soft | murdock

2

Matt's POV

I sigh as I climb up the last stair, extending my walking stick, even though I don't need it. I take a left and head toward the office, before hearing someone's voice and then feel a small body hit mine. Coffee sprays everywhere, burning me a little, but I don't flinch. I just stand there as the perpetrator starts apologizing like she hit my dog with her car. 

I chuckle at her awkwardness as her heart rate picks up and she starts trying to clean me off. Her movements are rash and quick, while her touch comes off as gentle and tentative. 

My hand finds her forearm and I steady her a little bit.

"It's fine. It's only my best suit," I say with a lousy attempt at humor. This only makes her feel worse, as her heart dips slightly. 

"Sorry. I don't know why I didn't look where I was going, I-"

I cut her off and put a gentle smile on my face. "You're fine. You smell very nice, by the way. Is that a lavender and celery body wash?"

Foggy claims that I do this creepy thing where I point out smells and sounds. I'm sorry I can't see and have to rely on my other senses? 

"Uhh, yeah. Did you guys just move into the cubicle next to us?" She's slightly creeped out, but she just feels dread because she ran into me and messed up my suit. Hopefully she doesn't think I'm going to sue her, because I'm not going to. 

Her voice is shaky and feeble, but I can just make out that she's maybe twenty-six and most likely single. I don't know why, just a hunch. 

"Yup. Nelson and Murdock, Attorneys At Law," I explain. We just moved in a couple days ago, across from their physical therapy office. 

"Um, I'm really sorry about your suit, but I've got to get going," she says weakly again, wanting to squeeze past me. I simply move out of the way and she seems surprised that I don't crash into anything in the process. 

"Okay. See you around."

-

"I'm not saying she's hot, I just said her voice sounds nice!" I say to Foggy as he accuses me of thinking that the girl I ran into today was a knockout. I mean, she probably was. I wouldn't know.

"She was shaking in fear from you, dude. That's not a good sign. Besides, I called dibs," Foggy says exasperatedly, flipping through some papers on our desk.

"Nah, she's not into blondes," I say. I don't actually know what her preference is, or if she even has one. Foggy just needs to stop jumping into relationships so fast. The last one was a little too hard on him and I think he's just looking for a rebound now. 

The girl doesn't deserve that. I can tell she's had a bit of a rough past, judging by how scared she got this morning. Perhaps something happened to her when she was little, or maybe she's not too good at the whole "romance" thing.

"Okay, Doctor Murdock, explain to me the biological evidence you have for that," Foggy shoots back playfully.

"Well, it's an evolutionary advantage to reproduce with more attractive, in-shape specimen, like me. At least that's what one year of biology taught me," I say, smirking because I know I've won the argument.

Foggy just blows a raspberry and flops into the chair by the desk.

"Say, what do you think we go and visit their office? I think she works with her brother or boyfriend or something," I say, desperate for something to do besides unpack the endless number of dingy cardboard boxes in our office.

"What? Why?"

"I dunno. It's customary to greet your neighbors, you know."

"Are you sure you don't just want to make sure she's single?"

"Not at all," I say, smiling to myself as I open the door to our office.

I knock twice on the door opposite from ours, before hearing a British "come in!"

I walk in an introduce myself to the boy, Foggy following in not long after. He introduces himself as Eddie Redmayne, a physical therapist with no affiliation to the girl, Skyler, except for incidentally having the same last name and being best friends since grade school. 

He seems like a kind, happy soul and we start engaging in conversation before Skyler bursts in with a box of pizza.

"No, I didn't get pineapple. I just got pepperoni. 

"Oh," she stops in the middle of her sentence as she sees us. 

"Nice to see you again, Skyler," I smile at her. 

"Hi. Which one are you?" she asks, but not to me.

"I'm Nelson. The blind one's Murdock," Foggy says, and I can almost see the huge grin on his face right now.

"These are our neighbors, Foggy Nelson and Matthew Murdock," Eddie explains. 

"I'm Skyler Redmayne, the stupid, clumsy one. Oh yeah, and we're not related, we've just been best friends since we were little." I smile at her comment. 

"I'm Foggy Nelson, the good-lookin-"

"Yes, we all know who you are, Fog. Anyway, just wanted to drop in and wish you guys luck on your physical therapy thing," I say, before things get more awkward. 

"It was lovely to meet you," I say, wanting to leave before things get more awkward. I pat Skyler on the shoulder before I leave, and she just mutters "bye" quietly under her breath.

-

Ugh. I got way in over my head tonight. I'm staggering, bleeding half to death. I probably broke a couple of ribs and that knife caught me by my collarbone. I can hear the blood rushing through the wound as I limp through the alley. I fall and lean on a garbage disposal container before passing out.