Chapter 1
1.
When Matt started college, Jack hoped. Matt was never a very extroverted kid, and a bit withdrawn even when he was still seeing. Becoming „the blind kid” made him an outright loner. Jack wished desperately that Matt would get some friends and maybe even a partner once in college.
Sure, his kid was nothing if not independent and capable, and if he wasn’t really looking for love Jack would respect that, and he kept most of his thoughts to himself, because Lord knows Matt never hid his opinions on Jack’s ideas, better or especially worse. But deep down, Jack just hoped that Matt would find someone who would always be there for him, even after Jack wasn’t.
Not that love guaranteed that. Exhibit A: Margaret Murdock.
Then Matt came home for spring break weirdly giddy and clearly besotted. It looked almost weird on him. Jack was happy - he really was, he didn’t begrudge Matt his youth escapades. He needed to get out there, meet people, probably even get his heart broken. He just wanted Matt to maybe somehow skip that last step.
And this... this looked like a speedrun to heartbreak.
And maybe it was just the nature of parenting, but as much as he tried not to police Matt’s choice, he wasn’t very impressed with the way his grades fell down suddenly. Or the way he became unreliable with calls. Or even visits back home at times. Jack had a small heart attack and if he didn’t have Matt’s roommate’s number he’d probably have called the police. Matt was technically an adult but you can’t really raise a disabled kid all on your own and not end up worrying.
In short, Jack didn’t know Matt’s girlfriend, but he didn’t like her. He wanted Matt to have someone who was there for him, but there was obviously no one good enough for him, and certainly not her. She was bad influence.
„Dad? Could I invite Elektra over for dinner so you can meet her?”
And then that happened. And it sank in for Jack that oh. Matt really cared about this girl. And goddamit, Jack did want to meet her, and decide for herself what she was like, because for all that Matt talked about her, she pretty much could do no wrong and was perfect.
She was beautiful, something Matt insisted his sighted friends confirmed, she was apparently rich, and smart enough for Ivy League, and loyal, which remained to be seen, and nice, something Matt always said with a strange tone, as if it wasn’t quite the right word, which he would judge for himself. She was polite but confident and fun, he’d elaborated the one time Jack pressed enough. And a part of Jack just worried that maybe to Matt she was perfect just because she wanted him in a world where too many people couldn’t see his value.
So Jack smiles and he was completely genuine when he told Matt he’d love to have her over. It’d be interesting to see, too, how she would react to their home, considering how rich Matt mentioned her being. He cleaned up and even cooked something not out of an instant package, but he was certain their place, for all that Jack considered it a pretty nice one, was nothing like what she was used to.
Elektra Natchios was everything and nothing like Jack expected. She dressed nicely but not over the top, was perfectly polite, seemed genuinely enamoured with Matt, and Jack instantly disliked her. She seemed almost eerily skilled at saying the right thing, and what not to say. She didn’t mention that they lived in a shady area, and instead genuinely complimented some furniture. She addressed Jack as Mr. Murdock and didn’t acknowledge it when he did not insist on his first name instead. She kept the conversation open so no one felt left out or awkward and seemed subtly helpful when Matt needed it without coddling him.
She was perfect.
Everything about Elektra was polished like a brand new car, and Jack didn’t buy it. She was like a new pair of gloves - not broken in, shiny on the surface and hard to actually judge as valuable. It had to be fake. Her smiles, her compliments, the way she wasn’t affected by Jack’s nudging and poking and interrogation even when Matt got clearly annoyed at him.
Elektra stayed for dinner and a cup of coffee after, and then Matt saw her back to her cab (at least it wasn’t a private car with a chauffeur) but came back up. Jack was grateful. His heart wouldn’t be able to handle Matt going back with her and spending the night.
This was, truth be told, hard enough without his dislike for Elektra. His baby’s first ever relationship. And Matt wasn’t just smitten, he liked that girl, seeing them together made it clear. Even now, back upstairs and awkwardly shuffling to put the dishes away, Matt turned to him nervously instead of berating him for all the questioning he put his girlfriend through.
„So, what did you think?”
Jack couldn’t bring himself to say more than the simple truth.
„As long as she makes you happy.”
And if in the end, when she didn’t, when he held Matt through his sobs like he was a child, he couldn’t quite bring himself to feel sorry that she was gone, well. He was only human.