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petertingle-yipyip · 2 years ago

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THREE EMPTY WORDS - MATT MURDOCK

Pairing: Matt x Wife!Reader

Word Count: 3,230

Summary (Request): a request like fingers crossed where matty and reader are married and when elektra enters wounded she's sleeping and doesn't realise the situation, so half groggy wifey goes and asks him to sleep. he obviously says no, so she walks away upset.. then stick asks him if he would leave the reader for elektra and he says yes. reader obviously hears this (somehow he doesn't know) but what he does hear is her heart snap in two because of how heartbroken. then he ends up apologising and idk how but its a happy ending

You pushed your laptop away and rubbed your eyes, closing them tightly when you realized just how dry they were. They burned slightly and you knew it was time for bed. You shut your device after saving your lesson plans and tucked it into your bag on the floor. You wandered through the living room for one final check that your boyfriend hadn’t collapsed on the couch before you headed to bed.

It was a few hours later when the commotion started. The loud crashing from your living room woke you with a start, jumping hard enough to nearly fall off the bed. You sat up with eyes squinting through the bright living room lights to see the familiar silhouette of an unmasked Matt, accompanied by an older figure and a limp body.

You fought your way out of the blankets and shuffled across the room to get to the door. The lights were still too bright so you covered your eyes with one hand while holding the door with the other.

“Matty? Is that you?” You asked, the sleep in your voice obviously.

“Yeah.” He answered in a rush. “It’s me, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay. Go back to bed, alright? I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, okay.” You nodded, a heavy yawn sneaking through. “Are you coming?”

“Not right now. I need a few minutes but I’ll be there. Just.. Please.”

“Okay.” You shrugged and shuffled back, eyes closed as you dropped back into bed.

After a short amount of tossing and turning, you woke to a loud yank of the dresser drawer. You sat up and pushed yourself against the headboard, eyes still closed as your hands dropped into your lap. Matt was muttering to himself as he fought out of his suit, the heavy protective material getting slammed against the floor.

“What time is it?” You mumbled, blinking quickly to try and acclimate to the light. “What’s wrong, Matty?”

“It’s nothing, Y/N.” He answered, relatively sharply but maybe he was just tired. “I didn’t mean to wake you again.”

“It’s fine… Should I be worried?”

He finally turned to face you and you noticed his hands were covered in dried blood and they were trembling. You swung your legs around and got up, intending to go to his side but he was quick to meet you and turn you around so your back was towards the living room.

“Matt.” You said quizzically, though there was a firmness that demanded an answer. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a mess out there right now, okay?” He sighed. His eyes closed and he dropped his forehead against yours while his hands moved up and down your arms gently. “I’m gonna handle it and then I’ll be right there in bed with you.”

“You promise?”

He gave a small chuckle before planting a sweet kiss on your forehead.

“I promise.”

“Go on then.” You plopped yourself on the bed again. “Go be a hero… I love you.”

“I love you too.”

You laid on your side as you watched him go back into the living room. He hesitated at the doors and your brows furrowed, though you said nothing. You saw his shoulders drop and heard the faint sigh before he turned away and closed the doors the majority of the way.

You quickly realized you weren’t going to be able to fall back asleep anytime soon so you crawled to the edge of the bed. You leaned forward in an effort to peek through the small opening and saw a woman on the couch, eyes closed with Matt at her side. Out of curiosity, you pushed the blanket to the floor and slid down on top of it. When there was no reaction from Matt, you continued forward until you were at the doors.

Elektra.

How long had she been back? Was she okay?

“Matty.” The old man said. You angled yourself to see him and you could only assume it was the old man who had trained Matt when he was younger. “You know you can’t have both.”

“What?” Matt asked quickly, and you had a similar but quieter reaction. “What are you talking about?”

“Look at yourself, kid. You got your girl in the room, sleeping alone, because you’re here with her.”

“She could die, Stick. I just want to make sure she’s alright.”

“There’s nothing you can do for Ellie right now.” Stick said simply. “As much as I disagree with the soft life you built here…” He sighed and turned towards the bedroom. You froze, as if you’d been caught, but then you remembered he was also blind. But that didn’t mean he didn’t know you were there. “Would you leave it all?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“What’s her name? Y/N?”

“Don’t talk about her.” Matt said protectively. “What are you getting at?”

“Let’s say, hypothetically, it’s between Ellie here and that little firecracker in the bedroom… Who do you pick?”

“I’m not gonna play your game.”

“That’s an answer on its own.” He shrugged.

“Shut up, Stick.”

“All I’m saying is that-“

“I don’t care.” Matt cut in sharply. “I don’t care what you have to say about my life or the way I’m living it, alright? She knows what I do is dangerous and she’s fine with it. She knows that I love her and I do this to make sure she’s safe. She gets it, all of it.”

“Does she?” Stick countered calmly. “Does she know about Ellie?”

Matt was quiet.

“She doesn’t.” The old man said quietly. “And you really think she’ll stay once she knows?”

“It doesn’t matter… She doesn’t need to know.”

“Intersting..”

“What are you looking for, Stick? You want some confession about how I feel?”

“I want you to stop lying to yourself, Kid. And stop lying to that girl.” He pointed towards you in the bedroom.

“I’m not lying.” Matt scoffed.

“Okay… So who’s it gonna be?”

“Why do you care so much?”

“Ellie or Y/N?”

“That’s my wife, Stick.”

“Just answer the question!”

“Elektra!” Matt yelled suddenly and you felt your stomach twist.

Without much thought you pushed the doors open roughly, earning a quick head turn from Matt and a smirk crossed Stick’s features that made you feel sick. Why he intended on pushing Matt to give an answer, you had no idea. But he did, and Matt gave the exact opposite answer you expected.

“Y/N? You okay?” Matt asked carefully, a small tilt to his head as he listened in to whatever tell your body was giving him. “Your heart’s racing.”

“Yeah..” You said tightly. “Just need the bathroom.”

You hurried into the room and locked the door behind yourself. You leaned against the sink, taking a minute to stare at the tears welling up in your eyes. You felt sick, a twisted knot growing in your stomach. It felt as if it was swelling, crushing your lungs and cramming itself into your throat to the point where it was hard to breathe. Your knees fell weak and you let yourself drop the ground, head in hands as the tears began to fall. You kept quiet to try and hear what Matt said next.

“That wasn’t fair.” Matt said angrily. “You tricked me.”

“Did I?” Stick answered sarcastically. “Did I trick you?”

“Yes, you did.”

“The only person that tricked you is you. Come on, Matty. No one forced you to say Ellie’s name.”

“And no one asked you to come here and start problems. You knew she was listening and you wanted to see if you could play some sick game with her. You don’t even know her!”

“I know that you don’t need her.”

“Get out.”

“All of this over some girl. Wake up, kid!”

“Stop talking about my wife that she’s just some girl.”

“She won’t stick around after that.”

“Get out of my apartment or I will throw your ass out.”

With quiet screams, knees pulled to your chest and arms wrapped around them, you sobbed on the bathroom floor.

Your eyes were closed tightly and your shoulders shook as your lungs fought to fill with air. You turned your head to let the small whine of a sound get muffled by your shoulder while your nose ran and leaked onto your shirt. Your hands gripped your legs tightly and our nails dug into the tender flesh, serving as a physical source of your emotional pain.

You had always known Matt had a soft spot for his old college girlfriend. She was the first person that made Matt feel alive, that didn’t treat him as a porcelain doll. She challenged him and adored him for all he was. Like he said, she understood all of it. But to hear him confess that he’d still choose her over you, after everything you’ve helped him through, it felt like a deep cut to your soul.

“Sweetheart?” Matt asked from the other side of the door as he knocked lightly. “You alright in there?”

You shook your head quickly, despite the fact that he wouldn’t know, but had no voice to offer a response. You knew if you tried to say anything, you’d fall into another fit of sobs.

“Y/N, I can’t tell if you answered… Please talk to me, or open the door.”

“Go away.” You said quietly, a voice hardly above a whisper.

“No.” He said before a small shuffle and his voice came from a lower angle for his next sentence. “Not until you tell me.”

You rolled your eyes and slammed your fist against the door. You assumed it would’ve hit just about where he was so maybe he would get the hint that you didn’t want him around.

He didn’t.

“You heard what Stick said, didn’t you?” He asked gently.

“The important part is I heard what you said, Matt.” You managed, your voice weak rather than sharp.

“What I… Y/N, sweetie, you know I didn’t mean it.”

“I’m crying my eyes out because I know what you meant.” You offered sarcastically. “Just leave me alone.”

“I’m not gonna let you stay in the bathroom all night. Unless you plan to sleep in the bathtub, you have to come out at some point, my love.”

“Why didn’t you tell me she was in town?”

“I didn’t think it would matter… It wasn’t supposed to come to this. It was supposed to be something quick, one-and-done. I never planned on her being here this long.”

“Is that supposed to make it okay?” You sniffled. “Things didn’t go to plan so you continue to hide it? You lied to me, Matt. So many times… I thought you were just out doing Daredevil things but you were going on little vigilante dates with her.”

“Dates? No, no, Y/N, nothing was ever a date.”

“That night you left in your work suit and came back in a tux?” You challenged.

“That..” He said slowly as he searched for a way to explain it. Now you were starting to grow angry, hearing him try to justify what he was doing rather than admit he was wrong. “Wasn’t a date. It was just us-”

“It was you two, getting dressed up and going out.”

“We needed to get into the gala to take a leger. That’s it.”

“If that was it, it should’ve been done. But it wasn’t, was it?”

“No…”

“No, you continued to see her and continued to lie to me and all of your friends... Does she even know that we're married?”

“Yes.” He answered quickly. “Yes, of course she knows. I’d never try to keep you a secret.”

“No, but you’ll keep secrets from me.”

“I thought it would be quick.”

You rolled your eyes and shoved yourself to your feet. You yanked the door open and pushed forward, nearly tripping over Matt, who was still sitting on the floor. You let out a ragged breath as a poor attempt to control your boiling anger but with every hasty step across your living room, every time your peripherals caught sight of Matt’s unconscious ex-lover on your couch, you felt that anger seer through every nerve in your body.

Every inch of your skin tingled and your muscles burned. You didn’t know what to do with yourself. You wanted to scream, to hit something, to throw something. You wanted to cry, to run, and just be alone. But where would you go? It was late. Your friends were likely asleep. You had no escape at the moment, so instead of letting it cook you from the inside out, you directed your anger at the only person you thought would deserve it.

Well, maybe not deserve it, but the only person who could take it.

“I never wanted to lie to you or- or keep anything from you.” Matt tried and all you could respond with was a scoff. You knew the second you let your brain send words to your tongue, they’d flow from your mouth. They’d grow and burn and creep like lava, thick and heavy and painful. So you pressed your lips together and shook your head, letting out sharp exhales through your nose as your angry pacing continued.

“Please, Y/N, you have to believe me.” He nearly begged.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” You asked through gritted teeth, digging nails into your palms so roughly it sent a sting through your hand. “Or was she always going to be your little secret?”

“I never meant to -”

“That doesn't make it any better!” You shouted, throwing your arm widely to gesture to the woman on your now bloodied couch. “You can’t justify this! There’s no scenario or circumstances that make this okay! Do you get that?”

“I know but-”

“Then there is no but!” You continued to scream.

You didn’t care if the neighbors heard. You didn’t care if the whole city heard you. You didn't care if your volume woke Elektra or even woke the dead. You were absolutely livid now that the sadness had worn off. You were initially hurt that he had admitted to preferring Elektra to you, but at the end of the night, Matt came home to you. Matt spent his nights with you. He trusted all of his secrets to you. Elektra may have had his heart in the beginning but he was yours now. You wouldn’t let that go, nor would you ever let her think otherwise.

“I have to find out by accident that my husband is running around town, ditching work, for his ex from college. How do you think that makes me feel? How does that make our marriage look?” You continued, unleashing any thought your brain conjured.

But at that moment, with the notorious neon shining through the living room windows, you refused to let anything slide. You refused to let Matt think he could keep such a secret, especially one with such heavy implications, from you when he had told you - quite literally - everything else.

“How can I make this up to you?” He asked gently, walking to your side and gently reaching for your balled-up hands.

You yanked them from his grip and shoved him instead. He nodded slightly and let you push him again. And again. And again. You reached to do it again but that time, he caught your wrists. You pulled away slightly but he refused to let you go, offering a pointed expression instead.

“Let me go, Matt.” You said firmly.

“No.” He said with a slight shake of his head. “Not until you answer me.”

“You didn’t owe me this explanation. Why would I owe you an answer?” You shot back sharply.

“Because I love you… Because you mean everything to me and I’m not going to lose you because of something stupid that I said.”

“Those three empty words will only make this worse. Say them again and I will throw all of your shit out of that window.”

“Empty?” His brows raised and he let your hands go. He scoffed slightly with a nod as he took a few steps away. “Empty words, huh?”

“What would you call them?” You countered, though seeing the hurt expression seemed to sap the anger from your bones.

You started to feel bad… But didn’t you want to hurt him? Make him feel the way you had, just moments before?

“I won’t keep saying those ‘three empty words’ but I am gonna say something else.” Matt said carefully, as if he had decided to choose his words more intently. “Will you hear me out now?”

“If something doesn’t change, we’ll just keep sinking further.” You warned hesitantly, more scared that you had gone too far than that Matt would cross a line. Granted, he had crossed one already but you had gotten over him hiding Daredevil from you so you figured you’d get over the whole Elektra issue with some time. But maybe you had screwed yourself out of that chance.

“I’m running out of things to say to you to get you to believe me.” He confessed, dropping into one of the armchairs out of defeat. “Just tell me this isn’t broken.”

“You tell me.” You shrugged.

“I’m trying.” He laughed, though there was no humor in the sound. It was a sound of stress, desperation even.

“Are you?” You challenged mindlessly, not even realizing you had said it until you watched Matt’s expression change.

“You, Y/N, are the most important person in my life. I could lose… I could lose everything, but as long as I have you… I can do anything as long as you’re with me.”

“Then why is she here?” You insisted, pointing at her with every word.

“Where else were we supposed to take her?” He asked in quiet resignation. “I couldn’t just leave her to die in that place.”

“Fine.” You gave up, rubbing your hands down your face as the sleep pushed your anger away and took its place across your body, making it grow three times as heavy. “Okay.”

“Don’t do that.” Matt shook his head. “Don’t just conceed.”

“I don’t wanna fight anymore.” You admitted through a yawn. “We’re tired.” You reasoned. “We can’t take it anymore… Let’s just get some sleep. And deal with this tomorrow, probably after we both get off work.”

“Y/N.”

“Matthew.”

“Look, before you go to bed, can I say one more thing?” He jumped to his feet and came to stand in front of you, gently taking your hands in his.

“Yeah, just make it quick.” You shrugged.

He placed your hands over the center of his chest, allowing you to feel his pulse thump steadily under your fingers. His hands stayed over yours and you had to bite down the smile as you looked up at him. You felt the subtle movement of his fingers, ensuring that the wedding ring was still on your finger. His head was tilted towards you and he wore the smallest of smiles when he found it, which would seem normal at any other time.

“You mean everything to me, my love… I never meant to hurt you and I’ll do whatever I can to prove that to you. I’d hate to lose you over something like this.”

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petertingle-yipyip · 2 years ago

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RECKLESS DRIVING - MATT MURDOCK

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Word Count: 3,820

Summary: (requested) Hello, I have a Matt X wife reader request. You had a serious accident and all your memories after the collage are lost. In the hospital you are frightened by Matt , who is shocked and desperate at the same time. Matt tries to tell you that he is your husband and that you love him, but you can't remember. Matt tries everything to get your memory back and fall in love with him again. In the beginning, you distance yourself and live with your brother Frank Castle, who helps Matt get you back together.

The lights were bright when you first opened your eyes. You couldn’t remember anything. Clearly you were in a hospital, but which one? Your entire body ached and you could hear the beeping of the machines, felt the sticky residue from the sensors attached to your chest, but what happened? You heard voices through the small crack in the door, but who were they?

You looked around the room confused and saw the name on the chart near the door. You wobbled to your feet, head spinning once you sat up, and inched your way across the room.

Y/N MURDOCK.

Wait, Murdock?

That didn’t feel right. Wasn’t that the asshole from college that was always taking your favorite study corner?

You pulled the folder and plopped it open on the nearby counter so you could lean on your elbows. You skimmed the page, noting the various injuries.

Mild whiplash. Rib contusions, hairline fractures on left 3-5 ribs. Dislocated shoulder that was reinserted. Bruising all along the left side and uncertain risk of brain injury. Concussion likely.

None of that explained why your name was wrong.

The door suddenly opened at your side and you were quick to shut the folder. You turned and leaned backwards on the counter, earning a small sigh and smile from your doctor. He offered you his arm and walked you back to the bed, ensuring you were set before he spoke.

“I’m Dr. James Wilson.” He said kindly.

“Y/N.” You answered and he laughed. “How bad?”

“Well, you’ve already looked over the chart so you have a general idea.” He picked up the folder and gave it a small shake. “Do you remember what happened?”

“No… I remember I had just got picked up by the taxi and then.. Then nothing.”

He sighed slightly and took a tentative step closer.

“This is what we were worried about.” He said regretfully.

“Trauma-induced retrograde amnesia.” You finished and his brows raised. “I was in a pre-med allied health program.”

“Well, good thing is we’ve already gotten in touch with both of your emergency contacts. They’ll be here shortly.”

“I’m sorry. Both?” Your head cocked and it made your neck ache.

“Yes, uh..” He flipped open the file. “Your brother and your husband.”

“Have I been here before? Is that how there’s contacts already?”

“Few years ago, you were admitted with a pretty severe upper respiratory infection while in the area.”

“Right, right…” You glanced around the room. “So this has to be Princeton-Plainsboro?”

Dr. Wilson nodded and pulled the chair near your IV line closer. “What else do you remember about this place, Y/N?”

“You’re in oncology.. Head of the department, I think. Yeah, I remember doing some undergrad research with you.”

“What was your topic?”

“The influence of a moderate exercise program on quality of life for leukemia patients post allogeneic bone marrow transplant… Dr. House said my system was “moronic and no self-respecting med student would present their research that way”. “

“This is really great, Y/N.” He smiled and stood to leave. “I’m going to bring this to House and his team. Dr. Foreman will likely come in soon, look for neurological problems and we’ll talk about your discharge from there.”

“Wait.” You went to get off the bed but lost your balance. You ended up falling back onto the mattress. “When they get here, I just want to see my brother.”

“I’ll let the nurses know.”

The next time you woke up, Drs Cameron and Foreman were bringing your brother in to see you. He gave you a bit of grief for making him speed down the highway to New Jersey, of all places. You apologized profusely, admitting you didn’t even remember why you were going to Jersey to begin with. Ultimately, he was just relieved you were alive.

“Y/N, based off what Dr. Wilson has told us, it seems only emotional memories have been impacted.” Dr. Foreman explained carefully,

“How does that happen?” Your brows furrowed.

“Well the brain is a tricky thing. It seems there’s a disconnect between the long term memory system and the emotional control center. It’s likely just due to the swelling, but we would like a few tests to make sure there’s nothing serious.”

“Okay.” You nodded. “Yeah, is there like a consent form I-“ You tried when you heard the loud voice and rhythmic tapping coming down the hall. You shifted on the bed and the sounds drew everyone else’s attention as well. “A consent form I need to sign? Or is verbal okay?” You tried to keep going past the sounds outside your door.

“Verbal is fine.”

“Then, yeah. I’m guessing CT and MRI?”

“For starters. And then if we need to keep going, we’ll talk about it.”

“Oh, thank god.” He said in clear relief as he burst through the door, white cane in hand and round glasses on his face. “How you feeling, Sweetheart?”

“Uh…” You trailed off carefully.

“Do you know this man?” Dr. Cameron asked carefully when she saw your hesitation.

“Um..”

“Y/N?” He asked, clearly upset by your lack of a reaction.

“Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to-“ Cameron tried, gently attempting to escort him out but he yanked his arms away.

“I’m her husband!” He insisted. “Frank, tell ‘em.”

“You don’t remember him?” Frank asked you instead. Your eyes were still trained on the man claiming to be your husband.

That would’ve made him Matthew Murdock. You vaguely remembered the name from college. Law student, in the top of his class, sort of funny. Cleary blind. He had a friend, a loud guy with long blond hair, also in the top of the law class. You remembered Matthew was always at your preferred spot in the library. He would flash you a smile and you always had to refrain from chewing him out.

“Y/N?” Frank tried, gently shaking your arm so your attention would turn to him. “You don’t remember Murdock?”

“I remember him from college, but not as my husband.” You confessed quietly, as if you were somehow worried about hurting the man’s feelings.

“Nothing? Not your wedding or your apartment? His jobs? I walked you down the aisle, Y/N/N.”

You shook your head quietly, tears welling in your eyes.

“This is why I didn’t wanna see him.” You said quietly. “Make him leave.”

Frank nodded before he stood and moved towards Matt. Dr. Cameron took your brother’s old spot soon enough, placing a gentle hand on yours and speaking soft consolations. But you were listening to the boys’ hushed conversations. You caught words every now and then and were able to assume what they were saying.

You gotta go, man.

That’s my wife. I’m not going anywhere.

You’re freakin’ her out. Give her time-

No.

The doctors gotta run some tests. Give her some space and -

I’m not leaving.

There was a light sound of scuffling as you assumed Frank dragged Matthew out because when you looked back, the boys were gone but the expression on Dr. Foreman’s face was shock and slight amusement.

When you were discharged a few days later, your team of doctors promised there was no obvious damage to any brain structures. They said the amnesia would last for an undetermined amount of time and to not force yourself to remember anything. You were given moderate pain medication and left in a sling with a list of care instructions for the rest of your injuries.

As you were leaving the hospital, Frank had the car waiting for you out front. However, there were a couple others waiting with it.

“Why is he here?” You mumbled as Frank helped you out the hospital mandated wheelchair.

“Wouldn’t leave.” Frank answered simply.

“The guy with him.. That’s his friend, Francis Nelson, right?”

“Franklin, I think. They call him Foggy.”

“Foggy.” You repeated, and it felt familiar to say.

“Hey, Y/N.” The blond - Foggy - said carefully. “You look, uh, good? All things considered.”

You offered a small smile. “Thanks, I think.. I’m sorry, I don’t really-“

“You don’t have to.” He nodded quickly. “You’re a good friend of mine. I just wanna help however I can.”

“Thank you.” You gave a genuine smile this time. “I remember a little bit, here and there. You were at Columbia and we crossed paths a few times but that’s about it.”

“That’s as good a place to start as any.” He grinned. “I was also this guy’s-“ He threw his arm over Matthew’s shoulders. “-best man, but we can worry about that later.”

“Y/N, sweetheart, please.” Matthew stepped forward, shrugging Foggy’s arm off. He reached for your hands but you took a step back, nearly cowering behind your brother. “Please, just hear me out. I- I love you, more than anything. Please. Let me explain. I can- I can show you our wedding video, pictures. We can talk to my mother or Father Lantom, he officiated the wedding.”

“I don’t know who those people are!” You exclaimed loudly. “Matthew, I don’t remember whatever relationship we had. Everything you feel, I don’t.. Not right now, at least.”

“But… Y/N, you love me.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t love you like that.”

“But I love you like that.”

“You’re just staring at me like you’re not convinced that this is real.” You said quickly, though once the sentence left your mouth you realized your wording may not be effective against a blind man.

“I don’t wanna lose this. I- I- I want you to know just how I feel.”

“This’ll kill us if I don’t let go… You have to let go a little bit too.”

“We…” He lost the words, mouth opening but no sound coming out.

You said nothing as Foggy pulled Matthew out of your way so you could get into the car. Frank put himself to the other side to create a barricade between you and Matthew and you thanked him quietly. The ride back was relatively quiet, you and Frank playing an occasional Fill-In-The-Blanks-Of-Your-Memory game.

As the days went on, you stayed with Frank. He went to your alleged shared apartment and collected enough of your things to last you a couple weeks. He told you that he didn’t bring everything because he knew you’d go moving back in with Matthew soon so there was no point. And though you didn’t believe him, he clearly knew the relationship better than you did.

Matthew, however, seemed to be relentless in his quest to win you back and restore your memories. It seemed pointless to you, to try and force someone to feel something they don’t. But the love Matthew had for you was so strong, you found it hard to deny that there was something.

Your alleged husband sent you flowers, ones he swore were your favorite. He showed up with meals from local businesses, swearing that you two had some sentimental date there or you loved eating from that place. He even brought over your wedding album and video, along with your wedding band that the hospital gave to him upon your discharge since you refused it. You accepted all of his gifts with a quiet sigh and a polite smile, though you said very little to him during the exchanges. It was hard to miss the way his shoulders dropped and his face would fall when you didn’t exchange the sentiment that he offered every time, when you didn’t say you loved him.

“You gonna watch it?” Frank asked as you sat beside with the DVD case in hand.

“Should I?” You asked quietly. “All I can really remember about him was that he was an asshole in college. He was a pretty boy with good grades so he thought he could get away with whatever he wanted. We never really got along until..”

“Till what?”

“Till… something. I don’t know.”

“It’s all good. You’ll get it.” He shrugged.

“Did I ever tell you why it changed?”

“No. But I think one of you talked about it in your vows.”

“So I should watch it?” You shook the case.

“I’m just sayin’… It could have something.”

“It could?” Your brows raised. “Or it does?

“Dunno.” He shrugged. “It’s your wedding. I was taking advantage of that open bar.”

You smacked his arm and he laughed, causing you to laugh too. You slid the DVD onto the coffee table and carried on with your day, but the idea of what could possibly be hidden on the disc kept plaguing your mind.

Later that night, when Frank had gone to bed, you popped the disc into your computer.

—————

“Is he out there?” You asked anxiously, hands wringing nervously as you waited near the doors.

“Yeah, I’m here. C’mon, Y/N/N.” Frank called from the other side.

With a small, excited squeal, you opened the door and stepped out. You took a deep breath before tapping your brother on the shoulder. You smiled widely when he faced you and his jaw dropped.

Both hands covered his mouth as he grinned, eyes brimming with tears as he took a few small steps. You opened your arms and he embraced you tightly, nearly bringing you to tears.

“You look beautiful.” He mumbled and your smile got a little wider, if that was even possible. “I’m happy for you, kid.”

—————

“Y/N, I’ve thought about this day since I first met you. You’ve always been so outgoing and honest. From that first instance, I just knew I needed to have you in my life. We haven’t been perfect but you’ve always been there. And for as long as you’ll have me, I want to be the one in your heart. You’ll always have a piece of me, sweetheart. No matter what happens from here, no matter what we go through, I will always put you first. You are my love, my light. And I would go to hell and back to give you everything you deserve. I love you, until death and even after. My soul, my heart, my very being, will belong to no one but you.”

—————

“Matt, you were always my one guarantee. In college, I knew that I’d find you at my study corner every Wednesday night. After college, I knew we’d stay in touch. I knew we’d find a way to be in each other’s lives, but if you had told me before that party that I’d marry you, I would’ve laughed. But now, here I am. In a beautiful dress, at a beautiful church, with a beautiful man. You’ve been a handful for as long as I’ve known you, but everyday you make it worth it. You always make me feel so loved and so special, and when I wake up with you, I swear to make sure you feel the same. You, my sweet boy, are everything I’ve ever wanted. With you, I hope to have a long, happy, beautiful future so full of love. In front of everyone here, your family and mine, I give you every piece of me for as long as you’ll have me. I love you, with all I have to give.”

—————

You paused the video after that. The vows were beautiful, drawing a tear to your eye. You spun the ring around your finger. You slid the cursor to find the frame where he put the ring on your finger and there it was. The exact same wedding band on your hand was the one in the video.

With the evidence in front of you, it was hard to deny your wedding. The only other thing to make it more convincing would’ve been a copy of your taxes with the marital status. It made sense logically, but the emotional aspect was still severely lacking. But maybe…

Maybe you didn’t have to be so cold towards Matthew. Maybe you did start to see why you had liked him enough to marry him.

You jumped up and practically ran into Frank’s bedroom, socks slipping on the hardwood floors. You thumped him on the forehead frantically until he woke up.

“Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank.” You repeated until he caught your wrist, eyes still closed.

“The hell are you doing?” He mumbled.

“What party?”

“What?”

“In the vows. Matthew didn’t mention anything but she- I did. What happened at the party?”

“Why don’t you ask someone who was actually there?” He let go of your wrist and rolled to face the other way.

You groaned to yourself and kicked the mattress before heading out. Checking the clock on your computer, you saw it was a little after midnight. With no real plan, you pulled your phone and scrolled through contacts.

You couldn’t find anything that would’ve been obvious as Matthew. No MATTHEW, MATT, MATTY, MURDOCK, or any sort of typical term of endearment. Only HELLSPAWN with a stupid photo of your brother.

But you did find a contact with only a red heart and a devil emoji. With a hunch, you selected the contact and pressed to call.

“Y/N?” His voice came through almost immediately, not even sounding tired. In fact, he sounded more awake than you were. “Is everything okay?”

“I just wanted to… To talk to you about something.”You explained awkwardly. “I watched the video…”

“The wedding video?”

“Yeah… Unless there’s some other video we made.”

“Well.” He laughed slightly and your cheeks went hot. “I’m kidding, sweetheart. I’m kidding.” He laughed a little more.

“Yeah, you’re as hilarious as I remember.” You rolled your eyes, though you wore a small smile. “In my vows, I talked about a party.”

“Mhmm.”

“What party? What happened?”

“Why don’t you come over and we can talk? I still have some of that ice cream you like.”

“I don’t know where to go, Matthew.”

“Muscle memory.” He countered smoothly and you could picture the smirk he was wearing. “Meet me on the roof, okay?”

“If I get lost, I swear to God…” You grumbled as you stood and found your shoes. You tossed on a hoodie and pushed to acknowledge the cologne it smelled of.

Looking down at the sweater, you saw it was a Columbia hoodie but from the law department. You gave a small chuckle as you realized you recognized it as Matthew’s cologne.

“What?” He asked with a laugh.

“Uh.. Nothing. I’ll call you if I get lost.”

You hurried out the door and through the chilled night, stopping at various corners as you hesitated on which way to go. After a while of second guessing and uncertainty, you settled on a building. As you entered, you felt a sense of familiarity and you took that as a good sign. You wandered up the stairs until the roof and found Matthew was already waiting for you.

“Wasn’t sure I was at the right place at first.” You confessed as you sat beside him on the ledge. You looked over at him and saw he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

“I knew you’d get here.” He said honesty, turning towards you with a gentle smile. He reached for your hand but hesitated, allowing his palm to hover over your wrist for a moment before pulling away. “So.. You wanted to talk about the party?”

“Yeah.. What happened?”

“I went with my roommate and you went with yours. It was some sorority mixer for one of their anniversaries, but both of our roommates ditched us.” He leaned his palms on the roof behind him and leaned back, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.

You saw the red tint of old bruises poking out from under the collar of his t-shirt. Short cuts were illuminated across his face in the moonlight and the slightest purple tint showed around his eyes. You wondered who would assault a blind man so much as to leave him with a black eye.

“And then we got married.” He said simply with a small shrug.

“Sorry, what?” You asked, snapping from your admiration of him.

He laughed lightly and flattened out to his back, a hand reaching out for you. With a small hesitation, though somewhere deep in your gut you knew it was okay, you put your hand in his. He pulled you down to lay beside him and you let out a small groan as you thumped against the concrete.

“Your roommate ditched you for some frat guy and mine… I still don’t know where mine went that night.” He explained again, looking over at you with a soft smile. You tried to keep your eyes up at the faint pinpricks of stars, counting what you could see and trying to find constellations. But you could see him out your peripherals and you ended up rolling onto your side to face him. “Anyway, you didn’t know anyone else besides me and her so I stayed with you. We talked and you ended up leaving in my sweater.”

“This sweater.” You said and tugged the material.

“Yeah..” He said softly, barely above a whisper. He cleared his throat and continued talking. “I walked you back to your dorm and you made me call you when I walked back to mine… You told me you wanted to make sure I didn’t get hit by someone on a bike on my way but I think you just wanted to hear my voice some more.”

You laughed honestly and tucked your head against your arm. You felt his hand on the side of your face, his fingers inching into your hair, as he gently turned you back towards him. His unfocused eyes scanned your face and you could see the love in his expression.

“I told you…” You began carefully as you tugged the string of the memory. The memory at the base of a massive pile that if you could just get it out, maybe everything else would make sense. “I told you that you’d be a hell of a lawyer cause you managed to convince me not to hate you.”

“I think it was a little nicer than that.” His brows furrowed before he smiled.

He really had a beautiful smile, didn’t he?

“And then you asked if.. if that meant..”

“C’mon, sweetheart.” He said softly, practically to himself. “A little more.”

“If that meant we would spend more time together… We started studying together, in my favorite corner. We…”

“Yeah?”

“We fell in love.”

“And here we are.”

“Yeah…” You gave a small, slightly sad smile as you removed his hand. “Here we are.”

“Are we still in love?” He asked carefully, clearly terrified of the answer.

“I don’t know.” You said honestly. “But I do know that I liked you. And I think I’d like to see if we can fall in love again.”

He grinned widely and nodded eagerly. “I can live with that.. Can I kiss you?”