Curate, connect, and discover
This is so good oh my gosh!! I love the sassy main character and Daredevils reaction!! If you ever want to write more for this, please feel free to tag me in it!!
THE DEVIL'S GAME
MATT MURDOCK X VIGILANTE!READER
Summary - Seeking retribution, you find yourself wandering into Hell's Kitchen, only to become ensnared by the Daredevil himself.
Warnings - 18+, broken bones, blood, flirty shit, vaguely suggestive
Word Count - 2.9k
// masterlist // send me your thoughts //
Hell’s Kitchen wasn’t your neighborhood.
But you hadn’t thought twice about it before leaving the comfort of your home, abandoning Queens to fulfill a dream of paltry retribution.
Any other night and you might have considered the consequences of crossing into the Kitchen, but tonight your judgment had been clouded by an opportunity to finally lay your hands on the slippery brute that had gotten under your skin as of late.
And, by the time you realized that you had willingly traipsed into the Devil’s Realm, it had been far too late.
Farlin Costain was a particularly skilled pick-pocket, renowned amongst his fellow New York gutter rats—including petty thieves, drug dealers, and the likes—for his stealth and cunning. Typically, you wouldn’t have bothered with someone so low on the food chain, leaving him for some smaller vigilante to handle.
Unfortunately for Costain, he made a costly mistake when he had made a target of your sweet, innocent roommate last week. And while you once wouldn’t have spared Costain so much as a second glance, you now had every intention of making him regret the very day he was born.
“C’mon Farly! Already giving up?” You sang, patronizing him as you pressed your foot down harder against his breastbone. “I thought you wanted to play! Remember?”
Word spread like wildfire that you were looking for Costain as every back-alley criminal in New York gossiped about what he must’ve done to catch your eye. Because of this, it only took a few days for Costain to catch wind that you were on his trail—and, being an absolute moron, he spent an entire drunken night in Scruffy Duffy’s Saloon bragging to friends and strangers alike that, should you find him, he could easily take you in a fight.
Alas, the bartender at Duffy’s—an old informant of yours—was glad to send you a text detailing Costain’s visit. The pieces fell into place quickly after that, and soon you found out that the asshole was staying in a shitty mid-rise apartment just down the street from the bar.
He hadn’t heard you when you skillfully leapt from the neighboring building, landing atop his apartment to spy him and a few of his cut-purse buddies passing a joint. As soon as you stepped into the light, his friends scurried like roaches, darting for the door to the stairwell.
None of them were particularly recognizable, and since your vendetta wasn’t with them, you gladly let them escape.
But not Costain.
“Fucking cunt!” Costain wheezed beneath your weight, writhing on the gravel that lined the rooftop and spitting blood on your shiny black boots. You grimaced—disgusting.
“Is that the best you’ve got? Blood can be cleaned up—but it’s gonna take weeks for your nose to heal. Do you really want your friends to find out that you couldn’t take me? That you couldn’t even get a hit in?” You continued to chastise him, head cocking to the side as you examined the blood still gushing from his now crooked nose.
To Farlin’s credit, he had tried to fight back, having pulled a switchblade out as soon as you made a move for him. Unfortunately for him, the stealth needed to swipe wallets and watches was as far as his combat skills seemed to go, and it had taken you less than a few seconds to send the blade tumbling over the edge of the rooftop, clanking on the sidewalk below.
But what Costain lacked in skill, he certainly made up for in spirit.
“I can’t fucking breathe!” He rasped; his throat still raw from all the screaming he’d done after the nauseating crunch of his nasal bones. Thrashing beneath you, he lifted his hands to your ankle and began clawing and hitting and scratching, desperately trying to pry your foot off of his chest. “Get off!”
You didn’t so much as flinch as his fists whirled at your calf, nor did you relieve any of the pressure you were applying to his breast. Instead, you pressed even harder, giving him a wicked grin.
“You’re left-handed, aren’t you?” You mused, noting the slight weakness of the punches coming from his right. “Are you ambidextrous?”
Gasping, Costain’s eyes lit with fury as a strangled sound ripped from his throat, growling at you.
“I’ll take that as a no,” You hummed, your cheshire grin growing wider now. “They say that anyone can learn, y’know. How to use both hands.”
Crouching down, you forced more of your weight onto him as you leaned over his face, your loose hair grazing his cheek. The fury in his eyes had already extinguished, replaced with an icy fear. His arms began to fall limp at his sides, his body too oxygen deprived to keep fighting you.
“If you wanna learn,” you droned, tracing a single digit along the curve of his plump, blue lips, “then I’d be glad to give you some encouragement.”
Faster than light, you slid your weight off his chest, rising above him. Farlin heaved at the loss of pressure, miserably trying to fill his aching lungs with air.
Too delirious to fight back, he didn’t even notice when you lunged for his wrist, grabbing hold and hastily yanking him to his feet. You pressed your other hand right above his elbow, giving it all your force as you snapped his arm at the joint, the bones splintering and giving a deeply satisfying CRUNCH!
Farlin had filled his greedy lungs with just enough oxygen to let out a gnarly scream as the pain washed over him like a tidal wave, sending him crumbling to his knees in front of you.
“Damn, my bad,” you huffed, frowning at the sight of him, hot tears streaming down his cheeks as he clutched his right arm. “I was supposed to break the left one, wasn’t I? I can be such a ditz sometimes, huh? But no worries—I can fix this!”
You went to reach for his left arm, taking far too much pleasure in the terror that ignited in his glossy eyes, but the adrenaline now pumping in his veins gave him an edge. Using his newfound chemical courage to try and scramble away from your assault, he managed to just barely evade the quick swipe of your hand, only to then fall backwards onto his ass.
You snorted a laugh at him—useless.
Too terrified to try and make a second attempt at escape, Costain only looked up at you with pleading eyes, silently begging you to leave him alone. You considered it for a second—just one—scrounging deep within yourself for even a trace of pity for the thief.
Unfortunately, you came up empty-handed, as you often did when dealing with trash like Costain.
You went for his left arm a second time, but as soon as you took a single step, something stopped you.
No—scratch that—not something, but someone.
A muscular arm wrapped around your middle, trapping your arms at your sides. You went to make your escape, but before you could tense even a single muscle, another arm wrapped around your throat—not applying pressure, not yet, but effectively trapping you and leaving you incredibly vulnerable.
“I think he’s had enough for one night,” a luscious voice spoke in your ear, the warmth of their breath grazing along your neck, “Don’t you?”
You were as still as a doe in headlights, carefully flicking your gaze down to the arms wrapping around you. Noticing the all-black sleeves that covered them, you sunk your teeth into your cheek. As far as you could tell from your current position, there was nothing discernable about the mystery man holding you hostage.
“Not at all,” you admitted to him, cunning as ever. “I was just getting started.”
The man gave a disapproving grunt. “You’ve already terrified him. He can hardly breathe,” he pointed out as if you weren’t aware of the heaving mess lying on the ground in front of you.
“Even better,” you quipped, trying not to flinch when the arm around your waist suddenly tightened. “I like it when they’re afraid.”
His breath caressed your skin again as he scoffed, shaking his head. “Look, I don’t care what kind of sadistic game you like to play with these men, but keep it your own borough, got it? I’ve heard about what you’ve done in Queens—and my neighborhood isn’t open to being your new playground.”
The declaration gave you pause. Your breath caught in your throat as you suddenly remembered where you were and whose territory you had crossed into and made a mess in. His neighborhood–
Fuck—you swallowed, only to find that your mouth had gone dry—he’s the fucking Daredevil.
Costain seemed to put the pieces together at the same time as you. And, while still weeping over his shattered nose and broken arm, decided to crawl towards the infamous Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, hiding behind him and deciding to take his chances with him over you.
Fucking coward.
“I didn’t realize the Devil kept tabs on the rest of us,” you teased, trying to settle the pounding of your heart as you grappled with the dangerous fact that the Daredevil knew who you were. “You never bother coming to the annual vigilante sleepovers.”
He hummed, but there was no hint of amusement. “I only keep tabs on the one's worth knowing about—and you have been making quite a mess. Last I heard, you were leaving innocent men mangled and bloody on every street corner from Queens to Brooklyn.”
Irritation warmed your veins, blood thrumming in your ears as you howled, “Innocent?!” You gave a dry laugh, “The men I deal with are far from innocent, Devil-boy! The man you just saved is a fucking thief! And last I checked, you and I are supposed to be on the same team!”
“We aren’t even playing the same game, sweetheart.” Daredevil corrected, the endearment slipping from his tongue sounding more like an insult than anything else. “He’s a petty thief. If your only interest was in keeping the streets clean, then you could’ve easily taken him down and left him on the doorstep of the nearest police station.”
You cut your eyes, slumping in his hold. “And where’s the fun in that?”
“You really are hopeless,” He snorted, unimpressed. “One broken arm is more than enough retribution for a pick-pocket. Swear you won’t touch him, and I’ll let you go.”
“Or I could break your arm instead,” you suggested coyly, either in an attempt to flirt with or distract him.
You tried to wiggle your arms at your sides, assessing just how much you were able to move. His own muscled arm rested just above your elbows, leaving some limited motion in your wrists and forearms. You wouldn’t be able to do much with it—nothing spectacular—but maybe…
“If you thought you were strong enough to do that then you would’ve tried it already.” He countered.
“Well, physical strength isn’t the only way out of a sticky situation, Devil-boy,” you reminded him. “But I’m more than confident that I could kick your ass.”
The hold around your neck suddenly grew taut, his forearm lightly pressing against your windpipe in a subtle reminder that he was much stronger than you. “With a single move,” he purred, “I could snap your neck. Your life is in my hands.”
Your pulse throbbed, but you didn’t panic, even as every instinct you had was screaming at you to give in—to stop antagonizing him and vow to never lay another hand on Costain again.
But you were never very good at listening to that little voice in your head that told you what to do.
Taking a hefty bet on your life, you used what limited motion you had in your arms to wiggle them back and slide them around his hips. You felt his muscles tense, readying himself to fight you or choke you or something, but juvenile laughter was already spilling from your lips as you brazenly cupped his backside in your palms.
“My life might be in your hands,” you declared through a fit of giggles, “but your ass is in mine!”
Your confidence grew when you realized that he hadn’t yet choked you out for your insolence—too stunned to react at all—and so you took full advantage of his inability to move without releasing you. Using your newfound grip on him, you shoved his crotch against your ass, grinding back against him just enough to catch him further off-guard.
An involuntary groan slipped his lips at the rough contact, his voice gloriously low and hoarse and absolutely to die for.
Daredevil figured you would try to fight back, but he had been expecting something along the lines of hand-to-hand combat—and not once had he considered that your preferred method of fighting would be grinding your ass against his dick.
Shocked, unprepared, and a little horny, Daredevil took a step back to try and put space between your body’s, his grip turning lax as his blood rushed south. You took advantage of his single moment of weakness, managing to slip from his grasp with some ease now.
“See?” You boasted, holding your arms out dramatically as you stood in front of him, finally face to face. “I told you physical strength wasn’t the only way out.”
Daredevil was quick to regain his composure, and when you noticed a muscle feather in his jaw, you had the good sense to move swiftly into a ready position—just in case the Devil wanted to dance.
But he made no move towards you, even as your fists lifted in his direction. He stayed where he was, clicking his tongue as he said, “You fight dirty.”
A smirk played on your lips. “You don’t know the half of it. But don’t worry, I’m just as much a masochist as I am a sadist,” you teased, blatantly admiring the appearance of his toned muscles beneath the tight-fitting black shirt he wore, “so we can take turns, if you want.”
He laughed, actually laughed. “Never gonna happen.”
You stuck your bottom lip out, pouting at him, but he didn’t react.
“Why not? Looks to me like you enjoyed having me touch you,” you spared a glance to the now sizable bulge in his dark jeans. “Tell you what, Devil-boy, let me break his other arm and I’ll consider taking care of that for you.”
Costain gave a pathetic whimper at that, as if he too could sense the growing tension in the air and worried that Daredevil might be willing to sell-out in favor of getting off.
Ignoring his whining, Daredevil took a step closer to you, and then another. Your body reacted, muscles growing taut as you prepared yourself to strike him. But, when he halted less than a couple of inches from you, you felt as if your bones had all but turned to jelly.
He smelled of expensive cologne and cheap coffee, and even with the black mask covering the entire upper half of his face, you had no doubt that he was impossibly handsome. Your heart thrummed wildly in your chest, and as if he could hear it, he gave you a satisfied grin.
“Your mouth is as filthy as your techniques,” he rebuked, though a hint of amusement and intrigue laced his tone. “Tell you what,” Daredevil mimicked you, “you’re gonna get out of my neighborhood—now. And, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stick to your side of the city from now on.” His breath fanned against your cheeks, and a warmth suddenly crept up your neck. “Got it?”
“And if I don’t?” You felt incredibly small beneath his impressive height, having bent your neck to look up at him.
The Devil seemed to stare down at you—no, he seemed to stare through you, though his eyes remained entirely hidden beneath the mask. You wondered what color they were, if they were as pretty as the rest of him, and how they might look rolling into the back of his head as you straddled his waist—but your fantasies were cut short as he stretched an arm towards you and roughly caught your jaw in his hand.
You grunted at the unexpected contact, the sound making his grin grow wider. His nails scraped lightly against your cheek as you tried to jerk away from the touch, but it was a futile attempt. “If you don’t,” he muttered, leaning in closer as his tongue glided across his lips, enticing you further, “then I’ll make sure that you regret it.”
A bit breathless, you tried your best to sound unaffected, only for the slight wobble in your voice to give you away, “Sounds like a challenge.”
His head tilted to the side, as if he were watching you, listening to the erratic pounding in your chest and the sound of blood rushing your veins. For a heartbeat you let your gaze fall to his chiseled jaw, to his mouth, calculating the risk of leaning in and catching his pouty bottom lip between your teeth.
“It’s not,” he assured you, his voice thick and gruff. “It’s a promise.”
You stifled a hiss as he released your jaw from his grip. He didn’t spare another word before turning away, the gravel crunching beneath his clunky combat boots as he went straight to Costain, heaving the thief off the ground by his non-broken arm.
If it were anyone else stealing away your target, you likely would’ve cut them down right alongside Costain.
But it hadn’t been just anyone—it was the Devil.
Dumbstruck and more than mildly infatuated with the alluring Daredevil, you knew that tonight would be the first of many visits to Hell’s Kitchen.
my brain is rotting because i've written 44+k words in a single month because i decided to rewrite infinitely you and while taking a small break from working on it i created this garbage fire of a matt murdock one shot.
thanks for reading
xmale!reader
summary: - (M/N) : "Matt Murdock isn't the daredevil, and I can prove that!"
Inspired by a post from pinterest
warnings :Fluff, mention of hickeys, hint of sex, matt murdock x male! reader
I'm not satisfied with this but here you go!
You were sitting alone in a cozy looking coffee, a cup of hot choclate in your hands. You were waiting for one pn your friends, they were suppose to meet you today, an hour ago, but their work seem to hold them.
You didn't mind, you were actually enjoying the normality, which had been robbed from you, the day you decided to help the vigilante of Hell's kitchen.
At that time you were new to the place, and it happened the night you moved in. You were reading your book on the sofa, when you heard something. A loud sound scaring the living out of you.
Thinking it was some thief, you reach for your gun. If you remember right, your friend who used to live here, had warned you about Hell's kitchen. He told you this place was full of criminals, all type of them.
Seeing as there was no other sound, you decided to check. You walked down the stairs. Very cautionsly, you looked left and right and to your suprise you saw a man, wearing all black passe out next to your neibhood door, and there was a small similar to rust, which meant only one thing, Blood.
You put your gun in your pocket, and slowly walked to the man who breathed heavely(You supected it was from blood lost), but soon as sat next to him your guard went up , you could heard someone scream, and you could guess from what you catch them saying, they were looking for someone. Putting two and two together you knew they were talking about this passe out man.
Without hesitation you cared him princess style, taking him inside your small appartment , and patched him up. It wasn't hard, since you used to work in the hospital, helping your mother around.
The next day, he woke you up with a punsh in the face. Which didn't ended good for him.
How dare he push you in the face after you helped him from been caugh from the bad guys, putting your life in danger.
After calming him down ,with one hand caging his hands above his head, the other holding his thight to stop him from thrashing around, while setting on his lap. You calmily explain what happened, as calm as someone can be in this situation. He didn't trust you entirely, until he listened to the beating of your heart.
You didn't let leave until he was complitly healed, which scared the living shit of his friends, but you did care , no. You had a patient in your hand, a vigilant on top of that, and you knew one thing about vigilant, is that they never give themselve propore rest.
The time he stayed in your house, you both become friend, closer than he liked to admit. Which soon turned into something beautiful, yet he didn't ask you for a date almsot a year later.
You can blame it on Matt's trust issues, and his past relationships, but you weren't like them, Matt knew that. You were an angel send from above, his angel. That loves him, and ready to stand between him and the bullet if they have to, a thing he doesn't a prove to, but still greatfull about.
_(M/N)!!
A voice cut your train of thought, and you looked up to see your friend. They were a beautifull , yet you never found yourself attracted to them.
_Do you know how many times I had been calling for you!
She huffed, making you let out a small laugh as you put your now cold cup down.
_Sorry I was lost in my mind.
_ So??
You titled your head confused.
_So?
_Did you find evidence that Matt Murdock is the daredevil.
Yes, you thought. The evidence been your eyes, and the hickeys on your body, espacially your chest. Man was he obessed with your chest.
So yes, you knew who the Daredevil was, but you aren't going to tell. You rather die with two bullets in the head, before you betrayed his trust. The trust he had fought his brain for, to finally be put in your hands.
_ I found more evidence that he was not daredevil!
You didn't let her comment, before you keep talking.
_First one, it's illegal, and I'm pretty sure as a lawyer (you insisted on the word lawyer) Matt would already knew that.
Her expression change in to a thinking one, and you had to stop a smile. Your plan was working.
_ The second reason, Murdock is a catholic ,from what I found, his a religious man, so he can't be vigilantes. It's writting in the bible.
_ Daredevil hocked up with frank Castle, and Matt Mudrock would never do that, he already in a relationship with me.
Frank Castle, you blushed as you remembered the man. Matt and you were drunk one night and in the middle of hooking up, the same night Frank Castle had crushed in "red's" house, and one lead to another. In conclusion, you fucked both of them, and you don't regret that.
_ the last reason is, the man is blind. Which will make it hard for him to move around, without any assistance. How would a blind guy fight a criminal with a freaking gun..hmm?
You raised an deyebrow, watching their expression change to disappointed as they crossed the name of your boyfriend out of their list, and you felt releive wash over you, with a little of guilty , they were putting so much efford in finding out who Daredevil was, and you wondered why?
They whispered a small thank you , before taking a step ourside. Head held down, you wanted to confort them but you knew them better than anyone else, they were going to be fine, and you right. Just a second later, they raised their head high, eyes shining bright, it was funny.
_Thank you.
A voice spoke from behind, almost making you jump of of your place. Snapping your head, you found your boyfriend smirking. Speaking of the devil.
_Matt, stop scaring me, like that.
Your hands were on your heart as an attempt to calm it down, before the said man stole one of them to give a small kiss on your palm, and you coudln't find in your heart to stay mad at him, how could you when he looked so innocent and cute like that, he was lucky you both in public, all your unholy thought would have become reality.
Matt let out an amused laugh, who would have thought, you were perv, but he still loved you.
pairing: matt murdock x fem!reader
summary: matt finally gets to take out the girl that's been leaving care packages at his door for two months.
warnings: swearing, slight angst, tooth rotting fluff (might need to call your dentist after this one)
word count: 3k
a/n: the highly requested fluffy sequel to care packages. thank you to everyone that requested this. i hope you enjoy your first date with matty. ❤️ as always, feedback is welcomed/appreciated!
[part one]
“I hate you, you know that?”
Matt nearly spit out his coffee as he lurched over the conference table slightly, forcing the lukewarm bitter taste down his throat as a wave of incredulous laughter tore through his chest.
“What? Why?”
“Because it isn’t fair. It’s bad enough you’re so goddamn charming, and it’s borderline offensive that you’re like the most attractive dude I’ve ever seen. Not to mention that whole wounded duck routine you’ve got going on that makes all the girls fall at your feet-”
“Foggy, I don’t-”
“-but what’s exceptionally unacceptable is that you somehow managed to find a girl that knows about the horns, and not only didn’t run away, but still agreed to go out with you. Like the fact that you’re a vigilante and a walking human disaster totally didn’t phase her at all. That’s…like…against the rules!”
Matt couldn’t help but snicker at the disgruntled tone lacing his best friend’s exasperated voice, and the way the edges of Foggy’s mouth dipped in displeasure.
“What rules, Foggy?”
“The rules of the universe, Matt. You’ve had too much good fortune-
“Right, like being blinded and orphaned-”
“Oh, shut the hell up. I’m talking about-”
“Guys, please. If you two keep bickering, Matt’s gonna be late. He’s lucky she’s even going out with him at all. Can we finish this?”
Karen glanced between Matt and Foggy with an arch of her brow, trying to hide the smirk that threatened to capture her lips as Matt’s teasing grin faltered into a purse of his lips from that bruise to his ego.
“Wow. Thank you…for that vote of confidence, Karen.”
“It’s true and you know it. Now, both of you sign these damn papers so we can get out of here before she changes her mind.”
Foggy’s expression suddenly turned serious as he focused his attention solely on Matt, staring at him with an accusatory finger pointed in his direction.
“I swear to God, Murdock. If you fuck up my pipeline to those crack cookies, I will never forgive you. You better turn that Matthew Murdock charm up to a million, you got me? I want those cookies, Matt. Cookies.”
»»——— ———««
It had been five days since Matt had asked you to dinner, and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about you. Between the slew of court cases he was elbow deep in and the extra patrol he’d been doing at the docks to bust a trafficking ring, he hadn’t had a chance to talk to you again. He couldn’t feel your presence when he awoke past his alarm in the mornings, and when he finally got home at the Devil’s hour, he could hear you below him sleeping soundly in your bed.
For the past five nights, the harmony of your heart’s rhythm had eased him into a peaceful sleep like a serene lullaby.
But Karen’s words had anxiety filling every single cell in his body as he navigated the bustling streets of Hell’s Kitchen.
What if you had changed your mind?
It had been five days. Five days without getting to speak to you again. Five days without another care package.
That wasn’t unusual, right?
You didn’t follow a strict schedule with them. The drop offs were usually every few weeks. It just wasn’t time for one.
Or maybe you didn’t want to deliver any more of them.
Maybe the reality of who and what he was sank in and gave you cold feet.
Maybe this was over before it began.
“Fuck.”
Matt felt like he was losing his mind playing the role of the plaintiff and the defendant in the case of had he royally fucked this up already. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this nervous to go on a date. Maybe it was because you were the first person he was going on a date with as himself. Not one half concealing the other. Not with a pre-spun web of lies to cover his tracks. Not with a rehearsal to remember to play down his abilities.
All his cards were out on the table, and while he felt an absolute rush of liberation that you knew the truth already, the consequences of that truth were daunting and seemed to be lurking around every corner of his mind. By the time he reached his door, his clammy hands kept slipping over his key, and sweat had started to bead uneasily along his hairline.
Should he call this whole thing off?
He really didn’t want to.
Did you want him to call it off?
He prayed you didn’t.
Had you been thinking about him for the past five days too?
He really hoped so.
»»——— ———««
When Matt finally made it to your door, he was nearly out of breath and his cheeks were flushed with heat. He had changed three times because you had, and he didn’t want to be over or underdressed. He focused his senses intently on you, trying to decipher the materials and textures of the outfit you finally settled on. You had music playing as you got ready, and for a few moments Matt just paused and listened to you hum along. You seemed to be in a good mood, and that eased his nerves considerably.
Was it wrong for him to invade on your privacy like that? The angel on his shoulder was already adding it to the laundry list for his confession on Sunday. But the Devil in him argued that he was going to hear you anyway. It wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t help what his senses picked up.
Fifteen minutes before he was supposed to meet you at your door, Matt panicked and realized he hadn’t got you any flowers, and promptly ran down the street in search of a vendor. He spent eight minutes trying to pick some out. He didn’t know what kind of flowers you liked, and roses felt too cliche and insincere. He wanted to pick something special, something that showed he put thought into them, even if he had run to get them right before he was supposed to pick you up.
The vendor had talked him into a bouquet of violet peonies, and since he didn’t have time to spare, he raced back praying that this was the one flower you didn’t hate or God forbid were allergic to.
Matt took a moment to gather himself outside your door; wiping the sweat from his brows with the back of his hand, attempting to steady his rapid breathing, smoothing his windblown hair back into place, and reciting a quiet Lord’s Prayer for good measure.
When his knuckles finally collided with your door to knock, he didn’t know if his heart was racing from the marathon he had just run, or because of you.
The light patter of your feet eagerly approaching the door caused a smile to grace his lips, and once he tuned out the sound of his own heart raging in his ears, he could hear yours fluttering in your chest like a hummingbird.
You were nervous too.
There was a bright smile on your lips, and a light twinge of embarrassment from how quickly you had flung your door open, and you let out a quiet laugh at your own expense.
“Hi Matthew.”
God, he had forgotten how melodic your voice sounded, and how much he suddenly loved his own name hearing it fall from your lips.
“Just Matt, is okay. Only my priest calls me Matthew. And, well…a few judges in the courtroom. And my partners when I cause them undue stress in the workplace. I mean you…you can call me whatever you want, whatever’s more comfortable. It’s just-it’s kinda formal, and you don’t have to-”
“Matt’s nice. I like Matt.”
“Matt likes you.”
Matt internally grimaced as those words slipped past his lips, and the mixture of disapproval and mortification on his face from his own blunder caused a fit of giggles to erupt from your mouth.
“Well, then we’re on the same page. Glad we’ve covered that base for tonight.”
He let out a breathy chuckle as he dipped his head for a moment, trying to find the source of his usual easy charm to refuel his glaring depletion. He cleared his throat as tilted his head to the side slightly, gazing blankly past his crimson glasses in the direction of your face with a somewhat shy smile on his full lips while delicately handing you the bouquet.
“I uh…didn’t know what kind of flowers you liked, but the guy said these were the prettiest ones he had.”
Warmth spread across the tops of your cheeks when your fingers lightly brushed against his to retrieve his thoughtful offering, your lips immediately splitting into a wide grin.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you, Matt. I love peonies. How did you know purple was my favorite color?”
Matt perked up at that, and he stood up a little straighter as a proud, dimple-showcasing, toothy grin took over his mouth.
“Lucky guess.”
“Do you always get so lucky?”
“I guess we’ll find out tonight.”
Matt’s dazzling grin immediately dropped, and you could see his eyes widen behind the cherry tinted lenses. As his face paled and his lips parted in horror, his brows shot up above the frame of his glasses.
“Oh God, I didn’t-that wasn’t…I swear I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not-you’re not-this isn’t…I meant the date. Not that I’m expecting anything-I wouldn’t-I just…meant I hope it goes well. I didn’t-Jesus fucking Christ.”
You were nearly in tears with laughter as Matt stumbled over his words. A part of you felt bad for laughing at the clarity of his humiliation, but it was so endearing knowing he was just as affected by his nerves as you were. This man that went out every night to take down dangerous criminals, and was arguably the most feared man in the city himself, was standing in front of your door stumbling over an apology about an unintended double entendre.
Reaching out to place your hand on his arm, you gave it a reassuring squeeze, momentarily distracted by the dense muscle you felt beneath the soft material of his shirt, before smiling at him in sympathy as you attempted to control your laughter.
“Matt, it’s okay. Really.”
He let out a deep exhale, his tongue darting out to wet his lips quickly as he let out a short and dry chuckle. Matt nodded his head in your direction, a faint curve of self-deprecation on his lips.
“Is this the worst first date you’ve ever been on?”
There was a teasing tone accompanying the timber of his voice, but layered beneath you could detect a chord of genuine curiosity intermingled with trepidation. The smile on your lips only grew as you looked up at him.
“Actually, it’s one of the best.”
Matt was completely in awe of you. There wasn’t a single falter in your heart’s rhythm. He felt his lips easily mirroring the smile that was on yours, reaching his hand out to lightly grasp your elbow as your hand was still comfortably placed on his bicep.
“What would I have to do to make it the best?”
“Hm. What’s for dinner?”
“Italian. That I know you like.”
A soft noise of content hummed from your throat, and the grin that bloomed on your lips triggered his own.
“Yeah, you’re definitely in my top three right now. But, the night is still young.”
Matt couldn’t help but chuckle at the playful invitation that flowed from your voice.
“Top three? I can work with that. I like a challenge.”
»»——— ———««
The restaurant Matt brought you to was a quaint, family owned spot just a few blocks away from your shared apartment building. It’s a place he had passed by on several instances, the aroma of fresh produce and homemade pasta sauce passed down through generations capturing the intrigue of his senses every time he crossed its path, but he had wanted to save it for a special occasion like a celebratory fifty year old bottle of champagne.
And tonight, he was popping the cork on it with you.
The space was incredibly cozy. Tea light candles flickered romantically on every table and cast an amber glow in the somewhat dim lightning. Collections of sepia and noir photos of large families and historic Italian architecture decorated the walls. The imported Sangiovese was rich in tannins and bold in flavor, caressing your tongue like bittersweet velvet. And the loud personality and thick accent of your waiter repeating your orders off in an alluring symphony of Italian made you feel like you and Matt had somehow been transported straight from Hell’s Kitchen to Italy just by passing through the door.
Both of your nerves seemed to evaporate into the breeze flowing through the open windows with every splash of burgundy against your lips and exchange of exquisite flavor from your dishes. Matt asked you questions with childlike excitement, eager to learn more about you, studying you with the exact same enthusiasm he showed important cases that were of the utmost importance to him.
In return, he found himself answering your own inquisitions easily without having to spare the devilish and more complicated details. It was so incredibly emancipating to not have to pretend with you. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t having to play a character. He could just be…Matt.
You approached every question with genuine curiosity and a respectful distance of where his invisible boundaries might be, and it made his heart soar that you were trying so hard to carefully craft his comfort. Matt had known that he was enthralled with you the first time he met you, but by the time dessert came, he was absolutely smitten.
He didn’t want to get too ahead of himself, but he also didn’t want the night to end.
“Can I walk you home?”
“Hm, I don’t know. You sure it isn’t too out of your way?”
Even if Matt couldn’t feel the way your lips parted into a huge smile, he could hear it in the cadence of your voice. The subtle joke made him chuckle as he nodded his chin in your direction, his own mouth pulling into a charming smirk.
“I’d still offer even if you lived in Long Island.”
The sudden spill of heat across the tops of your cheeks and the quiet sharp intake of your breath had his heart pounding faster in his chest.
“I suddenly wish I did.”
Even though your tone was playful, he could detect the implications behind your words. You didn’t want this night to end either, and that had him soaring up to cloud nine. Feeling emboldened by your indirect confession, Matt reached his hand out slowly to brush his fingertips against the palm of your hand, easily threading his fingers through your own, reveling in the softness of your skin that he had missed. He felt a spark every time your pulse resonated against his own, and his cheeks nearly hurt from how much he was smiling.
“I prefer you living a floor below me.”
By the time the two of you reached your front door, Matt couldn’t tell if it was the electricity from the building buzzing in his ears or the anticipation that kept building the entire walk, growing larger and larger like a snowball ready to plow into his chest to cause an avalanche when you turned your body to face him. As your thumb lightly brushed against the back of his scarred knuckles, a question that had been bouncing around in his head all evening could no longer go unanswered.
“So, as far as first dates go, what’s the verdict? Did I move up at all?”
Matt splayed his most charming smile across his plump lips, and while the flirtation in his voice was evident, so was the unmistakable undertone of uncertainty. The blood rushing through his veins was roaring in his ears like tides crashing against the shore during a storm.
“I’d say you made it to the top two.”
Matt cocked his head to the side slightly, seemingly surprised by your answer, his brows raising above the browline of his glasses slightly.
“Second place?”
“Unless you’ve got a last minute testimony for me to rule in your favor, Counselor.”
Your voice remained soft and teasing, but your heart was fluttering violently in your chest, like the hummingbird was trying to escape its cage. Matt carefully let go of your hand, reaching up to pull his glasses away from his face, baring himself completely before you as he slipped the crimson lenses into his pocket. The slight gasp from seeing his eyes for the first time that caught in your throat caused a bashful smile to appear on his lips.
His tongue darted out to wet them quickly, catching a taste of the tiramisu you shared still lingering on your tongue. He wanted to devour it from your lips. Taking a bold step forward, he did his best to fix his gaze where he thought yours was, leaning in slightly until your noses were merely an inch apart, the warmth of his breath fanning over your lips.
“May I?”
His voice seemed to have dropped an octave lower, coming out in an intimate whisper that you answered all too eagerly.
“Yes.”
Matt couldn’t hold back any longer. He quickly closed the sliver of distance between you, pressing his lips to yours with a satisfied groan, feeling a surge of pride at the way your breath caught in your throat. For a good thirty seconds, you actually stopped breathing. When he reluctantly broke the kiss, he brushed his lips against yours and whispered into them softly.
“Breathe.”
The second the command slipped off his tongue, you exhaled heavily before sucking in a sharp drag of oxygen, and Matt couldn’t stop the smug grin that overtook his entire mouth.
“Well, sweetheart? What’s the verdict now?”
“Yeah…yeah, yeah definitely in the number one spot.”
Matt beamed at the breathlessness of your voice, his arm snaking around your waist to pull you in closer to his chest as he purred into your ear.
“Lucky me.”
tags: @yarrystyleeza @little-miss-dilf-lover @desert-fern @neverlandcity @charmedkim @queenofthenoobs @stilldreaming666 @mattymurdock1021 @bubuslutty @messymissy @dark-academia-slut @strawberry1042 @danzer8705