Hiiii guys! I'm back with a new chapter and boy are you guys in for a roller coaster! I'm gonna keep this intro short and sweet, I just hope you guys will love this as much as I do! Annnnd here we go!

Chapter 11: The Devil That You Don't Know

"Holy shit, you're hurt!" I exclaimed as I crouched down to the bloody vigilante.

He grunted as he struggled to stand up. "I'm fine."

"My ass, you're fine! You look beaten to shit!" I reached for his arm to help him up.

"Thanks, it's a new look I'm going for." He smirked, but it looked more like a grimace.

Seriously? This guy's being sarcastic at a time like this?

I rolled my eyes, leaning him on my shoulder. "Okay, wise ass. If you're well enough to be sarcastic, then maybe this isn't as serious as it looks." I hope. "Now let's get you inside and get this taken care of before anyone sees you."

"You don't have to do that." He protested. "It's not nece-"

"Oh yes it is 'nece'!" I argued as I held him firm against me as we walked down the steps toward my apartment floor. "It's absolutely 'nece'. Now cut the stubborn martyr nonsense and let me help you."

"Yes, ma'am."

And that was the end of that until we got into my apartment, luckily unseen by anyone. I walked him to my couch, silently thanking god I didn't have to carry all of his weight, because holy fuck, he was heavy.

Maybe I should start lifting weights. That took a lot out of me!

I noticed his left arm was dangling funny. Dislocated shoulder; recognize that anywhere.

I gently sat him down on the couch before running to my bedroom to retrieve the first aid kit I kept in my backpack. I set it on the table once I made it back to him.

"Okay, so before I treat any of your wounds, we should take care of that dislocated shoulder before it gets worse." I grabbed his hand to hold his arm straight in front of him.

"Okay take a deep breath," I instructed; he inhaled deeply, his spine stiffened up. "On the count of 10…" His head tilted in confusion. "1, 2, 10!" I quickly pulled his arm forward until I heard the loud pop of the shoulder going back in its socket.

The vigilante let out a pained grunt as he wiggled and flexed his arm. I opened the first aid kit and activated one of the cold compress packs and pressed it to his shoulder.

"You're gonna wanna keep an ice pack or a heating pad on that shoulder for at least a few days and use a sling if you have one. Otherwise just try to take it easy. You don't want that to pop out again, you'll have a bad time. Believe me." I handed him some aspirin from the kit and grabbed a water for him.

"Thank you." He spoke gently.

I smiled in reply. "Now let's look at those wounds. Where are you hit?"

He grunted as he pulled his shirt up, the cuts and bruises distracted me from gawking at his otherwise ripped torso. No wonder he was heavy. Look at that muscle!

I shook myself out of my thoughts before I could get carried away and started cleaning the cuts.

He hissed at the sting of the rubbing alcohol and peroxide.

"Sorry."

He grunted. "Don't be, it's okay. You're doing a great job."

I chuckled. "Thanks. May I say though that your outfit is the worst? It doesn't protect you at all."

"It's a work in progress. Ah!" He gasped as I cleaned the biggest cut on his stomach.

"Sorry. That one's gonna need stitches." I pulled out the needle and thread I kept in the kit; I sterilized the needle before I started stitching at his permission. "So work in progress, huh? Can it progress a little faster? Because you're in serious need of armor or something."

"Armor will slow me down." He argued.

"Tough shit, you need it. If this is something you plan on doing long term, the least you can do is wear some kind of protective gear."

He chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." There was a moment of silence before he asked, "How are you so good at this?"

"Good at what?" I asked, still focused on the stitching.

"Stitching me up, pulling my shoulder back in its socket. You didn't even hesitate. You look a little young to be a doctor. Are you a nurse? Med student?"

I hesitated before answering. "Neither. I...I've had personal experience. And I had to teach myself."

The air was filled with tense silence as I finished his stitches. I looked up at him and the sight of him instantly made me nervous; his jaw was so tense I could practically hear his teeth grinding. His hands were tightened into fists so tight, they were shaking. I couldn't stop myself from shifting away from him.

As if he could hear my frantic heartbeat, he loosened his fists and let out a heavy exhale.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." He spoke softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you." His voice cracked slightly. "It's just...you're a sweet girl. And the thought of someone being the reason you had to learn how to treat those kinds of injuries makes me angry."

I relaxed a little at his statement. I didn't like the idea of making him angry.

I tentatively reached for his hand, rubbing it in a comforting gesture.

"Please don't be angry. I'm sorry I brought it up. It was a long time ago since it was that bad," six months to be exact "And I'm okay now." I assured him.

He turned his hand to hold mine in a gentle grip. "Please don't apologize for something you didn't deserve. Nobody deserves to be treated like that, least of all a sweet innocent woman like you who goes out of her way to help a masked stranger when she doesn't have to."

I gave a soft smile as I placed a bandage over his stitches. "I'm helping you because I want to. After all, you did save my life. What kind of person would I be if I didn't return the favor?"

"A sane one?" He asked with a smirk.

"Shut up." I chuckled as I checked the rest of his sexy torso for anymore wounds. His abs visibly tightened at the heat of my touch, I could hear his breath hitch. Before I could lose myself in the sight of him, I pulled down his shirt when I didn't see anymore wounds to treat. "Anywhere else that's wounded? How's your head?"

I lifted my hand to his masked face, but his hand quickly yet gently grabbed my wrist before my fingertips could graze him.

"It's fine." He replied with a slight edge to his voice.

I dropped my hand with a sigh and grabbed a rag to wipe the blood off his face, mindful of the cut on his lip. "I wasn't gonna take off your mask. I just wanted to check if you had a concussion."

He reached for my hand to gently hold. "I'm sorry. It's just-"

"You don't have to explain yourself." I cut him off. "I understand."

He relaxed with relief, still holding my hand. I could feel the warmth despite the barrier of his thick black glove. Warmth that made me feel safe, protected. It made me want to move closer to his arms so they could wrap me into his protective warmth.

What about Matt?

As if a bucket of ice water had splashed in my face, I stiffened and snapped out of my daze. How could I forget about Matt? What's wrong with me?! Yes, he ran out in the middle of our date, leaving me high and dry no less, but that's no excuse to lust over a mysterious vigilante.

I gently pulled my hand out of his grip, causing his lips to frown slightly. I cleared my throat. "So you're sure your head's okay? I don't want you to say yes only to pass out from a concussion as soon as you get up."

He chuckled as he rose up from the couch, "I promise you that I'm fine. I appreciate your concern."

"You don't have to leave right now," I insisted, standing up with him. "You can rest here a little longer to gain back your strength."

"Thank you, but I've taken up enough of your time. I should really be going." He replied as he turned away.

"Are you gonna disappear mysteriously into the night?" I asked him.

He smirked at me in amusement, "I figured I'd use your door."

"Fair enough." I shrugged, walking him to the door, checking that the coast was clear. "Please don't go looking for more trouble tonight. You may be feeling fine now, but you're still injured. Take care of yourself at the very least."

He tilted his head to look at me, his lips lifting into a soft smile. "I'll try my best-"

"Do or do not. There is no 'try!'" I cut him off, blocking him from the door.

"Okay, okay, you win." He held his hands up in surrender. "I will do my best to take care of myself and not intentionally look for trouble."

I let out an exasperated breath as I shifted from the doorway. "I guess I can't ask for any more than that, so I'll let you go now."

The vigilante stepped out into the hallway, and he turned to face me once more. "Thank you for helping me, Ir-uh... I really owe you one. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?"

"Don't get killed." I replied. "You're a good man, doing dangerous things in order to keep people like me safe. There are too many monsters out there. It's comforting knowing that there are people like you trying to get rid of them. Just please, be careful out there."

I didn't even realize I held up my hand to touch his bruised cheek until I felt his warm skin under my palm. He let out a breath as he leaned into my touch, his gloved hand holding onto mine.

"Thank you." He whispered, his lips tenderly kissed my palm. "I will ...for you."

He held onto my hand a moment longer before backing away and disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, my apartment feeling cold and empty once more.

Next Morning

I woke up the next morning feeling restless.

My brain was too awake trying to find answers for last night.

Why did Matt leave in such a hurry? We were having the best date, and it was getting even better…so why did he just run off? Why couldn't he give me a simple straight answer?

He said it wasn't because of me...but was it?

Was I moving things too fast?

I have to admit that I was really surprised with myself for progressing things so quickly. My only sexual experiences were with Paul, and it was always full of pain, discomfort, and fear. I honestly thought I would never want to have sex for the rest of my life...until I met Matt.

I've known him for such a short time, and yet he's treated me far better than Paul ever did. With Matt, I felt cherished, beautiful, safe, and desired. I wanted him, when I didn't think I was ever gonna be capable of wanting ever again. And I thought the feeling was mutual. It sure felt mutual. Maybe I shouldn't jump so quickly into the physical stuff. That's something he and I will have to talk about the next time I see him.

Then my thoughts turned to my surprise visitor/patient.

I can't get him out of my head. I honestly haven't stopped thinking about him since the night he saved me.

It wasn't just because I felt drawn to him, but because he was the first person to have ever saved me from danger. For too long, I've had to suffer under the hands of someone I thought I loved. I spent three years of my life praying for someone to save me before losing hope and saving myself. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever meet someone who went out of their way to save a complete stranger like that.

There's a big part of me that really wants to see him again. I felt safe and comfortable around him; I longed to feel the warmth of his gentle touch again. I longed to see the face behind the mask.

But the other part of me is hating myself for betraying Matt by thinking about some stranger whose face I've never even seen.

I really like Matt, but the way he ran off just has me thinking he doesn't like me as much as I thought.

Maybe I came on too strong, or maybe I'm a lousy kisser...or maybe he felt the ugly scars on my body and it turned him off.

But he seemed so sincere when he was leaving, like he didn't want to leave me.

But why couldn't he give me a real explanation?

Why do I have this heavy feeling in my gut that he's lying to me?

And why can't I stop thinking about Daredevil?

Why do I feel just as comfortable around him as I do Matt?

Why do I want them both?

Fuck, my brain hurts from thinking so damn much!

I forced myself out of bed and got ready for work.

Dressed and ready to go with a coffee cup in my hand, I exited my apartment and locked the door. My eyes turned toward Matt's apartment, and I walked to his door without a second thought.

I knocked on the door. No answer. I gave it a minute before trying again.

"Matt?" I called out, hoping he'll answer.

But there was none.

Maybe he left for work early. Or maybe he slept in the office. He's not avoiding you.

Letting out an uneasy breath, I turned away from the door and walked out of the building.

I made it to work a few minutes early. I was welcomed with the amusing sight of Lucy dancing around the bakery, singing to the music as she was laying out the treats.

It doesn't matter where you go or what you do

I want to spend each moment of the day with you

Look what has happened with just one kiss

I never knew that I could be in love like this

It's crazy but it's true, I only want to be with you

"I take it the date went well?" I greeted with a knowing smile.

She twirled around to face me, her eyes and smile shining brighter than the sun.

"Iris, my love!" She exclaimed cheerfully as she ran to me, pulling me into her arms and twirling me in a circle with my feet dangling in the air.

I giggled hysterically until she put me down. "I take that as a yes?"

"Oh my god, Iris, you have no idea!" She replied as she pulled me to one of the empty tables to sit down. "It was the best date I've had in a long time...probably the best date ever really. Foggy was absolutely perfect!" She let out a dreamy sigh. "He was a total gentleman. He got a new haircut and looked so sexy, I nearly melted. We danced the night away, we talked, we laughed, and…" she trailed off to lean in closer, "I invited him to stay the night with me."

"And?" I asked with impatient excitement.

Lucy slyly lowered the silk neck scarf she was wearing to show the hickies on her neck.

I let out a squeal of joy, causing her to burst into giggles. "Oh my god, Luce! I'm so happy for you! How was it?"

Lucy's cheeks turned to a rosy pink. "It was the best sex of my life!" She exclaimed. "Oh my god, Iris, Foggy is so amazing. He's such a giver, and I mean that in every sense of the word. The things that man can do with his tongue…" she trailed off in a dreamy daze. "My legs are turning into jello just thinking about it."

I'm glad that at least one of us got laid last night.

"Holy shit, sounds like Foggy has some serious skill." Was all I could think to say.

Lucy's grin widened. "We barely got any sleep the entire night."

My eyes widened in amazement. "Wow. I had no idea it could be like that! So things are getting pretty serious between you guys?"

Lucy held my hand in a tight grip in excitement. "Iris...he told me he loves me!"

I gasped. "Oh my god, Luce, that's huge! What did you say?"

"The truth. That I love him too." She replied with her bright smile still intact. "I know that it's crazy to move so fast, but being with him feels so right! He's so beautiful inside and out, he's fun, he makes me laugh, he makes me feel so loved. The way he poured his heart out to me was so genuine and so sweet. I've always gone by my gut feeling, and this time it told me to never let this man go. I adore him. Plain and simple."

I felt bittersweet tears well up in my eyes. I felt so happy for Lucy, but I felt a little sad that I couldn't have that same assurance for myself.

"That's so wonderful, Lucy." I replied, my voice cracking. "I'm so happy for you and Foggy. He's a great guy."

Lucy's brows furrowed in concern. "Iris are you okay? Didn't your date go well?"

I couldn't keep the few stray tears from escaping my eyes. "I don't know." My voice cracked. "We were having a great time. Matt was so amazing and so sweet. One minute we were kissing, and it was getting so intense, and the next minute he leaves! With no real explanation! He swears it's not because of me, but I feel like he's lying to me. I feel like I did something wrong and I don't know what! I'm so confused."

Lucy rose out of her chair and pulled me in her comforting embrace. "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I don't believe you did anything wrong. I've seen how he is around you, he likes you- hell it's stronger than 'like'. He probably forgot to take care of something involving a case he and Foggy are working on. They were here the other day talking about a client, so it must've been about that."

I pulled away to look at her. "But why couldn't he just tell me that? He left in such a hurry, and was so vague."

"Sweetie, guys are stupid." She replied in a chuckle. "Even handsome lawyers. He probably just wasn't thinking, and was stressing out about whatever he might've screwed up on. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll come groveling to you and explain himself."

What Lucy said was making sense, I started to relax with relief. "I hope you're right. I hope everything's okay with him."

2 weeks later

Two weeks.

Two fucking weeks, and no sign of Matt.

At first I was feeling depressed and confused. I couldn't understand why he couldn't just talk to me. He could've told me he was busy, or that he didn't want to see me anymore, something. It would've hurt if he said he didn't want to see me anymore, but at least I would actually know, instead of sitting around wondering and stressing out.

The closest I got to an explanation was through Foggy, that he's busy with a case.

I can understand that, really I can. But why the hell couldn't he just tell me that himself? We only live right next door to each other! He hasn't once stopped by, and he never answers the door when I go to him.

I went from depressed to aggravated. The first man I allowed myself to be completely open with since I ran off to New York, and he completely avoids me.

I'm not trying to be clingy at all, I don't expect him to drop everything for me. What upsets me is that he apparently doesn't respect me enough to be honest with me like I was with him.

Foggy looked remorseful every time he saw me. He swore that Matt still wants to see me, that he wasn't avoiding me on purpose; but I'm having a much harder time believing him.

Lucy was an absolute godsend.

She kept my mind occupied at work; and when she saw how lonely I felt at my apartment, she started alternating between staying over with me, or having me stay at her place.

She took me to the upper east side, where I got to finally meet her just as gorgeous and talented younger sister Gwen at her pinup boutique. We hit it off as instantly as I did with Lucy. The three of us were inseparable.

With both sisters' help, my apartment was redecorated with a vibrant, wildly colorful gypsy bohemian interior that I fell madly in love with, making the apartment truly feel like home. They also saw fit to provide me a new wardrobe, despite my constant protests that they shouldn't spend money on me; only for them to argue that the clothes and the decor are gifts and that I'm not allowed to pay them back. I let that go, for now.

Claire stopped by the bakery a few times to check on me, and enjoyed many helpings of the desserts I offered her. She didn't get to hang out very much because of her job, but she and Lucy got along great.

On one of her rare days off, she joined Gwen, Lucy, and I to Guitar Center, so they got to meet my band of Gypsies, and enjoyed watching me jam with them.

It warmed my heart so much to be surrounded by these amazing people, that for some reason wanted to be my friends. I felt wanted and accepted.

A piece of me, however, was still longing for Matt. I couldn't stop thinking about him. I also couldn't keep my thoughts away from the mysterious vigilante.

Most of the time, I get this feeling like I'm being watched, yet I never see anyone. I'd like to think that it's my late night visitor keeping a protective watch over me. It's more comforting than the alternative, which I've been working really hard not to think about.

Ever since I've opened up about my past with Paul, the nightmares started to go away. The fear was still ever present, but my friends keeping me company helped keep that fear at bay. I was starting to feel more and more safe.

Tonight, Lucy made good on her promise to take me to a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the first time. Gwen and the band of Gypsies joined us, but unfortunately Claire had to work. The experience was more wild and fun than I could've imagined, I didn't want it to end!

It was almost 3:30 in the morning by the time I made it to my apartment building. Lucy and Gwen wanted me to stay the night with them, but I insisted I was fine with sleeping in my own place tonight.

I exited the elevator to my floor, I hesitated in my steps when my eyes shifted to Matt's apartment door. Despite the welcoming distractions as of late, I still miss Matt something fierce. I miss his sweet smile, that silky voice that always made me feel safe and excited at the same time. I miss the touch of his sweet, seductive lips, and those teasing callused hands. I miss how he can make me laugh one minute, and comfort me the next. I miss him.

I felt the walls start closing in on me until I struggled to breathe, I needed fresh air. I took the steps to the roof and took in a deep breath of the night air. I leaned against the wall overlooking the city. The city lights bright and vibrant, the billboard facing the apartment building shining even brighter, the stars barely present due to the lights, the air was silent.

I hate myself for pining over Matt like some lovesick teenager, but I can't help it. I just wish I knew what was going on with him. If he doesn't like me anymore, then fine. It'll hurt, but I'll get over it. Just give me some damn closure!

"Penny for your thoughts?" A familiar deep voice spoke behind me.

I let out a startled gasp and turned around to see Daredevil standing a couple feet away from me.

"Jesus!" I exclaimed.

"Not quite." He replied with that sly smirk, causing me to roll my eyes. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Glad to see you're all healed up, but I'll accept your apology when you start wearing a damn bell around your neck." I replied with a huff.

The vigilante chuckled. "I'll think about it...someday."

My heart paused as I remembered a similar conversation with Matt…

"If you get one, I might actually wear it…" he trailed off in thought. "Someday."

I rolled my eyes and giggled, "People always say "someday" when they actually mean "no chance in Hell". That kind of defeats the purpose of getting the bell." I raised my eyebrow at him expectantly as I continued, "You want to try that again, Mr. Murdock?"

Matt looked deep in thought before he leaned in closer, his warm breath making my face heat up like a furnace and my heart racing at ludicrous speed.

He replied with a sly smirk. "Someday."

"Are you okay?" Daredevil's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

He sounds so familiar….oh god, stop! It couldn't possibly be him. You just want it to be him so you don't feel guilty for being attracted to two men.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. "I just have a lot on my mind."

He cocked his head to the side as he stepped towards me. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Oh no, you don't wanna hear about my stupid problems." I gave an embarrassed chuckle as he leaned against the wall next to me.

"Don't say that. If something's troubling you, it's not stupid. Maybe I could help, like you helped me." He replied with a sweet smile.

"That's sweet of you to offer, but I don't think you can help me in this case." I argued.

"Try me." He insisted.

I looked at him as I hesitated for a moment. What the hell. What do I have to lose telling him about my guy problems? Part of them anyway.

I let out a sigh. "There's a guy." I started. He nodded for me to continue. "He lives next door to me, and he's great. I like him a lot, and I thought he liked me...but I'm starting to think he doesn't."

Daredevil frowned. "Why would you think that?"

I shrugged. "We had a date one night, and it was going great." I blushed thinking about our heated makeout session that night. "And just as things were going further, he just stops everything and leaves. Like he couldn't get out fast enough. He said it wasn't because of me, but he couldn't be bothered to explain, or at least give me a straight answer; so I'm thinking that it is because of me. It's been two weeks now, and I still haven't seen or heard from him. So now I think he just wants nothing to do with me and is just avoiding me without at least having the decency to tell me why, and it fucking hurts!"

I didn't realize I had started crying during my word vomit until the vigilante came closer to me to gently wipe my tears. I looked up at him, his face crumpled with a deep frown of guilt and remorse.

I looked away embarrassed. "I'm sorry for spitting all that out. Like I said, my problems are stupid."

"Please don't say that." He begged, his voice cracking slightly. "Your problems are not stupid. And you have every right to be upset. I'm-" His voice cracked once more. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I gave a weak smile in return. "You have nothing to be sorry for, but I appreciate the sentiment. It's not the first time I've been wrong about a man, and it probably won't be the last."

He shook his head in earnest. "He's an idiot. It's probably a huge misunderstanding and an act of stupidity on his part. I'm sure he feels the exact opposite of what you think. He probably likes you a lot more than you think, how can he not? You're so kind and sweet, you're funny, you're smart, you go out of your way to help a complete stranger who probably doesn't deserve your kindness," He smirked referring to himself. "And...you're the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out. You deserve to be cherished and loved by a good man who is worthy of you."

I could barely breathe let alone speak by the end of his passionate speech. My heart was beating so hard and fast, I'm sure he could hear it.

"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." I replied in a whisper, my voice cracking with tears I'm struggling to hold back.

"It's true. All of it." He answered, caressing my cheek.

Instead of pulling away like I probably should, I held his hand to my cheek as I stepped closer to him. "I don't know anything about you, but... I can't stop thinking about you."

He raised his other hand to run his fingers through my hair.

"Neither can I." He replied, his voice now husky with want.

His nose lightly rubbed against mine, our heavy breaths intermingling.

I gave in to the urge to ask him a question that's been on my mind the past two weeks. "Have you been watching over me? Have you been following me?"

His throat contracted as he swallowed his breath before replying. "Yes. I don't mean for it to be creepy or anything. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

I probably should've been creeped out, but I was honestly relieved. I'd rather it be him than someone who haunts my nightmares.

I reached up to caress his cheek in return. "You already make me feel safe."

Without a second thought, Daredevil leaned down and slammed his lips against mine.

I couldn't bring myself to pull away, and instead pulled him closer, causing him to hold me tighter. His tongue met mine, seeking dominance, which I happily gave.

My pulse was racing, my skin was tingling, the heat between my legs grew even hotter. His kisses took my breath away; they were addicting and sinful. His lips were full, sweet, and...familiar.

I've tasted these lips before.

As if ice water splashed in my face, I froze up before yanking myself out of his arms. I gasped in a breath as I looked at him with widened eyes.

With a shaky hand, I touched my now swollen lips as everything finally added up in my head.

Oh my god. How could I have been so stupid? How could it take me this long to figure it out?!

The familiar voice. The way he talked to me. The familiar lips. The way he moves. The vague excuse for running off that night and then returning late that same night injured.

I wanted to believe it, but I doubted myself every single time. Not anymore.

The vigilante let out a shaky breath. "What's wrong?"

I blinked back into focus, not sure how to feel about this revelation. All I could think to say was, "Come inside, we need to talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked softly, as if afraid of the answer.

I stepped in closer to him and spoke at a volume only he can hear. "I think you know exactly what we need to talk about. You owe me that much, Matt."

Dun dun DUUUUUUUN! Holy shit, Iris knows! How do you think she's gonna take it? Will she be pissed and dump him? Or will she accept him completely? Or both? You'll find out in chapter 12, until then, PLEASE be sure to reblog, leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, I love reading comments! And be sure to follow me if you aren't already to stay updated. Well that's all for now, I hope it was worth the wait. Until next time….*kiss noise*