Day Dream
"Holy- Sage what happened?!" The barista asked as her and Matt walked into the cafe, her eyes going wide upon seeing the sling wrapped around her body. Smiling sheepishly, Sage handed the barista her card just as she finished placing their order in.
"Well, do you want the cool fake answer, or the actual answer?" she asked, a smirk coming across her lips as the pair made their way to the far side of the counter. The cafe was quiet, more quiet than what it normally was.
"I want the cool fake answer!" The barista yelled over the steamer, the sound of the milk bubbling filling the small cafe.
"Well you know how tampons were originally invented to plug bullet holes? Well I wanted to try it out," she giggled. Matt chuckled as he dropped his head onto his chest; he loved when she was able to make light of such a bad situation. Turning towards her, his smile grew wider as another soft laugh fell from her lips.
"Hey uh, Cora, why is the cafe so empty today?" Sage asked, reaching for the two slices of cinnamon coffee bread. Handing the bag to Matt, she was careful in reaching for the coffees.
"Don't know honestly. Iris thinks it's because of those two masked people running around. No one wants to be out for fear that they'll come for 'em." Cora shrugged as Sage handed Matt his cup full of coffee. Glancing at him, Sage sighed as he stared straight ahead, no emotion to his expressions.
"Well, see you tomorrow Cora." Bidding goodbye to their favorite barista, the pair were slow to make their way out onto the busy streets of Hell's Kitchen.
"What do you think?"
"'Bout what, Flower?"
"The masked people of Hell's Kitchen?" she asked. Matt was silent as he listened to her heart beat. Her beats were steady, but he could smell her adrenaline rising; she was worried, anxious, scared even.
"I don't think we're in danger, Flower. Like you told Karen the other day: we're harmless."
Their walk was quiet after that, both of them lost within their own thoughts. Sage was terrified of what may come if the world found her out; some lonely city girl fighting at night for what? The greater good? To protect the little guy? Hell, she is the little guy, and she got herself shot last night, she should have been more aware of her surrounds.
"How's Sami? I heard something about how you wanna-"
"Nope, no. Not talking about that, Matt," she laughed, shaking her head. Her hair making the air around him smell of mangos, his favorite scent.
A harsh movement caused him and Sage to stumble to the side, his foot slipping off the curb and into the street. "Watch where you're going!" Sage yelled, her heart racing as she yelled at the man.
"Watch it bitch!" he yelled back, his voice was rough, and he smelled heavily of cigarette smoke. Matt knew this guy was bad news.
"Hey man, she's injured. Just watch where you're walking," he tried, his own tone even as he tried to keep the peace.
"Oh so a blind man is now telling me what to do? Come on, what are you gonna do to me?" the man taunted, walking closer to them. Letting go of Matt's arm, Sage stepped between the two men in efforts of keeping him safe.
"Listen, we don't want trouble alright. We just had a rough few days and-" the sound of skin hitting skin rang through the air, a shocked screaming falling from Sage's lips made Matt's blood boil.
Bending down to help her up, Matt didn't say anything he laced his hand within hers. "Come on Flower, let's just get to work," he whispered, already thinking of ways the man would pay later that night.
Helping her up, Sage sniffed as she saw her coffee splayed out all across the sidewalk; her coffee was the favorite thing about her mornings. "Let me beat him up," she whispered, the velcro on her sling tearing apart.
"No Sage, not with your-" Her rageful scream ripped through the air as she punched the asshole, a grunt coming from him as he fell to the ground. Punch after punch connected with his face as Sage grew rageful. A crowd was quick to gather around the screaming woman as the scent of blood filled the air.
"Sage. Sage that's enough!" Matt yelled, pulling her off of the man. Dragging her away, he gripped her wrist tightly as they fled the scene. He could hear the sirens blaring, the cops would be there soon and they had to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"Sage Hockley what was that?" he hissed, his volume low as they quickly walked towards their building.
"I know you didn't see him Matty, but the look of disgust and disgrace he made towards you. No one disrespects you like that. Not on my watch," she said, her voice choking up and becoming weaker. He knew she was just trying to defend him, but she could have gotten in so much trouble if he hadn't intervened when he did.
"Flower listen, you can't just go beating people up like that." Pulling her into and alleyway, he pushed her towards the wall before grabbing her hand. Lightly dragging his thumb over his knuckles, he took in any more injuries that she may have caused herself.
"Is this your blood?"
"No,"
"How's your shoulder?"
She hesitated, and he assumed she was checking over the obviously torn stitches. "Bleeding."
Matt sighed, a quiet laugh escaping his lips as he dug around in his bag. Producing a thick gauzed, he slipped it into her hand before handing her her sling once more.
"Can you make it to the office?"
Sage was once again silent for a bit before she hummed weakly. "Flower, are you okay?"
"I- yeah I'm fine Matty. Lets get to work," she said, sliding her hand in the crook of his elbow. Bending his arm like he always did, the pair made the two block trek to the office, the walk quiet as Sage thought about her coffee that was still splayed out across the sidewalk.
"Oh Jesus- Sage what happened?!" Foggy asked, his strides were long and quick as he looked his friend over. His eyes wide at the seeping blood coming from her shoulder and the bloodied knuckles.
"You want the cool fake answer?" she tried, her words playful as Karen handed Foggy their office first aid kit.
"No, not really." he deadpanned, ripping open an alcohol wipe . The pungent smell filling the air as Matt slowly made his way to his office to set the bag of bread down. His coffee was now about half full, the sweet liquid having been sloshed into the streets when that man ran into them. But he was determined to save some of it for Sage.
Listening to Sage tell Foggy and Karen all about how she had gotten shot the night before, and then fought a man twice her size this morning, he could hear the way Foggy sighed deeply, clearly worried for his friend.
"I promise I'm fine, the stitches just tore is all."
"Hey Flower, I can help with that," Matt called, beckoning her into his office. He knew the three of them were exchanges glances, all probably thinking something along the lines of How can a blind man help re-do stitches?
"I think you all forget that I used to stitch my dad up as a kid," he laughed, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. Sage's heels clicked towards him as she rested her hand against his arm. Closing the door, he pulled his own larger first aid kit out of his desk. Flipping it open, his hands skimmed over the contents of the box, before settling on the thread and forceps.
"Did you tear all of them?" he asked quietly, gently pulling at the gauze and tape that she had applied earlier. Humming in confirmation, Matt's hand ghosted across her shoulder, his calloused hands once again sending shivers down her spine.
Smirking up at her, Matt gently pulled the remnants of the stitches out of her shoulder. His mind starting to replay the events of last night as he pulled the last stitch out and prepped the new thread; hearing Athena get shot, and hearing her screams. He replayed the way he had to dig around in her shoulder for the bullet, and her agonizing screams of pain continued to break his heart.
"Flower, stop kicking your legs, you're gonna knock me," he laughed, pulling the thread through her shoulder. Sage stopped moving as she bit her lip in efforts to keep quiet. She hated this type of pain more than anything.
She couldn't help but to smile as she watched him concentrate, his tongue peaking out between his lips in concentration as the sun caught his eyes, reminding her of the golden coast that met the sea, or of her favorite cheap whiskey that she would always get down at Josie's.
She watched as the sun rays danced within his eyes, the golden caramels mixing with the greens of a field and the blues of an ocean. He was so handsome and her heart raced as her mind began to wander towards things she had never thought before about anyone.
"All set, Flower," he said, taping a gauze back over the wound. Thanking him, he brought his hand up to her face and cupped her cheek, a smile spreading across his plump lips. In all the years she had known him, she had never wanted to kiss him more than she did now.
Shivers ran down her body as he moved his thumb across the high point of her cheek; nobody had ever done this to her, and she was frozen for fear that the moment might end.
"I was able to save some of my coffee for you," he added, handing her the now cold coffee. Sage smiled as she wrapped her hands around the cup.
"Thank you Matt," she whispered, fighting the urge to even kiss his cheek, she jumped off the desk and wrapped her sling around her body again before making way to their small kitchen.
"Matt, how is it that every time a beautiful woman is in the room, you have to flirt with her?" Foggy asked, laughing as Matt emerged from his office.
"How am I suppose to know that she's beautiful? I'm blind, Foggy."
~~~~
His hand wrapped around her neck as his lips crashed into hers, he tasted of the cheap liquor that the pair had one too many of down at Josie's, but by god did neither care about that.
His other hand wandered around her body, gripping her hip and pulling her closer to him as their lips danced together as if they had done it a million times before. His need for her palpable as they stumbled towards the bed, their lips never once breaking the feverish kiss.
"If you don't take this dress off in five seconds, I will rip it off myself," he snarled before kissing her again with more fever. Reaching behind her, she quickly unzipped the silk dress, letting the delicate material pool at her feet.
Quickly stripping himself of his button down and dress pants, Sage watched as she fell onto the bed. Her eyes wandered his body as he threw his dress shirt to the floor next to her dress, nothing but their underwear separating their desires.
"How bad do you want me?" he whispered against her hot skin, his breath sending shivers down and across her body.
"Come on ,Flower. Tell me how bad you want me." he growled again, nipping at her skin as his hand dug into her hip, leaving finger size bruises in a place no one would see.
"I want you Matt. More than anything," she whined, her nails digging into his arms and back. Smiling against her neck, Matt drug his hand between them and pushed his boxers away before pulling hers down.
"Say it again. I want to hear you say it again." he demanded, his fingers ghosting over her clit. Moving her hips further down, her need for him caused a whine to fall from her bruised lips.
"Matthew please. I need you,"
"Good girl." he praised, lining himself up with her entrance and pushing himself into her warmth. A long drawn out gasp fell from her lips as she took him in. She didn't expect him to be that big, but by god did it feel good.
"Such a good girl, Flower. Taking me like such a good-"
A knock at her door broke her out of her thoughts, the water she was boiling for her mac and cheese now spilling over the sides of the pot. The glass stove stop sizzling and hissing as the water spilled down the sides.
"Shit shit shit shit, I'll be there in a second!" she called, taking the pot off the heat and moving to the back of the stove. Another knock sounded as she tried her best to clean up her kitchen.
Drying her hand on a towel, she opened her door and her jaw dropped in shock before she smiled.
"Evening Flower. Can I take you to dinner? I'll give you half an hour to get ready."
"Wait, what do you mean?" she asked. Looking him up and down, she did realize that he was wearing a nicer suit than what he normally wore.
"I mean, I want to take you out to dinner. Like we always do once a week," he laughed, walking into her apartment and stopping within inches of her. "Unless you'd like to stay in and eat." His tone was like a low growl, and with what she was daydreaming about minutes prior, Sage tried to squeeze her legs closer together.
"Is something wrong, Sugar?" He smirked as he took another half step closer to her. He could hear her heart starting to beat faster; he loved the way she asked around him.
"N- no nothing's uh...nothing's wrong Matt. I'll uh...I'll be back."