It was Saturday night, two nights after I'd run into Jessica and Trish. Jessica had texted me over the past couple of days, keeping me up to date on Hope's case and her struggle to find witnesses. She'd also told me about the apology Trish had broadcast on Trish Talk yesterday morning, the day after challenging Kilgrave on air and he'd called in.
I remember listening to the show, hearing his voice over the radio for the first time in years. I hadn't been able to fall asleep for more than an hour at a time the past few nights since. I'd barely eaten, too, having lost my appetite with his reappearance in my life. And because I'd been spiraling, I hadn't left my apartment in the past two days either, unconsciously avoiding Matt, Foggy, and Karen. Matt hadn't had any other night time check-ins; since I was barely sleeping I wasn't having nightmares.
Currently I was sprawled out on my couch, staring at some awful sitcom, not exactly watching it. My eyes were burning and slightly bloodshot from the lack of sleep over the entire week. There was a half eaten slice of toast I had long since abandoned on a plate in the middle of my coffee table, which was a mess with dishes that had piled up.
A rapid succession of hard knocks at my front door caused me to stiffen on the couch. My fingers gripped the cushions roughly as I held my breath.
Did he find me already?
"Olivia! Where the hell have you disappeared the last few days!" Foggy's boisterous voice called from the other side of my front door.
The tension slowly eased out of my muscles as I carefully sat up on the couch. I glanced down at the sweatpants and oversized black tee-shirt I was wearing and frowned. I looked a mess, but I didn't have time to dress to answer the door for Foggy. With a huff I made my way to the front door where Foggy had taken up banging again.
I swung the door open to be greeted by Foggy's beaming face–which immediately fell when he actually took in the sight of me.
"Holy shit, what happened to you?" he breathed out, eyes wide.
Karen suddenly appeared next to Foggy, Matt being pulled along beside her. Her eyes grew wide as well when she began scanning me up and down, her mouth parting a little in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Matt asked quickly, voice full of concern.
"Jesus–you've got a bandage on your forehead and…shit, are those bruises on your neck?" Foggy gasped. "Did someone choke you?"
Matt's jaw snapped shut instantly. From my place at the door I could see the muscles twitching as he ground his teeth. Karen eyed me with a sorrowful gaze, her focus lingering on my bruised neck for a few moments. I let out a sigh, rubbing a hand across my face.
"I'm fine, just had a terrible past few days," I assured them.
"But were you attacked?" Foggy pressed.
"Yes, but it was a…misunderstanding," I explained.
Foggy's eyes narrowed at my words; Karen raised a brow at me questioningly. Matt still remained clenching his jaw, his hands gripping his cane so hard his knuckles were turning as white as the object itself.
"How does someone attacking you turn out to be a misunderstanding?" Foggy shot at me.
I waved a dismissive hand quickly, as if I could wave away their worry. "Look, don't worry about it. I'm fine, I'm handling it."
"That certainly makes me feel better," Foggy said sarcastically. "Did you go to the police?"
I raised a hand, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'm trying to. When I…can."
"Why can't you now?" he pried.
I took a deep breath, fighting back the frustration. I didn't want to drag the three of them into this. They didn't need to be on Kilgrave's radar.
"Because the problem…requires evidence, which I imagine you can understand, being lawyers," I told him. "And until I have that, I'm…dealing with it."
"I don't like the sound of that," Matt said, his tone dark. "Whatever you're doing, it doesn't sound safe. You shouldn't be dealing with it, especially not alone."
"I'm not…I'm not alone," I said slowly. "I have help. And I'm…" my voice trailed off, searching for the words. "I'm sort of the only one able to deal with this."
"What does that even mean?" Foggy pushed. "You're being cryptic and it's scaring me."
I exhaled slowly, opting for a bit of the truth.
"Some P.I. was looking for someone, someone I…used to know. They thought I might've had information, but I didn't," I explained. "Now I'm sort of helping them. That's all."
Karen looked skeptical but remained quiet at my explanation. Matt's jaw muscles had stopped ticking, but his head was tilted to the side and I could tell he was intensely focused on me behind his dark glasses when I felt that telltale prickle along my skin. It was Foggy who continued on.
"But the bruises?"
"I was on a run, had my earbuds in. They grabbed me to talk, I freaked out and attacked them first," I explained with a shrug. "They were just trying to defend themselves too. Like I said–just a misunderstanding."
"Alright…" Foggy said slowly, not looking entirely convinced.
"So uh…" I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Why is it that you're banging on my door after nine?"
"We were going to go to Josie's," Karen told me. "We thought you might want to come out."
"Planning to stay out until the sunrise?" I questioned them cautiously.
"No," Karen said with a laugh. "I don't think Foggy could handle that again."
"Hey!" Foggy exclaimed, affronted. "I did just fine that night, thank you!"
I grinned at the pair before my eyes slid back and landed on Matt behind them. He was smiling but it almost looked forced. I hadn't spoken to him since the night he'd come over and then disappeared on me before I'd woken up.
"Would you like to join us?" Matt asked slowly, one of his brows raising.
I glanced down to what I was wearing, a frown covering my face before I looked up, taking note of their clothes. Matt and Foggy were wearing button down shirts, ties, and dress pants with nice winter coats covering them. Karen was in yet another nice dress with a black pea coat, her face made up and her hair neatly pulled back in a bun. Meanwhile, I was pretty sure there was a smear of peanut butter somewhere on my shirt, a hole forming at the left ankle of my sweatpants, and my hair was a tousled mess.
"I'm sort of a mess right now…" I answered, voice trailing off.
Karen smiled wide, catching my eye. "We can wait, if you want to change."
"Yeah, we'd love for you to come out with us," Foggy assured me. "Josie's is just a dive bar, you don't need to get dressed up. We just had some office work for a new case we worked on today so," he said, waving a hand at their attire, "we haven't really changed."
Clearing my throat, I stepped aside from the doorway. "I'll just change quick, if you want to wait inside?"
Foggy quickly rushed past; I could feel him surveying the state of my apartment without even seeing him. Karen slipped in past me, guiding Matt inside. His hand briefly brushed against my arm as he stepped past me and I wondered if it was intentional or not. Closing the door behind them, I followed Karen and Matt down the entry hall into the living room.
I shifted awkwardly as Foggy and Karen eyed the coffee table littered with empty water glasses and coffee mugs; the piece of lone peanut butter toast forgotten on the table. I quickly grabbed the plate, biting my lip awkwardly.
"Sorry, wasn't planning on company," I muttered as I rushed to empty the toast in the trash before tossing the dish in the sink. As I made my way through the living room, I briefly mumbled out, "I'll just be a minute," before darting down the hall and towards the bedroom.
Sliding the door closed behind me, I made my way to the dresser, grabbing the brush atop it and quickly combing through my long, blonde hair. It was a tangled disaster and I frowned as I tried to tame it, giving up when the waves wouldn't straighten out. I made my way to my closet, opening the door and quickly selecting a pair of dark denim skinny jeans and an oversized, cream colored sweater. I slipped out of my sweatpants and tee-shirt, pulling up the jeans before slipping the sweater on. Stepping back towards my closet, I grabbed a black leather jacket and tugged my arms into it. Making my way back to my dresser, I quickly applied some mascara, a bit of concealer to cover the dark circles under my tired eyes, and a faint bit of perfume–for some reason I felt like I could still smell the traces of peanut butter which must've gotten into my hair.
I paused, placing the spray onto the dresser and eyeing my reflection. I didn't look nearly as put together as Karen but definitely better than I had before. My eyes traveled down to my neck, the angry bruising looking a little bit lighter today. I lifted a hand, my fingertips gently tracing the bruises with a frown. I had no way to cover those and I refused to use my abilities to heal them–not that I could now anyway, considering I'd have to explain why they'd disappeared. With a sigh, I pulled some hair forward and tugged my jacket tighter around me. It was the best I could do.
Exiting my room, I heard the sound of muffled voices. The three of them suddenly quieted when I appeared in the living room.
"Maybe you should convince Matt to get a dog and you can share it," Foggy said as he rose from the couch.
My eyes narrowed playfully at Foggy as Karen giggled behind a hand.
"Are you implying I'm lonely, Nelson?" I asked him.
"Of course not…" Foggy answered, his tone not quite believable. "It certainly doesn't look like you've been in your apartment, alone, for days on end or anything…"
"I'm pretty sure that's not how service dogs work, for starters," I told him. "And also–I'm pretty sure I already said I'm partial to cats."
"Then maybe you should get a cat," Foggy urged.
"Thinking I should get a head start on being the lonely cat lady already?" I teased him, leading the group towards the front door.
"Oh, well, no–that's not what I meant," Foggy fumbled.
I laughed lightly, opening the front door and stepping aside so the three could exit. This time Foggy was leading Matt instead of Karen, who muttered a 'thank you' as she passed by.
"I'm just teasing, relax," I told Foggy, locking the door behind me as I exited. "Besides, I've already considered getting a cat. Just haven't exactly gotten around to it."
"Maybe you should," he continued. "I hear they lower stress levels."
I rolled my eyes, jamming my hands into the pockets of my leather jacket as we stopped in front of the elevator doors.
"Alright, I'm feeling personally attacked now," I joked. "Can we focus the topic of discussion to something other than me? You said you guys had a new client?"
"Oh! Right, yeah, that guy who came in that morning you were at the office," Foggy said, perking up. "Can't really go into details because, you know, client confidentiality and all. But we got a case! A paying one."
I smiled, watching as the elevator doors flew open and stepping inside behind the group. I found myself suddenly beside Matt, who had dropped Foggy's arm now.
"That's great, really," I told them.
"That reminds me, Karen," Foggy said, turning his attention to her. "I wanted to ask you about that file from earlier."
My gaze darted down to my feet as Foggy started discussing some case-related files with Karen. For a moment I wondered if going out to a bar with them was really the best idea, but then I quickly scolded myself. I couldn't stay inside my apartment hiding forever. Besides, I wouldn't be alone and tonight should hopefully be fun. And, if I was being honest with myself, I missed all three of them.
A hand gently squeezed my shoulder and I jumped, eyes darting upwards. Matt was looking in my direction, his brows raised just above his dark glasses. I noticed the elevator had reached the lobby, Karen and Foggy holding the doors as they continued their deep discussion.
"You alright?" Matt asked me quietly.
"Yeah, I uhm…yeah," I said, shaking my head. "Just spaced out for a moment."
The left side of Matt's lip curled up at me, his brows lowering. "You mind if I walk with you? I think those two are in the middle of some very boring office talk, and I've sort of had enough of that for one Saturday."
Nervously I shoved a few strands of hair behind my ear, nodding. Immediately realizing he couldn't see the gesture, I smiled sheepishly and answered, "Yes."
His warm hand slid from off my shoulder, slipping underneath my arm until he could firmly hold onto my bicep. I fought the shiver that ran down my spine, chewing my lip anxiously as I led him out of the elevator, his cane tapping along the floor as we moved.
"How far is the bar?" I asked curiously, trying to combat the silence as we made our way through the lobby behind Foggy and Karen.
"About a block and a half," Matt told me. "Not far."
When we stepped outside, the cold chill of the night immediately bit at my face and I unconsciously leant into Matt.
"Cold?" Matt asked me.
My heart sped up at the sudden closeness of his lips to my ear, his warm breath brushing against my skin. I swallowed hard.
"Yeah, just a little," I answered.
Without hesitation, he removed his hand from its place around my bicep, instead wrapping it around my waist and pulling me in towards him as we walked. I could feel the hard muscles of his chest against my side now; the warmth of his body seeping through my leather jacket. I could smell the scent of cedar and clove again, something I hadn't realized I'd missed until just this moment. The feeling that often arose in my stomach around Matt suddenly reared its head, causing my breath to catch briefly on my next inhale.
Matt's nose brushed against my temple, his lips lightly grazing my ear as he leant in beside me, whispering, "Is this okay?"
I blinked hard, clenching my hands tightly into fists in my jacket pockets. For the briefest moment, I almost stopped on the sidewalk, overcome with a strong urge to grab him by the coat and pull his lips to my own. Immediately I pushed the thought away.
"Yes, but," I answered, voice weak. I tried to calm down before continuing. "Isn't this harder for me to help guide you?"
A very light chuckle warmed the side of my face from his breath. His mouth was back near my ear again, lightly skimming his lips against the sensitive part of it as he spoke.
"I know these streets very well," he assured me. His voice was deep, almost a whisper; a conversation just between us as Karen and Foggy were forgotten ahead of us on the sidewalk. "I'll be fine."
There was a beat of silence between us, my mind entirely focused on the feel of Matt's nose lightly brushing against the top of my head.
"You smell nice," Matt muttered.
A snort escaped me at his compliment before I shot him a look. He was smiling in my direction, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I very badly wanted to rip those glasses off of his face to see him better.
"What?" he asked curiously, a smile lingering.
"I'm pretty sure there's peanut butter somewhere in my hair," I said with a chuckle, my cheeks burning in slight embarrassment.
Matt's nose nuzzled against the top of my hair for a moment again. My eyes fluttered closed at the gesture; it wasn't one I'd experienced before–something so sweet and affectionate–and neither were the butterflies that suddenly broke loose in my stomach.
"There's definitely peanut butter in your hair," he agreed, his tone teasing.
I laughed lightly along with him, rolling my eyes. "Great. Well, I'm glad you enjoy it. Is it making you hungry?"
"Maybe…" he said, his voice barely audible.
Something about the way he said the word caused a warmth to suddenly erupt low inside of me. I stiffened as I felt Matt's hand suddenly tighten against my waist. He cleared his throat before speaking again, but I noticed a slight waver in his tone as he did.
"You smell like coffee though," he murmured. "And a mix of something citrus and floral. Mandarin?" he questioned lightly, brushing his nose against the top of my head again. "And…hibiscus?"
I expelled a breathy laugh, feeling a little lightheaded from this conversation. "You're good," I whispered back. "Clearly you know your scents."
Matt hummed in response, a slight grin permanently fixed on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off by Foggy.
"Welcome to Josie's!" he exclaimed, gesturing dramatically at the entrance to the bar.
Breaking out of the private bubble Matt and I had been in, I glanced up. There was a red neon sign on the front window, displaying the name of the bar. The sound of old rock music was drifting out onto the sidewalk.
Foggy held the door open for Karen to pass through, and then gestured for Matt and myself. Matt's hand slid from around my waist and back up to my bicep, his warm hand curling around it as I led him inside. I followed behind Karen to the bar, Foggy coming in behind us.
The bar was indeed a dive bar; it was dimly lit with neon signs and a few strings of lights around the ceiling. The walls were a dark wood paneling reminiscent of the seventies and there were a few old gambling game machines placed precariously about. A lone pool table sat vacant near the front window with the neon sign. I was surprised to see there were a handful of people here; it wasn't crowded but it certainly wasn't empty.
I rested my arms against the bar top beside Karen, feeling a pang of sadness as Matt released his grip on my arm. Foggy was gaining the attention of Josie behind the bar to order drinks as I continued to survey the room.
The three immediately ordered beers when Josie finally appeared. As she started placing the bottles on the bar, the older woman now stared at me expectantly.
"Oh, uh, water please," I ordered.
"No!" Foggy and Matt both shouted in unison.
I jumped at their unexpected reaction, my eyes widening. Karen only giggled beside me, shaking her head.
"You do not drink the water at Josie's," Foggy warned me dramatically. "There's something wrong with the pipes. You can… see the bacteria and rust in it."
"That's why we always order our drinks neat," Matt added.
"Alright then…"I said slowly, turning back to the expectant Josie as she rested both hands on the bar. "Just a coke, then."
"No ice!" Foggy tacked on.
I shook my head, laughing, as we threw some cash on the sticky bar counter.
"Not drinking tonight?" Karen asked me curiously as we waited for my coke.
"I don't drink," I admitted. "I prefer to be in full control of my…mental faculties."
"Not a problem!" Foggy exclaimed, clapping a hand on my shoulder.
I thanked Josie as she placed my drink on the counter a moment later. My eyes wandered up to the television behind the bar. Despite the muted voices I could see they were talking about the man in the mask, an enlarged, grainy cellphone image of him on the screen. Karen followed my gaze, her eyes landing on the news.
"What's your take on him?" she asked me curiously.
I shrugged in response, watching as she took a pull from the beer she'd ordered. She shot me a look, shaking her head.
"No, you've been here for a couple weeks now," she pushed. "You've had to have heard about him. Seen the news. Form some sort of an opinion."
"The mysterious Devil of Hell's Kitchen ," Foggy said, whispering the vigilante's name. "Now I'm of the opinion we shouldn't let people go around punching criminals–that's illegal and all. But Karen thinks he's a hero."
I glanced at Karen, watching as she pushed some hair behind her ear and stared down at the beer bottle in her hands. Her fingers were peeling the label on the bottle absently.
"He did save my life once," she told me. "And he's been going after only criminals. Not killing anyone." She shrugged. "I think he's doing good."
My attention turned to Matt who was quietly taking a drink from his bottle, his eyes shielded by his glasses. He was leaning against the bar towards us, but he was facing the rest of the bar and the patrons in it. Foggy followed my gaze and threw his arm around Matt, causing his attention to return to our group.
"Matt here claims to not pay attention enough to form an opinion," Foggy told me, shaking Matt a little by the shoulders.
I quirked a brow at him curiously as I took a sip of my drink. "You've lived here longer than me, and you want me to believe you don't have an opinion?" I asked him curiously.
Matt sent me a charming smile as he said, "As a lawyer, I don't condone criminal acts. But he also saved one of our friends, so," he shrugged. "I don't have an answer."
"So what about you?" Karen asked, nudging me curiously. "What's your take?"
My eyes focused on my glass on the bar in front of me. "Honestly, I haven't given it much thought, but," I admitted, noticing the way Matt leaned forward in interest as I spoke, tongue darting out to wet his lips, "I've seen some of the footage they've shared of him on the news. You can't exactly deny that he's…skilled." I winced as Kilgrave's face came to mind. "There's definitely worse things he could be doing instead of helping the people of Hell's Kitchen."
"So you approve of what he's doing?" Karen pushed.
I shrugged slowly before taking a drink of my coke. "Sure, I guess. At least he's not hurting innocent people."
"You know what? The pool table is open," Foggy said, pointing his beer bottle at the table. "Let's go play a game. We can do teams." He turned to me with a smile and a wink. "I'll be nice and take pity on you and give you Matt."
My brow rose questioningly at his words and the way Karen hid a laugh behind her hand. " Give me Matt?" I asked him.
Matt scoffed, a faux look of offense crossing his face. "I'm a human being, Foggy, you can't just give me away to people."
Foggy grabbed Matt by the arm, leading him toward the pool table. I pushed off the bar beside Karen, eyeing her curiously. She leant in beside me and whispered, "Matt is actually really good at pool."
"Buddy, I'm giving you an in to play with the girl you clearly like," Foggy pointed out matter-of-factly.
My cheeks flamed at his words and I ducked my head, biting my lip. Karen bumped my arm, catching my gaze. She sent me a questioning look, eyebrows raised. She tilted her head towards Matt and then back at me, an expectant look on her face. I chewed the lip caught between my teeth, eyes slightly wide at her silent question. Very slowly I shrugged in answer, shooting her a sheepish look. Her mouth twisted slowly into a knowing smile. Matt and Foggy carried on, entirely unaware of the exchange that just took place.
"Well when you put it like that," Matt countered with a low chuckle.
"Plus I figure Olivia could use the help," he added. A smirk crossed his face as the pair reached the pool table. "Though I suppose that means you can't pretend you need so much help as you usually would."
Matt's lip curled into a mischievous smile as he turned towards Karen and I. "I still need help finding the cue ball," he pointed out.
I set my drink on the table next to the pool table; Karen shrugged out of her coat and I followed suit. My brow furrowed as a thought hit me and I turned towards Foggy who was helping Matt out of his coat before taking off his own.
"Wait, you think I'm bad at pool?" I asked him.
Foggy hesitated before he placed the coats at the table Karen and I had claimed. A frown crossed his face as he eyed me curiously.
"You're…not?" he asked tentatively.
I smirked at him before shaking my head, heading towards the rack of pool cues and grabbing two.
"I lived in Anchorage for a few years," I explained, turning back to face our little group. "The main social activity was going to bars–to play pool and throw darts." I waved a hand at the bar around us. "This is my element, Nelson."
"Aww, damn it!" Foggy whined.
I laughed, crossing over to Matt and swapping out his beer for the pool cue.
"You're going down, Nelson," I threatened playfully.
"Go easy on me, I'm just a poor lawyer," Foggy joked.
"Consider it payback for the comment about me being lonely and needing a pet," I teased back.
"Ohhh," Karen said, rubbing her hands together as she headed towards the cue rack, "Maybe we should make a bet."
Foggy grunted, rounding on Karen. "Did you not just hear the poor lawyer part?"
"What's your bet, Karen?" Matt asked her, ignoring Foggy.
She chewed her lip and let out a thoughtful hum before a large grin appeared on her face, her eyes landing mischievously on me. My eyes immediately narrowed in response.
"Losers buy the next round," Karen answered slowly, her eyes still reflecting a playful glint as they continued to match my guarded ones, "and winners…kiss."
My mouth dropped as I gaped at Karen. She just giggled in response, feigning innocence. Foggy offered Karen a high five, which she enthusiastically returned.
"Those sound like good terms," Matt responded with a grin. "I accept."
I held up a hand quickly. "Okay, explain to me why there's a stipulation on the winners?"
She shrugged casually, grabbing her beer from off the table and bringing the bottle to her lips. "To make things more interesting," she answered innocently before taking a drink.
Foggy stepped forward, holding his hand out towards me. "Do you accept the terms?"
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head as I reached out and shook his hand. "Fine," I muttered.
"Let the record state Olivia shook on it!" Foggy declared to the bar as Karen laughed. His attention returned to me as he released my hand. "Now you either win and kiss my handsome friend there, or intentionally try to lose and wound him deeply, madam."
I laughed awkwardly, unable to hide my amusement and nervousness at Foggy's playful bluntness.
"And I would be so deeply wounded," Matt agreed beside me, his face serious as I glanced at him. But then slowly his mouth tugged up at the corner, a devilish smirk took its place on his face. I couldn't help but stare at his lips as he whispered, "I promise I won't bite." He reached up, sliding his dark glasses slightly down his nose just enough to shoot me a wink before he slid them back up.
I swallowed hard, glancing away and avoiding whatever look Karen was surely shooting my way.
"How about you and Karen break," I offered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Give you both a fighting chance."
Foggy racked up, adjusting the balls in their appropriate places before sliding them to center and removing the rack. He waved a hand towards Karen suavely, bowing his head a little as he did.
"Ladies first," he said.
Karen bowed good-naturedly in response. "Thank you, sir," she responded before making her way to the front of the pool table.
Holding my cue between both hands, I watched as Karen lined up her shot as she bent over the pool table. Carefully, she slid the cue back before quickly snapping it forward. The cue ball barreled forward and knocked into the balls with a crack , sending the balls scattering around the table. The solid purple four sunk in the back corner pocket as she righted.
Matt leaned close to me, whispering, "Was it a good break? I heard something go in."
Keeping my eyes on Karen as she moved around the table, looking to take her next shot, I answered, "Pretty decent break. She pocketed one; we're stripes."
"That's good," he whispered back. "Stripes are lucky for me."
I watched as Karen almost got another ball in the pocket, just missing by an inch. Turning my attention on Matt, I asked, "Why does that feel like it's just a line?"
He only grinned back.
"Alright love birds," Foggy teased. "You're up."
I huffed at his comment, rolling my eyes as Matt let out a breathy chuckle. He cocked his head and gestured towards the table.
"Ladies first, right?" he asked smoothly.
"If you insist."
I left his side, making my way around the pool table and pausing in front of the white cue ball. Lightly tapping a finger against the cue in my hands, I surveyed my options for a moment. Eventually I leaned over the table, lining up my shot and finding the right angle to hit the ball. I sucked in a breath as I pulled the cue back between my fingers, releasing it at the same time I released the cue. The white ball flew across the table and knocked into the solid Karen had just knocked near the side pocket, pushing it further away now. The cue ball bounced back against the bumper before flying across to the other side of the table, slapping into the solid green six which in turn sunk the striped blue ten into the pocket.
As I strolled across the side of the table to take my next shot, I caught Foggy's wide mouthed stare and Karen's surprise.
"How'd she do?" Matt asked his friends.
"I think it's safe to say she knows what she's doing," Karen responded.
I smirked as I leant over the table again, aiming the cue ball and knocking it easily into another striped. It slid right into the pocket as I sauntered over to the cue ball again.
"You guys are going to annihilate us," Foggy groaned. "How much time did you spend playing pool at the bars in Anchorage?" he called over to me.
I hit the cue ball, watching as it rolled its way across the table and sunk another stripe before I glanced up at Foggy with a smug smile.
"Well I don't drink, so… a lot?" I mused aloud. "But I'll show some mercy," I joked as I took another shot, intentionally leaving the cue ball in an awkward position for Foggy.
"Thank God for small mercies," he mumbled sarcastically as we passed by each other.
I grinned, grabbing my coke from off of the table and finishing it. Foggy took his time lining up his shots, managing to land a tricky shot and sinking a ball, but missing on his next turn.
"Your turn buddy," Foggy told Matt as he took his place beside Karen.
I stepped away from the table, crossing the two short strides to stand beside Matt. Gingerly I grabbed his forearm as I told him that the cue ball was on the opposite side of the table. As we passed by Karen and Foggy, I swore I heard Foggy lean in to Matt and whisper a "you're welcome" as Karen giggled.
I stopped in front of the end of the table, Matt pausing beside me. "So," I told him, sliding my hand down his forearm to catch the back of his free hand in mine, gently guiding it forward onto the table towards the white ball, "the cue ball is right here." I paused as I held his hand against the ball, noticing how his head tilted close to me, his brows furrowing in thought as he paid close attention to my voice. "It's about six inches to the left of the back middle pocket; about a foot from the back bumper. You've got a pretty clear shot at your ten o'clock to sink the eleven in the middle left pocket." My eyes darted around the table, taking in other options.
"Or?" he asked softly, slowly leaning over the table and readying his cue.
Tentatively, I guided him along the table, one hand on his with the cue, the other on his waist as I turned him just a fraction.
"Or," I told him, not entirely sure how good he was at pool, "If you hit the cue ball to your four o'clock, hard enough to bounce the bumper, there's another striped perfectly lined up with the back left corner pocket near us."
"Hmm," Matt hummed in thought. "Thank you."
My hands slowly slid off of him and I took a couple of steps back, crossing my arms across my chest and studying him curiously. His head tilted in a few different directions around the table for a moment before he leaned further over lining up his shot. It was at that moment I realized I had the perfect view of his ass and I tried–I really tried–not to check him out but my eyes dipped down for one appreciative moment. When I glanced up, I saw Karen smirking at me from across the pool table. I raised a hand, trying to cover the silent laugh that escaped me. The movement caught Foggy's attention and he momentarily sent me a questioning look, to which I shook my head in response to. Karen bit her lip, trying to fight back her own laugh. The sound of Matt hitting the ball broke the moment and I glanced down at the table, watching as the balls scattered. He'd chosen the more complicated shot and succeeded.
"Good shot," I praised him, slightly impressed as I made my way back beside him.
He turned his face towards me, grinning wide. "Maybe I just really want to win."
"Flirt," I teased him back as I guided him by his forearm towards the cue ball again.
"Is it working?" he asked me curiously.
I grabbed the back of his hand again, guiding it towards the cue ball as I reminded him, "I don't date flirts. Cue ball is here, just in front of the back left pocket." His hand touched the ball as I leaned in just over his shoulder, eyeing the potential shots. "You've got a good shot at another stripe, directly across the table in the corner right pocket. The ball is about…" I paused, gauging the distance, "four inches to the left of the pocket."
"Easy," Matt mumbled.
Again, I let go of him and stepped back, watching once again as he appeared to take in the table despite his lack of sight. Then he lined up his shot for a moment and sunk the ball. Matt stood up, smiling.
"Did that go in, Foggy?" Matt joked. "I couldn't see."
I giggled as Foggy exasperatedly rolled his eyes at his friend. "Yes, Matt," Foggy answered in a deadpan. "You know it damn well did."
I led Matt all the way to the other side of the table where the cue ball now sat, once again guiding his hand to the ball and directing him to where the last stripe sat and the obstacles in his way before I left him to take his shot. Honestly, I didn't expect that he'd be able to make it–that shot would be tricky even to me. But my mouth dropped in shock when I watched him hit the ball and it jumped over a solid, smacked into a bumper, and then rolled into the final stripe, pocketing it.
"Should we get drink orders ready?" Foggy joked. "Seems like we lost already."
Karen laughed, playfully swatting Foggy's arm. Matt turned towards me, a wide grin still spread across his handsome face.
"What do you think, should I give them a chance?" Matt teased.
I snickered at his question, stepping towards him to guide him yet again to the cue ball.
"That's on you," I answered simply.
I lined him up and directed him to where the eight ball now sat on the table. It wasn't a remotely difficult shot at all. When I laid out the table for him, he paused for a moment in thought as I stepped back.
"Eight ball, right corner pocket," Matt called out.
I saw Foggy roll his eyes as Karen sent me a quick wink, downing the rest of her beer. I blushed, focusing back on the game. Matt hit the ball and it easily rolled across the table, knocking the eight ball into the right corner pocket.
"Alright!" Foggy exclaimed, clapping his hands as Matt turned around from the table. "Another beer for you and another coke for the lady?"
"Sure," Matt agreed, his focus in my general direction now.
I swallowed hard, glancing at Foggy and nodding quietly. Karen waggled her brows at me before linking her arm around Foggy's.
"We'll be at the bar, grabbing the next round," Karen told us, tugging on Foggy's arm.
As they began walking away, Foggy called back, "Remind me to never put you two on a team together!"
I chuckled as I watched them retreat to the bar, sliding past a few patrons as they went.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Matt said, appearing in front of me now, "but we did just win, correct?"
I smiled, eyes darting up to the bar ceiling.
"Yes."
"And the bet was that the losers had to buy the next round, correct?" he asked next.
My eyes slid down towards my hands, which were now playing with the hem of my sweater.
"Yes."
"So Foggy and Karen are off fulfilling their end of the bet, but–correct me if I'm wrong here," he said again, holding up a hand and looking very serious, "but wasn't there another part of that bet? For the winners?"
Slowly my gaze shifted up towards Matt, his serious expression fighting to remain on his face.
"...yes."
He raised a hand to his chin, rubbing against the stubble there as if deep in thought.
"Something about…" he made a face as if trying to remember, "the winners kissing?"
I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to fight the grin on my face anymore.
"Yes."
His lips twisted into a matching grin, his tongue darting out against them for a moment. My eyes followed the movement.
"And you did agree to it, right?" he teased.
I chuckled, shaking my head.
" Yes , Matt."
He took a step closer towards me, leaning in and whispering, "I just wanted to check."
His hand rose, his fingertips grazing my jaw before he slid it further up, cupping my cheek lightly. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned closer, using his hand to tilt my face up towards him as his other hand suddenly gripped my waist, drawing me closer. Instinctively my hands flew up, resting against his solid chest to brace myself at the movement. The rough pad of his thumb briefly swiped over my cheekbone, caressing it a few times as I swallowed hard, eyes slowly drifting closed. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was almost positive Matt could hear it with how close he was to me.
It was another moment before his lips brushed lightly against mine for the briefest second and I unconsciously found my own tilting up to chase after his. A single huff of amusement left him at the gesture before he closed the distance, bringing his mouth to mine. His lips were warm and surprisingly soft against my own, which stood in contrast to the pleasurable rasp of his stubble against my skin. The hand on my cheek carefully made its way down, gingerly sliding down my chin and towards the back of my neck as he drew me in closer, our lips still working against each other slow and sweet. With a mind of its own, my right hand slid the rest of its way up his chest to wrap against the back of his neck, fingernails lightly raking against the bare skin there. The hand at my waist gripped tight in response, his fingers pushing into the fabric of my sweater.
After another moment he pulled away, leaning his forehead lightly against mine. I struggled to even my breathing, a heat igniting within me at the absence of his lips. I wanted more; more of his mouth, more of his skin, more of his body against mine. It was an ache I'd never felt before. But as my eyes fluttered open and were met with my own reflection in his dark glasses–which I so desperately wanted to rip off of his face yet again–I recalled where we were and why we'd kissed in the first place.
My hands immediately released the grip they'd had on him as I anxiously stepped back. In turn, Matt's hands slid from their place against my waist and my neck, our foreheads pulling apart at the distance. I swallowed hard a few times, trying to collect myself as I blinked rapidly. When I glanced up at Matt, his breathing was a bit uneven as well but I noticed him shoot me a small, almost sad, smile. The expression confused me, causing my brows to crease together, but before I could say anything, we were interrupted by Foggy and Karen returning.
"Alright, so this round," Foggy said as he handed Matt a fresh beer, "it's guys against gals."
Matt's expression quickly recovered at the sound of Foggy's voice, and he raised the beer to his lips before saying, "Sounds like it'd be a bit more fair."
I found myself staring curiously after Matt for another moment, trying to decipher the look on his face, before Karen appeared beside me, holding out a full coke with a soft smile on her face. I shook my head, snapping out of my thoughts and shooting her a smile.
"Thanks," I told her, accepting the drink. "Wanna wipe the cocky smiles off their faces?"
" Always ," Karen answered with a grin.
The next game began with many taunts and playful name-calling before we'd eased into other topics of conversation. It was unexpected when I was taking my shot that Karen brought up a new topic.
"Did any of you listen to the last few episodes of Trish Talk?"
I paused, my body freezing as I was trying to line up a shot.
"Yes," Foggy answered immediately.
Matt shook his head. "No, I don't generally take an interest in that show," he admitted.
Foggy quickly cleared his throat. "Yeah, I mean. I was just listening in to that case she was talking about on there the other day. It was interesting, you know, from a lawyer's perspective."
"What case?" Matt asked curiously.
I had been lining up my shot again when Karen answered.
"Hope Shlottman? The girl who claims some guy named…Kilgrave? Mind controlled her to kill her parents," she told him.
My hand slipped as I took the shot, his name causing my hands to immediately slick over with sweat. The cue ball barely rolled along the table not hitting a single ball. I swore I saw Matt's head turn towards the pool table at my fumble.
"I can't believe Hogarth took on that case," Foggy said. "It still baffles me."
"Why?" I asked, trying not to sound too curious as I made my way back over towards the group.
"Because she only takes winners," Matt answered. "Cases that are a guaranteed win. Ones to make her firm look good."
"And this one," Foggy continued, "is…just strange. There's video footage of her… committing the crime ," he said, unable to say the word 'murder.' "And then she wants to…what, maybe plead insanity? I guess? Because she can't really be intending to argue some man mind-controlled her to do it."
I cleared my throat, trying to sound casual. "How would one even go about doing that, assuming, you know, someone did do that?"
Foggy sent me a weird look as Matt's brows rose behind his dark glasses. I cleared my throat again, awkwardly this time, as the weight of their expressions lingered on me.
"I mean, hypothetically, of course," I continued quickly. "I'm just curious. Since you guys are, you know, lawyers."
"Well…" Foggy started, pausing as he thought, staring down at the beer in his hands. The pool game was long forgotten now. "I suppose witness testimonies would help. But like… a lot of them. Better if they were from reputable people."
"What about…a recording? Of the man using his ability?" I asked.
Matt's brows furrowed at my question as his head tilted further towards me, but he remained silent as Foggy answered. I could practically feel his intense focus on me, the hairs prickling along the back of my neck.
"You'd probably need reputable witnesses at the taping. The more the merrier," he told me, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Because someone could always doctor a tape to make it look like he could mind control people. So you'd need to make it credible. Hypothetically, of course."
"Yeah," I said, swallowing thickly. "Hypothetically."
"But it was a weird episode," Foggy continued. "Trish doesn't usually talk about that sort of stuff, and she sounded like she believed it. Especially when she apologized the following day on her show to the man. As if he actually exists."
"That's what I thought was weird," Karen agreed. "Why would she apologize? Unless he…does exist. Maybe threatened her…"
I downed the rest of my coke swiftly, setting the glass on the table beside me. My hands were shaking and I tried to still the movement by gripping the soft fabric of my sweater.
"You feeling alright, Olivia?" Matt asked me curiously.
My head spun towards Matt, wiping my sweating palms against my jeans now. I forced a smile on my face though I was sure Foggy and Karen could see how tense it was.
"Yeah," I answered him quickly, voice a little high. I cleared my throat before adding on, "I'm just going to find the restroom."
"I'll come with you," Karen offered abruptly, setting her drink onto the table. She grabbed my arm and led me forward. "I'll show you where it's at."
Karen led us through the bar towards the back, where there was a sign for the bathrooms. We entered the women's restroom and I bolted for an empty stall. I used the bathroom, lingering for a moment to compose myself, before heading out and washing my hands. I could feel Karen's eyes on me as she dried off her hands on a paper towel.
"How was it?" she finally asked me.
I glanced up at her, our eyes meeting through the dirty mirror. My breath caught in my throat–did she know?
"How was what?" I asked her.
She rolled her eyes, ripping off a sheet of paper towel and crossing the bathroom towards me, holding it out to me.
"The kiss?" she prompted.
I grabbed the paper towel from her, drying my hands off. I released a breath, my shoulders relaxing. A flush crept over my cheeks as I remembered the way his hand had cupped my cheek, his thumb gently caressing my skin; the strength of his chest underneath my hands, all hard muscle. I could still remember the feel of his soft lips moving so slowly against my own, the faint taste of him that had lingered for a brief moment after. My jaw clenched as I recalled the warmth of the bare skin on his neck under my fingers and the way his grip tightened on my waist when my nails had lightly dragged across the back of his neck.
"That good, huh?" Karen asked when I didn't answer.
I laughed nervously, her voice pulling me back to the present. Tossing the paper towel into the garbage can, I nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"It was…" I paused, exhaling slowly. "Yeah, it was good," I confessed. "Especially considering it wasn't, you know, an actual kiss."
Karen's brows raised. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, it's because it was part of the bet," I told her. "For the game. Not like…it was supposed to mean something. I'm sure he does that all the time."
She frowned instantly, shaking her head with a sigh. "Foggy must have gotten into your head," Karen said. "I know I haven't known them for too long, but Matt has mentioned you a few times. I know he's asked Foggy about you, too, because he's told me. Matt's definitely interested, but he thinks you're not."
Crossing my arms across my chest, I glanced away, my mind racing back to the other night when Matt had come to check on me. The way he'd seemed so upset about me thinking he was the type of guy who slept around. Then I remembered the sad smile I'd seen on his face after he'd kissed me and frowned.
"I'm not good with relationships," I admitted hesitantly. "I've only had one and it was…bad, real bad. I don't exactly know how to do the whole relationship thing. And I'm not too interested in trying again at the moment." Under my breath I muttered, "Certainly not with someone who seems to easily flirt with every woman he's attracted to."
Karen mimicked my posture, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't think Matt is like that," she said slowly. "He's sweet. A good guy. If he wasn't genuinely interested he wouldn't be pursuing you. And Foggy said he's not seeing anyone else. He told me, and I quote, 'the guy is smitten'." She leaned forward, a large smile on her face as she emphasized again, " Smitten . Matt Murdock is smitten with you."
A small smile crossed my lips, but it vanished quickly when I remembered that not only did Matt not really know me, but I was also actively trying to help Jessica and Trish prove that my ex was in fact capable of mind control. And not only that, but he was someone who had forced Jessica and Hope to commit murder, along with so many others who had done equally horrible things because of him. The guilt of that weighed heavily on me, but when Kilgrave found out I was in Hell's Kitchen–because he would soon–I knew those around me wouldn't be safe. I couldn't willingly put Matt in further danger, it would be terribly reckless.
"It…it can't happen," I said firmly. "Not right now, at least."
Her blue eyes narrowed at me suspiciously.
"So you do like him?" she questioned.
"I mean…I don't know him too well," I told her slowly. "But he's sweet. And funny…and so incredibly, unfairly attractive that it's painful."
Karen giggled, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "I saw you checking out his ass while we were playing pool!"
I laughed with her, holding a finger to my lips and shushing her between laughs. "That's our secret!"
Karen grinned, raising a hand and making a cross over her heart before pretending to seal her lips.
"He likes you though," she said when the laughter died down. "Maybe give it some thought before you completely say no."
I opened my mouth to answer but the buzzing of my phone cut me off. Sliding a hand into my pocket, I grabbed my phone and fished it out. The name on the screen read 'Jessica.' I frowned before taking a step back from Karen.
"I have to take this, I'll be out in a minute," I assured her.
She nodded before turning to leave. I waited until she was out of the bathroom before I answered.
"Jessica?" I asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Not more than usual," she greeted quickly. "Look, I managed to get my hands on the Sufentanil tonight. Don't ask me how, it's not important."
"Why do I feel like you stole from a hospital?" I muttered.
"Because I did, not the point," she continued on. "Can you meet us tomorrow? Trish and I have a plan to capture him. I can explain it all tomorrow, but…" she hesitated, sounding vulnerable suddenly. "I could really use your help. If you can really do what you say you can, we could really use you if this goes south."
"Whatever it takes, right?" I reiterated. "I'll be wherever you need me."
"Great," Jessica said, the word coming out like a sigh of relief. "My apartment tomorrow morning at 8? You remember where it is?"
"Yeah, I can be there," I assured her.
There was a pause, a beat of silence over the line.
"What?" I asked her.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Don't thank me, I told you that," I reminded her, guilt roiling in my gut. "I should have done something sooner, I'm fixing it now. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
I hung up, sliding the phone back into my pocket. Pausing for a moment, I took a calming breath before exiting the bathroom. I maneuvered my way through the crowd, spotting Karen sitting with Matt and Foggy over by the pool table where I'd left them. As I began passing the bar, something caught me by the arm and I stumbled to a stop. I swore I saw Matt stiffen at the table across the room before I turned to see who'd grabbed me.
"You could do a lot better, baby," the man holding my arm said in a low rumble. "You and that blonde." His head gestured towards Karen and I felt my fists clench at my sides, his hand still wrapped around my wrist. "A nerd and a blind guy…" He shook his head, eyes traveling down to rest on my chest as he bit his lip.
I wrenched my wrist free of his grip, glaring at the large, slightly inebriated man on the bar stool. I snapped my fingers up by my face twice.
"Eyes up here, asshole," I snapped at him.
His eyes slid back up to my face, a dark expression forming on it.
"Mouthy," he growled, rising from the barstool and towering over me. "Should teach you a better use for that mouth of yours."
"Sit your ass back in your chair," I snarled, voice lowering dangerously, "before I teach you a better use for yours."
With a sneer, the man balled his meaty hand into a fist and swung it backwards. A collective gasp sounded around us as he aimed a punch at me, but I caught his hand instinctively the moment it flew forward, snatching it the second it was mere inches from my face. The man froze, brow furrowing.
"No fighting in my bar!" Josie's voice boomed from behind the counter.
I clamped my hand tighter around the man's fist, eyes narrowing. I could feel a tingling sensation starting from my temples and behind my eyes before vibrating down towards the hand gripping the man's fist. I ducked my head, letting my hair fall forward to cover my face a little as I spoke.
"You should sit down," I ordered in a harsh whisper, my voice coming out with a faint vibration through the air, "apologize, and return to your drink. You don't want to cause a scene."
The man gaped, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, dumbfounded. His fist suddenly lowered, hand dropping to his side as he sat into his chair again.
"I'm sorry about that," he muttered, brows furrowed as he spun back around in his chair, his attention back on his drink as he scratched his head.
I stood still for a moment, waiting for the telltale vibration to dissipate before I glanced past him, spotting Josie watching me curiously from behind the bar. The people standing directly beside us were also staring now. I cleared my throat and shrugged casually.
"Guess he didn't want to make a scene," I explained simply before turning and walking away.
Foggy interrogated me the moment I neared the table.
"What the hell was that?" he questioned immediately.
"Are you okay?" Matt asked with a voice as tight as his grip on the table.
"I'm fine," I assured Matt before facing a flabbergasted Foggy and a very pensive Karen. "Just a drunk guy who realized it wasn't worth starting a fight and getting kicked out." I waved a hand, trying to downplay the situation.
"What an asshole," Foggy grumbled, glaring at the guy at the bar. "I'm sorry, Olivia. But hey," he said, shooting me an apologetic smile, "Matt and I would have kicked his ass for you. I don't know how well, mind you."
I laughed, mentally noting the way Karen was staring at me with a calculated gaze. "I appreciate it but I can handle myself."
"Obviously," Karen said as she pointed towards the bruises on my neck, "since you survived whatever that was."
I forced the smile to remain on my lips as my eyes darted to my coat.
"I should probably get back home, it's getting late," I announced, making my way towards the jacket. "Thanks for inviting me out though, it was good to get out for a bit."
Matt abruptly rose from his chair, a charming smile on his face. "Let me walk you home."
"Oh you don't have to–"
"I insist," Matt cut me off. "Besides, we're going the same way."