Matt was well aware that Charlotte was on the verge of hyperventilating. Truth be told, he was slightly apprehensive about what was probably about to happen. He didn't like the idea of committing any acts of violence in a church. He might not be the best Catholic, but he still had limits. He kept Charlotte pressed against the wall, her front against his and her hands holding onto his forearms. She bowed her head and she tried to keep her breathing calm, inhaling sharp and short breaths.

The door to the church opened slowly, creaking and echoing through the stone building. Looking to the door of the side room, Charlotte wondered how long they had before they came in there. Matt seemed to be thinking the same thing, honing in on the footsteps moving forwards into the church. He could hear the clicking noise of guns as well.

"He's been here. His sticks there."

Matt cursed himself for leaving it in the pew.

"Which means she's here too," a voice responded and Charlotte instantly knew it was her husband. "He left work early…went back to his apartment and came straight here. He must have known she wasn't there."

"So what do we do?"

"They can't have gotten far," Jonathan said. "I want this over today so get searching."

The footsteps grew closer and Charlotte felt Matt grab her wrist firmly in his hand. He dragged her through the room to the closet, opening the door instantly and pushing her in. She shook her head as he turned to shut her in there, her hands going to hold onto his upper arms. He took hold of her cheeks again, crouching down and hoping that he was looking her in the eye despite the fact he had his glasses on.

"You told me you'd trust me."

"I'm not letting you deal with them."

"I can do it. Just trust me," he said and before she could even argue against him, he had shut the door and turned the key in the lock. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed the handle and tried to turn it, but it didn't budge.

"Matt," she hissed but had no response.

Matt turned his head back to the door, hearing her call his name. He didn't answer her, keeping silent as he heard the door handle turn to the side room. He just needed her to keep quiet. So long as she did that then he was pretty certain he could handle these goons. He'd trained before. He still went to the gym. Closing his eyes, he honed in on his senses, his smell and hearing heightening as the footsteps stopped on the other side of the door he hid behind and reached for the handle. Putting his glasses into his suit jacket pocket, he waited for the handle to turn.

When it did, he wasted no time in doing what he had to do. The first man through the door was instantly disarmed, arm being twisted behind his back as Matt slammed him head first against the doorframe. The shouts then echoed through the church, the five other men shouting 'over there' and moving towards him, guns raised. He prepared instantly to dodge their shots and attack them, but he had no chance.

"Easy, boys," Jonathan was the one to speak and Matt looked in the direction of his voice, inhaling his sharp cologne and hearing the click of his oxford brogues as he headed towards Matt. "I am sure we can come to a conclusion here that doesn't involve anymore spilled blood. For a blind guy, I'm impressed you think you can take us on."

"I dealt with your first goon, didn't I?" Matt said, gesturing with his head back towards the unconscious body on the floor. Jonathan chuckled.

"I'll give you that," he confessed. "But with five guns trained on you, how do you fancy your chances?"

"You kill me and you have no leverage, you know that, right?" Matt said to Jonathan and he nodded his head thoughtfully, eyeing the man in front of him. Matt could hear Charlotte in the closet still, trying to wedge the handle free. Thankfully the door was thick and her shouts muffled.

"Take a seat," Jonathan said and Matt wasn't sure what he should do.

He went to the opposite end of the pew that Jonathan had occupied. Glancing to Murdock, Jonathan was amazed that this was the man who his wife had always missed. His suit looked cheap, definitely not designer. His hair was a mess, not neatly combed on the top of his head. He had a strong jaw and a handsome face, but he was nothing like Jonathan. Sniffing, Jonathan looked to the front of the church.

"You still religious, Murdock?" he questioned.

"Try to be," Matt said, hands clenching into fists by his side. The men in the room took a corner each, clearly guarding the space. Matt clocked their movements in case he had to do anything suddenly.

"Something about religion makes me feel slightly uncomfortable," Jonathan said to him. "I never entirely got it myself, but Charlotte…well…I almost found it comical when she said she was a Catholic. She definitely doesn't act like a good Catholic girl, but I bet you know that. You were the one who first had her."

"Is there a point to this conversation?" Matt questioned, voice deep and low.

"The point is that I get it," Jonathan said to him. "She has this quality…she's bewitching. I get it. I guess that's why I as first attracted to her. She's nothing like those high New York socialites I used to date. I mean, she had no idea how to behave in front of them. She was refreshing."

"She isn't some experiment," Matt said.

"No, she's not," Jonathan agreed, "and I know it. You think that I'm a bad husband and…I confess that sometimes I'm not at my best. There are times when I let my temper get hold of me, but I think you know all about that, don't you? Do you think I don't remember that night when I first met you? You looked like you wanted to kill me after the things I said about her. You threw a pretty good punch, I'll give you that."

"You think I'm anything like you?"

"You'll say you're not," Jonathan said, "but we both know there's anger inside of you. I've seen it. I have the same issue and she…she knew how to bring it out of me."

"I'd never lay a finger on her," Matt said.

"My point is that I never wanted to," Jonathan replied and Matt felt his throat clench. He swore that he was going to be sick. Jonathan leant forwards, twirling his wedding ring around his finger slowly, the movement methodical and almost seeming to be a nervous tick. "I love her. I really do love her. She's the best thing that happened to me, but she just makes me so angry sometimes."

"By doing what? What could she possibly have done to make you act like that towards her?"

"I give her everything, but it never felt like enough. She'd complain about events…or spend evenings talking to other men when she knew that I hated her doing that. She just pushed my buttons and I lashed out."

"You're blaming her instead of taking the blame for your own actions," Matt said.

"I'm going to change," he said. "I'm going to change for her…but I just need her to come home."

Matt shook his head firmly. He wasn't going to believe this. They were just empty words and he had no trust in them. Charlotte shouldn't believe him either.

"You're just saying this. You don't mean it."

"That's for my wife to decide."

"Your wife has decided. She left you," Matt said darkly and Jonathan shifted on the pew, the wooden bench creaking under the movement. He turned towards Murdock, arm going over the back of it. He leaned in closer, voice lowering and tone dark.

"She can't leave me," he said. "Because I know her darkest secrets. I know things that could ruin her…things that the press would have a field day with."

"You're bluffing."

"I know that she must have told you," Jonathan said, voice nothing higher than a whisper. "She would have told her knight in shining armour, I don't doubt it. She thinks that I don't know, but I know everything. She can't hide."

"No idea what you're talking about."

"I know about her abortion," Jonathan said and he saw a flicker of a flinch move over Murdock's face. Nodding his head slowly, he drummed his fingers against the back of the bench. "And judging by your reaction, you know about it too. Don't worry, I'm not angry with her about that. Children were never on the cards for us."

"Why do you want to hurt her like this? Is it not bad enough that you beat her…raped her…"

"I never raped her."

"So she's lying about that?" Matt demanded to know.

"She just played hard to get sometimes. I left her satisfied at the end of it, don't worry about that."

"You're sick," Matt said, voice clear and sharp as ice.

"Just tell me where she is and we'll go. The abortion stays hidden. You stay in one piece. It's a win-win situation for all involved," he said and Matt continued to shake his head as he spoke. His lips curved upwards in a smile of disbelief. Tilting his head to the side.

"That's not going to happen," he said.

Jonathan sighed dramatically loud. "Have it your way then."

He was about to raise his hand for his men to advance, Matt listening for the footsteps of them advancing and planning his move. But he had no need. They didn't move anywhere. The noise of a ringtone filled the room, the sound melodic and like something from an opera. Reaching into his jacket pocket, Jonathan answered the phone and Matt listened in.

"Darling, it's so good to hear from you. I've got your old flame here."

"I know, asshole. He locked me in the closet. Let me out and we can talk about this."

She hung up and Matt let out a deep breath. He remained where he was as Jonathan told the man nearest the side room to go in there and let her out. A minute later, Matt heard her come through, smelling her familiar scent and picking up on her anger. She stayed where she was, stood at the edge of the church. Jonathan moved to his feet, arms folding over his chest. Matt sat still in between the two of them, preparing to move if he had to.

"Come back with me and no one gets hurt."

"You'd kill us in a church?" Charlotte checked.

"I'm not the Catholic here," he said to his wife, pointing to his chest. "Then again, I question if you're really a religious woman considering you aborted our child."

That knocked her. Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart continued to pound. She went silent, gulping loudly and mouth drying out. She kept eye contact with her husband as he shrugged his shoulders, arms flapping by his side.

"Cat got your tongue, baby?" he asked her. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

"I shouldn't be surprised."

"No, you shouldn't," he responded. "And I doubt you want that to come out in the press. So come home. Come home with me and it can stay your dirty little secret. I'll even leave your precious Matt Murdock alone."

"Don't," was all Matt said to her, looking in her direction. She saw his eyes, seeing the pleading there. He shook his head slowly. "Lottie, don't."

"Lottie," Jonathan chuckled at the nickname. "He really is still hung up over you, but I doubt he's going to die for you. If push came to shove, he'd let you go. He doesn't want you. He never wanted you all those years ago. He doesn't want you now."

"That's not true."

"No? Then why did she marry me and not you?"

"I'm not getting into this and I'm not coming back with you."

Charlotte was the one who spoke finally, her voice sounding stronger than she felt. Matt could hear her pulse racing and hearing the façade in her voice. He didn't say anything. He waited to see how this was going to play out, letting her take the lead.

"Darling, I don't think you quite understand," Jonathan said, shaking his head and moving around the pews to the row in front. Walking down the gap between the benches, he moved closer to Charlotte who stayed where she was. "You either come with me or Matty here doesn't leave this church."

"You're not going to touch him."

He chuckled at that, noise echoing in the room. "You seriously think you have any leverage here?"

"I do because if you touch him then you have no leverage over me," Charlotte said. "And you need him alive to keep that leverage over me."

"Doesn't mean I can't badly hurt him."

"You could, but he's not a part of this anymore. It's between us," Charlotte said and she moved forwards, heels of her boots clicking on the floor. "You know I had an abortion, fine, go ahead and tell the papers. Go and tell everyone who will listen, I don't care…because if you do that then I'll release all the images I have of when you beat me."

The atmosphere grew tenser then. Matt sat on the edge of his seat. Jonathan stayed still, heart beating quicker than before. He was anxious. He was nervous.

"You have nothing."

"Want to look?" Charlotte asked him, moving to pull her phone from her pocket. She unlocked it and showed him the screen, swiping at the images. Jonathan turned pale, blood draining from his face as he looked to them. "They're from the past year. I kept them in case I ever needed to escape from you."

"You did this behind my back?" he demanded, sounding almost as though he had the right to be hurt.

"I did what I had to do to protect myself," Charlotte said and he took her phone from her, throwing it to the ground and stamping on it. Cocking her head to the side, she folded her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. "You really think I don't have copies? I'm many things, but I'm not an idiot. My lawyer has them and I will use them. I will send them to every news station…newspaper…blog…I will go and do interviews. I will tell people what you are and those people who you do business with…do you think they'd want you then?"

Jonathan was quiet, but Charlotte wasn't stopping. She wasn't going to let him get away with this.

"I know that your trial is probably rigged for you to get off. I know that you work with shady people who can make that happen. I know you're a bent politician and I looked the other way all of the time and that's something I have to deal with. But I'm done with you. I'm done with this marriage," she said to him, moving closer to him and Matt slowly stood up, stepping into the aisle, keeping her close to him.

Charlotte looked at him and she saw the fear flickering across his face. "You're going to give me my divorce. You're going to leave Matt alone. I'm going to testify for the prosecution…I'm going to tell them that I never really knew who you were. I'll keep your other secrets. I'll keep quiet about everything you've done to me. Those photos will never see the light of day…the video of you raping me…but we're done here. We're done and I want you out of my life."

Jonathan's lips turned up in a dark smile. He moved before Charlotte could do anything, his hand grabbing hold of her throat, wrapping around it and pushing her against the wall. His grip tightened and she pushed at his chest as she gasped for breath. Matt was there in a second, hand flinging into a fist and launching at Jonathan, knocking him off balance and giving Charlotte a chance to gather her breath as her hands went to her throat. Jonathan's men raised their guns, taking the safety lock off as their boss stumbled to keep his balance and stay on his feet.

Charlotte saw the men aim their guns at Matt and she stood by his side, knowing they wouldn't take a shot if she was there, or at least, she hoped they wouldn't. Jonathan grabbed his jaw, feeling the pain shoot through it as he straightened himself up and saw his wife stood by Murdock's side.

"You really want to do this?" Jonathan demanded from Charlotte. "You think you'll get anything from me in the divorce?"

"I don't care about your money. I just want you out of my life."

"You know that this won't be over, don't you? You think you can just blackmail me and get away with it?"

"I just want you gone," was all she said to him.

There was silence then, heavy breathing the only noise in the church. Matt remained still, well aware that Charlotte was just to his side. He took a small step forwards when he heard Jonathan move, standing in front of her and honing in on Jonathan's movement.

"Watch your back, Charlotte," was all he said to her before he walked out of the church, footsteps heavy and his men following him.

Charlotte turned and watched him go, seeing the door close behind him and leaving just her and Matt in the church. She let out a shaky breath, her façade falling away as her shoulders slumped and her hands went to cover her mouth, a gasp escaping her and Matt moved, arms enveloping her to him and holding her. She clung onto him, hands holding onto the material of his suit jacket on his back as her cheek pressed to his shoulder. Moving a hand to cup the back of her head, he stroked his fingers into her soft curls.

"Why did you come out?" he asked her.

"I wasn't going to let him hurt you," she said.

"And what you said? You're really going to leave it?"

"I just want him out of my life and away from you…I didn't know what else to do."

"He shouldn't be allowed to get away with this."

She leant back in his grip, looking up to him. "You said yourself that the system is rigged. The trial has already been decided and it hasn't even started. I want to see him behind bars…but the people he works with…if they won't let that happen then I don't know what they would actually do if I released those photos. They need him for some reason or another."

"Who are these people he works with?"

"I don't know," she replied with a shake of her head. "I never got involved. I stayed out of it."

"And you think that this is it?"

"With Jonathan, I have no idea," she confessed on that point. "But I think I've bought some time. I don't care about me…just those girls who aren't going to get justice for what he did to them."

"You deserve justice too."

"I don't know how to get it, Matt, that's the issue," she said with a shake of her head. "He's so corrupt and he's in bed with so many corrupt people. I just don't know how to fight him."

"We'll think of something, okay?" Matt said to her. "There will be something we can do."

"Yeah," she said to him, nodding her head once. They stayed where they were for a few moments, Matt's arms around her waist as she held his back. It was only a moment later when she pushed at his chest with one hand. "But if you ever think of locking me in a closet again then I swear you'll regret it."

Matt's lips arched at the threat and his eyes darted down in her direction as she moved her hand from his chest to his shoulder, squeezing it tightly. "I'm not going to say that threat terrified me, but consider me warned," Matt said to her. "Come on. We're going home and I'm going to make you that grilled cheese sandwich you were supposed to be making for lunch."

"I might just let you do that," she said to him and took hold of his hand, laying it in the crook of his arm and handing him his cane before they left.

Fogwell's Gym

Looking to Matt as he hit the punching bag, Charlotte remained curled up in the old leather chair in the corner, notebook opening in front of her as she sketched in it, pencil loosely dangling between her fingertips. The gym was empty except for the two of them. It was late at night and Matt had just gone into the final year of Columbia Law School. He'd been studying for several years, not once wanting to give up on becoming a lawyer.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was still waitressing at the diner. She'd kicked off her shoes and curled into the seat, tugging her skirt down her thighs. She had to admit that she was spending most of her time just watching Matt. And he knew it. He could sense her looking up every so often and glancing in his direction, despite the fact that she was trying to act nonchalant.

She knew that the atmosphere between the two of them was tense. It was almost as though they had so much to say to each other but no idea how to say it. They'd finished sleeping together. In fact, it had been almost nine months since the last time she had gone to Columbia and ended up at some college party, completely drunk and spending the night in Matt's dorm room, Foggy sleeping elsewhere to give them privacy.

It had been that night when she wondered if things might change between them. Ever since Matt had started his college undergraduate degree, things had cooled down between them. It had been years of them just acting as friends, but things had changed at that party. She'd woken up and had been prepared to tell him that she still cared for him, that there had been no one else for her but him and she didn't want to date other people. She didn't want space apart. She wanted to be a young, dumb kid if that meant just being with him. But he'd spoken first, telling her that it had been a mistake and that he cared for her deeply, but was still convinced that things between them should just be purely friendship.

"Jonathan wants to meet you," Charlotte finally said and she swore she saw him hit the punch bag harder. He didn't look to her. He just kept going. "I told him that you're my best friend and he said he wants to meet you."

Her new boyfriend had been on the scene for two months and Matt was worried she was moving far too quickly. She spent all her time with him, constantly by his side and going to events with him. He had introduced her to his parents and had even taken her on a weekend break to the Hamptons. She was that girl now.

"Well, I'm pretty busy with exams coming up," Matt said, finding any excuse he could.

"We'll come somewhere close to Columbia then," Charlotte responded. "Jonathan is just keen to meet you considering you're the only friend I have. I've met all his friends and family and he's met none of mine."

Matt stopped punching and held the bag, halting it from swaying. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes forcefully, thinking about what to say to her. "Alright," he said.

She scoffed and closed her sketchbook, tucking it back into her battered satchel. "Don't sound too eager, Matty," she said in a sarcastic voice.

"I'm sorry," he said to her. "Just that…does he know about us?"

"About us?"

"About the fact we used to sleep together?"

"I haven't really brought it up in conversation yet," she responded to him and he sat on the edge of the ring, facing her direction. "It's not exactly something you can bring up easily, you know? I'll tell him eventually, but we've only been dating for two months."

"Yeah, and look how fast you're moving."

She sighed deeply and he knew that he was causing her to grow agitated with him. "Do you have a problem?" she demanded to know from him.

"I'm just worried that you're going far too fast in this relationship and you need to slow down."

"Why? Because my boyfriend wants to meet you? I wouldn't say that's fast, Matt. I'd say it's polite and courteous…I mean, your girlfriend has been in the picture for three months and you haven't even introduced me to her."

"We're just different, Lottie."

Charlotte scoffed. "I've been asking to meet her," she said.

"And I'll introduce you one day, but we're just taking things steady for the time being. Elektra is…she's great…I just don't know if you two will get on. You're very different people."

"How so?"

"Well…she's just…she's an enigma, Lottie. She's a New York debutante with a father who's a diplomat," he said. "And you're…well…you're Lottie."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I just mean that she's a strong woman," Matt said and he knew that he was messing this up entirely. He could feel her shutting off to him even more and he knew that he should stop talking, but he just wanted to make things better. "She's smart…sharp as a knife…can be quite scathing…she's just intoxicated me entirely. It's like I can see beyond that front she puts on."

Charlotte was jealous. She knew that she was getting jealous. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to listen to Matt tell her about this other woman and how perfect he thought she was. But, more than that, she had consumed him. She had taken him over completely and Charlotte had never been able to do that. She'd never had that power over him.

"Well, she sounds great," Charlotte just said to him and he moved his hands to his hips as he stood up.

"She is," Matt said, also growing defensive. "And I think that you're great, you know that. I just think that you're completely different to her."

"So…" Charlotte drawled, thinking of everything he'd just said, "not smart…as dim as a lamp…too nice…and never intoxicated you despite the fact I slept with you for about four years on and off."

"That's not what I meant."

"Well, that's the opposite of the woman you just described," she said to him.

"I didn't mean that it's a bad thing. I just meant that I'm not sure you'd get on together," Matt said and folded his arms over his chest. He continued to wait for her to say something, but nothing came out. He sighed, hand raking through his hair. "And you did consume me. You've always consumed me."

"But not like she has."

"I don't know why you're being like this. We agreed we were both too young to start a serious relationship and now we've found other people. You have Jonathan and he makes you happy, doesn't he?"

"Ecstatic," she said, but her tone was dry and sarcastic.

"And Elektra makes me happy. We're still friends and we never ruined that. We made the right decision," he said and she wanted to ask him if he really thought that. But she was tired. She wanted to go. She didn't want to think about how amazing his new girlfriend was.

"Guess so," she responded and he heard her shrug into her coat and pick her bag up. "I need to go anyway. I said I'd go to Jonathan's tonight after he's finished at the office."

"I thought we were getting dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," Charlotte simply said to him and he let out a deep breath. She was in a mood with him, he knew that much. He remained silent as she finished buttoning her coat up. "Let me know when you're free for drinks to meet Jonathan."

"You going to be okay getting home?"

"I'll manage," she said, voice cold. "Night, Matt."

And he didn't go after her. He just felt her walk straight past him as he whispered. "Goodnight, Lottie."

…

"Matt said he doesn't know if we should stay at the firm."

"I just said that we should keep our options open."

"I, on the other hand, would quite like to stay. The salary is more than I'd ever thought possible. Plus, they give you free donuts every morning."

"You want to stay for the donuts? Foggy, come on, there's more to life than free donuts."

"I don't know, free donuts is pretty tempting," Charlotte chimed in and Foggy motioned to her with his free hand that wasn't holding his chopsticks. His eyes widened and he turned to Matt.

"Thank you, someone who finally sees sense," he commented and Charlotte smiled as she picked at her noodles with her own chopsticks. "I'm just saying that we have a few months before they decide what to do and if they offer us a contract. We shouldn't rush into things."

"I just don't know if it's a place where we should be," Matt replied.

"What do you think, Charlotte?" Foggy questioned. "I've always found you to be the rational one."

"I don't know if I should be getting involved in this," Charlotte said.

She sat cross legged on the sofa, still wearing her jeans and Matt's Columbia sweatshirt. Matt had pulled his tie loose down his neck, unbuttoning his top button to his white shirt, grey suit jacket hung over the back of the couch. He was leaning forwards, holding his carton of Chinese food between his legs and dipping into it. Foggy was occupying the chair across from them, tie completely gone and hair limp down his neck.

"You know you should," Foggy said.

"Go on," Matt urged from her and he turned to glance in her direction. Foggy picked up on the glance between the pair of them, own lips arching into a knowing smirk.

"Well," Charlotte said, dropping her chopsticks into the carton and resting it on her knee. "I think you need to do whatever makes you happy…and if it isn't working for a corporate law firm then it isn't that. I get that job stability should be really important and I know how much lawyers make, but I also know that…as much as money is great, coming home and feeling you've done something you've loved is probably even better."

There was silence then as Charlotte looked between them. And then Foggy sighed dramatically and leant back.

"I knew you'd take his side," he complained and Charlotte laughed once as Matt chuckled.

"She's completely impartial here, Foggy," Matt responded.

"Yeah, of course she is," Foggy said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes before he took a swig of his beer. "But the point is that…I see you've got a point…I'm not saying I agree entirely with everything you say, but maybe I should think about it. This doesn't mean you've won."

"Of course not," Matt said with a shake of his head and he finished his food, placing the empty carton on the coffee table and picking his beer up instead. Leaning back against the couch, he took a swig of it.

"So anyway, do you think you're coming back to work tomorrow because this case is growing. I'm not saying I can't handle it, just that I might need you," Foggy confessed and Matt glanced to Charlotte who picked up on his look. She shook her head and placed her carton on the table once more.

"I'll be fine," she promised Matt.

"You have your appointment with Josie tomorrow, remember?" Matt said to her.

"I can handle the divorce lawyer on my own, Matty," she said to him and he wondered if she could, but he also knew that he had to give her space and trust her. He couldn't hover around her forever. "Although I might need to get her to send the bill to you."

"Do you think your husband is going to give you any trouble?" Foggy was the one to ask.

He had come round that night, bringing them takeout food after asking if it would be okay. Matt had checked with Charlotte who had promised him that it would be fine. She'd always quite liked Foggy regardless of her and Matt's previous arguments. Matt had told her that Foggy knew some of what had happened to her, but he hadn't told his friend everything. He didn't need to know the explicit details.

"I'm not sure," Charlotte confessed to him and Matt took another drink of his beer.

"I mean…I don't want to pry and you can tell me to get lost and kick me out…but I don't think he has a leg to stand on, does he?"

"It's fine," Charlotte assured him. "And I don't think so, but he's…I just never know with him. I guess I'm going to find out in time."

"You know that I can come with you, Lottie," Matt said to her.

"And you know that I'm not made of glass. I'm not going to break if I have to do stuff by myself," she said back to him and Foggy wondered if he'd ever seen his friend be so protective before. with Elektra, he'd never had to worry about protecting her. But Foggy had never liked her as much as he had Charlotte.

"Fine, but if you change your mind-"

"-I know, I'll just call you," she interrupted him and his lips arched. Looking to Foggy, she continued to smile softly. "Do you think you could just lock him in your office tomorrow to stop him from worrying?"

"As much as I would love to help you out, we both know he'd just find a way to escape," Foggy said to her.

"He is here, you know?"

"Doesn't mean we can't have a nice chat about you," Foggy responded. "Besides, I've always liked Charlotte. Didn't I tell you back in college that I'd always liked her?"

"You did."

"I also liked you much more than Matt sometimes," Charlotte responded and Matt placed a hand to his chest.

"I'm wounded."

"She only said sometimes," Foggy retorted and finished his beer. "Anyway, it's getting late and I want to get home before the rain comes in tonight. I'll leave you two to enjoy the rest of your evening."

Foggy stood up and began packing his things away, grabbing his coat and satchel. He hugged Matt goodbye and Charlotte embraced him too, thanking him for coming round. Matt walked him to the door as Charlotte continued moving around the apartment and tidying up their empty bottles and cartons.

"I know that this is probably the last thing on your mind considering she's going through a divorce, but if you let her go again then I swear you're the biggest idiot of the planet," Foggy said as Matt opened the door for Foggy. He chuckled at hearing his friend and only just nodded his head in agreement.

"I was an idiot years ago," he confessed.

"You said it," Foggy replied and slapped his friend on the back. "Night, Matty."

"Night, Foggy," he responded and closed the door behind his friend, locking it and pulling the bolt across. Turning around and moving back to his living area, he could hear her putting things into the bin before bottles clunked and she dropped them in the recycling.

"Foggy is literally still the same as when I met him in Columbia," Charlotte said to Matt and he could almost hear that her voice sounded lighter than it had done since she had come to him a few days ago. He went to stand by the kitchen counter, leaning against it. "I mean, he's had a haircut, but that's about it. He's good for you."

"Don't let him know any of that," Matt urged from her and she laughed again.

She pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water. "Anyway, I was thinking that I should go out tomorrow and try and find a job. I can hardly stay living with you forever, despite the fact that your silk sheets are very comfortable. Even I've never had silk sheets and I lived in a mansion."

"Only the best for me," he informed her. "Anyway, there's no rush for you to move out. I quite like having company."

"Don't lie, you're not a morning person."

"Never was and never will be. Doesn't mean that I don't like knowing you're here in the morning," he replied. "So…do what you want to do, but know that there's no time limit to you leaving here, okay? I'm not in a rush to see you go."

"Okay," Charlotte said and Matt's brows arched on his forehead.

"No arguments?"

"I think I'm tired of arguing with you."

"How long will that last?"

"Oh, give it a day," she said and he chuckled again. "But seriously, thank you. You've…well…"

"I know," he promised her, not needing her to say anything more on the matter. It was then when he heard the rain begin to pour outside. Looking in the direction of the window, he could smell it from outside. The air was turning fresh. "I hope Foggy managed to get a cab before the rain gets heavy."

"It's New York City, there's a cab everywhere," Charlotte said, taking a sip of water and leaving it on the worktop before heading over to where Matt was stood, hand running down his arm before she squeezed his hand and went to the window to watch the incoming storm. "Do you ever think you'll leave here?"

"Doubt it," Matt said to her, slowly following her to the window and standing next to her, arm almost brushing against hers. "There's something about this place. I just can't see me living anywhere else."

"Really?"

"Really," he replied. "What about you? Never been tempted to go back to Texas?"

"I don't remember much of it," Charlotte said. "I don't really see it as home."

"Despite the fact that your southern accent comes out every so often?"

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does, but mainly when you're angry," he said and she nudged him in the ribs. "I always used to find it annoying when we we're kids…and then…I don't know when I suddenly started finding it pretty cute. I used to like it whenever you got angry and didn't even realise it was happening."

"Cute, huh?"

"Yeah, cute," he retorted to her and she rolled her eyes.

The rain began hitting the window panes heavily, the wind blowing and a rumble of thunder miles away. The light from the billboard was dimmed in the darkness, Charlotte hardly looking at it for a change.

"We should get some rest. It's been a busy day," Matt said. "You take-"

"-No, you take the bed," she interrupted him. "I've had the past two nights. I'm fine on the sofa. I'm sure it's comfortable enough for a night."

"What happened to the not arguing?"

"Guess I couldn't last as long as I'd thought," she responded. "So just take the bed. I'm going to go and shower and change."

Matt watched her head into the bathroom and he stepped into the bedroom. He quickly stripped out of his clothes, leaving them in a pile on his chair in the corner. He heard the shower begin to run as he stood in just his boxers before he heard the door open to the bathroom and she came out, wrapped in a towel. She looked to him, eyes widening at the sight of him. She moved her hand to cover her eyes.

"Shit, sorry," she said to him. "I didn't know you were in here…I just forgot my shampoo…"

"It's alright, Lottie," Matt promised her, reaching for his plain white top, shrugging it on. "You've seen it all before."

"I don't remember seeing that much of a six pack before," she commented, crouching down and riffling through her shopping bags. She realised what she had just said and Matt's lips arched in a smug smirk. He could almost feel her cheeks brushing. "Forget I said that."

"Too late, I heard it," he responded.

"No idea what you're talking about," she responded and moved back to the bathroom.

Matt chuckled as she closed the door and he heard her exhale loudly in there before stepping into the shower, the curtain being pulled closed. He finished pulling his sweatpants onto his legs and left the bedroom for the sofa, giving her no option to argue with him about their sleeping arrangements. He laid down, hands behind his head and eyes open, listening to her as she moved around in the bathroom and the bedroom. He could smell her strawberry shampoo and mango shower gel. She smelt fresh, her skin warm from the shower and slightly tinged red from it. When she had finished changing, she came back to the living room and saw him laid on the sofa.

"Matt," she complained.

"I said it was fine."

"No, it's not. You've got work in the morning," Charlotte said to him. "So just let me have it."

"Nope," he said, popping his lips on the 'p' and she folded her arms.

She was dressed in her new pyjamas, the red cotton material with green stripes on them. They were long and almost too baggy, but they were pretty comfortable. "How about a compromise? You take one side of the bed and I take the other? It's big enough for two of us and we avoid an argument."

"I don't know-"

"-I'm fine with it if you are. I'll even build a little pillow fort between us if it makes you feel better."

"A pillow fort?"

"Yeah, so you have your side and I have mine," she said. "I mean, we used to sleep together in my single bed in that cramped apartment so this really should be pretty easy. Just…do this for me, Matty. It would make me feel better."

"Are you emotionally blackmailing me?"

"Is it working?"

"Almost, throw in a pout and you might be there."

"How would you know if I'm pouting?"

"I just know," he said and she chuckled but he was already moving from the sofa. Following her into the bedroom, she took the right hand side of the bed as he took the left. Switching the light out on the way, Matt climbed into bed but didn't bother making a line of pillows. He just laid on his back, duvet against his chest. Charlotte turned onto her side, facing him and looking at his face.

"Is this weird?" she wondered.

"Just a bit," he agreed and she smiled. "I don't know, we used to share a bed all of the time but this just feels…like it shouldn't be weird, but it is. It's just weird you being back here in general, Lottie. I thought that I'd lost you forever."

"Same," she whispered into the darkness, hand moving underneath his pillow and she burrowed further down under the mattress. "And I'm sorry…about everything."

"No, I should say sorry. I handled things badly back then."

"We both did."

"So let's just promise each other that we'll never act like that again."

"Pinky promise?" she asked and he laughed, remembering all of the times she had made him pinky promise things when they had been younger. But he moved his finger to entwine with hers, shaking it firmly before she started to move her hand away from his. He caught her by the wrist though, stopping her and laying her hand inside of his on top of his chest. She didn't try and pull back. She just sat there, enjoying the feeling his large palm engulfing hers.

"Goodnight, Matty," she whispered.

"Night, Lottie," he returned, still holding her hand long after she'd fallen asleep on him.

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone following and favouriting/reviewing! As always, would love to know people are interested in this, even if it's a quick review!