y/N, my angel, will you marry me?"

Y/N nodded tearfully. "Yes."

A bright smile spread across Matt's face. "Yes?"

Y/N huffed out a watery laugh. "Yes, Matty. Yes, yes, yes ."

Matt slid the ring onto her finger and stood. "I love you so much."

Y/N gave him a kiss. "I love you too."

Matt caressed the ring on her finger. "Aunt Ruth made me promise that we'd FaceTime her tonight after I asked you to marry me."

A smile spread across Y/N's face. "You told her you were proposing?"

Matt nodded with a soft smile of his own. "Actually, I asked her for her blessing before we left Florida in September."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "I KNEW there was something you weren't telling me about your conversation with her right before we left."

Matt's smile spread into a grin. "She said not to wait too long and asked me to keep her in the loop, so I called her a couple of days ago and told her I was asking you tonight."

"What about Sister Maggie? Does she know?"

Matt nodded. "I called her this morning."

Y/N wrapped her arms around Matt's waist. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you as my husband."

"And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife." Matt pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Come on, let's go tell Aunt Ruth the good news."

They cleaned up and headed back downstairs, then settled on the sofa together.

Y/N waited until Matt put his glasses on then sent Aunt Ruth a Facetime request, smiling when she appeared on the screen.

A wide smile spread on Aunt Ruth's face. "Well?"

 Y/N grinned and held up her left hand.

Aunt Ruth gasped. "Oh my goodness, congratulations! I'm so happy for you both." 

"Thank you," Y/N replied. "We'll have to celebrate when you come to New York next week. Maybe do a small engagement dinner, the three of us and Karen and Foggy?"

She turned to Matt. "What do you think, sweetheart?"

Matt nodded with a smile. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Wonderful."Aunt Ruth smiled. "I'm not going to keep you because I know you're in the middle of your friendship anniversary date, but I just couldn't wait to congratulate you both and see the ring. I'll see y'all next week, love you both. And Matt, welcome to the family -- officially, that is."

A soft smile spread across Matt's face. "Thank you, Aunt Ruth."

"Bye, Aunt Ruth, we love you too." Y/N ended the call then looked over at Matt, who was focused on her with a soft smile on his face. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Few things, actually," Matt admitted as he took his glasses off and set them on his coffee table. "First, I'm thinking about how much I love you. Second, I'm wondering how upset everyone would be if we went to Vegas and got married tonight. And third…"

He leaned in to murmur into her ear. "I'm thinking about getting to make love to my beautiful fianceé while she's wearing nothing but her engagement ring."

Y/N grinned. "Well isn't that a coincidence, because I was thinking similarly along those lines."

Matt smirked slightly. "Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm. I was thinking about how much I love you and can't wait to marry you." Y/N reached up and caressed Matt's face. "I'm also thinking that while I would love to just run off to Vegas and marry you right this second, what I actually want is to marry you in a church with our friends and family present, no matter how small of a ceremony it is."

Matt nodded, a tender smile on his face. "I can agree to that."

Y/N leaned in and gave him a kiss. "And I'm definitely thinking about getting to make love to my kind, sweet, caring, and very handsome fiancé while I'm wearing nothing but his ring on my finger and his marks on my skin."

Matt grinned. "In that case, how about we move our Friendiversary celebration to the bedroom?"

"Sounds like a perfect way to end the evening." Y/N stood and took his hand. "Lead the way, fiancé."

She let out a shriek of laughter as Matt scooped her up into a bridal carry and carried her to his bedroom, already looking forward to forever.

Chapter 19: Matt

"10 minutes until you say 'I do'," Foggy said as Matt finished getting ready for his wedding to Y/N. "I'm honestly surprised you two didn't elope."

Matt chuckled as he adjusted his tie. "We briefly discussed it but Y/N said she wanted to get married in the church with all of our friends and family there."

He smiled to himself. His proposal had gone off without a hitch and he and Y/N had quickly set a wedding date. "Maybe Aunt Ruth and I could start looking at wedding dresses while she's here for Thanksgiving next week," Y/N had said as they lay together in post-engagement coital bliss, her head on Matt's chest as he traced gentle patterns along her bare back.

Matt had nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

Y/N had looked up at him. "What do you think about the end of April for our wedding? My lease will be up then so it kind of feels like the perfect time to get married."

A smile had spread across Matt's face. "April sounds nice. Want to call the church in the morning to see what dates they have open?"

"Mmm. Mmhmm."

They had called Clinton Church first thing the next morning and booked their wedding date for the end of April.

"5 months until we say 'I do'," Y/N had said after they had hung up.

Matt had wrapped his arms around Y/N, his heart fluttering at the contented hum she had made. "I can't wait."

He mentally shook his head. "How do I look?"

Foggy patted him on the shoulder. "Like a man who's about to get hitched."

Matt grinned, nervous excitement flitting around his stomach. "Thanks again for your help this morning."

"Of course, buddy, anytime."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Matt?" Aunt Ruth's voice called out. "May I come in?"

"Yeah, Aunt Ruth, come on in," Matt replied, turning towards the door as it opened. 

"Oh my goodness, don't you look handsome," Aunt Ruth said. "And Foggy, you as well."

"Thanks, Ms. Y/L/N," Foggy replied.

"Matt, Y/N would like to speak with you before the ceremony begins."

"Is she okay?" Matt's blood turned to ice in his veins. Shit, did she change her mind?

"Oh yes, everything is fine, dear, I promise," Aunt Ruth reassured him. "Y/N just decided that she wants a private moment with you before you say 'I do'." 

Matt let out a breath and nodded. "Okay."

Aunt Ruth led him down the hall to another room. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

Matt nodded and took a deep breath as Aunt Ruth walked away, then knocked softly on the door. "Y/N?"

"Come in," Y/N's voice replied.

Matt opened the door and stepped inside.

He could hear the gentle swish of Y/N's wedding dress as she turned towards him. "Hi, Matty."

"Hi, angel," Matt replied, still nervous that Y/N might have changed her mind about marrying him. "Is everything okay? Aunt Ruth said you needed to talk to me."

Y/N took his hand. "Yeah, sweetheart, everything's fine. I'm sorry if I scared you, I just… I wanted to show you something really quick."

She took a deep breath. "Remember how back when we were kids, all of our personal belongings were labeled with our names?"

Matt nodded. Y/N had helped him keep track of his stuff until he was able to put Braille labels on everything.

Y/N lifted Matt's hand up to the bodice of her dress, right where her heart steadily beat. "My heart has belonged to you since the moment we met."

Matt's brow furrowed as he traced the familiar bumps of Braille writing. M-a-t-t-h-e-w.

"It's in red to match our wedding colors," Y/N explained.

A broad smile spread across Matt's face and he shook his head, fighting the urge to start crying. "I really love you, you know that?" 

Y/N let out a light laugh. "That's good to know, sweetheart, especially considering that we're supposed to be getting married in less than 5 minutes."

Matt grinned. "I better run then. I don't want to spend a minute more than I absolutely have to without you as my wife."

Y/N pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Matt nodded. "I'll be waiting."

"Love you."

Matt slipped out of the room and headed back down the hall.

"Hey, everything okay?" Foggy asked him as he re-entered his own waiting area.

Matt nodded, unable to keep a smile off of his face. "Yeah, everything's perfect."

Foggy let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. Ready then? It's time."

Matt nodded again. "More than ready."

"Alright, let's go get you married."

He and Foggy headed into the church and took their places at the front of the altar, and a few moments later, a soft melody started playing.

Matt waited as Father Davis took his place as officiant, followed by Karen as Y/N's maid of honor, then Harley, Y/N's coworker Jessica's son, as ring bearer and Sophie as flower girl.

He took a deep breath as the doors opened once again and the Bridal March began.

A smile spread across his face as Y/N began her walk towards him.

As she approached, Matt thought back to that first moment they had met. He had immediately known that she was the answer to his prayer, but he hadn't quite realized at the time that he had also been hers.

He held his hand out to Y/N as she reached him, pressing a kiss to the top of her hand before turning to face Father Davis.

"Good afternoon," Father Davis said.

"Good afternoon, Father," everyone replied.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

"Amen."

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness Matthew and Y/N join together in holy matrimony. Let us begin with our opening prayer."

Y/N and Matt bowed their heads as Father Davis raised a hand over them. "Dear Heavenly Father," he began, "we ask your blessing down upon Matthew and Y/N as they pledge their lives to one another through the sacrament of marriage. May they look to you for guidance in all that they do, in your name, amen."

"Amen," everyone repeated.

"Please be seated."

Matt and Y/N knelt hand-in-hand on the portable kneeler as everyone sat and Aunt Ruth walked up to do the first reading.

" A reading from the Book of Genesis," she began. "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone. I shall make a suitable partner for him. So the Lord formed out of the ground various wild animals and birds of the air'…"

Matt subtly turned his head towards Y/N, who was glancing over at him. 

He gave her hand a squeeze, their silent signal for I love you.

Y/N squeezed his hand back twice in response. I love you too.

" The word of the Lord, " Aunt Ruth finished.

Matt turned his attention back to the lectern. "Thanks be to God."

Everyone answered the responsorial psalm, then Foggy walked up to do the second reading. 

He cleared his throat. " A reading from the first letter from St. Paul to the Corinthians.

'If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Matt smiled to himself. By that definition, Y/N was love, and Matt was the luckiest man on earth by getting to have her for the rest of his life.

"Love never ends," Foggy continued. "But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 

Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love'."

He went to step down then caught himself. "Uh, the word of the Lord."

"Thanks be to God," Matt replied with a grin.

Next followed the Gospel Acclamation, then the Gospel.

Matt and Y/N stayed kneeling while everyone else sat for the homily.

"I haven't had the privilege of knowing Matthew and Y/N for very long," Father Davis began, "but from what their loved ones have told me, it's about time they got married."

Matt grinned and nodded in agreement as their wedding guests chuckled.

"From my understanding, they met as young children and immediately became inseparable," Father Davis continued, "as only truly best friends can be…"

Matt listened as Father Davis continued tying his and Y/N relationship to the readings.

"God has brought Matthew and Y/N together not once, but twice, and so here we are today, celebrating their love and commitment to one another," Father Davis concluded, turning towards them. "Matthew and Y/N, may you continue to love and support one another all the days of your lives."

Matt nodded and gave Y/N's hand a squeeze.

Father Davis sat for a moment in silent reflection, then stood once again. "Please rise."

Matt and Y/N stood and faced one another. Here we go.

"Matthew and Y/N," Father Davis said, "you have come together into the house of the Church so that in the presence of the Church’s minister and the community your intention to enter into Marriage may be strengthened by the Lord with a sacred seal. Christ abundantly blesses the love that binds you. Through a special Sacrament, he enriches and strengthens those he has already consecrated by Holy Baptism, that they may be faithful to each other forever and assume all the responsibilities of married life. And so, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions."

He then went through the standard questions about whether Matt and Y/N were there of their own free will, whether they agreed to love, honor and cherish each other, and whether they would welcome any children they were blessed with, all to which both Matt and Y/N answered in the affirmative.

Father Davis nodded. "Since it is your intention to enter into the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, please join your right hands."

Matt smiled as Y/N took his hand in hers.

"Matthew, do you take Y/N to be your wife?" Father Davis asked. "Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and to honor her all the days of your life?"

Matt nodded, a broad smile on his face. "I do."

His smile grew even wider as he heard Y/N's heart flutter.

"And do you, Y/N, take Matthew to be your husband?" Father Davis asked Y/N. "Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and to honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do," Y/N replied, the love and adoration in her voice music to Matt's ears.

"Then may the Lord in his kindness strengthen the consent you have declared before the Church and graciously bring to fulfillment his blessings within you," Father Davis continued. "What God has joined, let no one tear asunder."

Matt couldn't help but grin. We did it. We're married.

Foggy stepped around Matt and handed their rings to Father Davis.

Father Davis sprinkled some holy water over their rings. "Bless and sanctify your servants in their love, O Lord, and let these rings, a sign of their faithfulness, remind them of their love for one another.

Through Christ our Lord."

"Amen," Matt and Y/N said together.

Father Davis handed Matt Y/N's ring. "Matthew, place this ring on Y/N's left hand and repeat after me: ' Y/N, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity'. "

Matt took Y/N's hand and slid her wedding band next to her engagement ring. "Y/N, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

"And Y/N," Father Davis continued, "place this ring on Matthew's left hand and repeat after me: 'Matthew, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity'."

Y/N slid Matt's ring onto his finger, the cool metal a comforting weight against his skin. "Matthew, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

Matt grinned. While they were shopping for their wedding rings he had been fully prepared for Y/N to just choose a ring for him and be done with it, but instead Y/N had had him try on rings made from all sorts of materials and in all sorts of designs until Matt had found the one he was most comfortable with wearing.

You're the one who has to wear it for the rest of your life , she had said, so shouldn't your comfort be the most important thing?

He turned his attention back towards the altar as Karen walked up to do the Intercessions. "Please respond, ' Lord hear our prayer', " she said.

"Lord hear our prayer," everyone replied automatically.

"For Matthew and Y/N, may they continue to grow and love one another through the faith of their Church, we pray to the Lord."

"Lord hear our prayer."

"For the souls of Matt's father and Y/N's mother, may they rest in peace knowing that their children have found solace in one another, we pray to the Lord."

"Lord hear our prayer."

"For all those in need of intercession, we pray to the Lord."

"Lord hear our prayer."

"We now pause to add our own intentions in silence." Karen paused for a few moments. "We pray to the Lord."

"Lord hear our prayer."

Father Davis waited as Karen took her place back at Y/N's side, then said, "Let us now share the words that Jesus taught us to pray."

Everyone recited the Lord's Prayer, then Father Davis moved back in front of Y/N and Matt. "Matthew and Y/N, please kneel and join hands."

Matt took Y/N's hand in his, grinning as she ran her thumb over his ring.

"Let us pray to the Lord for this bride and groom," Father Davis said, "who kneel at the altar as they begin their married life, that they may always be bound together by love for one another."

After a moment of silence, he continued. "Holy Father, maker of the whole world, who created man and woman in your own image and willed that their union be crowned with your blessing, we humbly beseech you for these your servants, who are joined today in the Sacrament of Matrimony.

May your abundant blessing, Lord, come down upon this bride, Y/N, and upon Matthew, her companion for life, and may the power of your Holy Spirit set their hearts aflame from on high, so that, living out together the gift of Matrimony, they may adorn their family with children and enrich the Church."

"Amen," everyone added.

"Matthew and Y/N, please rise."

Matt grinned as they stood.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Matthew, you may kiss your bride."

Matt turned towards Y/N and cupped her face in his hands, then pressed his lips to hers. My wife.

"It is my pleasure to present, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew and Y/N Murdock!" Father Davis continued.

Matt took Y/N's hand in his as they headed back down the aisle.

Y/N gave him another kiss as they reached the end. "I love you so much, Matty."

Matt hummed happily. "I love you too, my angel."

They made their way back around to the altar so they could sign their marriage license and take their wedding photos before walking over to the church's event center for their reception.

Matt grinned over at Y/N as they waited in the lobby for the deejay to announce their arrival. "You think anyone will notice if we skip the reception?"

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Ready to get our honeymoon started, huh?"

Matt smirked. "Something like that."

"Well considering we're the center of attention and we have our first dance, then the toasts, cake cutting and bouquet toss and our last dance… yeah I think we'd be missed."

Matt took her hand as the deejay turned the music down to speak. "...Please welcome to the dance floor, Mr. & Mrs. Matthew and Y/N Murdock!"

The doors to the event center opened and Matt and Y/N walked in, taking their place in the center of the dance floor.

Matt smiled at Y/N as the music for their first dance started. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Murdock?"

His smile grew wider at the uptick in Y/N's heartbeat. "Why, yes you may, Mr. Murdock," Y/N replied.

Matt pulled her close as they began to sway.

"I'll always remember, the song they were playing

The first time we danced, and I knew

As we swayed to the music, and held to each other

I fell in love with you

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

Could you be my partner every night?

When we're together, it feels so right

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

I'll always remember, that magic moment

When I held you close to me

As we moved together, I knew forever

You're all I'll ever need

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

Could you be my partner every night?

When we're together, it feels so right

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

Could you be my partner every night?

When we're together, it feels so right

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?"

Matt wiped away a tear from Y/N's eye as the song came to an end, then pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Every single one, angel," he murmured. 

Y/N sniffled. "Me too, Matty."

"Come on, sweetheart, let's go eat."

They had decided on a catered buffet for their reception, so they were served their dinner then went to take their seats at the head table.

The deejay turned the music down once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, the best man would like to say a few words."

Matt turned towards Foggy as he stood.

Foggy cleared his throat. "Matt, when you first mentioned Y/N way back in law school I thought you had to have been making her up -- this perfect childhood friend who you had fallen in love with but never got the chance to tell that you loved her."

Matt took Y/N's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Well," Foggy continued, "it took 16 years but I eventually found out she really did exist, and she's every bit as wonderful as you always described her."

"Aww, thanks, Fog," Y/N said.

Foggy picked up his glass of champagne. "I'd like to raise a glass to the newlyweds. Thank you for letting me be a part of your big day and I love you both -- mazel tov! "

"Cheers!" everyone echoed.

Karen gave a brief speech next, then Y/N said a few words. 

Finally, Matt stood.

"First, I'd like to thank everyone for being here to share in Y/N's and my big day," he began. "I know I can speak for us both when I say that we appreciate each and every one of you for being here to celebrate our wedding with us."

He turned to Foggy and Karen. "Foggy and Karen, we have been through hell and back together and I couldn't have asked for anyone better to stand by my & Y/N's sides as we pledged our lives to each other."

He turned back to Aunt Ruth, who sat at Y/N's other side. "Aunt Ruth, thank you for welcoming me to the family with open arms and for giving me your blessing to marry Y/N."

He smiled down at Y/N. "And finally, Y/N, my beautiful wife. I have loved you since before I even knew what love was and promise that I will show you every single day just how grateful I am that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Thank you for loving me in return."

Everyone applauded and made "aww" sounds as Y/N stood and cupped Matt's face in her hands, pressing her lips to his. "You're determined to make me cry, aren't you?" she said.

Matt kissed her back. "Only happy tears, angel, I promise."

They sat back down until it was time to cut the cake and do the bouquet and garter toss.

Karen caught Y/N's bouquet, and if Matt purposely made sure that Foggy caught Y/N's garter so that he and Karen would be forced to dance with each other instead of around each other… well.

He just wanted his friends to be as happy as he was, that was all.

Finally the deejay announced the final dance of the evening.

Matt held Y/N close once again as the music played, then finally it was time for their big send-off.

Matt grinned as they got ready to leave. He had a surprise for Y/N and couldn't wait to give it to her.

Chapter 20: Reader

Notes:

This is it! (For the main fic anyway.) Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and kudo'ed on this fic over the past year -- I appreciate each and every one of you!

I'm in the process of writing 3 planned one-shot sequels in addition to continuing The St. Agnes Years, so stay tuned for those!

"Let's give one more round of applause for the new Mr. & Mrs. Murdock!" The deejay said as Matt and Y/N made their way through the tunnel of well-wishers to the limousine that was waiting to whisk them away towards their new life as husband and wife.

Man, I'm glad I thought about bringing a going-away dress , Y/N thought. As beautiful and comfortable as her wedding dress was, she was happy to have had the thought of having something to change into before she and Matt had left their reception.

Matt motioned for Y/N to get into the limo first, then slid in after her.

As soon as the door was shut, Y/N pulled Matt in for a kiss. "I'm so happy to finally have gotten to marry you."

Matt let out a happy hum against her lips. "Mmm, me too, and it only took about 15 years later than I originally had hoped.”

Y/N laughed. “Hey, better late than never though, right, husband ?”

Matt chuckled. “Right you are, wife .”

Y/N turned towards the darkened window as the limo pulled out of the church parking lot and turned in the opposite direction of Matt's -- our , she silently corrected herself -- apartment. "Hey, wait, we're going the wrong way."

"Oh no, sorry angel, I forgot to tell you," Matt replied as he shrugged his tux jacket off and loosened his tie. "I got us a place for tonight so we wouldn't have to spend our wedding night at the apartment."

Y/N cuddled into Matt's side, feeling slightly guilty. "Oh, okay. That was sweet of you, Matty, thank you.”

As much as they had tried, she and Matt had been unable to find the perfect affordable home that would suit all of their needs, so about a month before the wedding they had agreed that Y/N would just move into Matt's apartment after they were married and that they would keep looking. She knew that as much as she had tried to hide it Matt could still sense her disappointment, so she figured he had booked a room at a hotel in order to try to make their wedding night special.

Matt wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You're welcome, angel."

The car weaved through traffic, and after a few minutes it pulled to a stop.

Matt grabbed his tux jacket then opened the door and stepped out before offering a hand to Y/N.

Y/N took his hand and slid out of the limo.

Her brow furrowed as she realized that they were standing not in front of a hotel, but in front of the townhouse that Y/N had fallen in love with back when they had first started looking for a bigger place. 

As the limo drove off, she turned towards Matt, who had a wide grin on his face. "Wait a minute, what are we doing here?"

Matt pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. "Welcome home, Mrs. Murdock."

"Welcome home? Wha--" Y/N sucked in a breath. "Matthew Michael Murdock, you did not. "

Matt chuckled and nodded. “I did.”

" How ? How could you possibly have afforded this?"

Matt shook his head, a bright grin on his handsome face. "You remember the money my dad had left me when I was a kid?"

Y/N nodded. Matt had confided in her when they were kids that since the odds were so stacked against his dad during Jack's final fight with Victor Creel that he had wound up inheriting well over a million dollars. "Well yeah, but I figured that money was long gone. I know some of it was used to pay for your eye doctor visits as well as your training with Stick, and on top of that law school sure isn't cheap, nor is a penthouse apartment in Hell's Kitchen."

Matt shook his head. "Actually, even with my medical bills and what St. Agnes paid Stick for my training I had plenty left over for college, but since I wound up getting a full scholarship to Columbia I didn't actually wind up using any of it for school. Then I got a really great deal on my old apartment because of the neon billboard outside of the living room window, so most of the money has actually been sitting in the bank collecting interest for the past 28 years. I figured why not finally spend it by surprising my wife with our dream home as a wedding gift?"

Y/N shook her head. "But we weren't even engaged at the time."

Matt shrugged, a small smile on his face. "Yeah, but I was already planning on proposing on our Friendiversary and knew you were gonna say yes."

Y/N laughed. "Oh you did now, huh?"

"Mmhmm. Or at least, I was sure enough to spend most of my life's savings.” Matt nuzzled her nose with his. “As soon as you were headed back to your apartment after we toured this place and knew for sure that it was our dream home, I went back in and made an offer the previous owners couldn't refuse."

“No wonder it went so quickly!” Y/N playfully swatted him on the arm . "I can't believe you kept this from me for months , Matthew. What happened to 'no secrets between best friends', huh Murdock?"

Matt grinned and shook his head. "I figured you wouldn't mind me keeping this one secret from you for a while, although I did almost give up the surprise several times because I hated knowing how upset and stressed out you were about us not being able to find a place that we liked nearly as much as this one."

"I'm sorry, angel," he had said when Y/N had looked up the listing for the townhouse a few weeks after they had toured it and discovered that it had sold almost immediately. "I know how much we both loved that place."

"It's fine," Y/N had replied, the words sounding flat even to her ears. "No matter how much we loved it and how perfect it was for us it's not like we could ever have afforded the mortgage, even with both our salaries. We'll find something, I'm sure of it. We'll just have to keep looking for something within our budget."

Matt had wrapped his arms around her and given her a gentle kiss. “It'll be okay, angel, I promise. I just want you to be happy.”

Y/N's eyes filled with tears as the selflessness and love behind Matt's gesture fully hit her. "So this is really ours?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, angel. It's really ours. Right now it's in my name only, obviously, but I drew up a new deed this morning to make us officially co-owners on paper. We'll just have to wait for our signed marriage license to get filed on Monday before we can get Foggy to notarize and file the new deed for us."

Y/N wrapped her arms around Matt and gave him a kiss. "I love you so damn much, you know that, right?"

Matt wiped the tears from her eyes. "I love you too."

Y/N looked up at their new home once again. "So can we go in?"

Matt chuckled. "Yeah, angel, of course."

They headed up the stairs to the entrance.

Y/N let out a giggle as Matt unlocked and opened the door then scooped her up in a bridal carry.

She gave him a kiss. "Love you, Mr. Murdock."

"And I love you, Mrs. Murdock," Matt replied, carrying her over the threshold before setting her down.

As they walked through their new home, Y/N was surprised to see Matt's dining set, sofa and coffee table in their respective areas as well as the boxes of belongings that she had moved over to Matt's earlier in the week. "Wait, when and how did all of our stuff get in here?" she asked as they walked up the stairs to the living room.

"This morning after Karen dropped your suitcase off at my place," Matt replied, draping his tux jacket over the back of the couch and taking his glasses off. "Foggy helped me pack my stuff up yesterday and I hired movers to actually move everything."

“What's going to happen with your apartment? Are you going to lease it out?”

Matt shook his head. “I sold it to the current owner of my building a couple of months ago with the stipulation that he let me lease it back until after the wedding.”

He gestured around the mostly-empty space. "I know we'll have to do a lot of furniture shopping when we get back from our honeymoon, but I wanted us to be able to spend our first night as husband and wife in the home that we'll share for the rest of our lives, so I figured bare minimum was better than nothing."

Y/N gave Matt a tender kiss. "Matty, sweetheart, this is perfect . Thank you so much.”

Matt chuckled. “I was so nervous that you’d find a place that would work for us and that you'd like better than here.”

Y/N shook her head. “Despite all of the apartments and condos we toured, this was honestly the only place I could see us building a life together in.”

She trailed a finger down Matt's torso, stopping just above the waistband of his pants. “And speaking of building a life together, since we actually did find our dream home I guess that means I'm going off of my birth control now, doesn't it?”

A grin spread across Matt's face. “Does that mean we can try for a honeymoon baby?”

Y/N huffed out a laugh as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Even if I stop taking my pill today I don't think it would happen that quick, but that doesn't mean we can't start working on it.”

Matt hummed, a slight smirk blooming across his plush lips. “In that case, lead the way, Mrs. Murdock.”

Y/N took Matt's hand and led him upstairs to their bedroom.

As soon as they entered Matt wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to his front. "Thought about this while we were touring this place, angel," he murmured into her ear. “Making love to you here in our bedroom… and all of the other rooms in the home that we'll share for the rest of our lives."

Y/N hissed in a breath as Matt began trailing kisses down her jawline to her neck. "I did too, Matty. Imagined you fucking me up against the shower wall, getting down on my hands and knees for you on the couch in the garden room…"

Her breath hitched as Matt gave a gentle nip to her throat. “...Riding your cock in the library.”

Matt growled deep in his chest, his already-hard cock twitching against Y/N’s ass. “ Shit, yes, angel, can't wait to get to do all of that with you.”

He nipped at her throat again as he unzipped her dress. “But first, I want to take my beautiful bride to bed.”

Y//N shivered as Matt slid the straps of her dress off of her shoulders, the smooth silk pooling at her feet. 

She stepped out of the dress, then turned and gave Matt a gentle kiss as she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants. “Then take me, my handsome groom.”

Matt smirked as he slid his hands down to her ass. “Oh I definitely plan on taking you, angel, over… and over… and over again.”

Arousal flooded Y/N’s system. She gasped in surprise as Matt picked her up and carried her over to the bed, gently setting her down before quickly divesting himself of the rest of his clothing and climbing in after her.

She let out a moan as Matt settled himself between her legs and nosed at her silk-covered core. 

“Mmm, so needy,” Matt purred. “Practically dripping for me already, aren't you, sweetheart?”

Y/N nodded, her mind already hazy with lust.  “Uh huh. Want you, Matty.”

Matt groaned. “Want you too, angel.”

Y/N whimpered as Matt pulled her underwear to the side and licked a broad stripe up her folds.

He slowly dragged his tongue up her folds again, swirling his tongue around her clit as he worked two fingers inside of her.

Y/N’s back arched off the bed in pleasure. The only thing better than the feel of Matt's long, thick fingers stretching her out was his long, thick cock. “ Fuck, Matt .”

Matt moaned against her as he began to fuck her with his fingers. “That's right, angel, don't hold back. Make those beautiful sounds for me, let me know how good I'm making you feel.”

Y/N cried out as Matt hit a spot inside her that made her see stars. “Yes, right there --”

“That's my good girl,” Matt crooned. “I got you, angel, let go for me.”

Y/N could feel the coil of an oncoming orgasm tightening in her stomach. “Matty, Matty yes, please, don't stop -- ahh!”

She gasped as she reached her peak, legs shaking as Matt worked her through it.

Matt gently withdrew his fingers before raising them to his mouth, his eyes closing in bliss as he sucked them clean. “Mmm.”

He slowly peeled Y/N’s underwear off of her. “You make the prettiest sounds for me, Y/N. Love to hear you.”

Y/N sat up and pulled Matt to her for a kiss. “Need your cock in me, Matty,” she whispered against his lips. “Want you to fill me up.”

Matt nodded as he took himself in hand, sliding his cock through Y/N’s folds a few times before guiding himself to her entrance. “Gotta start slow, angel, don't want to hurt you.”

Y/N sucked in a breath as Matt joined their bodies together, the snug fit of his cock inside her tight channel making her involuntarily clench around him.

Matt groaned as he waited for her to adjust. “Fuck, sweetheart, you feel so good, so perfect. Love you so much, my angel, my beloved, my wife .”

Y/N let out a soft gasp as Matt slowly drew himself out and pushed back in, the slow, lazy rhythm of his cock sliding in and out of her fueling her desire for him. “I love you too, Matty, my husband, my forever.”

She slowly raked her nails down Matt's back. “Can't wait to grow our family with you here in our home, sweetheart, raise our children here together.”

Matt’s hips stuttered slightly. " Shit , yeah, gonna fuck a baby into you as soon as possible, angel, make you come on my cock over and over, taking every single drop of my seed deep inside your needy cunt until I'm absolutely certain I've gotten you pregnant."

Y/N gasped loudly as Matt adjusted his angle, his cock reaching even deeper inside her. "Yes, want that so badly, sweetheart."

Matt slid a hand over her stomach, his cock pulsing against her walls. "God, Y/N, you're gonna be even more beautiful than you already are when you're round and full with my child, with our child. Can't wait to hear and feel the life we'll create together growing inside you." 

Y/N whimpered. She could picture Matt gently kissing and caressing her growing stomach as he talked to their unborn child. “ Please , Matt. Want to have a baby with you.”

Matt began to rub tight circles against her clit with his thumb as he drove into her. "Don't worry, angel, I gotcha, gonna make sure I come nice and deep in you so your cunt has no choice but to take it all."

Y/N gasped, right on the edge of ecstacy and just needing one little push to send her over. "Fuck, Matty, I'm right there baby, please don't stop."

Matt growled deep in his chest. “That's right, sweetheart, be a good wife and come for me.” 

He dropped his voice into his Daredevil tone. "You're mine forever, aren't you, Mrs. Murdock ?"

"Oh fuck, yes, yours , Matt, always --" Y/N cried out as the coil inside her snapped.

Matt slammed into her twice more before finding his own release, his cock pumping his seed deep inside her throbbing cunt. "Shit, Y/N ."

Y/N wrapped her arms around him and hummed in bliss as she began to descend from her sex-induced high. “Mmm.”

She shivered as Matt stroked a hand through her hair then down her arm to her side.

Matt gave her a tender kiss before carefully pulling out of her.

He lay on his side and reached for Y/N, caressing her cheek with one hand while wrapping the other around her waist. “I'm so happy I get to spend the rest of my life with you, angel.”

Y/N snuggled up to him and hummed as Matt began lightly tracing his hands up and down her back. “I am too, Matty.”

She was silent for a few moments. “You know, you always thought I was your guardian angel, but actually I think it was the other way around.”

Matt's hands paused as he tilted his face down towards her. “Really?

Y/N nodded. “Yeah, I mean think about it. You were literally the answer to my prayers, Matty.”

Matt chuckled. “Ironic that I grew up to become a vigilante known as ‘The Devil of Hell's Kitchen’ then.”

Y/N huffed out a laugh. “In that case I guess you were actually my ‘guardian devil’, but the sentiment still stands. I am who I am because of you.”

She gave Matt a kiss. “Now, how about we keep practicing making our own little devil?”

Matt rolled onto his back, guiding Y/N to lay on top of him. “That sounds like a great idea, angel. After all, you know what they say -- practice makes perfect.”

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Angel of God, My Guardian Dear