#Neighbor

[fightinglikeaman]

Pray for your neigbors

[bimbowshmimbow]

neighbor!joel x reader

part 2

mdni. 18+ only. neighbor!joel, slow burn, age gap (reader mid 20s / joel late 40s), no shmex but sexy, steamy, joel is so grumpy but he’s obsessed with you, mentions of possessiveness, aftercare, reader wears tiny shorts and no bra oops.

You stood awkwardly on Joel Miller’s porch, barefoot, wearing nothing but a giant t-shirt and cotton shorts that barely covered your thighs.

The porch light buzzed overhead, casting a golden halo around your figure. Joel leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest, sweat still clinging to his collarbone from whatever project he’d been working on outside.

“Somethin’ wrong, darlin’?” His voice was low, rough with sleep and something else — something thicker.

“My sink’s leaking,” you said, shifting your weight from foot to foot. “I tried fixing it myself, but I think I made it worse.”

Joel’s dark eyes drifted down, catching the curve of your bare legs, the hem of your shirt just barely brushing the tops of your thighs.

He cleared his throat, jaw ticking. “You shouldn’t be walkin’ over here dressed like that. Not this late.”

Your cheeks burned, but you lifted your chin anyway. “You gonna help me or not, Miller?”

He huffed a breath, something like a laugh. You thought you caught the faintest twitch of a smirk.

“Yeah, I’ll help you,” he muttered, stepping back to let you in. As you brushed past him, you could feel the heat radiating off his body, could smell the leather and soap and wood shavings on his skin.

Inside, his house was warm, messy — lived-in in a way yours wasn’t yet. Tools littered the kitchen table, a football game murmured low on the TV.

“You make a habit of runnin’ around dressed like that?” Joel asked, his voice casual but thick, strained.

“Just for you,” you shot back without thinking, heart pounding in your chest.

Joel’s head turned sharply. His gaze pinned you to the spot, heavy and burning.

He set the wrench he’d been grabbing down with a quiet clink. Took a slow step closer. His voice dropped to a rumble.

“You oughta be more careful, sweetheart,” he said. “A man might get the wrong idea.”

You swallowed thickly, your mouth suddenly dry. “What if I want him to?”

Joel’s nostrils flared. His eyes darkened.

And then — slow as anything, giving you time to pull away if you wanted to — he reached out and cupped your jaw in one big, calloused hand.

His thumb brushed over your cheek, tender despite the roughness of his skin.

He stared at you like he was trying to memorize every inch of your face.

“You sure about that?” he rasped.

You nodded, too breathless to speak.

Joel leaned in — close enough that you could feel the brush of his beard against your skin, could smell the bourbon on his breath —

but he didn’t kiss you.

Not yet.

He hovered there, making you ache for it, making you work for it.

Finally, when you whimpered and leaned up into him, he smiled against your lips and whispered,

“That’s my girl,”

before kissing you — hard, hungry, like he’d been waiting years for it.

I love this so so much! ~bow

part 2 is up!

[aradassbadass]

neighbor!frank castle headcanons

✧ as uninterested as he tried to seem in the first few months when you moved in across from him he secretly found you presence very endearing. he enjoyed your wreaths and door decor; he thought they added life to the otherwise dull building.

✧ even though he had never spoken to you directly he knew exactly who you were & he knew you weren’t from around the area. (which he assumed is why you never felt the need to lock your door when you would leave)

✧ surprisingly he was the first to speak and break the streak of nods and tight lipped smiles. he caught you locking your door as he was coming up the stairs, grumbling “might wanna grab an umbrella.” before he disappeared into his own apartment not even staying long enough to get a response out of you.

✧ after that it was you who did all the talking, your first means of doing so being you thanking him. “hey, hey! thank you for the heads up last week i uh got you this.” you pull the umbrella from your tote extending it towards him. he looks at it then at you back at it then at you again making you shift awkwardly. “i just assumed you didnt have one seeing as to how you were all soaked.” again silence and an unreadable stare. “well alright never-“ he finally grabs the umbrella grunting a “thanks” before continuing down the stairs.

✧ it was safe to say the gesture softened him slightly, so when you finally found a couch at the thrift and needed help moving it he was a bit more willing to let you use his van and even aid in getting it up the stairs making for the start of a very complicated friendship.

[sunsherbet]

Got Milk?

In which you ask your neighbor to borrow a glass of milk for a recipe.

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

CW: None

You wish you could say this was a first for you.

That deep down you were some uber-responsible twenty-something who made their grocery list and checked it twice, but you weren’t. This was the third time this week you’d forgotten something from the grocery store and only realized when it was that exact ingredient your recipe depended on.

It wasn’t even like you cooked often. You were a habitual air-fryer indulger whose culinary portfolio consisted of elevated cup ramen and just-add-water pancakes. 

But your sister was coming over, and you wanted to surprise her with her favorite chili oil pappardelle pasta. Hence, you needed a few more ingredients than your usual frozen dinners required, one of which was milk—an ingredient you realized, as you looked in your fridge, you were completely out of.

The minute hand ticked loudly, and your head snapped up to glance at the cupcake-shaped clock, which was slowly approaching 8:30—giving you less than an hour to finish your meal.

With time counting down, you had two choices for getting the milk: First, you could run down to the corner store and hope the creepy cashier wasn’t working tonight. That normally wouldn’t have been a massive concern, but it was winter, which meant it was dark outside already. And honestly, your sister's pasta just wasn’t worth the risk of dealing with someone who gave you the shivers. That left you with the second choice: flashing your best smile and begging your neighbors for a cup.

To the right of your apartment were Mrs. Hyde and her wife—two sweet old ladies who smelled like vintage perfume and flabby wine. Unfortunately, they went to bed at 7 p.m., so that was out. On the left were Mikael and his daughter Erin, but you two never quite got along, so that wasn’t an option either. Which left the one who lived across the hallway. He was supposedly a 'charming young chap' (according to the Hydes) and had lived there longer than you, but you’d never seen him.

Six months ago, when you first moved in, you’d baked some muffins and left them at his doorstep, but you’d forgotten to write a note and had been too embarrassed to try another introduction. So, this would be your first encounter with him. But it was an emergency, you swear! Otherwise, you wouldn't be bothering him with your trivial milk problems (even though they weren’t so trivial—after all, you'd already started the noodles and needed the cream base. Fast).

You grab a pair of neon Crocs, their bright contrast to your wine-red dress a jarring reminder of your frantic state, and rush out of your apartment, making sure to turn off the boiling water and secure the lid.

When you reach the door, you’re not sure why your heart is pounding in your chest or why your arms are covered in goosebumps. It’s probably just the nerves of meeting someone new, you decide, shaking yourself a little to readjust.

You curl your fingers to tap against the door, but just before your knuckles rap against the sturdy wood, it swings open. Standing in the frame is a tall guy with wire-frame glasses. He’s got a slimmer frame than his baggy plaid shirt can fill out, and a brown cardigan button-up rests just above his slacks. His bronze-like hair and matching doe eyes give you a not-so-subtle once-over, full of curiosity.

You jump in surprise, balancing yourself on the tacky wallpaper of the hallway. He quirks an eyebrow in a way that’s frankly adorable but you’re just a bit too stunned to fully appreciate just how attractive your neighbor happens to be.

“Can I help you?” 

“Uh, yeah, do you happen to have any milk?” 

He quirks his eyebrow again and this time you take note of the way his hair flops in front of it, “Yeah just not like grain or anything.”

You wave a hand in front of your face and shake your head, "Oh don't worry I'm not a hipster or lactose intolerant." The joke is rewarded with a small chuckle and you quickly decide it’s endearing. Dropping your hand from in front of him you stick it out, “Uh I’m your neighbor by the way. Not some random looking for milk handouts.” 

“I’m Spencer.” He provides, though he lets your hand hang between the two of you awkwardly, "Did you know the number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering? It's actually safer to kiss."

Dropping your hand to your side you pucker your lips dramatically, and tease, “Are you asking for a kiss?” 

“W-What? No!” He leans back and you erupt into a giggle, shaking your head at his grimace.

“Well if you don’t want a kiss do you mind if I get that milk?”

“Yeah, of course, I can help you with your..?" He trails off, seemingly not knowing what to call your predicament.

But you certainly know what it should be called, and answer without hesitation, "My life or death dilemma? The reason for my current milk escapades."

Spencer seems to relax a bit more at your rambling, his posture less stiff and more calm, "Hm, seems like it's pretty important." He quirks an eyebrow, leaning against the door frame.

"Well, I did say life or death didn't I.” You look over at his watch and tap a foot impatiently, "Hey um I'm kinda in a rush, my sister is coming over and I'm not even half done with the stupid sauce. Though in my defense, I didn't know she was coming until like a week ago and I'm an avid cereal eater so the likelihood of me even having milk when she came over is slim to none - but I took the risk and now I'm milkless and totally screwed because cooking is hard and god I think I burnt the noodles for this stupid chili oil pappardelle pasta-which by the way I don’t even know how to make." 

Spencer is biting his cheek because he can’t laugh. He can’t laugh because it’s rude to laugh at someone he’s only just met, even if you’re blabbering and blushing and wearing adorable chartreuse platform Crocs. 

When you moved in across the hallway, Spencer Reid had admittedly looked into you. It wasn’t that he meant to be intrusive—it was just in his nature. He’d always been wary of new people, especially given his line of work. So when the long-vacant apartment finally filled and the scent of Yankee Candles began to waft through the hall, he might have asked Penelope to do a little digging.

Though her extensive report didn’t do justice to the person standing in front of him now. 

"Oh my god, you're laughing!" You exclaim, positively mortified at his audacity to laugh at you in this time of need.

"Sorry! Sorry!" He catches his breath after a moment and licks his lips with a flick of his tongue, "Maybe I can make it up to you?"

You smile but your foot is still tapping, "Do tell."

“While I’ve admittedly never made chili oil pappardelle pasta I’m quite quick to pick things up. If you need any help I could-?”

"Oh please thank you!" Letting out a sigh of relief you go to grab his hand, only pulling back when you remember his tangent about germs,  "She'll be here in thirty minutes so we have to hurry."

"Okay, let me go get the milk, and uh we can start."

"Thank you, Spencer.”

"Oh ... you're welcome."

You don’t notice the blush.

[eyefullartz]

Happy birthday Yugo!!

[amberlynnmurdock]

Neighbor

Matt Murdock x Reader

Summary: You're Matt Murdock's neighbor, and one night he hears you pray.

Words: Under 1k

A/N: I just be posting anything now lol wrote this in my notes app hope you like it!!!

The building was quiet most of the time, but unfortunately for Matt Murdock, that wasn't the case, ever. Most people couldn't hear apartments three doors down and the conversations that went on in them. But Matt could. And he could never avoid them.

He distracted himself from the outside noise with menial chores–cleaning whatever dishes were left in the sink, reorganizing glasses in the cabinet, and practicing his fighting. But when dusting and cleaning wasn't enough, when even the music he played couldn't drown out the noise, he tended to listen to a particular apartment: hers.

She lived alone. Right across the hall, diagonal from his own door. Of all the apartments he was forced to listen to day in and day out, hers was the most peaceful. The quietest. She didn't have loud conversations with anyone, she didn't have a dog who would bark in the middle of the night. Instead, she had a teapot on the stove that would whistle when ready; she spent most nights quietly flipping through pages of a book. She got up to that annoying phone alarm and trotted to the bathroom to get ready for work. Matt's not sure what she does, but sometimes he hears her come home late when he's about to get ready to patrol the streets as Daredevil.

Matt realized going over this in his head was a little more than creepy and trod the thin line of being a stalker, but his heightened senses and what they picked up on were unavoidable. The times he couldn't focus on anything else or tune out the other noises in the apartment he focused on hers because it was the most calming to his senses.

He's only run into her a handful of times on the rare occasion they both leave for work in the morning. One time, they both exited their apartments at the same time. She quietly waved good morning until she realized she waved at a blind man and then uttered a more audible "good morning." Most people would ignore the realization and awkwardly go about their day, but not her. She always made sure to say good morning from then on. Matt liked that–no, liked you.

Matt found himself eager to get home after work more often than not, in hopes of coming home at the same time as her. Anything to get a small interaction would be enough for him. Even if it was as small as her holding the door for him or wishing him a good night. He looked forward to these small interactions so much that if they didn't happen, Matt would have a much less than good day.

One night, though, when he was just about to let himself fall asleep after a rather rough night patrolling Hell's Kitchen, he heard her. He heard her in a way he hadn't before. From the hiccups, to the shaky breaths, and the lingering taste of salt in the air, he knew she was crying.

Matt shot up in bed as he began to listen more intently–what happened?

"Please, God," he heard her whispered prayer, "Please make sure I make it home safe and unharmed from work. Please. There's so much violence in this city and I'm scared to walk alone at night."

Matt took a shaky breath, gripping his silk sheets in his hands. She was scared, he confirmed. Well, rest assured, he thought. Tomorrow night, he would make sure she arrived home safely from work himself.

TO BE CONTINUED??? IDK.

[jmstoesblog]

Next door

Pairing: dilf!neighbor!Jungkook x fem!reader (JK is 38, age gap is 14 years)

released: 18.03.24

Summary: For helping you move all your new furniture in, he wanted a reward.

Warnings: blowjob (in front of a mirror), age gap, dilf Jeon, degradation, neighbor jungkook, not proofread!!

Wc: 500+

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“You filthy little whore,” Jungkook grunts, “you like having my cock in your dirty mouth?”

You pull away and look up to him, “Yes, I like having you in my mouth.”

Jungkook let’s out a chuckle and caress your cheek, “Show me how much you love it, make me cum.”

You start sucking the tip and massage his balls at the same time, he lets out a grunt, “fuck,”

It doesn’t take long for you to go further, you take him in your mouth and what can’t find in your mouth, you stroke it.

Jungkook looks down, “fuck, look at you. Lookin’ so pretty taking my cock in your mouth.” He grips your hair and starts bobbing your head at a faster pace, “fuck, fuck, fuck!”

You gag as the tip hits the back of your throat, tears spring free, “tsk look at you, already crying.” He mocks you, “is it too much? Little girl can’t take it?” He devilishly laughs.

He purposely goes faster, more tears streaming down your face. You grip his muscular thighs in order to now lose your balance.

He takes notice of that and stops moving your head, instead he keeps it in one place. His large hands on each side of your face, he starts fucking your mouth nice and slow.

You look up to him, the pleasure is written all over his face. He licks his lips and looks down at you, he goes faster. Thrusting his hips in and out of your mouth.

The tears don’t stop. He looks ahead and smirks at the sight.

A large mirror is behind you. Jungkook moans at the sight. You kneeling down taking his dick so good and him snapping his hips against your mouth.

He bites his lips and starts moving your head again while still thrusting. Your mouth and his hips meeting halfway. The sounds you’re making, turn him even more one.

“You like getting your throat fucked by your neighbor?”

You moan to answer his question, sending vibrations down his dick (?) he lowly chuckles, “yeah, you slut, did you think I don’t see the way you check me out through your window, huh?”

You got caught.

Who wouldn’t ogle at that sexy man? He has his curtains open and walks around shirtless, showing his toned stomach and abs. His six pack is so defined. Who wouldn’t look at him? Especially if he was your neighbor? You can’t be blamed.

You close your eyes in embarrassment but don’t stop sucking him off, “open your eyes, pretty.”

You obey, “good girl.” He praises you.

“Shit, im gonna c—“ he doesn’t get to finish his sentence as he spurts out his seeds down your throat.

He takes his cock out and taps the tip on your lips, “open up, pretty.”

He smirks as you open your mouth, “swallow.” He commands. You do, feeling the hot seeds go down your throat.

Surprisingly it tastes…… good.

——————————————————————————

Do NOT copy or translate

Thank you for reading 💕

Masterlist

[mattsobvimyfav]

neighbors (Matthew Sturniolo)

pt. 1

I slammed the door so hard I was sure the whole house shook. My heart was racing, and I could barely hear anything over the blood pounding in my ears. I turned to Charlie, who looked just as panicked as I felt.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” she muttered, pacing back and forth, her hands gripping her hair. “What the fuck just happened? Why are they here?”

“I don’t know!” I snapped, my voice shaky as I grabbed her arm. “I feel like I just saw a fucking ghost!”

Without waiting for her to respond, I bolted up the stairs, dragging Charlie with me. We didn’t stop until we were in my bedroom, and I slammed that door shut too, locking it like I was trying to keep monsters out.

“Are we hallucinating?” Charlie asked, flopping onto my bed and staring at the ceiling. “Like, maybe we’re overtired or jet-lagged or something?”

“Nope,” I said, sinking to the floor with my back pressed against the door. “That was real. Way too real.”

She sat up suddenly, her eyes wide. “This has to be a fucking joke right.”

“Yes!,” I interrupted quickly, shaking my head. “I don't know how, but i'm picking delusions over everything”

“What are the fucking odds?” Charlie asked, throwing her hands in the air.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, making us both jump.

“Don’t answer it,” Charlie said immediately.

“I wasn’t going to!” I snapped, crawling across the floor to grab it. I sighed as I saw my dads name on the screen.

“What do we do?” Charlie whispered.

“I don’t know!” I groaned, tossing the phone onto the bed. “I thought we left this behind us. Four years, Charlie. Four fucking years of silence, and now they're just at our door?”

Charlie flopped back onto the bed and covered her face with a pillow. “We came here to start over, I mean I knew there was a chance but come on we haven't even been here 24 hours. and LA is huge.”

She wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t supposed to include the ghosts of our past but we knew it was a possibility.

Another knock echoed through the house.

Charlie sat up, her eyes wide with panic. 

“It’s Matt.” Don't ask me how four years later I could still tell it was him just by the aggressive knocking.

We made our way down the stairs. I could feel the lump in my throat growing as I stared at the spot where I knew Matt was standing on the other side.

“I need to say something,” I said finally,

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Charlie warned, her voice muffled by the pillow she was clutching.

I grabbed the doorknob, my grip tightening as I took a deep breath. “No promises.”

I wasn’t ready for this—seeing them, hearing them, being around them again. But it didn’t look like the universe was giving me much of a choice.

I unlocked the door and swung it open, my heart pounding in my chest. All three of them were standing there—Matt, Nick, and Chris—and the sight of them hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to immediately throw up. They looked older, but the memories they brought back made me feel like I was eighteen all over again.

“I’m going to be straight up with you,” I said, crossing my arms and staring them down. My voice was steady, but it took every ounce of strength I had to keep it that way. “I want nothing to do with you guys still. Sure, we can do the friendly neighbor wave if we see each other outside, but please leave us alone. It took a long time to move on from you people, but we did it. So can you agree to that?”

For a moment, they all just stared at me, and the silence was suffocating.

Matt’s jaw tightened, and his expression darkened. He looked like he was about to explode. “That’s it?” he snapped. “You’re not even going to try to have a conversation? After everything—”

I cut him off before he could finish. “After everything is exactly why I don’t want to talk. I’m not doing this, Matt.”

Nick stepped forward, his hands raised like he was trying to keep the peace. “I get it,” he said quietly. His voice was soft, almost apologetic. “You don’t owe us anything. We won’t bother you.”

I nodded once, appreciating that he at least understood, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything back.

Chris, though, was another story. He looked like he wanted to crumble right there on my porch. His eyes were glossy, and he was barely holding it together.

“Chris,” I said gently, but firmly. “Don’t.”

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he just nodded, his head hanging low like he couldn’t even look at me anymore.

“Goodbye,” I said, stepping back and gripping the edge of the door.

Matt glared at me, his fists clenched at his sides, but he didn’t say another word. Nick gave me a small, sad smile, and Chris… Chris just looked broken.

I closed the door before I could second-guess myself, locking it again for good measure. When I turned around, Charlie was standing at the top of the stairs, her arms wrapped around herself like she was bracing for impact.

“Well?” she asked hesitantly.

“They agreed,” I said, leaning back against the door. “At least, I think they did.”

“Do you think they’ll actually leave us alone?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I hope so.”

I trudged upstairs, my legs feeling heavier with every step.

“Well, that was a disaster,” she muttered, throwing herself onto my bed.

I sighed and leaned against the door. “I don’t even want to think about it anymore. Let’s just call it a night.”

She nodded, sitting up to grab her phone. “Yeah, good call. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow anyway.”

I managed a small smile and headed to the bathroom to wash up. By the time I came back, Charlie had already changed into her pajamas and was scrolling mindlessly on her phone. I did the same, slipping into a T-shirt and underwear, and climbing into bed.

We didn’t talk much after that. The weight of the evening hung heavy between us, but eventually, we both drifted off, the stress of the day finally catching up to us.

The next morning, I woke to the sound of my alarm blaring from under my pillow. Groaning, I smacked the snooze button and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“Time to adult,” Charlie mumbled groggily from her makeshift bed on the floor.

“Yup,” I replied, stretching before sliding out of bed.

We both moved like zombies as we rummaged through our suitcases, pulling out shorts, tank tops, and sneakers. It felt surreal, living out of luggage in our new house, but today was the first step toward making it feel like home.

Once we were dressed, I threw my hair into a messy bun, and Charlie braided hers. After a quick debate over whether we needed coffee or breakfast first, we grabbed our bags and headed downstairs.

“Ready to spend way too much money on fucking furniture?” I joked, slinging my tote over my shoulder.

Charlie laughed. “Oh, absolutely. Let’s make bad financial decisions.”

With that, we headed out the door, determined to turn our empty house into a home.

Charlie and I spent the entire morning driving from one furniture store to another, armed with a notebook, our phones, and an ambitious list of everything we needed for the house. It was overwhelming, but in the best way.

First stop: beds. We wandered through aisles of mattresses, testing them out by flopping onto each one like children.

“This one’s too soft,” Charlie said, sinking into a plush mattress like quicksand.

I laughed, bouncing on the edge of a firmer one. “This one feels like sleeping on a rock.”

Eventually, we both settled on medium-firm queen mattresses, each picking out sleek platform bed frames to go with them. Delivery was arranged for later in the day, and we left the store feeling accomplished.

Next, we tackled the living room. Finding a couch was no easy task; we debated over colors, fabrics, and styles for nearly an hour.

“Gray is practical, but boring,” Charlie argued, running her hand over a plush sectional.

“Yeah, but white will be a nightmare to clean,” I countered, pointing at a gorgeous cream-colored sofa.

After much deliberation, we compromised on a deep navy-blue sectional with matching throw pillows. It was stylish but durable, and more importantly, it was in stock for delivery.

For the dining room, we agreed on a rustic wood table that could seat six, just in case we had company. We added sleek black chairs to modernize the look and splurged on a statement light fixture shaped like intertwined gold rings.

Decor shopping was the most fun. We wandered through aisles of wall art, throw blankets, lamps, and knick-knacks, tossing anything we loved into the cart. Charlie insisted on a funky cactus-shaped lamp for her room, while I fell in love with a vintage-style gold mirror for the entryway.

By the end of the day, we had a truckload of smaller items packed into the U-Haul we’d rented for the week. The larger pieces beds, couches, and the dining set were delivered earlier in the day. 

As I pulled into the driveway, Charlie let out a sigh of relief. “I don’t want to step foot in another furniture store for at least a month.”

“Same,” I agreed, climbing out of the truck. “But hey, at least we’re one step closer to having a real home.”

Unloading the truck was a workout, but by the time we were done, the house was starting to feel less like a shell and more like ours.

After hours of unpacking boxes and assembling furniture, the house was starting to come together. Charlie was in the living room, arranging throw pillows on the new navy-blue sectional, while I wrestled with the gold mirror I’d bought for the entryway.

As I stepped back to admire my handiwork, a thought struck me. “Wait,” I said, turning to Charlie. “We forgot TVs.”

Charlie froze, a pillow still in her hands. “Oh my god, you’re right. How did we miss that?”

I groaned, rubbing my temples. “We can’t live without TVs. What are we supposed to do, stare at the wall all night?”

Charlie laughed, tossing the pillow onto the couch. “Okay, let’s take a break. I’m starving anyway. Dinner first, then Best Buy?”

“Deal,” I said, already grabbing my purse.

We decided on a small Mexican place nearby, where we devoured tacos and chips with queso, brainstorming where to put the TVs in the house.

“We’ll need one in the living room, obviously,” Charlie said, wiping her hands on a napkin.

“And one for my room,” I added.

“Same,” Charlie agreed.

After dinner, we headed to Best Buy. The bright lights and endless rows of electronics made my tired brain feel even more overwhelmed, but we quickly found the TV section.

“This one’s huge,” Charlie said, pointing at an 85-inch screen.

“Absolutely not,” I laughed. “We’re not turning the living room into a movie theater.”

After some back and forth, we settled on a 75-inch TV for the living room and two 50-inch TVs for our bedrooms. As we were checking out, something else caught my eye—a sleek silver macbook pro that seemed perfect for editing videos.

“I’ve been needing a new laptop anyway, I've had the same one since senior year… of highschool” I said, holding it up for Charlie to see.

“Do it,” she encouraged.

With our cart loaded, we left Best Buy and made our way back to the house.

“This is starting to feel like a full-time job,” I joked as we unloaded the car.

Charlie laughed. “But it’ll be worth it when we’re sitting in our perfectly decorated house, watching our perfectly mounted TVs.”

“True,” I said, smiling. “Now let’s get to work.”

Charlie and I stood in the driveway, glaring at the enormous box containing the 75-inch TV. It was heavier than it looked, and we had already tried—and failed—to maneuver it into the house twice.

“This thing is impossible,” Charlie groaned, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

“I didn’t think we’d need a forklift just to get a TV inside,” I muttered, trying to catch my breath.

As we were about to attempt another lift, I heard a car door close. Looking up, I saw Nick stepping out of an Uber in front of the house next door. His gaze landed on us immediately, and I saw his eyebrows rise in amusement.

“Need some help?” he called, walking toward us with his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets.

Charlie and I froze.

“Pros and cons?” I whispered to her.

Charlie nodded, leaning closer. “Pro: We get the TV inside without breaking it or ourselves. Con: We owe him for helping, and this might be the start of the interactions we’re trying to avoid.”

“Another pro,” I added quietly, “it’s Nick. Not Matt or Chris.”

“True,” Charlie muttered, weighing it over in her head.

“Okay,” I said through clenched teeth, turning to Nick. “If you’re offering…”

Nick smirked, walking up to us. “I am. Don’t worry, I won’t charge you.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Just get it over with.”

Nick crouched, lifting one end of the box with ease. “Wow, you two really thought you could handle this on your own?”

“Just shut up and lift,” I snapped, grabbing the other end.

With his help, we managed to get the TV inside in record time, placing it carefully in the living room. Nick dusted his hands off, grinning. “Anything else you need help with, or can I call this my good deed for the day?”

“Nope, we’re good,” Charlie said quickly, practically shoving him toward the door.

“Thanks,” I muttered reluctantly.

Nick smirked again but didn’t push it. “Anytime, neighbors.” With that, he walked out, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Charlie and I exchanged a look.

“Never again,” she said firmly.

“Agreed,” I replied. “But…at least the TV’s inside.”

I stood on my bed, carefully pinning string lights along the edges of the ceiling. The soft glow they cast was already making the room feel more like mine, even though there were still half-unpacked boxes scattered around. I stepped back, admiring my handiwork, when Charlie barged in without knocking, holding a bottle of water and looking exhausted.

“Okay, interior designer, I think it’s time to call it a night,” she said, plopping down onto my half-made bed.

I glanced at my phone. It was nearly midnight. “I just need to finish this corner,” I replied, pointing at the last stretch of wall.

“Y/N,” Charlie said with a laugh, “you’ve been at this all day. And we still need to go car shopping tomorrow.”

I sighed, sitting down on the bed next to her. “You’re right. But I want it to be perfect.”

“It will be. And besides,” she added with a smirk, “we’re vlogging the car shopping tomorrow. Can’t look sleep-deprived for our subscribers.”

I groaned, lying back on the bed. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop for tonight.”

Charlie stood up, stretching her arms. “Good. Now, let’s get some sleep before we embarrass ourselves trying to pick out cars on four hours of rest.”

I laughed, following her to the door. “That’s probably smart. Night, Charlie.”

“Night, Y/N,” she said, heading to her room.

I turned back, taking one last look at the lights. They weren’t perfect yet, but they’d do for tonight.

Charlie and I stood outside a sleek, glassy dealership with the LA sun shining behind us. I held the camera, while Charlie grinned and waved dramatically.

“Good morning, everyone!” Charlie cheered. “Welcome back to our channel! Today’s a huge day because—drumroll, please—we’re car shopping!”

I spun the camera to face me. “We’ve been dreaming about this for so long, and honestly, we couldn’t do any of this without you guys. So seriously, thank you for supporting us and making this possible. We love you!”

Charlie leaned in, nodding with a big smile. “Now let’s go spend our life savings!”

The camera cut to us inside a brightly lit Jeep dealership. Charlie was practically bouncing on her feet as a salesman led us to a lineup of Jeeps.

“This is it,” Charlie said, her eyes locked on a bright yellow Jeep Wrangler. “This is the one. I can feel it in my soul.”

I laughed, “You’re not even going to look at the others?”

She shot me a look. “What others? Nothing can top this beauty.” She turned to the camera. “Everyone say hello to my future car!”

“This is amazing,” she said, giggling. We were flying down the Los Angeles highway test driving her jeep.

Back at the dealership, I filmed her signing the paperwork, flashing the camera a thumbs-up.

“This is insane,” Charlie said, “Thank you guys so much for making this possible. You’ve literally changed our lives!”

The next scene showed us at a luxury dealership, me sitting in a sleek SUV. “Okay, this one’s nice,” I said, panning the camera to show the interior. “But it just doesn’t feel… right.”

Charlie filmed me this time, catching my indecision as I walked between several cars. “Y/N’s being picky,” she whispered into the camera, smirking.

“I’m not being picky!” I protested, pointing at her. “I’m being thorough!”

Finally, we arrived at the Ford dealership. The camera panned to a line of Broncos, and my eyes immediately lit up.

“This one,” I said, walking toward a forest green Ford Bronco. “This is the one.”

Charlie zoomed in on me running my hands over the hood. “You’re in love.”

“Absolutely,” I said, laughing. “Do you see this color? It’s perfect.”

“This feels so good to drive,” I said, grinning at the camera. 

The camera showed me holding the keys, looking slightly overwhelmed but excited. “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” I said, looking into the lens. “Seriously, thank you all so much. None of this would be possible without you.”

Charlie popped into frame, throwing an arm around me. “Big day for the besties!”

We stood in the dealership parking lot.

“This has been such a crazy day,” I said. “But we are officially car owners!”

Charlie bounced around me. “We’re going to have so many adventures in these things, and we can’t wait to bring you all along with us.”

“Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe,” I added. “And tell us—what’s your dream car? Maybe we’ll manifest it for you.”

“Thanks for watching!” Charlie said, blowing a kiss to the camera.

Charlie and I were both drained from everything, but it felt so good to see the progress. For now, we were done moving furniture, and it felt like we were finally allowed to just relax for a bit.

We ended up in the living room, sitting on the couch in front of the TV. I had my laptop on my lap, working through some edits for the next vlog. Charlie was just chilling next to me, scrolling through her phone and half-watching a Brittany Broski podcast. We both needed a break.

“Hey, you think we should just call it a night after this?” Charlie asked, her voice a little quieter now that we were finally winding down. “We can actually sleep in tomorrow”

“Yeah, I agree,” I said, clicking through some of the footage I’d been editing. “We still have to go pick up the cars on Friday, too, so I guess we can finish everything tomorrow and take it easy tonight.”

Charlie nodded, letting out a tired sigh. “It feels so good to have everything coming together, though.”

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the podcast playing in the background, and I kept editing. My mind was already thinking about what the next few days would bring. We’d pick up our new cars, drop off the last of the U-Haul stuff, and then we could officially call this place home.

After what felt like hours of scrolling and editing, I finally closed my laptop and leaned back into the couch, my body feeling heavy from exhaustion. “Okay, that’s enough work for today. Let’s enjoy the rest of the night.”

Charlie smiled and stretched, kicking her legs up on the coffee table. “Agreed. Let’s just enjoy some time to relax.”

We turned the volume up a bit, laughing at something Brittany said on the podcast.

As Charlie and I relaxed on the couch, the podcast still playing in the background, my mind couldn’t help but wander. Thoughts of Matt flooded my head. I hadn’t really let myself think about him much since seeing him a couple days ago, but now that we were finally settling into the house and things were calming down, he was creeping back into my mind.

I tried to focus on the podcast in front of me, but I couldn’t shake it. The memories of the way we used to be, how everything went down, the way things ended—it all kept replaying in my head.

Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and unlocked it, the screen lighting up in front of me. My thumb hovered over the TikTok app for a moment before I tapped it open. I knew I shouldn’t, but I found myself unblocking Matt’s profile.

I scrolled through his posts, my heart hammering in my chest with each video I saw. Then, I froze. There, on his arm, was a tattoo of a key—engraved with our old dorm number. The same one we had shared in those months of college. The same number that held so many memories, the room he left me in. My stomach turned. Seeing it now felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

I kept scrolling, trying to ignore the feeling creeping up my throat, but then something else caught my eye. His most recent TikTok. Posted one day ago, The sound playing  “I haven’t seen you in a while, you know I miss you, babe. When you hear this song, feel flattered it’s about your face and how I miss it.” The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a second, my heart dropped into my stomach. It was like he was singing directly to me. The weight of it was too much.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when my phone buzzed in my hand. I looked, and it was my boyfriend Leonard.

“Want to FaceTime?”

I stared at the message for a moment, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I couldn’t stay stuck on Matt. Not now, not when I had someone like Leo. I quickly typed back, a bit more quickly than I meant to.

“Yeah, sure. One sec.”

I took a deep breath and silenced my phone before looking over at Charlie. She was busy scrolling through her own feed, completely oblivious to the mess going on in my head.

I felt a twinge of guilt for letting Matt back in, even in my thoughts, but I couldn’t stop myself.

But for now, I pushed it aside, grabbed my phone, and clicked the FaceTime button for Leo.

tag-

@tbfaptbfae @ch0llies @2muchofaslvt @rockstarchr1s @simply-a-simper @mattscore @watercolorskyy @urfungi @sturnsvelocity @mattsturnii @christmastreecake @izzylovesmatt @larnieboox88

[usnatarchives]

Happy Canada Day! 🍁

Happy Canada Day to our lovely neighbor! We're so glad we never had to follow through with this plan. Thanks for always returning the power washer! 🍁

[rainboopz]

Uh oh babes… got a new idea involving a mysterious girl with a mysterious guardian in a mysterious world!! Have some concepts before a proper ref happens or whatevs!!!!

[flyingfrogillustration]

Neighbors

[one-time-i-dreamt]

Dwayne Johnson keeps showing up in my dreams. I’m just having a dream, look at my neighbor’s house. Dwayne Johnson is my neighbor. I am with friends in the dream. Look who showed up, it’s Dwayne Johnson. But in the latest dream he was in, he beat me up for no reason. I fear he is growing stronger and I am already powerless to stop him.

[amberlynnmurdock]

Neighbor Pt. 6

Matt Murdock x Reader

Summary: On a random midnight, she comes to Matt's apartment to feel less lonely. Matt lets her in.

Words: just under 3k!

Genres: FLUFF with a dash of angst because of course... they are just two lost souls confiding in the other <3

A/N: I sort of had trouble with this chapter but she's finally here lol. This picks up from Pt. 5... hope you like it!!!

Part 5

Matt felt rejuvenated the next morning. 

Maybe it wasn’t stress he had been feeling the past few weeks… maybe it was something else, something he hadn’t felt in a while. Something that made him need sweet relief that throwing punches and taking hits couldn’t provide. He needed something more sensual—intimate. Something else to get his anxiety and frustration out. Even if it was a brush of contact. Something as simple as a touch. 

Yeah, it had been a while since he’d felt that. And it felt so good to listen to her like that… despite how wrong it was. That was until she said his name out loud. Matt pondered the question all morning as he lay in bed waiting for his alarm to go off. What did it mean? Did she like him like that? What should he do next?

  Nothing, he decided. It was wrong he knew she felt that way about him… it was wrong he continued to listen to her. It was wrong of him to think he could ever make her happy when he leads the life he leads. But God, did it feel so good to think that for a moment—just a moment—it might be possible. 

He rolls out of bed as soon as he hears his automated alarm go off. Wake up, wake up! Matt slams the alarm with his fist, harder than he intended to. He sits for a moment on the edge of his bed, feeling achy all over. Other people in the apartment are waking up right now, too. Downstairs, someone turns their stove on and begins to cook bacon. Another apartment opens its windows to the cool winter air. And her—she’s awake now, too. She turned her TV on to the news.

“Daredevil took down an armed robbery and saved an old woman at the corner bodega…“ 

Matt tunes it out immediately. 

It was strange to hear news about himself playing in her apartment. It made him uncomfortable. There he was, imagining a future with her and playing with the idea of being intimate with her, all the while having one of the biggest secrets ever. 

After a hot shower and brewing coffee, Matt was just about to be on his way out. He heard her shuffling behind her door, slipping her boots on, and zipping up her coat. They always walked out at the same time, an unspoken ritual. Maybe it was safer to keep it like this, Matt thought. Maybe this was as far as they’d ever go. 

Matt took a deep breath as he stepped out, unsurprisingly at the same time as she did. Matt heard her heart rate quicken as she saw him. 

“G’morning, Matt,” she said softly, as casually as she could.

“Morning,” he smiled. Act natural. “Sleep well?” 

She paused, ever so slightly, and locked her door. “I did, better than I normally do. You?”

“Same,” Matt answered, picking up on her hesitation. Maybe he should leave the conversation at this, not push anything further. From the way she was speaking quietly to her slight quiver, Matt knew she was nervous. He didn’t want to make her feel that way. 

“I hope you have a good day, Matt,” she smiled, walking ahead of him down the stairs. Before Matt could give a response, she was already out the door. Matt slowly followed behind, somehow feeling guilty about it all over again. 

She weighed heavy on his mind all day—did he do something wrong unknowingly? All of this was confusing—he heard her say his name at her most intimate, and this morning she seemed to want to avoid him altogether. What happened?

Maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe there wasn’t anything wrong. 

***

Matt walked up the steps to his apartment slowly, one hand using his cane to guide himself, the other holding onto the rail. He passed the floors of the other apartments. They were all so loud to him. Fran had the TV on a bit higher than usual. Someone’s dog was barking begging to be fed. Another was on the phone having a heated conversation with an in-law. All day, Matt was consumed by conversations he wished not to be part of. Sounds he wished he could drown out and turn off.

Finally, he reached the floor of his apartment—and hers. He liked that he shared this floor with only her. He paused at the top of the steps and pressed his fingertips against the wall. She was inside, home already from work. From the sound of her soft breathing and very still movement, Matt knew she was sleeping. A part of him melted inside. Tired from a long day of work himself, he walked as quietly as he could to his apartment and opened the door slowly to avoid making any sound.

He wasted no time changing into his Daredevil gear and waiting on his roof.

***

Matt felt accomplished when he arrived back on his rooftop after a night out as Daredevil. He stopped another robbery and saved an old couple’s bodega. He saved an old man from being mugged. He saved a young girl and her mother from an abusive ex-boyfriend. 

Entering his apartment, he stripped himself of his Daredevil gear and locked it away in his old trunk. He paused, hand still on the locked trunk that held his most detrimental secret. This trunk used to belong to his father. He pushed it inside the closet and closed the door. He made a sign of the cross and stalked off to the bathroom. 

It was shortly past midnight. After washing off in the shower, Matt changed into sweatpants. He lay in bed and shut his eyes. His thoughts always drifted to the same thing: was there more to this life, than just keeping a secret? 

After reciting a prayer and just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a gentle knocking on his door. His eyes shot open and his senses were fully engaged in the source of the sound. More knocks came. It was her. She shivered under her cardigan and shifted in her slippers from foot to foot, anxiously. Was something wrong? Why was she at his door so late?

Matt threw on a shirt quickly and walked over to open his door. Just as she was about to turn around and retreat to her apartment, thinking this is stupid, Matt opened his door. She stood there with her arms tucked around her frame and shivered from the cold in the hallway.

“Hi,” she said in a tired voice, “I’m sorry, Matt. I know it’s late. But I heard your shower go off and assumed you were awake and—God, I realize how creepy that sounds that I heard your water running so I knew you were awake—never mind. I’ve spoken too much,” she rambled nervously, shivering from the cold in the hallway. Matt was surprised by her presence; he wasn’t upset at all. He welcomed her sudden appearance but couldn’t help but wonder why she was there. 

Not to mention her apologizing for hearing his water running, and assuming he was awake. After all the things he’s heard her do through her apartment… Matt was in no place to judge (not that he would, anyway).

“It's okay,” Matt whispered her name. “I was awake. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” she said, and Matt didn’t have to listen to her heartbeat to know she was lying. It was in her voice, her mannerisms. The way she answered quickly without really considering his question. “I just—“ and she was shivering so much.

“You can come in,” Matt opened the door wider. “It’s cold in the hall.” 

“Okay,” she stepped inside his apartment and away from him as he shut his large, old door. Matt locked it and turned around to smile at her. It was then Matt realized he forgot to put his glasses on. 

“I’m sorry, let me get my glasses on,” Matt said sheepishly, reaching for them on the side table. 

“It’s okay,” she said, “you don’t have to put them on.” She paused, looking at his handsome face in the low glow of his apartment. He wasn’t hard to look at at all—from his warm hazel eyes to his plump lips. 

“Are you sure you won’t be uncomfortable?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” she answered. “I’m barging in on your place—you don’t have to sacrifice your comfort for mine.” 

He smiled at that and then offered her to take a seat on his couch. He allowed her a moment to get a sense of her surroundings—she’d never been in his apartment before. Her heartbeat was steady. She looked around his living room and squinted at the windows when the large screen across the street flashed bright purple and pink lights. 

“Wow,” she said, looking back at his dark apartment. “Those are bright.”

“So I’ve heard,” Matt said lightly with a warm smile. “Do you want any water?”

“I’m okay. Thank you.”

She curled up on the corner of his brown leather couch, tucking her feet in underneath her legs. She was still shivering. Matt offered her the blanket that lay on it and she took it gracefully. 

“I’m sorry to bother you,” she said sheepishly wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, “truthfully, I couldn’t sleep and I could use a friend to talk to.”

A friend? Matt’s heart jumped at this. She considered him a friend. 

“I’m glad you came,” Matt replied. 

“On Christmas, you told me that any time I felt lonely, I could come by. So… this is one of those times.”

“Yeah,” Matt nodded. “Felt lonely tonight?”

“Not anymore,” she sighed, pleasantly, like his presence alone was enough to cure whatever it was she was feeling. “I took a long nap after work to avoid it and woke up feeling worse than I did before. Like a harrowing, deep hole in my chest.” 

Matt knew that feeling all too well—a hole he’d been trying to fill since he was 11. It occurred to him in that moment Matt hardly knew anything about her. Where she came from, what her story was. She knew bits and pieces of him but he didn’t know anything more than that she lived alone and worked at a bookstore. 

“I understand,” Matt said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe another time,” she said, pushing the matter away. “I just wanted to get my mind off it.”

Matt was happy she was comfortable enough to come to him this late at night for nothing more than just another person to talk to. He could be that person for her—he wanted to be that person for her. 

“I didn’t know you had hazel eyes,” she said softly. “You shouldn’t hide them as much as you do behind those red glasses.” 

Matt blushed—unfamiliar with this feeling in his chest, like a bubbling warmth spread over that harrowing hole she was talking about just moments ago. “Oh,” he said. “People can get uncomfortable when they see my eyes.”

“Then screw them,” she said defiantly. “Like I said…you shouldn’t sacrifice your comfort for theirs.” 

“Thank you,” Matt replied. “For understanding that part.” 

“Were you—“

“Born blind?” Matt had finished this question so many times, that it became a habit to interject whenever anyone began to ask it. “No. It was an accident when I was a kid.”

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I don’t mind,” Matt shrugged. He wanted to open up to her, as much as he could—without revealing his biggest secret of all. “I saw an old man crossing the street. A large truck with chemical containers was coming down the block at the same time. I pushed the old man out of the way. The truck lost control, and swerved to avoid hitting us. Well, it did bump me a little, and all the chemicals fell over, leaking everywhere. Some of it got in my eyes and—“

“That was it,” she finished his sentence. “Wow.” 

“That was it,” Matt repeated. His gaze fell on the carpet. He sat at the opposite end of the couch. 

“So, little Matt was a hero?” He could hear the smile in her voice when she said this. Matt chuckled. 

“I did what anyone else would have.”

“How many adults were there, do you remember?”

“It was on a random corner in Hell’s Kitchen. Plenty of people were walking around.”

“So, you did what anyone else would have avoided.”

Matt blushed, looked away from the general direction he was looking in. It felt different to be called a hero when it was coming from her lips. 

“Sure,” he finally said. “We can go with that.”

“Do you…” her voice trailed off, unsure how to phrase her next question without sounding offensive. 

“You can ask me anything,” Matt assured her. “You know a lot about me that some of my closest friends don’t know. Nothing’s off the table.”

“Do you miss having sight? That’s probably a silly question. Do you remember the last thing you saw?”

“The sky,” Matt answered, a flash of blue appearing in his mind. “That was the last thing I saw. And I do miss having sight,” Matt took a deep breath. “But there are other ways to see.”

“Absolutely,” she agreed. “How do you see in other ways?”

What a loaded question, he thought. 

“Touch, for one. I can get a sense of something when I touch it. Smell—easy to distinguish what’s on my plate. I still know what a majority of things look like.”

“But not people,” she stated. 

“Not people,” Matt affirmed. “But there’s a way for me to paint a picture in my mind.”

“How? A person describes what they look like?”

“Descriptions help,” Matt answered, “but touching their face helps a hell of a lot more.” 

She was silent for a moment, understanding his answers and pondering them. She wondered what he would think of her if he could see. Matt felt as if she was wondering that very thought.

“Do you want to touch my face?” She asked in a hesitant voice. “Or I can describe to you what I look like.”

Matt felt his heart grow in his chest. How could he answer that question, without revealing his true feelings for her right then and there? It had been months of being her neighbor that he hoped and prayed he could cross that threshold with her. Hell, it was a miracle she was in his apartment at that moment. 

“Only if you’re comfortable,” Matt finally said, shifting in his seat. 

“I am,” she whispered, leaning forward. “Come here.”

Matt moved closer to her on his couch until his left knee was touching her right. When he sat close enough to her, she grabbed his hand and wrapped her fingers around his wrist to guide him. 

Starting with her hair, she gently brushed his fingers through it. It was soft. Every thread of her hair felt like water slipping gently through his fingers. Matt held his breath as his fingers grazed her neck. He had to close his eyes for this part. Matt gently placed his hand on the side of her neck, feeling how soft her skin felt on his fingertips. Like Braille, he ran his fingers ever so lightly on her skin, goosebumps following his touch. 

He moved his hand to the side of her face, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand. He gently ran his thumb over her brow bone, smoothing it out. Then he traced his thumb under her eye in a sweeping motion. His gaze fell on her chin. He traced the pad of his thumb down the bridge of her nose, stopping at her cupid’s bow. She gently let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Matt gently let out a breath too. He took his other hand and cupped the other side of her face in his palm, feeling her cheeks heat against him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, a steady boom boom, boom boom, he had come to memorize to help him fall asleep. He caressed her chin with his thumb and traced her jawline before slowly running his hand down the length of her neck, retreating to his thigh. 

“Beautiful,” Matt whispered. It was all he could say. 

“Matt…” she uttered his name, trailing off, losing her words. Her heart felt like a cement block in her chest. He swallowed hard, resisting the urge to touch her again. She reached for his hand and placed it on her face, desperate to feel how gently he held her again, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. 

She turns her head into his hand and kisses his palm. Matt moves his fingers to the back of her head and guides her lips to his, a kiss that should’ve happened a long time ago. Her lips molded to his, the taste of her bringing him back to life, filling that empty hole in his chest again. He hoped it had the same effect on her. Her hand moved to hold his face, a plan to not break the kiss. A plan that didn’t matter if it worked or not, because Matt wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. He wasn’t going to let go of her. 

When she eventually did pull back, he only wanted more. 

“Thank you,” she whispered breathlessly, “for letting me in.” 

Letting her into his apartment, or letting her into his heart—both answers were suitable. 

Eventually, she did go back to her apartment, for reasons they didn’t need to say out loud. But it would be a while until they brought up this night again. 

______________________________________________________________

TAGS: @mattmurdocksstarlight @yentroucnagol @danzer8705 @allllium @i-marvel-bitch @babygrlmurdock @writtenbyred @uncle-eggy @marvelcinematiquniverse @sweetbee0108

[gabbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

TNMNtober Day 1: Neighbor

(Nacha Mikaelys)

[mattsobvimyfav]

neighbors (Matthew sturniolo)

pt 7

The morning sun streamed through the curtains as I stirred awake, the warmth of another body beside me pulling me out of my haze. My heart stopped when I realized it was Matt, his arm draped protectively around my waist, his face peaceful in sleep.

Panic coursed through me. What the fuck?

Slowly, carefully, I untangled myself from his hold, making sure not to wake him. His arm tightened for a brief moment before falling slack, and I slipped out of the bed, holding my breath.

Once I was free, I grabbed a hoodie from the back of a chair and pulled it on as I tiptoed toward the door. I paused for a moment, glancing back at him. He looked so… calm. Almost vulnerable. Shaking the thought away, I turned and hurried out of the room.

The second the door clicked shut, I bolted down the hallway, making a beeline for Charlie’s room. I didn’t even knock. I burst through the door, ready to vent—but what I saw stopped me in my tracks.

Charlie and Chris were curled up together, both stark naked under the covers. My jaw dropped, and without thinking, I stormed over and yanked the blanket off them.

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?” I yelled, my voice echoing off the walls.

Chris shot up, his eyes wide as he scrambled to grab a pillow to cover himself. 

Charlie groaned dramatically, burying her face deeper into the mattress. “Too early for this,” she muttered, her voice muffled.

“Y/N!” Chris groaned, glaring at me. “Again? Really?”

“Someone tell me why the fuck I woke up laid up with Matt!” I demanded, crossing my arms and pacing in front of their bed.

Charlie peeked out from under her arm, her voice groggy. “You’re too loud.”

“What?” I snapped, my patience wearing thin.

She groaned again, flipping onto her side and propping herself up on her elbow. “Matt carried you to bed, duh.”

“Why?!” I demanded, throwing my hands up. “What even happened?”

Chris sighed heavily, flopping back down onto the bed and staring at the ceiling like he was summoning patience from another dimension. “You barged in here, again, while we were—”

“—mid-stroke,” Charlie added unhelpfully, grinning wickedly as she watched my face contort in laughter.

“CHARLIE!” Chris barked, shooting her a glare.

She just shrugged. “What? It’s true.”

“Oh my god I am so sorry, tell me the details later though. Okay, but what happened after I apparently ruined your nut bust?”

Charlie snorted. “Well, you cried about how Matt wouldn’t touch you, talked about how much you miss him whimpering under you, then flopped on our bed and passed out halfway through telling me about the TSA taking your rose toy.”

My face flushed instantly. “I… what?”

Chris sat up, propping himself on his elbows. “And since you were busy traumatizing us, I went out and told Matt to come deal with you because you clearly weren’t leaving until someone did.”

“Wait,” I said, blinking at him. “So Matt came back in here? Why?”

“To pick your drunk ass up and take you to bed,” Chris said flatly. “Which, by the way, you owe me for. I could have ignored you and stayed in bed, but nooo, I had to play hero.”

Charlie smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s just mad you walked in before he could make me finish.”

“CHARLIE!” Chris groaned, turning bright red.

I groaned too, my hands covering my face. “I don’t remember any of that, I remember telling him at the bar we could fuck on this trip.”

Charlie sat up fully now, her grin growing. “Oh, honey, that’s not even the best part. Apparently, you begged Matt to touch you all the way to your room.”

I froze, my stomach twisting. “No.”

“Oh, yeah,” Chris chimed in, his smirk matching Charlie’s. “You kept telling him how badly you wanted him and how the whole trip you’d been thinking about sleeping with him.”

“Stop,” I whispered, my face burning. “We’ve been here one day.”

“And you even said something about how he could replace your rose toy,” Charlie added, laughing now.

“STOP!” I wailed, burying my face in a pillow.

They both laughed for a moment longer before Charlie scooted closer, rubbing my back. “Relax, babe. Matt didn’t do anything. He just spooned you until you passed out. Honestly, kinda cute. He’s a gentleman.”

“Yeah,” Chris said, his tone suddenly serious. “He told me he wasn’t gonna take advantage of you. Said he’d wait until you were sober and clear-headed.”

I peeked out from behind the pillow, my heart doing a weird flip-flop in my chest. “He said that?”

Chris nodded. “Yeah. He’s mad at you for trying to use him, though but hes not an awful person. Said you’ve gotta figure your shit out before he’ll touch you again.”

I groaned, falling back onto the bed. “Why am I like this?”

Charlie laughed, flopping beside me. “Because you’re messy and chaotic, and we love you for it. But seriously, next time, just get a replacement rose toy before you start drinking.”

Chris stood up, ruffling his hair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go fix my morning wood, since someone ruined last night.”

“Okay at least make her cum this time” I groaned as I walked out. 

After walking out of Charlie’s room, I found myself wandering back to my own. My heart raced as I cracked the door open, peeking inside. Matt was still in bed, sprawled out on his back, one arm draped over his stomach, the other resting beside him.

Without even thinking, I stepped in and quietly shut the door behind me. My pulse quickened as I approached the bed, climbing up and straddling his waist. Slowly, I leaned down and started pressing soft kisses along his neck, trailing my lips to the spot just beneath his jaw that I knew would stir him.

Matt stirred beneath me, a low groan escaping his lips as his eyes fluttered open. His hands instinctively came to rest on my hips, his voice husky and groggy.

“Y/N, what are you doing?” he murmured, still half-asleep.

I leaned up, my eyes locking with his, my heart pounding but my voice steady. “I meant what I said last night at the bar.”

His eyes widened slightly as my words sunk in. “You’re serious?” he asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and something else I couldn’t quite place.

“I am,” I replied firmly. “Just this trip, Matt. No strings, no expectations. When we get back home, it’s over. But here, I want this.”

He let out a shaky breath, his hands tightening slightly on my hips. “Y/N… you don’t know what you’re saying… don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” I whispered, leaning down again, brushing my lips against his ear. “Do you care about my boyfriend? We are on a break anyways”

Matt’s eyes darkened at my words, his jaw tightening. For a moment, I thought he might push me off, but instead, he let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

“No,” he murmured, his voice low and raspy. “I don’t care about your boyfriend. You know where home is.”

Before I could respond, Matt’s hands slid up to cradle my face, and he smashed his lips onto mine. The kiss was intense and unrelenting, sending a jolt of electricity through me. My fingers threaded into his hair as I pressed myself closer, matching his urgency.

His hands roamed down to my waist, tugging me against him as his tongue slipped past my lips. My heart was pounding so loudly I thought it might burst out of my chest. One of his hands crept beneath the hem of my shirt, as I grinded into him.

Just as he started to lift it higher, the door suddenly flew open.

“Well, well,” Chris’s voice broke through the haze, his tone dripping with amusement. “How does it feel to get interrupted, Matt?”

I tore myself away from Matt, both of us breathing heavily, my cheeks flaming as I whipped my head toward the doorway. Chris and Charlie stood there, arms crossed and grinning like they’d just won the lottery.

“Seriously?” I snapped, trying to compose myself as I tugged my shirt back down.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing. “Oh, don’t stop on our account. It’s just… payback feels so good.”

Matt groaned, dragging a hand down his face before shooting his brother a glare. “Get out,” he growled.

Chris let out a laugh, slapping the doorframe. “Alright, alright. We’re leaving. But man, this is gold. I’m telling Nick.”

“Don’t you dare!” Matt yelled after them, but they were already cackling as they disappeared down the hallway.

I flopped onto my back, staring at the ceiling and covering my face with my hands. “Kill me now,” I muttered.

Matt chuckled softly, leaning over me. “Well, that was...”

I peeked through my fingers, catching the amused glint in his eyes. Despite my embarrassment, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Next time, we'll lock the door.”

“Next time?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, shoving him playfully. “Don’t push it, Matthew .”

Charlie and I were standing side by side in the bathroom, both of us running through our morning routines. She was blending her concealer while I curled the ends of my hair, the two of us talking about what we wanted to do for the day.

“Beach first, then maybe lunch at that little spot by the water,” Charlie suggested, adjusting her hair in the mirror.

“Sounds perfect,” I replied, reaching for my mascara.

The bathroom door opened suddenly, and Matt leaned against the frame, his hands shoved in his pockets. “Hey, Charlie,” he said casually, his eyes flickering toward me. “Can I borrow Y/N for a second?”

Charlie frowned, her gaze darting between us. “Um… sure, I guess.” She gave me a pointed look before shrugging and slipping out of the room.

I turned to Matt, raising an eyebrow. “What’s up—”

Before I could finish, he stepped closer, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck as he tilted my head up toward him. Without a word, he pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that left me breathless. It wasn’t rushed or desperate like the night before, but slow and deliberate, making my heart pound all the same.

When he pulled back, I blinked up at him, trying to process what just happened. “What was that for?” I asked.

Matt smirked, his thumb brushing against my jawline. “Just getting it all in before the trip’s over.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but he stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets again like nothing had happened. “See you out there,” he said over his shoulder before leaving the room.

I stood there, frozen, my lips still tingling from the kiss. A second later, Charlie peeked her head back in. “What the fuck was that about?”

I shook my head, snapping out of it and reaching for my brush like nothing had happened. “Nothing,” I said quickly. “Just Matt being Matt.”

Charlie squinted at me suspiciously but didn’t press it. “If you say so.”

I turned back to the mirror, trying to focus on finishing my hair, but my thoughts were consumed by Matt’s words—and the kiss that still lingered on my lips.

Once Charlie and I finished getting ready, we headed out to the living room, both of us feeling the anticipation of another perfect day in paradise. As soon as we walked in, Chris pulled Charlie toward the fireplace, grinning at something he whispered in her ear. She laughed, swatting his chest playfully before letting him guide her toward the fireplace area.

Meanwhile, I felt Matt’s hands find my hips, pulling me onto his lap on the couch. “Come here,” he murmured, his voice low as his lips found mine.

I didn’t resist. His hands gripped my waist as he deepened the kiss, his touch igniting a familiar heat. I was so caught up in the moment that I barely noticed the faint sound of a TikTok audio playing in the background. I figured it was Charlie and Chris scrolling through their saved sounds, as usual, and didn’t think much of it.

By the time we made it to the beach, the sun was high in the sky, and the sand was warm beneath our feet. We set up blankets and towels and Matt and I sat side by side, sharing a quiet moment as we looked out at the water.

It was peaceful—until all our phones started buzzing at once. I furrowed my brow, pulling mine out to see dozens of notifications lighting up the screen. Confused, I unlocked it and immediately saw the chaos.

“Are you seeing this?” Nick asked, holding up his phone.

Charlie and Chris had posted a TikTok an hour ago—a seemingly innocent montage of clips from our morning. But at the end of the video, there was a brief shot of Matt and me kissing on the couch in the background. It was subtle, but not subtle enough for fans to miss.

The comments were already flooded:

“WAIT WHAT???? Y/N AND MATT??????”

“Girl just had a boyfriend two weeks ago… yikes.”

“She’s the problem, clearly. Poor Matt.”

“Slut. Do better, Y/N.”

“Okay but why do I secretly ship it again?”

“Matt deserves better, tbh.”

My stomach churned as I scrolled through the reactions. Most were negative, accusing me of being unfaithful or jumping back to Matt too quickly. I felt my face flush, the weight of the judgment pressing down on me.

Charlie looked up from her phone, her face pale. “Oh my God, Y/N, I’m so sorry. We didn’t even realize—”

“It’s fine,” I muttered, though my voice was tight. “It’s not your fault.”

But their words echoed in my mind, making it hard to focus on anything else. The peaceful beach day I’d been looking forward to now felt tainted by the storm of online opinions.

The buzzing of my phone pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. I glanced down to see Leo’s name flashing on the screen, accompanied by a flood of text notifications.

“You should probably answer that,” Charlie said cautiously, watching me closely.

With a sigh, I hit the answer button and put it on speaker, figuring Charlie might as well hear this too. “Hello?”

The screaming started immediately.

“Are you serious right now, Y/N?!” Leonard’s voice boomed through the speaker. “You’re a fucking whore! What the hell is wrong with you?! Making out with your ex—and on TikTok no less? You’re embarrassing me, you know that?”

I froze, the words hitting me like a slap in the face.

Charlie’s jaw dropped as she sat up straighter, glaring at the phone. “What the fuck, Leo?” she muttered under her breath.

Before I could gather a response, Matt snatched the phone out of my hand. His jaw was clenched, his eyes burning with fury.

“Listen up, you piece of shit,” Matt growled into the phone, his voice low and venomous. “Don’t you ever talk to Y/N like that again. Who the hell do you think you are? You think you can call her names because you’re upset? Grow up and use your words like a big boy.”

“Stay out of this, Matt,” Leonard spat. “You’ve been nothing but a thorn in my side since I met her. You ruined everything!”

“Oh, cry me a fucking river,” Matt shot back, his voice dripping with mockery. “Newsflash: if you were half the boyfriend you thought you were, she wouldn’t even be here with me. So, take your tantrum and shove it up your ass.”

Leonard stammered, clearly at a loss for words. “You—she—”

“She doesn’t owe you anything,” Matt cut him off sharply. “You don’t own her, and you sure as hell don’t get to scream at her like some entitled little brat. Grow the fuck up.”

Leonard’s voice was shaking now, either from rage or humiliation. “This isn’t over,” he hissed before hanging up abruptly.

Matt tossed the phone onto the blanket with a huff, his chest rising and falling as he tried to calm down.

I stared at him, equal parts stunned and grateful. “You didn’t have to do that,” I said softly.

“Yeah, I did,” he replied, his tone softer now. “No one talks to you like that, Y/N. No one.”

Charlie nodded firmly. “He’s right. Even though you were on a break he had no right to speak to you like that. Fuck him.”

I let out a shaky breath, leaning back against the blanket. As much as Leo’s words had stung, Matt’s defense of me left an unexpected warmth in their place.

The sun was setting as we headed back to the house, the warmth of the day replaced by a cooler breeze. After hours on the beach, everyone was tired, but the plan was to regroup, clean up, and head out for dinner.

As soon as we got inside, Charlie grabbed my hand, pulling me toward my room. “We need to talk to him now,” she whispered.

I hesitated but nodded, grabbing my phone and dialing Leonard’s number. Charlie sat beside me on the bed, her hand on my knee for support as the line rang.

He picked up after a few seconds. “What do you want?” His tone was icy, his earlier rage still lingering.

“You wanted a break,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “You told me to take time to figure things out, so how is this fair? How is any of this fair, Leonard?”

There was silence for a beat, and then he scoffed. “You figured things out by making out with your ex? That’s real classy, Y/N.”

Charlie rolled her eyes, muttering, “Oh my god.”

“That’s not the point,” I said, my voice firmer now. “You can’t just… blow up on me when you’re the one who told me you needed space. I’m trying to respect what you asked for.”

“I’m coming to LA as soon as you get back,” he said abruptly, his tone sharp. “We’re going to talk about this in person. You owe me that much.”

I froze, panic creeping in as his words sank in. “Leonard—”

But he’d already hung up.

I stared at the phone in my hand, my chest tightening with fear and nerves. “What the hell?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Charlie frowned, pulling me into a hug. “That wasn’t okay,” she said softly. “You don’t owe him anything, Y/N.”

“I don’t want to deal with this,” I mumbled, my voice cracking as tears welled up in my eyes. “I don’t even know how to handle this. What if he actually comes? What if—”

The sound of the door creaking open made us both look up. Matt stood in the doorway, his brows furrowed in concern. “What happened?” he asked, his eyes flicking between the two of us.

“She called Leonard,” Charlie said quietly, rubbing my back as I tried to hold back my tears. “He’s being an ass. He said he’s coming to LA when we get back, and now she’s freaking out.”

Matt’s jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “He’s what?”

“He said he’s coming to LA,” Charlie repeated, glaring at the floor. “It’s just… too much.”

Matt crossed the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. He gently reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Hey,” he said softly. “You’re not dealing with this alone, okay? If he shows up, I’ll handle it. You’re safe here. With us.”

I nodded, biting my lip as I wiped at my face. His words were comforting, but the knot in my stomach refused to untangle.

Once we finished getting ready for dinner, Charlie flopped onto my bed, smirking at her phone. “Okay, I have an idea,” she said, holding it up.

I raised an eyebrow. “What now?”

“You and Matt should make a TikTok,” she said casually, scrolling through sounds. “Just… clear some stuff up without actually explaining anything.”

Matt leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “What kind of TikTok?”

Charlie grinned, clicking on a sound. “This one.”

She played the audio: ‘Oops, got your girl, should’ve treated her right. Now she’s with real, she love it over here. Yeah, I love it over here!’

Matt snorted, looking at me. “You’re down for this?”

I hesitated but ultimately shrugged. “Why not? If it gets people off my back, sure.”

We set up my phone on the dresser and rehearsed it once before recording. Matt took the first line, pointing at the camera with his usual smirk: ‘Oops, got your girl, should’ve treated her right. Now she with a real, she love it over here.’

Then Matt turned around with me over his shoulder and I leaned closer and finished: ‘Yeah, I love it over here.’

We watched the playback a few times, laughing at how ridiculous it felt but my ass looked good. “Okay, it’s perfect,” Charlie declared, taking the phone. Matt grabbed it back before she could post anything.

“I got this,” he said, typing in a caption. A second later, he showed it to me: ‘She’s been single. And she knows where home is.’

My jaw dropped, and I lightly shoved his shoulder. “Really?”

He grinned. “What? It’s true.”

With a tap, he posted it, and within seconds, the notifications started rolling in.

Charlie and I sat on the couch, scrolling through the comments.

“Wait, they’re back together?!”

“Home? GIRL, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!”

“The way this is so messy, I love it.”

“Poor Leo, but Matt’s always been endgame.”

“Y/N a whole clown for going back to him 🙄.”

“She needs to stay away from him.”

“He don’t even want her he prolly just feel bad.” 

Some comments were sweet, but others were downright brutal. Charlie nudged me with her elbow, giving me a reassuring smile. “Don’t let the haters get to you.”

I shrugged, leaning back into the couch. “Im the one fucking him, theyre just mad.”

Matt walked into the room, leaning over the back of the couch to peek at the screen. “Oh, yeah?” he said casually. “Wanna prove that to me later tonight?”

Charlie laughed and stood. “Alright before yall rip each other's clothes off, go put on something that’s not a T-shirt, and maybe we’ll believe you’re classy enough for dinner.”

Everyone was dressed and ready for dinner, piling out of the Airbnb earlier than planned so we could explore the area before eating. Nick had his vlogging camera out, already recording as we strolled down a cobblestone path lined with shops and palm trees.

Matt walked up to Nick showing the camera, a glass soda bottle. Without missing a beat, he tilted his head, clamped the bottle cap between his teeth, and popped it off effortlessly.

Chris froze mid-step, pointing at him dramatically. “Woah, he can do it with his mouth?!”

The group burst into laughter, and before I could stop myself, I smirked at the camera Nick was holding. “Trust me, he can do a lot with his mouth,” I quipped, throwing in a wink for good measure.

Nick immediately turned the camera to capture everyone’s reactions. Chris keeled over, laughing, while Charlie joined him.

“Y/N!” she laughed.

Matt, however, seemed unbothered. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow, smirking as he took a long sip from the bottle. “She's not wrong, She knows all about it” he smirked, making Chris and Nick howl louder.

Nick turned the camera back to me. “This vlog just got demonetized, thanks to Y/N!”

I shrugged, grinning. “What can I say? I like to brag”

As we strolled toward the restaurant, the golden glow of the setting sun bathed the streets. Chris had his arm slung over Charlie’s shoulders, their fingers intertwined as they walked hand in hand. Naturally, Matt grabbed my hand too, lacing our fingers together with a smirk that said he was trying to get a reaction out of me.

Nick had his camera out, panning from Charlie and Chris to us. “The happy couple…” he narrated dramatically, pausing before turning the lens toward me and Matt. “…And then there’s Matt and Y/N.”

The group erupted into laughter.

“Oh, fuck you, Nick,” I said, grinning as I playfully shoved his shoulder with my free hand.

Nick laughed harder. “What? I’m just saying what the people are thinking!”

Charlie wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. “He’s not wrong.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at my lips. Matt, however, played along, pulling me closer and wrapping his free arm around my waist.

“Jealous, Nick?” Matt quipped, raising an eyebrow at the camera.

Nick gasped in mock offense. “Yeah, Y/n is sexy.”

“Fair,” I chimed in, earning another round of laughter.

The restaurant was tucked into a corner of the waterfront, its warm glow inviting as the waves lapped against the nearby docks. The host led us to a private outdoor patio strung with fairy lights, giving the space a magical ambiance. We slid into a large round table, Matt sitting beside me and Chris on Charlie’s other side, with Nick opposite us.

The night started lighthearted.

Nick had his camera set up discreetly on the table, catching candid moments of us all. “Okay, before we even order—best and worst moment of this trip so far. Go.”

Charlie grinned, leaning back in her chair. “Best moment? Definitely the beach yesterday. Worst moment? Trying to wrangle all your suitcases into the car at the airport.”

“You’re welcome,” Matt cut in, sipping his drink with a smirk.

Nick rolled his eyes. “What about you, Y/N?”

“Best moment?” I tilted my head, pretending to think. “Probably cock blocking Chris by accident… Twice.”

“Yeah fuck you big time for that.” Chris laughs. And Charlie nudges him.

When the server arrived, we placed our orders. Charlie and Chris shared appetizers, their playful banter a steady hum throughout the table. Nick teased Matt mercilessly, accusing him of only ordering steak to seem manly.

“Please, hell probably cut it with his teeth like the bottle earlier,” I joked, earning another round of laughter.

As the night went on, the jokes gave way to deeper conversations.

Chris shared a story about a prank he’d pulled on Charlie during one of their earlier dates in college, leaving her laughing so hard she nearly peed her pants. Nick talked about his upcoming projects and teased us about featuring heavily in his vlogs.

And then Matt turned to me, his voice softer as he leaned closer. “What about you? What’s been on your mind?”

Caught off guard, I hesitated before answering. “You.”

Matt nodded, his gaze lingering on me. “Can confidently say you’ve been on mine the past four years.”

As his words hung in the air, something inside me snapped. Four years. Four fucking years. My chest tightened, and I felt my heart pounding in a rhythm that matched the anger bubbling beneath the surface. He said it so easily, like it wasn’t a big deal. Like it didn’t matter that he’d been living rent-free in my head for just as long—except, for me, it wasn’t some sweet little daydream. It was a goddamn battlefield.

How dare he? How fucking dare Matt think about me like that—like it was some wistful memory or a quiet longing—when he was the one who left me to pick up the pieces? When he was the one who wrecked me and walked away like it was nothing? It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair for him to sit here, leaning closer, saying words that had no right to sound so soft, so genuine, when they came from him.

I stared at him, my jaw tightening as I fought to keep my expression steady, even though my mind was spiraling. I wanted to yell at him, to ask if he’d even considered what those four years had been like for me. Did he ever think about the nights I spent trying to forget him, trying to piece myself back together when he was the one who broke me in the first place?

And now he says this—like it’s supposed to mean something. Like it’s supposed to make up for everything.

I felt my nails dig into my palm beneath the table, grounding myself in the pain because it was better than the storm brewing inside me. This wasn’t reality. It couldn’t be. I’d told myself I wasn’t going to let him—or anyone—pull me back into that. Not after everything I’d done to move on, to be okay again.

But fuck, it felt good to hear it. And that’s what scared me the most.

I had to remind myself that this wasn’t real. That whatever moment we were living in now would dissolve the second this trip ended, and I promised myself I’d stick to that, no matter how good it feels now because he doesn’t deserve me that easily. 

I swallowed hard, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. My voice was steady when I finally spoke, but there was no softness left in it. “Must’ve been nice,” I said, meeting his gaze with a sharpness I hoped would cut through him. “Thinking about me for four years. Too bad I didn’t get that time in real life, huh?”

Matt’s jaw tightened, and I could see the flash of surprise and frustration in his eyes as I threw the words at him. He leaned closer, closing the distance between us, his voice low and sharp as he spoke through gritted teeth. “Don’t do this now.”

Before I could respond, his hand gripped my thigh under the table—not hard, but firm enough to send a jolt through me. His touch burned, the contrast between his tense grip and the slow, almost absent-minded way his thumb started rubbing small circles against my leg making my head spin. 

I glared at him, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. “You don’t get to tell me what to do,” I hissed, my voice low enough that no one around us could hear, but filled with the venom I couldn’t keep in anymore.

Matt’s other arm came around me then, pulling me closer, almost as if he were trying to shield me from something—or maybe himself. His grip on my thigh didn’t loosen, but his body pressed against mine, warm and steady even as tension radiated off him. His jaw clenched, and I could see the way his chest rose and fell, like he was trying to steady his breathing.

Matt’s grip on my thigh stayed firm, his thumb brushing slow, deliberate circles against my skin. His voice dropped lower, almost a whisper, as he leaned in even closer. “Stop,” he said again, through gritted teeth. “Just… cut it out. Please.”

The word "please" hit me harder than anything else he’d said. It wasn’t just the frustration in his voice—it was the way it cracked slightly, like he was holding something back. It was enough to snuff out the fire in my chest, leaving behind a heavy ache that I couldn’t push away.

I didn’t fight him this time. I couldn’t. My shoulders sagged slightly, and I let my gaze fall to the table, avoiding his eyes. The weight of his hand on my thigh, the slow, steady rhythm of his thumb, and the warmth of his arm around me all worked together to chip away at my anger.

It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. But in that moment, I didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. So I stayed still, letting the tension hang between us like a fragile thread, waiting for it to snap.

By the time dessert came, the energy shifted back to playful despite me and matts moment of tension.

Nick ordered the largest slice of cake on the menu, claiming it was “for the table” but proceeding to eat most of it himself. Matt stole a bite, earning a loud protest from Nick, and Charlie and Chris were too wrapped up in their own world to notice.

As we left the restaurant, the night air was cool and refreshing. Charlie hooked her arm through mine as we walked back to the airbnb. 

“This trip’s been pretty great so far,” she said quietly, glancing at me with a smile.

I nodded, my thoughts briefly flickering to Matt walking a few steps ahead, laughing at something Chris said. “Yeah,” I agreed. “It really has.”

When we walked up to the house, everyone dispersed quickly. Charlie and Chris headed for the kitchen, Nick grabbed his camera, and Matt… Matt grabbed my wrist as I tried to follow Charlie.

“Y/N,” he said softly, his voice hoarse. “Can we talk? Upstairs?”

I hesitated, the lump in my throat making it hard to answer, but I nodded.

Matt led the way, his steps heavy as he climbed the stairs. He didn’t say a word as he opened the door to his room, holding it for me before shutting it behind us. The click of the lock sent a shiver down my spine.

I stood awkwardly by the bed as he ran a hand through his hair, pacing a little before sitting heavily on the edge.

“Why do you keep doing this?” he finally asked, his voice cracking on the last word. He looked up at me, his eyes red-rimmed, and the sight made my stomach churn.

“Doing what?” I asked softly, though I already knew.

“This… this thing where you pull me in and then push me away,” he said, his hands gesturing helplessly. “Where you make me feel like maybe, just maybe, I didn’t fuck everything up, and then remind me that I did.”

I swallowed hard, my fingers fidgeting at my sides. “I’m not trying to—”

“Yes, you are!” he interrupted, his voice louder now. “You think I don’t notice? You think I don’t see the way you look at me, the way you let me touch you, like I still mean something to you? And then you say things like… like what you said at the bar. Like it’s just some vacation fling, like none of this matters.”

“Because it can’t matter, Matt!” I snapped, my voice breaking under the weight of my emotions. “It can’t. Not after what you did.”

His face crumpled, and he pressed his palms to his eyes, his shoulders shaking. “I know I hurt you. I know I left. And I’ve spent every single day since then wishing I could take it back. But I can’t, Y/N. I can’t change what I did. All I can do is try to make it right, but you won’t let me.”

Tears blurred my vision as I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hold myself together. “You don’t get to just come back and act like everything’s fine. You left me, Matt. You broke me. And now you want me to forget all of that because you’re sorry? That’s not how it works.”

He stood abruptly, his chest heaving as he closed the space between us. “I’m not asking you to forget. I’m asking you to let me prove to you that I’m not the same guy who walked away. I’m asking you to give me a chance to fix this.”

I shook my head, a sob escaping my lips. “I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust you again.”

Matt’s face crumpled, and for the first time, I saw tears streaking down his cheeks. He reached out, hesitating before his hands landed gently on my shoulders. “Please,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Please, Y/N. I don’t care if it takes years. I’ll wait. I’ll wait for as long as it takes because you’re it for me. You’ve always been it.”

His words broke something inside me, and before I could stop myself, I was crying harder, my hands clutching at his shirt as he pulled me into his arms. His sobs mixed with mine, and we stood there, holding onto each other like we were the only thing keeping the other from falling apart.

“I don’t know if I can forgive you, The funny thing is I would have married you if you had stuck around.” I whispered into his chest.

“I’ll never stop trying.” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

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