Matt Murdock Shorts

Dead Man Walking

Matt sits at the table doing something on his phone and he's so focused you'd swear lives were at stake.

"Is everything alright?" You ask him.

He lifts his head, turning it in your general direction. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Um, Foggy needs to vent. I guess something happened." He pauses. "I don't like the idea of him being alone right now. You'll be alright here for a while, right?"

"Yeah. Give him my love."

He nods, getting up and making his way over to you. His hands extend in front of him until he makes contact with the sofa and he can trace its back, stopping once he gets to you. He touches your shoulder first, sliding his hand along your neck and up to cup your face. When his lips meet yours, the way his harsh breath feels against your face, it's a little more desperate than the situation calls for.

You part, leaning back to study his face. Not that you have much time to do so with the way he gets up and starts gathering his things. "Are you okay? That kiss felt... final."

A brisk yeah is his only response. It doesn't quell your suspicion.

"Alright. See you later." You smile as you try to make your voice sound warm and light even though you're still tracking him as he moves around the apartment. You don't want your worry to come off as overbearing.

He nods and goes to the door but pauses when he gets there. "Um, I don't know how long I'll be so don't wait up."

"Alright."

—0—

A while later, your phone starts buzzing. When you see Foggy's name pop up on the screen, it worries you. What you read in the message makes your stomach drop. It's an unassuming text asking if you and Matt want to meet him and Karen for drinks. You reread the text. You and Matt. You and Matt. Why isn't Matt with him? Why is he asking like he never expected Matt to meet him in the first place? You try to calm down and get more facts before you freak out.

>What do you mean me and Matt? He told me he was with you.

A few minutes pass before he responds. You try to tell yourself that he's addled right now, but you aren't doing a great job convincing yourself.

>>He's not with me; I don't remember making any plans with him.

>Alright, thanks.

>>I'm sure he's fine.

>I'm sure, but if he is, he won't be for long.

>>Please don't murder him, I don't want to have to go against you in court.

>I'm not making any promises.

>>I know it feels like he doesn't deserve it, but give him a chance to explain. He's never cheated on anyone before, and he's crazy about you. Believe me, he will not shut up. Usually, he keeps his romantic life in a neat little closet complete with burner phones. On the other hand, if he is cheating, I will personally help you sue him for everything he's worth. And at a greatly reduced fee because, /so/ not cool, man.

Foggy makes you feel a little better, but if you think about it for too long, anger you've never felt toward Matt boils inside you. Before, you wouldn't think he'd cheat either, but you don't understand why else he would lie about this. You try to distract yourself, think about anything else while you wait for him to come home. When nothing works, you end up stewing in the chair facing the door, waiting for Matt to walk in. It's around one in the morning when he finally does.

The moment he steps in, he quirks his head to the side, noticing you're not in bed, and that you're awake. "I thought I told you not to wait up."

"I don't think you're in a position to be analyzing why I'm still up. I mean, you were out with Foggy right? Maybe I wanted to stay up a little later tonight.