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He was out in his civilian identity more these days, back to living day-to-day life as Matt Murdock, attorney at law. After he made up with Foggy, his non-Daredevil life got a little smoother again, and his nights out in the mask were less fraught, now he had the others to help out (and Foggy to force him to let them).
Today, he was in Midtown, growing slowly overwhelmed by all the scents surrounding him as he walked down the sidewalk. He must be nearing his rut, with how strong everything smells, even more so than usual. Then he caught a hint of it on the air. The scent. The one that everyone was told to look out for when they grew up and reached presentation. The perfect scent for him.
Scentmates weren’t insanely rare, but they weren’t common; he’d only known a handful of pairs over his life. Most people found someone who smelled ‘right enough’ and settled down with them instead.
Until now, he never thought he’d find them, that they didn’t exist. Most people didn’t smell right at all, driving him away with their poorly matched scents. The few people that did smell okay, he kept close, and until today, the closest match he’d ever found was Foggy (though they were never romantic. Foggy was a beta and wasn’t into male Alphas.)
He felt along his watch to gauge the time, determining he had enough time left before the meeting he’d been heading toward to take a detour. Carefully tapping his way along the sidewalk, he let his nose lead him to that perfect scent.
Surprisingly, or maybe not, maybe God had been leading him here all along, the scent trail headed into the same building he was supposed to be having a meeting in that day, Parker Industries. One of his clients would be meeting him there for a preliminary discussion with the company on compensation over a recent injury – not his normal case-type, but he could be flexible.
The ability to follow the scent-trail got muddier once he was inside. Recycled air and a crowded room made picking out an individual scent from a distance nearly impossible for the average person; for Matt, it just took a little while longer.
He touched his watch face once more, double-checking the time. Foggy should be arriving any minute. He’d been in court that morning, so they agreed to arrive separately for this meeting. It also meant he needed to find his scent-mate fast, otherwise Foggy would sidetrack him, and then he might miss meeting them.
Carefully, he listened to where everyone was in the lobby, hearing the thrums of their hearts. A few people milled around the front desk, a couple people – security – stood near the elevators, people sat here and there in chairs placed around the middle and edges of the room, but most of the traffic was to the attached coffee shop.
One heartbeat stuck out above all the rest. It was slow, steady, strong. It was also coming from the direction that he pinpointed the scent-trail to be headed.
Stepping into the coffee shop, he carefully tapped his way between tables filled with customers, finally coming up alongside a table holding the most intoxicating smelling omega he’d ever scented.
He’d never had any trouble talking to pretty omegas in the past, but being here in front of his scentmate, the one person God made as his perfect match, was leaving him slightly intimidated and a little choked up.
Standing a little straighter, he cleared his throat and said, “Hello.”
“Oh,” the omega said in a soft, surprised sigh. “Hello.”
“My name’s Matt Murdock, and I believe you’re my scentmate,” he said, smiling. It was a genuine smile, not his superficial court smile or his pleasant socializing smile, but a real, broad one, stretching across his face at meeting his match.
“Hello, Matt Murdock. My name’s Peter Parker, and I do believe I am,” the omega responded. He could sense the heat shifting across Peter’s face, feel him smile back. “We should continue this discussion somewhere more private. Would you be willing to come up to my office?”
“Of course,” he said. “Though, I do need to warn you, I’m supposed to be attending a meeting with your legal department in half an hour, so I don’t have much time.”
“Oh,” Peter said, the noise of him gathering up his things cutting off abruptly. “What are you meeting legal for?”
“I’m a lawyer. One of my clients is in mediation with your company.” Matt knew this was starting them off on the wrong foot, but he couldn’t not say something and cause legal issues down the line.
Peter laughed uncomfortably. “Oh. That’s a bit awkward. Um…”
Matt’s smile quirked into something a little more strained as well. “I figured it’d be better to be up front, rather than conceal it.”
One of Peter’s shoes scuffed against the tile as he shifted his weight. “No, no. Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it.” After a moment’s silence, he asked, “Would you still be okay to come up to my office? We could talk about things regardless.”
“That would be nice,” he said. “Lead the way.”
“Would you like my elbow?” Peter asked him, in that tone that most sighted people did when offering him help that they weren’t sure was wanted or needed.
“I’d appreciate it,” he said, gently grasping Peter’s arm. “I’ve never been here before, and it’s easier to get around unfamiliar environments with assistance the first time.”
He could do it on his own, especially with his enhanced senses, but it was always so difficult in buildings like this. So many noises and smells and sensations. So many people to keep track of. Sometimes he was better off tuning it all out as best he could and getting by like he was a normal blind man.
As they stepped into an elevator, probably a private one since there were much fewer scents imparted on it, and the doors had shut, Matt said to Peter, “You’re taking this whole thing well,” and shook his cane a little bit in indication.
“Huh?” Peter asked, a little absentmindedly. “Oh. It doesn’t matter. I mean, it matters, because it’s part of you, but it doesn’t matter in a bad way,” he explained, stumbling over his words. “I’m just so happy to meet you.”
“I’m really happy to meet you too.”