Disclaimer: Don't own anything at all.
AN: This is a drabble for Post-Punisher and Post-Defenders, but it has a vague timeline. I just felt the need to write this up, and it doesn't go in the upcoming Secrets' Verse. Enjoy!
Epiphany:
When Matt came back to them, his living status brought to their attention by the nuns, a newness had settled over the three of them. Between his injuries and subsequent recovery, much had happened to Foggy and Karen. Matt knew-to the fullest extent-at just how much they meant to him. It was Foggy who had been informed first, and he held fast, crying as he did so. Matt wasn't ashamed to do the same. As overjoyed as Matt was, he figured out something was wrong and Karen wasn't much help. In fact, she was nervous and saddened around him. Matt had absolutely no idea why and it was driving him crazy. It wasn't that she wasn't hesitant to touch him. Far from it, she clung to him in tight embraces, but whenever he hinted at a discussion, she edged away. The sadness and tension in her voice enough to make him stop.
Other than that, she was happy in his presence and they spoke often. Maybe too much time had passed and as much as Matt might have wished for more, he was relieved that they were still friends after all that had happened. That was enough for him. He was lucky to have the people he cared about in his life, and that the number of friends was growing. There were still some things that Karen kept from him, but really, that was her prerogative and he figured that trust would take time to rebuild that.
Then Frank came back. No, that wasn't quite right. Apparently Karen had been in contact with him ever since Matt had been with the nuns. Well, as the situation stood, they could spend all their time debating how helpful Frank could be, even if he had a new lease on life, so to speak. Matt wasn't sure on that score; it would take a while for Matt to sort out how he felt about that. However, even Matt could tell that Frank was different from the last time they had spoke. It was when Karen and Frank were in the room that Matt was amazed. There wasn't anything big or sweeping or...
When Frank entered a room, Karen's heartbeat ratcheted up, and there was a slight hitch to her breath. Frank was the same, though his body seemed more primed for a fight than Karen's. It wasn't aggression and it didn't have have anger directed at Karen. The jumpiness seemed to have more to do with whatever was going on in his head. Frank seemed to calm the closer in proximity to Karen. His voice was softer than Matt had ever heard. He'd even go so far as to say halting. Frank somehow managed to be blunt and polite at the same time. The tone of their conversations always seemed heavy and Matt knew that there was context he was missing. On the occasions that Frank touched Karen, her pulse would climb, tiny shivers going through her as heat would rise to the surface of her skin. As though her body sang at his touch. It made Matt reel with the impact, at the knowledge of what this meant.
Neither said anything about it, and for now, Matt would follow their lead.