AN: This is the most Halloween focused chapter of all so I wouldn't blame you if you waited until October to read it :D Also the silliest and the longest.

Chapter Text

Matt was nervous.

The closer he and Frank got to Foggy and Marci's place, the more nervous he became. He was seriously beginning to question his mental state and whether this was the best decision he'd ever made. Maybe Frank had been right and he'd hit his head at some point because this was insane. He was casually strolling through the city in his Daredevil costume, something he usually kept in a hidden compartment in a locked box in a locked closet that was used for nothing else so he had no other reason to open it in front of company, because it was a secret. Nobody could know Matt Murdock was Daredevil, that was the most important rule he'd set when he'd started the vigilantism, and he was openly wearing his costume in public and would be wearing it with people who he was at least semi-acquainted with. For tonight, Matt Murdock was Daredevil and everyone would know it.

The thought was both freeing and nerve-racking. On one hand, he could be open and true and not put up barriers to keep his two lives separate. He could be himself for once and nobody could comment on it. On the other, what if people recognised him? A lot of these people were lawyers, known to be observant and notice details nobody else would, so they could put two and two together and have Matt in a cell by the end of the night. That was if Foggy and Karen didn't murder him before that. Walking around like this made him feel exposed and vulnerable and like he was baring his soul to everyone to be ripped apart.

Also, there was the little issue that he was turning up with The Punisher as his date.

Not a date, Matt reminded himself. Just two people going to a party together so Matt had a buffer and didn't die.

Yeah right. Frank was right on that front; Matt could protect himself, and the only people who would really comment on him arriving as Daredevil were Foggy and Karen. He hoped they'd just be happy to see him rather than focus on what he was wearing.

So why had Matt invited Frank out?

He knew the answer, and in reality it was a very simple answer. Matt enjoyed Frank's company. He liked the time they spent together, both the fighting and the chats afterwards. The dinners were one of the highlights of his night whenever they teamed up, Matt bribing Frank with paying just so he could spend some more time with him, and Matt had noticed how they both relaxed when together like that. They were honest with each other like neither could be with anyone else, both well aware of what the other went through. He liked Frank's restrained violence and his unrestrained violence, his strength – both physical and his mind -, and how he made Matt feel safe. He liked Frank's quiet protectiveness of those he considered his friends and family, including Matt, and when that protectiveness exploded into violence and the need to keep everyone safe. He loved the intensity of how Frank loved and cared about people, the smiles he tried to hide and his laugh.

And his voice was sexy.

Maybe it was a date.

Matt's motives were clear, but what wasn't - and was perhaps the most important question - was why had Frank said yes?

Frank must've known Matt didn't actually need him to come and had ulterior motives, but Matt couldn't think of any reason why Frank would go along with it.

Maybe he liked Matt's company too?

Lots of maybes, and focusing too hard on them would drive Matt mad so he tried to (unsuccessfully) brush those thoughts away.

The walk to Foggy and Marci's was fine; pleasant, even. They spent the first five minutes in silence, but then Frank seemed to pick up on Matt's agitation because he started to make small-talk to distract him: how he'd been, what criminals he'd taken down recently, if he'd managed to rip apart what was left of the Russian gang, how were his friends doing, how was the court case he and Foggy had been working on for months going, if he'd verbally eviscerated the DA in the case where they were defending a teen accused of being the leader of the second biggest drug operation in Hell's Kitchen - which Frank took great joy in finding out the answer to and had been heavily invested in since the start-, and whether he'd remembered to buy fresh vegetables this week. Matt asked him how his friends were, if he was still going to group, how his dog, Polly, was doing and if she was adapting to her new home with Frank, how his part-time job was, if he'd finally tracked down the remains of a private contracting group who'd been alluding Frank for months, whether he'd restocked his medical supplies and if he'd thrown out the expired canned food that had come with his most recent apartment. Nice, normal things.

Then a passing Daredevil had high-fived Matt, Matt responding before he realised, and Frank spent the rest of the trip teasing him.

Matt found himself smiling but that disappeared along with whatever sense of relaxation Frank had helped him claw back the moment they were standing outside Foggy's apartment. Matt hadn't even noticed when they'd turned into the street.

They hesitated outside. Matt wasn't sure he wanted to open the door to the building, he was dreading finding out the responses Frank's presence and his chosen attire would create. He could hear some chattering in the apartment though not a lot so far, mostly Marci's voice ordering people to put the final touches to things, Foggy munching on a cupcake in the kitchen, no doubt hiding from Marci, and Karen talking to what Matt thought was Ellison, the editor of The Bulletin. So not only did Matt have to dodge his friends and lawyers, he had to avoid the press. There was low music thumping in the background and, to Matt's despair, a few dancing skeletons playing The Monster Mash on a loop.

Frank glanced down at his watch. "Look at that, a whole five minutes early. That's gotta be a record for you, Red."

Matt laughed and hit him on the arm. "Turns out most other people are fashionably late. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, we're on time, on the other, more people are gonna notice us."

It took Frank a moment to realise Matt had been listening to the noises in the apartment and that's how he knew, but when he did he nodded in understanding. "That should ease Nelson's ire, that you are one of the early arrivers. Not sure about Karen's."

Frank looked up in the direction of the apartment. The window was no doubt decorated with the gaudiest decorations Foggy could find and a bunch of lights, making it clear where the party was.

"Suppose we should go up?" Frank said, sounding reluctant.

"You don't have to come, Frank," Matt said, reassuringly. He wanted to spend time with Frank, and Matt had to go to the party, but he'd rather Frank go do his own thing than be miserable. It would make Matt feel a little bit like he'd been stood up and he'd be disappointed, but he understood and wouldn't hold it against Frank.

Frank looked back at Matt and his lips twitched up. "I want to," he said softly. Then he straightened up. "Gotta rip it off like a band-aid."

"What?"

"You know, like they tell you to rip the band-aid off rather than peel it back because the pain is short and sharp, not long and drags out? It's just like that."

"So when you bring a known mass-murderer to a Halloween party, you go up quickly and don't linger and push him through the door with a 'hey, look who I brought everyone!'?" Matt said with a raised eyebrow.

"Exactly. Do it fast and get it over with to limit the damage."

"I suppose you're right, and they can't be that mad about it." Matt wasn't convinced that was true. He sighed and drew himself up. "Right, let's do this. Fast and hard like you said."

Frank choked on nothing. "That's not what I said."

Matt decided to ignore that comment along with the way his face was heating up in embarrassment at the mistake.

"How do I look?" Matt asked. He straightened his mask and made sure his holsters were attached tightly on his thigh.

Frank hummed thoughtfully and Matt startled when he felt Frank's hands run up his chest. "Bit wrinkled here," he commented, brushing his hands down Matt's front to iron it out. Goosebumps ran down Matt's skin, following the trail of Frank's hands. Frank's hands moved to slide along Matt's shoulders and to rest on either side of his neck, where he gripped Matt's collar and straightened it. Matt should probably be worried about how Frank's hands were so close to his neck and a vulnerable point, but he wasn't; he trusted Frank, and the way Frank gently rested his hands on the joint between Matt's neck and shoulders and rubbed circles into his skin was wonderful. It made Matt want to close his eyes and relax into it. Frank's fingers stopped and Matt barely held himself back from protesting, but Frank's hands were running back down his body.

They landed on Matt's belt and he had to force himself to stand still and not let out an embarrassingly needy sound when Frank started to unbuckle it.

"It's a little loose here," Frank commented, unfastening it and then refastening it in what Matt was sure was the exact same way it had been before. "Best check the others too."

Matt exhaled sharply as Frank dropped to his knees and immediately went to Matt's holster which he gave the same treatment as his belt.

"I think it's tight enough, Frank," Matt said, pleased when it came out only slightly gruffer than normal.

Frank couldn't stay down there much longer; the Daredevil suit was tight and Matt's body was starting to respond to Frank's touches in very obvious ways. Matt was already standing ramrod straight and trying not to move, attempting to appear casual and unaffected when in reality his attention was intensely focused on where Frank was touching his body.

Frank grinned up at him before his fingers tapped on Matt's lower calf. "There is actually a hole here," he said casually. Matt felt a jolt of electricity where Frank's fingers touched his bare skin. Frank moved up Matt's body, tapping three more times: once on Matt's upper arm, once on his right side, and once at his hip, each time making Matt's breath catch. "And here too. There's a little blood. You been in a knife fight tonight, Red?"

"There were a couple of fights on my way to track you - the gang - down," Matt said a little breathlessly. "A few of them must've got a hit in."

Matt didn't miss Frank's smirk at his mistake as he stood back up to his full height.

"I think that's you done." And yeah Matt was done, he couldn't go into the party in this state and Frank knew that.

Frank stepped back and held out his arms. "And how do I look?"

"No idea, I'm blind, but I'm sure you look very scary."

Frank snorted and nodded his head in the direction of the door. "You good to head in?"

"Yup…Shit," Matt said as he took a step forward and realised he was missing something very important.

"What is it?" Frank said, hand hovering over Matt in concern. That almost made Matt smile because Frank cared.

"My stick's at home," Matt said. At Frank's silence Matt huffed and raised an eyebrow. "You know, the sort people who are blind need to manoeuvre in the world? I wasn't expecting to come straight here and I doubt my batons are gonna help."

Frank made a sound of understanding before coming to stand beside Matt and wordlessly sticking his arm out.

Matt stood still for a moment, unsure if Frank was offering what he thought he was. Matt didn't want to assume and randomly grab Frank's bicep, because as nice as it probably felt and how much Matt wanted to touch Frank all over like Frank had done to him, molesting a marine in the open wasn't one of his best ideas.

Frank elbowed him in his side and practically shoved his arm into Matt's, which was a total contrast to his gentle tone when he spoke.

"It's alright," Frank said with a soft smile. "I'll stay close."

Matt gingerly took Frank's arm and, when Frank didn't make any moves to leave or indicate it wasn't what he wanted, dragged Frank forward and through the door.

Like a band-aid, he reminded himself.

"Hey, Steve," Matt greeted the man in the lobby with a friendly grin. Foggy's place was a lot fancier than Matt's, boasting a lobby and '24-hour security' rather than a staircase and Fran, Matt's nosey neighbour. Matt knew from experience that it was actually closer to sixteen hours, with Barry – who worked weekends – taking naps at night and Steve facetiming his daughter and wife during his shift. Matt didn't even need to sneak in through the fire escape if he needed to see Foggy either as Daredevil or just for a late night hang-out session, he just walked straight past Barry and Steve. Not that they'd stop him anyway, Matt was pretty sure they'd seen him more times than they had Marci.

"Hey, Matt. Here for the party?" Steve smiled back. He was wearing a costume himself: a little witch's hat and what Matt thought was a tutu over his uniform that, based on the smell of glue and glitter, his granddaughter had probably made for him.

"No, this is how I normally dress," Matt said, making it sound like a lame joke when in reality it was the truth. Frank chuckled quietly.

Steve laughed. "Your costume looks amazing. Very realistic. Maybe you'll win the costume competition."

Matt groaned. "There's a costume competition?"

"There was always going to be a costume competition, there's one every year, and you know better than to think Foggy wouldn't demand one just so he could win it himself." Steve turned to regard Frank. "Your date has a killer costume too. Get it?" He barked out a laugh at his own joke.

Frank remained silent beside Matt.

"Yeah, he put a lot of effort into it. I've been told he looks exactly like The Punisher. Maybe he'll win."

Matt noticed how neither he nor Frank had refuted Steve's statement about it being a date.

"He's definitely a contender based on what I've seen so far," Steve agreed. He pressed a button under the desk and the door buzzed to let them in. "Enjoy the party."

"Thanks."

Frank led Matt slowly through the door, then as soon as they were out of Steve's line of sight relaxed and let Matt drag him along. He didn't let go of Matt's arm though, keeping them linked together, even if he knew it wasn't necessary. Matt ignored the elevator and headed straight for the stairs; if he was by himself he might have allowed himself to rest a bit after the night he'd had and the night he was about to have, but he knew Frank would prefer to have an escape route and he'd be uncomfortable if a stranger entered the enclosed space with them.

Luckily, it was only three flights of stairs.

"This is a fancy place for a lawyer who mostly takes pro bono cases," Frank commented, looking around as they walked down the hall towards Foggy's apartment. "How come you ain't living in a place like this rather than your shithole apartment?"

Frank hadn't been to Matt's that often, but Matt had taken him home a few times to patch him up after a particularly brutal night and let him crash there if Frank needed it. Frank rarely stayed long, preferring to be in his own space where he had backup-backup escape routes, but there had been a couple of times he'd had too much blood loss or couldn't physically walk when he'd snuggled up with a blanket on Matt's couch despite Matt insisting he take the bed. There had only been two times Frank had gone to Matt's on his own accord. One time, he'd knocked on Matt's door whilst Matt had been making dinner to ask him for help taking down an arms dealer and stayed to eat. The second time, Matt had come home from the office to find Frank lying face down on Matt's couch asleep with a romance novel in his hand. Matt had no idea how long he'd been there and to this day still didn't know why Frank had gone there because as soon as he'd woken up he'd started talking about this movie he'd seen that he thought Matt would like, then brought out a box of popcorn and chocolate and they'd spent the night watching that.

"Excuse me, I happen to like my shithole apartment," Matt said lightly. "Keeps me grounded and in tune with the people."

"And it has a very nice fire escape and cheap rent."

"And it has a very nice fire escape and cheap rent," Matt agreed. "But to answer your question, when me and Foggy disbanded the practice – he had issues with Daredevil, I had issues with his issues with Daredevil – he left to go work for Landman & Zach. Very fancy, very expensive, not a lot of morals."

"Ah."

"He made a killing there, whilst I continued to focus on pro bono cases and worked from home, and there was a brief period where I was dead. So when we restarted the practice, he had a chunk of savings and had moved in with his lawyer girlfriend who had been working at Landman & Zach longer than him. They're not rich, but they're comfortable and unlike most lawyers of their status actually have a heart." Matt paused. "Well, Marci is up for debate. She has a heart for people she likes and who she empathises with. She'll kill you in your sleep without flinching if not." Matt said it with fondness, he actually liked Marci and respected her. She was good for Foggy - loyal to him, loved him, and helped build his confidence – and that's all Matt really wanted for him.

"Sounds like one hell of a woman."

Matt laughed. "I'd say 'don't let Foggy hear you say that because he'll think you're making a move on her or making fun of her' but he'll probably agree and tell you to run."

They reached the door and Matt turned to Frank. "You ready?"

Frank nodded. "Like a band-aid."

Matt knocked, noticing there was a spiderweb covering the entirety of the door when he pulled his hand back and found it clinging to his skin. He traced his fingers over the door curiously, feeling the little plastic spiders, fake flies, and what felt like a miniature figure of a person tied up in the web. Just to the left was a little wooden sign. Matt smiled when he felt the braille Foggy added underneath in acrylic paint.

Happy Halloween! Welcome to the Witch's Lair. Please leave your brooms and curses at the door and don't drink and fly.

(Matt, if it is past 12am I will kill you in the bathroom and put your dead body on the dessert table as a prop.)

Matt laughed loudly and Frank looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. "Something funny?"

"What does the sign say?"

"Just something about a witch's lair. Why?"

Matt shook his head, grinning widely. It dropped when he heard Marci's voice from the other side of the door.

"Karen, can you get that?" Marci's voice called. "I've just got to put the cupcakes out and then I'm done."

Matt heard Foggy's squeak of panic from the kitchen and then hurried fumbling as he tried to hide the evidence of his crime of munching on the guests' cupcakes.

Karen mumbled an affirmative and then the sound of her heels clacked across the floor as she approached.

"Shit," Matt said, straightening up. He brushed himself down and fiddled with his mask again with the one arm that wasn't linked with Frank's in nervousness.

"What?" Frank said, following Matt's lead and straightening, alert. "What is it?" He glanced at Matt. "And you look fine by the way, stop fussing."

Matt dropped his hand but didn't have time to warn Frank who was about to answer the door because Karen had flung it open before he could. She opened her mouth to welcome them before she stopped up short when she recognised them, her mouth hanging open and her breath catching as she stared.

"Oh shit," Frank blurted.

Karen's expression seemed to be stuck somewhere between surprise and offence. Matt couldn't blame her; she'd opened the door expecting to see someone with a beaming smile dressed in a cheesy costume looking forward to a party with friends, and instead she'd got Daredevil standing tensely next to The Punisher looking like he was about to bolt or go to war. Plus, Frank's greeting hadn't been particularly friendly. Matt knew they were close, so it must've been insulting for that to be her friend's response to seeing her.

Karen's expression morphed to frustration and she focused all her attention on Matt. "Are you kidding me?"

Matt thought that was a little unfair. Frank had agreed to come with him, it wasn't all on Matt, and he was on time. So what if he came as Daredevil in his official Daredevil costume rather than a knock-off? Karen focusing all her ire on Matt was clearly showing who her favourite of the two of them was.

Matt didn't say anything or move, not knowing how to react. Then, after a brief moment of hesitation, he pulled Frank in front of him and took cover behind his body.

Frank grunted. "Oh, very nice. Throwing me to the wolves for the second time tonight, are you?"

"You said you'd come to protect me. So protect me," Matt said, gesturing to Karen and then shuffling so all Karen could hopefully see of him were his arms.

"Aren't you supposed to be 'The Man Without Fear'?"

"Whoever came up with that never met an angry Karen Page, and facing her wrath is not the same thing as jumping off buildings and squaring up to the Russian mob. It's Karen."

Frank nodded. "Touché."

"Ok, ok, I get it," Karen said, waving an arm dismissively and gesturing them inside. They hurried in, Matt pushing Frank in front of him like a battering ram, not wanting to annoy Karen even more. "I can't believe you came in your Daredevil costume and brought Frank. I thought the whole point of being vigilantes was to be subtle and both of you are just wandering around with 'I am a criminal and kick ass at night' written all over you," she muttered, closing the door and turning to Matt. "Foggy's going to turn you into a decoration. Literally put you in the mincer his parents got him for Christmas and that Foggy is now using for his 'disembowelled human' scene in the serial killer corner. You and Frank should hang out there, add to the aesthetic. Maybe everyone will think Frank is a realistic-looking mannequin or something." She looked at Frank and her expression softened. "It's nice to see you, Frank. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to Ellison to make sure he hasn't noticed the actual Punisher randomly strolling into some lawyers' party."

Karen turned on her heel and walked away. Matt thought she was dressed as a zombie cheerleader based on the rustling of pom poms at her sides and that her hair was arranged in pigtails. Karen had been very secretive about her costume, refusing to tell either Matt or Foggy what it was, mostly to prevent Foggy tearing her idea apart. She'd hinted at several things over the last few days, causing Foggy to become almost hysterical at the thought she was leaving her decision to the last minute, but none of them were what she went with. She'd implied to Matt she'd come as a pirate to show solidarity with him and distract Foggy from his yearly anti-pirate monologue, so he felt a little betrayed, but then he guessed he couldn't judge seeing as he'd not come as who he said he'd be either. Honestly, part of Matt had been expecting Karen to come as Daredevil just to make fun of him, so he was glad she'd not gone through with that threat. Foggy would explode if they came with the same costume.

"You're her favourite," Matt said to Frank. "I literally pay her and you're her favourite."

Frank just hummed, but Matt could sense the smile on his face.

"You don't have to sound so smug about it," Matt said, pulling Frank further into the room none too gently.

Frank whistled lowly as they stepped into the main living space. "You weren't kidding when you said Nelson had an intense relationship with Halloween."

"What does it look like?" Matt asked curiously.

"Well, you know when we went to break up that sex trafficking ring? Blood splattered everywhere, all over the walls and beds, chains on every surface, more spiders than people, mould, couldn't breathe without inhaling cobwebs?"

"Yeah?"

"It looks a bit like that, but everything is fake, silicone, or goo. There's a bubbling cauldron in the corner that people are ladling a luminous green liquid from into their glasses, all the food is Halloween themed – there's literally a sausage shaped into a finger with nails and a cake shaped like a decapitated human head -, and there are sections that seem to be themed in decoration. Back right corner looks like classic horror movies: mummies, vampires, werewolves, etc. Left, serial killers. There's also an entire corner dedicated to The Nightmare Before Christmas and one with a bunch of trophies in."

Matt nodded. "Foggy's Halloween trophies." At Frank's raised eyebrows Matt clarified. "He likes to display all the trophies he's won for Halloween costume competitions if he can. Halloween is the only time Marci lets him put them out. I think she's jealous of his success."

"Ah," Frank glanced around and focused on a door to the left. "Is there a reason people are wandering through there?"

Matt tilted his head in the direction Frank was looking. "It's the bedroom…Oh, they've turned that, the bathroom and the closet into a mini horror maze."

"That's only a few rooms, how'd someone get lost in there?"

"They've put up boards to divide the rooms up. The idea is you go through there, come out the bathroom door, and then get to look at the scenes around the room."

"Nice."

Matt chuckled. "I told you: Foggy really loves Halloween."

Frank spotted something in one of the corners and suddenly tugged on Matt's arm to get him to move, making Matt nearly stumble as he dragged him over. "Let's go over here."

"You whisking me off to a dark corner to have your way with me?" Matt joked.

Frank stopped and to Matt's surprise unlinked their arms, only to drop his hand and wrap it around Matt's waist. Frank didn't act like he'd done anything unusual and was casually examining the items on a little table stuffed in the corner and whatever decorations were on the wall. Matt gave a subtle sniff, smelling paint, silicone, polyester, and metal.

"And what's this one themed as?" Matt asked, very pleased when his voice did not betray any of his surprise or pleasure. If Frank was going to treat the intimacy as completely normal, Matt was going to do the same and not comment on it.

"It's superhero themed," Frank said. "Newspaper articles pasted on the wall like wallpaper, some of them by Karen, a mock-up of Avengers Tower, a folder with 'History of Superheroes' written on it." Frank paused and flicked through the pages. "Which is exactly what it says: evolution of superheroes from back in the 20s to now, fact files on the most famous ones, quite impressive research really. There's also a map of the various territories each superhero covers and little figurines of the Avengers."

"Shoot them."

Frank barked out a laugh and turned to him. "I think Nelson and his girl would kick us out if I did that."

"True. At least grab the Iron Man one and put it in the cauldron so it melts."

"Seems a bit unhygienic."

Matt glared at him. "You like Iron Man more than me, don't you?"

"Never. I'd rather kiss a frog, an alien, you," Frank said, repeating Matt's words from earlier back at him.

Matt blushed and was very glad he was wearing a mask.

"There are a couple of items claiming to be from actual superheroes too. Iron Fist's bandana, a flake from Captain America's shield..." Frank paused. "Is that yours?"

Matt stilled and frowned as he tried to work out what Frank was talking about. He went along the table, sensing each individual item out until he got to one that screamed familiarity. Matt took one of his gloves off and reached out to run his fingers over the material, a feeling of disbelief and alarm settling over him as he realised that, yes, it was his.

Matt managed to answer Frank's question with all the verbal skills and way with words he'd developed as a lawyer: he made a high-pitched whine of distress that Frank took as confirmation.

"Did Nelson break into your apartment and steal your backup mask?" Frank sounded like he was seconds away from bursting into laughter.

"Technically, he has a key so there's no break-in necessary," Matt said, a little dazed, pulling his hand away and putting his glove back on. He considered stealing his stolen property back but knew Foggy would notice. "Though he would have had to break the lock on the closet and the trunk I keep it in."

"That is some serious dedication."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did the same with the other superhero artefacts," Matt admitted. "Although I know Iron Fist has better security than me, he'd probably let Foggy in willingly if he brought him food."

"You should sign it," Frank said suddenly.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Sign the mask," Frank said, nodding at it. "That would really make Nelson look good because he had proof it was authentic, and he could sell it after for a load of money to fund his next Halloween extravaganza."

"Yes, because Matt Murdock huddled in the corner writing his signature on a Daredevil mask isn't suspicious at all."

"They'd probably just think you were immature or drunk."

"Am I in the book too?" Matt said, trying to divert the discussion.

Frank flicked through a couple of pages before stopping. "Yup. Double page and everything. There's that unflattering CCTV image of you in your black ninja outfit that the news used to declare you evil incarnate, one very dramatic photo of you silhouetted on a rooftop and one of you in full detail." Frank was quiet a moment before he grinned. "Nelson's got your fact file spot on though. 'Daredevil patrols Hell's Kitchen, flying across the rooftops like a parkouring squirrel and jumping off buildings with overdramatic flair and no sense of self-preservation. Also known as The Devil of Hell's Kitchen, he tracks down criminals and beats them into submission with a combination of martial arts and acrobatics and then lets the police and lawyers handle the rest. He is known to have several allies, including Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Iron Fist, Hawkeye and occasionally The Punisher.'" Frank smirked. "Aw, I got a mention. I gotta tell Nelson thanks for the recognition. 'He, however, is known to have a rivalry with Iron Man and several other Avengers for nearly crushing all of Hell's Kitchen in the Battle of New York, as do most people in the area who aren't fanboys. Nobody knows his identity, except for a few awesome people who he trusts and who deserve medals for putting up with him.' There's some braille on this page too."

Matt reached out and ran his hands over the page where Frank tapped. 'They love him anyway though, even if he does refuse to dress as anything but a pirate. Also, he needs to buy two new locks as his bestest friend in the whole world smashed his with a hammer.'

Matt smiled and opened his mouth to tell Frank what it said when the tell-tale sound of Marci's stilettos announced her approach. Matt straightened and gently nudged Frank in warning.

"Hey, Matt!" Marci greeted, a huge smile on her face as she stopped behind them. Matt and Frank turned to face her. "Glad you could come. Foggy bet me an expensive romantic dinner at Stefano's that you'd be at least an hour late." Ouch. Marci smiled smugly. "I'm going to rack up the bill so much he regrets challenging me."

It was a little painful that Marci had more faith in Matt's punctuality than Foggy, his best friend of over a decade, did. However, Matt could admit that Marci didn't know him as well, so Foggy's characterisation was probably more accurate, and it really was out of the ordinary for Matt to turn up on time. Plus, Marci probably bet that way just to contradict Foggy and make a fun game of it rather than any loyalty towards Matt or offence on his behalf.

"Try not to make him too broke, I don't want our practice to have to dissolve because of a $50 spaghetti carbonara." Marci hummed in appreciation at the thought. "Sounds like you two have really pulled it out the bag once again with the party. I hear the whole room is themed and there's a maze in the bedroom."

Marci smiled, pleased, before her gaze drifted to Frank. That made sense, seeing as someone would have had to tell Matt it was themed, and Karen had left pretty swiftly. It could only have been Frank.

Matt had a brief moment of panic that Marci was going to start interrogating Frank so hurried on. "I expected nothing less. And what did you come as? I'm sure you look stunning."

She was dressed as the Queen of Hearts, full ball gown and crown and all. Matt obviously couldn't say that though, he was blind and Marci would think Foggy had told him and she'd probably whack him with her sceptre for blowing the secret.

"Queen of Hearts," Marci said proudly. "I sewed the costume myself. Took me months but I'm happy with how it turned out."

Matt raised his eyebrows, impressed. It really was intricate work and for Marci to manage that on top of her heavy workload was serious dedication.

Marci eyed Matt up and down. "No question about who you came as. You look amazing. I mean, I've seen so many Daredevils tonight but yours has got to be the best, and I'm not just saying that to be polite." Matt chuckled. Marci would never say anything just to be polite. "It's incredibly high-quality. Can I…"

She reached her hand out slightly and Matt nodded. Marci immediately stepped closer and started feeling the material. She whistled lowly in admiration and pulled her hand away.

"It feels professionally made. What material is that? It's not polyester or leather like every other Daredevil costume on the market. Those are all nasty. Believe me, I know, I went through so many when I was originally planning to come as Daredevil but I couldn't find any decent ones that mimicked it so well and Foggy nearly burst a blood vessel when I told him my plan."

Matt didn't know whether to be horrified at the idea of turning up to the Halloween party to find Marci dressed as him, amused at what Foggy's reaction would be, or disappointed it hadn't happened.

"It's, er, custom-made," Matt admitted. Not untrue.

Marci made a surprised noise. "Wow. I didn't know you cared so much, Matt. Foggy implied you hated Halloween with a passion."

I do, but this one is shaping up to be more than enjoyable.

"I thought Foggy might die if I didn't put any effort in this year."

"Oh yeah, he definitely would," Marci agreed. She eyed up his costume again. "I like the blood effect you've added and the slight tears. None of the other Daredevils have gone for the beaten look; it makes it both more realistic and different. Oh, and the mask looks exactly like the one Foggy has put on display."

"Yes, I heard about that," Matt said, unable to keep the slight exasperation out his voice. "It's amazing he managed to get it." Without me knowing.

Marci turned her attention to the mask. "He says it's genuinely Daredevil's mask, but I'm not sure. Even if he'd bought it at auction, he can't prove the provenance, and he said he just found it lying around. Why would Daredevil leave his mask lying around like that?"

He wouldn't, he'd put it behind locks and not expect his law-abiding friend to plan a robbery.

"You never know, it could be the real deal," Matt said with a shrug. That's all he was giving her.

Marci hummed again and turned her attention to Frank, who had been standing stoically beside Matt without saying a word, hovering protectively. Marci hadn't done anything horrible to Matt, no threats, and she never had except that first time they'd met up after Matt supposedly died and told him she'd kill him herself if he hurt Foggy like that again. Matt knew she'd follow through, and even though Marci hadn't done anything, Frank had been a marine and was now a fairly successful vigilante; he was good at recognising danger. He recognised the same in Karen, that she wasn't completely vulnerable or a damsel in distress, cared but would kill for her friends, and he was no doubt seeing the same in Marci. The difference was Karen would shoot you in your face, Marci would stab you from behind.

"Who's your friend?" Marci said sweetly.

"Oh," Matt said, turning his head to Frank and gesturing to him with his free hand. "This is…"

"Pete," Frank grunted out, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Pete…," Marci said, dragging the word out. Matt didn't need to see her to know she one hundred percent did not believe that and had clocked Frank was Frank as soon as he walked in. She took his hand anyway, and based on Frank's little grunt of discomfort, had shaken it with slightly more force than was strictly necessary before releasing. "And how do you know Matt?"

"Work," Frank said simply. Matt didn't miss him shaking his hand out discreetly.

Again, not untrue.

"Uh huh," Marci said. "Are you a lawyer? You don't look like a lawyer and Foggy's never mentioned you."

She was trying to trip Frank up and test him, seeing how uncomfortable she could make him and if she could wheedle a confession out of him. Luckily, Frank was trained to survive interrogation under torture.

"Ain't that the point of Halloween? To be someone you're not?"

Marci laughed. "Fair point."

"He's a client," Matt said quickly. "Has been for a few years now. We occasionally hang out."

Marci darted her gaze down to where Frank's hand was wrapped around Matt's waist. "Is that so? Just friends I assume?"

Matt could tell from her tone that she didn't believe that either, so he didn't bother to answer.

"Well, I'm glad you brought someone. The more the merrier. How are you enjoying yourself so far, Pete? Matt's obligated to say he's having the time of his life. You won't lie to me, will you?"

"I'll say whatever you want me to say," Frank said. "You seem like someone I shouldn't piss off, and Red warned me you'd eat me alive."

Marci laughed again, worryingly happy at the fact she scared people, before she abruptly turned to Matt. "Red?"

"It's, er, a nickname," Matt said, his face heating up again.

"That's cute," Marci said.

"When Red told me Nelson liked Halloween, I didn't think he meant this much," Frank said. Matt was kind of amazed he was willingly talking to Marci. He honestly had expected Frank to give the bare minimum of conversation; just enough that it was socially acceptable but wouldn't give anyone any ammunition against him. Maybe he was genuinely wary of Marci. "I have to say, I am very impressed with the superhero corner. It's interesting."

Matt resisted the urge to whack him on the arm.

"Yes, it was Foggy's favourite thing to design, next to The Nightmare Before Christmas corner. I think he just wants to cause arguments with that corner though; he wants to cause a fistfight over if it's Halloween or Christmas themed."

"Isn't it-"

"Do not finish that sentence," Matt warned. "You will cause a riot and I won't defend you."

"Yes, Sir."

Matt wouldn't admit that sent a shiver down his spine and caused several images to pop into his head that were not safe to have in public.

"Well, what do you think, Pete?" Marci asked, turning to the superhero items. "Is the mask genuine? You seem like a guy who'd know these things."

Frank paused, and Matt suspected that he had just realised Marci had worked it out. Frank tilted his head in Matt's direction, asking permission to confirm, and Matt nodded slightly.

"Yeah," Frank said, clearing his throat. "Seems like the real deal."

"Oh," Marci said, brightening immediately. "Really?! Maybe I won't damage Fog's bank account too much then at dinner, not if he's found something real." She smirked at Frank. "You know, my favourite is page eighteen of the book: The Punisher," she said pointedly, before turning and calling back into the apartment. "Foggy Bear! Matt's here!"

"Foggy Bear?" Frank mouthed to Matt.

Matt smirked, which quickly turned into a wince as he heard Foggy exit the kitchen and head over to them. He hunched his shoulders when Foggy stopped dead in his tracks halfway across the room, obviously spotting the three of them, Matt's costume, and who he'd brought with him.

"What the hell, Matt?" Foggy whispered.

Matt shrugged sheepishly as Foggy made it the rest of the way over to them, his mouth hanging open as he looked between them. He was dressed as the Mad Hatter, complete with three hats and a teacup balanced on top, so his expression didn't look too out of character at least.

"Baby, close your mouth. It's not that surprising Matt brought a date," Marci said.

That only caused Foggy to splutter. "A date?!"

"Yes, this is Pete," Marci said simply. She glanced around the room. "I need to go greet everyone. The Masons, Stella and her boyfriend, and the girls from work have all arrived. Can you do me a favour and after you've talked to Matt go make sure the cauldron hasn't got a blockage again? It looks like it's spitting. Oh, and maybe show 'Pete' to the safe so he can store his guns there." She turned to Frank and stared him down. "You will not shoot anyone in our apartment and you will stash all weapons in there. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. See you later, baby." She kissed Foggy on the nose and strutted off to the couple hanging out in what Matt thought was the serial killer corner based on the amount of leather.

Foggy stared silently at them for several moments, eyes flickering between them. Matt shuffled uncomfortably as Frank stood silently beside him, the tension slowly rising as Matt waited for Foggy to say something. Anything. For someone usually so talkative, Foggy being silent for this long was worrying.

Foggy seemed to decide completely ignoring Frank was the only way to save his sanity. "Seriously, what in the actual fuck, Matt?"

"I had to come straight here," Matt said hurriedly. "I didn't have time to change! If I'd gone home, I would've been late."

Foggy hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose that's a valid reason, and it's a nice surprise you're here before half the other guests rather than unfashionably late. Means I don't have to kill you and stuff you in the closet for the horror maze. That had been my foolproof plan to hide your death: nobody would think you were a real dead body." Before Matt could relax, Foggy frowned in annoyance and glared at Matt. "Damn, I lost the bet."

Matt chuckled. "I heard. Does it have to be Stefano's?"

"Yeah, it's Marci's favourite. Why?"

Matt shrugged. "I was gonna suggest you call in that favour Danny owes you. He owns some nice restaurants. I think there's even one in Paris, and he'd totally give you the friends and family discount and let you borrow his private jet."

Foggy sighed. "I wish you'd warned me you were gonna be early. I already called in that favour, that's how I got his mask, otherwise I would've used it more wisely."

"And instead got the mask by breaking in?"

Foggy snorted and waved Matt off. "Don't be ridiculous. It's impossible to break into his place. I checked. You think I'd give up that favour just like that if there was an alternative?" Foggy paused. "You might've been able to break in there, but it would've ruined the surprise of the theme, so it was a no-go. Do you think if I explained the situation, Danny would take pity on me and give me a freebie?"

"He'd probably just buy Stefano's."

"Yeah, ok, so I'll just have to go broke. Damn it. We can't keep using your millionaire friend as an out anyway."

"Our millionaire friend."

Foggy eyed Matt up and down, assessing him. "I suppose at least you're not a pirate again this year. That's progress, and my parents won't think we're financially unstable. We'll have you making your own costumes and actually enjoying Halloween within, what, five years?"

Matt laughed. "By that point, you'll have your own Halloween fashion line, Fogs. There's so much detail in your costume, even I can see it clearly." That wasn't an exaggeration. The seams, the lace, the multiple textured fabrics, the amount of delicate touches meant Foggy was as clear to him as he was in the rain.

"Thank you," Foggy gave an exaggerated bow. "I've been working on this since last Halloween." Foggy's eyes flicked up and finally fell on Frank as he stood back up. He straightened his jacket and tilted his head as he considered him. "Your costume is acceptable, Matthew, but bringing a mass-murderer along, not so great."

"He's for protection," Matt said, patting Frank's arm.

Frank snorted and Foggy quirked an eyebrow. "He's not your pet guard dog. You don't need to pet him like one."

Matt moved his hand up to Frank's head and petted him there pointedly, before stroking his hand down the back of Frank's neck. Frank shivered deliciously and Matt smirked at the reaction.

Like Marci's had, Foggy's attention fell to Frank's hand still placed on Matt's waist and his eyebrows rose higher, a slight smile flittering across his lips.

"I guess at least you came dressed appropriately, Castle," Foggy said slowly. He was trying to be nice for Matt's sake, Matt knew Foggy had never forgiven Frank for both temporarily ruining their reputation in the legal world or shooting Matt in the head. But because he could tell Matt liked him, he was being polite. "I mean, you're not in a costume so it's kinda cheating, but people will think you're just enthusiastic. Plus, seeing you dressed as a cat or something would be really disturbing so glad you didn't do that." Foggy shivered and Matt laughed at the image of Frank walking in with cat ears and a tail.

"Happy to be here, Nelson. Thanks for not kicking me out."

Foggy nodded and grinned at Matt. "You just need Spider-Man, then you can re-enact that scene from earlier."

"What scene?" Frank asked, confused.

Matt blushed again, and even though his mask covered most of it, Foggy's grin widened knowingly. Matt shook his head but, like the best friend he was, Foggy completely ignored it.

"Oh, we saw this family with the most amazing costumes earlier: a baby dressed as Spider-Man, the dad dressed as Daredevil, and the mom doing a remarkable impersonation of The Punisher."

Frank was quiet for a second before he grunted and turned to Matt. "Maybe we should adopt, or we could just borrow a kid for a day. There's gotta be a kid coming here tonight dressed as Spider-Man we can steal for a moment."

"This is an adults-only party," Matt said with a smile.

"Well, there's gotta be one of those too. We'll just have to grab them. If you look cute and innocent and vulnerable to lure them in, I'll hide behind the cauldron and knock them out with the ladle."

Cute? Did Frank think he was cute? He'd never said that before. Was that part of the joke or did he actually think that?

"Marci will grab the ladle and carve out your eyes if you cause any damage to anyone here or we have to call an ambulance," Foggy said seriously. "Trust me, I speak from experience. On that note, it's probably best we take away temptation and lock your guns up."

Foggy started walking away and, after a brief moment of hesitation, Frank reluctantly removed his hand from Matt's waist to hold his arm out for him. Matt held in his disappointment and they both followed Foggy to the bedroom, or what had been the bedroom. The bed was gone, as was all the other furniture, and there were more dividers up than Matt originally thought. They had to go through a curtain of fake cobwebs to even get in and almost immediately a model of a vampire dropped down from the ceiling. Matt jumped, flinching back into Frank's hard body. Frank's arm landed on his shoulder and pulled him closer in.

"What? You can detect bullets but not fake vampires?" Frank said, amused.

Matt frowned. "Hey! These things give no warning! Just BANG! and an evil cackle."

"Mwa ha ha ha ha," Foggy said as he led them through a section that smelled strongly of corn syrup. He pulled over to the side of the room and felt around, finally finding a latch and tugging it to pull open a secret door. Matt smiled. Even the doors had their handles hidden just so it didn't ruin the illusion for everyone.

They all slid into the small space between the bedroom wall and the divider, pressed tightly together as they shuffled along the wall to reach the mirror the safe was hidden behind. Foggy lifted the mirror and placed it on the floor carefully before starting to turn the dial for the code.

"Castle, close your eyes. Matt, close your ears."

Matt raised his hand and covered Frank's eyes with his hand playfully and Frank snorted in amusement. Matt dropped it when there was a loud clunck and the sound of the safe opening.

"Alright, Castle, hand them over," Foggy said, holding his hand out and bending his fingers in a 'gimme' gesture.

Frank sighed and slowly began pulling out his weapons: a gun from his waistband, another from an ankle holster, two from holsters attached to his vest and another from his thigh, then a few knives stashed in his pants' pockets, calf, shoe and vest.

Foggy took them all with wide, slightly frightened eyes like he couldn't believe he was doing it or how to react, before placing them gingerly inside the safe.

"Can I keep something?" Frank huffed, arms dropping to his sides.

There were still four knives tucked away on his body.

Foggy drew himself up. "No," he said firmly, before frowning and holding his hand out again. "Hand them over."

Frank swore and handed over three of them which Foggy dutifully locked away. Matt didn't say anything about the one remaining, hidden on Frank's inner thigh.

Foggy eyed Frank suspiciously, his eyes running over Frank's body as if he could find any remaining weapons Frank was hiding and compel him to surrender them.

"I'll go get us some drinks," Frank said abruptly. "You good with that weird goo shit from the cauldron, Red? Yeah, I'll get you some." He spun on his heel and shimmied down the little hallway to the secret door, practically falling out of it to escape Foggy forcing him give up the one lifeline he had left. There was a small scream and muttered apologies from Frank as his entrance coincided beautifully with a frightened couple making their way through Foggy's maze. Matt smirked, the idea of some poor couple being on edge after getting jumped by fake vampires and seeing a bloody massacre only to have The Punisher suddenly break through a wall and apologise was hilarious to him.

Foggy watched Frank go distrustfully, being very still for a moment before he sighed when Frank was out of sight. "Yeah, I get it, he's totally your type."

"My type?"

"Hot and homicidal. Bonus points if they've tried to kill you."

"Frank never tried to kill me."

"He shot you in the head." Foggy made a finger gun and placed it against Matt's temple. "Bang." He dropped his hand. "Karen was bad enough with her 'Frank this' and 'Frank that' and the goo-goo eyes whenever he came up in conversation. What'd she say when she saw your date?"

"She was pleased to see him and glared at me." Matt frowned before Foggy could cut him off with the inevitable 'how do you know.' "And it's not a date."

Foggy snorted. "Right. The Big Bad Punisher decided to come to his long-suffering lawyer's Halloween party for some guy he occasionally works with and doesn't like, and hasn't stopped touching him since he got here because he doesn't want him to escape and kick his ass."

Matt remained stubbornly silent.

Foggy's smile softened. "For what it's worth, man, if you want to go on romantic moonlit walks across the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen with Frank, I'll support it. Be the Best Man at your wedding and everything. Frank Castle's probably the only one who could handle you anyway." Foggy slapped his hands on Matt's shoulders. "Just don't make your anniversary the day you met rather than the day you got together. We do not want speeches about headshots and punches to the face. It'll really kill the mood." Foggy brightened. "Oh, your wedding could be Halloween themed though as this is your first date!"

That sounded like Hell but Frank would get a kick out of it.

Matt smiled softly. "Thanks, Fogs."

"And don't let Marci be your wedding planner. She's already booked our venue and has a scrapbook of things she wants, and I haven't even proposed yet."

Matt laughed lightly before a conversation from the main room caught his attention and he grimaced.

"Uh oh," Matt said, head turning towards the sound. "I think I need to go rescue Frank."

"Why? What's he done? Got cornered by Karen?"

"Nope, your parents."

"Jesus," Foggy exhaled sharply before pushing Matt in the direction of the door. "Yeah, go do your hero-ing and rescue the poor guy. He doesn't stand a chance against mom. I'll finish up here."

Matt was already halfway out the door when he heard Foggy carefully pick up the mirror and place it over the safe again. He ignored the high-pitched scream and jumps of the couple going through the maze – the same ones who Frank had scared minutes ago who apparently were going for round two – at his sudden appearance, and was in the main room heading straight towards Frank before he realised that a blind man shouldn't be walking unaided like this without bumping into a skeleton or two.

Didn't matter, it was too late now. He heard Mrs Nelson gush about the blood on Frank's vest as he approached and Mr Nelson commenting it looked so real and that he would know as a butcher.

Matt pasted on a smile and sidled up to Frank's side. "Hey," he greeted, brushing his arm against a tense Frank. His smile widened when he felt Frank relax. "Did you get some drinks?"

Frank thrust a glass of a syrupy-smelling liquid into Matt's hand, before realising his mistake and gently wrapping Matt's fingers around it.

Mrs Nelson's attention was immediately focused on Matt.

"Matty!" She said, hurrying forward and drawing him into her arms. Matt smiled and hugged her back as best he could whilst trying not to spill the gooey syrup monstrosity. He liked the Nelsons; they'd practically adopted him the first time Foggy had dragged him home for Thanksgiving dinner the first year they'd met. Foggy joked it was like he'd brought a stray puppy home and everyone doted on him the moment he stepped foot in that house, completely forgetting Foggy existed. Matt could admit that the warmth and affection the Nelsons showed towards him made him happy; he hadn't had that sort of relationship with someone since his dad died.

Mrs Nelson retreated, keeping her hands on his shoulders as she looked him up and down.

"Well," she said. "Don't you scrub up well."

Matt chuckled. Of course the Nelsons would think a bloodied up Daredevil was an improvement.

Mr Nelson slapped him on the back. "Win a big case recently, did you? Foggy didn't tell us about that, we've gotta have a word with him about keeping those things from us. It would've been nice to know you were both financially stable. We were starting to get worried."

Frank made a confused sound in the back of his throat and Matt smiled.

He didn't have to answer though, Mrs Nelson was already addressing Frank. "Oh, Foggy and Matty have been in some dire straits recently," she said sadly.

"Recently? Try the last six years," Mr Nelson mumbled.

"Oh, really?" Frank said, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Matt understood why. The firm was doing well, considering they still mostly took pro bono cases, which he likely knew from Karen's frequent reports. They hadn't been financially unstable in a while.

"Yes, Matty's come as a pirate every year. It's been a sad sight. But this new costume," Mrs Nelson considered Matt's costume again with a smile. "This is high-quality. I can tell it took a lot of effort and thought. I'm proud of you."

It took Frank a moment to understand but when he did he hummed in acknowledgement.

"So, you've met Pete?" Matt said, changing the topic and patting Frank on the arm.

"Oh yes," Mr Nelson said. "His costume really stands out. We had to talk to him. We've been trying to guess what the fake blood is. It's not paint or ketchup. My vote was pig's blood." Mr Nelson sniffed unsubtly. "But it's missing a certain twang."

Jesus Christ.

Frank just laughed. "Yeah, people have been trying to guess what it is all night. I've kept it a secret and it'll remain that way. The only person who knows the truth is Matt."

Matt felt a sudden bolt of desire shoot through him. Frank never referred to him by his name and there was something about it, about his name on Frank's lips, that left him feeling light-headed. He enjoyed the nickname Frank gave him – the nice one, that is, he could do without the insults – as it made them feeler closer, but this was different.

Mrs Nelson tilted her head slightly as her eyes flickered between Matt and Frank knowingly, her warm smile widening into a grin.

Thankfully, she didn't say what Matt suspected she'd say. She did have a little more tact than Foggy.

"It is a very good costume," Mrs Nelson commented. "Perhaps you'll be in the running for the competition," she finished airily.

"We're the judges," Mr Nelson said proudly. "Foggy asked us, said he couldn't judge it himself as he was in it and it would be considered a conflict of interest. Didn't want people to think it was rigged as he has a reputation to maintain and said we were the most reliable judges he knew who would take it seriously."

Matt smiled. "I think you're biased. Generally, parents tend to want their children to win these things."

"Matty, we would never be biased with this sort of thing," Mrs Nelson said seriously. "We're just happy to be here."

Matt nodded. "I'm glad you could come. We missed you last year."

It was true. Despite Matt's personal dislike of Halloween, he did enjoy the Nelsons' company. Last year, Foggy had abandoned him to hook up with Marci in the bathroom and Karen had been investigating a corrupt politician for an article as a favour for Ellison – which Foggy still hadn't forgiven her for – so he was left to his own, lonely devices.

"You're too sweet," Mrs Nelson said at the same time Mr Nelson said "Stupid bloody faulty mincer ruining the highlight of my year."

"Well, try to enjoy the party, Matty. And your…friend's company." Mrs Nelson considered the two of them again with a smirk. The air fluttered as, to Matt's amusement, she winked at Frank. "You look after our Matty, won't you, Pete?"

Frank cleared his throat, clearly catching the implications. "Yup."

Matt held back a laugh at Frank's awkwardness.

"Great!" Mrs Nelson said with a beaming smile. "Costume competition is in an hour." She turned to her husband. "Come on, Tom. Let's go talk to the Staceys. We haven't graded their costumes yet."

She grabbed Mr Nelson's arm and dragged him away, grumbling until Mrs Nelson leaned in and whispered to him.

"That's his boyfriend?!" He exclaimed, loud enough that Matt could hear it even if he didn't have enhanced senses. There was a pause. "Excellent couple's costume, I must say. We should give them points for that."

Him and Frank watched them go, Frank bemused and Matt trying not to giggle.

"Guessing that's where Nelson gets his enthusiasm for Halloween from?" Frank said eventually.

"Yup," Matt said brightly. "Foggy inherited that trait, then corrupted Marci. Karen's the only sane friend I have in October, though even she's gradually becoming more invested. I'm putting in escape plans for when she flips."

Frank laughed. "Well, you can always come find me when she does. I guarantee I won't flip, and I'm sure there's some trouble we can get into."

"I bet," Matt said with a smile. "So, what'd you wanna do? I assume you don't wanna go around and socialise?"

Frank tilted his head in a way that suggested he was giving Matt an unimpressed look. "I'll pass. Karen, Nelson, his girl and his parents are enough for me." He paused thoughtfully. "I'd say let's do the maze, but as much as I enjoy you flinching into me, it'd just annoy you, right? Put you in a mood for the rest of the night?"

Matt frowned playfully at him. "I do not go into 'moods.'" He ignored Frank's snort. "But I could do without the smell of corn syrup clogging up my nose for the next few days, and I'd like to avoid cobwebs getting stuck in my hair."

Frank's hand twitched slightly, as if he was resisting the urge to touch Matt's hair.

Matt hesitated briefly before turning to Frank with a smile. He heard Frank's breath catch and his smile softened. "Dance with me?" Matt said, placing his glass on the nearest table.

Frank cleared his throat before downing his own drink and nodding. "Yeah, alright."

Matt grabbed his hand and dragged him to the centre of the room, where there was a good crowd of people in various states of drunkenness already moving to a heavy beat. To his amusement, the moment they made it to an empty spot, the song changed to a slower, softer love song. Matt drew Frank close to him and wrapped his arms around Frank's neck, being absolutely thrilled when he felt Frank's hands wrap around his waist again.

They started swaying gently to the music. It was less of a dance and more of a rhythmic shuffle, but Matt didn't care. He tilted his head slightly upwards and smiled again, feeling Frank's arms tighten around him when he did.

"So," Matt started. "You regret coming yet?"

"My guns have been stolen, everyone thinks I've taken a fake-blood bath, and I've been cornered by Nelson's family and interrogated." Frank smiled softly at him. "But I have enjoyed spending more time with you."

Matt tried to stop his smile widening to manic levels.

"Don't get me wrong, hanging out with Daredevil and seeing you punch the shit outta people is a joy, but turns out Matt Murdock ain't so bad either. So, I guess it's just you I like, Red."

Ok, that really was sweet. Matt often thought that people saw Matt and Daredevil as two separate people, which was good for keeping his secret identity and meant he had managed to put enough distance between them that people would never link him to being a vigilante. However, that wasn't the case; they were both him, and separating them meant a person didn't know him. Frank understood though, and saw him as him and a whole person.

"Aw," Matt said.

Frank pushed him gently. "Hey, don't pretend like you haven't enjoyed the pleasure of my company. I've seen you smile at me more times tonight than the rest of our team-ups combined."

"That's because all those other times we've been distracted taking down drug cartels," Matt said matter-of-factly, slightly embarrassed that Frank had caught him smiling so often. "Smiling would ruin both our reputations."

"True."

They were silent for a moment, just holding each other and moving to the music. Matt was very aware of Frank's body and where the two of them met: Frank's hands on his waist, his chest pressed to his, his lips close to his cheek. Having Frank Castle pressed against him so much was much more pleasurable than he'd ever imagined.

"You think we could maybe…do this more often?" Frank said, an uncertainty in his voice Matt wasn't used too.

Matt hoped he knew what Frank was asking, but it was Frank Castle, he wasn't the easiest person to read and Matt wasn't sure he wasn't projecting his own wishes onto Frank.

"What, go to extravagant costume parties?" Matt said lightly. "You're in luck; Foggy is just as obsessed with Christmas. His dad dresses up as Santa, his mom an elf, and they have an entire grotto. Last year they had actual reindeers. It was chaos."

"What?" Frank said. "No, I mean spend some time…together. You know, without busting bones, cracking heads, and breaking ribs."

Like for dates?

Matt didn't say that out loud. He didn't want to startle Frank if that wasn't what Frank was asking.

Instead, he smiled again. "Movie nights and takeout? The zoo? Museums? I'd like that."

Frank ducked his head and, if Matt wasn't mistaken, started blushing. "Me too, Red. Me too."

They danced like that for a while. Matt could feel eyes on them, mostly Karen and Mrs Nelson's, but occasionally Foggy too, and he wasn't sure if it made him self-conscious or happy. They were all smiling at them, except Karen who smirked, but it was nice to know that if he and Frank did decide to go further with their relationship, they'd have support.

Eventually, they were brought out of their happy and relaxed private bubble that definitely did not make butterflies flutter in Matt's stomach by Foggy tapping on a microphone.

"Excuse me, everyone! Please may I have your attention. Thank you all for coming, it's been one hell of a night and me and Marci are so glad you could join us to make this a spectacular party."

There was a round of applause and Marci grinned widely before bowing her head in false modesty.

"We are going to start on the costume competition now. All of you have been judged throughout the night, and honestly I think the competition is close this year. Some of you have really put the effort in, and it's nice to see Matt as something other than a pirate."

Matt frowned at Foggy dramatically but his lips twitched up in amusement. Everyone chuckled and Matt decided that perhaps he should stop doing his usual pirate costume seeing as it had apparently become a joke amongst their friends.

"We have several categories for the competition, so there's the potential for several of you to get a trophy." Foggy turned to his parents. "But I expect all of them."

Another chuckle, although Matt would guess Foggy was half-serious.

"So without further ado, please welcome my parents to the stage to hear their verdict! Mom, Dad, it's over to you." Foggy stepped back and bowed deeply as he ushered his parents to the front, then went to stand by Marci, bouncing on his feet and grinning giddily.

Mrs Nelson stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Thank you everyone for being here, and thank you Foggy and Marci for inviting us to be the judges. It is truly an honour and I can't say how proud I am of you, baby."

Foggy's face heated up and he paused in his bouncing for a second before continuing when Marci wrapped a hand around his waist and buried her face in his hair to hide her laughter.

"The categories are," Mr Nelson started in a booming voice. "Most detailed costume, best original costume idea, best couple's costume, most accurate costume, most fun costume and, of course, the best overall costume – the winner of the last who will be crowned the King or Queen of Halloween!"

Mr Nelson gestured to his wife, who walked from one end of the room and back again holding a crown on a pillow and raising it above her head to allow everyone to see it in all its glory.

Frank made a high-pitched noise that was part surprise, part horror and dangerously close to a squeal.

"What is it?" Matt asked, keeping his attention focused forward so to not be accused of not paying attention.

"I thought it was gonna be this gaudy, cheap costume crown from a child's playset or something," Frank admitted. He paused as he considered the crown. "But that looks expensive. Are they real jewels? Where did they get it? Do I want to know? Nelson seems like he'd rob the crown jewels if it would make his Halloween party the best."

Matt stifled a laugh but his body shook with silent laughter anyway. "Some of them are real jewels. They have it specially made at a jewellers who give them a hefty discount because the owner is a friend of the family. He's the one standing by the cauldron dressed as a zombie."

"Oh," Frank said, humming in understanding.

"The first category is most detailed costume," Mr Nelson began. "This is for the person whose costume has the most intricate details, those that wouldn't be noticed if you weren't up close and knew what to look for. The winner has clearly put a massive effort into their costume, being both extravagant and elegant, and providing their own spin on a classic character. From the fabric to the skirts to the crown, everything has been crafted to perfection. The winner is…"

"The Queen of our Hearts, Marci!" Mrs Nelson finished.

Marci screamed and jumped up and down with joy, before hiking up her skirt and striding proudly to the front. She curtsied, causing a laugh to flutter through the crowd. Mr Nelson placed a small crown on her head and handed her an envelope.

"Those who win each individual category get a smaller crown each and some sort of voucher," Matt explained to Frank who was watching the interaction with interest. "Usually, it's to a steakhouse or free food from the Nelson's shop, and often a large amount too."

Frank whistled lowly. "I suppose Nelson and his girl never need to buy their own food if they win all these competitions. That's gotta last them a while."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's accurate."

"Thank you, everyone. This means a lot to me. I put a lot of effort and time into this costume and it's nice to know it is appreciated," Marci said before returning to Foggy who gave her a high-five.

"Is that it?" Frank asked, incredulously. "Thought with her enthusiasm she'd end up giving a big speech like at the Oscars or something."

"They all used to, but Foggy went on for half an hour a few years ago so they put a time limit on it. Don't worry, you'll hear them gushing their thanks for the rest of the night. The rules won't stop them."

"The next category is the most fun costume," Mrs Nelson said. "This is for a costume that is both silly and amazing, that makes people laugh or smile the most. The winner of this one has been making people laugh all night with his re-enactments and puppets. The King of the Castle, Rex!"

Rex, Foggy's neighbour, jumped forward as much as his costume would allow. After spending a few years living next to Marci and Foggy, he had caught Halloween fever and upped his game. They had unspoken competitions each year to best each other in the decorations department. Rex had come dressed as a castle – cardboard walls surrounding him hung up by suspenders. He had several puppets attached to it and Matt had heard him putting on little shows for his friends all night.

He got his crown and bowed. "Thank you, Mr and Mrs Nelson. I'm pleased I won something this year and that I beat Foggy in this category. That's the true prize."

"My costume isn't meant to be fun! It's supposed to be the best," Foggy shouted back.

Matt shook his head fondly and Mr Nelson gently nudged Rex back towards his group to prevent a war breaking out.

"Next category is most accurate costume. This was a close one, as so many people have really done their homework with their costumes being almost identical to who they are representing. The winner of this one has not only shown remarkable skill in matching the movie version of his character, but placed little details in his costume to hint at other iterations and interpretations."

Foggy was already walking forward when Mr Nelson called out his name.

"The winner is our pride and joy, Foggy!"

The crown was placed on Foggy's head, who shot a smug look in Rex's direction. Rex huffed in annoyance. Mrs Nelson leant down and whispered in Foggy's ear to keep his speech short and he smiled.

"Well, I'm glad and surprised that I can add another trophy to my cabinet, and that I have a girlfriend who is just as much a winner as I am. That's the true prize, and of course, smashing Rex into smithereens."

The thing about being surprised was a straight up lie and the rest was a dig at Rex, who was both single and 'only' had two trophies. Foggy would probably save his real speech for when he won something else.

"The next category is best original costume," Mrs Nelson said hurriedly when she saw Rex's friends had placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "This is for a costume that we haven't seen before or have seen very few of. Many people come as the same thing every year, usually because they have financial difficulties or a lack of imagination." Frank snorted a laugh next to Matt as Mrs Nelson glanced worriedly at him. "But occasionally someone comes as something original, although still accurate. The winner of this category has arrived as someone I haven't seen represented in the Halloween costume competitions before, nobody daring to try it or having the confidence to pull it off. We love someone who puts their love of Halloween before their own well-being, donning a costume that will get them judged but not caring anyway. The winner of this category is a newcomer: Pete!"

There was silence for several moments before Frank straightened up, realising that was him. He stared, unmoving, as Matt tried not to laugh. Matt gave him a nudge forward, prompting Frank to start walking in a daze to where Mr and Mrs Nelson were standing in front of everyone waiting expectantly, and started clapping. Everyone else followed his lead and before long everyone was cheering.

"He's not the only Punisher I've seen today, so I don't think 'original' is what I'd go for," Foggy muttered under his breath.

Frank bowed his head slightly so Mrs Nelson could reach, his heart beating quickly in his chest, as he allowed Mrs Nelson to place the crown on his head. She clapped loudly as Frank straightened up again, a wide smile on her face.

"Would you like to say a few words?" Mr Nelson said.

"Um," Frank said, eloquently. "I…don't know what to say. Thanks, I guess?"

Short. Sweet. A very Frank-like answer. A beautiful speech.

Frank cleared his throat. "I've felt kinda lame all day 'cause there were no other Punishers, so it's nice to be appreciated. Thanks."

He nodded once and stumbled back towards Matt, another round of applause following him. Mrs Nelson had a hand to her chest, touched by Frank's words, and a few people patted Frank on the back in commiseration at the lack of understanding other people had. One person reassured him everyone was accepting here and this was a safe place for him.

Matt just beamed at him, clapping loudly when Frank stood at his side again.

"Congratulations," Matt said, unable to hide the laughter in his tone.

Frank turned his head to look at him. "You say that like a joke. I'll have you know that I am honoured to have this. Shows I am respected and that all those people who glared at me in the street for daring to dress as a serial killer on Halloween were wrong. I want to track them down and laugh in their faces."

Matt laughed and reached up and traced the outline of the small crown, his smile widening. "I think you look rather fetching in a crown. I really wish I could see it. The image of The Punisher, Hell's Kitchen's most feared vigilante, wearing a princess crown is one I never want to forget."

"Shut up."

Matt would've worried that he'd offended Frank, but seconds later he felt Frank's arm sneak around his waist again as they turned their attention back to the Nelsons. Honestly, Matt wasn't sure there would be anything greater than Frank winning an award and couldn't wait for it to be over so he could spend some time alone with him, but he had an obligation.

"Next up is best couple's costume," Mr Nelson said.

Mrs Nelson sighed dreamily. Matt suspected it was partly to do with the theme and partly her reminiscing about when her and Mr Nelson won it every year. Matt was pretty sure there was a trophy cabinet in their house somewhere, almost identical to Foggy's.

"Sorry for all you singles out there, but this can only be won by those who came with a significant other or as part of a group with a similar theme. The costumes have to be related to each other, show enough synchronicity that they are clearly linked but separate enough that they are different costumes and not replicas. The winners tonight have not only crafted amazing costumes, but put a spin on it we've not seen before. It is unusual but works, and is very exciting to see. The winners are…"

"Matty and Pete!" Mrs Nelson screamed before starting to clap.

Matt's mouth dropped open.

"What the fuck?" he whispered.

"Ha!" Frank shouted next to him before lowering his voice. "I won two. Who's laughing now. Not everyone who thought I was a lame costume."

Foggy groaned. "Seriously, Matt. Either you've been secretly dating all this time – not surprising – or you and Frank have been buddy enough that there are rumours floating around all over the place, and people think this justifies you two being an appropriate couple's costume."

Matt heard him, but the words didn't really filter into his brain. He just stared as people around him applauded and the guy standing next to him patted him on the back in congratulations. Frank glanced at Matt out of the corner of his eye and, when he realised Matt had probably gone into shock and didn't plan on moving, gently took his elbow and led him forward to where Mr and Mrs Nelson were. The air was tinged with saltiness, and with a start Matt realised Mrs Nelson was crying tears of joy and had her hands clasped in front of her.

As soon as they were there, Mr Nelson plopped a crown on Frank's head after some manoeuvring to make sure he didn't dislodge the other crown.

"A double stack!" Mr Nelson exclaimed, stepping back and bowing to Frank in respect.

Mrs Nelson squealed and flung herself forward to hug Matt tightly. He patted her back, still dazed, and when she stepped back she considered him for a moment before her smile softened. She gently placed the crown on his head and kissed his cheek.

"Congratulations, Matty," she said quietly to him. She took his hand and placed an envelope into it. "Use these for your next date and try not to mess it up. Pete seems like a very nice young man and will be good for you."

Matt's face heated up a little but he smiled back at her. It was nice Mrs Nelson was so enthusiastic about the relationship he wasn't in yet. He knew when he saw her next she'd have nothing but questions about Frank.

Frank turned his head to face Matt, clearly having overheard at least part of that sentence. Instead of freaking out like Matt had half-expected, he gave him a warm smile and moved his hand from Matt's elbow to gently clasp his hand in his and squeeze. Matt didn't know why he had expected a negative response from Frank; Matt hadn't exactly been subtle about his interest all night and Frank hadn't rejected him, in fact he seemed to reciprocate, but Frank was complicated and this might have pushed him over the edge.

"You know," Foggy shouted from the crowd. "That crown actually looks amazing balanced on your horns like that." His voice turned low so only Matt could hear. "I think we should redesign your Daredevil costume to always incorporate a princess crown. It will totally throw criminals off their game due to surprise and it's more stylish."

Matt's mouth flickered into a smile and he shook his head in Foggy's direction.

Frank reached up and nudged the crown into a better position. Matt's breath caught at the considerate action and Frank's proximity to his face. He tried to ignore the feeling of Frank's fingers brushing against the bare skin of his cheek and what that evoked in him. He didn't want to add to the rumours. Not yet.

"He's right," Frank said. "You look even better in this than I do. Not that it's possible for you to ever look bad."

If Matt didn't know better, he'd say that was Frank saying he thought Matt was hot.

"Thanks, Frank," Matt said softly. He glanced up, raising his voice to address the crowd as he tried to form his words into something resembling a speech. "Tonight has taught me many things: how great and tolerant my friends and family are, how exceptionally pleasurable company The Punisher can be when he's not growling insults at me, how surprises can come in many forms, including baton and beer bottle-wielding devils, and that I can enjoy Halloween, especially if I avoid Foggy's annual diatribe against pirates by changing up my costume."

Laughter fluttered through the crowd - some genuine, some polite, some confused - and Frank squeezed his hand with a smile.

Foggy waved his hands around fervently. "Hey! You wear the same eyepatch and hat every year and your fake parrot is nearly bald."

Frank led him back to their previous position, dropping his hand to Matt's waist again as Mrs Nelson started the announcement for the final round of the competition.

"And finally, the one you've all been waiting for: the best overall costume. The winner of this is someone who has encapsulated what makes a Halloween costume great and also captured the elements of the other categories: attention to detail, originality, accuracy, fun and connectivity. They put their heart and soul into it, have shown exceptional devotion and effort, and stand out from the crowd. The winner has done all of this perfectly and consistently, and their costume is truly spectacular and one that will never be forgotten. The winner of best costume and the title of King of Halloween is…"

Matt heard Foggy chant "Me, me, me," under his breath before muttering a prayer, despite not being religious. He held in a snort of amusement.

"Foggy!"

Foggy literally screeched and stormed to the front with a huge grin on his face. He bowed his head with fake modesty as Mr Nelson placed the flamboyant, extravagant crown on his head, then handed him a sceptre and an envelope. The crown actually worked well with Foggy's costume, just acting as another hat on top of his others; Matt wondered if it was planned.

Foggy drew himself up proudly and tapped the head of the sceptre into his hand. Mr and Mrs Nelson bowed and backed away, standing to the side with the rest of the crowd.

"I am so pleased to be able to retain my title of King of Halloween for the fifth year running." Foggy shot a smirk at Rex. "It's an honour. There's been some stiff competition this year and the winners of the previous categories all truly deserve it. Marci is stunning as The Queen of Hearts, my Queen." A series of 'awwws' broke out in the crowd. "Rex's…interesting puppet castle, Pete's very accurate Punisher costume and Matt's authentic-looking Daredevil costume have been out of this world and a real step-up from last year. I was actually getting worried when Pete won two categories." Foggy's voice dropped to a mutter. "That he cheated on."

Matt buried his face in Frank's shoulder to hide his laugh, hearing Frank's breath catch in his throat.

"Thanks for an amazing party and I hope you'll all attend next year too." Foggy grinned. "To see me win for the sixth year running."

There were chuckles and applause, even from Rex, before everyone dispersed back to their smaller groups.

Matt turned to Frank.

"So, more dancing or drinking, your highness?" Matt said cheerily.

Frank rolled his eyes at him. "Drinking," he grunted immediately. "I'm all danced out. Plus, I don't want these crowns to fall off and smash."

Frank acted like it was an annoyance, but Matt could tell he was actually proud of his win. It was odd to see Frank actually happy for once and Matt hoped to see more of it. Happy was a great (and attractive) look on Frank.

They grabbed another few drinks from the cauldron and without discussion went to linger in the superhero-themed corner. Frank was a little quiet, quieter than he had been all night, and the air around them felt charged. Frank wanted to say something and was on the edge of saying it, but was waiting for them to be away from the others and was working out how to start.

Frank took a deep breath, clearly gearing himself up for something. Matt waited expectantly.

"I'll pick you up on Saturday," Frank eventually blurted.

Matt raised his eyebrows. "What's happening Saturday?"

Frank shuffled from foot to foot, seeming almost nervous, but that couldn't be right; Frank Castle didn't get nervous.

Frank cleared his throat. "I thought maybe we could start that hanging out thing."

Oh.

"That'd be nice," Matt said. "What should I wear?" he prodded. Matt thought Frank might mean it to be a casual hang-out, but if he was propositioning a team-up with Daredevil rather than movie night with Matt it would be embarrassing to turn up in jeans rather than his costume.

Frank blinked. "Er. Clothes?"

Matt smiled widely at him. That meant casually, and that meant he got to spend time with Frank and not The Punisher. He thought that was his favourite Frank and definitely one he'd like to get to know more.

"Ok. Seven?"

Frank sighed in relief and his shoulders relaxed, releasing all the tension there. "Yeah, sounds good." He brightened. "We could use these voucher things. Celebrate our victory as best dressed couple."

"Ah," Matt said. "Mrs Nelson said I was to use mine for a date. We'll have to cash yours in."

Frank was quiet for a moment before saying, with probably more confidence than he felt, "No. We can use yours."

Matt's heart sped up in anticipation and excitement.

"What's the voucher for? Last year they gave out discount vouchers for the Nelson's Butcher shop and, as much as I'd love to actually use these on Saturday, I don't fancy our first date being turkey sandwiches with Mrs Nelson setting up a table with a candle on in the meat freezer, and hovering all night asking if we were enjoying ourselves and if it was romantic enough."

Frank relaxed even more at Matt's confirmation that he'd like to go on a date. Matt didn't know why he was so uncertain, Matt had practically been glued to his side all night and touching him whenever he could.

"Honestly, Red, I think our first date was the first night we met."

"Where you shot me in the head?"

Frank smirked. "When I shot you in the head."

"Yes, that was very romantic. It's nice that on our second date you weren't afraid to show your kinky side by chaining me up. It's a good sign for a relationship that you felt comfortable being so open with me so soon."

Frank barked out a laugh and Matt felt the urge to kiss him. It wouldn't be hard, and nobody was looking, but would that be too fast? He didn't want to scare Frank off and technically they hadn't been on a proper date where one of them didn't get bruises.

Frank had taken the envelope out of Matt's hand, opened it and was skim reading the voucher for Matt. "Stefano's," he said, surprise evident. He whistled lowly. "That's fancy."

"Did I mention the Nelsons really like Halloween?" Matt said light-heartedly.

"Only about ten times," Frank said. "Not sure I have clothes smart enough for there. I've never been, but whenever I walk past, they're always dressed to the nines. Saw someone in an actual ballgown once."

"We'll have to see if we can squeeze you into one of my shirts," Matt said, squeezing Frank's bicep for good measure. The idea of Frank in Matt's clothes was delicious. To be honest, Matt didn't think his shirts were smart enough for Stefano's, but he also didn't think Frank's torn jeans, casual t-shirts and combat boots would be welcomed, no matter how good he looked in them.

"You'll take any excuse to feel me up, won't you?" Frank asked amused, his head tilted to glance pointedly at Matt's hand on his arm. Busted.

"Oh yes," Matt admitted. "Was that not clear when we had that wrestling match on our first date? My hands were all over you."

"You are unbelievable," Frank said. "But, as you said, it's a good sign for a relationship that you feel so comfortable being open with me this soon."

Fuck it.

Matt turned his body into Frank's, cupped his cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips. Frank froze for a split second before his hand landed on Matt's lower back, pulling him closer as he responded with fervour, turning Matt's peck he'd given to test the waters into an all-encompassing kiss that made Matt groan. Matt made an embarrassingly needy sound when Frank's tongue slipped into his mouth to explore, and wrapped his arms around Frank's shoulders to tug him desperately closer, the slither of distance between them too much.

It was messy, it was intense, it was a little violent, and it was so like them that Matt was convinced they didn't just fit together nicely, they were built for each other.

They broke apart, breathing heavily. Frank rested his forehead against Matt's, gripping him tightly like he didn't want to let go.

"We can use my voucher for our second official date," Frank said, his voice strained.

Matt simultaneously felt a surge of pride that he'd managed to wreck Frank, thrilled at the idea of a second date, and was unable to form a coherent thought due to the fog of arousal that clouded his mind.

"You're very sure of yourself," Matt said. "What if it's a terrible date?"

"It won't be," Frank said surely. "And if it is, we can go beat up a drug dealer and then head back to your place to work it off."

Matt laughed loudly and leaned it for another kiss. It was nice, how casual this was. He knew he should be concerned that not even twelve hours ago he and Frank were nothing more than occasional teammates and dinner buddies who would never admit to even being friends, and now they were kissing at a party, agreeing to multiple dates and Frank was heavily implying sex by Saturday. It didn't feel awkward though. They'd known each other for years, seen each other at some of their lowest points, and been there whenever the other needed them. Frank's comment about their first date being their first fight might've been a joke, but Matt was convinced it was at least foreplay and it had all been leading to this. Maybe there had always been something there, and it was only tonight they were ready to admit it.

"Er, Matt?" Foggy called, ripping Matt out of his happy bubble. Suddenly, the noise and chatter of the party around him came back full force, reminding him of where they were and that the two of them weren't alone. "What the hell is this?"

Matt turned in Frank's arms to face Foggy's direction, tilting his head in question. Foggy was sat in a chair next to the cupcakes like it was a throne with Karen leaning down next to him, watching something on the phone Foggy had clasped in his hands. At Matt's move, Foggy turned up the volume of the video and Matt stiffened up.

"Oh no," he said, backing up into Frank's arms and shaking his head.

"What is it?" Frank said curiously.

Matt just shook his head wordlessly, horrified when Frank took his arm and dragged him over to his friends to see what had Matt in such a state.

Frank leaned down on Foggy's other side, his eyebrows rising when he realised what he was watching, and his body shook as he tried to restrain his laughter. Matt buried his face in his hands, trying not to dislodge the crown hooked on his horns too much.

"Why are there so many of you, why are they charging at a bunch of guys with guns surrounding you, and why are you standing there gaping like a moron rather than a fearsome vigilante?"

Frank started laughing and Foggy darted a glance at him.

"I don't know what you're laughing at, Frank. You don't look much better."

Frank's laugher stopped suddenly and Matt heard him mutter a quiet "Oh fuck" at whatever he saw. A small smile flickered onto Matt's face.

Matt hadn't known there had been witnesses, or at least he hadn't known any of them had been recording that disaster at the warehouse where he'd been rescued by that gang of Daredevils. He'd hoped the only people who would know about it were himself, Frank and the Daredevils, and that nobody would believe them if they told anyone seeing as they were probably all a little drunk, but now everyone in Hell's Kitchen would know. That wasn't so great for his reputation and certainly not for his pride – Foggy wouldn't shut up about this for months and would undoubtedly bring it up next year – but it was too late now.

"Can you send me this?" Frank asked, tapping Foggy's phone screen.

"Er, yeah, sure. Give me your number," Foggy said in a tone that sounded like he couldn't believe what he was saying and uncertain that he should.

Matt turned to Frank questioningly, and Frank shrugged.

"What? I wanna remember tonight. It was a hell of a lot of fun, and our first kiss," Frank said.

Matt smiled at him. Yeah, Matt wanted to remember tonight too because he had had fun. It was hands down the best Halloween he'd ever had and he'd have to thank Foggy for insisting he came.

"Wait, what do you mean it was your first kiss?" Foggy said with horror as Karen laughed next to him.

Matt didn't answer him. Instead, he turned to Frank and pecked him on the cheek, ignoring Foggy's squark, Mrs Nelson's squeal and Karen's continued laughter, and focused entirely on Frank and the heat of his body against his.

It had been a great night, and Matt knew in his heart that the year ahead would be even more phenomenal.

And that's the end! Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with this and left kudos and comments! It's the first multi-chaptered fic I've actually managed to finish so it means a lot xxx