Chapter 29
"Got any fives?" I ask boredly, while laying upside down on my couch, my head resting against a propped up pillow.
Matt takes a brief moment to run his fingers over the numerous holes I punched into the cards, "Go fish."
I mutter a few curses before reaching and grabbing a card from the deck. I'm losing Go Fish against a blind guy... talk about a new low.
"Two's?" He asks and I let out a small groan and flick a card towards him. He lets out a low chuckle and puts down another pair, "This is honestly getting sad."
"Well, poker didn't work because you could call every goddamn bluff- so it's either this or we sit in silence again." I tell him with a small huff at his super hearing.
"Don't you listen to music or watch movies?" He asks and I laugh slightly.
"I can't watch TV, or use computers... or my phone- at least I'm not suppose to." I tell him with a shrug, "Hyper sensitivity, it's common with monochromacy."
"Six's?" He asks and I throw him another card, "Right, aren't you suppose to wear sunglasses?"
"I don't want to be the dick who wears sunglasses indoors." I state plainly and I don't notice his reaction until he is silent for a bit, then I start laughing. I forgot he wears sunglasses, that's actually kind of funny. Which reminds me... Foggy brought Matt's sunglasses here, so it seems like he came from a normal thing, not a vigilante thing.
"Thanks. By the way, you shouldn't let me deal the cards." He says with a small smirk and it takes me a moment.
Because he felt the numbers on the cards- goddamnit.
"Oh fuck you. I'm done. We are sitting in silence again." I throw my cards down and roll myself onto the floor, ever so graciously, "I hate myself a little bit more whenever I'm around you, I hope you realize that."
He muffles his laughter by rubbing his hand over his mouth, but a small chuckle escapes, sending a chill up my spine at how genuine it sounded, "Really? I thought you loved my company."
I roll my eyes at his sarcasm and slowly push myself off the ground, "Yeah, you are my favorite person to see pop up randomly in my home."
He places a hand dramatically over his heart, "I'm touched, saying you seem to get your fair share of unexpected visitors."
"I'm thinking about getting a welcome mat for my fire escape, you know, saying how many times you decide to just pop in."
"Really? That'll be great, it didn't exactly seem homey enough."
I stretch my back out, rolling my eyes at our combined sarcasm, "How would you know?"
He stands up and follows me to the kitchen, trailing behind me only a few steps, and I'm tempted to stop and cause him to slam into me but I don't. I won't be that annoying, plus he'll probably keep walking and just run me over.
"Does your back always crack that much?" He asks curiously and I let out a little laugh, making him give me a confused look.
"I dislocated my shoulder at least fifty times in the last five years, at this point, I have no idea what a good crack sounds like or what a bad crack sounds like." I tell him nonchalantly while reaching up into one of the cupboards for a mug.
"Yeah, I heard you dislocate it the other night, then just causally pop it back in place- that wasn't something I wanted to hear." He tells me, his face cringing slightly making me smile.
"Sorry, it hurts more if I don't pop it back right away." I tell him with a shrug. I dump out the old coffee and throw away the used grounds and I begin to start to brew fresh coffee. Caffeine keeps my mind going with my body, just because my body can regenerate quickly, doesn't mean my mind gets a chance to rest.
"If your body only lets you get 3-4 hours of sleep, why do you drink so much coffee?" He asks curiously, leaning against the counter.
I bite at my lips, debating whether or not to tell him, then I decide to just stay quiet. One less thing for him to worry about. "Do you want anything?"
I watch his lips twitch in annoyance, but he just gives me a fake smile and points towards one of the high cabinets, "Can I have a chocolate bar?"
I feel my heart melt slightly at how small and innocent that sounded, "Aw, that was really cute."
He laughs and shakes his head, "I loss a lot of blood, chocolate has a lot of iron in it."
"Still, the way you asked was adorable." I say while laughing a bit and hoping up onto the counter to reach the top cabinets.
He walks around and stands below me, "Aw, that was really cute," he echoes my words, gesturing to how I had to get on top of the counter to reach the candy.
"Shut up. Stark moved them." I growl slightly while tossing him down the chocolate bar and he catches it, still chuckling at his own jokes. Asshole.
I close the cupboard and hop down without a sound, "You are dangerously close to becoming my second favorite person to pop up."
He scoffs and opens the chocolate bar, "Who could replace me?"
"The pizza guy."
He smiles but shakes his head, "Of course."
"He doesn't show up bleeding out on my couch, he shows up with food. You know what, fuck it, he's my favorite visitor." I cross my arms and pour myself a cup of coffee.
"I might just have to have a chat with this pizza guy, he's stealing my favorite marksman way from me." Matt says with a small smirk.
I feel my face heat up slightly, but I hide it behind my burning cup of coffee which I curse myself for drinking so quickly, "Watch out, he'll probably kick your ass. It's not that hard to do..."
I mumble the last part, knowing full well that he'll hear me. He laughs and crosses his muscular arms over the SHIELD t-shirt that I lent him, "You want to bet?"
I take another sip of my coffee and hop up on the counter next to where he is standing, "What? That I could kick your ass? You are pretty severely injured. Foggy is going to kill me for letting you walk."
"So you can kick my ass, but Foggy can kill you?" Matt questions my logic but I just shrug.
"Foggy seems like a good friend, he would at least attempt to kill me." I say, struggling to contain my laughter.
Our heads both turn as a small female voice starts to repeat the other Attorney's name.
"Speaking of..." He trails off while pushing himself away from the counter to go answer, but I stand up from my spot on the counter and jump over him, rolling gracefully into my bedroom and retrieving his phone.
"Hello, sir." I answer, smiling proudly at the annoyed Matthew.
"Is Matt sleeping again?" Foggy asks, probably wondering why his blind friend didn't answer his phone.
"No, he is actually glaring at me right now for answering this call." I tell him, and Matt's glare wavers slightly, but he manages to hold it.
"Oh... do I want to ask-"
"No."
"No."
Matt and I answer at the same time, and the receiver stays quiet for a moment, only echoing the muffled sound of Foggy's laughter.
"He's laughing, isn't he?" Matt asks me, and I nod my head, moving over into the main room.
"Like a hyena." I answer, getting a chuckle out of Matt and a gasp out of Foggy.
"I'll have you know that I have a great laugh." He tells me, his voice wavering in offense.
"Foggy- love talking to you- even on the phone, you are better company then Mother Teresa, but why did you call?" I tell him, making Matt shake his head.
"Karen wants to come see Matt, and I tried to tell her that you wouldn't be alright with that but-" Foggy continues to blabber on, but I pulled the phone away from me and I toss it to Matt, letting out a exasperated groan.
He doesn't say anything to me as he places the phone to his ear, "Foggy, you do realize how bad of an idea that is."
"It's Karen, Matt... she's worried." I hear Foggy's slightly muffled voice say, "I told her that you tripped getting off a bus and a bicyclist hit you..."
I burst out laughing, and I quickly cover my mouth as Matt glares at me. He puts it on speaker, realizing that it doesn't matter, "It's on speaker now."
"Cyclist's are assholes, so that part is believable." I say, attempting to strain my voice of any humor.
"Why you are at Ember's... that turned into a bit of a train wreck." Foggy explains slowly.
I dig my nails into the back of an armchair and grit between my teeth, "Goddamnit, Foggy..."
"What did you tell her, exactly?" Matt asks, seemingly as annoyed as me.
The line goes quiet for a moment before he speaks, "Well... she already thought that you and Ember-"
"I'm throwing myself off the roof." I say while pushing myself off the chair and walking towards my front door.
"Ember..." Matt warns, grabbing my arm and pushing be back to the chair.
"I'm sorry! I panicked, you know I'm not a good liar... I'm a just one man, trying to save both your asses!" He shouts dramatically and I scoff slightly.
"It's Mr. Crystal Chandelier's ass you need to cover, I'm just getting fucked over with the aftermath." I say monotonously causing Foggy to let out a short laugh.
"Either way, story goes you picked him up from the hospital after the bike accident and he lost his key's so he is locked out of his apartment until he can get a replacement."
I start to mumble some choice words in Spanish under my breath, mostly about how stupid this idea is, how dumbass #1 didn't text us asking for a story, and how it involves dating dumbass #2.
"I'm taking it that she isn't happy..." Foggy speaks up after a moment of me growling curses under my breath.
"No, not at all." Matt answers for me, and I let out a sarcastic laugh.
"You know what, this plan is just peachy, just real... peachy." I move my hands away from the chair, realizing I'm starting to tear the fabric. This is going to be a horror show.
"Please don't kill each other before we get there, and Ember please try and not look like you are about to punch someone." Foggy begs and I let out a sigh, running my hands through my hair.
"I wish I got hit by a cyclist." I mumble.
~~~~~
"Is this the real life, is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. Open you your eyes, look up to the sky's and see..." I sing softly to myself while throwing my suit into a box, cause I apparently can't just leave that out in its case.
"Seven Nation Army and Bohemian Rhapsody? How old were you when you listened to these songs?" Matt speaks up from his crosslegged spot on my couch.
I let out a small scoff and finish laying the last knives in the container, "What else was I going to listen to? Britney Spears? God no..."
"So you were that rebellious kid that only listened to rock music?" He questions and I lift the box up.
"I was the rebellious kid that only listened to good music," I correct, "Queen, Journey, The White Stripes, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, I mean I could go on..."
"How old were you?" He repeats his question and I laugh lightly.
"I got my first iPod on my 9th birthday." I answer. My dad chose all the music, he was the one who got me into all the bands but I don't think Matt wants to hear about that, "I was saving up for years..."
"I thought you said you aren't suppose to look at those screens."
I shrug and place the box down in the corner of my room, "The screen barely lit up."
"So it's just bright screens?" He asks curiously.
"Yeah, Einstein, thought I made that pretty clear." I roll my eyes and rummage through my drawers for some actual clothes to wear, not just an oversized sweatshirt and some shorts.
He continues to ask questions, "What about the sun?"
"Sun glasses," I answer simply, "Plus I don't really go out during the day that often."
"Flashlights?"
I pause, letting out a dry laugh, "You done yet?"
"Candles?" Without looking I can tell his is smirking. When he finds a way to push my buttons, he really finds a way to push my buttons...
"I will throw you off the roof, Murdock!" I shout, and he laughs at how generally upset I sound. I change into a pair of ripped jeans and a simple dark t-shirt that I tuck in slightly, "Don't test me either..."
"I'll just quiz you." He lamely jokes and I let out a fake wince of pain. I walk out into the main room and lean against a wall.
"Your jokes are worse then your fighting, I didn't think something could be that bad." I say with a hint of sarcasm, and he just responds by picking up my coffee cup and throwing it.
I dive out and catch it, sliding to a stop, "What the fuck was that for?!"
He apparently cannot contain his laughter as he takes up a minute of my life doing so, "I'm just quizzing you, Ember."
"You are my third favorite company now..." I mumble, straighten up and walking to my kitchen to put the mug away.
"What? Now who's stealing my place?" He complains, jokingly of course.
"Foggy." I answer simply, causing Matt to groan.
"My own best friend has stolen you away from me, what does that say about me?" He questions rhetorically.
"You have a tendency to break tables and show up half dead on couches." I point out, "And you throw things. Foggy and the pizza guy don't throw things; you throw things, break tables, and show up bleeding out on couches."
"Why is this pizza guy so high up on your list?"
I smile to myself and open a curtain letting the last bit of daylight in, "I know the owners."
Matt chuckles, "Of course you do."
"Aye!" I shout at him, "Do not question my methodology..."
He pauses for a second, his head tilting towards the window. He hears something.
I walk over to the window he's closest to and I look out, "What?"
"They're here." He says simply, his voice showing something behind it.
Disappointment or Sadness? That doesn't make sense... these are his friends, why would he be disappointed or sad to be with them?
I briefly catch a glimpse of a man and a woman walking into the building, but nothing more, "I'll take your word for it."
"You remember the story?" He asks and I nod lightly, picking his sunglasses up from the coffee table and handing them to him.
"This'll be fun..." I mutter, displeased with how this is going to go.
"It'll be fine." He reassures, but I hear the doubt dripping in his voice. Which doesn't reassure me at all.
I shouldn't be nervous. Why am I nervous? I've done this a million times. It's just playing a role. A normal role. Pretending to be normal. My... boyfriend... got into an accident, he needed a place to stay while he healed after he got released, I offered my place, and now he's here. It's fine. It's normal.
You are fine. It'll be fine. We'll just order food or something, watch a movie I guess... I don't know what the fuck they want to do.
"Stop psyching yourself out." He says softly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"I apologize." I mumble while moving towards my door after hearing the elevator at the end of the hall softly ding open.
"You can hear that?" He questions, mostly to himself, but still.
"Part of my job, to listen and to see..." I say softly, not trying to anger him right before they show up.
"But that's still pretty far away-"
He gets cut off by the knocking on my door, presumably Foggy by the light tapping of before.
I open it up and greet them with a gentle smile, not too happy or fake looking, just a winsome smile, "Did you guys get here okay? Traffic is usually horrible this time of day."
I hear the soft muffled laughter of the idiot on the couch for how plain that sounded.
They step inside and I notice the dampness on their jackets, did it rain? Or did they take an alleyway, because I know the rain still hasn't evaporated from them yet... but why would they be in an alley?
"It was fine." Karen says lightly, returning a smile to me, but I see the way the smile on her lips don't reach her eyes. She's lying... why?
"Oh... well that's good." I say, straining to keep the suspicion out of my voice, and for once succeeding.
"So how's Mr. Crystal Chandelier doing?" Foggy asks, and I smile genuinely at how Foggy repeated my earlier nickname for Matt.
Karen lightly hits his shoulder, "Foggy! Don't say that."
"I'm pretty sure he is listening to everything we are saying from the couch." I say, mostly to Foggy, who's mouth forms an 'o' shape.
I lead them out of the walkway after they hang up their, oddly damp, coats and Karen's face is practically priceless after she sees Matt.
"Jesus..." She mutters, walking closer to him, but I hang back by Foggy. She glances back at me, and is probably shocked by my nonchalant expression, "Are you suing?"
Glad that's the first question.
Matt lets out a dry laugh and adjusts himself, "No, it was my fault anyway, I should have been more mindful of my surroundings."
And maybe not have let the Japanese kick your ass...
"The cyclist hit you, didn't he?" Karen presses, and I just let out a small sigh of annoyance that only Foggy hears.
"What's important is that he is still here and the cyclist got arrested anyways later for riding on the sidewalk." I say to hopefully cool her antsy attitude down.
She turns to me with a doubtful look, god she is suddenly persecuting me for no reason... "How do you know?"
I bit the inside of my cheek to restrain from making a snappy comment, "It happened outside my friend's flower-shop, and this lady is quite the gossiper."
Her face falls at the realization that I'm 'telling the truth' she should just stick with her gut instinct honestly, "O-oh... sorry."
I give her a kind smile as if to forgive her, and just shrug, "The bleeding subsided and he doesn't have a concussion so he should be back whenever he feels well enough."
She nods her head curtly, "What else did the doctors say?"
I don't let the mention of doctors faze me, don't exactly have a medical degree, "They said that he would be alright... a bit of a freak accident really..."
"Speaking of freak accident, some guy stole our pizza on the way here." Foggy brings up and I have to cover my mouth to contain my laughter.
"What?" Matt asks, probably checking to see if he heard his friend right, but I know exactly who they are talking about.
Karen nods her head, "Some guy was hanging out in an alleyway and just snagged the box out of Foggy's hands!"
I feel the tears springing up in the corners of my eyes and it starts to hurt my stomach, "Y-you guy's met Emilio?"
Foggy scoffs, clearly upset by his lost of cheese bread, "Hardly say 'met' mostly just heroically chased him down an alley and lost him as he did some aerobics over a wall."
"You ran five steps into the alley and tripped over a newspaper, I'd wouldn't call that heroically chasing." Karen says sarcastically, just making me laugh harder and Foggy has to hold onto my shoulder to keep me standing.
I calm down and wipe my eyes, now noticing how Matt's shoulders are also shaking because he is attempting to keep in his laughter, "He runs a kitchen on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's... sometimes he runs short on food, especially after a cold weekend like this one."
Foggy throws his arms up, "So he turns into Robin Hood and steals delicious pizza from the rich and gives it to the poor? That hardly seems fair!"
I clear my throat, containing my laughter still, "Foggy, I can just buy another pizza. How much was the one you bought?"
I walk over to my kitchen counter and grab my bag, Emilio helped me out when I was younger. He would give me rations for the other days of the week if I would help his mom out in the kitchen. She's also the owner of the flower-shop, I wasn't lying when I said she was a gossiper, just the cyclist. Plus, his sister and her friends run a pizza place downtown and they sometimes help out the kitchen.
"I couldn't ask you-"
"You don't exactly have a choice, and if you don't give me a number I'm going to give you a fifty." I tell him while pulling out my wallet, ignoring the looks they are giving me.
"Alrighty then..." Foggy says and I smile contently.
I grab my phone and hand him the cash, "I'll yell at Emilio next time I see him."
Matt chuckles at that, "I wouldn't doubt it."