matt laughed with foggy, arm looped through his as they walked through the park. matt was happy like this, with the man he knew he was safe with.
foggy smiled at matt, knowing he can't see him. he had been thinking about telling matt how he feels, and.. may as well do it before he had the chance to convince himself not to. foggy slowed to a stop, causing matt to tilt his head.
"hey, matt?" foggy began, racing heartbeat a heavy thrum on matt's ears.
"yeah, fogs?" matt replied. his own heartbeat was thrumming in his ears as his anxiety spiked. everything was fine, so why does he feel like foggy's about to leave him again, like everyone managed to do?
"i, uh. need to, tell you something..?" foggy stuttered, trying to ignore matt pulling away from him.
"..okay," matt sighed, already feeling tears well up in his eyes. he didn't want to lose foggy. not after his recent realization of his.. feelings, for foggy. but somewhere deep inside him, he knew foggy was going to leave him.
"i.. i don't know how to say this, matt.." foggy trailed off, hearing matt's breath hitch at the nickname.
"don't leave me, foggy.. please." matt felt tears fall as foggy stepped closer, letting foggy take off his glasses and wipe his eyes.
foggy chuckled. "i won't. you'll have me forever, promise. you know why?" foggy breathed, grounding matt.
matt shook his head as foggy cupped his cheek, leaning into the touch he's longed for.
"i-i love you, matty. and not in- in the friend way, either, uh.." foggy trailing off as he looked somewhere, anywhere but matt.
matt's brows arched instinctively, expression softening as he listened to foggy's heartbeat to realize that foggy wasn't lying.
"i.. i love you, too, fogs."
matt felt foggy lean up, breath catching in matt's throat as he breathed out, "kiss me."
and foggy did. he pressed his lips to matt's, pulling matt's chest closer to his. matt felt his senses ignite, honing in on foggy and foggy only.
they stayed like that for a while, in each other's arms. matt pulled back abruptly, though, twitching as he felt a sudden imbalance in hell's kitchen as he stopped hearing voices and heartbeats he'd come to be so accustomed to ignoring.
"foggy? something's wrong," matt turned, grasping for foggy. his hand closed around where foggy's arm should have been, feeling nothing but air.. and dust?
"matty, i- i'm, crumbling to dust..?" foggy fell to the ground, not hitting his head only because matt was holding him (when did that happen?).
"foggy, please, i- i can't see you, i don't know what's happening, please.." matt cried, holding foggy's face.
"i don't wanna lose something i just earned, fogs.." matt sobbed, feeling more weight relieved from his lap as foggy crumbled more.
"i love you, matt murdock." was what foggy said before fully disappearing.
matt let out a strangled scream.
"but.. but you promised.. i.." matt cried, pounding his fists on the ground.
matt sobbed so hard he nearly threw up. he cried and cried, actually throwing up next to the dust.
his throat stung, his heart ached, tears were falling faster than they ever had.
karen. karen. karen. kar-
matt cut off his annoying ringer, answering the call with shaky hands.
"matt, oh my g- you're alive! where's foggy, is he with you?" karen's voice was soothing to matt, but her words stung worse than any bruise or bloody gash he's had.
"he.. he's gone, karen, he-" matt choked on his words.
"oh. oh, matt, honey, i'm so sorry, where are you? i'll come and pick you up," karen offered, listening to matt stutter out the address.
matt waited for karen to arrive, brushing the dust off of his pants as he stood. the pile of dust that used to be his newfound lover was being carried off by the wind.
matt wondered why emotional pain could make him sick physically.
matt shoved his glasses back on as he heard karen arrive.
"matt! god, you're.. a mess. let's get you home," karen said, then walked matt to his apartments.
matt fumbled with his keys, opening the door and stumbling in. karen grabs his arm, keeping him from falling.
"let's get you to bed, honey.." karen coaxed, leading matt to his room despite knowing he didn't need it. she poured him a glass of cold water, pressing it to his lips for him to drink.
"thank you, karen, i.. i don't know what i'd do without you." matt smiled weakly.
ººº
years passed.
dust collected in the unused law firm.
matt got a job at a restaurant.
matt was losing hope that foggy would ever return. and yet, he still paid foggy's bills.
karen occasionally checked in on matt. claire was nowhere to be found, so karen took a bunch of medical classes. she learned how to stitch wounds and disinfect them.
matt visited the gold memorials daily. he let karen find foggy's name the first time, of course.
"foggy, i miss you. i can't.. i can't do this anymore, i.. it's been five years. please.. i.. i need to see you again, and if.. if that means i have to.. then, i will." matt held back his tears for the sole reason of being in public as he walked back to his apartment.
matt opened his door, grabbing a bottle of pills. he knows it's his pain reliever because of it's placement. matt pours out almost the entire bottle, rolling the pills over in his hand. he's finally going to see foggy again. his lover lost too soon.
just as matt was about to take all of them, his ears became overwhelmed by all of the..
were those.. heartbeats? and the sounds he hadn't heard in years?
matt quickly shoved the pills back in the bottle, running out of his building so fast he forgot his cane. he ran and ran, not stopping until he got to the park where he lost foggy.
the sound of that soft heartbeat, the scent of..
the scent of home.
matt felt tears fall from behind his glasses, taking them off and shoving them in his pocket. he doesn't, he can't wait, for foggy's confusion to pass, he only runs to foggy and tosses his arms around him.
"you've been gone for five years, fogs." matt sobbed into foggy's shoulder, stubble scratching foggy's neck. foggy returns matt's hug, rubbing circles into his back.
"well i'm home now, matty. and this time, i promise i won't leave."
foggy tilted matt's head back, pressing his lips to his lover's.
and this time, he keeps that promise.