One night, it suddenly striked her.
It was one of these rare nights, when Matt wasn’t out, and he had spent the evening with her on the couch, eating takeaway and exchanging about the case they were working on. Karen was making her way through accounting details and insurance policies, Matt was making his through back alleys, roofs and dingy basements, with the occasional actual questioning of people in civvies.
And Foggy was shaking his head and doing the law-related work they were all supposed to be doing.
Matt had laughed at Karen imitating his friend, and sat back on his chair, feeling his watch.
“It’s late, we should get ready to sleep. I’m sorry, but I have to be at the office at 7, for the hearing at 8…"
“Don’t be sorry,” she patted his arm, “If you have to be on time once in your life, let it be tomorrow,” she nudged him on the shoulder, “or Foggy is going to kill me first, and you seconds.”
“Scary,” he tried to make a mock horrified face. “Better jump in bed right away.”
As he was getting up, Matt tilted his head suddenly, a genuine frown on his face, this time. A minute later, Karen could hear a siren, sound growing then fading, passing under the window. That’s when it striked her.
It poured out of her mouth before she could think.
“How on Earth do you manage to sleep?"
“To be honest, I’m often too tired and beaten to actually process what I’m hearing when I reach my bed, you know.” He said with a smile, gathering the dishes.
“That’s not funny.” She caught the dishes from his hands and brought them back to the kitchen area, then followed him in the bedroom. “How do you do it, then, nights like tonight?”
She sat on the bed, looking at him taking his tie off, and starting to unbutton his shirt. Just as it was starting to become interesting, he stopped and sat next to her with a crooked smile.
“Oh, you’re a tease, you.” She nudged him again. “And you haven’t replied to my question."
“I don’t want to exert that poor heart of yours. You should hear yourself.” He smiled again, then became more serious. “Meditation, when needed, can help me. Or, most days, the fridge’s drone suffices. I concentrate on it. Most of the time I manage to fall asleep before the end of the cycle."
“The fridge?!” She chuckled, incredulous.
“Any repetitive sound. It becomes a blank noise that drowns the rest. Fridge used to work wonders."
“Used to?"
The smile was back on his face, but a tender smile this time. He placed his hand above her chest, and kissed her, softly.
“Your heart. I sleep far better when you’re around, now.”