Claire/Delaney
When Delaney stepped foot inside Matt’s apartment, she didn’t expect to see him getting stitched up while sprawled on his couch.
She sighed, setting her things down. “Seriously? I take the Stark job and you become a vigilante,” she muttered. Honestly. It’s like he wants to get his ass beat.
Matt chuckled before wincing from the motion. “I missed you too, Del.” He paused before: “Claire, this is Delaney. Del, this is Claire.”
Claire looked her over. “Matt didn’t tell me he had a girlfriend,” she said as she sat back on her haunches.
Delaney huffed out a laugh. “Not his girlfriend,” she shot back before her brain registered the other woman’s words. Holy shit, she's my soulmate!
Claire’s hands stilled and she looked at Delaney. Neither woman paid much attention to Matt’s slightly confused expression, head tilted. “Well, isn’t this every man’s fantasy? Two beautiful women good with their hands,” he said finally.
Delaney rolled her eyes. “Only in your dreams, Murdock,” she teased halfheartedly, though she definitely didn’t miss the heated look Claire gave her as she crossed the room and slid down onto the floor in front of the couch. Claire smirked. “But we’ll keep it in the back of our minds. Just in case.”
~~~~~~~~~~
"How do you and Matt know each other?” Claire asked. Matt had long since passed out, leaving Claire and Delaney in privacy. The two were sitting on the floor in front of the couch, speaking in low voices.
Delaney smiled fondly. “St. Agnes. I was ten when he came to the orphanage. When I found out who he was, I just had to become friends with him. He eventually warmed up to me.” She paused to look at her friend and shook her head. Why he can’t just leave the hero stuff to the Avengers, I’ll never know. “What about you? How did you meet Matt?”
Claire laughed, a beautiful sound Delaney could get used to. “I fished him out of a dumpster, half-dead.”
Delaney sighed and couldn’t help her small chuckle. “Of course you did. Matt always had to do things the hard way, that hasn’t changed in all the years I’ve known him,” she said.
Claire was the one to reach out first, weaving their fingers together. Delaney had a sudden sense of home, like she had finally found something she hadn’t known she was missing.
“He’ll be out for a while. How about we go get something to eat?” Claire asked, helping Delaney up off the floor.
Delaney smiled. “Could use some time off. I’ll just leave my boss a message, tell him something’s come up,” she said.
"At this hour?” Claire asked, eyebrows raised.
Delaney laughed. “Trust me, Stark’s awake. He’s only been up for twenty-three hours,” she said as they walked out the door, closing it gently behind them.