So… the first appearance of Czech. Yes, there will be Czech in this fic, shocker. Vera understands both and this is her pov, so I'm just gonna underline Czech parts of conversations while keep writing in English.

…aka The Arrival of the Lovebirds

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3. The blind one and the deaf ones

September came faster than expected.

Things went back to normal long time ago; the only significant change was Vera's sessions with Matt sometimes transferring into dancing lessons and sometimes into group training with Danny.

Vera could tell Matt was growing more and more nervous about the upcoming event – Vera, on the other hand, was getting a little impatient if she was being honest. Sure, she loved it here in Hell's Kitchen, Matt, Terri and everything, but… home. The closer she was getting to the meeting with her family and friends from Czechia, the more she missed them, almost feeling anxious to finally reunite with them. And while she could handle living in New York, she missed her small town too (she never thought about Trutnov as a small town, but New York changed her perspective, with the population being almost like her homeland). She kinda missed silence and actual nature that wasn't Central Park.

And she was well-aware that as much as she was trying to keep those feeling to herself, Matt knew they were there. He was pretending he didn't notice and she didn't call him out on it. Just like she knew he was on the edge of scared and she was pretending she didn't notice either. It was a weird game they were playing.

They refused to take Danny's offer to lend them a private jet, because that felt just wrong. They did accept him calling the company Vera bought her ticket from though, because when Vera tried to get another ticket for Matt, they claimed it wasn't possible. One call from fixed that and Vera knew that even when Danny claimed he didn't offer them extra money, he probably did.

"Don't even think about it, Vera. I owe Matt, you know that and he's my friend. You're my friend. This is nothing. Don't say a word, Tiānshǐ," he warned her without a malicious note in his voice when she wanted to protest. She just sighed and let Matt to handle their friend in a way he would consider appropriate. Her brain got occupied with solving the mystery nickname of hers anyway.

It was 14th September and they found themselves on board, their seats right next to each other – Vera was sure it was a pure coincidence that the seat next to her conveniently vacated after Danny's call –, both resting their heads to the cushioned pillows, sighing.

Vera chuckled when she registered Matt doing exactly the same.

"Are you nervous, ?" she teased him, vainly trying to cover the tremble in her voice. His hand lightly squeezed hers, but he didn't move otherwise.

"Planes aren't my favourite means of transport."

Vera grimaced, imagining all of possible reasons why. Was it going to be hell for him? What exactly was she asking him to undergo when coming with her?

"You could have said no," she offered gently. Vera knew he was not about to back out now. He was probably not about to cause a scene now, just to leave the plane. Vera was pretty confident he wouldn't start yelling about a missing left phalange or something.

His eyes snapped open and he frowned at her. "I wanted to go with you."

A warm feeling spread in her chest. There was something sincere in his eyes, covering the whole anxiety he had about the journey and meetings. She returned the squeeze on her hand.

"I love you, Matt. I really appreciate this, you coming with me. I don't like flying either… how much does it affect your hearing? And senses in general?" she asked quietly and he made a face that spoke thousand words.

"Well, depends on how skilful the pilot is… it's… well, uncomfortable."

"You're basically deaf after that and you aren't able to walk a straight line, are you?" she suspected with horror. He bit his lip and Vera knew she was right. "Oh god, Matt, why would you-"

"No, no, it's not that bad. I told you, I want to go with you. I want to… meet you family and friends. Know you a little bit more."

Vera felt a sting of guilt. Dammit, she didn't deserve this. Dammit, dammit, dammit, why was he being like this?

'I don't want you to regret it.' His words echoed in her head. He was afraid she would leave and never come back. He was scared she would change her mind about staying in New York. He was afraid of losing her. And he was willing to suffer if it meant she would stay.

She whined, hiding her face in her palms. "I'm a terrible human being. I'm stealing blind's man hearing. There must be a special place for me in hell…"

"… I'm sure it is. It's called Kitchen," Matt hummed, taking one of her hands, kissing its back. It made her feel even worse. He was joking. He was comforting her. She examined his sincere expression and sighed.

"Okay. What do I do? How do I help?"

The third person in their half-row joined them, occupying the seat closest to the aisle. Matt wanted to be in the middle – he minded the cold from the window too much, more than he minded closeness of another person, a stranger. Vera fought the urge to whine again – instead, she smiled politely at the elder man, nodding.

Matt tilted his head before leaning to her ear. "You talk. The engines are rather loud, so that would help. Give me something to focus on, because all the noises are… they will be too loud for me, I won't- I won't be able to hear your heartbeat, so I can't to focus on that and I really don't like not being able to hear your heart."

Her lips parted. Jesus. That was even worse than she thought. And they were about to be trapped in this nightmare for so. Many. Hours.

"I really, really owe you for this," she muttered and Matt kissed her cheek and her temple.

"Come back with me and you won't."

They actually managed to sleep from time to time. They slept, they dozed, they talked. Matt was curious about her friends and family. Vera could tell he liked Jíťa the best from her narrating and while he was obviously afraid of meeting Vera's mum, he gave Vera a soft, sympathetic smile when Vera talked about her, forcing her tears to stay in. Goddammit she missed her family.

"She's going to ambush you, okay. Just a fair warning. She's very excited about meeting you."

"But not your father."

Vera grimaced. "Well, he's not excited about any new people, more like the opposite, so… don't take it personally. And he can't speak English to save his life, so-"

"Isn't your mum an English teacher?" he asked bewildered, obviously confused and horrified he was mixing facts. Vera bit her cheek.

"Yeah. I know. Just- he knows a little Russian, really just a little what he remembers from elementary school, but otherwise… yeah, languages aren't his thing. He doesn't speak that much in general, so- Matt, you don't have to be scared of him."

"I'm not," he protested too quickly.

Vera smiled at him, checking on the man on the last seat – he was out cold. She quickly invaded Matt's intimate personal space, pecking his lips. And again. The man was still oblivious. So she lingered, long enough for Matt to start responding, returning her affection softly, following her lips when she wanted to retreat. So she didn't. Instead, she brought her hand to the crook of his neck, sinking into his lips deeper, while his hand travelled up her thigh smoothly, finding her hip.

She registered from the corner of her eye someone over the aisle was watching them with wide eyes, so she broke the kiss, resting her forehead against his, letting her eyelids drop again.

"Good distraction technique. Very advanced," he breathed to her mouth and the corners of her mouth rose involuntarily.

"Good to know."

Of course, she couldn't be kissing him during whole flight or the landing. Her ears cried too, hurting and popping as if she kept bursting bubbles inside them, but she tried her best to talk lowly anyway, for Matt's sake. He looked like he was in agony – in agony he was trying to cover and deny. No, chewing bonbons didn't help much. But Matt took few without protesting, which meant something.

Vera found out how much the flight and the landing messed up Matt's senses the moment he stood up and almost fell back to the seat if she hadn't caught him and if he hadn't supported himself onto the front seats. She was startled by it, no matter how much she had been preparing herself. She led him from the plane to the hall, waiting for their cases, her own ears feeling like underwater, half-deaf. God, how bad it had to be for Matt?

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it," she promised, leaning to his ear, his grip painfully tight on her arm for reassurance – he looked like he was about to walk into something or worse, someone. "Anything."

Matt let out weird sound somewhere between a whine and a chuckle.

"Don't offer that or I'll actually ask."

Her eyebrows shot up, but she didn't get a chance to ask further, responding to the appeal for picking up their luggage. She asked once they were standing by the luggage belts. He just shook his head and smiled inconspicuously, leaving her hanging. She didn't really wonder, checking her phone instead, finding a text from her brother claiming they were waiting outside of the terminal one.

Vera could tell Matt's vertigo and disorientation were getting better each minute, because when they walked the halls, the sunrays coming through the ceiling warm on their heads, he was slowly loosening his hold.

Vera knew her heart jumped when she glimpsed the familiar too long brown hair hovering above the others. She didn't need to see the face to recognize her brother. How many men with slightly over 6'6 feet could be out there? And Jesus, had he actually gotten taller? He was 27 years old, he was not allowed to keep getting taller! She smiled widely, quickening her pace.

Her eyes weren't stinging, shut up, she was not crying already, she wasn't.

The moment they walked out the hall, her brother noticed them and reciprocated her smile, taking a step from his girlfriend, knowing that Vera was going to jump him in three, two, one-

She let go both, Matt and her suitcase, throwing her arms around the freaking yeti and yes, she was crying like a five year old, so what. Her brother was hugging her back gently, resting his chin on the top of her head, cradling just slightly, screw everything, she was totally entitled to cry, she hadn't seen him for a year.

"Hey there, Mechy-girl," he hummed over her head and she chuckled, tightening her grip, breathing in. She was so used to Matt's scent it almost startled her, the change – but it was still so painfully familiar that it only made her tear harder.

"Hey, Mechy."

If they were hugging for too long, neither Matt or Lenka dared to say a word about it. Vera took several deep breaths and let go after a minute, or maybe two, maybe five. Vera smiled unsurely at Lenka, giving her quick hug too. "Hi."

"Hey, Verčo. Welcome home." Vera's smile faltered slightly and she was glad Matt didn't understand. She wasn't sure how he would feel about the greeting. Czechia was home. Was and always would be. 'Home is where your heart is.' She could have had more than one home, right? Because when she was thinking about it… Hell's Kitchen became sort of a home too. She blinked away more tears at that.

"Thank you. Petře, Lenko, this is my boyfriend, Matt. Matt, there's a huge human being to your right at about one o'clock, who is my brother and his girlfriend Lenka at your eleven," Vera introduced them, hoping she didn't mess anything up. It was a long time since she had to describe things and she never really had to. It was almost a year since she thought Matt needed it and their interactions were usually short at the time.

Matt gave the pair his best smile despite Vera being sure he was still very uncomfortable and totally confused with his senses all over the place. He extended his hand in Petr's general direction, shaking it, Lenka's following.

"Nice to meet you, Matt," Lenka offered with a nervous smile, not sure how to treat him and Matt tilted his head as he was focusing on her rather quiet voice.

"Nice to meet you," he said back, probably figuring it out.

"We're a little…" Vera made a vague gesture around her ears. "…from the landing. Be loud with us, please."

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't realize. I'm usually half-deaf because of it too- doprčič! Is that offensive? Considering-"

"Oh, not at all," Matt reassured her with a content grin, happy she was talking loud enough and wasn't watching what she was saying too carefully. "It's cool. So now I'm blind and deaf. Make fun all you want."

Lenka shot Vera a startled look, wordlessly asking if he was kidding her, using some kind of a sarcastic ironic humour.

Vera grinned too. "Oh, he's serious. And yeah, I'm basically deaf too. We are quite a pair, Mr. Murdock."

Matt pecked her temple – or rather the space between her temple and forehead, bad aim, blind and deaf. "We sure are."

Getting to the centre of the town was quite annoying. It was too complicated. But at least the conversation flew rather easily to Vera's relief, Petr talking shortly about a messy conference in the firm he was working at, Lenka rolling her eyes as if she heard the story at least fifteen times.

Vera was cautious about letting Petr know how she was, focusing on the period after Matt's return, carefully picking out details from earlier. Matt seconded her, talked about the legal resurrection of Danny Rand when being asked about his practice. Vera didn't realize her mum shared that much info with Petr and that Petr apparently followed the news in New York – Vera was pretty sure she hadn't talk about Danny in front of mum, only about Matt's friend entering their lives. It startled her for a moment, but it quickly went away when Lenka admitted she didn't understand what Matt was talking about when speaking too lawyery and the topic changed.

They had a late lunch before heading to the apartment, introducing Matt to really the most typical of typical Czech cuisine, Petr teasing Vera about not educating her boyfriend and not cooking for him enough. Lenka shot him a murderous look, offering him cold dinners for several days if he kept having digs at women's traditional role in a relationship. Things were… nice.

Matt leaned to Vera when they went to take a tram to Petr's and Lenka's apartment, whispering to her ear.

"I think I'm gonna like it here."

Vera turned to him, kissing his cheek, smiling brightly. "That's all I can wish for."