#greatest show unearthed au | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rev-glut · 2 months ago

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Paradise in Purgatory

Track One: The Greatest Show Unearthed

A collaborative fic written by @rev-glut and @raelwrites. (Thank you for being part of this, beloved, it's been amazing.)

Summary: On Halloween you meet a kitten, “princess”, and werewolf who saw you perform and really dig your vibes and would like to buy you a drink. So you take them up on the offer and flirt a little bit, make some friends, join a band. You may kiss one of them later. Or two. Maybe all three. Just once. Until your little group gets disrupted.

Notes: No Powers AU, Band AU, takes place during college years. Matt gets called kitten, Foggy is briefly called puppy due to his costume but is later called cream puff and other nicknames with puff in it, Karen is called princess. R is pagan. Matt's ginger. POV changes quite often? Elektra appears in the end.

Disclaimer: Neither of us consent to the usage of our work for AI, in any capacity.

Masterlist AO3

A star, that was what you were.

The low lit venue smelled of sugar, pumpkin and apple, along with sweat. While the jack-o-lanterns dotted the tables and fairy lights wrapped around the counter, you stood in the brightest spot.

And you were incredible.

Foggy’s apple cider was momentarily abandoned to watch you.

You were a natural up there. Working the crowd between songs, your voice drew people in, moving around the space as you played your guitar, your fangs gleamed in the light. Your costume wasn’t the most eye-catching nor was it the fanciest. And yet, even before your performance, you stood out from the other costumed performers.

Applause took over the venue as you bowed, some far more enthusiastic than the polite claps. You took the mic again to thank everyone, particularly the venue itself and wishing everyone a happy Halloween before stepping off the stage.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of you, even as you stepped away from the spotlight to fade into the crowd.

“We should go talk to them.” Foggy said, as the next performer was getting ready. Karen glanced to where you were putting your guitar away. “And I’m not taking no as an answer for this one.”

“Well then you should go talk to them.” Matt lifted his cup towards Foggy, tilting his head, a small, infuriating smile playing on his lips. “You’re the most charming out of the three of us.”

Karen nodded in agreement, a smile that mimicked Matt’s light one gracing her features.

“Sounds like a job for that Nelson charm.”

His two friends were teasing him. Foggy was more than aware of that fact. He just couldn’t believe that they had the exact same expression when they did so. He really shouldn’t have introduced them to each other. They got along like a house on fire, and he was the singular water bucket that could somewhat calm them.

“You know what? This is a job for the Nelson charm.” He huffed out, before downing his glass of apple cider. Maybe it was the singing in his blood after seeing such a good performance or maybe it was his high of being away from studying for the night. Either way, he was feeling… very confident. He was going to go up and talk to you. “I’m going to catch them before they leave.”

“Good luck, Fogs.”

“Bring us some good news, Foggy!”

He nodded determinedly before walking to where you were slinging your guitar bag behind your back.

Although it was clear that your performance was very well received and there were many that seemed to show an interest in talking to you, the area around you was… surprisingly sparse. And Foggy couldn’t believe that he was the first one to come up and talk to you after your performance.

In a way, it made sense. You were different off of stage than when you were on it. Whilst your smile didn’t leave your face on top of that stage- and under the spotlight- your expression now seemed a little more guarded. A little less approachable.

“So, uh.” He offered you his hand to shake. “I like your fangs.”

You stared at him. He stared back at you, his hand still hovering mid-air. He contemplated dropping it, but-

You smiled at him, those fake fangs glinting under the dim light similar to the way they did under the harsh light of the stage. And you took his hand.

“Thanks. I like your claws.”

Claws? Foggy looked down at his hand. Oh. Right. Matt chose a costume for him, he chose a costume for Karen, and she chose one for Matt. And he was a werewolf. Which was not a bad costume at all, especially not when he wasn’t the one to put on cat ears.

“Can they break through the skin?”

You blinked at him, your hand still in his. Your hold was firm and certain. And even without Matt’s slightly better sense of touch, he could feel the calluses on your fingers and could tell that you had put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into your art.

Like Karen with her drums. Like Matt with his bass, and like himself with his keyboard.

“Would you like to find out, puppy?”

The Nelson charm was failing spectacularly at the moment. Well, your own charm was overtaking his and he found himself being the one charmed.

“I uh… No?” Your grin seemed to widen as he fumbled slightly with his words. “I mean- not now?”

“Later, then?”

“What?” Foggy shook his head, trying to get rid of the heat in his cheeks. “That’s not why I came up to talk to you.”

“Oh?” You furrowed your eyebrows slightly and released his hand. “That’s a shame.” His train of thought came to an abrupt stop at your muttered sentence. But he pulled himself out of it when you cleared your throat. “Then why did you come and speak to me?”

“I- My friends and I watched your performance and we really dig your vibes. We were wondering if we could buy you a drink? And maybe talk about you possibly being the last puzzle piece for the band we’re planning on making?”

🎶

“Should we go and help Foggy?”

Matt tilted his head towards the general direction in which he had heard Foggy go off in. Karen tapped her finger against the glass of her own drink, making a soft, rhythmic ringing sound that distracted him from the other background noises of the party.

Due to the slightly better senses he had to compensate for the blindness, he didn’t do well with crowds or places that he wasn’t very familiar with. He had only agreed to join in on tonight’s outing because he needed a reason to procrastinate his assignment.

“Why?”

“He’s looking a little red right now.” Matt wondered what exactly had happened for Foggy to go red enough for Karen to worry a little. Before he could ask for her to guide him over she spoke up again. “Well, it looks like we won’t have to decide, he’s bringing them over here.”

Focused on finding Foggy’s familiar footsteps between the new performer and the sounds of people moving around until finally he could hear his boots, and what he assumed was your own. Close enough that he caught part of your conversation.

“-lin’s what my mom calls me. Foggy’s good!”

How red was Foggy for him to sound like that?

“Hm… I think puppy suits you more.”

Your voice follows his. Smooth, friendly, he can hear the smile in it as you respond. Matt could hear his friend choke slightly, and he smothered his own grin.

“And these are my friends!”

You introduce yourself, Karen doing the same.

“Handshake?” you ask him.

He extended his own hand, and yours easily slipped into it. He could feel the rough calluses littered about your fingers and palm. Similar yet different to the ones that he had on his. Whilst playing the bass was the main cause of his own, a good chunk was due to his experience in boxing.

“Matt.”

“Matt.” You rolled his name in your mouth, and Matt decided that he really liked your speaking voice. You spoke his name with a friendliness that he liked. There was a slight purr in your voice that made his breath lodge in his throat. “I hear you’re looking for the missing piece of your band.”

You released his hand and Matt could only assume that you were offering your hand to Karen.

“Bands usually have a guitarist,” Karen supplied.

“And a singer,” Matt chimed in.

“No singer?” you asked, your curiosity, tinged with apprehension, was clear.

“We have one.” Foggy’s hand curled around Matt’s shoulders. Despite the teasing, he felt the tension in Foggy’s body. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wouldn’t take a no from him and Karen on this. And for good reason too. “He just hates it.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. More like, would rather not be the lead singer. I’m fine with my bass.”

“You shy, kitten?” Oh. That’s why Foggy was red.

Thankfully, Matt was better at handling these things. But only slightly. He fidgeted with the top of the cat ears he was wearing. According to Foggy, the color of the ears matched his hair quite well.

“Not particularly. Well, maybe a little bit.”

“Well, I’d love to hear you sing anyways.” Matt imagined the fangs he heard Karen mention earlier are on full display. “A bassist too. And you, princess?”

“Uh, drummer. I like hitting things.” Karen said, her dress rustling as she shifted slightly. Matt could tell that you had managed to slightly fluster her by the way her tone took on a subtly shier note.

“What about you, puppy?”

“I uh- I play the keyboard.”

“Hm. I figured. You have keyboard hands.”

“Keyboard hands?”

Matt knew what you meant. He couldn’t quite explain in words what made Foggy’s hand different from the others, but they were different. He nodded along.

“You can tell a lot from a person’s hands.” You said, an amused note apparent in your tone. “For example, I can tell that princess here is an avid writer, and that kitten either currently boxes or has had a lot of boxing experience in the past.”

Oh. You were good. You were observant.

“Oh my god.” Karen muttered, and Matt heard the rustling of fabric as she rummaged through her pockets for something. The slightest smell of chemicals told him that she was reaching for her lipstick- which was apparently a very blue-ish lilac color to fit in the costume she was wearing. “You’re almost as good as Matt when it comes to figuring us all out.”

“Karen.”

“Oh?” Your voice sounded intrigued. “The kitten has hidden claws.”

Matt heard you take a small step towards him and he caught onto the smells clinging on you. He had to sift through the air of sweat and artificial sweetness to pinpoint what else he could gather on you.

But to his surprise, you were an enigma.

And that intrigued him.

🎶

Karen stifled a laugh at the way Matt tilted his head at you. With the ears on his head, he truly looked like the cat he was dressed up to be. There was slight trepidation and curiosity that was glaringly obvious even behind the pair of black sunglasses resting on his face.

“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He’s a sweetheart,” Karen said, reaching over to adjust Matt’s ears. Matt was fully capable of biting and scratching, but it wasn’t ever targeted to just anyone. And you were far from just anyone it seemed.

“So, why was it that you came up to speak to me anyway?” You asked, a small smirk curling at your lips as you arched an eyebrow towards Foggy. “I thought it was about you all making a band and wanting me to join it.”

Ah. Right. Karen, like both her friends, had been too distracted by the allure that was all but dripping from you. You, with those cheap fangs that shouldn’t look that attractive. In that dark cape that swished behind you with every small movement-

“It is.” Foggy looked a little expectant. “Your answer?”

You fiddled with your plastic fangs in a slightly thoughtful manner as you shifted your guitar bag slightly.

“Well…” You pulled your hand away from the fake fangs and instead picked at your fingers, in what she could pin as a slightly apologetic manner. “I’m a little bit of a lone wolf, you see. Especially when it comes to music.”

Karen saw the way Foggy’s shoulders drooped, and you must have seen it too, because the small, self-assured smile on your face dropped and you waved your hands around slightly in a frantic manner.

“It’s nothing to do with any of you. It’s just that I have a very specific form of music I would like to make and I’ve never met anyone who could help me with that-”

“You’ve never seen us play.” Karen interjected, her voice firm. “You can’t make that decision before you’re given all the evidence.”

“She’s right,” Matt easily agreed, his hand gripping onto the white cane.

“Yeah! Who knows, we might be the people that could help you with your music, just like you’re the guitarist we’ve been looking for.”

“Puppy, I don’t know…”

Karen reached to grasp your hands and felt how warm they were. You blinked at her.

“Come see us play. Please. Just once.” She offered you a smile. “You can choose if you want to join us or not after that.”

“What if I still decide to not join your band?”

Karen’s eyes were sharp. She was more analytical than her other two band mates, quite possibly due to her major, but that keen eye of hers didn’t just apply to reading or investigating. And that eye of hers told her that you were lonely, despite your claims of being a ‘lone wolf’. You longed for a tight knit group of friends.

Just as she had, once upon a time. Before Matt and Foggy took her under their wing.

“We can be friends, regardless.”

You squeezed her hands.

“I- Okay.” From the corner of her eye, she could see Foggy pumping his fist and as Matt grinned. “I’ll give you my number. Text me the details of your next gig and I’ll be there.”

“You won’t be disappointed, we promise you that.”

“We’ll see, princess.” You took your hands away from hers and instead grabbed the phone Matt eagerly pressed into your palms. You tapped at the screen. “We’ll see.”

🎶

It had been a while since Karen felt this nervous. And she wasn’t the only one. Matt kept fiddling with the strap of his bass. Foggy was faring a little better but his nervous energy was clear to Karen. She herself was fighting to not bite at her fingers or try to find you in the crowd every second. Foggy’s gentle voice suddenly cut through everything.

“Look guys, we’re going to go out there and blow everyone’s minds. Whether that really hot guitarist is here or not. And if they are, they're going to hear us play and want to be our guitarist.”

“Or, they’re going to hear us play and not want to be our guitarist.”

“You’re not helping, Matthew.”

“Yeah, Matt.” She said, twirling her drumsticks in an effort to calm her jittery nerves. “You’re making things worse.”

“Let’s think optimistically! They’ll like our music, and they’ll join us!” Foggy pressed his hands onto both her shoulder and Matt’s. His touch alone was enough to soothe the nerves that had overtaken her. From the way the tension that coiled at Matt’s forearms loosened, she could tell that it was working on him too. “We just have to show them everything we have, just like we do during every performance.”

He was right, of course. The three of them bonded over their shared love for music and performing. Although forming a band was a dream that she shared with Matt and Foggy, it was never the end goal. The end goal was always to enjoy sharing with others the joy of music.

To cherish every performance- to play as if it was the last.

And she had a feeling that you wouldn’t be even tempted to join them on stage if they didn’t treat it like any other performance.

“Foggy’s right. We’re great, so we’re going to do great. Show them that we know what we’re doing and that we were right to invite them here, and to the band. We’re going to show all of them.”

They might not know a lot about this, but they knew enough to know they weren’t bad at all. And that you would fit right in.

“That’s the spirit!”

“Alright, fine.”

“Sing your heart out, Murdock.”

“Yeah. Show them that angelic voice of yours, Saint Matthew.”

“Alright, let’s do this.” Matt smiled and stuck out his fist vertically. Foggy tapped his on top, followed by Karen below Matt’s. “Let’s blow them all away.”

“No prayers this time, Murdock?” Karen teased, poking fun at the prayer he would occasionally mumble when he was particularly on edge for a show. “Our potential guitarist and lead singer is out there, looking at us.”

The grin that graced his features was sharp. Biting, almost.

“I’m not on edge, Karen. I’m excited.”

And honestly, she felt the same. There was the jittering in her blood, and she couldn’t resist the urge to hop up and down to get rid of the excess excitement.

“Shall we get going?” she asked, as she pulled her fist away.

“Yeah.” Foggy said, as he too, pulled his hand away to crack his hands. “Now or never, yeah?”

Matt shifted his tinted glasses so that they were more firmly on his face. There had been an incident in which they fell off, and that was quite the scare, considering the damage the stage lights could do to Matt’s vulnerable retinas. It was a habit now.

“Let’s go.”

🎶

When the slightly long haired blond guy walked up to you after your short performance at the party on Halloween night, you really hadn’t expected to end up here, at one of their gigs at the local indie band scene.

You weren’t judging of course.

You too, often lurked at scenes like these. Hell, you’ve played some gigs with failed band members in the past. The indie scene was brutal at times, and whilst most bands were able to have their debut stage, not many survived long enough to get a second one or a third.

You sipped at the cool beverage in your hand. The icy sensation of the liquid spread inside of your mouth, a direct contrast from the heated, sweaty air clinging onto your skin. There was a flush right under your skin. A heat warming up your body- and it was distinctly different from the warmth of the air in this cramped space.

You tucked your hand -- the one not holding onto your drink -- into your pocket and pulled out a packet of snacks that you had brought along with you. You thumbed at the packet thoughtfully.

Foggy was the name of the guy who had fumbled slightly with his words, a cute blush on his face as he offered you a smile and a request for you to meet the other members of his band. He truly did look like a puppy in that werewolf costume of his.

He was sweet. And anyone else would have brushed over the sharp, clever tint in his eyes. But not you. Never you.

You were a loner, first and foremost. You liked to stand back and observe others when you weren’t on stage.

Foggy was a clever, clever man. And that small, almost unnoticeable glint in his eyes was what made you follow him as he offered to introduce you to his friends. Well, you guessed that you did also like the way he flustered at you half-joking flirting.

The friends he took you to were as attractive as Foggy himself was, but in a distinctly different way.

Whilst Foggy was charming in a deceptively soft way, Matt was charming in a more… dangerous manner. Rugged and hard in a more explicit way. The smile that he had offered you was sharp and more teeth than a genuine smile.

And although you had figured out that the guy was blind from both the white cane he had been clutching in his hand as well as the pair of sunglasses resting on his face.

You couldn’t pin him as accurately as you could pin down Foggy or Karen, mainly because you couldn’t see his eyes.

Logically, you knew that he wore those tinted glasses to stop his retinas from being damaged but… you couldn’t help but think that maybe he wore it to hide himself- defend himself in some manner.

The eyes were the windows to the soul, after all.

He was more kitten than Foggy was puppy. Matt did seem to exhibit behaviour one would assign a cat. Puffing up fur, hissing- albeit in a more human way by using tone instead- and tensing up.

The guy -- you gently tore open the packet of your snacks with your teeth -- was quite possibly the hardest one to get to warm up to you.

If you decided to join their band, of course.

Karen was… Karen was hauntingly beautiful, and you couldn’t figure out if it was because of the Corpse Bride costume she had been wearing or if it was because of the way her features and eyes hardened with a weight that was not often found in others her age.

The same sort of cleverness that had glinted in Foggy’s eyes also was found in hers, but…

Whilst Foggy studied you, Karen picked you apart. Piece by piece until nothing but your bare soul was left for her to investigate.

She wasn’t a princess in the typical way. She wasn’t fragile. She was no damsel in distress. No. She was a princess in the steady way she held herself. In the way she commandeered attention, and in the way she demanded respect.

All in all, they were an interesting group of people, and you’d be lying to yourself if you said that their initial attractiveness was not part of the reason why you agreed to come here and think about their offer more in the first place.

You wondered what type of music they leaned towards. The three of them all looked to have different… tastes in genres and frankly speaking, you didn’t understand how they decided to form a band in the first place.

Making a band with friends didn’t turn out well the moment the whole thing turned into something less fun, and more serious. You had way too much experience with friend groups breaking up because the band didn’t work out. And well. Look at Oasis.

“-Habeas Corpus!”

Habeas Corpus? You rolled the name in your mind. It was a weird name for a band. You were fairly certain that there was a meaning to that, and that you had heard the term somewhere, but you didn’t know what it meant.

The roar of the crowd startled you slightly.

Hm. It appeared as though this band of theirs was a bit of a big name in this particular scene.

You tore your mind off of the arbitrary, less important thoughts and instead focused on the stage as one by one, the people you had met on Halloween stepped onto the stage. Out of the darkness and into the light.

Karen took her place behind a large set of drums, twirling her drumsticks around as she grinned at the crowd. Momentarily, her eyes locked with yours, and you let your lips curl upwards in greeting.

Foggy wriggled his fingers and rolled his shoulders back. You saw him smile brightly and say something to the other members on stage with him.

Matt stepped to the centre of the stage and grasped onto the microphone and nodded at the direction of the keyboard. He fiddled with the strap of his bass and grinned.

Tap.

The sound of Karen’s drumsticks tapping together alerted you of the fact that the band would start playing soon. She was setting up the tempo for the others.

Tap.

Your heart thrummed inside your ribs. You knew the thrill of being up there, under the spotlight- people listening to the songs you poured yourself into. And in a way, you envied them for sharing that thrill with each other.

Tap.

You watched as Matt -- whose hair seemed to glint crimson under the lighting of the stage -- opened his mouth and-

Oh.

Matt had a good voice, you knew that when you had first spoken. But the way he sounded when he sang was something different and it was quickly accompanied by the instruments.

His voice and all the instruments intertwined together, quick and smooth. They all knew how to play in a way that stood out but worked so well together. So much like who they were as people.

This scene had been one you spent a long time in. Yet every punch and kick they seemed to deliver was something new. You were in awe with everything they showed off. Karen was a force to be reckoned with all on her own. Yet she never shoved too far, overshadowing the others. At her place she helped drive the high energy. They moved quickly and smoothly, it felt like running and flying all at the same time.

You felt your body tune in, slowly moving along as they continued. They certainly knew how to start a set. There was something sparking in you, but for the moment you would keep it to yourself. This was only the beginning after all.

Yet as they continued, that spark never left. They almost glowed under the light, likely the sweat, but you could see they loved being up there, loved the music, and they felt the music. Both total focus and letting things flow.

And as they loved the crowd, the crowd loved them back. It shouldn’t have surprised you when the crowd called back as Matt sang, not after they yelled at their introduction, but it caught you off guard anyways.

The three of them worked well together. They understood what they were doing and you wondered how you’ve never heard them before. It felt like your heart was beating in tune to their music, or like the music had decided to hijack your body.

It was a well-known fact that people who did music together formed close bonds. But the three of them went above and beyond that.

It was almost as though they were extensions of each other. When one of them deviated from the main melody, the other two fluidly followed. It was almost a euphoric thing to observe.

You had to try not to get too far ahead of yourself though while you grinned and yelled with the crowd. You had too much experience with this to. But you really hoped this one would work out as they finished their set.

You wanted to fit into what they had. You wanted to be a part of all that. And although you knew better, you couldn’t fully push away the optimism that bubbled within you.

🎶

It was always the roar of the crowd that made Foggy want to keep going. It was the shouts of more, the expressions of glee and the heated air of the venue that gave him heartache to sing. And although he had reassured Matt and Karen that he wouldn’t be disappointed if their passion-fuelled band didn’t result in anything, he knew that he was lying. Matt also probably knew he was lying.

He liked music. He liked playing with his friends. And he wanted to do it more. Wanted to do more with all of this.

Foggy grinned and waved at the crowd before following Karen’s footsteps to the backstage.

“Phew.” He breathed out, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. “That was fun.”

“I honestly think this might have been our best performance so far.”

“It certainly is in the top five I think,” Matt said, agreeing with Karen’s previous statement.

“I think you all did amazing!”

Your voice made Matt startle which in turn made both himself and Karen jump. Fuck. Yeah, he had asked the supervisor of this whole event to let you access the backstage when their own performance had ended.

Foggy opened his mouth to say your name, but paused when he saw the glint in your eyes. When he saw the awe on your face and the way your fingers reached out to clasp at his.

Were his hands too sweaty? Too clammy? Too-

You squeezed at his fingers, a sort of giddiness apparent in the way you rocked on your heels and in the way you jerkily shook his hand.

“So you like our music?” Karen asked, a little tentatively- and perhaps a little too quietly considering the fact that the next band started their own performance, as she had to repeat herself to you.

“Like it?” You laughed. It was a wild, freeing laugh that made him want to join in. It was breathless but manic, all the same. “Sweetie, I loved it all!”

Foggy couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when you released his hand to whirl around and grab Karen’s. She smiled at you as you gushed about the performance that all of them gave.

“I think that might be their agreement to joining our band, Fogs.”

“Yeah, buddy.” Your eyes were bright with wonder and what he could say reverence, as you dragged yourself and Karen into conversation with him and Matt. Foggy cleared his throat. “So…?”

You released your careful grip on Karen’s hand to instead latch onto Matt’s. Said man stiffened next to Foggy before easing slightly when you squeezed them.

“I didn’t think I’d find any group that matched my musical… vision this much.” He shared a look with Karen. It had been a good idea to invite you to their gig, no matter how nerve-wracking the weeks leading up to this performance had been. “If you’re band is still looking for a guitarist-”

“God, yes.”

“Foggy. Don’t be blasphemous.”

He opted to ignore Matt’s half-hearted jab to instead nod vigorously when you blinked at him, slightly bewildered but looking flattered nonetheless.

“Welcome to the band-” he said your name, before offering you his hand again, this time in the form of a handshake.

You took it with a bright grin.

“I hope you all aren’t set with the band name.”

“Why? What’s wrong with Habeas Corpus?”

“It sounds too… nerdy.”

“Nerdy?” Matt said, a pout playing on his lips. “It’s a law that prevents illegal imprisonment-”

“We can argue about band names later.” Karen intervened quickly. “First, we’ve got to get drinks! In celebration of our band finally being complete!”

“Josie’s?” Foggy asked.

“Josie’s,” Matt agreed.

With one arm linked with Matt and the other with yours, Foggy couldn’t help but think that this was the beginning of something good.

🎶

Even with the meetings you had before, Matt didn’t expect you to fit in so easily. But somehow you did. It seemed as though sitting on the floor of his and Foggy’s room with everyone was easy for you. As though bickering light-heartedly with Foggy whilst your legs were draped over both his lap and Karen’s came to you easily.

And honestly speaking, Matt liked the fact that you fit into the tight knit dynamic everyone had with each other.

Even if you kept calling him that infuriating pet name.

“Kitten, your turn.”

Matt brushed the pads of his fingers on the pile of cards to figure out what color and what number the previous card was. A green five.

He grinned and placed down a plus four, cackling maniacally when he heard Karen groan next to him.

“I’m changing the color to blue, by the way.”

“Honestly, Matt.” Karen huffed out as he felt her reach out to grab a couple of cards. “They shouldn’t have introduced you to Uno. I don’t know how we ended up playing anyway.”

“We were thinking about band names and trying to mess about with some of my songs to make some parts for the rest of you.” You said, your legs shifting slightly in his lap. Instinctively, he grasped at you to stop you from slipping onto the floor. “And then we got distracted.”

“Because you said you had Braille board games,” Karen said, a smile apparent in her tone.

It was… thoughtful of you. Considerate. You were kind, even if you hid behind flirting and light words, the heavy, genuine care you had for the people around you was one of the reasons why you were able to lodge yourself into the very small friend group he had. You were like a missing puzzle piece he had never realized he needed.

“I can see why people say friendships are ruined by this game.”

“Pushing all that away, let’s talk band names again.” Foggy cut off, ignoring the little blind joke he made. Matt shrugged, all too aware of the fact that both he and Karen were used to him making jabs at his own disability. He did, however, smile at the little laugh you let out. “You’re completely against all law terms-”

“I’m not a law major. And if we managed to become big, people would search us up and the first thing they would find on Google would be a dictionary or some law related website.”

“Or you know, future law majors looking up a law term and finding us instead,” Foggy pointed out.

“You’re so confident that we’ll make it big, huh?”

“Of course I am, princess.”

Matt hummed contemplatively. He wouldn’t say that he was creative when it came to making up names. But then again, neither were Foggy or Karen. The name ‘Habeas Corpus’ had basically come from him and Foggy throwing out random words they had heard during lectures and seminars and Karen making them pause at the ones that stuck for her.

“Counsel for Sinners?”

“Let’s tone down on the Catholicism, Matty.”

“So, I take it that’s a no on Decalogue?” He says with a grin. What he could only assume was one of the Uno cards was chucked at him, followed by your voice as Karen’s typing could be heard.

“Less law terms, less Catholicism, kitten.” Your hand hits your notebook with a small thud.

“Seems like you’re out of luck on that one anyways, Matt. It’s already been taken.”

Matt frowned, letting faux disappointment grace his expression.

“But you do have to admit that Catholic terms are metal as fuck.” Foggy mused, and he heard his friend tap at his laptop. “The Watchers?”

“That sounds like shitty characters from a comics series. So that gets a pass from me.”

“Dissonant Whispers?”

The sound of fingers typing away at a keyboard.

“That’s something from D&D.”

“But it does sound cool.”

“Avocados in law.”

“No law related names.” You said, tone indicating that you were annoyed -- but in an exaggerated way -- at Foggy’s suggestion. “Unless you’re meaning it in the ‘brothers in law’ kind of way.”

“Put A Men.”

“What?”

“We’re throwing random ideas, kitty.” He heard fabric shifting as you presumably shrugged. “Putamen’s a brain region. And it sounded funky.”

“We’re all a bunch of nerds.” Karen said, sighing. “We can’t come up with something that isn’t related to academic work or a roleplaying game.”

“Kings of Drifting.”

“Is that a Mario Kart reference, Foggy?” You sounded amused. “Cause if it is, we’re only adding onto Karen’s sentiment of all of us being nerds.”

A silence ensued as his friends presumably were thinking about band names. He didn’t think he could give good suggestions, considering the ban on Catholicism and law terms.

“The sooner we pick a name, the sooner we can start playing shows. Though we still need to work on some songs for that too.” You said, the sound of your pencil becoming similar to Karen’s typing. Something that signaled one of his bandmates and friends were nearby and working on something. It felt nice. Sure, they had their own notebooks for these things, but you constantly had yours open. Like Karen did with her laptop. “I’ll send my schedule over too so we can plan better. It’ll probably be a while before we have anything concrete anyways.”

“We are going on break soon too,” Karen pointed out.

Foggy groaned. “God. Good food. Good free food.” Matt could hear him shuffle. “What are you going to do?” He could only assume Foggy was talking to you.

What were you going to do? You were local, he knew that. And you had an apartment near campus. He was pretty sure you’ve mentioned some family too.

“I don’t know. Probably just what I usually do. Make some food, go into the city.”

“You could come to my place! It’s not too far from here.” Just like Matt, and just like Karen, Foggy was quick to bring you in, like he had on Halloween. It was probably genetic if the way his mom practically took them in as her own was anything to go by. “My family runs a butcher shop so you know we’ll have good food.”

“I don’t know, sweetie…”

“I’ll be there too,” Matt chimes in.

“We’ll all be there.” Karen reassured you. “You don’t have to come, but it’ll be nice. A week away from classes, the campus, everything.”

“I’ll think about it and I’ll let you know.” You clear your throat, going through your notebook again. “So I was thinking…”

Matt didn’t have a good grasp on you. Not yet. But the fact you fit in so well – there was a reason for it. That you were like them. That you wanted to really belong somewhere, have a home, people who really cared. And he really hoped you would come by.

🎶

Honestly, for a while, you weren’t sure if you would come. You would have been fine in your apartment making a nice meal for yourself and sleeping it all off. But you had texted them two days ago that you would come.

This whole thing was still in the new stages, but they still offered this to you. Something that was also new to you. Not that you didn’t have other friends, but none of them asked if you wanted to come home with them for the holidays or if you wanted to meet their family. Part of you was surprised that you had even agreed.

Maybe it was just the fact Foggy offered, and that Matt and Karen were quick to invite you too. Like they were really bringing you in and telling you now that they wanted this and meant it, that they wanted you.

By the time you actually got to the street the trepidation had mostly left. To your surprise, Matt and Karen were already standing outside, the blonde waving at you.

“Princess. Kitten,” you greeted them with a smile as you stopped in front of the porch.

“Glad you could make it.”

“I was promised the best food. Besides, I couldn’t miss a chance to see your pretty faces.” You probably should be on your best behavior in front of Foggy’s family, but you liked flirting and you liked teasing these three. They got used to it over the month but you could still catch them off guard. This wasn’t one of those times as Karen scoffed, the grin still on her face.

“Let’s get inside. Foggy will be happy to see you and have us back to help entertain all his nieces and nephews,” Matt said, reaching for you. His other arm already linked with Karen’s.

You took his arm with a smile, curling your fingers around his forearm.

“Lead the way.”

Inside was loud. A kind of loud you had been familiar with growing up, but not like this. Foggy had warned you his family was big. There were people coming in and out of the rooms and at least seven different kids running around.

Gracefully, Karen led you and Matt to the kitchen where Foggy was.

“Foggy!” she called out.

Quickly he whipped his head up, a wide grin breaking out on his face.

“There you are!”

“Here I am,” you said, biting back a teasing comment. It’d be better to not give anyone certain ideas.

“Oh! You must be,” Foggy’s mom said your name with such joy that it took you a little off-guard. She abandoned whatever she was doing to approach you. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Nelson. It’s lovely to meet you too. Foggy talks very kindly of you and your skills. Your home seems lovely, thank you for having me.”

The way she smiled at you gave you a feeling you didn’t feel very often. It reminded you of sparse moments at the home.

“Please, call me Anna. You’re welcome here any time.”

A timer beeping caught everyone’s attention.

“We should probably let you continue with your cooking. Foggy says you’re protective of your kitchen.”

She grinned, with a look in her eyes that you often saw in Foggy’s.

“That’s how I make the food as good as it is.” Then she’s off to tend to the food. As you walk away, you can hear her say to Foggy, “I like that one. Keep them around, Franklin.”

“She’s going to be asking when you’ll come back now.” Matt says. “She asks about Karen too.”

“We’ll see, kit. She does seem nice.” You wouldn’t be opposed to coming back here over again. Especially if you were going to stay in their lives, and you really wanted to. Luckily for you, it seemed they wanted you to stay too. “So we’re on babysitting duty?”

“The more people looking after all the kids, the better. They’re… a handful.”

Karen nodded before opening her mouth to speak.

“But for the most part they’re really sweet and adorable. They just figured it was best to divide and conquer. The less kids together, the less likely they are to do anything too bad.

They had both been right. Matt was practically tackled when the three of you entered. You had been stared down and asked several questions. When the kids had been satisfied with your answers the three of you had been tugged away to do whatever it was they wanted.

It had been a while since you did this and it made you miss the kids a little. Still, you tried not to dwell on it too long. Especially as one of the girls put a tiara on Karen and a feather boa.

You caught her eye and even with the “don’t you dare” look in her eyes you couldn’t help but tease her a little as you played with the kids. Including calling her “your highness” as you held an invisible teapot for the fake tea party they were having.

A few hours later Foggy came to collect everyone.

“Good to see no one’s bleeding or crying. No one is bleeding, right?” he asked, eyes flicking to every single one of the children and Matt.

One of the kids shook his head.

“No blood, Uncle Foggy.”

“Blood bad,” one of the girls chimed in.

“Blood bad,” Karen echoed, nodding.

“Right, well, if we’re all good then we can clean up and calmly go to the table to eat.”

With that the kids scattered to put everything where it needed to be while the four of you helped pick up everything.

“I hope they didn’t overwhelm you. I love those rascals but man, there are so many of them and they like climbing Matt,” Foggy said, as you and the rest of the group watched as the kids fled the room.

You grinned. That was something you had witnessed, something that was both hilarious and adorable. Honestly, you would also climb him like a tree if he let you.

“They’re great. They’re very lovable rascals.” Foggy looked relieved at your fond sentiment. “Besides, they put a crown on Karen, so they’re good eggs in my book.”

Before Foggy could respond Karen grabbed your arm.

“That’s enough out of you.”

By the small smile she was fighting you could tell there wasn’t any real heat behind it.

The praise and build-up was deserved, you decided as you took a bite. The food was incredible and you made a mental note to tell Mrs. Nelson so when you had a moment. Being the new addition, you had another round of questions to go through and people to meet. You didn’t mind too much, even as it continued after dinner.

Though you mostly stuck with your friends, even going with Foggy to grab more drinks and another piece of pumpkin bread.

You watched Foggy grab some cream puffs and stuff them in his mouth while grabbing some more beer for a couple of his uncles and cousins. On the way to refill the cups of water you swiped a smaller piece of pumpkin bread.

“If any of this survives to tomorrow afternoon do you want to take anything? My mom’s probably going to be trying to make you take some anyway.”

“I would love to take any of this back. It’s a shame you don’t have a kitchen in the dorms. You’re an incredible cook.” You set down the cups to grab a full slice of bread.

“God, I wish. A nice, warm meal every week that probably doesn’t have a health risk or sitting out for hours. A homemade Nelson dish.”

“Well,” You said, approaching Foggy. Gently, you swiped at the corner of his mouth. “Maybe next year, cream puff.” You turned, licking the cream off your thumb as Foggy spluttered behind you. Grinning you picked the cups back up.

The Nelsons were nice people.

However, you were glad to have a moment of quiet with your friends in Foggy’s room. You had a pleasant buzz going as you passed a bottle back and forth with Foggy while you leaned against his side.

Karen and Matt had had their fill of food and alcohol and had passed out a little while ago. Despite the amount of food you had consumed, Foggy and Karen had still nabbed a container for you. They claimed they had to keep you pacified, just in case.

And well, you couldn’t really argue with that. People had told you that you terrorized them when you were hungry.

“I like your family. They’re nice,” you whisper.

“Yeah, my mom loves you. My dad too. I think they all do.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Foggy chuckled.

“Well, we couldn’t leave you all alone all week. What kind of band mates would we be if we did?”

You paused, before repeating yourself;

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“As long as you come back. My mom’s going to be asking for you now.”

Gently, you pulled away from him, shaking your head.

“No, I mean…” You hesitated. Your tongue felt a little heavy in your mouth. “Thank you for inviting me into the band, into your group, your lives, your home.” You set the bottle down and gestured around you. “It hasn’t even been a month but… this is going really good. Really good. And I like you guys a lot. Things are feeling like they’re starting to make sense a little more, like this is right. So thank you for coming up and talking to me on Halloween.”

The next thing you knew, you had an armful of Foggy. And what else could you do but wrap your arms around him?

“You know, I told Matt and Karen we had to go talk to you? And I wasn’t taking no for an answer. Not for that. You were too damn good to just disappear.”

Thank the gods, you hadn’t scared him off that night. “I’m glad you did.” And that you said you were glad you went to see them. That they didn’t let you go.

Foggy pulled himself from your shoulder, his arms still around your waist.

“And just for the record, we like you a lot too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

You were pretty sure you leaned in first. It didn’t matter either way. You and Foggy were kissing, his lips pressed against yours in a gentle manner. Your hands moved from his back up to his shoulders.

And when you pulled away, he made a clearly displeased noise.

You chuckled at the half-disappointed, half-pleading look on his face.

“You can find out if my fangs can break skin another time, puppy.”

Foggy groaned, resting his head on your shoulder again.

“I think I like cream puff better.”

Gently, you moved him off your shoulder.

“Well, cream puff, I think it’s time for bed.”

He sighed.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. I need to sleep all of this off.”

You didn’t miss the way he licked his lips before getting up.

🎶

“How long have we been up?” you asked, nursing yet another Monster as you glanced at Foggy.

Your eyes were bloodshot and Foggy knew that he probably looked as bad as you. Or worse. Karen’s normally neat hair was all over the place too, locks of blonde sticking out as she shoved them out of her eyes, annoyed.

Foggy reached to tuck the annoying piece of hair behind her ear.

“Thanks, Fogs.”

Matt was in a T-shirt, and his headphones were resting on his shoulders as he rubbed at his ears in a frustrated manner. Right. Wearing headphones for that long whilst also wearing glasses probably didn’t feel good.

“Can we take a break?” You asked, pressing your cheek against his shoulder. Foggy stiffened slightly, remembering the drunken kiss he had shared with you. But then he remembered that you had said that both him and you could pretend it never happened the next day. Both of you had been drunk, after all. “We’ve been at all this for the past…” You squinted at Karen’s phone screen. “Four hours.”

“It’s also nearing midnight, and we promised to pull an all-nighter together.” Karen said, rubbing at her eyes. “Let’s take a short break and go back to the nitty gritty.”

“I need food.”

“You get very snappy when you’re hungry.” Matt said, nodding slightly as he tugged his headphones off of himself completely. His friend stretched and clicked his tape recorder off. “We have to feed you to keep you happy.”

“Like a crocodile,” Karen said sagely.

Foggy couldn’t help but agree. One time, you had actually hissed at him for reaching for your bag of snacks. You were territorial over your food and him, Matt, and Karen all had been on the receiving end of your annoyance quite often.

“I will bite you, princess.”

“Is that a promise?”

He snorted out a laugh at Karen’s flirty response as well as your wide eyes. You had always been the flirty, confident one. Foggy himself and the others? Not so much. Matt was marginally better than him and Karen in responding to your suave words though.

Your expression soon smoothed into a more self-assured one.

“If you want it to be, yeah.”

Matt made a small, tired noise and reached to grab at your Monster.

“Uh, Matt, buddy, I don’t think you should drink that.”

“I need caffeine, Foggy, and I can’t be bothered to brew a new pot.” You locked eyes with him, and shot him a shit-eating grin as you handed the can over to Matt’s outstretched hands. “Thanks.”

You cackled when Matt took a sip to immediately make a face.

“That is disgusting. It’s way too sugary.” A judgmental look crossed his face as he tilted his head towards where you were sitting. “Why would you drink this? It’s so bad.”

“Hey! Don’t be mean to literally the only thing that has pulled me through finals.” Karen took your Monster away from Matt’s hands and took a sip instead. “But considering your sensitive than most taste buds, it would taste too…”

“Loud?”

Karen nodded at his suggestion.

“Loud.”

“I’m going to go find if there’s any tea somewhere.” Matt said, sticking out his tongue as though he was trying to make the taste of the Monster evaporate from his taste buds. “Wash it away.” He shifted to stand up from his chair. “Do any of you want to go to the deli with me?”

You shot up and stuffed your phone into your pocket, discarding your work as your eyes lit up.

“I do!”

“I might as well tag along.” Foggy said, stretching. “If I stay sitting for too long, I’ll actually lose my mind.”

“If all three of you are going, I’m going too,” Karen said, as she too rummaged through her bag to find her wallet.

“Who’s going to watch over our stuff?”

“Foggy.” You said, eyes locking with his, a faux solemness gracing your features. “We are poor undergrads. Nobody’s going to steal our stuff. The most expensive thing I own is my guitar, and I left that at my apartment.”

That was fair. Foggy knew for sure that his keyboard was also the most expensive thing he had. Matt’s bass wasn’t, but it was something that he cherished the most. And well, Karen’s drum set was steadily growing in size too.

“Sudden swerve in topic, but are any of you going somewhere for Christmas? My mom wants to know if any of you would like to join us.” He looked at Matt. “Matty, you’re invited as always.” When his friend opened his mouth, presumably to assure him that he and his family didn’t have to go out of his way, Foggy tutted and put his hands on his hips. “No. You aren’t a bother and you know how much my mom likes to have you over.”

“They have this mini-argument every winter.” Karen whispered loudly to you, a sly smile on her lips. “Matt doesn’t want to be a bother, but Foggy won’t let him be all alone during the winter break.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve got to visit my brother, so I’ll have to pass this year, Fogs.”

Foggy said your name questioningly. His family had adored you when you came by for Thanksgiving, and he was sure his mom would like to feed you more.

You smiled apologetically and shook your head as you fiddled with the ring on your forefinger.

“Religious reasons.”

“Oh?” Matt asked, his head tilted to the side curiously.

“I had a trip to Greece planned for a while. Long before I was invited to join your band.” You scratched at the back of your neck slightly. “My flight’s on the day my last exam ends, so…”

“What religion do you practice?” Karen asked, barrelling out the question for both his sake and Matt’s. She was ever the journalist, asking questions to sate her curiosity.

“Ah, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it, but I’m pagan. Leaning mostly to Hellenism, but that’s mainly because the gods and goddesses that called for me were from the pantheon.”

“Am I allowed to ask you which deity you believe in?” Foggy asked, before backpedalling slightly. “I mean, if that’s an alright thing to ask, of course. If it’s insensitive-”

“You’re fine, cream puff.” You spread out your fingers, allowing both him and Karen to see the sun shaped jewel embedded on the golden band. “My main god of worship is Apollo. The muses too.”

That… made a lot of sense. Foggy rummaged through his fairly sparse knowledge of the Greek gods, and remembered that Apollo was the god of music. And you did look like a star -- the sun, now that he thought back to the gig he saw you play at -- whenever music was involved. On stage, when you were discussing songs and lyrics, and when you were simply tuning your guitar-

“Which part of Greece?”

“Delphi?” Matt suggested, and Foggy blinked at him. He… didn’t think the Catholic orphanage Matt grew up in would allow for- “Foggy, I can hear you thinking. I know about beings from all over the world. The orphanage wasn’t as isolated as you think it was.”

“You’re right. I am going to be staying in Delphi until the twenty seventh, so that’s why I have gifts for you ready. For Yule and-or Christmas.”

Foggy looked at you questioningly. Now? Here?

You locked eyes with him and grinned, sharp and conspiratorially.

“Yep. Here. Now.” You clambered over to where your bags were and pulled out a couple of neatly wrapped packages and handed one over to Matt. “That one’s for you, kitten.” Then you handed one over to Karen. “This one’s for you, princess.” And then you gently placed a package onto his hands. “And last but not least, this is for you, cream puff.”

“I’m going to open it-”

“No! Don’t open it in front of me!” You hid behind your hands, peaking slightly through the gap of your fingers. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Alright, alright.” Foggy gently held the package in his hands before slipping it into his bag. “We’ll open them on Yule and then shower you with praises of thanks and how much we love the presents.”

“Mine’s soft.” Matt muttered, squishing at the package as he furrowed his eyebrows. “Squishy.”

“Uh, shush, kitty.” You tapped at Matt’s hand lightly. “Not yet.”

Foggy snorted at the pout on Matt’s lips.

“Come on, you three. We’ve gotten way off track. Deli. We have to get snacks and drinks, remember?”

At her reminder, you all but shot off, before you excitedly returned to grab his hand and dragged him quickly out the door.

Foggy grinned at the feeling of your callused hand in his as you hummed a song about what snacks you were going to buy.

🎶

Karen huffed out in amusement as she found Matt and Foggy fast asleep on the sofa, mere minutes before the start of the new year. They were going to miss the countdown, which they had both wanted to see with her and you.

But they were sleeping so soundly, after days of indulging Foggy’s cousins and nieces and nephews. Matt was in the cat hoodie you had gifted him for Yule, looking every bit as the kitten you so often called him.

Curled up around Foggy, with the eared hood up- He was really not refuting the kitty allegations.

“Should we wake them?” you asked, gingerly placing your head on her shoulder.

“No, let them sleep.” She pouted playfully. “I don’t have you all to myself often.”

You blinked at her, looking slightly bewildered. She giggled at your expression.

You were good at teasing but you fumbled slightly when either her or Foggy teased back. Matt, slightly less so. Maybe it was because he bit back with a flirting comment of his own more often compared to her.

“Blueberry?”

She cautiously took a single berry from the tub you offered her. You were possessive over your food, and never had you offered any of them your snacks. She absentmindedly wondered if this was a test of some kind.

Karen popped the fruit in her mouth and watched as you turned your attention back to the window, from where the fireworks could be seen. One of the perks of living in New York City, she thought. Christmases and New Years days were never dull.

“Can I have some more?”

“Sure.” You handed her the tub entirely, and Karen knew in that instant that you really and truly considered her and the rest of the band a part of your inner circle. Your eyes flickered to her eyes. “I knew you would do those earrings justice, princess.”

Her hand instinctively went to her ear to fiddle with the tiara shaped piece of jewelry and she felt her cheeks heat up at the sincere way you complimented her.

This wasn’t the normal type of teasing and flirting she had gotten used to. No, this was earnest. And that flustered her far more than your joking teases.

“Any resolutions for the coming year?” she asked you, as she dropped her hand to instead pluck a blueberry from the tub to put in her mouth.

“I dunno. Date, maybe?” You shrugged. “Dating apps suck though. I don’t know how to connect to people, y’know?”

“How about Bumble?”

You made a face.

“I tried it out once, but I felt as though I was hiding how passionate I am about my interests.” You smiled at her. “If I wanted to date based off of my interests, I don’t need Bumble. I have you and Matt and Foggy.”

She cleared her throat, not knowing what to say, and stood up from the sofa, the tub of blueberries in her hands. What were you insinuating? You’d be willing to date one of them? Date all three of them? She was very inclined to the latter.

Karen gestured for you to come and stand in front of the window with her. And you did so.

Outside, people were counting down to midnight.

“Three!”

You took the tub of blueberries from her hands and placed it on one of the nearby surfaces. The feeling of your fingers brushing against hers felt… charged.

“Two!”

Karen grasped onto your waist as if she were possessed when you took a step closer to her, her eyes flicking to your lips. Your lips, which quirked up into a small, gentle smile.

“One!”

She didn’t know who leaned in first, but as the fireworks went off outside of the window, she found herself kissing you, eyes fluttering shut as she melted into it. Shouts and cheers celebrated the start of a new year, but that all sounded very far away from her.

With your lips on hers and your hands resting on her waist, she couldn’t focus on the fireworks or the fact that it was truly a new year now.

You pulled away from her -- a little too quickly for her taste -- and shyly smiled.

“Happy New Year, princess,” you said, your voice slightly breathless as you kept your hands on her waist.

She smiled back as she raised her hand to brush her fingers against her lower lip.

“Happy New Year to you too.”

🎶

Why you had decided to take two classes back to back across campus, you weren’t sure. At least it gave you a good workout. Much to the amusement of Karen who you sprinted past. Thank the gods for syllabus week. It meant you could lay on Matt and Foggy’s floor at the end of the week and not worry too much about homework.

You stared at your notebook before you rolled onto your stomach, crossing out a few words and writing something down. Maybe something else would work better? You wrote down what you could think of. Everything would be organized later.

There must have been a look on your face since Foggy said, “What class already assigned you actual work?”

“Dungeons and Dragons.” You replied. “I’m trying to plan our session for next Tuesday.” The whole year you were DM’ing for a group of friends. You have been since last year. When you looked up, Karen caught your eye. You knew that look. You've seen it enough it know. “Princess,” you started gently, “if you want to play I can see if we can set up a one-shot. One session to see if you’d like it.”

With the way she smiled, you knew you said the right thing.

“That might be nice.

You would work on one, just in case. The more people you could introduce to Dungeons and Dragons, the better.

“But right now I don’t think my brain can make any sense of anything for any session.” Flopped back down on the floor, shut your notebook, and switched it out for your other one and a bag of chips. “My brain wants music instead.”

Matt got up from his bed to join you on the floor, wearing his cat hoodie. You liked writing with him, with all of them.

It was going as smoothly as you hoped when you first heard them. Over break you had sent over various voice memos to them. It had been nice to go to Greece and celebrate Yule, but it had also been nice to get out of the city for a while.

And you got voice memos in return. Mostly from Matt and Foggy until Karen returned to the city, though she did have a beat pad. The bits of their lives in the background were nice too.

Each piece that was given to you in return always made sense. Writing with them was easy, but it was also exhilarating. It was exactly what you wanted with a band.

Currently your guitar sat next to Foggy’s keyboard, the little Slurpuff-cream puff keychain you had given him for Yule hanging off of his keyboard.

Karen and Foggy followed Matt and sat down with you. You smiled, it was going to be a good night. You could feel it. The same way you could feel it when you sat with your things and worked until your hands hurt a little.

Though this wasn’t the first night you had all sat down together to brainstorm and let the music flow, it felt different. It felt easier somehow. Karen’s laptop served as her drums, a program that sounded close enough since the real ones were still in her apartment, and a more organized version of everything you all were doing.

Until you and Foggy decided dinner was needed which came in the form of cheap ramen packets. Now you all laid on the floor, your phone was on one of the beds playing music.

“I’m pretty sure the cards are still in my bag.” You said.

“Next time.” Matt smiled. “I liked playing.”

“And kicking our asses in the game?” Foggy asked from the other side of Matt.

“That too.”

Next to you Karen suddenly gasped. She sat up and grabbed Matt’s arm. “You have to come dance with me.” You and Matt both tilted your heads. Your ears picked up the sound of Whitney Houston. That would explain it.

“Right now?”

“Right now,” she confirmed.

Matt moved to let her pull him up. She pulled him over to a part of the room with more space and took his hands, guiding him. To your delight, she also started softly singing along.

Foggy nudged you.

“Come on, I’m feeling a little left out.”

“Alright, cream puff.” You stood and turned the music up a little before you took his hand. Foggy dragged you over to Matt and Karen, grabbing your other hand. Soon he joined Karen in singing along. Both her and Matt laughed.

At some point Foggy switched you out for Matt as you took Karen.

“Hi princess.”

“Hi.”

You were probably loud enough to get a noise complaint, given the hour. But you couldn’t really care too much. Maybe you should invite them to your apartment soon. That would be nice.

🎶

Matt fiddled with the hem of his hoodie. It was the one that you had gotten him, and he had only really worn it to appease you, but the fabric that it was made of was… soft. Not scratchy or uncomfortable against his sensitive skin.

Where had you gotten this from anyway? He wondered if he could ask you to tell him the store-

His train of thought skidded to a stop when he heard the now familiar sound of your footsteps against the ground.

“Matt?”

He hummed softly as he pulled his fingers away from the braille book he was skimming. He heard the room of the classroom click shut behind you as your footsteps grew louder as you approached him.

Columbia was a great university, but all the libraries were crowded, and their thirty minute rule was just annoying. Nobody would be able to get anything done in that short of a time. He needed peace and quiet to focus, but the campus made it difficult for him most of the time.

“Squatting here for the evening too?”

“Yeah. I love Foggy, but I need some time to do stuff on my own.” He stretched languidly and closed his book. “What are you doing in Hamilton this late?”

“I have some things I need to get done too. And I wanted some company while I did it.” He felt you take a seat next to him. “I asked Karen where you were.”

It wasn’t often that he was alone with you. Most times, you, him, Foggy, and Karen were a package deal. Where one went, the other three followed.

“And I can see that you took a liking to the hoodie, kitty.”

There it was. The nickname you had given him on that fateful Halloween party. It had annoyed him in the beginning, but now, he was more than used to it, and found himself responding pretty easily to it. Much to his chagrin and the infinite amusement of Karen and Foggy.

“It’s soft.” He said, rubbing absentmindedly at the fabric. “Where did you even get it?”

“Why? Do you want me to get you more?” He pursed his lips, and you seemed to find some sort of hilarity at his expression because you laughed. “I could, if you want me to. Think about it, Matt. It’s a win-win situation for both of us. You get soft, comfy hoodies, and I get to see you in cat ears.”

“Why do you want to see me in cat ears anyway?”

“Matt. Kitten.” He felt you gingerly hold his hands. “You can’t see yourself in the mirror, but believe me when I tell you that you look really good in them.”

His blindness didn’t bother him much. Not after living with it for over a decade. Not after he now spent more time without his vision than with it. But occasionally, he wondered what the people he cared for looked like.

Matt knew what Foggy and Karen looked like theoretically. They had both let him trace their faces with his fingers and had told them the color of their hair and eyes, where each freckle was, as he memorized every dip and curve of their faces.

He had yet to ask you if he could do the same. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he could never find the time to catch you on your own. To him, figuring out how the people he cared for looked like was an intimate action. And not something he was comfortable with doing with prying eyes around him.

Matt wet his lips and said your name.

“-can I touch your face?”

“Sure.”

And like that, your permission was given to him without question. Without hesitance. Without caution.

His hands were still in yours, and he felt his breath catch in his throat when you slowly guided his palms to your cheeks.

He took his time slowly tracing the groove of your cheek, his fingers soon dipping to trace your chin. He cupped your face in his palms, as he attempted to figure out the general shape of your face.

“Careful, kitten.” You said quietly, as his thumb brushed below where he assumed your eye was. “Don’t poke my eye.”

“I’ll be careful. Promise.” He let his thumb run down your cheek again, feeling the blemishes of your skin. “Tell me what color your eyes and hair are, and if you have any freckles.”

Matt tucked the information you gave him into his mind as he traced the shape of your lips.

He grinned when he heard you take in a sharp breath.

“Oh, shut up, you.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

A comfortable silence ensued as he got his fill of you. Letting every detail he could feel enter his memory. Drawing an image of you in his mind before he pulled his hands away, a little wistfully.

“Can I touch your face too?” You asked, making Matt tilt his head confusedly at you. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without your glasses, Matt. If you’re comfortable with it, could I see them?”

Matt pursed his lips.

His eyes were a sensitive topic for him. Before he got used to wearing the tinted glasses, the other kids would tell him how weird his eyes were. Apparently, they were clouded and white, as though all color had been drained from them, not leaving behind any trace of the dark brown that had been passed down from his dad.

It really didn’t help that there were light- but still noticeable- chemical scars on the surrounding skin around them.

But eventually, he nodded and let you pull the glasses away from his face. He closed his eyes instinctively when your fingers gently brushed against his face. He didn’t dare to open them as the pads of your fingers curiously brushed against the corner of his eyes and traced the slightly rougher skin of the scars.

“Open your eyes for me, kitten.”

Your voice had an effect on him. One that made him more inclined to listen to your requests.

He opened his eyes.

“...You’re pretty, Matt.” Your hands moved to cradle his jaw. “Very pretty.”

Matt was pleasantly surprised when he felt your lips on his. And it didn’t take him more than a second to kiss you back. Moving closer to you as he felt your hands leave his face to tangle your fingers through his hair.

When you pulled back, he found himself chasing after you as you laughed slightly breathlessly.

“I thought you had work to do, Murdock.”

“I thought you had to do some things too.”

Matt grinned and settled himself onto his chair, opening his book again to start brushing his fingers against the Braille letters once more, but he couldn’t find it in himself to pull his thoughts completely away from you.

The feeling of your lips against his still lingered, after all.

🎶

Karen tapped on her laptop, grinning in a satisfied manner as she finalized the excel sheet for the schedule of the coming couple of weeks. It had been a grueling time, adding and editing the songs that you had made yourself as well as the ones her, Foggy, and Matt had created.

“Look at how gorgeous this looks.” She said, proudly presenting her friends with the screen. “We have more gigs than before, and I honestly think it’s all thanks to you-” she said your name.

You shook your head in what she could now identify as a bashful manner.

“No, no, she’s right.” Foggy agreed with her, his hand reaching to grasp at yours. “Honestly, I thought you were a star the moment I saw you on stage, but you really are one.”

“A lucky star.” Matt mused, a smile curling at his lips. “Our star.”

“Stop it, all three of you.” You lightheartedly slapped Foggy’s hand away. “Flatterers. We all got requested for more gigs because all of you are pretty.”

“Let’s not forget our songs.”

“Oh yeah, that too.” You said, jokingly rolling your eyes at her amused words.”My voice is angelic and alluring. Like a siren.”

“Basically.”

“Yep.” Foggy paused slightly and looked to Matt. “Not that your singing is bad, Matty. It just fits better as our star’s backing vocals.”

Said man shrugged and made a face that indicated his agreement.

“Yeah.”

“I was joking. That was a joke.” You cleared your throat and squinted at the screen of her laptop. “Also, we should do something about the name of our band.” She too peered at her screen and noticed the name of the file. “We can’t be ‘insert cool band name here’ officially.”

Matt coughed out a laugh as Foggy groaned.

“We’ve been procrastinating the band name for so long, and we can’t put it off forever.” Karen said, diplomatically, as he glared at her balefully. “Come on, Fogs. Do you really want to be ‘Insert Cool Band Name Here?’”

“I know you all said no Catholicism, but…” Matt licked his lips. “How about Paradise in Purgatory?”

She rolled the name in her mind. It was… a good name. The concept of Paradise and Purgatory were widespread enough to not put people off-

“Oh, I like that.” You said, eyes glittering with excitement. “Paradise in Purgatory. It kind of has that feeling of hope too, you know? Finding a Paradise in the shallowest circle of Hell- according to Dante, of course.”

“Will we be called PIP for short?” Foggy mused, but Karen could tell that he liked the name too. “Peep.”

“It’s cute, cream puff.” You looked at her. “What are your thoughts, princess?”

“It’s edgy, and fun. I like it. Matt always comes to save us from our predicaments, I swear.” She nudged his side, to which he jokingly grimaced at. “Like some hero.”

“When’s our next gig?” He asked, ignoring her words. But Karen wasn’t offended, not when his cheeks were slightly tinted in pink. Both you and Foggy snorted at Matt’s clear swerve away from the topic. “Fuck off.”

Karen could feel the anticipation -- the excitement and the sheer joy -- bubble in her veins. She had always felt jittery with anticipation before every gig, but this time it was different. This was the first time the band felt truly complete. And it was the first ever gig they would play together.

The roar of the crowd was something she was so excited to hear with her bandmates. Her friends.

🎶

You were unwinding from the electric experience of playing on the stage with a band you could fully call yours. Even though this was the fourth gig in the span of a month, the excitement that you felt whenever you were up there with the three of them didn’t die down.

Tonight’s gig was a little low key, as the band -- Paradise in Purgatory -- had played at Josie’s, as per the owner’s request. This bar was where the three of them first decided to form a band with each other, and Matt and Foggy literally had a shared tab open. They apparently visited frequently enough to have Josie notice them.

Playing with the three of them on the stage was… amazing. It was almost as though you could feel the music circling within you.

Like the god you believed in was in the room with you. And…

Your bandmates were your muses. Or, at least in your eyes, they were blessed by the muses just as you were favored by Apollo himself. Music was a part of all of them, in the same way it was a core part of who you were.

You sipped at one of the non-alcoholic drinks Foggy had ordered for you. You had been using your vocal chords and alcohol was bad for them. You pouted when Foggy glared at your attempts to snatch Matt’s glass.

“Kit-”

“Hello.” A low, feminine voice purred out, cutting you off from your attempt to call Matt. You shifted your attention and saw a woman. Dark hair and dark eyes. A sort of desire that somehow put you on high alert showed in her very posture. “Darling.”

She wasn’t speaking to you, no. Nor was she speaking to Foggy, who was nearer to her, nor was she talking to Karen, who was sitting next to Matt.

Oh no.

Her greeting was targeted to one person, and one person only.

And that person -- with his tinted glasses, and his red tinged hair -- straightened his back and tilted his head at her.

“I’m Elektra.” She said, stepping closer to Matt as she ran a hand down his chest. “And you strike me as an interesting man.”

You shared an uneasy glance with Karen and Foggy as you saw Matt’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

You could tell that this Elektra was bad news, but unfortunately, it seemed as though Matt was enamored by her.

#matt murdock x reader #foggy nelson x reader #karen page x reader #mattfoggy x reader #karedevil x reader #daredevil x reader #daredevil imagine #reader insert #x reader #marvel x reader

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