The Invisible String: Matt Murdock/ Daredevil

19

Matt broke the silence with his familiar dry wit. "Not much else to do, is there?"

Her gaze lingered on the curve of his throat before she answered softly, almost without thinking, "I can think of a few things."

His smile widened at that, like he'd heard more than just the words.

Matt allowed himself to sink back against the pillows, wrists bound, his restless body still. He hated being forced into stillness, but there was something disarming in the way she handled him—firm, unflinching, unafraid.

For a beat, silence stretched comfortably between them, broken only by the faint sounds of Karen and Foggy in the other room.

"Does it still hurt?" Annalise asked suddenly, her gaze flicking to his side.

Matt hesitated, then nodded once. "A little."

She reached out, laying her hand gently on his arm. It wasn't the touch that startled him—it was what came next. A low vibration hummed through him, threading under his skin, and then the ache was simply... gone.

His breath caught. His jaw slackened. Relief swept through him in a wave so startling he almost laughed.

"You just—" His head turned toward her, his expression flickering with wonder. "You just took it away."

Annalise blinked down at her hand, surprised. "I didn't even have to focus. It just happened."

Matt let out a quiet, incredulous laugh. "If you can do that so easily... what else can you do?"

Her lips curved into a grin. "Want to find out?"

"Not much else to do, is there?" he said, rattling his bound wrists for effect.

Her laugh was soft, but her eyes glimmered with focus as she lifted her hand again. Above him, invisible threads shimmered in a map only she could see.

She brushed one lightly.

Matt's fingers twitched. "What was that?"

"Your hand," she murmured.

"It tingled. Like pins and needles."

Another touch—firmer this time—and his hand went completely numb.

Matt barked out a surprised laugh. "Okay, that's unsettling. Useful, but unsettling."

She grinned. "I think I just turned your hand off."

"I've been shot, stabbed, and electrocuted," Matt muttered with a grin. "But unplugged? That's new."

She couldn't stop laughing now, exhilarated as experiment after experiment unfolded. A light brush made his arm buzz; another left his legs tingling like they'd fallen asleep. Through it all, Matt's chuckles came easily, low and surprised, each one tugging at her heart more than she'd admit.

Then her hand hovered over a heavier strand. Something deeper.

Her smile faded. "This one's different. I don't think I should—"

"Do it," Matt said, steady.

She froze, searching his face. "Matt—"

"Do it," he repeated, calm but certain. "I trust you."

So she pressed.

The world went silent.

Matt's eyes widened instantly. His chest rose sharply. The constant hum of New York—the flicker of Karen's heartbeat through the wall, the scuttle of a mouse in the pipes, the warm thrum of Annalise's breath—vanished.