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punchdrunkdoc · 19 days ago

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Part 4, Chapter 24

Summary: After the events of S3, Matt Murdock is trying to once again balance life as a lawyer and a vigilante. But he’s been scarred by loss and betrayal - will a mysterious new neighbour help him heal? Or will her secrets drag him back into the darkness? Notes: This is a slow burn romance with an original female character, told in 4 parts. There is mystery, intrigue, action/violence and angst - all the good stuff!

Also available on AO3 and Wattpad

Masterlist

Reference pics

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PART 4

Chapter 24

Calina stood at the kitchen counter checking the pot of bolognese sauce that gently simmered on the stove. It wasn’t the most traditional Christmas dinner, but it hadn’t exactly been the most traditional Christmas day.

No tree. No presents. Just a lot of sex, and one very difficult conversation.

In fact, that seemed to be the theme of this little vacation. She and Matt were reconnecting physically - a lot, in many different positions, and in several different locations - but they were also taking the time to really talk. About things they probably should have talked about long ago. About things they probably wished they could avoid. And about things she never imagined them ever discussing.

It was like they were taking this time - time removed from the rest of the world - to solidify their relationship. To really cement their foundations and shore up their walls, so that when the world intruded again they would be ready to withstand any storm or quake.

Calina was glad of it - even though it was sometimes emotionally exhausting.

And a little physically taxing.

She tilted her pelvis, trying to ease the slight strain in her left hip. The ‘physical reconnection’ from this morning involved a position she hadn’t found herself in in half a decade, and she was feeling a little stiff as a result.

Not that she was complaining - it was a small price to pay for the mind-blowing orgasm that had accompanied it.

As she stirred the sauce, she got lost in the memory of the encounter, remembering the feel of Matt’s weight on her as he’d bent her in two. The things he’d said as he’d moved insider her, so deep…

There’s nothing else in the world right now.

Just me, inside you.

Just you and me, Callie…

“…Callie?”

“Huh?” Calina startled as fantasy and reality collided. The sauce was popping and bubbling in front of her, so she turned down the heat and gave it another stir.

Matt chuckled. “I asked if you wanted some wine with dinner?”

“Oh, um, yes. Red please.”

Matt grabbed the bottle from the rack and deftly opened it, then left it to breathe on the counter. He slipped behind her and slung his arm around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. “How much longer?”

“Five minutes for the spaghetti, and the sauce is done, I think.” She dipped a teaspoon in the pot and held it up for Matt to try. “What do you think?”

He tasted the mixture. “Pinch more salt.”

Calina added the pinch, trusting his tastebuds. As she stirred it into the sauce, Matt’s hand dropped to the crease of her hip and he dug his fingers in, massaging the stiff joint.

She laughed. “How could you tell?”

“I could hear you shifting around. And there’s some slight heat coming off this area.”

She tipped her head back to rest against him, sighing at the relief. “Thank you.”

“I caused it - only right I make it better.”

Despite their earlier discussion about his guilt complex, he didn’t sound too repentant. In fact, judging by the low, sexy tone of his voice, he was also happily reliving the experience.

“I guess I need to start limbering up more,” Calina joked. “I lost a little flexibility when I gained some muscle.”

Matt’s other hand moved lower, palming the curve of her behind. “I like your new muscles.”

Calina smirked. That was an understatement - he’d barely been able to keep his hands off her backside since he’d arrived in Geneva.

Who knew Matt Murdock was an ass man?

“I like all your new curves,” he continued, gliding his hand over her hip and up to her waist. He splayed his fingers across her toned stomach. “I like how strong you are.”

“Yeah?” she replied. “Think I can take you now?”

“Think I wanna find out.”

“Hmmm, that sounds fun.”

“We can go to Fogwell’s when we get back to New York. Get back in the ring together.”

Calina tensed up at his words. And given that Matt’s hands were all over her body, he noticed her discomfort straight away.

“I’m being selfish again, aren’t I?” he sighed. “I'm just assuming you'll give up your life here, and move back to New York—”

“What life?” Calina laughed bitterly. She turned in his arms to face him, her hands coming to rest on his chest. “I don’t have a life here, Matt. I go on missions. Then I come back to my tiny little room, and I train, and I walk my dog, and I wait for the next mission. That’s my life. Or, rather, that was my life. Regardless of whether I stay a Widow or not, my life is in New York, with you.” She smoothed the material of his sweater, feeling the firm corded muscle beneath. “The only thing that’s undecided right now is the when.”

“Ah,” he said. “So I take it I’ll be flying home solo tomorrow.”

It was the topic they’d been avoiding until now. But it seemed it was time for another difficult conversation. “Yes,” she replied. “I’m sorry.”

She bit her lip as her fingers continued to stroke the soft fabric of his sweater. And she suddenly recognised it as the one she’d gifted him the last Christmas they’d spent together.

Seven months ago for him.

Six years ago for her.

No matter how many times she reminded herself of that time difference, it still seemed so surreal - and a daunting hurdle to overcome. Which meant that she really did need some time before jumping straight back into her life in New York with him.

“I think I need to be here a little while longer. I need to keep going with my therapy sessions. To work on my engine some more,” she explained, using the metaphor from earlier. “I also need to make things right with my sisters.”

“What do you mean?”

Calina sighed, turning her attention back to their dinner. She drained the spaghetti as she told him about her fight with Inessa back when the younger Widow first returned. “Although calling it a fight implies there were two sides, when really I just screamed and ranted at her.”

“She has to understand there were mitigating circumstances.”

Calina shrugged, plating up their meal. “Intellectually maybe. But there’s been…distance…between us ever since. With all my sisters, really, and I need to fix that.”

“I get it,” Matt said, taking a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. “I understand why you have to stay. But I’ll miss you like hell.”

Calina kissed him on the temple as she joined him at the island. “I’ll miss you too. But I’ll come visit as often as I can. And we can call each other. We’ll need to figure out a schedule because of the time difference—”

“Wait, does this mean I actually get your phone number this time?” Matt asked, raising his eyebrows. “So we can contact each other like a normal couple?”

Calina rolled her eyes at his teasing. “Well since you managed to track me down and follow me halfway across the world, there doesn’t seem much point continuing with the burner phones and the cloak and dagger stuff.”

As if on cue, her phone chimed, alerting her to an incoming message. Calina glanced over her shoulder, frowning at the device where it sat charging on the mantlepiece of the fire. It was the first time the real world had intruded on their little bubble since they’d holed up in the chalet four days ago, and she was hoping she wouldn't have to deal with reality just yet.

But it chimed again.

And again.

“Do you need to get that?” Matt asked.

“I guess,” Calina sighed, rising from her seat. She grabbed the phone and opened up the messages, flicking through the photos that had just been sent through. “Oh,” she laughed. She couldn’t begrudge this intrusion - not when it came in the form of a little blond-haired angel wearing a red velvet dress trimmed in fur, like a tiny little Mrs. Claus.

“Who is it?”

“Karen. I texted her this morning to wish her a Merry Christmas, and she’s just replied with some photos of Izzy opening her presents.” Calina started describing the pictures to Matt as she sat back down at her meal. “There’s one of her on the floor in front of the tree, surrounded by wrapping paper. One of her sitting in a big cardboard box, blowing a kiss to the camera. One of her clutching a new stuffed toy. And, oh, there’s a cute selfie with Karen, both of them smiling.”

“I still can’t believe Karen is a mom,” Matt commented.

“She’s so good at it, though - not that I have much of a frame of reference.”

Matt smiled sadly. “Me neither. But she must be doing something right - Izzy is great.”

“Yeah, she is.” Her phone chimed as a new message came through. “Aw, she’s just sent one of her and Izzy cuddled together on the couch, both of them bent over a book. Frank must have taken this one.”

Matt paused, his wineglass halfway to his lips. “That’s even more unbelievable. The Punisher, playing house.”

She frowned at him. “He’s not The Punisher, he’s Frank. And he’s not playing at anything - he loves Karen and Izzy.”

Matt scoffed, placing his glass back on the table. “He loves pain and violence and death.”

Her frowned deepened, and she stabbed at her pasta with her fork. “Look, I know what Frank did in the past. I’ve read up on him, and Karen’s told me some stories. Frank’s even filled me in on some of your history, so I can see why you don’t trust that he’s changed. But he has.”

It was Matt’s turn to frown. “What exactly did he tell you?”

“He told me he once shot you in the head. But he did it knowing that your mask would deflect the bullet.”

“Did he tell you that bullet still managed to do some damage? That I lost my hearing because of it? That I spent the night alone in my apartment, huddled on the floor, panicking that I’d be truly blind forever.”

“No,” she said quietly. “He didn’t.”

Calina remembered being with Matt after the explosion that temporarily took away his hearing, and how scared and vulnerable he’d been. She hated the thought that he’d gone through something similar, with no one around to help him. With no one to hold his hand in the darkness.

“Because he didn’t care to know,” Matt replied, his voice harsh. “He never gave a damn about the consequences of his actions, or how many people he hurt. He brutally murdered dozens and dozens of people, Calina. He mowed them down like they were nothing. Remember that funeral I told you about? The client I couldn’t save? Frank was the one who killed him. Shot him point blank in the chest, right in front of me.”

Calina winced at the imagery. But she still felt compelled to defend the man she considered a friend. “Frank’s also helped people. He once risked his life and his freedom saving Karen from a suicide bomber. Isn’t that worth something?”

Matt laughed, a hollow, humourless sound. “You’re forgetting I was his lawyer. Foggy and I, we made all these arguments in court - that he was a war hero who saved his fellow soldiers, that he was a good man who experienced an unimaginable tragedy, that he couldn’t be held accountable for his actions…but it was just strategy. He deserved to go to jail for what he did.”

Calina raised an eyebrow. “Then don’t I deserve to go to jail?”

The question landed like an anvil between them. Matt flinched, as if he felt the impact. He swivelled on his stool, turning to face her. “No, Calina. No. Of course not. That was different. You were either under mind control, or acting in self defence—”

“Not always. The man from the Red Room - the one I killed when we were first freed - I made the conscious choice to end his life because of what he’d done to us. It was partly for our safety, but it was mostly vengeance. It was a punishment. So how am I any different from Frank?”

Matt rubbed his forehead. “Why are you pushing this? Why does it matter?”

He looked so distressed, trying to twist and bend his black and white morality to fit around her grey, that it made Calina take pity on him. She brushed the back of her fingers over his cheek. “Poor Matt,” she said softly, her voice full of all the love she felt for this complicated, conflicted man. “You keep letting people into your life who mess with your worldview. Me, and my sisters. Jessica Jones. Frank.”

He laughed, the sound warmer now. “I did not let Frank in.”

“I know. But Karen did. He means a lot to her. And if you want to keep her in your life, you’re going to have to accept that Frank is a part of hers.”

“I know, I know,” Matt groaned and hung his head. “Just don’t expect us to go on any double dates anytime soon.”

Calina laughed. “You never know, you might enjoy yourself. You and Frank have a lot in common.”

Matt lifted his head and gave her a look so incredulous it made her laugh again. “It’s true! You’re two sides of the same coin. Death and chaos on one side; mercy and order on the other. Opposite ideals, but the fundamental core is the same - you both saw injustice and suffering in the world, and decided to do something about it.”

Calina studied Matt’s face as she spoke, reading the slight tightening of his lips, and the clenching of his jaw - subtle expressions that revealed something to her trained eye. “That’s what gets to you, isn’t it?” she said, figuring out the heart of the matter. “That’s what riles you up about Frank. You see the similarities, and you’re worried that coin could flip one day, and you’ll end up on his side of the line.”

Matt shrugged. “He told me once, that I was one bad day away from being him. And I’ve felt the truth of that a few times since.”

“But you’ve never crossed that line. And I don’t believe you ever will.” She leaned over to press a gentle kiss against his temple. “But I want you to know, if you ever did…it wouldn’t change the way I feel about you.”

“It’d change the way I feel about myself.”

“I know. Which is why I’m confident it’ll never happen. Your conviction - your faith - is stronger than any impulse you may have, or any moment of weakness you might find yourself in.” She rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension in his muscles. “You know, you actually owe Frank a lot,” she said lightly, trying to make one more point before they got back to enjoying their dinner.

Matt frowned at her. “How do you figure that?”

“I don’t think I’d have had the courage to be with you again, without his example. Despite his loss, despite his pain, and despite the fear that it could all happen again…he still chose to be with Karen and Izzy. He chose love. And I figured, if he could do it, I could too.”

Matt tilted his head towards her, his eyebrows coming together as he digested that thought. “Well, when you put it that way…,” he grumbled. “Fine. I’ll give him a chance. But don’t ever tell him I owe our relationship to him. He’d be insufferable.”

Calina laughed. “Deal.”

“Now finish your Christmas spaghetti before it gets cold.”

She laughed. “Yes, sir.”

———

The next time the real world intruded, it did so not with the quiet chime of a phone, but with a loud banging on the chalet door.

Matt came awake with a start as the silence of the cabin was torn apart by the hammering of fist against wood, Nika’s angry barks, and the rustle of sheets as Calina scrambled out of bed.

“Any idea what’s going on?” Matt asked, slipping on a pair of sweats.

“No. But if this is some kind of training drill or prank, I’m going to kill someone,” Calina muttered. “And if it’s those Thanos cultists again, I’m definitely going to kill someone.”

Matt hid his smile as he followed her into the living room, knowing it was an empty threat - she was just grumpy at being woken up so unexpectedly. He used to love Calina in the mornings and all her mercurial moods. He never knew if she would wake confused and disorientated, or irritable, or playful…

These days she woke quickly - with the alertness of a soldier - so it was nice to see that hint of the Callie he used to know. Although, the soldier was still evident - Matt sensed her grab her gun from the kitchen counter and flick off the safety as she approached the door. Matt flanked the other side, fists clenched and ready.

But they both stood down as a familiar voice called out. “Calina, it’s me.”

Calina yanked open the door. “Katya? What the hell is going on?”

“Inessa’s in trouble,” Katya replied, a hint of panic lacing her words.

“I thought she was just out on a recon mission?”

“She was, but the group she was surveilling split into factions and they started fighting. It’s turned ugly and she’s pinned down in the middle. She needs an extraction and we’re heading out now. I brought your gear if you wanna come.”

“I…” Calina shook her head, backing away from the door.

Matt could sense the conflict brewing inside her. He grabbed the bag from Katya. “Give us a minute,” he said to the Widow, before ushering Calina back to the bedroom. He closed the door behind them. “I know you’re worried about being back in the field,” he started. “But—”

“There’s no ‘but’ Matt. It’s too risky! What if I hurt someone?”

“Katya doesn’t seem worried about that. And I’m not either. You need to start trusting yourself as much as we trust you.”

“Katya’s only here because she knows I’d be angry if I found out they went without telling me.”

“If that was the case, she’d have just sent a text. But she brought your suit, because she wants you on the team. And because she knows what I know.”

“What do you know?”

“That you’d never forgive yourself if something happened to Inessa while you sat out the fight.”

He didn’t like the idea of Calina going off to God-knows-where to fight some battle. He hated it in fact. He wished he could keep her with him, safe in their cabin, away from the harsh and volatile world beyond its walls.

But Inessa held a special place in Calina’s heart - she was like a little sister to her. So Matt unzipped the bag and started pulling out the gear inside - because he knew from the moment Katya had said Inessa was in trouble, Calina would join the fight. Even if she didn’t quite believe that herself.

“Matt…” she whispered, sounding so lost and unsure.

He dropped her suit on the bed, and turned to her. He took her face in his hands. “Hey,” he whispered, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. “If you really don’t think you can do this, I’ll let Katya know. It’ll be okay. She’ll understand - they all will. They love you, no matter what. And so do I.”

He kissed her forehead, and rested his lips against her skin as she warred with the fear inside her. And he smiled when she won the battle. She straightened up, swallowed harshly, and shook her head. “No, I’ll go.”

“That’s my girl.”

She gave him a tremulous smile, one he could feel with the hands still cradling her cheeks. Then she stepped back and started getting changed.

He sat on the edge of the bed and followed her movements as she wriggled into her tight suit, zipped it up the front, then jammed her feet in her boots. She grabbed the Widow’s bites and started fitting them on her wrist. Knowing time was of the essence, he helped her along, picking up the holster for her gun and slotting it around her thigh. He clicked the snaps shut and cinched the nylon straps to take up the slack.

“Tight enough?” he asked, running a finger between the straps and her suit.

“Yes. Thank you.” She took a moment to rest her hand on his bent head and stroke his hair.

He spread his hands over the back of her thighs and tugged her closer, resting his head against her stomach. “I love you,” he whispered. “Please be careful.”

“I love you too. And I will,” she replied, just as softly. “I don’t know how long this will take, and I know your flight is tomorrow - well, today, technically - but I—”

“I’ll get a later one,” he said, interrupting her. “And I don’t care if Gossard kicks me off the base, I’ll find a hotel in Geneva. I won’t leave the country without making sure you’re okay. And I won’t leave without saying a proper goodbye.”

He felt her relax in his arms. “Good. Thank you.” She pulled away from him. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”

He trailed behind her as she hurried back through the cabin to where Katya stood waiting. Nika sat by her feet, as if ready to join the fight as well. Calina crouched down to hug her dog. “You stay here and keep Matt company,” she said, stroking Nika’s ears. Then she stood up, gave Matt a small wave, and slipped out the door.

Matt let out a breath, and collapsed onto the couch, feeling the adrenaline spike wane - an adrenaline spike brought on by nothing more than a surprise visitor in the middle of the night. Not by a gunshot, or a fist to the face, or a leap across rooftops ten stories high…just a knock on the door. Matt shook his head at the thought - he hadn’t realised quite how much he’d succumbed to the peace and relaxation of this trip until it was ripped away.

Nika came towards him, her nails clicking softly on the wooden floor. Then she jumped up onto the cushion next to him, let out a sigh and flopped down, resting her head on his thigh. Matt stroked his hand down her back. “Yeah, it’s just you and me for now. But she’ll be back soon.”

Matt tipped his head back to rest on the cushion behind him and closed his eyes. It was still late - or early, depending on your perspective - but he knew he wouldn’t be going back to bed. The cabin already felt different - emptier and colder - without Calina. The bed would feel the same. And he couldn’t sleep, knowing she was out there somewhere, heading into danger.

So sat there, and petted her dog, and tried to believe his own words.

‘She’ll be back soon.’

———

Time dragged as Matt waited. But eventually night bled into dawn.

Rays of warm sunlight advanced through the room as the sun arced across the sky. The birds outside commenced their morning chorus, and Nika stirred from her nap. She lifted her head and cocked it from side to side, listening for the sound that was missing. “She’s not back yet,” Matt said, scratching his fingers through the ruff of fur at her neck.

Nika jumped off the couch and stretched. Then she padded to the front door, waiting expectantly. Matt sighed and lumbered off the couch, stretching out his own kinks and stiff joints as he did so. “Yeah,” he said, in answer to the dog’s silent request to be let out. “A walk would probably do both of us some good.”

He shoved on a coat over his sweats, and slipped his feet into his sneakers, then the two of them headed out into the crisp morning air. Matt found himself talking to Nika as they followed their usual path through the woods, and he was grateful for the companionship - if she wasn’t with him, he probably would have gone crazy, pacing through the chalet, his mind spiralling as he imagined all the ways Calina could be getting hurt right now.

It felt different, this time, waiting for her.

Before, when she’d been with the Widows trying to track down and stop Volkov, Matt had never known the specifics of her missions. He’d never known exactly when she was out in the field, or what dangers she was facing at any given time. His worry for her had been a constant - a nagging, ever-present knot in the pit of his stomach - but it was at a low enough level that allowed him to function. He was able to work, and go out on patrol, and laugh with his friends, while he waited for the unknown date when she would return to him.

But right now, the dial was cranked high, and the worry was an acute, all-encompassing fear. Because he knew - with certainty - that she was in danger right at this moment. And with every minute that ticked by without her return, he found his anxiety ratcheting up, and his need to feel her in his arms - safe and alive - surging.

But, luckily, having Nika with him helped. She gave him a reason to get off the couch, and get some air. The act of moving, of having to concentrate on his next steps as they trekked through the woods, calmed some of his anxiety, and provided the distraction he sorely need.

At the crest of the trail, the two of them rested on the bench overlooking the valley. Matt could almost picture the scenery spread out before them - Calina had described it often enough - but to him, it was mostly empty space. There was nothing obstructing the enormous sky to give him a sense of shape and form, and the lake and trees were still, with no breeze to ripple the water or rustle the leaves.

All that vast, nebulous ‘nothing’ would have been alarming, if not for the sounds of the birds flying overhead, and the gentle panting breaths of the dog beside him. Matt rested his hand on Nika’s back, feeling the heat trapped within her fur and the thrumming beat of her heart, thankful once more for her presence. “Is this what you did for Calina, too?” he asked, referring to the time after the ‘Snap’, when Calina was on her own and struggling. “Did you give her a reason to get out of the apartment? Did you help distract her? Did you give her an excuse to talk when the silence was crushing her?”

Nika turned her head and licked his cheek, as if answering in the affirmative. Matt let out a soft laugh. “I bet you also gave her a reason to smile on the days when there was nothing else to smile about.”

He hated to think about Calina back then. She’d told him some of what it had been like - and Karen had given him a glimpse into that time as well - but he still could barely wrap his head around it. The effort it must have taken to keep breathing and moving and living when she’d lost so much. When she was in so much pain, and the world felt so hopeless.

She was the strongest person he knew.

And he had to keep reminding himself - when his mind wanted to drop down into that spiral of worry and fear - that she was strong in other ways. She was a good fighter. An excellent soldier. She’d kept herself alive in the most dangerous parts of the world for more than five years, and had always made it home safely, one way or another.

And she would make it home again this time.

He believed that.

But it didn’t make the wait any easier.

-------

Just in case anyone needs a reference point for Calina's new muscular form - think Emily Blunt from Edge of Tomorrow (rather than Abby from The Last Of Us part 2 game!)

Tag list: @hollandorks @stilldreaming666 @sio-ina-bottle @tearoseart-blog @acharliecoxedfan @freckledbabyyy @chezagnes @ricearoni84 @brittbratt4567

If you’d like to be added - let me know!

#matt murdock x original character #daredevil fandom #matt murdock fic #matt murdock x original female character #marvels daredevil #daredevil x ofc #daredevil x oc #matt murdock x ofc

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punchdrunkdoc · 20 days ago

Text

Part 4, Chapter 24

Also available on AO3 and Wattpad

Masterlist

Reference pics

————–

PART 4

Chapter 24

No tree. No presents. Just a lot of sex, and one very difficult conversation.

Calina was glad of it - even though it was sometimes emotionally exhausting.

And a little physically taxing.

Not that she was complaining - it was a small price to pay for the mind-blowing orgasm that had accompanied it.

There’s nothing else in the world right now.

Just me, inside you.

Just you and me, Callie…

“…Callie?”

“Huh?” Calina startled as fantasy and reality collided. The sauce was popping and bubbling in front of her, so she turned down the heat and gave it another stir.

Matt chuckled. “I asked if you wanted some wine with dinner?”

“Oh, um, yes. Red please.”

“Five minutes for the spaghetti, and the sauce is done, I think.” She dipped a teaspoon in the pot and held it up for Matt to try. “What do you think?”

He tasted the mixture. “Pinch more salt.”

Calina added the pinch, trusting his tastebuds. As she stirred it into the sauce, Matt’s hand dropped to the crease of her hip and he dug his fingers in, massaging the stiff joint.

She laughed. “How could you tell?”

“I could hear you shifting around. And there’s some slight heat coming off this area.”

She tipped her head back to rest against him, sighing at the relief. “Thank you.”

“I caused it - only right I make it better.”

Despite their earlier discussion about his guilt complex, he didn’t sound too repentant. In fact, judging by the low, sexy tone of his voice, he was also happily reliving the experience.

“I guess I need to start limbering up more,” Calina joked. “I lost a little flexibility when I gained some muscle.”

Matt’s other hand moved lower, palming the curve of her behind. “I like your new muscles.”

Calina smirked. That was an understatement - he’d barely been able to keep his hands off her backside since he’d arrived in Geneva.

Who knew Matt Murdock was an ass man?

“I like all your new curves,” he continued, gliding his hand over her hip and up to her waist. He splayed his fingers across her toned stomach. “I like how strong you are.”

“Yeah?” she replied. “Think I can take you now?”

“Think I wanna find out.”

“Hmmm, that sounds fun.”

“We can go to Fogwell’s when we get back to New York. Get back in the ring together.”

Calina tensed up at his words. And given that Matt’s hands were all over her body, he noticed her discomfort straight away.

“I’m being selfish again, aren’t I?” he sighed. “I'm just assuming you'll give up your life here, and move back to New York—”

“Ah,” he said. “So I take it I’ll be flying home solo tomorrow.”

It was the topic they’d been avoiding until now. But it seemed it was time for another difficult conversation. “Yes,” she replied. “I’m sorry.”

She bit her lip as her fingers continued to stroke the soft fabric of his sweater. And she suddenly recognised it as the one she’d gifted him the last Christmas they’d spent together.

Seven months ago for him.

Six years ago for her.

“What do you mean?”

“She has to understand there were mitigating circumstances.”

Calina shrugged, plating up their meal. “Intellectually maybe. But there’s been…distance…between us ever since. With all my sisters, really, and I need to fix that.”

“I get it,” Matt said, taking a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. “I understand why you have to stay. But I’ll miss you like hell.”

“Wait, does this mean I actually get your phone number this time?” Matt asked, raising his eyebrows. “So we can contact each other like a normal couple?”

But it chimed again.

And again.

“Do you need to get that?” Matt asked.

“Who is it?”

“I still can’t believe Karen is a mom,” Matt commented.

“She’s so good at it, though - not that I have much of a frame of reference.”

Matt smiled sadly. “Me neither. But she must be doing something right - Izzy is great.”

Matt paused, his wineglass halfway to his lips. “That’s even more unbelievable. The Punisher, playing house.”

She frowned at him. “He’s not The Punisher, he’s Frank. And he’s not playing at anything - he loves Karen and Izzy.”

Matt scoffed, placing his glass back on the table. “He loves pain and violence and death.”

It was Matt’s turn to frown. “What exactly did he tell you?”

“He told me he once shot you in the head. But he did it knowing that your mask would deflect the bullet.”

“No,” she said quietly. “He didn’t.”

Calina raised an eyebrow. “Then don’t I deserve to go to jail?”

Matt rubbed his forehead. “Why are you pushing this? Why does it matter?”

He laughed, the sound warmer now. “I did not let Frank in.”

“I know. But Karen did. He means a lot to her. And if you want to keep her in your life, you’re going to have to accept that Frank is a part of hers.”

“I know, I know,” Matt groaned and hung his head. “Just don’t expect us to go on any double dates anytime soon.”

Calina laughed. “You never know, you might enjoy yourself. You and Frank have a lot in common.”

Matt shrugged. “He told me once, that I was one bad day away from being him. And I’ve felt the truth of that a few times since.”

“It’d change the way I feel about myself.”

Matt frowned at her. “How do you figure that?”

Calina laughed. “Deal.”

“Now finish your Christmas spaghetti before it gets cold.”

She laughed. “Yes, sir.”

———

The next time the real world intruded, it did so not with the quiet chime of a phone, but with a loud banging on the chalet door.

Matt came awake with a start as the silence of the cabin was torn apart by the hammering of fist against wood, Nika’s angry barks, and the rustle of sheets as Calina scrambled out of bed.

“Any idea what’s going on?” Matt asked, slipping on a pair of sweats.

“No. But if this is some kind of training drill or prank, I’m going to kill someone,” Calina muttered. “And if it’s those Thanos cultists again, I’m definitely going to kill someone.”

But they both stood down as a familiar voice called out. “Calina, it’s me.”

Calina yanked open the door. “Katya? What the hell is going on?”

“Inessa’s in trouble,” Katya replied, a hint of panic lacing her words.

“I thought she was just out on a recon mission?”

“I…” Calina shook her head, backing away from the door.

“There’s no ‘but’ Matt. It’s too risky! What if I hurt someone?”

“Katya doesn’t seem worried about that. And I’m not either. You need to start trusting yourself as much as we trust you.”

“Katya’s only here because she knows I’d be angry if I found out they went without telling me.”

“If that was the case, she’d have just sent a text. But she brought your suit, because she wants you on the team. And because she knows what I know.”

“What do you know?”

“That you’d never forgive yourself if something happened to Inessa while you sat out the fight.”

“Matt…” she whispered, sounding so lost and unsure.

“That’s my girl.”

She gave him a tremulous smile, one he could feel with the hands still cradling her cheeks. Then she stepped back and started getting changed.

“Tight enough?” he asked, running a finger between the straps and her suit.

“Yes. Thank you.” She took a moment to rest her hand on his bent head and stroke his hair.

He spread his hands over the back of her thighs and tugged her closer, resting his head against her stomach. “I love you,” he whispered. “Please be careful.”

“I love you too. And I will,” she replied, just as softly. “I don’t know how long this will take, and I know your flight is tomorrow - well, today, technically - but I—”

He felt her relax in his arms. “Good. Thank you.” She pulled away from him. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”

So sat there, and petted her dog, and tried to believe his own words.

‘She’ll be back soon.’

———

Time dragged as Matt waited. But eventually night bled into dawn.

It felt different, this time, waiting for her.

She was the strongest person he knew.

And she would make it home again this time.

He believed that.

But it didn’t make the wait any easier.

-------

Just in case anyone needs a reference point for Calina's new muscular form - think Emily Blunt from Edge of Tomorrow (rather than Abby from The Last Of Us part 2 game!)

Tag list: @hollandorks @stilldreaming666 @sio-ina-bottle @tearoseart-blog @acharliecoxedfan @freckledbabyyy @chezagnes @ricearoni84 @brittbratt4567 @redheadrenaissance

If you’d like to be added - let me know!

#daredevil #daredevil fic #tabula rasa #daredevil fanfic #daredevil fanfiction #matt murdock #daredevil x original female character #marvel's daredevil #matt murdock fanfic #matt murdock x oc

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punchdrunkdoc · 21 days ago

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@daredevilhub creator event 2022 ↳ Day 1: Character(s) → MATT MURDOCK

insp: x | x

#This is very cool #daredevil #matt murdock

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punchdrunkdoc · 1 month ago

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DDBA S2 filming has wrapped and now I will be counting down the months until I get Matt Murdock looking hot in this outfit 😁

#he looks so goooood!!#matt murdock #Daredevil

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punchdrunkdoc · 1 month ago

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Masterlist

Notes: This is a slow burn romance with an original female character, told in 4 parts. There is mystery, intrigue, action and angst - all the good stuff!

Also available on AO3 and I’m trying something new - posting on Wattpad

Reference pics and stuff

Fancasting

PART I: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19. COMPLETE!

PART II: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21 COMPLETE!

PART III: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23 COMPLETE!

PART IV: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25,

#matt murdock #matt murdock x oc #matt murdock x original character #matt murdock x original female character #daredevil x original female character #daredevil fanfic #daredevil fanfiction #marvels daredevil #daredevil x ofc

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punchdrunkdoc · 1 month ago

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Part 4, Chapter 23

Also available on AO3 and Wattpad

Masterlist

Reference pics

————–

PART 4

Chapter 23

Matt woke slowly, rising from a dreamless sleep, feeling rested and more content than he had in a long time.

He could put it down to the solid eight hours of sleep he'd just had, or the comfort of the mattress he lay on, or the fact that he was on vacation and doing little more than relaxing all day and all night...

But he suspected it was mostly thanks to the woman next to him.

He never slept better than when Calina was by his side.

She reached out and rubbed her thumb over his dimple, matched the smile he only just realised was stretching across his face. "You look happy," she commented.

Matt shrugged. "It's Christmas morning. Aren't I allowed to be happy?"

"Even though we have no tree, no presents and—" he sensed her glance over her shoulder and out the window "—no snow to play in?"

He kissed her shoulder and stroked his hand over her hip. "I have you naked in bed. Who needs snow and presents?"

"You're insatiable, Matt Murdock."

He smiled against her skin as he kissed his way up her neck. "Just making up for lost time."

She arched her head back, giving him more room. "That should be my line."

"Hmmm, you're right." He flicked his tongue against the skin behind her ear, tasting her tattoo. Then he took her earlobe between his teeth, biting down gently. She was right - he was insatiable. He couldn't seem to get enough of her. Kissing her. Touching her. Being inside her. Making her come. They'd just never really had the chance to be like this before. In New York, they'd had stolen moments together, snatched from the city that vied for his attention, from his work, from her responsibilities to the Widows, from the dangers that followed them both...

Out here, nothing needed to be stolen. They'd been gifted instead, with endless hours of uninterrupted time.

And they were making the most of it.

"So how about lady's choice this time around," he continued, kissing along her jaw. He swept his hand up her body to cup her breast, and she gasped as he teased her nipple into a hard point.

"Huh?"

He smiled at her distracted tone. "We'll do whatever you want. Make one of your fantasies come true."

"I- I don't have any fantasies."

He pulled back from her in surprise. "Really? None?"

"Well, I mean, nothing specific. Like, uh, role play, or with, you know...toys..or anything." The word 'toys' was uttered in an embarrassed whisper, and Matt could feel the heat of her blush radiating off her cheeks. "I never thought of sex as something fun like that, before we got together," she continued. "And when we were together, I was happy just being with you. I know that's boring, but—"

"Hey, it's not boring. Sex between us is never boring, Callie. I was just saying that if there was something more you wanted, something different, I'd give it to you."

"What about you?"

"Me? Well..." Matt ran his hands slowly down her arms, and closed them around her slender wrists. Then he yanked her arms up and over her head, pinning them in place, wrenching a shocked gasp from her throat. "I've always liked the idea of you cuffed to my bed frame, stretched out, and at my mercy."

Calina licked her lips. He scented a pulse of arousal at her core as she clenched her thighs together. "That- that sounds good," she said, her voice low and husky. "But we don't have any handcuffs here."

"We also have nowhere to attach them." He rapped his knuckles against the solid wood headboard.

Calina tipped her head back to look at it. "Oh."

There was a world of disappointment in that little sound, and it made Matt smile. "Something to explore at a later date," he said. "In the meantime...lady's choice."

"Um, okay," she said. She seemed to think about it for a few seconds, before sliding her hand into his hair. "Kiss me."

"As you wish," he murmured, bending down to capture her lips.

He kissed her like it was a mission. Like his only purpose in life was to worship at her lips. For long minutes he devoted himself to the task, until she pulled away with a gasp. "That was good," she panted. "Now lie on your back."

He smiled at the commanding tone, and obeyed, settling back on the mattress next to her, his hands tucked beneath his head.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Stay just like that."

Matt kept smiling as Calina touched him. She traced over his scars, glided fingers over muscles, licked trails along his bones. She painted his body with her touch like it was a canvas, slowly but surely ratcheting up his desire until he was hard and throbbing for her.

"Is this your fantasy?" he panted. "To have me at your mercy - begging and desperate?"

"Maybe," she said, sliding down his body, inching closer and closer to where he was desperate for relief. "Or maybe I just want to touch you."

"I'm not complaining."

"Hmmm, but if you're still capable of using three-syllable words, I'm not doing my job right."

He groaned as she dipped her head, her hair lightly brushing against the sensitive tip of his shaft. He felt her breath, the warm air caressing him, as she hovered in place. Teasing him. Drawing out the anticipation...

His hips bucked at the first touch of her tongue. "Sorry."

He felt her smile as she backed away and kissed his hip. "Don't be. I like you a little out of control."

Matt laughed, but the noise was choked off as her tongue returned. And when she took him in her mouth he had to grip the top of the headboard to stop from grabbing fistfuls of her hair and thrusting into that wet heat.

Calina might like him a little out of control, but he was at risk of losing it completely. And he wasn't sure she was up for that right now. In the past, sex had sometimes gotten a little wild and rough between them. But the last few days - since they'd reconnected - he'd sensed a tentativeness about her. A hesitancy - almost a shyness - when it came to sex.

Maybe it was just that she'd gone without it so long; or maybe she was worried that her emotions would go haywire; whatever the reason, she'd seemed content to let him take the lead and set the pace.

Until now.

Now she was in charge. She was leading this little dance of theirs...and she seemed to be enjoying it almost as much as he was.

"Fuck," he hissed, as she took him deep. "Feels so good."

Her lips tightened around him and she bobbed her head, the suction driving him crazy. He felt his orgasm build, his muscles tensing. He tossed his head back, mouth open, gulping down air. He was almost there—

She stopped.

The warmth of her mouth was suddenly gone as she sat back on her heels. "Wha-?" he gasped, no longer capable of one-syllable words, let alone three. The cooler air of the room hit the wet skin of his shaft, and the sensation nearly pushed him over the edge. But then she fit her hand around his cock and squeezed, just below the head. The pressure cut off his climax, and he panted as his body gradually came down from the peak.

"I want you inside me," she said, releasing him slowly. Her voice was firm and calm, but he could hear how fast her heart was beating. He could scent her arousal - it filled the room, thick and heady. And when she straddled his waist, he could feel the trembling of her thighs.

She was just as turned on as he was.

He released his hold on the headboard and brought his arms down, his hands landing on her waist, wanting to hold her as she rode him.

"Uh-uh," she chastised, grabbing him by the wrists. She lifted his hands off her, leaned over and pressed them to the pillow either side of his head. "Keep them there."

He felt her strength as she pinned him in place - so different from the Calina of before. It made him want to spar with her. Made him want to wrestle with her, and feel the strength of her in other ways.

But not as much as he wanted to be inside her right now.

So he relaxed...and submitted.

"Good," she said, moving one hand to his chest. She braced herself there as she lifted her lower body and used her free hand to guide him inside. She took him in slowly. So slowly, until it felt like an eternity passed before she was seated to the hilt.

She paused there, unmoving, and let out a shuddering breath. Then she shifted her pelvis, adjusting to him. That small twisting motion made Matt's eyes roll back. "God, sweetheart," he groaned. "Please move."

She waited another few moments before granting his wish. She lifted off him slowly...and came down, equally as slowly. She set an excruciatingly deliberate pace, each gradual - almost lazy - descent against him capped by that little swivel of her hips.

It drove him crazy. His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms, as he fought the urge to grab her hips and thrust up into her. "Please, Callie," he begged.

"What do you need?" she replied, her voice breathy and strained, as if she was torturing herself as much as him.

"More. Faster, harder, something."

She made him wait a little longer...but then she gave him both. Her tempo increased, and she came down on him harder, squeezing around him every time she did that goddam, maddening twist of her hips. She leaned back, sitting upright, as she moved on him. One of her hands trailed down her body towards where they were joined. He sensed the movement of that hand, then felt her knuckles brush against him as she started touching herself.

"Let me," he said, desperate to get his hands on her. He brought one down, reaching for her again, but she grabbed it instead, lacing their fingers together. She used the hold for leverage, increasing the strength of her movements as she rode him.

Matt's climax built again, stronger than before. He clenched Calina's hand in his, and couldn't stop his hips from tilting up to meet her every time she bottomed out. He groaned at the increased sensation...but even through the haze of his lust, he started to realise something was wrong with Calina.

Her rhythm...faltered. The hand between her legs moved faster, but he could sense she wasn't close to where she wanted to be. She started to move on him with an air of desperation, her forehead creased and her jaw clenched...and through it all she was silent. The little noises from before - the whimpers in the back of her throat, the guttural moans - they were all gone.

And then...a hint of that foreign, intrusive scent emerged from beneath her arousal and the heady fragrance of her skin. The scent that heralded a shift in her emotions.

"Callie, baby, you still with me?" he panted.

The response was more silence. He squeezed her hand...but she didn't squeeze back. Instead, she used the handhold to rotate their arms over, and wrench his wrist at a painful angle. And he knew then that she was losing herself to whatever malignant emotion was trying to take her over. She was losing control...

So he took it back.

He bucked his hips and twisted, flipping them over so he was on top. The sudden move broke her hold on his arm, and he quickly took advantage, capturing both her wrists in one hand and pinning them above her head. He thrust into her sharply as he called out to her. "Callie!"

The only response was a growl under her breath. She writhed beneath him, still caught up in the anger or the frustration, or whatever the hell it was that she was experiencing.

He needed to snap her out of it. To remind her of where she was. Who she was, and what she was meant to be feeling in this moment. So he hitched her leg over his waist and brought his hand down against the side of her ass. Hard.

The sharp crack rang out in the room. Calina froze beneath him, and for a moment Matt thought he'd made a terrible miscalculation. But then she gasped. "Matt?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "You back with me?"

"I- I think so."

"Where are we, sweetheart?" he asked, his hand massaging the area he'd just spanked.

"In bed. In the chalet."

"Good," he said. He released his grip on her wrists and she immediately wound her arms around his neck, as if needing to hold onto him. He turned his head to kiss the soft skin of her inner elbow. "What are we doing?"

"We're making love."

"Yeah?" He rocked his hips against hers gently. "Can you feel me inside you?"

She tightened her leg around his waist. "Yes."

He pulled back and thrust into her harder. "You feel me filling you up?"

"Uh-huh," she groaned.

"Does it feel good?"

"Yeah."

"Good. That's my girl. Just feel that. Nothing else. There's nothing else in the world right now. Just me, inside you."

He hooked his arm beneath her leg and moved it from his waist to his shoulder. He hitched her other leg onto his other shoulder, and leaned over her, bending her almost in two. He thrust again and she moaned, a deep, throaty, wonderful noise. He knew she loved this position - how deep he could go, how every slide in and out rubbed against that sensitive spot inside her. How all she need was that stimulation, and the pressure of his pelvis against her clit, to find her release.

He kept up a fast, hard pace, ramping up her desire. And all the while he talked to her, grounding her, reminding her. "Just you and me, Callie. It's just you and me, here, in this moment. Nothing else matters. It's just us. You and me. And I love you."

"Love you, too," she gasped, arching her head back.

"Good. Good girl. Are you gonna come now? While I'm fucking you like this?"

She nodded her head.

"I need to hear you, sweetheart. Talk to me."

"Yes. I'm close. I'm so close—" she choked the words out, barely finishing before he felt her shatter around him. She dug her nails into his back and gasped, her every muscle going rigid as she came.

And he couldn't hold his own climax back. He groaned as he followed her, his orgasm intense and powerful after being denied for so long. He had the presence of mind to lift her legs from his shoulders, then he collapsed on top of her. "I'll move in a sec," he slurred, knowing he was too heavy, knowing he'd have to clean them both up. But he just wanted to feel her flushed, slick skin against his for a moment.

She seemed to want that too. Her arms closed around him, holding him tight. "No," she protested. "Stay for a bit. I wanna feel your weight."

Unable to resist, he relaxed against her, one leg between hers, his head tucked against her neck. He inhaled her scent, and sensed nothing but the pure and intoxicating fragrance of Calina, with no worrying base notes, no hints of an impending mood shift.

If anything, she seemed blissfully content, humming under her breath as she lazily sifted her fingers through his hair.

Matt smiled, and closed his eyes, feeling pretty damn content himself.

———

The contentment didn't last.

In fact, Matt's discontent grew over the course of the day - along with his guilt. As he and Calina showered together, as they ate lunch, as they walked along the lakeshore with Nika, he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened while they'd been having sex.

And what he'd done.

As they curled up on the sofa in front of the fire, he knew he had to say something. "Calina?"

"Hmm?" she replied, nuzzling her head against his shoulder.

"We need to talk about what happened this morning."

She stilled. "Do we? It all turned out okay."

"I need to know that I did the right thing."

She lifted her head, and he could feel her studying his profile. One of her hands came up to cup his cheek and turn his head towards her. "Of course you did. You managed to snap me out of one of my episodes - no one's been able to do that before."

"Yeah, but I did it by...hitting you, essentially."

She laughed. "You smacked my ass during sex. It's not like you punched me in the face."

When he didn't join in her laughter, she sat up and shifted on the couch until she faced him. "Have you been worrying about this all day?"

He nodded.

"I wish I had your abilities," she sighed. "You always seem to know what I'm thinking and feeling. I wish I could do the same for you, and stop you from beating yourself up when you did nothing wrong. I should be the one apologising for almost ruining the moment."

"It wasn't your fault, Calina. You didn't have control over your actions - but I did. And it's not just the fact that I slapped you—"

"Smacked," she corrected. "Spanked, even."

Matt raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to argue semantics with a lawyer?"

"I think the terminology is pertinent to this discussion, Counsellor."

He gave her a small smile. "Regardless of the terminology, it's not really about that. It's the fact that I was still inside you at the time. Were you even capable of consenting to sex in that moment—"

She sat up quickly and slapped her hand over his mouth, cutting him off. "Don't even go there, Matt. The emotions might not feel like they belong to me, but it's still me. And I consented to everything."

"But you weren't in control of yourself!" he repeated. He pulled away from her and got to his feet, pacing the small strip of floor between the sofa and the fireplace.

Calina's voice was maddeningly calm as she responded. "We've fought each other before, Matt. In practice, and for real. Remember?"

"Of course I do."

"Was I fighting you this morning?"

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "No."

"Do you think if I didn't want to be in that bed - at any point - you'd have been able to keep me there with just your hand around my wrists and your dick inside me?"

He flinched at the crude wording - not used to hearing that from Calina - but he knew she was just trying to make a point.

And it was a good one. "No," he conceded.

"As for the smack on the ass," she continued, in that same reasonable tone. "It didn't even hurt. It was just...unexpected. It jolted me out of my head, the same way a bucket of cold water to the face would. Then you grounded me - letting me know what was real and true, instead of what my fucked-up brain was telling me. It was exactly what I needed, Matt."

Matt frowned. "What was your brain telling you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just remember feeling a little frustrated. Then I started to spiral into anger. It doesn't always make sense, why I feel certain things. There's not always an obvious trigger or an explanation."

"You weren't feeling pressured? I know I kind of forced you into the fantasy thing—"

"There was no forcing, Matt! It was fun!" She shook her head as she stared up at him. "God, that catholic guilt complex is no joke."

Matt stopped his pacing and huffed out a laugh. "You don't say."

"Come here." She reached out her hand and he took it. She tried to tug him back onto the couch, but he kneeled between her legs instead, sitting back on his heels and resting his arms on her legs.

It was fitting that she'd brought up his religion, because he was feeling in a penitent mood. "Do you know anything about the Sacrament of Reconciliation?" he asked.

She frowned at his seemingly random change of subject. "I can't say that was ever part of the Red Room curriculum."

"It's confession, basically. It reconciles you with the church after wounding it with your sins. It lets you receive God's forgiveness."

"Am I God in this scenario?" she asked, gesturing to their positions.

He laughed. "No, you're not nearly capricious enough."

"Okay..."

"So, there are five steps to a good confession," he explained. "Number one, examine your conscience." He marked off the first point with a tap on her thigh. "Be sincerely sorry for your sins." Another tap. "Confess your sins to a priest." Tap. "Resolve to amend your life." Tap. "And do your penance." Tap. "Do you know what the most important step is, at least to me?"

He sensed her frown. "I don't know. The penance?"

"No, the confessing. In order to receive absolution, we have to admit to our shortcomings out loud."

"That sounds like therapy."

Matt laughed again. "Maybe it is, in a way. It's certainly meant to make you really own what you've done."

"Why are you telling me this? I told you that you did nothing wrong this morning. You don't need absolution. There's no penance to pay."

"I know. But I think the act of saying it all out loud just now made me realise what's really going on."

"And what's that?"

"I'm terrified, Callie."

She leaned forward and stroked her hand through his hair. "Of what?"

"Of messing this up. Of doing something wrong, or say something wrong. I meant everything I've said since I got here - I want us to work. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. But I just...I feel like I'm always bracing for the inevitable."

"What's the inevitable?"

"You, leaving," he shrugged.

"Matt—"

"I'm scared I'm going to screw up so badly that you leave me for good. And I know that's just my past speaking—"

"But it's not just in the past though, is it?" she said, her fingers trailing down his cheek, and brushing her thumb over his lips. "I have left you. I've ran from you - from us - when things have gotten difficult. What can I do to convince you that I'll never do that again?"

He covered her hand with his, and turned his head to kiss her palm. "I honestly don't know."

"Would...," she started, before biting her lip, cutting off the rest of the sentence.

"What? What were you going to say?"

She took a deep breath. "That question you didn't quite ask the other day. The, um, topic you raised, about our future..."

Matt smiled at her awkwardness. "You can say the word, Calina. 'Marriage'."

"Yeah, that. Would that help?"

Matt frowned. "That's not why I want to marry you. A ring on your finger...it wouldn't be like a shackle, keeping you with me."

"So why do you want it?"

Matt frowned, and tilted his head, searching for the answer. Marriage felt like the logical next step for them - but he didn't know if that was just societal expectations, or if there was more to it. "I'm not sure," he admitted, taking her hand in both of his, and playing with her fingers. "It's not like I had an example of marriage growing up - either good or bad. But it was always something celebrated and cherished by the church. The 'Sanctity of Marriage' isn't just lazy political speech - it actually means something. The love between a married couple is literally sacred. It's a holy covenant. And I guess..."

"What?"

"To me, getting married, it's an expression - a declaration - that our love is sacred. That it's more important than anything that came before."

As he spoke, Matt realised that he'd been wrong the other day. Getting married wasn't just a technicality. He did, in fact, want to stand in God's house in front of a priest and witnesses and affirm his love for Calina. He wanted to do it properly. Him in a tux, her in a white dress...the whole nine yards.

Calina smiled. "That's a pretty convincing argument, even to an atheist."

Matt smiled at her joke, but wished he knew if there was any truth beneath her light, teasing tone. Was she actually swayed by his reasoning? Or did she just want to break the tension of the moment? He'd promised not to pressure her, but he'd just laid all his cards on the table, and she still held hers maddeningly close to her chest. "Any, uh, rebuttal statements from opposing counsel?"

She let out a shaky laugh. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm opposing counsel..."

"On the jury, then. Weighing up the arguments."

"Yeah. I just need a little more time to deliberate. If that's okay."

He kissed her hand. "Of course it's okay."

He rose up on his knees and made a move to stand, but she grabbed the front of his t-shirt, holding him in place. "I, um, did think about it. Before. From time to time."

He cocked his head, a genuine smile tipping up the corner of his mouth. "You did?"

"Yeah. Just silly daydreams."

"Not silly, Calina."

"It felt like it at the time."

"And now?"

"Now...?" She bit her lip, and smoothed out the creases she'd made in his shirt. "Now, it still feels kind of new between us. Too new to be thinking about that yet. I know that's not really fair to you, but it's been six years for me, Matt. I need some time to get used to this again."

"Hey, I get it. We're on different timelines."

Her brow creased. "That makes it sound like we're running parallel to each other, destined to never converge."

He leaned towards her, wedging himself firmly between her thighs. He tilted his head to kiss her neck. "Oh, there'll be plenty of converging," he smirked.

Her breath hitched when he kissed her again, but then she put her hand back on his chest, holding him at bay. "I was being serious. We need a better analogy."

"Okay, how about we're on the same track, but I'm a little ahead of you. I'll just have to slow down, let you catch up."

Her hand moved around to the back of his neck, and she played with ends of his hair. "What if my engine's a little damaged?" she asked. "And it needs some work in the shop first? You don't mind waiting?"

"I'll wait as long as it takes. I've got nowhere else to be." He cupped her face in both hands, and kissed her softly. Gently. "You're my destination, Callie." He kissed her cheek. "My last stop." The angle of her jaw. "My only port of call." Her lips again. "My safe harbour."

"You're mixing your transportation metaphors," she said. He could hear the smile in her voice as he kissed his way down her neck.

"Sweetheart?" he murmured against her skin.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Okay," she giggled, a light breathy sound that he felt beneath his lips. She was still laughing when he pushed her back on the couch and covered her body with his.

It was the best sound in the world.

-------

Chapter 24 coming soon

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punchdrunkdoc · 1 month ago

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Masterlist

Notes: This is a slow burn romance with an original female character, told in 4 parts. There is mystery, intrigue, action and angst - all the good stuff!

Also available on AO3 and I’m trying something new - posting on Wattpad

Reference pics and stuff

Fancasting

#daredevil #daredevil fic #tabula rasa #marvel's daredevil #matt murdock fanfic #daredevil fandom #matt murdock fic