Matt Murdock Shorts

The One Where You Live in an 80s Movie

A/n: I don't know how this happened. High school sweethearts AU. Ooops.

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In middle school, Matt was the nerdy kid- and not in a cool way. He was always studying- Christ, he was blinded on the way home from the library- and kids are mean. Kids bullied him in the usual way you see in movies; threatening him so he'd do their homework. Which is how you met him hiding in the girls bathroom. It wasn't all that uncommon to see him in there; most girls acknowledged him with a 'hey Matt' before going on with their day. It was actually a cheerleader's idea for him to hide in here after she heard that her- now ex-boyfriend was picking on him.

"Hey Matt."

He tilts his head to the side, trying to figure out who you are.

"I'm y/n, I sit behind you in chemistry."

"Oh, hey."

"I was wondering, would you want a study buddy?"

"What?"

"Well, I'm having trouble focusing, and I thought you might want some company. We could help each other.

He takes a minute to comprehend what he's hearing, but nods and agrees once he processes it.

-0-

You were on the tier of popularity you liked to call purgatory. You weren't popular, but you weren't unpopular. Everyone was civil with you, but you didn't have any close friends. So you figured, maybe if people saw you with Matt, he'd be in the clear. But alas, immunity is reserved for the jocks and cheerleaders. Instead, people started making fun of you for hanging out with him. Which resulted in you telling them they could fight you. You were only offended on Matt's behalf anyway. You wouldn't find out until later, but Matt heard everyone of these taunts, and tried to push you away before you got too close. Matt couldn't tell if you were spectacularly oblivious, or if you were dodging his efforts on purpose. By the second quarter of 7th grade, he gave up on protecting you from himself, and let himself have a friend.

Once that storm blew over, you built your friendship on failed study sessions. You had every intention of studying together- you did- but one of you would throw in a personal question, and all studying went out the window. You'd talk about everything and nothing, and it would almost always end up dissolving into a giggle fit.

-0-

Your father put an end to your 'study sessions' when he realized that you weren't getting anything done. In retrospect, you're surprised he didn't catch onto the glorified procrastination sooner. You visited Matt at St. Agnes once, and whether she admitted it or not, Sister Maggie liked you. She was happy that Matt found a partner in crime. Sometimes, she worried that Matt was too mature for his age; he needed someone he could be a stupid teenager with. Your dad in turn, liked Matt because you weren't serious enough. He knew you were smart (half the problem was that school bored you) you just lacked the motivation to actually do your work. After your 'study sessions' ended though, you had your homework done in record time, so you had time to spend with Matt. As much as you hated the system, it worked. Throughout the rest of middle school, and into high school, you and Matt were joined at the hip.

There may have been a time when you looked forward to dances, or to the prom, but that ship sailed when you became close with Matt. None of that seemed to matter anymore. So toward the end of senior year, you hadn't given prom much thought until your dad asked who you were going with. Pretty in Pink style. You shrugged it off and forgot about it after that.

A couple days later, Matt hesitantly reaches for your hand on your way to your favorite gelato place. You glance down at this new development and consider it for a moment, before gripping his hand in your own. When you glance over at him, he looks like you've lifted the weight of the world off his shoulders. He's quiet the rest of the walk, but you can tell he's alternating between blissed out and nervous the whole way there. Then when you go to pay, he jumps in front of you. You eye him as he hands you your gelato, trying to figure out what's going on with him. You thank him and sit through fifteen minutes of pointless small talk while you watch him bounce his leg around. It continues like that for about five more minutes before you reach out and grab his thigh.