Bound by Law (Matt Murdock x Reader)

41. Guilty Crimes

The return to Hell's Kitchen felt stepping into an active war zone. You felt guilt heavy on your chest like a rock for sleeping with Max. Well... Kind of. It was hard for you to evaluate the level of seriousness of the situation that you've put yourself in. You weren't sure of your relationship with Matt in the first place, so this shouldn't feel like cheating... Yet it felt like something even worse than that.

Stepping out of the taxi, you inhale fresh air and look at the building in front of you. Nelson and Murdock. Maybe you should've gone to visit Matt, but you returned late at night and went straight to bed, so who could blame you for that one? You didn't trust your own mind and what you could possibly say to him after your stay in LA. 

The stairs to the office felt longer than ever, and the locked doors of the office definitely didn't add any more glory to the whole situation. "What?" You rattle the knob again, yet the doors remain locked. "Obviously, right when I don't have the fucking key." You sigh to yourself, checking the time, just in case - 10 am. Before you could even decide what to do, your fingers were already dialing Matt. After a couple of seconds, he answers:

"Hello?"

"Yeah, hi." Suddenly it felt awkward to call him, "I'm near the office. It's locked." You exhale loudly, and Matt's interest spikes up, "Where are you guys? Well, Foggy... Or Karen... I understand that you're at home... Resting." Matt's silence made you stutter and blabber nonsense, and you finally stop, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, I'm home. You don't have a key?"

"No."

"I'll give you mine." Matt replies nonchalantly, causing you to furrow your eyebrows.

"Do you need anything? I can stop by the store."

"No, thanks." He says and ends the call, weirdly enough not very talkative.

*** 

On your way to Matt's flat, you're so lost in your head that you almost bump into a woman at the beginning of the stairs. "Oh, sorry." She says and you shoot her a distracted smile, but then you recognize her-

Or at least you think you do, but she definitely recognizes you from the hospital, and hurries away before you can say anything to her. The voice was so familiar to the one you've heard while you were unconscious from the poisoned champagne. You knock on Matt's door, holding a bag in your left hand. He opens a minute later, an unreadable expression on his face, and the sight of him - broke and hurt - pains you so much that you drop your bag on the floor, quickly embracing him. "Oh my God, Matt." You try to pull away to take a better look at his injuries, but Matt buries his face in the crook of your neck, squeezing you close to him, despite the stinging pain in his chest. You pull away again, this time freeing yourself from his hands and gently touching his face. "Matt... I'm sorry I didn't come earlier... Sorry I left for LA instead, fuck, I should've been here... Why were you not in hospital? When did this happen? I mean... Foggy didn't say much but-"

Matt shuts your blabbering with a kiss, closing the door with his free hand and then pulls away, resting his forehead on your shoulder. "Sorry." He mumbles, inhaling your calming scent, then drifts away again, heading out of the corridor. "The key is somewhere on the table."

You shrug off your coat and grab the bag off the floor, hurrying after Matt into the living room. "I know you said you don't need anything but I stopped by the store and bought some fruits." You say, almost feeling guilty because you didn't listen to him.

"You didn't have to."

"But I wanted to." You finally step into the open space and look at all the bandages and other stuff scattered on the table.