A/N: Confession time! Ofcatsandwomen? I totally based this chapter off of LOST AND FOUND. Please take it as a complement and not flat out copying (I did change a few things, no matter how much I wanted to use the phrase "infinitely near-sighted"). So thanks to ofcats and girlwithoutfear. Without them, I would have frozen halfway through.

Chapter 10: Acceptance

Matt opened the door to the apartment, surprised to hear both of his parents in the living room. A feeling of foreboding growing in his stomach, he put down his bag and closed the door.

"Should I be worried?" he asked, walking into the room. "Why are you both home?"

Maggie looked up. "Oh thank God, we're dying over here."

Matt's ears registered her picking up a folder off the table. "Is that it?"

"We think so." Jack replied. "Maggie called me when she came home from work."

"And you've been waiting all that time?" Maggie generally came home around three and it was already past four.

Jack shrugged. "I was in favor of steam, but your mother said you'd know."

Matt smiled. Maggie was probably right. "So can I see it?" His mother handed him the envelope, and he felt the return address. "It's from them," he said quite unnecessarily.

"Do you want me to read it aloud, or do you?" Jack asked. It hadn't taken him long to get used to seeing his son read print, though he still found extremely cool every time he did it.

Matt would have ordinarily asked him as reading print was hardly an easy task, but today was different. "I'll read it."

He turned to walk to his room, but his parents stopped him.

"We just told you we were waiting here for over an hour, the tension killing us, and you're not even going to let us read it?" Maggie said, completely flabbergasted.

"I will, just let me do it in my room." Matt didn't want his parents to see his disappointment, just in case. He picked up his cane and backpack and walked to his room.

"Can you give me the room for a few minutes?" he asked Nate, who was working on something in the middle of the floor.

Nate looked up, "Why?"

"Please?"

Nate grumbled loudly as he pushed himself up from the floor. As soon as he'd crossed the threshold, Matt shut the door.

Matt sat down on his bed and took a deep breath. He slowly opened the envelope, his fingers shaking so hard, he could barely keep them on the thin lines.

Ten minutes later he walked out of the room, his face giving nothing away. His family watched him with bated breath as he passed the letter to Jack and sat down next to Nate.

Jack cleared his throat and read aloud. "Dear Mr. Murdock, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Columbia University." Jack stopped reading and shouted, "You got in, Mattie! You're going to college!"

Maggie was smiling wider than her face would have normally allowed and Jack practically tackled his son in his excitement.

"Keep reading, " Matt said from inside his father's jacket. Jack pulled away and continued reading.

"'We are further honored to inform you that you are this year's recipient for the Jim Hassie Scholarship. Columbia is proud to say that it accepts this scholarship. The terms are listed below. We hope to see you on September third, signed, Edward Adamson, Dean of Admissions.'"

Jack put down the letter and collapsed on the couch. While he and Maggie had been saving money for their sons' college fund, they hadn't been sure they had enough for both. Now they didn't have to worry.

"I can't believe it." Jack whispered.

"I can." Maggie kissed her eldest fondly. "I knew you were going to get it the moment I read your scholarship essay."

Matt blushed, not used to so much affection all at once. "Yeah, well, I guess that means I'm going to Columbia."

"You better believe it, boy." Jack replied happily.

Nate had been quiet all this time. Finally he stood up, "I can't believe you're leaving."

Matt hugged his baby brother. "Columbia's just 50 or 60 blocks away, if you wanted to, you could run it."

Nate smiled, "or you could."

Matt swatted his brother playfully. "Or you could."

Foggy Nelson inspected the place that would be his home for the next nine-and-a-bit-months. He'd been lucky when it came to his dormitory. He'd been assigned to the new dorms, built last year, and fully equipped. There were three small rooms: a slightly cramped bedroom with two beds, a tiny bathroom, and a small kitchen/lounge area. It was really very nice.

His father had been telling him about his dorm room when he was in college, and Foggy had decided that if he got stuck in the same dorm as his father, he'd leave Columbia and transfer to another college. But now the only thing that worried him was his roommate.

Foggy looked at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. He wondered what was keeping – he looked at the sheet the girl who'd given him the key had handed him – Matthew Murdock. He sincerely hoped he wasn't going to be one of those roommates from hell he'd read about in horror books.

Foggy was about to go back into the bedroom and rearrange his stuff again when the door opened. The first thing that crossed his mind was that the boy was young. That didn't go well, young meant smart and Foggy had enough confidence issues as it was.

"How old are you?" Foggy asked suddenly, skipping hello in favor of a direct attack.

The boy looked confused, "Almost seventeen, why?"

"Aren't you a little young?"

"For what?" The boy didn't look too pleased at being called young.

"For going to college." Another boy stepped in behind the first. He was wearing sunglasses and holding a white cane. Suddenly it clicked with Foggy that the boy was blind.

The first boy laughed. "I'm not your roommate." He, like his brother Foggy supposed, had understood.

The blind boy stepped forward and put his hand out. "Matt Murdock, at your service. And this is my little brother, Natty."

Nate shot his brother a glare that he wouldn't pick up, "It's Nate."

"He doesn't really much care for his nickname," Matt explained, giving his new roommate a smile.

Foggy blushed a pleasant shade of crimson and shook Matt's hand. "Franklin Nelson, but everyone calls me Foggy."

Foggy studied Matt. He was taller than his brother, if he had to guess he would put him around six feet. His hair was a reddish brown and he was handsome, not like his brother's roguish good looks, but like a good-guy-knight-on-white-horse kind of way. The only thing that seemed to portray any weakness was the white cane.

Just then, Matt's parents walked in. Jack was huffing as he carried a beaten suitcase and Maggie was offering moral support. "Is this it, Mattie?"

Matt nodded, turning to face his parents. He gestured to Foggy. "Mom, Dad, meet Foggy."

Maggie gave Foggy the once-over, and seeming to approve, shook his hand and introduced herself, as did her husband.

Meanwhile, Matt walked around the small dorm. Though he trusted his radar, he didn't want Foggy to suspect his secret quite yet. Sometimes the cane came in handy.

About ten or so minutes later, Matt pushed his family out the door with: "I'll see you all in two weeks." He sighed as he shut the door and turned his attention to his new roommate.

"So," Matt found his way to the couch he knew was close, "which bed did you choose?"

Foggy responded hesitantly, still unsure of how to act around Matt. "The left, but if you want to change…"

"Nah, fine with me." Matt put his foot lightly on the coffee table before saying, "Do you mind?"

Foggy shook his head before he remembered his roommate wouldn't get it. "No, by all means." He put his feet up too.

Matt laughed. He'd decided they would get along fine, but he could tell Foggy was awkward. "I guess you weren't expecting the blind guy to be your roommate."

Foggy smile slightly, unsure if it was okay. "Well…"

"Don't worry, I'm perfectly capable." Matt decided now would be a good time to set up the basics. "All I need from you is to not move anything around without telling me--that can be painful, if you get my drift, " he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry. I'm not even sure how to move furniture. My room hasn't changed since elementary school." Foggy commented, suddenly realizing that sounded lame. "I mean, the layout hasn't."

Matt smiled broadly. "I get it. The second thing is that I don't care if you use my stuff; just make sure you put it back where you found it. That way I don't have to spend time looking for it."

"That sounds reasonable." Foggy was more comfortable now. Matt seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't care about some crumbs here and there. He also had a certain air about him that helped put Foggy at ease.

"On the other hand, I'm a good cook and I don't hog the mirror in the morning." Matt added, feeling like the mood was getting too serious.

"Well that's really good to know. I'm a terrible cook." Foggy tried to keep the light air going.

Matt laughed and then stood up. "Let's go unpack, shall we?" He could tell that Foggy had only really taken out the basics. Foggy followed him into the bedroom.

Matt organized his stuff quickly, not having much in the way of knickknacks. Foggy was surprised to see him put a picture on his desk. Matt could sense his friend's curiosity.

"My parents gave it to me. I guess they want to make sure I'd tell you about them."

"Oh, yeah. That makes more sense." Foggy had been wondering why a blind person would have photos, but now that Matt had explained it, he did have to agree that photos were more for strangers than the owners.

They were almost done when Matt asked, "So where're you from?"

"Long Island. You?"

"My father owns a gym in the Kitchen and we live about a block away." Matt had already figured that he had little in common with his new friend. They went back to unpacking.

After a while, Foggy found he had to ask. He got the feeling that Matt wasn't the kind of guy who would mind being asked a personal question. "Were you always, you know?"

"Blind? No, only since I was fifteen." Foggy was right, Matt didn't mind being asked. He'd realized long ago that just getting it out there made everything move a lot smoother.

"Really?" Matt could hear Foggy's surprise. Most people were when they heard how recent it had been.

Foggy paused for a second before continuing. "What happened?"

Matt put down the braille book he was holding. "I was in an accident."

Something clicked in Foggy's mind. He remembered watching something on the TV awhile back. Something about a boy in Hell's Kitchen… Suddenly he remembered what it had been about. "So that was you?"

Matt raised his head. "Who?"

"In the report. You were the boy who saved that man four years ago."

Matt blushed slightly. He'd known that he'd been on television, but he didn't think anyone had remembered. "Yeah." He shrugged, "It was just a reaction."

Foggy felt very small compared to this hero putting his socks in his drawer. "I remember my teacher talking about it."

"Really, it was nothing." Matt hated being thought of as a hero. He changed the subject. "Are you done?"

Foggy looked around. "Yeah."

"What do you say we go get lunch?"

Foggy got the hint. Too much was too much. "I think there's something to eat at the student center."

Matt picked up his cane. "Great. Let's go."

Outside, Matt stopped. "You know what?"

Foggy stopped too. "What?"

Matt took his friend's elbow. "Do you mind leading?"

Foggy didn't know what to do. "No, sure."

"Good." Matt noticed Foggy's hesitation. "Just walk. I'll follow you."

Foggy nodded and started walking. "And Foggy? Don't walk me into a tree."

Foggy smiled, recognizing the joke. "What's your opinion on taxicabs?"

Matt laughed loudly; glad to see his roommate did have a sense of humor.

Suddenly Foggy felt a lot better. The awkwardness he'd felt in the bedroom was gone now, and he soon forgot that Matt was attached to his arm.

He stopped outside the hall and Matt released him. "Now what?" Foggy asked.

"Now we go in and order lunch." Matt replied, giving his new friend a comforting smile that said volumes about his character.

After the two had gotten their lunch, Matt asked, "So how did you get the nickname Foggy?"

Foggy choked slightly on the hamburger he'd just bitten into. "It's a long story."

"Hey, I answered your questions." Matt pretended to be hurt, knowing Foggy could take it.

Foggy sighed. It wasn't as much long as a little embarrassing, but a tit for a tat. "It's what they used to call me in junior high."

"Wow. That was a great story that told me absolutely nothing about you." Matt pushed, smiling broadly to show he was only joking.

Foggy smiled at Matt's strange brand of humor. "Alright, alright. I used to be a little naïve and I was a little out of it in school." He waited to see Matt's reaction. For some reason, he found himself trying to impress his new roommate.

"I can sympathize. My little brother used to be the same way," Matt commented.

"Yeah, well, the other kids saw me and they called me foggy in the brain. And it stuck. I used to hate it, but now I guess it sort of grew on me." Foggy shrugged into his almost finished burger.

"If it makes you feel any better, Nate hates his nickname." Matt replied, trying to wipe off the last of the grease.

"At least it's not Nat." Foggy laughed slightly.

"Trust me, I tried." Matt stood up carrying his tray. "Now be a good man and point me in the direction of the nearest trashcan." Matt didn't really need the help, his nose was picking up the scent of decomposing fast food just fine, but he wasn't sure yet whether he could trust Foggy enough to let him know it.

"I'll take it." Foggy put the last bit of meat in his mouth, preparing to take both trays, but Matt stopped him.

"No offense, Foggy, but if you don't plan to take the trash everyday, you should probably tell me where it is."

Foggy blushed again. "Oh right. It's to your left," He tried to estimate how many feet away, "I think about fifteen feet away."

"Right, but if you use the face of a clock to give me specifics, I can find it better. Like, it's at ten o'clock, about fifteen feet away. Otherwise, I'll turn ninety degrees left, and that might not be what you meant, you know?" Matt picked up Foggy's tray as well, despite his friend's insistence, and followed Foggy's directions as if he didn't already know where to go.

Foggy watched his friend as he deftly found his way. Already Foggy could tell that Matt wasn't at all afraid, and his confidence was contagious. He found himself feeling like he could tell this boy anything without having to worry about being judged. It was good and Foggy knew that he'd found a friend.