"It's my favorite bar," he sends a sidelong took to Karen and then has to clear his throat and TSK in Matt's direction for not admitting as much immediately. "We did Josie a solid to help keep the lights on. She's incredibly grateful. That's usually where we get the most merry with drinks." Which brings about Matt's point to matching their budget. Hah. Well.
Verity doesn't make daily lists of things she's grateful for (surprising as that may be, given her general organizational skills), but Matt's at the very top of any list of good things she might make. She has no gods to thank for him, no saints or angels to ask for help; just her hands and her mind and her heart to make a life with him, if he'll let her.
"You're welcome," she murmurs, fingertips rising to linger on his cheek. Touching him is so distracting; she looks honestly surprised when the others speak up again. She might have forgotten they were in the room. "Ah. Well. When I'm in the neighborhood, yeah. That'd be nice." Unspoken is the fact she'll only come if Matt invites her. She's not going to crash friendship time. Work is different.
Poor Karen. Verity also knows the feelings of a lack of female friendship. There's Samus of course, but she's not the most feminine companion. Karen seems nice so far and Matt says she's smart and funny. Winning traits in Verity's book. They'll have to find time for some girlie bonding things soon. There's got to be a decent nail salon somewhere in the neighborhood.
There is a topic that does not have an organization in her life? Inconceivable!
The return he soaks up completely, utterly. Matt has spent a good deal of his life on his own and it's left a vacancy that has been staggering to some. Verity's gratefulness and all of herself have been giving him a sense of completion like no other.
"There's always room at Josie's place. There's always room for you. If you're in the neighborhood." If. More like when as far as he's concerned.
Matt with all his super senses can't see that they're being watched. And it's with approving gazes. For a few seconds they're in their own little world. Karen finds herself a little wistful but it's plain to see that the distant object of her affection is very happy. In return, it is easing to see that Verity is just as wrapped up in him. What's life without what could have beens?
And Verity. The more she sees her, the more she wants to get to know her. Karen has always had an appreciation for people with eccentricities. That's what brought her into the heart of Nelson and Murdock full time. There's a decent nail salon trip in the future!
"I don't think Matt mentioned where you live, Verity. Close by?" Mr. Murdock clears his throat and focuses on chewing. That detail of how Nexus works... why he needed it that's a little more complicated to work out.
Finally, finally it seems like Matty has found someone who adores him and isn't detrimental to every other aspect of his life. Foggy's a believer. So don't go looking at him for any scorn. Verity is already showing winning qualities in the thoughtfulness department. Seeing the unspoken moment it's sweet.
Also really apparent that Matt is probably going to skip work early or something.
"She lives uptown, that's what you said right, buddy?" Not another dimension. Whoops.
Oh, it's organized, it's just not redone daily. She does it right the first time and makes changes as necessary. It saves so much time for more important things like spoiling Matt.
It's easy to be grateful for someone like him. Her own life was so empty in so many ways, and floods of grief and misery washed over everything good she tried to collect so many times. She's been flooded and washed clean and she hopes to any god who'll listen that he'll be more durable. It's easy to believe he will be when he reacts so eagerly to a little touch.
That's close enough to an invitation for her. "When," she repeats softly. He knows she'll be there.
Oh. So he hasn't told them about that. Matt can hear how nervous the question makes her, but she's prepared for this. "I used to live in the upper east side, but I don't really live in the city right now." A beat. "I'm sure a lot of people moved out of town after... what happened."
Not a lie, but a gentle guiding away from subjects they're not prepared to discuss yet.
"I'm in the city to work and to see Matt as often as possible. Maybe someday I'll be ready to come back on a full-time basis."
Matt has had to be his own drive for light and goodness. There's been loss. Of course. Verity has given him a stability he never knew he lacked or needed. Growing up alone, training alone, working alone... It was what he did. Her flood reached his shores and now it's his newest effort in life is to make her happy, keep her safe.
"...tomorrow?" The question is thrown her way with a wry smile. Near apologetic in this context. He did not bring it up to Karen or Foggy, it's true. The gap in his thoughts is filled with lemonade.
"I end up to be the busier party." He adds because it's sad but true. "I hope that full-time status is sooner than later."
Karen's smile brightens at the idea of drinks and pool with Verity in the mix. Yes! This is exactly what she had in mind. It doesn't last long. She's a tender heart. The idea of having The Incident touch her life too. She lightly puts a hand to her chest and nods. "Of course, no one would blame you. I think that the city benefits from having people like you willing to come back."
"How about we coordinate the drinks around your schedule. I mean, you're the one with the commute. This is our neighborhood." Meaning that tomorrow is absolutely good for Foggy. He is getting to the end of his plate and has slowed up.
"Hell's Kitchen isn't great looking, it's rough and has earned its reputation but you wouldn't be coming on in without friends."
He said the f word. Matt nudges Verity's foot under the table.
She's happy and safe when she's with him. It's not a hardship, she hopes, for him to let her linger around the edges of his life. Because it's sounding like he's inviting her to be a whole lot more than the girl on the side. There's a long lingering stare while she processes that. Is he asking her to move in?
As much as she'd love that, she's careful not to assume that's the case. They'll have to talk about it later. In private. "...yeah, tomorrow." Her answer is a little absent because her mind is still on other things. But they can bet the farm she'll be there.
Not quite The Incident but quite the incident. When Matt's ready to tell them, she'll have stories. Sad, horrible stories. They may not thank anyone for the truth. "Who could stay away from the best city on Earth? I want-- I want to come home," she admits, not quite meaning to. Matt knows why.
The 'F' word didn't go unnoticed, and she's smiling an embarrassed smile now. "You'll all teach me where to shop and where not to eat and things?"
Keeping her, throwing energy in her direction is not a hardship. It's keeping his focus fixed on her as the horizon with the sea of everything else tossing him this way and that way. She is a whole lot more than a girl on the side. She's his girl. His company. The call late at night. The bliping message in a world of chaos.
Lunch is going by fast. How'd that happen. "Tomorrow it is." His quiet fondness is also in response to how well he sees her take the awkwardness of the moment and smooth it out like a blanket. She is amazing.
"You will when you're ready." Matt reaches over and puts his hand over Verity's. He doesn't bother with trying to miss.
A more cheery expression is recovering in Karen's face. Verity's willingness to still venture out in the world, it's inspiring. The two of them will have to partner up and share notes. Time and again she has her own misgivings about the city. It is home, no matter what.
"We'd be happy to help you re-acclimate. It wouldn't even feel like there's a change at all. Everything you need, it's right here. I think that's the best part." That whole boiling pot thing isn't a joke in these parts.
She checks her watch and stands. "I should--I got to finish up calls." Karen collects her plate and reaches for Foggy's seeing he's done. He sighs wistfully and lets her.
"Tomorrow!" Foggy claps his hands together. They're going to drink the eel. He knows it. It's going to be amazing.
A lot has to happen between then and tomorrow. But first thing's first as Karen gets reality back. He scoots away first and stands behind Matt to cover his ears. Matt tenses but laughs and half-heartedly tries to bat away his friend's hands. "Thank you for putting up with him. He's worth the headache. We'll back you up." When his wrists get squeezed it's Foggy's turn to wince a little.
"Whatever you need, Verity. Don't be afraid to ask!" Oh now desk work seems extraordinarily interesting. That's where Foggy goes.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow... she will never drink the eel. Sorry, Foggy.
Verity can be the solid shore holding off his sea of chaos. She can take the beating. She will be his shelter from every kind of storm. And this port will come to him. With food.
Food she's barely touched, and has forgotten about now he's touching her. She turns her hand under his so they can lace their fingers together. "Soon," and the weight of the promise isn't in the volume of the whisper. "I think soon."
Karen gets a grateful smile; Ver can guess what she's doing and appreciates it. They'll have some girl time soon. Time to talk and share strategies for dealing with this amazing mess of a city. And to talk about costumed vigilantes and protecting themselves. Maybe a trip to the shooting range will be in order, since Karen's got a gun at home.
"Thank you, both of you." It's offered a little shyly, but it's heartfelt.
Foggy's antics get a smirk, but there's a protective edge there behind the amusement. "Matt is one of the few things in my life that's never been a headache." Which probably says more about her than she intends it to.
Once they're alone again, Ver takes both Matt's hands in hers. Her way of catching his eye to make sure she has his attention. "Honey... there's something I need to tell you. I'm okay, I'm not hurt or sick or anything." A quick reassurance, because they're both worriers. "But something happened you should know about."
That's where the easy part of the conversation ends. She releases one of his hands to take a sip of lemonade before trying to go on. "I met this guy a couple of weeks ago, and he's nice and I like spending time with him... he flirts a lot, and I thought I had shut that down gently enough to be friends with him, but now... now he says he's in love with me and I don't know what to do about that. Anyway. I thought I should tell you before you hear things from someone else."
It's not hard to tell she's feeling conflicted, confused, hurt and worried about all of this. He knows she doesn't have the experience in these things to know how to handle it gently, and she doesn't want to do things the way she would have before. This whole 'kinder gentler Verity' gig isn't easy to figure out.
She'll at least be obligated to help get to the eel. They can share the blame. Maybe it will be Matt's turn. He and Karen did it. Rite of passage business at Josie's.
Solid, stable and very real. Right now they're in the eye of a storm without even realizing. Verity has all the skills of a brawler in matters of the heart, taking a beating and still standing. It's that fighting spirit that is also a part of their common bond. Distance has only made him want these moments more. Matt looks forward to the emails and texts when he wakes. And returns his own before turning in no matter the hour. And she's right here in his office.
Except now it dawns on him she hasn't touched lunch. That's when worry starts to settle in. Even as the smiles and parting words to his dear friends go back and forth.
Matt exhales and clutches her hand. Okay here it comes. Not sickness. Well, that takes some worrisome winds from his sails. He even a laughs a little. It's like she plucked the idea right out of his head. That's how they work. "Okay," both would be bad and it's not this, "what happened?"
His glasses are on, he is in the office. Verity can watch a crease form in his brow as he focuses on what she's saying. "In love with you?" Mostly because of surprise is why he repeats it. "You're...wonderful. Of course." Another laugh but this one is less filled with comedy. Come the fuck on, Murdock. He squeezes her hands. "It's okay. I know you wouldn't lead anyone on." This man for sure. And she would never, ever do that to him and he knows it. This is the uppercut thought to his own dancing nerves.
Drinking them all under the table isn't going to be a problem.
Verity's had to fight for every scrap of good feeling she's ever had. Emotional brawling is second nature for her. Trusting is another thing. And now she's let Matt in. None of the fighting, not with him; none of the pain demanding payment in kind. If they're brawlers they're fighting back to back now, and let the storms come.
They're two of a kind in so many ways. It's easy to predict him. Sometimes. But not often enough that there's no delightful surprises. Sometimes less delightful ones. There's a little prick of pain when he seems so surprised. She knows she's unlovable but he's not supposed to agree. And now he's hurting, and she regrets telling him.
"I love you, Matthew." He can hear the truth of it. "I want to be with you." She lifts his hands and turns them so she can kiss the backs and then the palms. "Should I not have told you? I don't want to keep secrets but if you don't want to know things, I won't tell you."
Oh dear that would require her babysitting two lawyers and a secretary who are drunk off of their asses. That may not be all taht fun.
Back to back, for now and for always. His own kind of emotional martial arts has been to stay reserved, stay on a slow burn. She sets him in fire in the greatest of ways. And now he can't cool off. It's another reason to go at everything with zeal. Each night he fights for the city, himself and to return to her.
They are on the same channel and there's so much static. She is so very lovable to him. Matt isn't surprised that someone loves her, not a bit. Foggy will love her. He already likes her. Karen likes her too. This friend of her's well, it isn't a surprise. The shock is in he just wasn't expecting to hear it so soon.
Her heartbeat, the tone of voice.
"Verity, Verity," his hands clutch her's tighter. She's sensitive. It's a reason why he adores her. This requires him to respect that and treat her accordingly. "I love you." How many times has he said it? He'll keep saying it and saying it and saying it because it never stops. "I'd never want you to lie to me or hold back. I want to know things. I trust you. It doesn't surprise me that anyone else would love you too. You're a wonderful person." And he says it again for greater emphasis.
"Chances are he... might not be used to getting a solid no for an answer."
Legal assistant, Karen deserves a more respectful title considering everything she does. And no, babysitting three drunks isn't her idea of a good time.
They're fire and fuel, both burning and feeding the other's flames. A dangerous combination if he weren't so good at keeping them under control. She tries to keep herself in check when they're in public, but he makes it so awfully hard with all that wonderfulness and being handsome he's always doing.
She's very sensitive, especially to him; he's under her skin and she has no defenses left. She hums that pleased little note she always hums when he says those three perfect words, this time with a sigh of relief. "Thank you for not being angry." She's still trying to figure out what she did wrong, and she'd expected he would know and would fault her for it. Why wouldn't he fault her for it?
"Maybe. He's handsome and charming and the sort of man a lot of girls would go for. But he's hurting and I don't like hurting him." Verity withdraws her hands from his now, opting instead to move into his lap and wrap her arms around him. She tucks her forehead into the crook of his neck before admitting, "None of this makes sense and I don't like it."
She may as well be apprentice lawyer the way she goes at things as well. At any rate, Verity deserves a better time than wrangling the booze hounds of Hell's Kitchen. Especially at Josie's. Matt would put for the effort to stay sober. It'd be him and the taxi driver to make sure everyone got back safely.
It's about timing. And if he had it his way, he would always be acting on impulse. That doesn't make him a very good Catholic or a respectable neighbor. He'll happily wait and burn until feeling the full wake of it all when they're together alone. This moment is kindling, still hot and warm to his soul.
The sound causes vibrations and Matt makes out the dimensions of her chin, jaw, cheeks and throat in the nothing. "I have no reason to be angry with you. You're being yourself, you're making friends. That's exactly how you are." There is no cut and dry manner to it. No right or wrong, it just happened. Matt licks his lips and takes off his glasses setting them on the table, not bothering to fold them.
Matt's arms slip around her as she settles. The weight of the two of them make the chair creak. Her skin is warm and it radiates through clothes. He tilts his head to rest his head against her's a little. "It doesn't always make sense, honey. You didn't do anything wrong because you told him the facts. I don't think he's in the wrong either because you're beautiful and smart, who wouldn't want your company?" Matt rubs her back. "I know I do."
Ver and Matt can be the responsible adults who take care of the other two. Given their "extreme sports" lifestyle, it'll be their turn to let Foggy and Karen take care of them soon enough.
She's bad news for a good Catholic boy. Verity is not, by nature, the impulsive sort, but Matt brings out plenty of things in her she never thought were there. Impulsiveness is just part of the package. Warm kindling for later passions are a lovely thing indeed.
The chair can creak all it wants, she's comfortable and safe and in no hurry to leave now. He's being sweet, and better, he's being understanding. He almost makes her believe there's no need to ask forgiveness. She settles against him with a sigh and arches slightly when he starts to rub her back, cat-like and seeking to coax his hand up to the worry-knot between her shoulders. That's where her own hands are focused on his back. Those knots of tension she always finds when he's been working hard--and when is he not working hard?
"How are you so perfect? Seriously. You're too good to me." It's one of life's great mysteries. She'll be puzzling over it for the rest of hers. "Is it okay that I still want to be friends with him?" It's not strictly a request for permission, although that's part of it.
Oh boy. That would be one very interesting house call. They could at least say they were mugged together and it'd be believable if they both came to harm.
She's the kind of bad news that Matt Murdock needs, feeding into his better nature and casting light in the shadows without leading him into the dark. It'd be so easy. Once his heart is in the mix, Matt's sense of magnetic north gets all awry. Violence was his go to confession topic. Fornication is coming up close. Whoops. Sinners gonna sin and lovers are going to love.
His hand keeps rubbing and climbing up her spine. She's tense but sitting here is easing it up in small fractions. Coming up to that knot he makes a soft sympathetic sound. It must hurt. He's got a groan and a head tilt for her own findings and massaging.
"I'm not perfect, I'm really not. And I try to be the best I can be to you." For her. She loves him, she says she wants to be with him and now it's gospel. "Can you trust him? If you can trust him to respect your answer, your boundaries and feelings I'd say that you could still be friends. What did he say when you turned him down?"
Oooor they could tell the truth. That would get Ver's vote.
Not being religious makes things so much easier for her. If she were going to ask a god, it's pretty clear Loki would tell her to go for it, tease her about it, wonder what happened, maaaaybe get a little jealous, sneak away to threaten Matt in an adorable sort of way, and then do her nails. Which is obviously so much better... somehow...?
It hurts, yeah. Lots of things hurt all the time. But all of it hurts less when he's holding her. She hums again when he makes it clear she's found the spot, reassuring and promising. The massaging will continue until morale improves.
"I'm pretty sure I can trust him, yeah. He's... he's not always forthcoming, but I know he doesn't want to hurt me." And isn't that about the best she can hope for with most people? "He said he thinks we can be friends. He hasn't tried to press an agenda with me or anything."
There was more to it, of course, but some things are private and not hers to tell. "And I think you're perfect. But no pressure." She lifts her head enough to give him a kiss. Unless he has more questions about what happened, she's satisfied with not ever talking about it again. They have better things to do.
"So... what should I do with myself until you're done here, honey? Help Karen with the paperwork? Go out and stimulate the local economy? Take a nap?" They both know she wouldn't be able to sleep.
The truth is tricky, painful and something that he has had a problem with eeevery other person he's close to. But Verity. She can help him work this out. Lying is bearing false witness. It'd be nice to do that a lot less in life. Asking for forgiveness once a week for all the things he's done can get tedious. If that's what it takes to keep the practice, to get to heaven, to be the person he feels right being that's what he'll do.
And who on earth would Matt be if he wasn't threatened by someone in some way. He has yet to have been threatened by a god. That would be some kind of high water mark.
His rough fingers work at the knot as they continue to sit and talk softly. The humming and slow relaxing mean he's got the hot spot. The morale could stand to improve far more so... a-massaging we will go.
"Not always forthcoming... meaning he takes his time being up front? Did he want to tell you sooner but held back?" Anyone who would do her harm has another thing coming. And while Matt would wish that wasn't what he was worried about she meets his concern and cuts it off fast. "If he has a true desire to be friends, I don't see harm in it. I'd like to meet him." Look at him say that as cooly, calm and collected as possible.
There it is again. Matt nuzzles her and sighs, now he's the one with his face against her shoulder. "What have I done to earn perfect?" Hearing her move he lifts his head to met with a kiss. Those usually get him quite soundly.
"You hardly touched your lunch for one, and for another I think Karen would be ecstatic to have a little company with the mountain of new client files."
They'll work it out together. She's got two things going for her in this: her certainty that Matt deserves to be happy, and her experience with lies of omission leading to loss. He can do whatever asking for forgiveness he wants, but she always sleeps well at night when she's with him. Always and only.
"Mm... he's very guarded." She sighs, rolls a shoulder, and murmurs, "yeah, right there. There are things he doesn't want me to know, about him and what he does. I'm not sure you'd like him. He's not... well. He doesn't much respect the law, but he's from a place with a fascist regime, so it's almost noble of him not to?" It's complicated, in other words. But she won't rule out introducing them. Eventually.
"You're sitting here rubbing my back and telling me I'm good. That's pretty perfect." Perfect for her, anyway. He gets another kiss for emphasis, although the feel of his face against her shoulder is awful nice.
"I haven't?" She glances over at her plate. "Oh. Right. Okay. Then I'll help Karen get ahead of things. I'm sure between the two of us, we'll have things sorted in no time. Will I need to sign anything before I'm allowed to look at client files?"
He made her sign off on that HR handbook and inform her boss in legalese that she's dating their new lawyer. Turn-about is fair play.
Omission has been his biggest means of deception. He has told people all his life he cannot see and we all know that's hot the whole story. There hasn't been many people who could see through him the way Verity does. And he sleeps well with her knowing that there are no lies. That this is real and honest.
Her words keep him at the spot, persistent to get her relief. The sound muscles make as they relax is like a house settling. It's satisfying. "Hmmmm," is the thoughtful hum at the small character sketch of the fellow. "But you like him." So there are redeemable qualities for the renegade.
"That's because I like sitting here, rubbing your back and I know for a fact you are good." Fighting it again because he's Matt Murdock. "If we want to talk about perfect I think that having you show up out of nowhere, bring me an excellent meal and letting me have the best break I've ever had..." Kisses are better than tarts. He knows for a fact. Even Verity's tarts. What was he feeling hesitant about again?
His eyebrows lift as he listens to her lean to take a look to the table at her plate. "Company can mean either jumping in or just... sitting, talking to her and getting to know her. I don't think the paper work is that fun, sweetheart. But just in case...I think I should get you on contract." Is it weird that the idea of having a paper trail for Verity at Nelson and Murdock lightens Matt's heart? Proof she's here and real.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fightlikehell) wrote2016-03-09 03:05 pm
3/3
"You should definitely come with us."
°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸,ø¤°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸
"You're welcome," she murmurs, fingertips rising to linger on his cheek. Touching him is so distracting; she looks honestly surprised when the others speak up again. She might have forgotten they were in the room. "Ah. Well. When I'm in the neighborhood, yeah. That'd be nice." Unspoken is the fact she'll only come if Matt invites her. She's not going to crash friendship time. Work is different.
Poor Karen. Verity also knows the feelings of a lack of female friendship. There's Samus of course, but she's not the most feminine companion. Karen seems nice so far and Matt says she's smart and funny. Winning traits in Verity's book. They'll have to find time for some girlie bonding things soon. There's got to be a decent nail salon somewhere in the neighborhood.
“:♡.•♬✧⁽⁽ଘ( ˊᵕˋ )ଓ⁾⁾*+:•*∴ 1/3
The return he soaks up completely, utterly. Matt has spent a good deal of his life on his own and it's left a vacancy that has been staggering to some. Verity's gratefulness and all of herself have been giving him a sense of completion like no other.
"There's always room at Josie's place. There's always room for you. If you're in the neighborhood." If. More like when as far as he's concerned.
2/3
And Verity. The more she sees her, the more she wants to get to know her. Karen has always had an appreciation for people with eccentricities. That's what brought her into the heart of Nelson and Murdock full time. There's a decent nail salon trip in the future!
"I don't think Matt mentioned where you live, Verity. Close by?" Mr. Murdock clears his throat and focuses on chewing. That detail of how Nexus works... why he needed it that's a little more complicated to work out.
3/3
Also really apparent that Matt is probably going to skip work early or something.
"She lives uptown, that's what you said right, buddy?" Not another dimension. Whoops.
~~~~~~~~*\o/~~~~~/\*~~~~~~~
It's easy to be grateful for someone like him. Her own life was so empty in so many ways, and floods of grief and misery washed over everything good she tried to collect so many times. She's been flooded and washed clean and she hopes to any god who'll listen that he'll be more durable. It's easy to believe he will be when he reacts so eagerly to a little touch.
That's close enough to an invitation for her. "When," she repeats softly. He knows she'll be there.
Oh. So he hasn't told them about that. Matt can hear how nervous the question makes her, but she's prepared for this. "I used to live in the upper east side, but I don't really live in the city right now." A beat. "I'm sure a lot of people moved out of town after... what happened."
Not a lie, but a gentle guiding away from subjects they're not prepared to discuss yet.
"I'm in the city to work and to see Matt as often as possible. Maybe someday I'll be ready to come back on a full-time basis."
@))~~~>~~~~ 1/3
"...tomorrow?" The question is thrown her way with a wry smile. Near apologetic in this context. He did not bring it up to Karen or Foggy, it's true. The gap in his thoughts is filled with lemonade.
"I end up to be the busier party." He adds because it's sad but true. "I hope that full-time status is sooner than later."
2/3
For work and for Matt.
3/3
"Hell's Kitchen isn't great looking, it's rough and has earned its reputation but you wouldn't be coming on in without friends."
He said the f word. Matt nudges Verity's foot under the table.
(✿ ♥‿♥)
As much as she'd love that, she's careful not to assume that's the case. They'll have to talk about it later. In private. "...yeah, tomorrow." Her answer is a little absent because her mind is still on other things. But they can bet the farm she'll be there.
Not quite The Incident but quite the incident. When Matt's ready to tell them, she'll have stories. Sad, horrible stories. They may not thank anyone for the truth. "Who could stay away from the best city on Earth? I want-- I want to come home," she admits, not quite meaning to. Matt knows why.
The 'F' word didn't go unnoticed, and she's smiling an embarrassed smile now. "You'll all teach me where to shop and where not to eat and things?"
♡✧( ु•⌄• ) 1/3
Lunch is going by fast. How'd that happen. "Tomorrow it is." His quiet fondness is also in response to how well he sees her take the awkwardness of the moment and smooth it out like a blanket. She is amazing.
"You will when you're ready." Matt reaches over and puts his hand over Verity's. He doesn't bother with trying to miss.
2/3
"We'd be happy to help you re-acclimate. It wouldn't even feel like there's a change at all. Everything you need, it's right here. I think that's the best part." That whole boiling pot thing isn't a joke in these parts.
She checks her watch and stands. "I should--I got to finish up calls." Karen collects her plate and reaches for Foggy's seeing he's done. He sighs wistfully and lets her.
3/3
A lot has to happen between then and tomorrow. But first thing's first as Karen gets reality back. He scoots away first and stands behind Matt to cover his ears. Matt tenses but laughs and half-heartedly tries to bat away his friend's hands. "Thank you for putting up with him. He's worth the headache. We'll back you up." When his wrists get squeezed it's Foggy's turn to wince a little.
"Whatever you need, Verity. Don't be afraid to ask!" Oh now desk work seems extraordinarily interesting. That's where Foggy goes.
bit.ly/1PrmHmO
Verity can be the solid shore holding off his sea of chaos. She can take the beating. She will be his shelter from every kind of storm. And this port will come to him. With food.
Food she's barely touched, and has forgotten about now he's touching her. She turns her hand under his so they can lace their fingers together. "Soon," and the weight of the promise isn't in the volume of the whisper. "I think soon."
Karen gets a grateful smile; Ver can guess what she's doing and appreciates it. They'll have some girl time soon. Time to talk and share strategies for dealing with this amazing mess of a city. And to talk about costumed vigilantes and protecting themselves. Maybe a trip to the shooting range will be in order, since Karen's got a gun at home.
"Thank you, both of you." It's offered a little shyly, but it's heartfelt.
Foggy's antics get a smirk, but there's a protective edge there behind the amusement. "Matt is one of the few things in my life that's never been a headache." Which probably says more about her than she intends it to.
Once they're alone again, Ver takes both Matt's hands in hers. Her way of catching his eye to make sure she has his attention. "Honey... there's something I need to tell you. I'm okay, I'm not hurt or sick or anything." A quick reassurance, because they're both worriers. "But something happened you should know about."
That's where the easy part of the conversation ends. She releases one of his hands to take a sip of lemonade before trying to go on. "I met this guy a couple of weeks ago, and he's nice and I like spending time with him... he flirts a lot, and I thought I had shut that down gently enough to be friends with him, but now... now he says he's in love with me and I don't know what to do about that. Anyway. I thought I should tell you before you hear things from someone else."
It's not hard to tell she's feeling conflicted, confused, hurt and worried about all of this. He knows she doesn't have the experience in these things to know how to handle it gently, and she doesn't want to do things the way she would have before. This whole 'kinder gentler Verity' gig isn't easy to figure out.
http://bit.ly/1q2XSJ3
Solid, stable and very real. Right now they're in the eye of a storm without even realizing. Verity has all the skills of a brawler in matters of the heart, taking a beating and still standing. It's that fighting spirit that is also a part of their common bond. Distance has only made him want these moments more. Matt looks forward to the emails and texts when he wakes. And returns his own before turning in no matter the hour. And she's right here in his office.
Except now it dawns on him she hasn't touched lunch. That's when worry starts to settle in. Even as the smiles and parting words to his dear friends go back and forth.
Matt exhales and clutches her hand. Okay here it comes. Not sickness. Well, that takes some worrisome winds from his sails. He even a laughs a little. It's like she plucked the idea right out of his head. That's how they work. "Okay," both would be bad and it's not this, "what happened?"
His glasses are on, he is in the office. Verity can watch a crease form in his brow as he focuses on what she's saying. "In love with you?" Mostly because of surprise is why he repeats it. "You're...wonderful. Of course." Another laugh but this one is less filled with comedy. Come the fuck on, Murdock. He squeezes her hands. "It's okay. I know you wouldn't lead anyone on." This man for sure. And she would never, ever do that to him and he knows it. This is the uppercut thought to his own dancing nerves.
bit.ly/1UNwLNw
Verity's had to fight for every scrap of good feeling she's ever had. Emotional brawling is second nature for her. Trusting is another thing. And now she's let Matt in. None of the fighting, not with him; none of the pain demanding payment in kind. If they're brawlers they're fighting back to back now, and let the storms come.
They're two of a kind in so many ways. It's easy to predict him. Sometimes. But not often enough that there's no delightful surprises. Sometimes less delightful ones. There's a little prick of pain when he seems so surprised. She knows she's unlovable but he's not supposed to agree. And now he's hurting, and she regrets telling him.
"I love you, Matthew." He can hear the truth of it. "I want to be with you." She lifts his hands and turns them so she can kiss the backs and then the palms. "Should I not have told you? I don't want to keep secrets but if you don't want to know things, I won't tell you."
http://bit.ly/1pzkGzI
Back to back, for now and for always. His own kind of emotional martial arts has been to stay reserved, stay on a slow burn. She sets him in fire in the greatest of ways. And now he can't cool off. It's another reason to go at everything with zeal. Each night he fights for the city, himself and to return to her.
They are on the same channel and there's so much static. She is so very lovable to him. Matt isn't surprised that someone loves her, not a bit. Foggy will love her. He already likes her. Karen likes her too. This friend of her's well, it isn't a surprise. The shock is in he just wasn't expecting to hear it so soon.
Her heartbeat, the tone of voice.
"Verity, Verity," his hands clutch her's tighter. She's sensitive. It's a reason why he adores her. This requires him to respect that and treat her accordingly. "I love you." How many times has he said it? He'll keep saying it and saying it and saying it because it never stops. "I'd never want you to lie to me or hold back. I want to know things. I trust you. It doesn't surprise me that anyone else would love you too. You're a wonderful person." And he says it again for greater emphasis.
"Chances are he... might not be used to getting a solid no for an answer."
bit.ly/1Rmjyqv
They're fire and fuel, both burning and feeding the other's flames. A dangerous combination if he weren't so good at keeping them under control. She tries to keep herself in check when they're in public, but he makes it so awfully hard with all that wonderfulness and being handsome he's always doing.
She's very sensitive, especially to him; he's under her skin and she has no defenses left. She hums that pleased little note she always hums when he says those three perfect words, this time with a sigh of relief. "Thank you for not being angry." She's still trying to figure out what she did wrong, and she'd expected he would know and would fault her for it. Why wouldn't he fault her for it?
"Maybe. He's handsome and charming and the sort of man a lot of girls would go for. But he's hurting and I don't like hurting him." Verity withdraws her hands from his now, opting instead to move into his lap and wrap her arms around him. She tucks her forehead into the crook of his neck before admitting, "None of this makes sense and I don't like it."
http://bit.ly/1VGUaAZ
It's about timing. And if he had it his way, he would always be acting on impulse. That doesn't make him a very good Catholic or a respectable neighbor. He'll happily wait and burn until feeling the full wake of it all when they're together alone. This moment is kindling, still hot and warm to his soul.
The sound causes vibrations and Matt makes out the dimensions of her chin, jaw, cheeks and throat in the nothing. "I have no reason to be angry with you. You're being yourself, you're making friends. That's exactly how you are." There is no cut and dry manner to it. No right or wrong, it just happened. Matt licks his lips and takes off his glasses setting them on the table, not bothering to fold them.
Matt's arms slip around her as she settles. The weight of the two of them make the chair creak. Her skin is warm and it radiates through clothes. He tilts his head to rest his head against her's a little. "It doesn't always make sense, honey. You didn't do anything wrong because you told him the facts. I don't think he's in the wrong either because you're beautiful and smart, who wouldn't want your company?" Matt rubs her back. "I know I do."
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She's bad news for a good Catholic boy. Verity is not, by nature, the impulsive sort, but Matt brings out plenty of things in her she never thought were there. Impulsiveness is just part of the package. Warm kindling for later passions are a lovely thing indeed.
The chair can creak all it wants, she's comfortable and safe and in no hurry to leave now. He's being sweet, and better, he's being understanding. He almost makes her believe there's no need to ask forgiveness. She settles against him with a sigh and arches slightly when he starts to rub her back, cat-like and seeking to coax his hand up to the worry-knot between her shoulders. That's where her own hands are focused on his back. Those knots of tension she always finds when he's been working hard--and when is he not working hard?
"How are you so perfect? Seriously. You're too good to me." It's one of life's great mysteries. She'll be puzzling over it for the rest of hers. "Is it okay that I still want to be friends with him?" It's not strictly a request for permission, although that's part of it.
daww verrr http://bit.ly/1UNEJX5
She's the kind of bad news that Matt Murdock needs, feeding into his better nature and casting light in the shadows without leading him into the dark. It'd be so easy. Once his heart is in the mix, Matt's sense of magnetic north gets all awry. Violence was his go to confession topic. Fornication is coming up close. Whoops. Sinners gonna sin and lovers are going to love.
His hand keeps rubbing and climbing up her spine. She's tense but sitting here is easing it up in small fractions. Coming up to that knot he makes a soft sympathetic sound. It must hurt. He's got a groan and a head tilt for her own findings and massaging.
"I'm not perfect, I'm really not. And I try to be the best I can be to you." For her. She loves him, she says she wants to be with him and now it's gospel. "Can you trust him? If you can trust him to respect your answer, your boundaries and feelings I'd say that you could still be friends. What did he say when you turned him down?"
#lokity 4ever <3 bit.ly/1pJcIEK
Not being religious makes things so much easier for her. If she were going to ask a god, it's pretty clear Loki would tell her to go for it, tease her about it, wonder what happened, maaaaybe get a little jealous, sneak away to threaten Matt in an adorable sort of way, and then do her nails. Which is obviously so much better... somehow...?
It hurts, yeah. Lots of things hurt all the time. But all of it hurts less when he's holding her. She hums again when he makes it clear she's found the spot, reassuring and promising. The massaging will continue until morale improves.
"I'm pretty sure I can trust him, yeah. He's... he's not always forthcoming, but I know he doesn't want to hurt me." And isn't that about the best she can hope for with most people? "He said he thinks we can be friends. He hasn't tried to press an agenda with me or anything."
There was more to it, of course, but some things are private and not hers to tell. "And I think you're perfect. But no pressure." She lifts her head enough to give him a kiss. Unless he has more questions about what happened, she's satisfied with not ever talking about it again. They have better things to do.
"So... what should I do with myself until you're done here, honey? Help Karen with the paperwork? Go out and stimulate the local economy? Take a nap?" They both know she wouldn't be able to sleep.
oh my god nails
And who on earth would Matt be if he wasn't threatened by someone in some way. He has yet to have been threatened by a god. That would be some kind of high water mark.
His rough fingers work at the knot as they continue to sit and talk softly. The humming and slow relaxing mean he's got the hot spot. The morale could stand to improve far more so... a-massaging we will go.
"Not always forthcoming... meaning he takes his time being up front? Did he want to tell you sooner but held back?" Anyone who would do her harm has another thing coming. And while Matt would wish that wasn't what he was worried about she meets his concern and cuts it off fast. "If he has a true desire to be friends, I don't see harm in it. I'd like to meet him." Look at him say that as cooly, calm and collected as possible.
There it is again. Matt nuzzles her and sighs, now he's the one with his face against her shoulder. "What have I done to earn perfect?" Hearing her move he lifts his head to met with a kiss. Those usually get him quite soundly.
"You hardly touched your lunch for one, and for another I think Karen would be ecstatic to have a little company with the mountain of new client files."
Yes their fan art is presh. bit.ly/1SiDOvt
"Mm... he's very guarded." She sighs, rolls a shoulder, and murmurs, "yeah, right there. There are things he doesn't want me to know, about him and what he does. I'm not sure you'd like him. He's not... well. He doesn't much respect the law, but he's from a place with a fascist regime, so it's almost noble of him not to?" It's complicated, in other words. But she won't rule out introducing them. Eventually.
"You're sitting here rubbing my back and telling me I'm good. That's pretty perfect." Perfect for her, anyway. He gets another kiss for emphasis, although the feel of his face against her shoulder is awful nice.
"I haven't?" She glances over at her plate. "Oh. Right. Okay. Then I'll help Karen get ahead of things. I'm sure between the two of us, we'll have things sorted in no time. Will I need to sign anything before I'm allowed to look at client files?"
He made her sign off on that HR handbook and inform her boss in legalese that she's dating their new lawyer. Turn-about is fair play.
the loki bunch! ....end?
Her words keep him at the spot, persistent to get her relief. The sound muscles make as they relax is like a house settling. It's satisfying. "Hmmmm," is the thoughtful hum at the small character sketch of the fellow. "But you like him." So there are redeemable qualities for the renegade.
"That's because I like sitting here, rubbing your back and I know for a fact you are good." Fighting it again because he's Matt Murdock. "If we want to talk about perfect I think that having you show up out of nowhere, bring me an excellent meal and letting me have the best break I've ever had..." Kisses are better than tarts. He knows for a fact. Even Verity's tarts. What was he feeling hesitant about again?
His eyebrows lift as he listens to her lean to take a look to the table at her plate. "Company can mean either jumping in or just... sitting, talking to her and getting to know her. I don't think the paper work is that fun, sweetheart. But just in case...I think I should get you on contract." Is it weird that the idea of having a paper trail for Verity at Nelson and Murdock lightens Matt's heart? Proof she's here and real.
New Loki, Kid Loki, and KL's bff Leah. And Ver obvs. And end.