Karen Page stares down at her phone for the hundredth time, her fingers hovering idly over the screen as she contemplates her next move.
Can we meet? Matt had texted hours earlier. His words just sit there, so simple and yet so haunting. She honestly doesn't know whether to reply. No one would blame her if she didn't. Nelson and Murdock was finished, that much was evident. Karen knew it would be best to just rip off the band-aid and be done with it all. But in truth, she couldn't bring herself to leave things the way they were. She wanted answers about Matt just as much as she'd wanted answers about Frank Castle.
Karen shrugs in defeat, brushing a strand of her long, blonde hair behind her ear. Sure she finally types, exhaling nervously as she hits 'send'.
No more than a minute later her phone buzzes.
Great. The office at 8? Matt suggests.
OK
Karen looks at the time- 7:29. She may as well head over now. It would take her at least twenty minutes to walk there.
When she arrives, the office is empty, as it often was. But unlike usual, it felt dark, desolate and absent of all hope. Solemnly, Karen shuts the door and saunters inside, not bothering to turn on the lights. Things were quiet for an evening in New York.
Karen runs her fingers over some papers on the desk absentmindedly, reminiscing about all the good times she and Foggy and Matt had shared in this place. The late nights, the laughs, the cheap meals...
Momentarily lost in her memories, Karen is suddenly overcome by the rather ominous feeling that she is being watched. She swallows carefully, trying to act natural. Her eyes scan the room for a makeshift weapon, but to her dismay, Foggy had already begun clearing things out.
A creak of the floorboards behind her sends Karen into full-fledged fight-or-flight mode. She spins around and swings her purse in the air with incredible force.
"Woah!" A familiar voice calls out, as the figure in red dodges her defensive maneuver.
"Holy shit!" Karen cries in relief, realizing who it is. She takes a moment to catch her breath, trying to laugh it off. "Sorry," she apologizes. "But you of all people should realize I'm not the kind of girl you sneak up on in the dark."
"I do realize that," the masked man admits with a hint of amusement in his soft voice. "I'm sorry if I scared you."
"Don't worry about it," Karen insists. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asks, genuinely mystified by his presence.
"I'm here to see you," her vigilante acquaintance states matter-of-factly.
"Oh. O-Okay..." she responds leerily. "Well, it's just, now's not really a great time. I'm expecting someone and-"
Daredevil takes a slow step forward, which for some reason unsettles Karen.
"How did you find me anyway? Did you follow me here?"
"No," he answers easily. "No, I didn't follow you."
Another step.
"What do you track my phone now or something?" Karen asks, halfway joking. "Not that I don't appreciate you looking after me, but I didn't even know I was coming here myself until a few minutes ago so..."
Daredevil continues forward until there is no more than a foot of space between them.
"Would you believe me," he asks, "if I said I invited you here?"
Karen furrows her brow. Her confused gaze falls to his jaw, the one part of him left exposed. The thin, serious lips. The five-o-clock shadow. Karen's heart pounds. She'd never noticed before, but- no it can't be...
She reaches up and takes his face in her hands. Her eyes widen at the familiar feeling beneath her fingertips.
"Matt?" she whispers in disbelief, fondling the edge of his mask hesitantly. Karen takes a preparatory breath and gently peels off the disguise, confirming what she suspected to be true.
Matt's lips twitch upward in an almost-smile. "Hi Karen," he says softly.
"Oh my god," she breathes, bringing a hand to her mouth.
"I know it's uh- a lot to take in," Matt sympathizes, filling the silence.
Karen runs her hands through her hair, overwhelmed and muttering expletives desperately under her breath.
The two stand opposite each other, neither one speaking for what seems like an eternity.
"How do you expect me to react Matt?" Karen finally asks helplessly. "Is this where I throw myself in your arms forgivingly or slap the crap out of you and walk away because honestly, I don't even know what to feel right now..."
She was hurt, this much he knew. If not from her elevated pulse, then from the distinct scent of her salty tears.
"Look Karen, I didn't come here tonight with any expectations," Matt admits gently. "I came here, because you deserved an explanation. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything you've endured, and I understand if you hate me for this, but I needed you to know."
"No. God no, I don't hate you Matt. I want to- believe me. But really, I just hate myself for being more blind than my blind friend, who, as it turns out, actually kicks a lot of ass."
Matt can't help it, he grins, stifling a chuckle. "You're not blind Karen."
"Really?" she asks rhetorically. "The unexplained absences? The bogus injuries? You and Foggy at each other's necks..." She sighs. "It was all there. I just didn't see it."
"You did see it," Matt insists. "You just didn't know what it was."
Damn you Matt, stop being so sweet. Karen searches every ounce of her being, trying to harness her anger. But in all honesty, she is overcome with an unrelenting sense of relief.
"I get it," she says. "You trying to protect me or whatever. It hurts that you chose not to trust me earlier. But I don't umm- I don't hate you," she admits, her voice pained. "I could never... hate you." Her tone changes as she speaks- becomes more gentle. And her heart skips a beat.
"So where does that leave us?" Matt asks.
Karen steps forward methodically, placing her hands on his chest, running them over his suit. "Well, I don't know about Nelson and Murdock, but what do you say we give Page and Murdock another try?"
"I'd like that," Matt admits, winding an arm around her waist.
"Yeah I thought you might," Karen teases as he captures her lips in a kiss.