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when i want fluff/angst fics and all i’m getting is smut

the struggle is real

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I could get over anything as long as I have something new to be obsessed with

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i will cry if a single soul makes fun of me for this

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Truly Madly Deeply

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x F!Reader

Summary: Bradley Bradshaw is madly in love with a married woman.

CW: FLUFFFFFF (Happy Valentine's Day, my loves!!)

WC: 1300+

This fic was written for @roosterforme’s love is in the air tgm challenge! Inspired by the song Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden.

Masterlist

“Sorry, I’m married,” Bradley hears you say to the man who’s just offered to buy you a drink. He glances over his shoulder just in time to witness your suitor’s face fall in disappointment. He notices that you give him an apologetic smile and it melts Bradley’s heart that you’re being so sweet to a complete stranger.

He eyes you discreetly as you wave with a couple of fingers at the man now departing sullenly. You turn on your stool to face the bar, revealing the deep plunge of your dress which exposes your exquisite back, and Bradley can’t help but stare at you in admiration. He smiles to himself, biting into his lip. “Married, huh?” he asks, leaning his forearms into the bar.

You glance over at him in surprise.

“And here I thought I could buy you a drink,” Bradley says with a sideways grin.

You stare at him for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.

“Who’s the lucky guy, anyway?” he asks, looking around the bar.

“Strange,” you reply, craning your neck to look over Bradley’s shoulder. “He was just here.”

Bradley shakes his head. “Ill-timed departure on his part,” he says, meeting your gaze. “I would never let a woman like you out of my sight.”

You giggle. “He’s around, I’m sure.”

Bradley watches you mischievously. “And yet,” he says, getting out of his seat. “We can’t let an opportunity such as this pass us by.” He holds out his hand to you.

You give him a piercing look and hook one of your eyebrows. “And what opportunity would that be?”

“Come on.” Bradley grins at you. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you letting me have one dance.”

“You’re probably right, actually.” You shrug. “My husband’s not really the jealous type.”

“Really?” Bradley asks incredulously as you stand up. “He should be.”

You chuckle. “He trusts me.”

Bradley’s eyes sweep over your features when you glance up at him and he tries to recall the last time he’s encountered such beauty. You are, without a doubt, the prettiest girl he’s ever seen. But this fact doesn’t intimidate him in the slightest. He takes your hand and draws you out onto the open floor, keeping his eyes locked on yours.

You smile when he takes you by the waist. “Now I feel bad for sending that other guy away,” you say. “If I’m just handing out dances.”

Bradley makes a face. “He wasn’t trying hard enough,” he says. “See, I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”

You laugh. “Is that so?”

Bradley nods. “You know what else?”

“What?” you ask suspiciously as the two of you move gently to the distant music of the jukebox.

“I’m going to kiss you when this song is over,” he says.

You raise your eyebrows as your mouth falls open in shock. “You mean, assuming I’ll let you!”

Bradley’s gaze drops briefly to your lips. “You’ll let me.”

You shake your head with a scandalized smile.

“Think your husband would mind?” he asks.

You fix him with a more serious look. “What do you think?”

“You said he wasn’t the jealous type.”

You lower your gaze and lick your top lip before lifting your eyes temptingly. “My husband would fucking lose it if he saw me making out with a stranger on the dance floor.”

Bradley bites his lip, chuckling. “I bet.”

You roll your eyes, a smile still playing on your face, and Bradley just about loses it himself.

“What’ll it take for you to come home with me?” he asks boldly.

You give him a pointed glance and he pulls you slightly closer. “Gee, let me think,” you respond playfully.

Bradley chuckles. “I’ll do anything,” he says in a low voice, his mouth moving right over your temple.

You shake your head and look up at him. “You’re bad,” you say with a grin.

Bradley brings his face down to meet yours, his arms coming up to wrap around your back. He draws you closer until your head is resting on his chest. “I’m so in love with you,” he breathes.

You giggle into his chest and his heart performs a series of somersaults against your cheek. Your hands snake underneath his open Hawaiian shirt to meet behind his back. “You’re ridiculous,” you respond calmly.

Bradley kisses the top of your head. “I love you more with every breath,” he whispers.

You raise your head slightly and he can feel the warmth of your mouth on his neck. “I think you’re alright,” you say gently.

Bradley snorts, his arms tightening around you. He rests his cheek on your head, his fingers grazing your bare back. “I could hold you forever,” he mutters. “Can’t I just hold you forever?”

He feels you relax further into his embrace. “Okay,” you respond softly.

Bradley’s arms constrict around your body, and he plants several kisses on your forehead. “I bet you’re way out of your husband’s league,” he says with a heavy rasp as his hand starts travelling up and down your waist.

You laugh. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Bradley’s hand stops moving abruptly and comes to rest of your hip. “You love him?”

You give Bradley an earnest glance. “Very much,” you say.

Bradley eyes you curiously. “How the fuck did he land a woman like you?”

You laugh. “Well,” you say, “for one thing, he’s unbelievably sexy.”

Bradley smirks. “I bet he isn’t half as sexy as you are.”

You roll your eyes. “He’s smart, and funny, and sweet, and a little crazy sometimes.”

Bradley laughs. “Sounds pretty basic, if you ask me.”

You give him a tight smile, trying to hold back a laugh. “And his confidence is off the charts.”

Bradley raises his eyebrows. “Can he take me?”

You let out a giggle. “He wouldn’t,” you say. “He’s not the jealous type, remember?”

Bradley gives you a skeptical look. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I think your husband would absolutely annihilate anybody who would dare lay a hand on you.”

You watch him with a tantalising smirk. “Is that what you would do?”

Bradley meets your gaze and responds firmly, “No question.”

You rest your head back on his chest and let out a contented sigh when the first notes of a very familiar song ring out through the bar. Bradley looks up to see Jake Seresin winking at him from where he’s standing by the jukebox. Bradley smirks, nodding at his friend in appreciation. Meanwhile, you start humming to the melody absently while Bradley sways you gently from side to side.

When the bridge kicks in, Bradley sings along, “Oh, can you see it, baby? You don’t have to close your eyes. It’s standing right before you…”

You detach yourself partially and look up at him. “I’ve always loved this song,” you say.

Bradley tenderly runs his fingers along the side of your face. “I know, baby,” he says.

“My husband’s not a big fan,” you say with a playful grin.

“Oh, no?” Bradley lifts eyebrows.

“I had to beg him to make this our wedding song.”

“He made you beg?” Bradley asks in outrage.

“Mm-hm.” You nod. “Can you believe it?”

Bradley lowers his head and, placing his hands on either side of your face, brushes the tip of his nose against yours. “Something tells me your husband would do anything for you.”

You giggle. “If only I knew where he was.”

Bradley grins, biting the side of his lip. “Joke’s on him. He’s missing all the fun.”

You reach up to twist your fingers into Bradley’s shirt, pulling him closer. “You promised me a kiss.”

Bradley chuckles. “Oh, you want a kiss?”

You nod, humming in affirmation.

Bradley smirks, rolling his tongue along your open mouth before letting his lips finally make contact with yours. You whimper softly into his mouth and his chest nearly erupts with desire. He loves you so deeply, so madly, so – “You know, the song’s growing on me,” he mutters between kisses.

You laugh. “I knew you’d come around eventually.”

Bradley lets out a fevered sigh, his hands sliding down your arms as the song comes to an end. “Come on, Mrs. Bradshaw,” he says hoarsely, a bit impatiently. “I’m taking you home.”

Rooster Tag List:

Please feel free to let me know if you no longer wish to be tagged in Rooster fics/if you no longer consume Rooster content <3 The rest of the tags are in the comments!

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#argentina #world cup #campeon del mundo #morocho hermoso #fifawordcup2022 #cuti romero #cutie

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FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Messi lifts up the World Cup trophy for Argentina!

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🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷

#world cup #argentina #finalista #qatar 2022 #Spotify

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Of Random Things That Have Led Us Here

Pairing: Matt Murdock x GNReader

Word Count: 2600ish

Summary: Life is random and funny, and the pair of you decide just to laugh and embrace what is thrown your way

Trigger warnings: idk, maybe look into a dentist appointment to help with all this tooth rotting fluff

Masterlist

"Do you remember when we met?"

"Hmm?" You don't glance up from the book you're reading when he asks the question out of the blue. Instead, you flip to the next page, only half paying attention to the man whose lap your head is currently resting in.

"I asked you if you remember when we first met?" He repeats, running his hands gently through your hair. You lower the book you have in your hands to look up at him. He's got a soft smile on his lips, the light of the Saturday afternoon sun washing over his face.

"Of course I remember," you tell him, watching as his head tilts down at you, unfocused eyes aimed just slightly to the left of your head. "Do you?"

"I do," Matt affirms quietly, gently. "I think about it a lot."

You grab the hand that's running through your hair and bring it down to your mouth for a kiss. "You think about the first time I ran into you? Like...literally ran into you?"

"All the time," he responds instantly. You snort, recalling the day you had turned a corner in the library and abruptly run into him. The force of the collision had caused you to drop your books and his cane out of his hands as he caught you.

It was so cute it was almost disgusting.

"I think about how you must have known I was coming around that corner," you say in amusement. "You knew I was about to run into you, but you didn't move out of the way."

"That's true," he laughs, shrugging his shoulders. "But we were in public, and I hadn't quite expected you to turn the corner and then trip into me as fast as you did. I had no reasonable excuse for getting out of your way that quickly, and I wasn't about to just let you fall."

"That's an interesting way of you telling me that you purposefully let me walk into you so that you could introduce yourself."

Matt shakes his head in denial, though the smile is still on his lips. "That's a false accusation."

You put the book on the coffee table and sit up, though Matt makes sure to pull you back towards him and into his lap once you're no longer laying down. "Bullshit it is, Murdock. You knew exactly what was going to happen, and you made no move to keep it from happening."

He's laughing again. "I plead the fifth," is all he says in his defense.

"And," you carry on, eyeing the way he bites his bottom lip, something he does when he's being called out and finds it amusing, "you 100% knew where I was when I came back into Hell's Kitchen three weeks later when you "unintentionally" ran into me again."

"It was completely unintentional. I had no idea you were going to be there at that specific time on that specific day."

"Sure, you may have not been expecting me to be there that afternoon, but you deciding to walk in after catching my scent from two blocks over and calling it a mere coincidence to my face was definitely intentional."

Matt flushes. "It's not my fault you were at the McDonalds that was literally on my way to the office," he argues lightly. "Which, gross by the way. I almost decided to keep walking and not waste my time with someone who had such poor taste."

You gasp and punch him in the arm. He mouths the word ow, but you know he's full of shit. "Don't you dare knock their McNuggets. They are delicious."

"Sure, if you like fried chicken that is extremely processed and overly breaded."

"Which I do!" You exclaim. "Are you saying my choice in chicken nuggets almost kept you away? Because if it really offends you so much, maybe you should have kept walking." Matt immediately pulls you back into his lap when you move to stand up, a wide smile on his face. You put up a fight in mock outrage, but ultimately let him settle you back on his thighs, arms wrapped around your waist to keep you locked in this time.

You cross your arms over your chest. "I bet you're going to tell me that you dislike kittens, too. And all things fun."

He grins and kisses your cheek. "I'd gladly walk into every fast food place if I knew you were going to be in there. And you know how much the smell bothers my nose, so you should take that as a compliment, to the highest order."

"God, you're so romantic," you respond as you roll your eyes fondly. "A man after my own heart."

"After it?" Matt smirks, looking way too pleased with himself. "No, sweetheart, I already have it."

It's true. It's completely true.

"You're lucky you're cute," you tell him, pinching his cheek and snickering when he pushes your hand away in fake annoyance. "Or else I would have turned you down."

"No you wouldn't have," he says confidently, a self-assured grin on his handsome face. He's right, you wouldn't have. "And even if you had, it wouldn't have gotten in my way. I tried to find your scent for three weeks before I finally found you. Do you think I would have let you walk away that easily?"

"That sounds really creepy when you say that out loud." Matt shakes his head in disagreement, though his shoulders are shaking in quiet laughter.

"I knew I had found the love of my life; I wouldn't have given up so easily."

"We literally only spoke for ten minutes before we went our separate ways at the library," you remark dryly.

"It was enough for me."

You hmmm in feigned skepticism.

"Maybe I should have said no when you asked me out," you say thoughtfully as you shift in his lap. The look on his face is deicdedly unimpressed. "I had no idea you were prepared to be so stalker-y."

"Only the best efforts for you," he snarks, leaning forward to smack a loud kiss on your cheek. "I had no idea you lived so far outside of the city, which is why it took me so long to find you again in the first place."

"Brooklyn isn't that far," you comment wryly.

He shrugs, grinning. "Far enough that I wasn't able to find you again until you had an appointment with your client that day down the street fron my office."

"Ah, yes," you recall, remembering the annoyance you had felt that day. "The day where my client had me meet him all the way out here, only for him to cancel last minute, leaving me with no lunch plans and a starving stomach. At least I got a cute guy out of the otherwise shitty day."

"Lucky you."

"I mean...I guess I could go so far as to say you were the highlight of the day, but that wouldn't be saying much." Matt laughs and tightens his arms around you.

"I think it all worked out for you in the end, though."

"Eh, the jury's still out on that one," you say nonchalantly, pretending to pick at the non-existent dirt underneath your nails. "Still waiting to see what my other options are, I guess."

He pinches your thigh and you squeal. "You can't lie to me, sweetheart. Did you forget that part?"

"As if I could ever forget, seeing as you remind me of it every time you ask a question you know I don't want to answer."

"Not my fault you're a lying liar who tries to lie."

You look at him, unamused. "What are you, five?"

"Just a fact, sweetheart." The smugness in which he says it makes you roll your eyes, though you do so affectionately. "Can't lie to a man who can literally tell when you're not telling the truth." The man looks entirely too proud of himself.

"You know," you begin teasingly, watching the way the light plays over his face, drawing out the green in his eyes. "You could just say you never want me to leave, instead of getting all testy when I say I'm looking at what else is out there."

"You live here. I'm pretty sure that's what never wanting you to leave means," he deadpans.

"Let me guess, then. You're looking to tie me down, aren't you?" You ask as you run your finger down his cheek. He kisses it as it trails past his mouth. "Keep me from exploring other options?"

"There are no other options," Matt denies, his sightless eyes narrowing. "Not for you."

"Are you calling me undesirable?" You demand in mock outrage. "That's rude, Matthew."

He snickers. "There's no other options because no one else can have you. You're mine." He squeezes you tighter against him, pulling you in for a quick kiss, before you smack his chest hard enough that he lets you pull back. He leans back against the couch with another smirk.

"My, my. Possessive, aren't you? I bet you bought the ring already," you tease him, ready for him to laugh it off.

He doesn't.

Matt stills beneath you, breath caught in his throat, face going alarmingly white, and the change in him is so sudden it's almost jarring. His hand tightens in the shirt you're wearing, and you watch as he swallows, a look of panic crossing over his face.

Realization hits you suddenly as you observe his reaction, and your eyes widen in surprise. You throw your hands up over your mouth as you gasp.

"No," you whisper in disbelief, the word muffled by your hands. You stare at his face, noticing the way his eyes are shifting around the room almost frantically. "You didn't...no, you didn't."

Matt cringes, face now rapidly regaining color, but it goes far past his normal shade and straight into a fire engine red. "Any chance we can rewind the past 15 seconds?"

The shock has worn off, and the smile suddenly breaking out across your face is so wide it hurts. You shake your head adamantly, hands still covering your mouth. "Absolutely not."

He shuts his eyes, grimacing. His tongue peaks out to lick his lips, something he does when he's anxious. "Please?"

You pull your hands away from your face and ignore him completely, moving on to the next question that's bursting out of you. "You already have a ring?"

"I do," he admits reluctantly, and he looks like he'd rather be getting a root canal, or three. "It's with Foggy because you're literally the worst snoop I've ever met."

"That's rich, coming from you."

"A classic case of kettles meeting pots, then."

You let out a quick huff of laughter, but waive the comment away, trying to focus on the matter at hand. You're giddy now, much to his embarrassment over the situation. "When were you going to say something?"

Matt looks visibly pained at your questions, but you're absolutely vibrating in his lap, two seconds away from giggling like a hyena.

"Next weekend. This isn't...this isn't how I planned on asking you," he sighs as he continues to look frozen and mildly horrified. "I was going to--"

"I don't care!" You squiggle out of his lap abruptly, placing your feet on the ground and standing up. "This is...this is so us."

Matt is still flushing as his mouth twists into a quiet frown. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means, my beautiful Matthew," you say as you reach down to grab his hands before trying to pull him up to his feet. All that muscle mass is heavy, and you're lucky he decides to go with it, rising up to stand in front of you. You place your hands on his burning cheeks. "That our relationship has been a series of nothing but funny and random circumstances that has led us here."

"And?"

"And," you continue brightly, grinning like an absolute maniac at this point, "all these funny random circumstances have given me the most love and happiness that I ever could have imagined having in my life." Matt's face begins to to break into a small smile, though it's hesitant.

"And that includes me asking you to marry me while we talk about your love for McNuggets and my stalker-like tendencies?" He looks absolutely bewildered. You smile softly, reaching up to run your fingers through his hair.

"Well technically you haven't asked me yet."

"And if I did?" He questions quietly, though the smile has grown and is less cautious, no doubt finally understanding that you're smiling uncontrollably and haven't backed away screaming. It seems to be enough for him to push past the anxiety that you know has probably been coursing through his body. His hands reach down to your hips to pull you gently into him. "If I were to get down on one knee, right here and now, what would you say?"

"I think I would say that the McNuggets deserve a thank you gift for leading me to my future husband."

His mouth is on yours before you can even blink, and you let out a startled laugh against his lips before you throw your arms around his neck. A hand is in your hair, the other still on your hip, and you can feel him smile into the kiss as he pulls you closer. You're breathing heavily by the time he pulls away.

He places a kiss on your forehead, both hands coming up to cup your face gently.

"You know I would have eventually found you anywhere, right? After weeks of searching, you were just there, in that random McDonalds of all places. Just a few buildings down from me. I didn't want to miss another minute, so I walked in, without a second thought," he says reverently, brushing your hair back from your face, unfocused eyes landing to the left of your mouth. "But I would have kept looking."

"I know, Matt," you whisper as you place your hand on the side of his face, thumb brushing over his cheekbone. He has never looked more beautiful than in this moment, you think. A green tshirt and black silk boxers with hair that wasn't styled after his shower, and you've never loved him more. "I know you would have."

"And I'll buy you as many McNuggets as you want for the rest of your life if that's what you want."

You snort inelegantly. "This is the best marriage proposal ever."

Matt blushes, but keeps smiling. "I'll still bring you to that nice restaurant on 42nd that I had all planned out. I'll wear that nice suit you like on me, and get down on one knee in front of everyone. Just say the word, sweetheart. Anything you want."

"No," you're shaking your head at him, laughing as you do so. "This...this was perfect. Random and silly and hilarious."

"Are you--"

"Yes, Matt, I'm sure," you interrupt, fondly looking at him like the idiot in love that you are. "This is all I need. This is all I want. Just you."

He pulls you in for another kiss, this one more heated than the last as he presses the full length of his body against you and grinds his hips into yours. You shudder, knowing exactly where this is going, and everything in you wants to be underneath him, on top of him, on your knees for him. You're about to pull him to the bedroom when a random thought enters your mind, and you pull back from his lips, laughing.

"What is it? What's so funny?"

"Man, I can't wait to tell Foggy and Karen about this."

Matt groans, tilting his head back, cringing as if you've just had the worst idea in the world. You giggle at the look on his face.

"Is there any way we can skip the part about us talking about McNuggets while I'm asking you to marry me?"

"Not a chance, Matthew." You pull his face back down so that you can kiss him again. "Not a chance."

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save the date y’all!

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#5sos #ashton irwin #calum hood #luke hemmings #michael clifford #5sos5 #spotify #tears!

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cool , baby blue . drownin’ my eyes , so it seems .

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Yours with a Kiss

Pairing: Matt Murdock x fem reader

Word count: 5,800

Summary: Things with Matt are still pretty new, but that doesn't stop the rush you feel everytime he's near, and he absolutely takes advantage.

Trigger warning: just more Matt Murdock fluff, guys.

Written for this request

This thing with him is still…new.

Like, extremely new. 

Barely-acknowledged-feelings-but-maybe-this-could-be-something new.

There have been a few instances of hand holding, a few soft kisses pressed to your mouth, a few strokes of calloused fingers down your cheek. Matt knows you’re a little nervous, a little shy. Given the fact that there’s a tiny bit of an age gap and that he’s technically your boss, Matt is almost as hesitant as you are to push things full steam ahead, even though feelings have been admitted and found reciprocal.

But you notice the way he almost seems to track your movement when you’re near. You notice the way his head tilts in your direction even if you’re not the one who is speaking. You notice the way his body is usually angled towards yours if you’re in the room, as if he’s putting himself completely on display for you to do with what you wish.

Matt Murdock is the most intense man you’ve ever met, despite his easy and charming smile, and the way he always seems so in tune with you is intimidating, nerve-wracking, and thrilling.

He is exceedingly careful with you, as if you’re the most precious thing to him, as if he’s nervous he’ll scare you off. You appreciate the tenderness in which he treats you, a nice change from the other men you’ve dated who always ask for more than you’re willing to give, and quicker than you’re willing to give it. Matt makes you feel like he’s got all the time in the world to get to know you, like he’s got all the time in the world to ease into this thing with you, and the slow burn is more intimate than anything else you’ve ever felt before. 

He is willing to take his time, to make sure things are done right, and it means more than you’ll ever know how to articulate. This man has managed work his way under your skin, sliding in so effortlessly as if he’s always been there.

It's only been a few months since Nelson, Murdock & Page brought you on as a junior investigator, and you report mostly up to Karen. She is ruthless in her search for the truth, and she runs you all over Hell's Kitchen, eager to bring you into the journey of whatever story she's chasing next.

It's Karen that has you at the office early Monday morning, a hundred things ready for you to do to start off the week. A job like yours doesn't typically rest during the weekend, new parts of the story popping up at anytime, regardless of day or time, but she does her best to give you some sort of a work-life balance.

The door is unlocked when you arrive, so you step inside, closing it quietly behind you, unwilling to disturb the silence. You walk over to your desk and set your things down, about to turn around and walk towards the small break room when your phone beeps, signifying that you’ve received an email.

You take your phone out of your purse, reading through the email that Karen has just forwarded your way. She’s asked you to meet her at The Bulletin in an hour or so, hoping that the two of you can hunt down a few things with Ellison’s help. You had been expecting a full day at the office, but it’s not a big deal, and this case Karen has been following might just be a large one, depending on what you dig up. 

“Good morning.”

The voice startles you, despite knowing the fact that someone was bound to be in the office with you seeing as how the door was unlocked. You glance up from where you had been typing out a response to Karen’s email, unsurprised to see that it's Matt standing there, two cups of coffee in his hands.

“Hey,” you respond with a shy smile, setting your phone down on the desk once you hit send. He’s got his typical work suit on, though he’s not wearing the suit jacket, and the sleeves are already pushed up to his elbows. The man looks so effortlessly attractive, it’s ridiculous. 

“Coffee?” He takes a few steps forward, extending his arm out for you, your fingers brushing lightly against his. “I heard someone come in, so I figured I’d pour another cup.”

“Thank you,” you say before you take a small sip, the liquid burning your tongue slightly as you swallow. The coffee is sweeter than you had been expecting it, and you tilt your head curiously. You’re the only one in the office who doesn’t take it black. “How did you know to put cream in it? How did you know it was me who came in?”

Matt takes a sip of his own coffee, smiling as he lowers the mug back down. “Wishful thinking,” he says, and your heart briefly stutters. His smile widens, as if he knows the effect he has on you, and the look on his face doesn’t make things easier on you this morning. “That, and I heard your phone go off. You’re the only one I know who actually has a message tone rather than leaving it on vibrate. Myself excluded, of course.”

You let out a quiet laugh, leaning against your desk. You glance at the fading bruise on his jawline curiously as your eyes flitt over his face. “Old habit, I guess. I tend to get super wrapped up in things and get lost inside my head. The vibration doesn’t always get through to me, so the sound helps.”

“So I’ve noticed,” he says, stepping closer still, so that he’s only within a few feet now. He drums his fingers lightly on his mug, and your eyes drift down to the hand that had so easily held yours last week when he walked you home from work. “I can’t count how many times I’ve had to call your name more than three times to get you to look up.”

Your cheeks flush briefly at the teasing. “Well, consider yourself lucky that your employee is so invested in their work that they are almost immune to distractions.”

“Almost immune?” He asks with a smirk. “What sorts of things manage to get through the fog?”

Your ass. 

“That’s none of your business, Mr. Murdock,” you tell him, raising your chin in an act of fake defiance, thought you're completely unwilling to share that specific detail with him. The look is lost on him, you know, but it doesn't stop your body from following through with the motion. “It’s classified.”

His smile is absolutely wicked, and it sends a brief flash of hunger down through your skin, but you push it brutally away. “I’m sure I’ll get it out of you at some point.”

"You're welcome to try."

"I think you'll find I'm rather gifted at pulling all sorts of information out of people," he says matter of factly, expression still teasing, though it has some sort of sharp and self-deprecating edge to it. It's almost feels as if he's laughing at some sort of joke only he's privy to at the moment. "Consider yourself warned."

You’re not quite sure how to reply, mouth opening and closing awkwardly with nothing witty or charming to say, so when your phone beeps with a text message, you clear your throat and readily welcome the distraction.

It seems to knock Matt back into more of a professional mode, because his flirtatious smile mellows back into something softer. “Karen blowing up your phone again?”

You let out a sigh, one that is honestly more amused than anything. Karen was certainly up and at 'em this morning, which is absolutely unsurprising. Her sheer tenacity often demands a lot from you mentally, but you can't think of any other woman you'd rather be working for in this business. “Yeah,” you answer, typing out another quick reply. “I had five emails from her by 5am this morning. Does she ever sleep, do you know?”

Matt snorts into his coffee. “I think our entire office gets a total amount of ten hours of sleep a night collectively.”

The firm works long hours, full of early mornings that gradually fade into late evenings, and while your own work leads you on a chase over the island of Manhattan, you've never felt more at home than in this specific office suite in Hell's Kitchen. 

You tilt your head in thought. “Foggy strikes me as the type of person who has a semi-normal sleep schedule.”

Matt shakes his head, the expression on his face amused and unsympathetic for his friend. “Not with an infant at home.”

You throw your head back in an abrupt laugh, quickly retracting your statement and readily agreeing with him. “True enough. I think she’s teething, too. Can’t imagine that’s fun at the moment.”

“Hence the upgrade in the coffee machine.”

“Do I want to know what kind of machine you were using before you switched over?” You ask, narrowing your eyes at him. Your eyes flicker over to the doorway to the break room before landing back on the mug that’s in your hands. You take another large sip and place it down on your desk.

“Probably not.”

“Well then my caffeine addiction salutes you,” you say, absentmindedly picking up the folder of documents Karen had requested you bring to your meeting with Ellison. You'd left it on your desk Friday afternoon. “I’m going to need all the coffee available the next few days.”

“Busy week ahead?” He asks casually, leaning into the wall behind him, one hand in his pocket, the other still holding on to his coffee cup. You force yourself to look away from the way his obviously well-toned body stretches in front of you, the long line of his form both sleek and somehow dangerous, which you find to be a devastating combination. Matt’s eyebrows raise slightly, as if he knows somehow where your thoughts have gone, so you snap your eyes towards the folder in your hand.

"Yeah, Karen has something she’s hunted down and needs my help on. She mentioned needing to get a few quotes from an outside source later this week, in addition to meeting up with Jessica for the information she’s gathered," you say, picking up another file and briefly glancing through a few papers. The images in the file, paired with the notes written in Karen’s flawless handwriting, are curious to you, and you tilt a specific page to the side to get a better look.

“I don’t envy you having to work with Jessica for the next few days,” Matt tells you with a laugh, and despite your focus being elsewhere, you hear the way his voice has changed lightly into something that sounds oddly fond of the woman who has been mentioned. The tone is interesting to you, having witnessed more than one of their spats.

“Nah,” you say with a shrug, still mildly distracted by the file in your hands. “As long as you promise a steady supply of liquor, she isn’t too bad. She managed to pull a few things up for us, which might cut down our work by a decent amount, and Karen said she–FUCK!” 

A thin slice of red trickles down your finger, accompanied by a sharp and sudden sting. 

Matt looks immediately alarmed, body pushing off of the wall he had been leaning against and stepping the rest of the way towards you. "What happened?"

"Paper cut," you hiss out, throwing the files onto your desk as you examine your pointer finger, careful not to get blood on them. "Nothing major, but these fuckers always hurt like hell, don't they?"

He seems to relax, though his face still shows more concern than warranted for the situation. He puts his coffee cup on your desk, hand immediately reaching out for yours. "Cold water should help, it might reduce the sting."

"I think it's fine," you reply in disagreement, reaching for a tissue to wipe off the blood. It's stopped sooner than it started, but it still leaves a dull ache behind. 

Damn it. That fucker will be a nuisance all day.

He's not deterred, and the reaction to your tiny amount of pain is almost amusing in how sweet it is. His palm remains outstretched and facing upwards, waiting on you to place your hand in his, and you easily give in as you take in the expectant look on his face. He's not backing down on this one, you're aware. 

He grabs your hand by the wrist and pulls you gently behind him into the small break room that really only houses an old fridge, a sink, and the coffee station. He’s not using his cane, which is unsurprising, given the way he has the office’s floorplan mapped out expertly by now, so you allow him to lead for once.

You humor him as he turns on the faucet and checks the temperature before he slides your hand under the water. “This isn’t necessary,” you say with a laugh. “It’s just a tiny cut.”

"Nothing wrong with rinsing it with soap and water," he says, sending you a quick grin, dimple flashing in his cheek. You're an absolute sucker for that smile. "Can never be too careful."

You can't tell if his being serious, or if he's just messing with you. You glance down at the finger that's currently under the water with amusement, internally laughing when you notice he's already put soap on the finger. "I could have cleaned it myself."

There's an entirely too innocent shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe I just wanted an excuse to hold your hand.”

“Maybe you don’t need an excuse to hold my hand,” you counter, and though you say it in amusement, you can’t help the way your own words cause your face to flush. 

The look on his face looks oddly satisfied. “Is that so?”

“It’s definitely so.”

“Good to know,” is all he says as he shuts off the water. He hands you a paper towel to dry off your finger and you watch as he opens the cabinet to his left, reaching in and grabbing the box of bandaids. He runs a light finger over it, no doubt confirming he’s pulled out the right box by reading the label that’s been printed in braille for him, before he opens it and takes out a bandaid.

“This is some A+ doctor treatment you’re giving me for such a tiny cut,” you say, taking the bandaid from him and unwrapping it. He takes the trash from you and puts it in the bin by the door. “Do all of your other coworkers get the same treatment?”

“Foggy and Karen can take care of themselves,” he tells you, walking the few feet back over to you. 

You let out a mock gasp, eyes widening in fake indignation. “Are you implying I can’t take care of myself?”

He laughs, shaking his head, red glasses glinting in the bright lights overhead. “I’m implying that maybe I like the idea of being the one to take care of you.”

The phrase, so innocently and matter-of-factly said, causes you to falter briefly as you finish wrapping the bandage around your finger. “Well,” you begin slowly, eyeing the way he is standing closer than he had been just a minute prior, “part of me wants to object again and tell you I am more than capable of taking care of myself. But the other part of me is okay with you having that…specific feeling towards me.”

A shit-eating grin settles across his face at the comment. “So you’re telling me that you’re okay with me holding your hand whenever I want to, and you’re okay with me wanting to make sure you’re safe and happy?"

You roll your eyes fondly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying, yes.”

“Careful, sweetheart,” he says, running his hand down your arm. His fingers leave goosebumps in their wake. “I’m bound to get some ideas with you telling me these things.”

“Well if those ideas have anything to do with taking me to dinner sometime, then I’d say go for it.”

Matt’s mouth parts in another laugh, throwing his head lightly back, and you find yourself grinning widely along with him. “That can certainly be arranged. Any specific requests?”

“Requests? In terms of…?”

“Anything. Anything you want.”

You hmmm quietly, tapping your finger against your chin as if in deep thought. You take a step back from him, running your eyes along the length of his body. “You have to greet me with a kiss.”

He smirks, leaning against the counter. “I was already planning on it.”

You find yourself blushing, but continue. “And I want you to take me somewhere you enjoy. Not somewhere that you think might impress me, or somewhere you think I’m expecting for a first date. Somewhere that means something to you that you want to share with me.”

He reaches out and grabs one of your hands in his, running a thumb over the inside of your wrist that has no business being as intimate as it is. “I can do that. Anything else?”

The words are out before you can take them back, the idea landing in your head in one second, leaving your mouth the next. “You have to tell me what you’re thinking.”

This request causes his eyebrows to rise on his forehead, and the thumb he has on your skin pauses. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean,” you say, clearing your throat and trying to recover from the way you had just blurted out the sentence, “that I want to know what’s going on inside your head.”

He looks vaguely amused, and his ministrations on your wrist continues. “You may not like what’s in there.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” you tell him simply with a shrug, deciding it's too late to go back now. “Doesn’t have to be anything deep, just…share how you’re feeling, I guess? I can always tell there’s more you want to say than what you actually say, so maybe…let some of that filter go.”

“And is this only for dinner?” He questions, head tilting to the side as if in contemplation. “Or starting now?”

Despite the fact that it had been your request to know what was going on in his head, you suddenly feel shy, and you find yourself fidgeting with the bracelet on your wrist, shifting your weight from side to side. “Now, maybe? What are you thinking about right now?” 

There’s a short bout of silence, as he tilts his head at you, and you take in the way his breathing has stuttered slightly, a small flush on his own cheeks. 

“I’m thinking about how I like having you this close to me,” he eventually answers, and you note the way his tone has softened slightly, no longer as flirtatious but every bit as happy. 

Your breath catches briefly, but you recover with a quick shake of your head. 

“You…could come closer,” you tell him after a moment. You take another deep breath to steady yourself, observing the way the temperature in the room seems to have increased by a few degrees. Everything suddenly feels so hot. “If you want.”

His wide smile returns, and it almost sends a shock to the system. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you confirm with a nod, angling your body so that it’s a little more aligned with his. “If that’s what you want.”

Matt doesn’t say anything, but instead takes it as an opportunity to push you lightly towards the wall, encouraging you to take small steps back until your back is pressed against it. He’s close, but not in a way that feels suffocating. The heat radiating off of him burns, and yet you can’t help but feel like you want to burn right there along with him.

“I’ve thought about you like this,” he admits with a sigh, one arm rising and bending so that he’s leaning over you, elbow and forearm resting against the wall above your head. “I’ve thought about this a lot, actually.”

“About me at your mercy?” You tease, watching in fascination as the beautiful flush rises in his cheeks. You’re not quite sure if it’s from the teasing words, or if he feels just as affected as you at the close proximity of your bodies. You hope it's both, longing to know it's not just you that has trouble thinking when he's near.

“No,” he says, before he laughs abruptly. “Well, yes, I have thought about that. But that’s not what I meant. I’ve thought about you pressed against me like this. I’ve thought about you maybe letting me kiss you like this.”

You swallow, hand suddenly reaching out to grasp his tie as if to settle yourself, ignoring the way your finger lets out a quiet, dull throb as it comes into contact with the fabric through the bandaid. “And how–how would you–”

“How would I kiss you?”

You're rooted to the spot, mouth suddenly too dry to really say anything, so you just nod shakily. You watch with rapt attention as he removes his red glasses, wide eyes trailing over the face that is now fully exposed to you. You’ve seen him without his glasses a few times now, but never this close, and the sight is one you know you’ll never get tired of seeing. 

This was not how you had imagined your Monday morning going, but you’ll be damned if you don't take advantage of it.

“Hmm,” he voices underneath his breath, appearing thoughtful, transferring his glasses to the hand that’s resting on the wall above you. “I think…I think I’d start with this.” His fingers reach up and trail lightly over your cheekbone before he hooks a piece of hair over your ear. You shiver, and the slight movement causes his lips to twitch into a small smile. 

“I think I’d want to touch every inch of skin that you’d let me,” he whispers, the sound floating down to your ears in a caress as soft as fingers. “And I’d start with this beautiful face of yours.”

“How can you possibly know I’m–”

“I don't need to see you to know that, sweetheart,” Matt interrupts you gently, and the term of endearment settles warmly across your skin. “Where was I?” The question is asked rhetorically, so you don’t say anything, simply waiting with bated breath as the pads of his fingers continue to stroke over your cheek. His thumb brushes over your bottom lip, and you can’t help but sigh at the touch.

His hand moves softly down from your face until it’s cupping your jaw, tilting your head up towards his, the angle perfect for him to lean down and press his lips to yours, but he keeps his mouth hovering over yours for a second. You try to nudge forward, wanting his lips on yours more than anything, but he pulls back enough so that you’d have to rise on to your tip toes to put your mouth on his. He chuckles quietly.

“I think I get the point, Matt,” you say breathlessly, and if it were anyone else, you might be ashamed of how quickly you’ve lost control of yourself.

Another quiet laugh escapes him. “Greedy, are we?” He leans down again and rubs his nose over the tip of yours, and you can’t help the way your other hand reaches up and slides into his hair at the back of his neck. 

“So are you.”

He takes a step forward so that now he’s completely pressed against you, no space left between your bodies. He is firm where you are soft, and the difference is intoxicating. “Yes, I am.”

And with that, his mouth is finally on yours. 

The pressure is light, almost light enough that you’d think he wasn’t actually kissing you if it weren’t for the heat that he was pressing on your lips. He doesn’t move for a steady moment, simply allowing you both to enjoy the way it feels to be so close and leaning into each other. The hand resting on your jaw slides down so that it’s gently cradling your throat. If it were anyone else, you’d probably jerk away, nervous to have someone holding such a delicate part of you in their grasp.

But Matt isn’t anyone else, he is the man you’re pretty sure you’re in love with, and you trust him with every square inch of your body he wishes to touch. 

The pressure on your lips increases, and you feel his mouth move against yours, gently coaxing it open. You follow his lead, allowing him to pull a lip slowly between his teeth, biting down lightly. Gasping, your grip on his tie tightens, and he takes advantage of the way your mouth has opened to let the sound out. He slides his tongue against yours for a brief moment, giving you a slight taste of the pure havoc he could wreak upon other parts of your body should you let him, before he pulls away.

He presses his forehead to yours, breathing just as heavily as you, much to your satisfaction. He sounds just as wrecked as you are at the moment. 

“Is this still okay?” he asks quietly after a moment, the hand that had been cradling your throat coming back up to cup your cheek, the fingers leaving a trail of fire in their wake. You nod, unable to form words with him so close to you, and his mouth remains just a few inches away from yours. Your heart is pounding in your throat, and you haven’t quite managed yet to catch your breath.

With a small smile, one that seems far too knowing, he leans back in, no doubt feeling the way your skin is burning beneath his touch.

The door to the office suddenly opens, but when your head pulls away and instinctively turns to look and greet whoever is walking through the door, Matt’s finger and thumb on your chin quickly draws you back so that you’re still facing him. 

“It’s probably just Foggy,” he whispers, face still close enough to yours to feel his breath lightly caress your skin. Sure enough, there’s a loud exaggerated sigh before loud footsteps head down the small hallway, the door to Foggy’s office down the hall closing quietly without a word.

“How did you–”

His thumb moves from your cheek to brush lightly over your bottom lip, and you feel your cheeks flush again. “He called and said he would be here around 8am to work on the Erickson case. We have a conference call in a few minutes.”

“Ah,” you say, eyes flitting across his handsome face, admiring the way the morning sunlight makes his brown eyes look almost green. “That makes sense.”  

There’s a look on Matt’s face that somehow manages to be a mixture of amused and heated. His fingers trail down your neck an down to your chest, running over your collar bone, before they journey back upwards, grasping your jaw again. You watch him the whole time, your body thrumming with an energy you don’t think you’ve ever felt before.

“How’s that for telling you what I’m thinking?” He asks, leaning forward again to brush his lips down your cheek. “Is this what you wanted?”

You huff out a quiet laugh. “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting you to turn it into a moment where you kiss me breathless in the office, but I’m not going to complain.”

“And if I want to do it again?” He tilts your head to the side and does the same to your other cheek. “Would you let me?”

You gulp, hand tightening around the tie that’s still in your grasp. “I think I’d let you do whatever you wanted at this point.”

His expression darkens, but certainly not in a way that suggests anger. Instead, Matt almost looks like he’s two seconds away from hiking up your skirt, lifting you off your feet, and pinning you to the wall while he has his way with you.

Which…you'd totally be okay with.

“What a good girl,” he whispers, and the phrase sends another shock of blistering heat straight down your body. 

The words, paired with the look on his face, are unlike anything you’ve experienced with him before, and it seems to open up a whole new part of Matthew Murdock that you’re suddenly very eager and willing to explore.

You’ve been introduced to sweet Matthew. Wickedly smart Matthew. Gentle Matthew. But dark and hungry Matthew is a whole new ball game. You’ve loved taking your time with him, loved the way he seems to handle you with such affection and care and soft consideration, but you know that when you both finally reach the point of no return, you’ll be completely blown away and taken apart by the man in front of you.

His lips are on yours again, still a gentle press despite the sharp look of longing on his face, and you know you’ll never tire of the way they feel when they’re pressed against you.

“Matt,” Foggy’s voice rings out through the office, almost effectively ruining the moment, which is probably a good thing with the way you currently want to tear off Matt’s clothes just to feel his skin pressed to yours. You turn your head and see that the other man has walked into the break room's  line of sight, standing there with his hands on his hips as he takes in Matt pressing you into the wall. He flashes you a brief smile before rolling his eyes at his friend.

“Take your lips off of your girl and bring your shit into my office. We should run through a few things before we hop on that call.”

The comment causes your cheeks to flood, and you find yourself liking the sound of them, more and more with each passing millisecond.

Matt’s girl.

You don't really care about the rest of his sentence, to be honest, too hung up on those two specific words.

“Be right there, Fog.”

Foggy groans, and you can’t help but giggle despite the fact that he’s interrupted a very nice moment with Matt. “I was super nice and didn’t say anything when I walked in. Time to repay that kindness and do you fucking job.”

Matt laughs, still unaware of the words that are echoing in your head. Surely he must be able to feel the way your heart is pounding with him still so close to you. “One minute. I’ll be there in one minute.”

You see Foggy throw up his hands in exasperation before he turns and walks back into his office. Once the door is shut, your head turns and your eyes drift back up to Matt. The hunger has left his face, and has been replaced by the look of adoration he so often has when he’s focused on you. Sweet and gentle Matt is back, and you can’t help but smile.

“I’ve got to go, sweetheart,” he says, putting his glasses back on and taking a small step back, arm no longer resting against the wall. He leans down and presses a quick kiss to your forehead. “We’ll be done in an hour or so. Will you still be here?”

You shake your head with a light, regretful sigh. “No, Karen needs me down at The Bulletin to look through some things with Ellison this morning. But we’re all doing happy hour later, right?”

He nods with a smile of his own, the laugh lines you love so much becoming clearer on his face. “I’ll see you later, then.” He squeezes your hand gently, turning to walk down towards his partner’s office.

You’re not quite sure what drives you to reach back out to him, but you do it anyway, using his tie to yank him into you. All you know is that you’re not quite ready for him to leave you, needing just a few more moments of his full attention and lips on yours. Matt turns with a light gasp, mouth parted in shock.

“What–”

Before he can finish his question, you pull his head down towards yours, standing up on your tip toes to meet him halfway. His shock only lasts for a second before he’s returning the kiss with another flare of sharp heat, his arms wrapping themselves around you seemingly without thought. Whereas the previous kisses had been slow and sweet and soothing, this one is full of fire.

You break away almost as quickly as you had pulled him in, shifting your weight back down fully onto your feet, hand still wrapped around his tie. He lets out a startled laugh.

“What was that?”

“Your girl," is all you say. It’s not a question, because you’re not asking if you are, in fact, his girl; you’re telling him you are.

Matt doesn’t need an explanation for what you’re referring to, his mouth splitting into a wide smile that’s so blinding it almost hurts. He doesn’t hesitate when he opens his mouth in reply.

“My girl,” he confirms, and your heart can’t help but skip a beat. “I think I could be okay with that.”

You let out a gasp of mock indignation. “You think?” 

“I’m still a bit undecided,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders that tries to appear nonchalant but fails. “It really just depends.”

“On what?”

“On whether or not you kiss me like that again,” Matt tells you with a smirk that shouldn’t be as endearing as it is.

With a fond roll of your eyes, you pull him back into you again, hand still wrapped around his tie, the other on the back of his head. His lips are almost on yours when Foggy’s frustrated growl reverberates through the office.

“Matt! I’m about to fire you if you don’t get your ass in here right. this. second!”

"We are equal partners in this Foggy," Matt responds, voice carrying easily, his attention still never wavering from your. "You can't fire me."

"I slept for all of thirty minutes last night," the other man snaps, and you can't help but giggle at the tired frustration in his voice. "You do not want to mess with me right now."

The man still leaning against you hesitates for a brief moment before he continues his descent towards you anyway, pressing his lips to yours in a kiss that could very easily lead to more if either one of you had the time, before laughing and pulling away. He opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off.

"MATT!"

With one last grin and peck on your lips, Matt turns around and walks away. “Coming!”

You're left staring after him, hand reaching up to brush the ghost of his kiss that he left behind. With an utterly lovesick sigh that you can't hold back, you walk back towards your desk, sweeping up your purse and files into your arms, ready to make your way towards where you're meeting up with Karen. 

You glance briefly at Foggy's office door, already missing the dark haired man inside, knowing that you'd willingly suffer a lifelong series of sharp and stinging paper cuts if it meant you'd always end up with his lips on yours. 

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i love my name inside your voice

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