Chapter 7
My head rested on my hand against the glass window of the car, my fingers absently rubbing my forehead. I'd gotten a headache about five hours ago once the reception for the wedding I'd been working had really gotten underway. The pounding speakers the DJ was blasting music from had my ears ringing and my throat sore from trying to talk over the noise.
Thankfully I had survived another double wedding weekend–though I was sore, exhausted, starving, and quite dehydrated. My feet were killing me even in the comfortable flats I'd chosen for yesterday and today; I was in dire need of new bandages on the backs of my heels where the shoes had been digging into the soft, tender skin. It was like my heels never had enough time to recover from one weekend to the next before my footwear inevitably ripped the cuts back open.
I glanced down at my phone–still no text from Matt since early this morning. But he had known I had a busy Friday and Saturday photographing weddings all day and that I didn't check my phone while I worked. Still, I missed him. As he'd told me, he had been busy Wednesday with a deposition and Thursday he'd had several meetings with clients so we hadn't had a chance to do more than chat on the phone a few times and look forward to seeing each other Sunday.
Unfortunately I'd gotten one call from Justin a little while ago and the sight of his name on my phone had made my blood run cold. He hadn't left a voicemail or a text this time though, so I'd tried to consider myself lucky and ignore it.
The Uber turned onto my street and I grabbed the strap of my camera bag, hauling it into my lap. I just wanted to get into my apartment, throw on some baggy sweatpants, eat whatever I had in my fridge, and chug so much water before collapsing into my bed and passing the hell out. Preferably for more than eight hours.
"Your stop for the evening, miss," the older gentleman said as he parked the car along the street beside my apartment building.
"Thanks," I said.
I opened the door and slid out of the backseat as gingerly and elegantly as I could in the tight dress I’d been wearing. My flats cut right back into my heel the moment I stood on the pavement, my face wincing in pain a bit.
"Have a good night, miss!"
"Yeah, you too," I told the driver before closing the door.
The Uber drove off, leaving me alone on the sidewalk. With a huff I tossed the strap of my heavy camera bag over my shoulder, my muscles in my back immediately protesting the weight. I grit my teeth and began walking towards the lobby of my building, the backs of my heels burning with each step.
When I was a few feet from the entrance, something caught my eye just outside of the darkened alley and I froze. Slowly, my head turned to my left.
Daredevil was standing just a fraction out of the shadows, enough that I could see him in his dark red suit. He gestured his head towards me before ducking down the alleyway. My eyes closed as I exhaled sharply.
I did notfeel like dealing with this tonight. I just wanted to sleep and to get out of my damn shoes. And now Daredevil was somehow in the Upper West Side–where he was definitely not supposed to be–and all I could think about was how we'd kissed twice and how I'd drunkenly and very embarrassingly told him way too much information about my sex life the other week. It was made even more embarrassing now that something was actually happening between Matt and I finally, and I didn't want to ruin that over a ridiculous crush on the masked man.
I groaned, trudging to the alley after the masked vigilante as my feet protested each step. I startled when I turned the corner and almost ran straight into his intimidating form; I had expected him to be lurking further in the shadows. He looked serious tonight with his mouth drawn in a stern line across his lips as he took a half step back from me.
"You lost?" I asked him curiously, ignoring the flutter in my stomach at the sight of him. "This isn't Hell's Kitchen, Devil."
"I know," he answered.
"Then why are you here?" I pushed.
In the faint yellow light shining down the alley from the streetlights I watched as his mouth twitched briefly. My eyes narrowed suspiciously at him.
"Are you stalking me? You said last time you weren't but…why are you here? At my building?" I questioned.
He stared at me silently for a long moment. I could feel my pulse quickening despite how tired I was. I didn’t like knowing that he could hear it racing, too.
"I've been keeping an eye on your place," he finally admitted.
My eyes widened in shock, my hands tightening on the strap of my camera bag. "Wait, you are stalking me?"
"No!" he shot out quickly, shaking his head. "No. A few weeks ago you said your ex was bothering you. Harassing you. You seemed worried–" he pointed towards me, "–your body language gave it away. You're…you're afraid of him."
I swallowed hard, my eyes glancing down at my feet as I nervously twisted the strap of my bag between my hands. He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t make it anymore weird that he knew that. Or how to find me.
"So I…I added your building to my nightly patrols," he said softly. "Just to keep an eye out. Make sure he's not lurking around. You aren't that far from Hell's Ki–"
"How did you know where I live?" I demanded, cutting him off.
"Your scent…I uh, I can track it," he said quickly, but it didn't sound too convincing.
I shook my head, one hand raising to pinch the bridge of my nose. I just wanted to go to bed. I didn't want to have to deal with the prospect of whether or not a known vigilante was stalking me supposedly for my own sake. And I certainly wasn’t planning on figuring out how to let the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen down easy tonight because of Matt, not after working a total of twenty-six hours in the past forty-eight. I needed my bed.
"I appreciate the thought," I began, dropping my hand from my nose and facing him, "but I'm fine. You really don't need to worry about it. Look, I should apologize for the other week. I was drunk and I am quite embarrassed about some of the things I said, but this–" I said, gesturing a hand between us, "–can't happen."
His head tilted curiously to the side, the corner of his mouth tugging faintly upwards as if he was fighting a smile. "Finally listening to me?" he asked.
"There's…there's someone I've been interested in for a long time," I admitted hesitantly, the red lenses of his helmet boring into me as I spoke. I wrapped my arms around myself uncomfortably, my gaze dropping. This was awkward. "The other day he uh…admitted the same thing. And I just–just want to explore things with him without…complicating it. Or at least further complicating it since I'm not mentally in the best place," I explained, muttering out the last bit.
When my eyes traveled back to him I was surprised to see a warm smile on his face. My brows pulled together in confusion. That’s not the reaction I was expecting, not after our two previous encounters and with the way he’d kissed me both times.
"That's great, Emily. I'm happy for you," he told me. "I hope he does right by you to deserve the unwavering loyalty you always have."
My cheeks flushed at his words and I glanced away again, tucking loose hair behind my ear.
"I take it he kisses better than I do, too."
My heart briefly skipped as my eyes widened before my focus darted back up to him. He was smirking back at me, looking entirely unbothered. My mouth fell open but no words came out.
He held up a dismissive hand, waving away any need for explanation. "Don't worry about it." His smirk momentarily grew wider across his mouth. "But maybe he will have better luck unjamming your toaster."
My mouth dropped further as my cheeks burned at his words. There was a cocky grin on his face that I couldn’t even begin to decipher at the moment.
"I cannot believe I told you any of that!" I exclaimed, mortified as I buried my face into my hands.
He chuckled lightly and then I heard his body shift beside me in the alley, a long sigh expelling from him. I glanced up from behind my fingers, noticing his expression had fallen back into the serious one he'd had when I'd first seen him.
"What?" I asked him nervously.
"I told you I've been coming out here to keep an eye out for your ex," he repeated.
"Yeah?" I prompted.
Daredevil's hands tightened into fists at his side, my eyes drawn to the movement. His attitude had shifted from cocky and amused to angry and violent so quickly as he mentioned my ex.
"He was here almost an hour ago," he told me, all traces of amusement gone in his tone. "Banging on your door until your neighbor threatened to call the police."
I took a hesitant step back, my heart slamming itself into my chest violently at the information. There was a wash of cold through my veins again despite the balmy heat of the night. My arms tightened around myself further. Daredevil's mouth dropped into a deep frown, his head canting to the side as he examined me. He took a cautious step towards me.
"He's gone, Emily," he told me gently. "He left about forty-five minutes ago. I followed him, made sure."
Tears were starting to burn behind my eyes. My breathing was growing short and irregular as sweat slickened my palms.
Daredevil took another cautious step towards me, a tentative hand held out. "Hey, he's gone. He won't hurt you. I won't let him. But maybe you shouldn't stay here tonight by yourself."
I nodded slowly, exhaling a shaky breath. "Yeah, yeah you're right. He might be–might be on something tonight. Might come back," I breathed out.
"You have somewhere you can go?" he asked carefully. "Your brother's? A friend's? That…guy you're seeing?"
I licked my lips, Matt's gentle face running through my mind. He wouldn't mind me calling to crash there because Justin showed up, right?
"I think so," I answered hesitantly. My eyes flew to the red lenses in his mask nervously. "Can–can you maybe…stay while I…bring my things up? Just while I'm in my apartment?" I pleaded. "I'm–" I swallowed hard. "I'm not sure I want to deal with him alone again," I admitted, voice soft.
His mouth twisted into a pained expression at my words, his fists tightening further at his sides. "Normally I would, Emily, I swear but I…I need to get back to Hell’s Kitchen."
I winced at his words, a tear slipping down my cheek as I began nodding my head rapidly. "Yeah. No. I get it."
From what I could see of it his face fell. His jaw clenched tight for a moment before he spoke.
"I'm sorry, I just–just need to get back. But Emily," he said in a fervid rush, "I swear he's nowhere near here right now. I've been keeping an ear out. I wouldn't leave you if I thought he was. Wouldn't leave if you weren't safe." One of his gloved hands gently grabbed my shoulder. "Please trust me. He's not nearby."
I ran a hand across my face, sniffling loudly. His hand was still gripping my shoulder, the red eyes of his mask intensely gazing back at me. Eventually I nodded, my stomach still churning uncomfortably at the thought that Justin had shown up at my place.
"Okay," I breathed out.
Daredevil stepped forward, unexpectedly pulling me in towards him with the hand he had on my shoulder and wrapping me into a tight embrace. Too alarmed at how my night had turned out, I buried my face into the armor in his chest.
"You should call someone," he urged me. "Please don't stay here tonight."
I nodded against him before pulling back, wiping a hand across my face to brush away the dampness the tears had left.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"I'll always be here for you, Emily," he whispered back, his words causing something strange to stir in my chest. "I should have been before and I regret that now."
My eyes narrowed at him curiously as he stepped back further into the shadows of the alley. "Wha–"
"I have to go," he told me, voice tight. "I'll continue keeping an eye on your place though."
I watched as he disappeared into the shadows entirely, leaving me alone. I exhaled roughly before turning, my legs shaking beneath me as I headed back towards my building. My shoulders hunched forward as I walked, the bag on my shoulder weighing me down and the sting in the back of my heels returning with each step.
I hurried through the lobby and up to my apartment, moving as fast as I could while trying hard not to remember when Justin had last shown up slamming on my door and shouting at me through it months ago.
My hands were trembling as I pulled off my flats, blood coating the bandages on my heels. I winced at the sight. As I padded along the dark floors to my bedroom, my breath coming in quick, my feet were grateful to no longer have my shoes cutting into them.
I set my shoes and camera bag into my walk-in closet, bending down to retrieve my phone from my bag. I immediately searched my contacts and pulled up Matt’s name before hitting the call button. I chewed the inside of my cheek anxiously as the phone rang for a while before it went to his voicemail. I frowned, hanging up and checking the time. It was just after midnight, he might’ve had his phone off while he was sleeping.
I took a deep breath and focused on changing out of my dress and finding something comfortable to slip into. I would try to call him again in a few minutes and if he still didn't answer I'd try Ezra.
Heading back to the dresser in my bedroom, I flipped through my drawers and found a pair of comfortable cotton shorts and a soft tee-shirt, pulling them on over my bra and underwear. I grabbed my phone and brought it to the bathroom with me, placing it on the vanity counter before setting to work scrubbing off my makeup from the day and brushing my teeth, no longer hungry after what Daredevil had told me.
When I was finished in the bathroom, I picked up my phone again and tried calling Matt. The phone rang repeatedly and I felt my heart sink. I pulled it from my ear, about to hang up and call Ezra, until I heard Matt's voice come through the speaker.
"Matt?" I asked, holding the phone back to my ear.
"Hey–hey, Em," he greeted. He sounded out of breath as he spoke. "Sorry I uh…just got back from the gym. Forgot my phone."
My brows furrowed for a moment. "You go to the gym this late?" I asked him curiously.
"Yeah. Sort of–" he exhaled a sharp breath. "Sort of easier to fit into my schedule." He huffed a few more times, clearly trying to catch his breath. "Also less people to stare at the…the blind guy." He laughed a little breathlessly.
"Why are you so out of breath, though?" I asked.
"Didn't do a cool down after," he said quickly, still panting a bit. "Cardio day. Just wanted to get it over with, you know?" He cleared his throat. "So uh, what's wrong? Why’re you calling so late? Something happen?"
My mouth opened, the words almost immediately spilling out before I stopped myself. Matt didn't know about my weird friendship with Daredevil. I didn't know if now was exactly the time to bring it up, either.
"I uh, just got back from today's wedding," I began. "My…my neighbor told me that Justin was here a bit ago. Banging on my door and–and looking for me."
"Are you alright, Em?" he asked, instantly concerned. "He didn't do anything, did he?"
My free hand twisted into the fabric of my shirt nervously. "No," I whispered out. "No, I wasn't here. But I…" My eyes closed as my voice trailed off, the fear returning again as memories tried to flood back. "I don't want to be here," I breathed out, voice wavering.
"You can stay here," he offered instantly. "You want me to come get you?"
I shook my head even though he couldn't see the gesture. "No, I can get a taxi. I just don't want to be here alone. I don't know if he might come back. And I–I don't want to be alone with my thoughts," I confessed.
"Then stay with me tonight," he urged. "Come over now, I'll just shower quick and be out before you get here. I'll keep my phone by me if you need anything."
His concern warmed me and I felt my body relaxing a little. "Thank you, Matty."
"Call me if you need anything, okay?" he insisted.
"I will," I promised. "I'll be there in a few minutes."
I hung up, gathering a big purse and tossing an extra pair of clothes in so I wouldn't have to come home tomorrow dressed in my pajamas. For now I didn't care, though. I grabbed my wallet and a bottle of water from my fridge and made my way back down to the lobby of my building. It took a minute to grab a taxi and then I gave them Matt's address before nervously settling into the back seat, my fingers anxiously tapping against my thighs as the car drove.
My mind was racing on the drive; I wondered why Justin would even bother to show up at my place. What more could he even want from me? Why couldn't he leave me alone? And–as much as I now appreciated it knowing the worry wasn't unfounded–why was Daredevil going out of his way for me?
When the taxi pulled up in front of Matt’s building, I was quick to pay the driver before getting out and rushing straight to the elevator. The ride up to the sixth floor felt like it took forever before the elevator doors opened, and then I was almost sprinting down the hall towards Matt's door.
I knocked sharply before wrapping my arms around myself. Almost as if he'd been waiting by the door, it swung open to reveal Matt. His hair was damp, water droplets dripping from the wet locks and trailing down his face. He had one hand tugging a dark blue tee-shirt over his muscled torso as his eyes landed along my neck.
"Em?"
"Hey, Matty," I greeted quietly.
He stepped to the side and allowed me to enter, shutting the door and locking it swiftly behind me. Then he turned towards me, his arms outstretched wide and a gentle expression on his face. Wordlessly I stepped into him, unwrapping my arms from myself and clinging to him instead, burying my face into his warm chest. He smelled like the slightly unscented soap he'd just showered with and I inhaled the smell deeply; it was comforting.
"Thanks for letting me show up in the middle of the night," I murmured into his solid chest.
"You're always welcome here, Em," he assured me.
His large, warm palms were rubbing soothingly up and down my back as he held me. His face was buried in my hair, his hot breath cascading down towards my neck and drawing goosebumps along my skin with it. My eyes closed as I soaked in the comfort of his presence; under different circumstances this could have been a moment that might have led to us kissing and possibly heading back to his bedroom, where I would have been more than excited to tear his clothes off and feel every part of him that I'd only ever imagined touching. But tonight, with my body worn from working back to back weddings and the strange encounter with Daredevil warning me about Justin's unwarranted visit, I just wanted to be held. To feel safe. I still wasn't ready for that step with him.
"Why don't we go sit down?" Matt suggested. "I know how much standing and walking you do all day at weddings. Your feet must be killing you."
With a reluctant sigh I pulled out of his embrace, allowing him to gently entwine our hands and lead me over towards his leather couch. The bright billboard outside of his window was casting a deep purple light across his living room. He settled me onto the sofa before turning to shuffle off, grabbing a glass from his cabinet and filling it with water.
"Would you like me to turn the lights on?" he called out from the kitchen.
"No," I answered back, my eyes watching as the colors shifted along his floor. "I like it like this. The uh, the billboard is bright enough. Calming, even."
Matt's feet shuffled softly against the floor before a glass of water was held out in front of me. I accepted it, the chill of the glass feeling good on my hands. I took a few sips, my stomach roiling at the liquid.
"I can make you something to eat?" Matt offered.
"Thank you, but I'm not…not hungry," I told him, eyes focused on the condensation forming along the glass. "Sort of lost my appetite. My stomach is barely accepting water."
Cautiously Matt sat down beside me, his body mere inches from mine. His hands slowly rested on my shoulders, lightly guiding me to turn. My brow lifted curiously at him, not understanding what he was doing.
"Turn," he ordered gently when I didn’t move.
"What?" I asked him.
He gestured his head towards the other end of the couch. "Turn, put your feet up."
My eyes narrowed curiously but I did as he asked, carefully turning my back towards him. His hands remained on my shoulders and as I shifted to look at him over one of them, his hands began massaging the sore muscles underneath them. A soft sigh escaped my mouth at his touch.
"Matt, you don't–"
"Relax, Em," he cut me off. "You've had a long weekend. You're sore, I know you are. Just let me take care of you. I want to," he told me.
I swallowed hard, giving in and relaxing into his touch. His fingers weren't rough, but they did press firmly into my muscles, softening the aching in my shoulders for a bit. And then his hands slid up to my neck, the calloused pads of his fingers working along the length of it; his hands massaged and soothed the tension that had accumulated from two days straight of toting a camera around it. My eyelids began to droop, my shoulders sagging as I began to lean backwards into him. His hands eventually worked their way downwards, initially focusing on the column of my spine before massaging the muscles on my upper and lower back. The only sound around us as he did was the soft breaths he exhaled behind me mingling with the faint pleasant hums his hands kept dragging from my throat.
Eventually I felt myself close to dozing off under the tender ministrations of his hands and I turned towards him, his hands halting on my lower back at the movement.
“Thanks, Matt, but you really don’t need to keep massaging me,” I whispered.
He smiled, leaning forward into me as his hands slid from my lower back around to my abdomen, wrapping me in a tight hug from behind. His mouth planted a kiss to the corner of my jaw and a shiver ran down my spine.
“I really don’t mind,” he whispered back.
“Mmm, well I appreciate it,” I mumbled back, my eyelids sagging under the exhaustion from the past two days, “but I’m honestly beat. Keep it up and I’ll be passed out on the couch in a minute.”
“I could just carry you to bed,” he replied easily.
Something stirred down low inside of me at his words, but I was too drained and unnerved from the evening to focus on it.
“I don’t think you’d–” a yawn cut me off unexpectedly and I stifled it behind a hand, “–want to do that. Sure you’re tired, too.”
“Finish your water, sweetheart,” Matt urged. “Your body needs it. Then we can go to sleep.”
I hummed in response before bringing the glass to my lips. I chugged the cold liquid down, my body relaxed enough that it didn’t further upset my stomach. Matt grabbed the empty cup from my hands, placing it down on his coffee table beside us before he stood up. I shifted on the couch, about to plant my feet on the ground, but Matt was quickly leaning over me. He easily slid an arm under my knees and one around my back before effortlessly scooping me up into his arms. A surprised gasp shot out of me as my own arms encircled his neck, clinging to him. Matt only chuckled softly, grinning down at me.
“Relax, Em,” he teased. “You weigh next to nothing. I won’t drop you.”
My cheeks burned as I gripped his neck tighter, my head slowly lowering to rest against his chest. He carried me across the living room and into his bedroom, releasing the hand around my back and still toting me easily as he slid the covers of his bed back. Gingerly he lowered me onto the mattress, my arms slowly unwinding from around his neck.
“That was hot,” I mumbled drowsily, eyes half closed.
Matt huffed out a laugh and my eyes immediately snapped open when I realized I’d voiced that particular thought aloud.
“Was it?” he questioned me.
I threw a hand over my face, groaning. “I’m running on a few hours of sleep. That wasn’t meant to be said aloud.”
“I’m not complaining about it,” he answered as he made his way to the bedroom door.
My head rose from the pillow, brows knitting together. “Where are you going?” I called out.
He paused in the doorway, glancing back towards me. “I was going to sleep on the couch, let you take my bed.”
“Can you stay?” I asked him. “I…don’t want to be alone.”
“If that’s what you want,” he answered.
He slid the bedroom door shut, effectively blocking out the light from the billboard, before he trudged over to the other side of the bed. I settled back into the pillows as I watched his movements. He shifted on his feet beside the bed when he reached it.
“You prefer if I sleep with my clothes on?” he asked hesitantly. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Matt, we already fell asleep half naked the other night together,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but that was because I didn’t have anything comfortable to change into,” he countered.
“But I did,” I reminded him. “And I didn’t change into it. Sleep however you’re comfortable.”
A faint grin spread over his lips before he pulled the hem of his shirt over his head. My eyes lingered on the way the muscles in his abs and arms flexed as he undressed, discarding the sweatpants from his lower half next before he slid onto the bed beside me. One of his arms snaked its way under me, drawing me into his chest, and I rolled onto my side and into him. My left leg eased its way towards him, draping itself over his left leg as it settled between both of his warm, bare thighs.
Leisurely my left hand skated across the warm, solid plane of his abdomen, my fingers tracing the lines of his muscles. My fingertips brushed along the dips and crevices between each muscle in his abdominals, some of them shifting beneath my touch as Matt shuddered. Biting my lip, my fingers gradually slid upwards just past his nipple where they began exploring some of the scars along his chest. I was too tired tonight to ask him about them, but I was curious where they’d come from. Instead, I turned my head lightly, placing a gentle kiss to the scar just beside where my head was resting on him. Matt hummed a contented noise in response.
I readjusted myself against him, Matt’s hand gradually gliding back and forth over the length of my arm. My fingers continued tracing patterns along his chest, my eyelids growing heavy once again.
“Are you okay, Em?” Matt asked through the darkness, his deep voice breaking the silence.
I sighed, my hand ceasing its exploration across his bare skin. Instead my palm slid across his bare chest and down to grip his right hip, pulling myself flush against him. His hand on my arm squeezed me gently in return.
“I’m doing better now,” I murmured back, my fingernails drawing circles on his skin drowsily.
Matt’s head shifted above me, his mouth briefly pressing a kiss to the crown of my head. “Good,” he whispered into my hair.
My eyes closed as his head returned to the pillow, a small smile spreading along my lips. I felt safe and content wrapped up in his arms drifting off to sleep.