The Invisible String: Matt Murdock/ Daredevil

18

As they tangled together, Matt's lips traveled from her mouth to her neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses that sent shivers down her spine. Annalise gasped softly, her hands roaming over his back, feeling the tension in his muscles. "Matt..." she breathed, the name escaping her lips like a prayer.

The sound of a gentle knock on the door broke the stillness.

"Dinner's here," Karen called through the door, her voice slightly teasing but warm. "And I swear if you two make me reheat it, I'm keeping the fries."

Matt and Annalise froze, tangled in the sheets, their flushed faces inches apart. Annalise let out a breathless laugh, cheeks still tingling from the last few minutes.

"We should probably... get dressed," she said softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.

Matt smiled, lazy and content. "Probably," he echoed, though he made no move to get up.

Annalise gave him a playful nudge. "Come on, Murdock. Before Karen breaks the door down."

He groaned but rolled away, reaching for the towel that had landed somewhere near the foot of the bed. They dressed in relative silence, exchanging shy, private glances between articles of clothing. Annalise slipped on one of Matt's T-shirts and a pair of loose lounge shorts Karen had left folded on the dresser. Matt pulled on sweatpants and a dark shirt, the gauze on his side peeking out slightly.

As they stepped into the softly lit living room, the warm scent of takeout wrapped around them, fries, something deep-fried and definitely bad for them.

Karen raised her eyebrows as she looked over from the kitchen island, setting out paper plates. "Well, hello."

Foggy, sitting cross-legged on the couch with a beer in hand, snorted at the sight of them—Matt's hair still damp and messy, Annalise's cheeks flushed, both of them walking like they were trying to pretend nothing had happened.

"You two look like you just got hit by a truck... and enjoyed it."

Annalise rolled her eyes, trying not to smile as she grabbed a plate. "You're not nearly as funny as you think you are, Nelson."

"That's where you're wrong," Foggy said, winking. "I'm exactly as funny as I think I am."

Matt eased down into a chair with a quiet groan, hand still resting near his bandaged side. Karen set a plate down in front of him and gently nudged his shoulder with hers. "You okay?"

"I'll live," Matt said, giving her a grateful nod. "Thanks, Karen. For this."

"You kidding? I couldn't just let you two crawl off to die in a shipping yard and not feed you after." Her voice softened. "I'm glad you're both back."

They all sat, the warmth of the room settling in around them like a blanket. For the first time in what felt like hours—maybe days—there was a sense of calm.

Foggy looked between Matt and Annalise, then gestured toward the bedroom with his fork. "By the way, you two are taking the bed tonight."

Matt looked up, brows raised. "You sure?"

"Yeah," Foggy said, dramatically. "One: you're injured. Two: Annalise looks like she got hit by lightning—because she literally did. And three..."

He smirked.

Karen choked on her soda.

"...let's just say that if you weren't flushed from the electricity, you sure as hell are now."

Annalise let out a laugh, unbothered. "Okay, that was funny."

Matt just shook his head with a tired smile, biting into his food.