Authors Note:
I'm sorry the update took so long! My last few weeks were so full of studying, there was no time to write or even edit -.-
But here we go. I'm not exactly content with this chapter, but oh well. It has to do.
Have fun reading and maybe review :-)
By the way: Thanks to Guest Reviewer Sarah again! Glad you liked it, really am! And regarding season two... Well, season three will first air in 2018, so you've got plenty of time^^
And to Guest Reviewer m: Sorry, I didn't plan for this story to be as long as would be needed for your requirements to be fulfilled.
The rest of the morning passed the same way every other did. Sitting around the big table, occasionally chatting, going through files and trying to determine the best way to approach the case.
Foggy could practically see the tension drain from Matt's whole posture as the man noticed that he was still perfectly able to read Braille at an enormous speed and operate his devices as good as he was used to.
When lunchtime came, Foggy saw his next opportunity to get the better of Matt.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to eat Chinese today", he declared, barely able to contain his grin. He knew, eating with chopsticks would be more than just difficult for Matt and he was eager to see him try.
His best friend turned slightly in his direction and bent his head a little so Foggy could see his eyebrows. He lifted one of them, silently asking 'Honestly? Are you that determined to make a fool out of me?' which made Foggy chuckle.
"Sorry, I can't help it, mate, the opportunity is just too perfect."
Karen looked from one to the other and back again, obviously confused. "Why do I have the constant feeling I'm missing something today?" she asked.
Foggy sent her an apologetic smile. "Still the insider. But not letting you in is nothing personal, promise!"
"Guess I have to be grateful for that. So, Chinese it is, then?"
Foggy looked at Matt, curious about how he would react.
"Not for me, I'd prefer a burger for once."
Smooth, Murdock, Foggy thought. But it's not gonna be that easy.
"I'll get the phone and the menus", Karen offered but Foggy shook his head.
"Why don't we eat out for once? I'd like to take a few steps and get some fresh air."
"Fresh air? You do know we're in New York, don't you?"
"Yeah. But even the pure environmental pollution out there is better then the stale air conditioned poison in here." He was not going to give up quite so easily.
Karen looked as if she wanted to say something, but Matt cut her off. "Alright, we should get our coats then, it's not exactly warm outside."
Yes, Foggy had been the one to push the situation so Matt was forced out on the streets, but slowly he was seriously second guessing that decision.
He couldn't help being slightly rattled by seeing Matt so insecure, so helpless. His usual air of confidence had almost completely vanished, his movements were slow and a bit clumsy. He swung his cane carefully, for once really needing it, sometimes actually hitting one obstacle or another and he was slowing the whole group down, something that had never happened before.
Karen kept casting him sideway glances, ranging from curious to concerned while Foggy couldn't decide if he should be amused or worried. To tell the truth, it kind of unsettled him. Matt had always been the confident one of the two of them. The one radiating calmness. But now... Now he was jumpy, turning his head every other second, trying to determine what was going on around him without ever really making it.
Foggy felt compassion welling up inside him. The urge to help Matt out was becoming stronger every minute but somehow it seemed like finally admitting his help was needed would make the whole thing real. That it would make the possibility real that Matt might never get back to his old abilities. And Foggy refused to let himself believe that. Himself or Matt.
He shook himself, chasing the dark thoughts out of his mind and concentrated on being his normal cheerful self again that used every opportunity to tease everybody around him.
When Matt accidentally bumped into a traffic light which he had narrowly missed with his cane's swing and Foggy still didn't offer him help, Karen let out an exasperated sigh.
"Here", she said, touching Matt's forearm. He gratefully smiled in her direction and took the offered arm.
"Thanks, Karen."
"You're welcome." She cast a reproachful glance a Foggy. "Although I don't understand how come I've inherited this position and why your so called best friend is such an ass today."
In response, Foggy just grinned at her.
"Oh, let him, I deserve it", Matt said. The unexpected statement made Foggy look at him in surprise. He had no idea what the other man was getting at.
"You do?" Karen sounded just as confused.
"I'm afraid so, yes."
"What could you possibly have done to deserve Foggy here", another not too friendly gaze in his direction, "being such a bully?"
"Let's just say, last night was ... long", came the explanation.
Foggy involuntarily started to laugh. So this was what the oh-so-good-liar Matt Murdock had come up with? He was almost disappointed. "I bet it was!", he said still grinning.
Karen looked at him coldly. "When you've got yourself the next hangover we'll see how you like it if I laugh at you all day! Honestly, what's gotten into you? I know the two of you and I'm used to your banter but this is..." She was obviously looking for an appropriate word. "Mean", she finished a little lame.
"No, Karen, it's alright, really." Matt tried to calm her down. "I got myself into this position, I'll deal with the consequences. Even if it means constant teasing from Foggy here." With that, he tried to elbow Foggy but missed him by a few inches.
"Is that all you got?" Foggy teased. "Sad, man. Sad!"
"I'd like to see you blindly hitting a moving target", Matt retorted.
"Was that meant to be a pun? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Foggy pretended to be shocked. "I really am reconsidering this whole 'being friends with Matt Murdock'-thing right now."
Karen shook her head, mouth slightly open, an hilarious confused expression on her face.
"I'll mark the day I finally understand the two of you!", she said.
"Good luck with that!", Foggy and Matt responded in unison at which she resigned to her fate and the men started laughing.
The work day neared it's end and Foggy silently entered Matt's office. His partner was sitting behind his desk, head bent in concentration, and worked through a stack of papers. He obviously hadn't heard the other man approach. Foggy grinned. Being able to sneak up on Matt – something he had been dreaming about for years now. He pushed his luck and tip-toed closer, relying on Matt's focus being entirely on the documents.
When he reached the desk he paused and took a silent breath. He held his hands above the wooden surface, made sure Matt still wasn't aware of his presence and let his palms fall down. The noise of impact was accompanied by a sudden "Watch out!".
The effect was immanent and even more dramatic than Foggy had anticipated. Matt's head snapped up, he pushed his chair back and stood, all within a mere second. He even adopted what looked like half a fighting stance. His head whipped from one side to the other, trying to determine where the danger was coming from.
"Jesus, Matt", Foggy exclaimed. He hadn't intended to startle him that much.
"Foggy?" It almost sounded as if Matt was out of breath.
"Sorry, buddy. I didn't mean to scare you, only wanted to seize the opportunity to sneak up on you for once in my life." He felt slightly sheepish.
Matt visibly relaxed his posture although not to the point at which it looked completely at ease again, felt for the chair that mysteriously had managed not to fall over, pulled it near and sat down again.
"It's alright. My own fault, I shouldn't let my guard go down like this."
"Your guard? Man, you're blind in every sense of the word and you had to focus on reading. How on earth were you supposed to notice someone trying to get near you when that idiotic person did his best not to be heard?"
"You don't understand. There is no excuse good enough for me not to be aware of my surroundings. It could easily cost someone's life."
'Someone's life', not 'my life', Foggy noticed. Typical Matt. He didn't care about himself, never had. Everything that mattered to him was everybody else. Which made Foggy's worrying about him infinitely worse.
He was taken aback by the fierceness in Matt's voice. The reaction was far more serious than he had intended. He didn't know what to say so he settled for a simple apology.
"Anyway, I'm sorry for scaring you, I'm afraid I overdid it."
"It's alright", Matt said again. "I guess it's rather annoying for you, me usually sensing what can only be described as 'too much'. Taking the opportunity of getting revenge seems understandable."
Foggy debated whether this peace offering was strong enough to silence his guilty conscience to the point where it would allow him to pull another prank. The more so as it was a less severe one. Under normal circumstances he was a peaceable type of guy but there was no knowing for how much longer Matt would be without his advantage of hearing's Foggy's heartbeat. So it was seizing the opportunity of being able to tell him half-truths now or never.
In the end, he silenced the voice of kindness in his head by telling it there would be no harm done.
"So, you want me to take you home?" Foggy changed the subject.
Matt tilted his head, obviously not knowing what to make off the sudden act of compassion.
"Oh, come on, dude. I saw you out there today! Letting you go alone would be neglect at least, if not manslaughter. And I don't intend to be disbarred because of you."
"Your trust in my abilities is overwhelming!" Matt said with a small grin that ruined the accusation in his tone.
"Yeah, well, you didn't exactly make it easy to see you as a person who can responsibly be let loose on mankind right now."
Matt let his head hang a few degrees. "You're probably right." He hesitated. "Uhm... so..."
"So?" Foggy asked. He knew very well how much his best friend hated being in need of help and that it was even worse for him to ask for it.
Matt sighed. "Yes, I do want you to take me home. Thanks", he added.
"You're welcome, buddy", Foggy smiled. "Well then? Those papers anything important or can we leave?" He tried to let it sound slightly impatient.
It worked. Matt lifted his head again and tilted it as he often did when he was concentrated, confused or just listening to something.
"What's he hurry? You've got somewhere better to be?"
A mischievous grin spread across Foggy's face. His opening had worked better than expected.
"Well, uhm", he pretended to be a bit embarrassed
"You're meeting someone." It was half statement, half question, underlined with a hint of amusement.
Foggy let his tone switch to slightly defensive. "I do, so?"
"Someone I know?" It was funny, seeing Matt curious. Usually the man just knew about everything but with limited abilities like this... Foggy liked it, he felt less powerless, more like he had the upper hand, had more control over the situation than Matt, for once.
He hemmed and hawed for a moment.
"So I do know her, do I?" Matt concluded.
"It's... It's Marci."
There was silence for a second.
"Marci?" Matt sounded surprised, flabbergasted almost. Foggy saved the moment in his memory to indulged in it later.
"You sure that's a good idea? I don't know about you but I remember the breakup back in the day pretty well."
Foggy was amused about how seriously Matt took this. That he actually believed what Foggy was telling him. He almost felt bad for making fun of the blind man in front of him. Almost.
"That's why I didn't tell you before", he said, trying to sound accusing.
"Before? How long have you been dating her again?"
"I don't know exactly. We got in contact again over the whole Fisk affair, as you know, and somehow one thing lead to the other. She changed!" He pretended to defend her when Matt shook his head in disbelief.
"Guess it's none of my business anyway", Matt surrendered. "Shall we go then? I don't want to make you wait for her any longer", he teased.
"Oh, shut up", Foggy said, half laughing, before he left the room to collect their coAats.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Maybe you've got the time to review? I'd be delighted!