what they wouldn't do | DAREDEVIL

chapter fourty-one

It was late Monday evening and Sarah was flat on her back, breathing heavily as Matt pinned her hands above her head from his position straddling her waist.

The scene wasn't exactly as enjoyable as it could have been, considering they were in a run-down boxing gym and Sarah was currently getting frustrated over a move she couldn't get right, but overall Matt couldn't complain.

"Okay, let's try with your hands free," Matt suggested, letting go of her wrists. "The good news in this scenario is you can use your hands to fight back. The bad news..."

"...if they're not pinning my hands it's probably because they're busy, like, trying to strangle me," she finished.

"Essentially. It's why you need to try not to get knocked off your feet, but if you do it doesn't have to be game over."

Sarah nodded, then shifted slightly underneath him.

"It doesn't seem too bad so far," she noted innocently.

Matt bit back a smirk as he cast an exasperated glance at the ceiling. Then he schooled his expression into something more stern.

"Focus," he reminded her. "I'll still floor your ass even if you're being cute."

Sarah bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Yes, sir," she said with mock seriousness.

As difficult as it was, Matt ignored that and continued with his lesson.

"If your hands are free, and you can try to get ahold of them here—" Matt placed her right hand on his forearm, "—and here—" he placed her other hand just above his elbow on the other arm, "—you can throw off their center of balance and try to roll them off with your legs and your hips."

"That sounds like using a lot of things all at the same time. Is someone hitting me during all this?"

"It's simpler than it sounds. Give it a try."

Sarah placed her hands in the correct position on his arms, but seemed lost as to how to dislodge his lower body. Maybe she needed to see it herself first.

"Okay, sit up," he decided. "We'll switch. I'll do it to you first."

"Alright," she said warily as she sat up. Matt laid on his back and she straddled his waist. He could feel her still watching him uncertainly. "Are you going to warn m—"

Matt's two-handed grip on her arm tightened as he brought his foot up to trap her own. He bucked up and easily knocked her off balance, rolling her over so she was pinned to the ground beneath him again.

"Oh," she said breathlessly. "I see."

"Your turn."

So they kept on, and it was close to nine when they finished up. Exhaustion was radiating off of Sarah as she stretched out on the bench next to the sand bags.

"Glad to be back in the ring?" Matt asked dryly

Sarah laughed as she worked her neck. "Weirdly, yes. I didn't think I'd ever like fighting as a stress outlet, but I kind of missed it. It's been a while."

It had been a while. Matt had been putting off resuming their lessons, setting the somewhat arbitrary timeline of waiting until the bruise on her face had healed. Not that it had any real impact on her ability to train, but the entire premise of their lessons relied on her trust that he wouldn't hurt her. The bruise—even given to her as an accident, even if she hadn't been upset—still felt like a violation of that trust every time his fingertips brushed against it, and as irrational as it was, he needed it to fade before he could bring her into the ring again.