Heading back to the couch with my first aid kit in one hand and a soapy, wet washcloth in the other, I eyed Matt from the corner of my eye. He was fairly relaxed, leaning against the back of the couch and waiting patiently for my return. When I set the first aid kit down onto the coffee table I hesitated, eyeing the spot beside Matt before forcing myself to just sit down beside him. I'd already offered my help bandaging his cut, I was going to have to touch him. Sitting near him on the couch was sort of unavoidable, too.

Licking my lips, I fidgeted with the wet cloth in my hands. "I'll need to clean the cut out first."

Matt leant forward, his elbows resting against his knees as he turned his head towards the coffee table, giving me easier access to the cut.

"Do whatever you need to," his deep voice told me.

My jaw clenched at his words and the heat it drew to my cheeks. His mouth tugged up into a slight smirk, almost as if he could see the reaction he'd just had on me. I shook my head lightly, shaking out any inappropriate thoughts.

Don't make this weird, Olivia.

Very gently, I grabbed his chin in one hand and tilted his head at the angle I needed, trying hard not to focus too much on the rough stubble and warm skin beneath my fingers as I did. Releasing his chin, I focused that hand higher on his head, brushing away the soft brown hair from his temple and holding it out of my way. Matt's eyes fluttered closed at my touch, slightly leaning into my hand. I paused for a moment at the subtle movement, trying to control my breathing. Letting out a slow exhale, I began carefully washing the cut with the cloth.

"So you know I'm a lawyer," Matt said, breaking the silence. "What is it you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

I tried to keep my focus on cleaning out his cut, trying hard to ignore the way his shoulder brushed against my arm as he adjusted his position on the couch a bit.

"I'm a programmer," I answered him. "Nothing exciting; I create programs for companies to help with data storage among other boring things."

"What uh…what made you choose that?" he asked curiously.

I pulled the cloth away from the now cleaned cut, removing my hand from his hair and watching as it fell forward, stopping just before his injury. It wasn't a deep cut; nothing remotely serious. Something I could have easily helped him with in another way if that wasn't sure to send him running from my apartment.

"I don't know exactly," I admitted as I set the cloth on the cover of the first aid kit, my fingers rifling inside for some ointment. "I guess I liked the idea of creating things," I told him. "And programmers, in the right company, can make a decent living–though New York City is still expensive," I said with a slight laugh, causing Matt to chuckle in agreement. "And…working from home was appealing, I suppose." I opened the ointment, putting a little on my finger before closing the cap and setting it back into the kit. Then I turned my attention back on Matt, gingerly sliding the hair away again as I applied the ointment to his wound. "I like the quiet. And being in my own space," I continued as I turned back to the coffee table, wiping off the excess ointment from my fingers on the washcloth before searching for a bandage that would work. "I'm not a big fan of being around too many people, so working in an office, with co-workers and bosses always hovering…that just sounded awful." I grabbed the appropriate bandage and began peeling the protective coverings off. "And I can work from anywhere, too. If I want to just move to a new city or a new state even, my bosses don't care. I can even take long vacations if I want since I can work from anywhere as long as I have internet access. It's…freeing, not feeling…stuck in one place."

Suddenly I paused, my face heating up as my hands hovered just over his face. My eyes widened as I realized I'd been rambling.

"Sorry," I said quickly, the apology coming out rushed. "I tend to babble to avoid awkward silence when I'm nervous."

"No, don't apologize," Matt said, a smile fighting its way onto his lips. "I like listening to your voice. It's…soothing."

"Oh…uhm, thanks?" I let out a nervous laugh, my stomach twisting into knots. "I've uh, never been told that before."

I focused hard on applying the bandage to his cut, willing my hands not to shake so much. Once I got the bandage in place, I smoothed it out across his temple before leaning backwards on the couch, my hands dropping into my lap.

"All done," I informed him, my voice coming out quieter than I'd intended.

Matt turned on the couch, positioning himself towards me better. He smiled warmly in my direction, his eyes focused just somewhere above my left shoulder.

"Thank you," he said. "I appreciate the middle of the night medical care."

I bit my lip, laughing softly. "Well I appreciate the middle of the night safety check-in."

Matt snorted a laugh in response as he reached a hand out, finding my knee and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Anytime," he said, a charming smile spreading across his lips. "But I should probably let you get back to sleep."

I sighed slowly, glancing down at my hands in my lap. "Right," I said half-heartedly.

Matt's head tilted at my response, his brows furrowing together as the smile left his face.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head, knowing he couldn't see the gesture as I dug my thumbnail into the fabric of my sweatpants, toying with the cloth nervously.

"No, I…," I began, pausing for a moment as I repeatedly fidgeted with the fabric of my pants. "I just don't think I'll be getting back to sleep anytime soon. After…everything." I bit my lip nervously, chewing it for a moment. "I've got some broken glass to clean up anyway."

Matt sat straighter against the couch now, a frown crossing his lips. "Broken glass?"

An awkward laugh escaped me briefly, the sound humorless. "I broke my lamp, if you remember me saying that a bit ago. Haven't had a chance to clean that up."

"Would you like some help?" Matt offered.

My eyes went wide as I focused my attention back on him, quickly shaking my head. "No, no that's alright," I told him in a rush. "I'm not going to keep you any longer. I just…didn't feel right letting you go back to your apartment with a bleeding cut on your head."

A moment of silence passed between us. I continued to awkwardly fidget with the fabric of my sweatpants between my fingers as Matt appeared to be in thought.

"If…if it would make you feel more comfortable," Matt began hesitantly, "I can stay for a bit? Keep you company?"

My mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out. Had he really just offered that? There was no way I could say yes to that, I would sound childish–having a nightmare and not wanting to be alone. How would that make me look to him? A grown woman afraid to be in her own apartment at night, afraid of the dark and what lurked in her dreams?

"Honestly, I don't mind," Matt continued. "I can go into the office a bit later tomorrow morning if I need to. That's the beauty of working for yourself," he said with a grin. "I really don't mind. It would actually make me feel better. If I'm not intruding, of course." He cleared his throat, and I swore I saw a tinge of pink rise on his cheeks. "And I…I'm finding I enjoy your company."

Chewing the inside of my cheek for a moment, I considered his offer, trying hard not to focus on the last thing he'd said. I really didn't want to be alone, and he was offering–quite persistently for him to not really mean it.

"If you'd like," I answered him slowly. "And if it really won't affect you having to work tomorrow. I would feel awful if I was the cause of you being tired all day."

"Really," Matt said, settling back into the couch. "I don't mind."

"Okay, I'm just going to grab the broken bits of my lamp and toss them," I told him as I rose from the couch. "There's like three pieces, it shouldn't take me more than a moment."

"I'll be fine right here, unless you'd like some help?"

"No, it's not a big deal," I said sheepishly. "I'll just be a moment."

I hurried down the hall to my bedroom. My sheets were still half thrown on the floor from where I'd woken in a fit. I rushed over to the side of my bed and collected the broken lamp, careful not to cut myself on the glass as I did. Satisfied I'd grabbed all of the pieces, I headed back down the hallway, blushing as Matt smiled when he heard me.

"So you said you don't particularly enjoy being around a lot of people," Matt called out as I headed into the kitchen. "Can I ask what drew you to the city then? Seems…not the best place for you if that's the case."

I tossed the lamp into the garbage before glancing at him on the couch. His arm was thrown over the back of it and his head was turned slightly towards where I was in the kitchen. I smiled softly at the sight of him sitting there.

"I don't," I admitted. "Like being around a lot of people, that is. But I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for a few years before I came here. I wanted a change. Not that Anchorage is quiet, it's actually the most populated city in Alaska, but it's…isolated. Everything there sort of is. It's kind of what drew me there initially." I cleared my throat, as I walked into the kitchen, opening a cabinet and pulling some glasses down. "I haven't done much grocery shopping yet, so my hostess options are limited, but would you like some water?"

"Yes, thank you," Matt answered.

Brief silence followed as I filled up two cups of water and headed back towards the couch. Matt held his hand out and I gently handed him the cup of water. He took a drink at the same time I did.

"The coffee table is about a foot and a half in front of you," I murmured. "If you'd like to set the glass down."

"Thank you," Matt said, smiling lightly as he leaned forward to do just that. As he leaned back against the couch, he curiously asked, "What was Alaska like? I've never left the city."

I smiled, glancing down at the cup in my hands and fiddling with the condensation on the glass. My mind's eye recalled the place I'd spent quite a few years calling home; part of me missed it already.

"It was…beautiful," I said, voice quiet, almost reverent. "I'd been traveling briefly right before having moved there," I told him, fighting hard to keep the memories attached to that buried deep. "But I'd never seen any place like it. The mountains are just…massive. They tower behind Anchorage and all the buildings and houses there. Just always in the distance, always standing so tall; I'd never seen anything quite like them before. And the forests…" My voice trailed off as my eyes closed, remembering the forests. "They're wild. There's so many trails there to hike. So many different types of spruce trees, cedars, and birches. Moss literally coats every inch of the forest ground. It's just… so green . So much life everywhere. You could look up and spot bald eagles or magpies; moose and their young always on the side of the roads or cutting through backyards in the city." I smiled as a memory surfaced and I told him, "I'd run into one on a trail once. It was a trail I always ran on in the city; I was definitely lucky she didn't charge me because they're massive in person."

Matt chuckled at my words and as I opened my eyes, I noticed he'd closed his at some point. A small smile passed my lips as I continued.

"There's bears everywhere too–black and brown. You have to wear bells when you hike and carry bear mace, just in case. And when you travel out towards the ocean, the shoreline isn't sand, it's just these beautiful black river rocks. They're uncomfortable to walk on, but there's just so many that it's…incredible," I told him, glancing down at my hands holding the glass of water in my lap. "Sometimes you can see the whales breaching the water. Or otters swimming with their young. Seals sunbathing on the shore–and for the record, they smell very bad. Like shit and rotting fish." Matt laughed along with me, his head leaning towards me, eyes still closed. "In the summer, the sun never really sets. It could be eleven at night and it perpetually looks like the sun is just about to go down, but it never does." I sighed, picturing summers in Anchorage. "There's this flower called fireweed; it's everywhere, blanketing the grasses in bright pink like the ground is on fire. There's so many of them that you can smell it in the air." I laughed lightly. "And the air is definitely cleaner there. That's for sure."

I paused, taking in the look of peace on his face. Slowly his eyelids fluttered open, his head turning towards me and his eyes almost catching mine.

"You paint a beautiful picture," he said quietly. "It sounds like you loved it there."

I exhaled slowly, nodding my head. "I did," I told him. "I loved hiking the trails. Even learning to do a bit of mountain climbing. I never got into the fishing or hunting out there though–not really into the idea of killing things," I said, a shiver running down my spine as I continued on, pushing more memories farther back. "I visited some glaciers and even tried foraging. I tried hard to start a life out there but I was just…lonely."

"So you moved here?" Matt asked.

"So I moved here," I agreed.

"And are you feeling less lonely?" he asked me curiously.

I smiled softly in response, capturing my bottom lip between my teeth as I eyed him. "Well, I've been here a week and made a few friends already. So, I'd say so."

A warm smile crossed Matt's face, his eyes creasing at the corners. "I'm glad to hear that."

Whether it was the lack of sleep and early hour, or the look on his handsome face, I suddenly found myself blurting out, "I prefer talking to you without the glasses." And when I realized what I said, I grimaced, slapping a hand to my face and groaning audibly. "I'm sorry," I mumbled out behind my hand, hearing Matt laugh at my words. "That is probably such an incredibly rude thing to say."

"No," Matt said between a chuckle. "Not at all. Most people find my eyes unsettling."

My hand quickly slid from my face, my jaw dropping. "What?" I asked him incredulously.

He lifted a hand, gesturing at his eyes. "I've been told they make people uncomfortable so I wear the glasses."

"Wow, who would be such an asshole to even feel that way, let alone say that to you?" I asked in disbelief.

He shook his head. "You'd be surprised. But actually, you've been far from rude. Most people ask me about my blindness. Whether I was born this way or what happened. You…haven't. It's sort of a first."

"I mean, that seems pretty rude to just ask someone," I told him before taking a sip of water. As I set the glass onto the coffee table I added, "It's not like that's all there is to you."

He smiled, a look crossing his face that I couldn't quite place.

"You're very right," he said gently. His hands fidgeted in his lap for a moment before he spoke again. "You know I'm expected to say I don't miss my sight; I wasn't born blind. There was an accident that caused it," he told me. "But I would love to see the sun rise again." He turned towards me further, his knees brushing against mine as he did. "Or the sun that never sets in Alaska."

I felt my face flush not for the first time this morning at his words. Nervously I pushed a strand of hair behind my ears, my breath coming in short.

"I think Foggy is wrong," I joked, my voice a little breathless. "Pretty sure your super power is flirting."

Matt barked a laugh at my words, the deep sound rumbling brightly through my living room.

"He may have mentioned you said I'm a flirt and not your type because of it," Matt countered.

"I'm sure you've got plenty of other options," I teased him lightly.

"Oh, and why is that, would you say?" he teased back with raised brows and a boyish grin on his face.

I rolled my eyes, raising a hand to my burning cheeks. "You're an attractive man, Mr. Murdock. And you're quite good at being charming."

He leaned towards me on the couch just a bit, the grin still on his face. "But not quite good enough to tempt you?" he mused.

I pulled my legs up onto the couch, crossing them in front of me as I tried to steady my racing heart.

"I don't…really date," I told him awkwardly. "Certainly not someone with wandering eyes."

The moment it came out, I clapped a hand over my mouth. Matt burst into a laugh again, his hand reaching out and resting gently against my knee as he did.

"I didn't mean it like that," I whined out behind my hand. My cheeks reddened further in embarrassment. "I meant I don't like guys who are always looking for something better."

"I know what you meant," Matt told me, his hand squeezing my knee. "Poor choice of words, I get it. It happens often around me." He cleared his throat, the toothy smile still on his face as he stared somewhere around my mouth. "But for the record, I'm not that kind of guy."

From behind my hand that I was trying to embarrassingly hide behind, I asked out, "Were you not just out late last night on a date? And now you're here, just one night later, flirting on my couch?"

Matt's smile faltered at my words. He opened his mouth to answer, but quickly closed it again. He was clearly frustrated, wanting to say something but for some reason not able to. Eventually he exhaled deeply before answering.

"I was on a date last night, yes," he responded slowly, carefully answering me. "But nothing happened. Despite what I let Foggy think, I don't actually sleep around. And I don't go on that many dates." He cleared his throat, scratching his forehead for a moment. "And if I was interested in someone, my eyes wouldn't be wandering for any other reason besides the fact that I'm blind and can't help it."

A laugh bubbled up and I buried my face in my hands again. When I looked up, Matt was grinning back at me.

"You did not just make that joke!"

Matt shrugged in response. "Just trying to get you to stop being so embarrassed by it. I'm not insulted, I promise."

"Fine," I groaned, letting my hands fall back into my lap. "I'll try to let it go."

He relaxed back into the sofa and I watched him quietly.

"What would you be doing if I hadn't shown up?" he suddenly asked me.

My eyes crossed the room and landed on the TV.

"Probably would throw something on television to zone out to. Something that wouldn't be triggering," I answered him softly.

His head tilted and he smiled softly. "Feel free to put something on, if you like."

I bit my lip, chewing it thoughtfully in the silence. Matt seemed to pick up on my struggle.

"I can listen to whatever you'd like if you would like me to stay," he told me.

"You can stay," I said slowly. "But I don't really know what I'd put on."

He licked his lips, looking at me curiously. "What were you watching earlier?"

My head ducked quickly down and I laughed awkwardly. I ran my hand through my hair a few times before I admitted, "One of those really horrible Christmas romance movies…one of the least nightmare inducing things I could think of." I paused before mumbling, "Didn't seem to work though."

Matt openly tried to stifle his laugh at my admission and I frowned.

"They're a guilty pleasure to those of us lonely, nearing middle-age and middle-aged women," I said defensively, pointing a finger at him.

He held up his hands in mock surrender, fighting back the smile on his face and doing a terrible job at it.

"I'm sorry," he teased, not sounding too sorry. "I just didn't peg you as the type to watch those."

I rolled my eyes before burying my face in my hands, entirely embarrassed now.

"Maybe I should have sent you home bleeding," I grumbled into my hands.

I felt his weight shift on the couch and I stiffened momentarily as I felt his hand rest on my shoulder. When I glanced up, pulling my face from my hands, Matt had a serious expression on his face. All traces of his previous laughter now gone.

"Olivia," he said, tone as serious as his face, "please put on whatever terrible, romantic Christmas movie that is playing right now. I'd be happy to watch it with you." He paused, a playful smirk breaking his serious composure suddenly. "Or listen to it, in my case."

I frowned at him across the small space between us on the couch. The weight of his hand became very apparent on my shoulder and I tried to ignore it. Instead, I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to gauge if he was serious. As if he could read my thoughts he spoke again.

"I'm being serious," he said, sliding his hand down my shoulder, down the length of my arm before he gently brushed his fingers over my knuckles. I shivered at his touch. "I apologize for laughing before."

A small grin spread across my face. "I mean, they are truly bad. Entirely unrealistic. But I…enjoy them. Better than the news, which always seems so grim lately."

"Please introduce me to this…genre of Christmas movie," Matt teasingly pleaded.

I let out a deep sigh before leaning forward and picking up the remote from my coffee table.

"If you insist, Matt," I joked as I turned on the TV.

It took a moment for the TV to turn on, but when it did I immediately recognized which movie was playing. A very unlady-like snort of amusement escaped me before I could stop it.

"What?"

"I've seen this one before; it looks like it's a few minutes in," I informed him.

He settled in closer beside me, his shoulder and leg brushing up against the side of me. I grabbed the soft, dark green blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over both of our legs. Matt adjusted it on himself, somehow scooting closer to me. I noticed he smiled softly as his fingers slid over the blanket a few times.

I focused on the movie, but after a few minutes I felt Matt shift beside me. His mouth was suddenly beside my ear, warm breath tickling my skin. I could feel the goosebumps rise on my arms before he spoke.

"So what is this one about?" he asked, voice just above a whisper.

I swallowed hard at how close his face now was to me, his head tilted just slightly towards the television as his breath fell over the side of my face. I could feel the warmth radiating from him. The faint smell of cedar and clove was now noticeable at this proximity. If I turned my head, my lips would brush against the warm stubble on his cheek and that thought alone suddenly sent my heart hammering in my chest.

Matt's head turned just a fraction towards me, almost instinctively as if he could tell what he was doing to me. His tongue darted along his lips again, a habit I noticed he did often, one I internally cursed for its ability to make me aware of his lips more than I should be.

"Olivia?" he asked, his voice much quieter now.

I exhaled a shaky breath as quietly as I could. I noticed how Matt suddenly tensed beside me, his jaw clenching.

"It's about this lawyer who is trying to get a historic and supposedly haunted inn sold," I told him, trying to remember the plot as I became even more aware of his thigh resting against mine under the blanket. "And this ghost comes alive every year twelve days before Christmas. She ends up falling in love with the ghost."

Matt twisted beside me, his eyebrows shooting up on his forehead. "A ghost? She falls for a ghost?"

"Better than a mannequin " I quipped, heart steadying a bit as I focused on his utter disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding," he deadpanned.

I smiled and shook my head. "Not at all."

"So how does it end? She falls for a living man?" he questioned. "Please tell me she does."

I grinned at him. "You know nothing about this genre of Christmas movie, Matt Murdock."

He scoffed and shook his head. "He returns to life, doesn't he?"

I nudged his shoulder with my own. "Maybe…"

Matt snorted. " How ? He's dead!"

I shrugged, my shoulder brushing against Matt's muscular arm as I did. "Christmas magic, of course."

Matt chuckled, the movement jostling me beside him. "Oh, right. Of course."

"We don't have to watch it…" I offered, turning my head towards him.

He slung his arm on the back of the couch behind me, his hand resting so close that his fingertips almost brushed my shoulder. He shot me a small grin and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good," he said. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to Foggy."

"Your secret is safe with me, Murdock," I joked.

"Oh, is it?" he teased.

He didn't say anything further, his face returning towards the direction of the screen; but I spent the following fifteen minutes trying to decipher what the devilish smirk on his face meant.