Matt Murdock Shorts

Soulmates Part One

Everyone tells you that when you meet your soulmate it'll be love at first sight. That your shared pain will somehow link the two of you and form an immediate bond. It's not true. You can certainly attest to that, though Matt swears up and down it was immediate for him. Everyone has their story: the first time they feel something that isn't happening to them. If a connection is particularly strong, you might see a flash of what's happening to the other person. It's an icebreaker in conversation, and for most, it's cute. A playground wound, a kiss on the cheek. For you, it's awkward. The pitiful attempts of others at shining positive light on the subject are just that. And lucky you, your bond with your soulmate is a strong one.

The first time it happened to you, you were completely unprepared. You were seven, just starting to grasp the subject, when you felt a searing pain in your eyes. Then you had a vision of a man's face hovering over you, the blue sky as a backdrop before everything went black. He looked so worried hovering over you— or your soulmate, rather. You remember it clear as day: he was mouthing something over and over but you couldn't figure out what it was. You had just come in from lunch at school when it happened. The teacher tried to calm you as you screamed and thrashed while the other students stared. You were so rattled by the experience that you swore off dating then and there. In your teen years, you heard girls make up stories about feeling the same things as their boyfriends. You knew they were lying— desperate for love at that age— but none of it appealed to you in the slightest. Once you got older, you fucked around. You figured you'd never meet this person and didn't care if you did. The world around you was so foreign. You couldn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with this idea. It scared the shit out of you if you were being honest. Then he found you.

Or you found him; you're not quite sure.

—0—

You moved to Hell's Kitchen a month ago and overall, your life hasn't changed much. The city already feels too small and you're thinking of moving somewhere else; maybe out of the country. You found a shitty bar to spend your time in when you moved here, so here you are. Sitting at Josie's, minding your own goddamned business when you feel a sharp pain on the ball of your wrist. It doesn't compare to the gash above your eyebrow you felt last night, but it's still noticeable. You glance up when you hear a man hiss and you see him start rubbing his wrist. Your stomach drops but you calm yourself down. After all, you don't give a shit whether your soulmate is 10 feet away from you. You take another sip of your drink, chalking it up to coincidence until you catch a better look at his face. Right where yours is throbbing, he has the scab to prove it. You have half a mind to go punch him in the face and call him the idiot he is for getting into so many fights. The only thing that stops you is that you don't want to risk him confessing his undying love for you. That and you'd feel that punch in the face too. He's causing you enough pain as it is. You get up, going to leave the bar but the universe has other plans for you. You trip on his cane on the way to the door, falling to the ground and breaking your fall with your forearms.

He gasps as the pain you're experiencing blooms along his arms. He shrugs it off though, and slides off the bar stool, kneeling down next to you, apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left that sticking out like that. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." You try to brush him off and leave before he puts everything together.

"Hey, what are you in such a rush for?" He asks, his tone teasing.

"What's it to you?"

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to make conversation. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's fine. Have a nice night." You tell him as you hurry off.

"What was her problem?" Foggy asks.