Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She really didn’t have to bribe her boss to let her come in a little later but bagels and coffee never hurt. While her best friends had been office hunting, she had been stuck at work. So when Shirley let her come in at 9 instead of 8 she jumped at the chance to finally check out the office the two had landed on. They had been in it for a couple of weeks now and they had been complaining about how she hadn’t stopped by yet.

She had seen it over the weekend once and while they didn’t have a whole lot of clients, they still teased her about never coming to visit during work hours. Especially after they hired Karen Page. So when things seemed to settle for a little bit at Metro-General, Evelyn talked her boss into letting her come in a little later than usual so she could get them off her back.

Evelyn Jones had been best friends with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson since their freshman year of college. She, like the boys, grew up in Hell’s Kitchen and dreamed of giving back to the community. So the fact that they finally had their own brick and mortar building made her quite excited for them. On top of that, they hired their first employee. She couldn’t wait to meet her either, especially since she had quite the story of how she wound up working for Nelson and Murdock.

Just past the hardware store, Evelyn pulled the door that lay between the red pillars open. She was nothing but smiles as climbed the stairs. She was absolutely thrilled for her best friends and to see their dreams come true. Chuckling softly to herself at the paper sign taped to the door, she made the mental note to reach out to one of her contacts from her marketing side gig to see if she couldn’t get them a better sign.

“Well, look who it is.” Foggy smiled as Evelyn walked through the door. She easily returned his grin before he pulled her in for his infamous bear hug.

“Yeah, the boss let me come in a little late today as long as I bring breakfast.” She said as she pulled back. “I had to finally see the new digs in daylight and meet Miss Page.” She waved over to Karen as she turned to be more open to the room.

“It’s not much to look at, or so I’m told.” Matt quipped, leaning in the doorway to his office, a smirk on his features.

Evelyn shook her head with an amused smile as she went to go hug her other best friend. “Hi, Matty.” She whispered with a touch of exasperation in her voice.

“Hi, Evie.” He replied with full-blown smugness as he gave her a small squeeze. “Still questioning our friendship?” He continued to tease in the hopes of trying to cover up his wince from where the cut on his side had opened back up.

Pulling back, she cupped both sides of his face, a large grin stretched across her features as she scanned his. Something was up and she’d figure it out eventually. “Everyday.” She answered with a laugh before letting go and taking in the office space fully.

“It is rather quaint.” She said before turning to finally face the woman she had heard so much about.

“Oh c’mon, Eve. Quaint?” Foggy asked with a slight roll of his eyes while she introduced herself to Karen.

Nodding, she continued talking to Karen and apologized for any future shenanigans her friends pulled her into. “But I promise you’re in good hands. I trust these two to the ends of the earth. However,” she grabbed a pen and wrote her number down on a sticky note, “if you ever need me to get them in line, call me.” She handed the yellow square over to Karen.

“I do need to get going though. I wish I could stay longer but I have to pick up bagels.” She said as she made her rounds again, telling her friends goodbye. “Promise I’ll try to stop by again for a longer visit.” She said as she pulled away from Matt. Before she could leave his side, however, he took hold of her wrist.

“Before you go, could you take a look at Foggy’s decorating and make sure he didn’t get me anything ridiculous?”

There it was. Time to find out why he was wincing. “Yeah, of course.”

He smiled gratefully as he turned to lead her inside his office. Once they were both inside, he shut the door. He wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to take this news, especially since he needed her to help him patch up where he had torn the stitches but it wasn’t like he could go to Claire right now.

As soon as the door shut, Karen turned to look at Foggy, who was heading back into his office after rolling his eyes at his friends. “Are they more than friends?” Karen asked, figuring that maybe they kept things under wraps so that Foggy wouldn’t feel like a third wheel. But they seemed awfully close, even more so than Evelyn and Foggy.

He laughed. “You just met her and you’re already asking that?” He leaned against her desk, ready to give her a glimpse at the history that was Matt and Evelyn. “There’s always been something more between those two but there’s never been the right timing so I’ve had to deal with that for years.”

Karen nodded, glancing back to the door where the light was now on. “So what are they talking about, you think?”

“I’m hoping he’s finally telling her how he feels. She’s seeing this guy but neither Matt nor I like him. But in reality, he’s probably just checking in to make sure that she’s okay. It’s been a couple days since we’ve seen her in person. She stays busy and well, we’ve been setting up a new firm so it doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for us to hang out like we usually do.”

“You three seem really close.” She said with a smile. It was nice to see and she was grateful they all easily seemed to have adopted her into their group. She really didn’t have anyone after moving to New York. She thought she’d be fine with it but after meeting Foggy, Matt, and now Evelyn, she couldn’t have asked for nicer people to consider friends.

“Yeah, we are. But we’re always happy to bring in more friends to our crazy.” Foggy smiled as he went back into his office.

Behind the closed door, Matt finally let Evelyn see how much pain he was in. She flicked on the light before hurrying over to help him sit down. He took off his suit jacket revealing the bloodstain blooming at his side. He had walked too quickly trying to keep up with the mysterious man who had just hired him and Foggy to represent a man named Healy.

“What the hell happened to you?!” Eve whispered. She knew he had a rough night a couple of days ago but he hadn’t told her just how rough. This was the worst she had ever seen him.

“You’re not going to like my answer. First aid kit is in the bottom drawer, by the way.”

With a sigh, she crouched down and pulled out the kit that he reassured would be there. Setting it on the desk, she laid out the supplies she would need and put on a pair of gloves. “Are you going to tell me now or should I expect a visit from you later tonight?” She asked as she crouched back down.

“Can I come over later? What time do you get off work?”

“Six.” She answered as she peeled back his shirt, moving quickly with some gauze to stop the bleeding.

“I’ll bring dinner.”

She looked up at him, worry etched across her features. “It’s that kind of story, huh?”

“Russians like their knives.”

“Shit, Matty.” She huffed out as she began to clean his wound before she stitched him back up. “How did you even reopen this? It looks professionally done.”

“Followed a guy a little too quickly.”

She shook her head, focusing on the stitches. “Did you at least get what you were looking for?”

“No. Just that he got into a car and several pulled away at once.”

“Well, that’s a little anticlimactic.” She set the tools aside and placed gauze over the wound, taping it to him to keep it in place. “What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”

“You know I used to patch up my dad right?”

“Yes and that’s how you taught me because the first time you asked me to patch you up I had just started at the hospital and now it’s like you expect me to know what I’m doing.”

“I expect you to know what you’re doing because I taught you how.” He huffed out a laugh.

“If you pop your fresh stitches because you’re teasing me, I’ll be even more upset.” She gave him a pointed glare, even though she knew he couldn’t see it but she was fairly certain he could always feel it when she threw them his way. He always had a slight grimace on his face when it appeared. “Do you have a clean shirt?”

“Yeah, in the garment bag on the back of the door.”

After cleaning up, Eve brought the clean shirt over and helped him into it. “Take it easy for the next few days, please. I’m only in the admin side of healthcare and there is a reason for that. If you injure yourself any worse you’re going to have to go to the actual hospital.”

He took her hands in his, bringing them up to his lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you, Eve.”

She rolled her eyes and kissed his forehead. “Just be careful, please. Now I’ve really got to go. I'll call and check in later, okay?”

He nodded, letting her go. “Yeah, okay. See you later.”

⠙⠙

Evelyn had barely gotten changed into something more comfortable when a knock sounded throughout her apartment. Moments later, Matt walked through the door, holding a take-out bag from her favorite Italian restaurant. “Eve?” He called out as he made his way towards her kitchen.

“Be out in a minute!” She replied as she tossed her work clothes in her hamper. She pulled out the hairband that kept her hair up in the messy bun she threw it up in about midway through her shift. She needed the extra moment to prepare herself for whatever he was about to tell her. How bad the story was depended on what meal he had gotten for her. “So what did you get for me?” She asked as she made her way out of her bedroom.

He tightened his grip around the chair momentarily before he pulled it back for her to sit. They had somehow managed to create a system based on the food they ordered. Chicken parmesan, they were celebrating. Ravioli was just catching up, a regular dinner out. Tortellini meant bad news. “Why don’t you sit down first?” He said, easing his grip as he turned towards her with his best reassuring smile.

That was all the answer she needed. “You got tortellini didn’t you?” She asked as she sat down, opening up the tin to reveal what she already knew. She let out a heavy sigh as she waited for him to sit down.

Moving his chair closer, he angled his body towards her and reached for her hand. She didn’t give it to him but he kept it out for her to take at any time. Instead, she twirled her fork around for a few moments before stabbing at the cheese-filled pasta. “Who patched you up?” She asked after they both had taken a bite of their food.

“A nurse.”

“Do I know them?” She arched a brow towards him, taking another bite.

“She didn’t say where she worked.”

“And where did she find you?”

“In a dumpster.” He said around his next mouthful.

“In a?!” She gripped her fork and looked up towards the ceiling letting out a rush of air. “What would have happened if she hadn’t found you?”

“I’m not sure.” He said but he knew exactly what would have happened. He would have broken the promise he made to her when she found out about his after-hours activities. He knew she came to the same conclusion when she dropped her fork on the table.

She sighed, covering her face with her hands. He reached out, dragging a hand away from her face. She watched as he played with her fingers momentarily before intertwining them. Holding her hand in his as she processed the details he hadn’t told her before. Ever so quietly, he finally spoke up. “Still questioning our friendship?”

Evelyn leaned back in her seat with a small, exasperated huff. “Every fucking day.”

He let out a relieved sigh as he chuckled, smiling at her answer. He really thought he had lost her there for a moment. He had nearly broken his promise to her, his promise to come home. She had gone quiet and he couldn’t quite make out what she was feeling. Which is why he asked his question and why her answer meant a great deal to him.

They finished eating in companionable silence. Once they were done, Evelyn cleaned up, ready to truly settle in for the night. She had some shows to catch up on and she needed to figure out a restaurant to go to later in the week. She and Will were going out after work in a couple of days and it was her turn to pick where they went. Although walking around and seeing where it took them sounded fun too. If only Will was as adventurous.

“Do you want to come over? Have a drink?” Matt asked her, leaning against the counter.

“I’m gonna pass tonight. My couch hasn’t seen me in a while. I need to let it know that I’m not neglecting it.” She joked. “You’re more than welcome to stay. I think I have something around here.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to take away time from your couch.”

Evelyn soon wrapped him in a hug, holding him to her tightly. She needed to feel that he was actually there with her and he was more than happy to oblige. He easily returned the embrace, arms winding around her waist. “Thank you for dinner.” She wound up saying instead of the multitude of other things she wanted to say. Half of them she couldn’t because she was in a relationship.

“Next time it won’t be tortellini.”

She chuckled. “It was still good despite the news that came with it.”

“I’m going to be more careful.”

“Yeah, you better.” She gave him a small squeeze before pulling back. “Be careful going home. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

He nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Evie.”

“Night, Matty.” She softly smiled before walking him to the door. 

Chapter Text

Late the next night, Matt called her. They had talked when she had gone on lunch earlier in the day. He had actually helped her pick where she and Will were going to go for date night the following night. Despite being pulled from a deep sleep, Evelyn was wide awake and ready to do whatever was needed. The jolt of adrenaline at seeing Matt call so late would do that, apparently.

He wouldn’t give her much else besides the fact that if she had some clothes she could spare, his impromptu roommate would greatly appreciate it. So she packed a backpack with several options of things she wouldn’t mind if she didn’t get back.

When she got there the mystery person was taking a shower and Matt walked as though he was getting a few new bruises. “So who am I donating clothes to?” She asked as she handed over the bag.

“The nurse that helped me out a couple of days ago,” Matt said, moving to pull out the first set of clothes he could find. “Do these go?” He asked, pulling out a shirt and a pair of leggings.

“Yeah, they match.” She said, following him further into his apartment. “Do I finally get to know her name?”

“Claire.” He slipped into his room and placed the clothes and bag on the bed.

Evelyn just stared after him. She wondered if it could be her friend from work, Claire Temple. She apparently hadn’t been in for a couple of days, out sick according to Shirley. So she had texted her to see if she needed anything. Claire’s response had given her a weird vibe but she took it as her not wanting to get her sick but maybe, she’d stumble across the truth. Something she seemed to have a knack for doing.

She settled into the couch, waiting for Matt to return. He sat down next to her, not quite fully relaxed but his shoulders had dropped a little. Tucking her feet under her, she turned towards him and began to run her hand up and down his back. He melted into her touch, leaning in close. “What happened, Matt?”

“The Russians kidnapped her to try and get information out of her about me.”

“Are you two okay?”

He nodded. “I’m just a little sore. I had to patch her up a little bit but nothing was majorly broken thankfully.”

“Do you think they got any information?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I trust her.”

At the sound of the shower turning off, he tilted his head as he focused on her to make sure there weren’t any other injuries he had somehow missed. A few moments later, the mystery nurse named Claire walked out, pausing in her movements when she noticed Evelyn sitting next to Matt.

“Do you know someone who also works at Metro-General? Because –“ Claire’s train of thought stopped mid-sentence. She had looked up from where she had pulled at the hem of the t-shirt the hospital had given out a year ago. She had a similar shirt, as well as several others, folded in her drawers at her now wrecked apartment several blocks over.

She hadn’t expected to get caught up with a vigilante or to help him interrogate someone, let alone get kidnapped by the Russian Mob but she definitely didn’t expect to see the admin assistant to her boss sitting next to the man she had been secretly patching up as if she had been doing it all her life. “Uh, hi, Eve.”

She just waved. Well, what a small world indeed. Mystery nurse Claire was indeed her work best friend. “Hi, Claire. Don’t worry about me being here. Your secret is safe with me. Besides, Shirley would either fire me or make me go to nursing school if she found out how long I’ve been patching this one up.” Evelyn pointed toward Matt with a small smirk.

“So that’s your past handy work, huh?” She asked as she came to join them in the living room, easing herself down into the chair across from the couch.

“Wait, are we going to skip over the fact that you two know each other?” Matt asked, tilting his head towards Evelyn. He honestly could not believe the odds. Metro-General was a large healthcare system and the fact that he quite by accident met Claire, someone his best friend seemed to be quite friendly with was a little mind-boggling.

“Yup. You sure know how to pick ‘em, Matty. I’m just glad you finally got yourself an actual nurse.” She patted his shoulder as she stood. She still hadn’t quite gotten over how he wound up needing Claire in the first place. “When’s the last time you two ate? Or are you just wanting to get to bed?”

“I could eat,” Claire said.

Matt nodded. “I think I have enough stuff in there. We might have to go to the store again soon.”

“I’m available Saturday if you’re not getting yourself nearly killed then,” Evelyn yelled over her shoulder as she rummaged around the kitchen, finding the things she needed to make grilled cheeses.

“Oh, you two know each other, know each other,” Claire said, realizing that Evelyn didn’t get pulled into this as she did. She knew because they were friends outside of his heroics.

“Yes, we’ve known each other since college,” Evelyn said.

“You’ve been doing this that long?” Claire looked at Matt, wide-eyed.

Matt chuckled, shaking his head. “This started recently.”

The sizzling of butter brought their attention back to Evelyn cooking in the kitchen. Matt sniffed the air and slowly turned to face the kitchen with a smile. "Grilled cheese?" He asked.

The hot sandwich was one of her trademark meals. She wasn’t the best cook but her staples were some of the best Matt had ever had. It’s why he started keeping some of the main ingredients on hand. For times like this when she was trying to make sure he was taken care of before she sent him to bed.

"Yup." Evelyn smiled even though no one could see it as she placed the cheese and the other slice of bread on top of the slice in the pan.

"Do you need some help?" Claire asked. She needed something to do. She was still a little jittery from earlier and well, helping her work best friend out in the kitchen seemed like something easy to do.

"If you want. I could use some help opening the cheese slices."

Claire soon joined Evelyn's side, grateful to be doing something after her run-in with the Russians. She knew the moment she pulled Matt out of the dumpster that she was welcoming a world of trouble into her life. Sure she was already toeing the line of the law by providing care for families in her building but this was more than potentially losing her nurse’s license. She could potentially lose her life.

As Evelyn flipped the sandwich to toast the other side, she leaned in close to her and whispered, despite knowing Matt could well and fully hear her. "You doing okay?"

She considered Claire one of her work friends. One of the initiatives that Evelyn had taken upon herself was to round with the nurses and other medical staff under Shirley’s care. She did it to make sure they were taking at least five minutes for themselves. It led to her hearing a lot of venting sessions which made her wonder if maybe she should have gone into counseling. The rounds allowed her to create relationships which helped when she needed to get something from them for Shirley. There were a few, like Claire, who talked to her more often than when she got the chance to round, which led to some great friendships that made the day pass by quickly.

She laughed a bit humorlessly but nodded. She still hadn’t figured out if it was a blessing or a curse that she had someone else to talk to about this besides just Matt. "Pretty sure I have a concussion but otherwise, yeah. Well, as okay as I can be, ya know."

"Well, if you need someone to talk to, you have my number." Evelyn smiled up at her as she plated the first sandwich and started on the second one.

Soon they were all sitting around the dining table, eating in companionable silence. Evelyn stood up first, taking everyone’s empty plates. They all were in various degrees of nodding off. So she wanted to clean up and get home so everyone could get to bed.

Before she could get too far, Matt reached out and placed a hand on her arm. “Hey, you’re staying the night right?” He didn’t know the exact time but he knew it had to be late and he didn’t want her to have to walk back to her apartment alone. Claire’s kidnapping set him on edge. While he knew that Evelyn hadn’t been exposed like her friend, he didn’t want to take any chances.

“I was planning on going back home.” She didn’t live too far away and with it being so late, not a lot of people were out. Especially on the decently-lit street they lived on.

Matt shook his head at her answer. “It’s too late, Evie.”

“I’ll be fine, Matty.” She placed a kiss on top of his head and continued her way into the kitchen to start cleaning up.

“We can share the bed.” Claire offered. She wanted her friend to be safe too and if it was because of the space, she didn’t mind sharing.

“I live two buildings down. I’ll be fine. I’ve got to go to work tomorrow so I’d like to get as much sleep as I can get. So I need to go home.” She appreciated Claire’s offer but she really did just want to be in her own bed.

“Just text Shirley that you’ll be in late and bring in bagels,” Matt argued. Why was she being so stubborn about this?

“No, Matthew.” She said, tone final. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t just because of wanting her own bed. She was still upset with him about how he even met Claire. Then what happened tonight, she had a lot to process and she needed to be away from Matt so she could think clearly.

Matt turned to fully face her, ready to out stubborn his best friend, forgetting entirely that they were not alone. Sensing how tense things were becoming, Claire stood from her seat. “Well, on that note I’m going to go to bed but seriously Eve, if you change your mind, the bed is big enough for the both of us.”

There was something going down between the two of them and she did not want to encroach on their privacy. She remembered Evelyn talking about her friends from college. She had met her roommate but the two that became lawyers she hadn’t had the pleasure. She was starting to wonder if maybe Matt was the clueless one. Well, Claire had never heard Evelyn call him that but that’s what she had started to call him in her head after some of the stories she had heard about him.

“Thanks, Claire. Sweet dreams and if there’s anything I can bring you tomorrow, let me know. I’m more than happy to.” She smiled before focusing back on washing the dishes.

They remained silent while Claire made her way into the bedroom. Evelyn could feel Matt’s attention on her, it hadn’t left since she told him no using his full name. His hand gripped the back of the chair so tight that his knuckles were white.

“You’re still mad at me,” Matt said after the separator for the bedroom was slid shut. It was the only thing he could come up with. And now he had unknowingly dragged one of her other friends into danger. The fact that she even came over was a miracle, which he was grateful for.

Evelyn set the knife she had been washing down and braced herself against the counter. “Of course, I’m still mad at you. You nearly broke your promise to me.”

Slowly standing up, he made his way over to her. Evelyn very well could be mad but her heartbeat told him there was another emotion underlying that anger. And her words didn’t have nearly as much bite as they usually did when she was truly angry. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as he rested his forehead on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

She let out a small huff which confirmed his guess and yet she still didn’t relax in his embrace. “I’m here. I’m safe. I’m okay.” He tried to reassure her.

Once more she sighed. She hated when he was able to see past her defenses. But she always talked about how open and honest communication was the key to any successful relationship. She just hadn’t been able to fully process things and put them into words. On top of the fact of all he just had to deal with.

“I didn’t hear from you until well into the next morning.” She started. He wanted to know, well he was going to know everything. “I had gone searching through every John Smith that had been brought into the hospital not sure if I was hoping to find you or not. And then you act as if nothing happened even though I can literally hear the pain in your voice. And I’m only just now finding out how close to death you actually were.”

She spun around to finally face him. “I get why you do what you do. But I only asked you for two things when I found out, for you to always tell me when you get home and for you to come back to me in one piece. Nearly dying is not coming back to me in one piece.”

“I’m sorry, Eve. I didn’t want to worry you. And when I saw that you called around the same time Foggy and Karen was drunk calling me, I just assumed that you were with them. Do you think you could forgive me?”

It was Evelyn’s turn to rest her forehead on his shoulder. She could make him grovel but in the end, what good would that do. He sounded genuine and at the end of the day, he had still returned to her. That’s what mattered most to her. “I forgive you but I’m still going home.”

With a groan, he tilted his head back. Why did she have to be so stubborn? “Can I at least walk you home?”

“I guess that’s acceptable.” She said, looking up at him

He grinned down at her and kissed her forehead. She wouldn’t be staying underneath the same roof but he could make sure she got home safe. He could live with that. 

Chapter Text

The windows rattled. Evelyn and Claire both paused midbite as they heard the explosions happen all around them. Setting their cupcakes down on the coffee table, the two women rushed over to the window, noticing the orange glow and even noticing one of the fires. They looked toward each other and soon they were both racing around cleaning up and getting ready.

“Do we need to stop by Matt’s for your scrubs?” Evelyn asked as she put on one of her hospital t-shirts.

“There're scrubs there I can grab but I’ll take a t-shirt if you have another one.”

Evelyn tossed the shirt her way and pulled on the pants she wore earlier that day. As soon as her shoes were on, her phone began blowing up with texts from Shirley. Three bombings. ER Rush. Need you here asap to help filter patients. Are you okay?

The brunette laughed at the last text, sent almost like an afterthought. She replied, letting her boss know that she would be coming in.

The only way to describe the ER when they got there was chaos, even more so than usual. Claire rushed off to get changed so she could start helping with the injuries. Evelyn weaved her way into the registration, claiming the computer next to the overwhelmed registrar. “Everyone listen up!” She shouted over the crowd, silencing the chatter, once she was logged in. “If you are here for an actual injury or illness I need you to stay in this line with Miss Debbie. My lovely people checking people in, in the lobby please help with this line. If you are here to see if a loved one has been checked in, please step over to my line. We will see everyone as quickly as we can.”

She didn’t realize how much time had passed. There were still so many people in the lobby when Claire touched her shoulder. Evelyn startled a little, looking behind her as she hung up the phone. When she didn’t have someone in front of her, she answered frantic phone calls looking for loved ones. Realization settled her back down before she recognized the not-so-great expression on her friend’s face. Claire wasn’t there to ask for help, no she was there to deliver some bad news.

Evelyn’s heart dropped.

“Hey, come with me. Shirley’s sending Tricia to take over.” Claire said with a soft smile.

Nodding, she stood and followed Claire to a semi-quiet part of the hallway. “Is it Matt?”

Claire shook her head. “Foggy Nelson. He asked for you. He wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“And is he okay?”

“We’re keeping him overnight for observation. He lost some blood from a cut to his side that he didn’t realize was there.”

She nodded. Okay, that didn’t sound so bad. But there were still so many questions she had. “Have you heard from Matt?”

“He has Vladmir in an abandoned warehouse. The bombs hit the Russians. I walked him through cauterizing a bullet wound but he’s fine.”

Evelyn pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m not going to get any sleep tonight.”

“Probably not. Are you sure this is something you can maintain? He’s getting in deep with this.”

Sighing, she leaned up against the wall. “I can’t let him do this alone. Even if it is just making sure he knows there’s always something to come back home to.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “Well, you know where to find me if you need to talk. Now let me take you to Foggy. If he calls back again, I’ll come find you.”

They made it to his room just in time. He was trying to get out of bed before she hurried over to the side of the bed. “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Evelyn asked, helping Karen ease Foggy back down into the bed.

“Eve! Have you heard from Matt?” Foggy gripped her arm, pulling her down to sit on the bed with him. His eyes ran over her, making sure that she was alright. The only thing she seemed was tired which eased his worries some. They just needed to find Matt.

“I haven’t been able to look at my phone since I got here but our strip of the street was fine. I called him to stay put and that I would call once I heard from you two on my way in.”

Foggy nodded, sighing in relief before chuckling a bit. “I’m surprised he actually listened.”

She hated lying to Foggy and she especially hated how good she’d gotten at it. The lie had easily rolled off her tongue mixed in with half-truths so he didn’t even question it. She laughed with him, hoping he didn’t recognize the pause she took or even wrote off the brief moment of guilt she allowed herself to feel. “I am too. So I’m gonna go call him and let him know that he can come by tomorrow when you’re discharged.”

Evelyn made to stand up but Foggy kept her in place. “Stay, please?” He asked, giving her a bit of his puppy look. Even with it not in full force, she couldn’t say no.

“Oh, alright.” She said, rolling her eyes fondly as she pulled out her phone, knowing full well that she was about to get his voicemail.

“Hey, Matty.” She started the message, pretending that she was actually talking to him for Foggy and Karen’s sake. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s crazy here but I’m fine. I also have Karen and Foggy with me. Karen’s okay. Fog had a run-in with some glass.”

“Tell him we were with Mrs. Cardenas and that she’s okay too, cut on the head.” He whispered.

Nodding, she relayed the message. “They were at Mrs. Cardenas when the bombs went off. Yeah, she’s okay too. Cut on her head but otherwise fine. So please just stay home so I have one less person to worry about? I will bring them by when Foggy’s discharged. We will. Talk soon.”

Behind her, a breaking news update on the goings on flashed across the tv. “Hey, Karen, do you mind turning that up?” Foggy asked.

Soon news of how the man in the mask was involved with the bombings and now an officer had been shot filled the room. Evelyn’s heart dropped while Foggy made a comment about how he knew that guy was bad news. Karen tried to defend him, after all, he had saved her so it didn’t make much sense. They then turned to look at Evelyn. “What do you think, Eve?” He asked.

“I think that the media can be manipulated rather easily and we don’t know the full story yet and may never know.”

“Eve, you okay?” Karen asked, noticing how the color in her new friend had drained. She was glad that she was sitting or she’d fear she would pass out.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Does anyone want some coffee? I’m going to go get some coffee.” She said as she hurried out the door.

“Was she a fan of his or something?” Karen asked.

Foggy shrugged. “I’ve never really heard her talk about him but my guess is that with those cops, things are about to be even crazier here and she helps keep this place running.”

Who she actually was looking for was Claire, who wound up also looking for her. The nurse dragged Evelyn into the stairwell as she called Matt’s burner number. Huddling together on the landing, Evelyn was able to hear the conversation.

“It’s really not a good time,” Matt answered.

“On the news, they’re saying that you shot those cops,” Claire said, ignoring Matt’s statement.

“No, it was Fisk. It’s all Fisk.”

“What’s going on out there?”

“Hang on.” Matt paused as he listened to what was happening around him. The cops had finally entered the building which meant he needed to find an exit. He needed to say his goodbyes. Things were not looking good. “Claire. Um, what you said before I left-“

“I was,” she cut him off but the way he said her name made her realize how final he thought this was. “I’m sorry, I just, Eve,” she glanced over at her friend, who shook her head. She couldn’t handle a goodbye like this.

“No, don’t be. It turns out you were,” he paused with a small sigh, “you were right about me. I’m glad she has you. Is she with you?”

“Yeah, we came in together.”

“Of course.” He huffed out a small laugh, not surprised in the least bit. “Claire, thank you and would you mind telling that to Eve too? And tell her,” he paused, shaking his head. No, he couldn’t do that to her. She had to know how he felt about her. They had been dancing around each other for so long. “Never mind, she knows. Take care of yourself, alright?” He hung up before she could even answer.

Evelyn slid down the wall, trying her best to keep the tears from pouring out. She had an inkling of what he meant. He had always been a what if but the timing for them never played out. But she couldn’t think about that right now. That was too close to a goodbye. But he promised. He promised her he would always come back.

And this is why her mother always said to not date hero types. It would end in heartbreak. So she didn’t but that always seemed to end in heartbreak too. But Matt promised and he kept his promises. He was also a fighter. She wasn’t going to count him out yet. And then she’ll tell him that she knows, that she’s known for awhile, and to fuck timing.

Her eyes finally focused on Claire who had crouched down to check on her. She hadn’t even realized she started to hyperventilate until her words registered. Deep breaths. She could do this, follow Claire’s movements. “I’m okay. Thank you, Claire.” She finally spoke.

“I think it’s best if you went home. I’ll let Shirley and Foggy know.”

Evelyn shook her head. “Tell Foggy I’ve been pulled to help with something. He, he doesn’t know.”

With a sigh, she nodded before helping her to stand. “Do you want me to call Will?”

Eyes widening, she let out a gasp. She had completely forgotten about Will. She needed to call and make sure he was alright. He went to the Knicks game with his friends. She had been invited to go and now she was an even worse girlfriend for not going and then not checking on him after a catastrophe. Pulling out her phone, she called him but it went straight to voicemail. “Hey, it’s me. I hope you’re still at the game. Someone bombed three buildings but I’m okay. I’m actually at work helping out but I think Shirley’s about to send me home. I’m apparently one step away from falling. Just text me when you get this since I’ll probably be asleep.”

She hung up and looked up the game. There was still time in the second half. Alright, he was safe. Good. “Is it bad that I didn’t even think to check on him?” She asked as they made their way back into the hallway.

“We jumped into action and didn’t really call or check on anyone so I’m going to say no. So don’t worry about it, okay? Just go home and try to sleep.”

Evelyn brought Claire in for a hug. “I’m so glad we work together.”

She laughed, hugging her back. “I am too.”

Turning back around, Evelyn went down the stairs and out the side entrance. It allowed her to sneak out without anyone knowing she had even left. Which was good because now that she knew about Matt, she couldn’t focus on anything else.

As luck would have it, she entered his apartment just as he took the last step from the rooftop entrance. He tilted his head when he heard the door unlock, gearing up for a fight. But the moment he heard the relieved sigh and the familiar sound of her beating heart, geared up for something completely different. His arms were soon filled with Evelyn and his senses were flooded with her. Her warmth. Her blackberry and vanilla perfume mixed with the antiseptic used at the hospital. And then there was the salt that came with her silent tears.

She buried her face in his neck as he held her tighter, bruises from his fall through several floors be damned. He reached up and tugged his mask off, tossing it towards his wardrobe so he could properly bury his face in her hair. “You came back.” She whispered.

“I did make you a promise.” He pressed a kiss to her temple before pulling back.

“Are you hurt?” She asked, bringing up her hands to cup his face.

He shook his head gently, leaning into her soft touch. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to tell her that knowing she was waiting on him made him fight even harder to escape. He wanted to tell her what he had been too nervous to actually tell Claire. Instead, he just kept his arms wrapped around her as he leaned into her palm. “I did get some more intel, on how to get closer to Fisk though. And right now I need to know that you’re okay, and I probably need to call Foggy but I also just really want to get out of this and change into something more comfortable so we can maybe go to sleep. You are staying, right? You don’t have to go see Will or anything. Your mom is probably out of her mind with worry.”

Her thumbs started caressing his cheeks in an attempt to calm him down. “I’m just fine. Foggy is at the hospital but he’s fine too. Had some glass in his side. Karen’s with him. They were with Mrs. Cardenas but everyone’s okay. I don’t have anywhere else to be. Will’s with his friends down in Midtown. And I texted mom earlier. She knows I’m safe.”

He nodded, reluctantly pulling away. “Do you need a change of clothes?”

“I still have some sweats here, right?” Claire had brought over the bag full of clothes she had borrowed before the world blew up. Evelyn knew of the conversation she and Matt had but didn’t know the specifics.

“I’m pretty sure you do. I’ll get you some either way.”

Once they settled into bed, they lay facing each other, fingers intertwined between them. They had to keep up a semblance of space. Evelyn had a boyfriend who didn’t listen to her message because he called her instead of texting her like she asked. She watched it ring as she pulled on the sweatpants Matt had found for her. She had a feeling she’d be reevaluating things soon and so she couldn’t act perky and cute like he expected.

“Evie?”

“Yes, Matty?”

“Thank you, for everything. I know lately, I’ve caused more worry than when you first found out but I just need you to know how much I appreciate you.”

“Someone’s gotta look out for you. I’m just glad you’re letting me.” She brought his hand closer to her and pressed a kiss across his knuckles.

It would have been so easy to tug her forward, to kiss her, to tell her how he felt but he just smiled. He was already being selfish with her. He already put her in danger just because they were friends. He couldn’t put her in more danger because they were together. “Get some sleep, sweetheart.” And yet he couldn’t help but give into the little things that satisfied his desire for wanting something more.

“G’night, Matty.” She kissed his hand once more before returning it back closer to the middle, finally letting sleep wash over her.

Chapter Text

Date night with Will went well. She hadn’t been able to bring things up just yet. She still needed to figure things out herself. Besides, she didn’t have a definite answer to things and she was happy enough. Then again as soon as she saw Matt’s name come up on her phone, she pulled away from where she was tucked against Will’s side.

“Hey,” She greeted once she was in the kitchen so she could have some privacy.

“I’m not interrupting anything am I?”

"I'm at Will's watching a movie. Is everything okay?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Go back and enjoy your movie."

Evelyn stood up straight. Something had happened. "Matthew Murdock, do not lie to me."

He sighed. He could have repeated the I'm fine line and hung up but hearing that tone she was practically halfway out the door anyway. So maybe if he told her part of it she would stay. "Stick came to visit. Things didn't exactly end well. But I can handle it. Enjoy your evening."

"No, I told you I wasn't going to let you do this alone. I'm coming over."

"Maybe I should." Well, that didn't work out either. Maybe he shouldn't have called her. He relied too much on her as it was, or so he was told. 

"Okay, that's it. I'm on my way. That sorry excuse for a mentor comes back for maybe a day and has you already going back to your I can carry the weight of the world by myself ways. Well, guess what, Murdock, I've got pretty decent shoulders myself and I'm coming over to help."

"I don't think I really have a say anymore anyway." He really didn't know if he was relieved or frustrated that his best friend was so damn stubborn.

"You're damn right. I'll be there in 15." She hung up and pocketed her phone as she made her way back to the couch.

She wrapped her arms around Will's shoulders from behind and kissed his cheek. "I gotta go. Friend emergency. I'll text you later, okay?"

Will rolled his eyes. This was the third time this week she had cut things short. "Do I all of a sudden smell bad or something?" He asked.

Her brow furrowed as she pulled back. "This is the third time this week you've cut spending time with me short. Ever since you declined meeting my friends at the Knicks game, you've been acting like you can't stand to be near me."

She scoffed. "So what you think that me going through the bombings is my fault cause I could have been at a basketball game blissfully unaware? I'm sorry that I'm still affected by that and my friend needs my help tonight."

"What friend?"

"Matt."

Will chuckled. "Oh just great. The so-called best friend that you supposedly don't have a romantic history with."

Evelyn groaned. "I'm leaving because you're being childish about this. We'll talk later." She grabbed her purse and left.

She couldn’t believe him. She never understood why everyone seemed to have an issue with her friendship with Matt. They were close. They had similar histories. She just happened to have a decent mom when he didn't. Matt had helped her grieve her father. That's what started it all, well after they reconnected. But he had gotten himself a girlfriend so she moved on from her crush, or so she thought. She was just glad she was able to keep him as a friend.

"Oh my god, Matt, what happened?" She asked as he let her in. He wasn't in good shape and his apartment reflected the state he was in.

As she made her way into his apartment, she turned him around and nudged him forward. “Go sit down on the couch and I’ll be there soon to take a look.”

“It’s really not that bad, Evie.” He tried to fight. He hated that he pulled her away from her night. He had become too reliant on her just like Stick said.

“Tell me that when your apartment doesn’t look like a tornado ran through it. And don’t even try to give me some little quip either!” She called from his bathroom where she grabbed the first aid kit.

Evelyn returned, setting the kit next to him on the couch. She pulled on gloves and opened up an alcohol wipe. “Now, let me see.” She said softly, using a knuckle under his chin to tilt his head so she could get a better look before she started cleaning the wound.

“Thank you.” He whispered as she placed a couple of butterfly bandages over the wound.

“Mmhmm.” She hummed as she leveled his face so she could see if there was anything else she missed. Letting out a sigh when she noticed the swelling around his right eye. Removing the gloves, she made her way into the kitchen and made an ice pack. “Hold this here for fifteen minutes.” She gently placed the pack on the top of his cheek, his hand soon replacing hers. Then she started cleaning up.

“Eve, you don’t have to clean up my apartment. I can do that myself.”

“And when is that going to be, hmm? Because last I checked you’re running yourself ragged doing two jobs. Two important jobs but two jobs nonetheless. I don’t care what Stick told you this time. It is okay to ask for help. It is okay to lean on your friends. You are not a burden. So keep the ice pack on because that black eye is going to be atrocious and let me do what I can while you take care of yourself. You can pick out your new coffee table and help me put your door back on its track if you are that upset about me being here.”

He pouted a bit, mumbling. “I’m not upset that you’re here.”

“Then start acting like it.” She laughed, shaking her head.

“Well, then what was the movie you were watching?”

“I don’t even know. Will picked it out. It was some kind of war movie.”

Matt frowned. “You hate war movies.”

“I know. It had an actor I like in it but of course, they died in like the first 30 minutes.”

“Didn’t he notice you were bored?”

She chuckled. “You know not everyone has an Eve sense, as Foggy calls it.”

“They should,” he mumbled, “especially if they’re dating you.”

Evelyn came back over after she filled up her first trash bag. Taking the ice pack from him she looked over his face once more. “You’re gonna have to figure out a pretty good excuse for this one. Or I could teach you about concealer and that could maybe help.”

“I’ll just say I fell down the stairs or something. I don’t think I want the feel of something else on my face.”

Nodding, she made her way into the kitchen. “I don’t blame you. Do you want anything to eat?”

“No, I want you to finally come sit down with me.” He patted the spot next to him.

“Okay, okay.” She chuckled, joining him on the couch and settling against his side. “Do I need to go through the questions?”

He shook his head, trailing his fingers up and down her back as he enjoyed feeling the weight and the warmth of having her at his side. “You don’t need to. I just…you…are you,” he sighed as he tried to figure out how he wanted to phrase his next question. But he was trying to process too many things at once. He hated that after one small appearance he was his nine-year-old self again, losing the two men who taught him so much.

He didn’t have anyone then. Sure the nuns at the orphanage did their best but even then the feeling of loneliness didn’t fade. Next to him, he felt Evelyn shift her position and fear struck through him. She was leaving. She did actually have to go back to her life that he pulled her from tonight. Instead, he felt her arms wrap around him as she brought him to her in an embrace. The tears finally came as he buried his face in her neck and she just held on. She never let him go as he pulled her in tighter.

And then he was 13, adjusted to being alone, and had learned to manage all of his extra senses better. Yet, in a few short months, Evelyn had first wormed her way past his defenses. He had thought her interesting the first week they had been introduced in their Confirmation classes. The following week she approached him and introduced herself. She had another friend in the class, a girl she went to school with, but whenever Sister Kelly started class, she would sit with him. If they partnered up, they always worked together. He switched from Sister Kelly being his guide to Evelyn. She had a knack for making him feel comfortable and not like he was being dragged around. The way she described what was written or drawn on the board always made him chuckle. He could listen to her all the time but after the sacrament was complete, she waltzed right back out of his life.

But oh, how she came back with a vengeance. He had just met Foggy and while they were waiting on their coffee, a commotion happened. Foggy’s play-by-play truly had been something else. A guy had knocked into Evelyn, calling her a bitch despite him being the one in the wrong. He hadn’t given her enough room to turn around and so when she moved to leave the counter, she bumped into him causing her drink to spill over the both of them. As the guy walked away, the now empty cup went flying, hitting the guy on the shoulder as she yelled at him. He knew that voice. It was angrier than he had ever heard it, rightfully so, but he knew it. Foggy had told him he was going to go pay for a new drink and Matt had approached her with napkins. He hadn’t even cared that he smelled like passion tea for the rest of the day. A person he thought he’d never see again was back in his life.

She hadn’t let anything separate them again after that. Even when he tried to keep her at arm’s length, she pushed and pushed until his arms bent, allowing her to wrap herself around him. And he would catch her every time. Much like he did right now. He knew he shouldn’t. She deserved someone more put together than him but how could he deny her when time and time again she chose him, proving that the time they had a part was not of her doing?

“C’mon, Matty, let’s get you to bed.” She said softly when she realized just how long they had been sitting on the couch. It was late and they both had work in the morning.

“Please stay.” He whispered against her neck, tightening his grip a little more.

“As if I was going anywhere else tonight.” She placed a kiss on top of his head.

He nodded, slowly pulling away so they could untangle themselves enough to move towards the bedroom. He wiped his eyes and took a deep breath before he stood. He soon felt her hand bump against his and once their fingers intertwined, she explained how she made a path for him. He huffed out a small laugh and thanked her before motioning for her to lead the way. 

Chapter Text

Evelyn entered Nelson and Murdock quickly and went into Foggy’s office with the hopes of hiding before Matt realized that she was there. She knew it was likely impossible but it made her feel a little better telling herself that she was about to surprise him.

“Let me see. Let me see.” Foggy exclaimed quietly as he came around his desk to meet her halfway.

Opening up the box, she showed him the plaque that she helped get created. Seeing the sign that he designed after he and Matt left Landman and Zack’s brought a large grin to his face. “Eve, this looks amazing.”

“I know. They did a fantastic job.”

“Are you sure we can’t tempt you to come work for us?”

She laughed. “You can barely afford to pay Karen. I’m good with where I am.”

“You are doing good work for the small businesses around here. Guess I can’t take you away from that. Plus mom wouldn't be too happy with me.”

“You are right about that.” She smiled. Evelyn may get paid by Metro-General Hospital but where her heart lay was helping the mom-and-pop shops trying to still thrive or even grow in the midst of a city that preferred big names or big pockets. While Foggy and Matt were getting their law degrees, she studied business and public relations. She now took her knowledge and helped small businesses with their marketing, especially on the digital side of things. She did it for free or if they felt like they needed to give her something, she only ever asked for a small discount on their services. One of the first places that allowed her to help was Nelson's Meats and her client list only grew from there.

“Let’s go show the others.” She said as she closed the box and whirled around to head back out to the main part of the office.

They walked out just as Matt poked his head out. “Karen, did someone just come in?” He asked and all she could do was grin.

“Foggy and I wanted to surprise you.” She said, looking at the other two in the room.

“Remember that sign I drew for us after we left Landman’s and you couldn’t exactly see it?” Foggy asked as Evelyn pulled the sign out of the box.

Matt chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Well, I reached out to a mutual friend of ours.” He nudged her forward, who laughed a bit as she stumbled towards him.

“And I got it made so you can.” Evelyn held out the sign, bumping the edge of it on his hand so he could feel where it was. She smiled when his eyebrows raised in recognition before his fingers moved along the letters.

“You made this?”

“I know a guy.” She quipped.

Matt huffed out a laugh. “You’re more connected in this city than Confed Global.”

Foggy and Evelyn soon joined in his laughter with Karen slowly joining in. “And connected with far better people too,” Evelyn said.

“How so?” Karen asked.

“Eve does marketing for the small businesses around Hell’s Kitchen. She has a wide enough network she could be doing it full time but she doesn’t charge them anything unless they want to give her a discount.” Foggy explained.

“Yeah, I decided I didn’t want to work at a fancy firm doing the marketing of companies like Confed Global so I work at the hospital in admin and take care of everything else.”

“More like everyone else,” Foggy murmured.

“So you all are philanthropists then?” Karen asked.

Evelyn laughed. “Yeah, you could say that. We all grew up here and we just want to make it better. We just happened to be going about it in different ways.” She shrugged, handing the sign back over to Foggy. “But I’ve got to get back to work. Meet at Josie’s sometime this week? I feel like we all need it.” She offered as she hugged everyone.

“You don’t have to ask me twice.” Foggy grinned, waving goodbye as she left.

“Let me walk you down.” Matt offered as she pulled back from giving him a hug goodbye.

Her brow furrowed, trying to figure out what was going on. She had heard lots of talking earlier before she entered the office. Evelyn had been kept up to date on all of the investigations into Fisk that her friends were doing. Mostly through Matt but Foggy would give her information here and there especially after he would ask her random questions that went along with the case. But she agreed, her expression smoothing out into a friendly smile.

“What’s going on?” She asked once they stepped underneath the stairwell.

“Things are getting real close. Despite wanting nothing more than to drag Wilson Fisk through the court system, it’s just not possible. And now Foggy and Karen are getting deeper and deeper into this. There’s just too much at stake. I have to make a drastic move and I don’t know if there’s any other way. I can’t find another way.”

“Are you asking my permission to do whatever it is that you’re planning?” She had an idea of what he was talking about. She didn’t want to believe that he was actually contemplating murder.

He shook his head. “I’m warning you in case it’s a late night.”

Thunderous footsteps cut off any sort of response as both Karen and Foggy ran down the stairs. Something must have happened while they were talking. “Foggy!” Evelyn called out, bringing Matt out with her.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

Foggy explained how Brett called with news of Mrs. Cardenas' death. Evelyn placed a comforting hand on Matt’s shoulder as she noticed him tightening his grip on his cane. “Do you guys want me to give you a ride to the precinct?” She asked.

“It’s not far but, thanks, Eve,” Foggy said.

“Then at least let me give you this,” Evelyn said as she dug in her bag for her business card holder. She pulled out the several that she had, flipping through until she found the card she was looking for. “Pass this along to whoever needs it. Sandra is the sweetest and make sure she knows I sent them over.”

Foggy pulled her in for a tight hug as Karen looked on in awe and Matt chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Evelyn truly was deeply connected to the city. “Is it too early to plan for Josie’s?” Foggy asked as he pulled back.

“Text me when you guys get there and I’ll see what I can do. Would you mind if Will tagged along?”

Foggy glanced toward Matt who had an unreadable expression on his face. But it was Karen who answered. “Of course. I’d like to finally meet him.”

Evelyn sent her a grateful smile before she kissed Matt’s cheek and hugged Foggy once more. “Okay, I really need to head to work but seriously call me if you guys need me and I’m gonna go see the chaplain after I update Shirley on all that’s going on.”

“Do you mind lighting a candle?” Matt asked.

“Not at all. Be safe getting there, please.” She said, hugging Karen before finally heading out the door.

⠙⠙

“Foggy?” Evelyn asked as she came down the hallway to Matt’s apartment. She and Will had managed to stop by for one drink before she had to get him out of there. He wasn’t being respectful and Matt looked one wrong sentence away from punching him, which she did not need. So after they drank to Mrs. Cardenas, she pushed Will out so maybe he’d stop acting like a petulant toddler.

Matt had called her a few minutes after they had gotten down to the subway station. Will lived on the border of what was considered Hell’s Kitchen and Midtown so it was a bit of a walk from Josie’s. Her best friend told her that he was going out but hours later he still hadn’t called to tell her he had gotten home. After multiple failed attempts at reaching him, she decided to go check on him. She wouldn’t be able to go to sleep until she knew he was safe anyway and Will was still being unbearable so she needed to leave before she said the wrong thing. If tonight made anything clear, it was that she and Will were not meant to be. But that conversation was for another time when she wasn’t worrying over her best friend. The conversation, they had prior to finding out about Elena and how upset he sounded on the phone, made her nervous about what he was willing to do. So here she was coming over to check on Matt when it appeared that a drunk Foggy was here to do the same thing.

Her other best friend turned around. “Eve, what are you doing here?”

“I’m checking in on Matt as I assume you are.”

Before he could answer they heard a crash coming from inside. They looked at each other and then at the door. Evelyn flipped through her keys and unlocked Matt’s door. The two friends rushed into his apartment, yelling out his name just as he stumbled out of his bedroom and fell to the floor. Except he was still wearing the mask he wore when he went out to be, as the city recently dubbed him, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Foggy held out his arm, pushing Evelyn back and she allowed it to happen because she was in a state of shock. There was blood, so much blood. He was asking an unconscious masked Matt questions about his whereabouts and somehow she finally started moving. She grabbed the first aid kit and was back at Matt’s side as Foggy lifted the mask off, revealing that the man in the mask was in fact Matthew Murdock.

“Foggy, I know this is a shock but I need your help.” She said, pulling on a pair of gloves.

“Wait, you knew about this? Why didn’t you say anything?” He looked at his two best friends with wide eyes.

“I’ll answer your questions later but first I need you to take my phone.” She held it out to him but Matt woke up briefly and managed to knock it out of her hand.

“No hospitals.” He groaned.

“Hey asshole, she’s trying to help you here,” Foggy said, picking up Evelyn’s phone as she eased him back down.

“Let me take care of things. You just lay there.” She instructed but Matt was already out again. “Foggy, hang up and call Claire.”

“Who’s Claire?”

“A nurse I work with. I need her to walk me through things. Can you get the lights too, please?”

“Uh, yeah,” Foggy said, sobering up pretty quickly. A few moments later the lights came on and he was holding out her phone. “She’s on speaker.”

“Great, can you get me some scissors?” Evelyn asked him as she pulled out all of the supplies she’s ever used when patching Matt up.

“Hey, Eve, what’s going on?” Claire asked.

“There’s a lot of blood, Claire.” Her voice shook but she cleared her throat, trying to keep it together. She needed to remain calm or the stitches would not be done right. “I need you to walk me through things. It looks like mostly stab wounds but I can’t tell you how many just yet.”

“Eve, do you want me to come over?”

She released a shaky breath. “Yes, please.” At that moment, Foggy came back with a pair of scissors. Evelyn took them gratefully and started cutting his shirt off of him. “I’m currently cutting his shirt off. He’s unconscious but his heart is beating. Foggy, can you keep track of that for me please?”

“Okay, I’m gonna walk you through things until I can get there. You’re doing great so far, Eve. Shirley really would want you as a nurse if she knew.” She joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Please don’t tell her. I honestly don’t think she would actually be able to function without me.” She said as she started to clean Matt’s wounds.

“Oh, I won’t because I know for a fact that she wouldn’t.” She reassured. “Now tell me what you see.”

Evelyn soon started to describe what she was doing while checking in with Foggy every once in a while. She actually was able to stitch a good amount of his cuts before Claire arrived. With her arrival, Foggy moved back and watched as the two women worked, doing what they asked him to do as he tried to wrap his mind around all of the new information he had just discovered.

When they finished, Evelyn ran to the bathroom and threw up, no longer being able to keep it back. There had been far too much blood and she knew that her best friend was even closer to death than he had been when Claire had found him. Foggy helped Claire get Matt up on the couch and soon the nurse was in the bathroom holding back Evelyn’s hair.

“You did good out there.” She told her friend as Evelyn sat back from the dry heaves that had taken over.

“I told him if he ever came to me that badly injured I would take him to the hospital and I wound up patching him up anyway.” She shook her head. “If you hadn't shown up to help, he could have died.” She looked up at her friend, tears in her eyes.

Claire crouched down to Evelyn’s level. “But he didn’t. And he’s still here thanks to you. Besides I highly doubt with how stubborn he is, he’s not going to ever leave you without fighting to make sure he makes it back.”

“You don’t think it’s weird how close we are?”

Claire shook her head. “No. We should all strive to have as deep of a connection as you two have. Did Will say that?”

“Yeah. I left him to come here. He didn’t understand why I felt the need to come check on him. Thinks I baby him.”

She snorted. “I’d like to see what you actually babying someone looks like because what I’ve seen is definitely not that.”

“How’s Foggy doing?”

“He still didn’t know, did he?”

Evelyn shook her head. “He’s probably pissed at me too for not telling him.”

“Yeah, he didn’t look too happy.”

Evelyn sighed. “Thanks for coming Claire. I can handle things from here and then maybe don’t be surprised if I’m not at work tomorrow.”

“Let me know if there’s anything I can help you out with. But before you go back out there, wash your hands and brush your teeth. You need to take care of yourself too.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

Claire gave her a hug before leaving, saying goodbye to Foggy as well.

“Is Eve okay?” He asked before she closed the door.

“The blood just got to her. She’ll be out soon. Try to go easy on her, okay?”

All Foggy did was nod and Claire left the trio behind, hoping for Evelyn’s sake that Matt woke up and that Foggy didn’t take too much of his anger out on her. 

Chapter Text

Evelyn slowly made her way back out into the living room, her eyes scanning over Matt’s form to make sure that he was in fact really there. Her gaze lingered on his chest as she watched it move with each breath he took. He had once again returned to her half dead. She had an urge to scream and yell, telling him exactly what it did to her when she thought about the beatings he must have taken to get the injuries he sustained. But instead, she kept quiet, moved some of his hair off his forehead, and placed a kiss there. She’d yell at him when he woke up.

“Do you want a beer?” Foggy asked as she returned to her full height. He had been watching her and even though she clearly knew that their best friend was the man in the mask, she was as terrified as he was.

She shook her head as she came around into the kitchen. “I’ll take a glass of water though.”

He set his bottle down and filled a glass up from the tap. “How long have you known?” He asked as he handed the glass to her.

“Months now. He’s only recently started to do this.” She answered before taking a sip. When her stomach didn’t roll as she was afraid it might, she took a larger gulp.

“And you didn’t think to loop me in? What happened to us being the three musketeers?”

“It’s not my story to tell and I didn’t really know how.” She shrugged slightly. “I found out in a similar way that you just did, actually. There was just less blood.”

It was Matt’s third outing. Evelyn called multiple times to check in on him. That morning he told her he thought he was coming down with a cold. She went over, a bag full of groceries that was perfect for when someone was sick, and found him sitting on his bed trying to patch himself up. There was a cut on his shoulder, just out of reach and she made him walk her through how to patch him up. She made him tell her the truth and promise he would always come back home.

“I thought you just worked on the admin side of things at the hospital,” Foggy said. “You sure know your way around a first aid kit.”

“I just know what Matt’s told me. It’s nothing more than what he did for his dad.”

“Do you think he did all that stuff the other night? Blowing up the buildings and killing that cop?”

Evelyn shook her head. “No, I don’t. I think he’s being framed.” She finished off her water and motioned to the sink. “Will you see what cleaning supplies he has under there, please? And then you should probably go try to get some sleep.”

Foggy crouched down pulling out the few spray bottles that were there along with a couple of rags. “Nah, I’m not going to be able to sleep but I’ll help you clean.” He said, standing back up and handing over the bleach and a rag.

Sighing, she took the items and nodded. She wanted to look out for her best friend but she understood. After she found out, it took forever for her to finally sleep. She just hoped that at some point Foggy would be able to get some sleep.

They worked mostly in silence. The heaviest silence she had ever felt between them but she let it be for the time being. She knew Foggy would say something when he was ready. And then her phone rang. Setting down her rag, she crawled over to the chair she left her phone. She knew it was too late for anyone who typically called her to call. She briefly wondered if it was Claire but when she saw the caller id, she groaned.

Foggy looked over at her and mouthed ‘who is it?’

Evelyn turned the phone so that he could see that it was Will before answering the phone. “I thought you would have gone back to sleep by now.” She said, walking on her knees back over to the blood stain she and Foggy were working to remove from Matt’s floor. Once she arrived, she put the phone on speaker and set it down next to her.

“I was waiting up for you but it’s been a few hours since you left. Thought I would just check in.” Will said.

“Will, if I was going to be able to leave, I would just go to my place. You’re a few too many blocks away right now.”

“And why can’t you leave right now? You sound exhausted.”

“Because I am. Matt is badly hurt and I gotta make sure he wakes up every so often.”

“Why do you have to be the one that does it? Don’t you have another friend that could do that?”

Evelyn sighed and stopped scrubbing, hanging her head low. “Because I’m the one that’s here. Can we please not do this tonight?”

“I’m just saying, you’re not his mother.”

“I would really hate to be a friend of yours since you seem to care so little for others' well-being.”

“And I would really hate to be your boyfriend since you seem to put everyone else before them.”

She let out a humorless laugh as she sat back on her heels and picked up her phone. “Then don’t be.” She said before hanging up and tossing her phone back over at the chair, not caring if it landed where she intended or not. Luckily it landed on the chair.

Foggy watched her and made sure that her phone did truly land in the chair before turning his focus back on his friend. He was just about to say something when she spoke. “Please don’t say anything. I know you hated him. You both did.” She glanced over at Matt halfway expecting to see some sort of sign he heard everything too. “Plus you’re mad at me. Stay that way because I can handle that right now.”

“You sure I can’t get you a beer?”

Evelyn laughed. “I might go out to get something stronger later.”

They went back to cleaning up the blood, moving along into the bedroom. Foggy went and flipped on the lights before they tackled the spots they could find. The sound of scrubbing was all to be heard as they worked out their inner turmoil.

“You know I think you would have really liked Mrs. Cardenas,” Foggy spoke up.

Evelyn looked over with a soft smile. “I think I would have too. You three spoke very highly of her.”

He nodded. “Then again I don’t think I’ve ever met a person you didn’t like.”

“It’s the one thing I kept from my Catholic days. Love your neighbor and all that.”

“Nah, you’re just a good person Eve and one day you’ll be with a guy who appreciates and loves how big your heart is.”

Tears began to pool in her eyes. She sat back on her heels and held the rag in her lap. “Do you appreciate it now? It’s why I kept Matt’s secret for him, why I didn’t think too hard about ways to actually tell you.”

Foggy moved to sit down, his back resting against the separator. He let out a heavy sigh as he looked down at his hands. “Is that why you two act like you do around each other?” He didn’t know when Matt’s vigilantism started and on top of trying to figure that out, he was trying to figure out how Evelyn got involved.

Switching positions, Evelyn sat with her back against Matt’s nightstand. She shook her head as she dropped the rag into the bucket. “No. It added to our domesticity around each other but that’s it. You’ve been dealing with our dancing around each other since college.”

There was a faint smirk on Foggy’s lips. “So you do admit it.”

“I never outright denied it. The timing was just never right.”

“Well, you’re both single now unless he has a secret girl we don’t know about.”

Evelyn shook her head. “Too soon.” She said with a laugh.

He joined briefly in her laughter before sobering up. Yes, she kept things from him and he was still upset by that but he still needed her. “Will you stay today?”

“And play mediator?”

“Something like that. Cause I know when he wakes up again all my anger is just gonna come back.”

“I was wondering why you were being so nice to me.”

“When you came back out,” he looked up at her, “you looked the most scared I think I have ever seen you look and I realized that you only kept it because you were trying to keep him safe. Then you said you didn’t know how to tell me and I know that if there was a way that you could have told me safely you would have because you’re always looking out for us both.”

Relief rushed through her. She and Foggy were going to be alright. She could hug him right now but she currently did not have the energy she needed to do so. “You know you could be my actual brother with how scary good you know me, right?”

Foggy laughed. “I’m just glad I still seem to know one of my friends. Do you want to go into business together?”

“I wouldn’t make a very good lawyer,” Evelyn replied with a laugh.

“Then I’ll switch and be your lawyer for your marketing firm. You can still do what you’re doing. I'll just find you a few good, really big clients that can help make up for you leaving the hospital.”

Evelyn smiled. “How about you try fixing things with Matt first? I’d hate to see you guys separated.”

He rolled his eyes. “We’ll see what his answers are and then I’ll decide.”

“That’s all I ask. Now c’mon, we’re almost done and then we can maybe get some rest too.”

The two got back to work, cleaning and making sure that everything was back in place. Exhaustion was quickly catching up with Evelyn but Foggy just couldn’t sleep. She sat on the floor, an empty glass of scotch next to her. It wasn’t exactly her alcohol of choice but if she didn’t have to go back out, that was fine by her. She’d get Matt more. Her head rested on the couch, close to his knees.

She and Foggy had been talking about anything other than the masked elephant in the room. But soon her words weren’t really making all that much sense and Foggy brought a blanket over to wrap her up in. “Get some sleep, Eves.”

The nickname brought a smile to her face. “I thought I’d never hear that again.”

He let out a soft chuckle. “I’m angrier at Matt than I am at you. Like I said, I know you would have told me if you knew a safe way.”

“Don’t you think you should give that same grace to Matt?” She mumbled, sleep finally taking over her will to stay awake.

Foggy sighed as he watched his friend slip into slumber. He wished that it would be that easy. There were a few other questions that Matt needed to answer first. Questions that he wasn’t even sure Evelyn thought to ask. Matt could still be lying to her and he would make sure the whole truth was laid out.

⠙⠙

The sound of a groan and the shifting movement as Matt finally woke up, brought Evelyn back out of her sleepy state. “Hey, hey, don’t. You need to keep it covered.” She moved up, hands moving his out of the way and making sure the bandage remained.

“Yeah, I’d listen to her if I were you,” Foggy said from the kitchen.

Matt’s head shot up and turned towards his friend’s voice. “Foggy?” Shit, then that meant. He turned his head back to Evelyn’s general direction, his brows furrowed, silently asking for confirmation even if he knew the answer.

“Yeah, he knows.” She answered softly.

“I sure do. No thanks to you.” Foggy said as he made his way back into the living room. “Do you even remember last night?”

Matt’s eyes shifted as he tried to put together how he even made it home. It was truly a miracle he was even alive and that Foggy was the only one yelling at him unless Evelyn was simply waiting her turn. He finally shook his head, not remembering much after jumping out of the warehouse window.

“So you don’t remember knocking Eve’s phone out of her hand as you tried tackling her or telling us no hospitals?” Foggy asked.

That little tidbit did not sit well with him. He tried to tackle Evelyn? He wondered if she really had been trying to call 911. He knew what she had told him about her limits. Had last night pushed her to them? He reached out, once more looking in her general direction. He felt her take his hand and squeeze. It did little to actually reassure him or to alleviate any of his guilt.

“I’m fine. Tackling is a bit strong of a word to describe what you actually did.” She answered, her voice tense. This could be where she starts her yelling.

Instead, there were a few moments of tense silence as she and Foggy entered into a bit of a staring contest. “What did I do?” Matt finally asked, hating the idea that he could have somehow hurt either of them in his injured state.

“You flopped over on me and swatted my hand. I essentially just had to nudge you back to the floor. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Matt asked.

“Yes, Matthew, I am fine. Why wouldn’t I be when I find one of my best friends knocked out in a pool of his own blood?” She took her hand away as she stood. Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she bent down to pick up her glass and made her way into the kitchen.

There it was. He had come close to breaking his promise to her yet again. This time she was actually a part of his care that brought him back from his nearly dead state. He moved his head to follow the sounds of her footsteps but before he could say anything, Foggy spoke up.

“You know I always joked that you had an Eve sense but you just followed her perfectly.”

“What are you trying to imply, Foggy?” He asked, turning his head in the general direction of his best friend.

“That I don’t know what the truth is anymore, Matt. That video of you beating up those cops the night of the bombings, how could you even do all that stuff? Are you even blind?”

“Foggy!” Evelyn scolded but Matt slowly raised his hand to stave off anything further from her. While the question hurt, it was valid.

“Yes, I’m really blind. Chemicals got into my eyes at the car crash I was involved in when I was a kid.” He then went on to explain his training with Stick and how he had heightened senses and saw a world on fire. “So my Eve sense, as you called it, is just because I’m highly attuned to her whenever she’s around,” Matt admitted softly, a blush coloring his cheeks. He had to figure out ways to apologize to her somehow.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Matthew Murdock.”

Okay, so she was still using his full name but there was some slight amusement. He could work with that. Foggy on the other hand seemed a bit more frustrated at his answer and her response.

Foggy shifted to the edge of his seat, glancing between his two friends before focusing back on Matt. “So what does that mean? What are you attuned to?”

“Her heartbeat. Sound of her footsteps. Her perfume. How she communicates through touch. My training helped me get a good picture in my head and it allows me to know things like you haven’t had a shower in a couple of days even though the bleach is strong and Evelyn tried to cover it up with the perfume she left here when she stayed over when her apartment building was doing renovations.”

That threw Foggy for a loop. He didn’t know what to make of that as he watched Evelyn raise her wrist to her nose. She wrinkled it, still smelling the cleaner they used underneath the sweet scent from her favorite perfume. “Wait, I thought you knew this?” He asked her.

“I did. I just forget sometimes how detailed he can get. And so I had to check for myself how much my hopes were actually crushed. You can actually smell both. It’s not a good mix.”

Nodding, he returned his focus back to Matt. “So when you pause during interviews and before you start your statements, you’re what, listening for people’s heartbeats?”

“Yeah. It’s how I knew Karen wasn’t lying.”

At this information, Foggy stood, outraged. “So you could tell when I was lying too?” Matt nodded. “Was anything between us ever real?”

A tear fell down Matt’s cheek at the accusation. “Yes.” He said with as much conviction as he could.

Foggy turned to Evelyn. “Was it really?”

“Yes, Foggy. Everything that the three of us have been through has been real. It’s not like I paid that guy to spill my tea all over me so you would have to buy me a new one while Matt tried his best to help clean me up.”

It’s how they met. After Matt moved into his dorm room with Foggy, they made their way to the coffee shop on campus. Evelyn had been a couple of people ahead of them and just as she turned around a guy who wasn’t paying any attention knocked right into her making her spill her tea all over them both.

"Oh, shit," Foggy muttered as he saw the collision that took place a few feet in front of him and his new roommate.

"What happened?" Matt asked, having heard the small hiss of pain that the girl emitted before a male voice called her a bitch and told her to watch where she was going.

"Hot girl grabbed her drink when ripped dude came up right behind her to grab his, leaving no room for her to move. So naturally, she ran right into him spilling her drink all over. He just called her a bitch before walking off. Oh, she's rearing her arm back and there goes the cup flying through the air and nailed ripped dude in the back." Foggy explained with an impressed chuckle.

After being called a bitch for something she didn't do, Evelyn did what any reasonable woman would do and checked to make sure her cup was truly empty before chucking it at the guy who wronged her. "Next time don't crowd the counter and you won't look like you pissed your pants, asshole!" She yelled, hoping he would respond but instead she just received a glare before he moved on.

At the sound of her voice, recognition flooded Matt’s senses. He couldn't believe it was her. When he heard her name called, he didn’t want to get his hopes up. He hadn't seen her since they both had been confirmed in the church. He didn't think he would ever see her again.

"I'm gonna go get her another drink." Foggy leaned in to whisper before he made his way over to the register.

Right, he could help her instead of standing around in awe and miss the opportunity to get her back in his life. Would she even want to be friends again? Those who left him typically left for good. He shook his head slightly. Regardless, he could still help her. The worst that could happen was that he knew she was running around campus and choosing to not continue their friendship. Matt turned, grabbing a handful of napkins before going over to her side. "Here, I don't know how helpful these will be-"

"Matty?!" She asked, interrupting him. She couldn't believe it. She had missed him every second after they parted ways. He was the only thing she missed about the church.

"Hi, Evie. Glad to hear you're still feisty as always." He chuckled with a small smirk as she took the napkins from him. There were always exceptions to rules. Based on her reaction, perhaps he’d get lucky enough to experience that.

Evelyn went to go hug him but chuckled as she stopped herself. "I was about to give you a hug but I doubt you want tea all over you too, so as soon as I get a dry shirt, I'm giving you the biggest hug ever. I can't believe it's really you."

"I'm gonna hold you to that." He smirked as he kept handing napkins over to her. "I hope you didn't get burned too badly." He could still feel the lingering heat.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. And it doesn't really hurt that much anymore. I'm more upset that one of my favorite shirts has a giant purple stain on it now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Here, give me your hand." The moment she said that they were both transported back to when they were 13. She had turned too quickly to enter the pew and banged her knee. The thud had echoed throughout the church and she had hissed in pain then too. To calm his nerves she took his hand and showed him that she could still bend her leg just fine.

Matt held out his hand and she guided him to touch her stomach. He splayed his fingers out, trying not to think about how her hand felt on his skin but instead focusing on how there weren’t any bumps or raised patches. That she didn’t tense or pull away from his touch in pain. Only that her skin felt slightly warmer than her hand.

"See, no damage done." She said as she inspected the area herself. It essentially looked like a sunburn. She bit her lip, trying to not move as his light touch tickled her a bit. Honestly, she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Matthew Murdock was standing in front of her again. He looked good. Puberty seemed to have been kind to him as it had been with her. While they didn’t look like they did at 13, she would have recognized him anywhere. She had given up on seeing him again but perhaps her dad had pulled a few strings from up above so she could reconnect with the one friend she had missed the most.

Foggy returned with a full drink carrier and cleared his throat. He knew Matt would bring in all the ladies but to already have his hand under her shirt and for how intense a look she was giving him, he wasn't expecting him to move so fast. "What did I tell ya? I knew it." He chuckled as he watched them jump apart.

"Uh, Foggy, this is Evelyn Jones. She's also from Hell’s Kitchen and we went to the same church. Eve, this is Foggy, my roommate. He's from Hell’s Kitchen too." Matt introduced the two once he could find his voice. It gave him something to focus on other than the fact that he missed her hand on his.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Foggy asked.

"Yeah, but we haven't seen each other in a while. But it's nice to meet you." Evelyn said as she shook his hand.

"Yeah, you too. I hope you don't mind but while you were getting reacquainted, I got you another drink." He said as he handed over her cup.

"You didn't have to do that." She took the cup graciously. "Thank you. To both of you and like I told Matt, as soon as I get into a dry shirt I will give you a hug."

Evelyn kept her promise. She gave her phone number to Matt and hurried back to her dorm room. Once changed, she joined them out on the lawn and enjoyed her drink as she reconnected and got to know the two boys that had swooped in and saved the day. From then on they remained close. Always having each other’s backs and helping each other out. To see how they were standing now, she was in the kitchen, Foggy in front of Matt, who was on the couch with a tense air surrounding them. She longed for the easiness of that first day, the laughter and the smiles. No secrets and no broken hearts.

Before Foggy could even respond, Matt’s phone began to ring indicating that Karen was calling. Evelyn started to make her way over to answer but Foggy swiped it up as Matt pleaded for him to not answer. “Is that what you do?” Foggy asked. “When we’re trying to call to check in and you're out in the middle of exploding buildings you just hit ignore?”

Matt shook his head. “No.”

Then Karen started calling Foggy’s phone and this time he answered. He told her that he was at Matt’s because he had been hit by a car, snapping at her to leave it be and to not come by. Practically right after he hung up with her, Evelyn’s phone started to ring. Both of the boys looked towards her as she picked up her phone to see that it was Karen calling her. “I would just like to let this show that she really does call me when you two are idiots.” She said before answering.

“Hey, Karen. Yeah, I’m at Matt’s.” She answered, walking over to look down at the street below. “Yeah, I did. Things are a little tense here as you can imagine. Matt’s alive and that’s what matters but he’s certainly banged up. Thank you, if one of us can’t leave to get whatever we need we’ll be sure to give you a call. I’d say feel free to work from home if you want or take a day for yourself. I know I would. I’ll keep you updated. Bye.”

“Well, at least I know what voice you use when you’re covering up something now,” Foggy said, staring daggers her way.

With a sigh, she pocketed her phone. “What are you talking about? I was speaking how I usually do on the phone.”

“Your phone voice is a little more high-pitched. You were using your business voice.” Matt spoke up.

“That’s really not helping either of our cases Matt.” She sent a pointed glare his way.

Her phone started ringing once more and she rolled her eyes. She sent it to voicemail but they just called right back. With a sigh, she made her way into Matt’s bedroom to get him some clothes. “What could you possibly want?” She answered as softly as she could, trying to make sure that Matt didn’t hear her.

“Who was that?” Matt asked.

“You mean your super hearing couldn’t tell?” Foggy snarked.

“It doesn’t” he paused as he slowly pushed himself to sit up, “it doesn’t work like that. I’d have to concentrate really hard.”

Foggy scoffed a bit before glancing to the bedroom where Evelyn just yelled, “You’re the one who said you didn’t want to be!”

“It’s Will.” He finally answered, moving over to nudge Matt back down to the couch. “I may be mad at you but you are in no shape to be dealing with an upset Eve right now.” He said as his former(?) best friend raised his eyebrows a bit in surprise but mostly in question. Evelyn and Will seemed fine when they were last all together.

“Foggy, I really am sorry.” He said when Foggy didn’t further elaborate on what was going on with their best friend. He could at least use the time to try and repair their relationship. He couldn’t do this without Foggy either. They truly had become the three musketeers through college and selfishly he wanted to do his best to keep that intact despite it being his secrets that were now ripping at the seams in which they were all attached.

He just shook his head. “Save it, Matt. I really don’t want to hear your apologies right now.”

Matt’s head dropped as he felt tears starting to pool in his eyes. Perhaps all hope was really lost or maybe Evelyn would be able to help. Foggy, however, sounded so sure and his heartbeat remained steady.

Evelyn returned with a small huff, dropping her phone back down in her chair. She knew she had dragged things out as she tried to figure things out with herself but it didn’t stop her from hating how things ended up. In the beginning, they held playful banter and she enjoyed the time they spent together. She supposed she just didn’t realize how different they were until recently. He knew how much she cared for others and would do for others. Her friends were grieving and one of them nearly died because he let his anger from his grief lead his actions. She would have made it up to him. He knew that. But expecting the same grace she would have given him in return was perhaps too lofty of an expectation especially after hearing his attempt at an apology and the excuses he made. It didn’t sit right with her, it didn’t sound genuine, and well, she had been looking for a sign to actually end things. God had provided, she supposed.

“Remind me of this when I don’t listen to you guys about someone I’m seeing, please.” She said as she worked through getting her emotions back in check. She needed to remain neutral so she could make it through the rest of the day.

“You alright?” Foggy asked.

“Yeah, he thought he could talk his way into me taking him back but I thought I’d finally listen to some great advice I got last night.” She smiled at her best friend and squeezed his shoulder as she passed him. “Now, I thought you would like to put on some sweats.” She said as she stopped in front of Matt.

He nodded, a small grateful smile on his lips. He was curious as to why she and Will broke up and what advice Foggy had given her. He’d maybe work up the courage to ask later. “Okay, I’m starting with your pants.” She said as she laid the hoodie out next to him and crouched down in front of him.

She tapped his left ankle and then his right as she rolled the pants on like she was putting tights on herself. Once they were up around his calves, she pulled the waistband up to just past his knees when he took over. “I think I can take it from here.” She let go but remained crouched just in case.

With the pants now sitting low on his hips, Evelyn stood and brought the hoodie around his shoulders. She tapped his left arm and then his right, easing him into the jacket and letting him zip it up himself. “I also brought socks. Do you need help with those?” She asked.

“I think I can manage.” Before she could walk away after handing him his socks, he took her wrist and tilted his head up in her direction. “Still questioning our friendship?” He asked.

He didn’t know when the question turned from a joke to the question he asked to check in on her without others knowing what he was doing but it probably happened around the second time she had to ever patch him up. It had been a bigger cut across his eyebrow. The sight of him had gotten her emotional and he had asked the question in the hopes of lightening the mood. It had the same effect as it did right now.

She huffed out a laugh and nodded. “Every day.”

Relief flooded through him and slumped forward, burying his face in her stomach and wrapping his arms loosely around her legs. If she were ever to tell him no, he would truly be scared of the outcome. He was certain that it would mean that he would lose her and he wasn’t so sure he could handle that. He still was unsure of what Foggy was going to do now that he knew the truth. And with him having nearly broken his promise to her for a second time, he was so sure that there was a very real possibility of losing them both.

She just stood there, not exactly knowing how to respond. She was still so upset with him but the weight and the warmth that she felt with him wrapped around her made her realize just how real him being alive was. Her dad was a fireman and died a hero when she was in high school. Her mom pushed for her to never date a first responder. While she wasn’t dating Matt, she still was involved with a hero and yet she wouldn’t change a thing. Like she was waiting for someone to, she appreciated how big Matt’s heart was and respected how he went about things. She bent down and kissed the top of his head.

"Has that always been how you two check in with one another? Some kind of secret spy code?" Foggy asked, not sure how he felt about seeing the interaction. Wasn't Evelyn supposed to be on his side? Or at least acting more neutral?

Then again he wasn't sure if he should roll his eyes or act satisfied at the fact his question caused her to quickly take a step back. He supposed there was a little bit of both. He was beginning to wonder if they had secretly dated briefly but would they still be acting so close if they were exes?

"No, that was only after she found out about all of this," Matt said, trying not to seem like he missed her warmth too much as he tucked his sweatpants into his socks. Typically when she patched him up there would be some kind of food, conversation about what he had done, and her comforting touch. He really should just finally ask her to be his. He was starting to realize just how much he really needed her around.

"And when was this?"

"His third outing but we didn't start using the phrase until his sixth," Evelyn answered as she bumped Matt's hand with a glass of water and placed the painkillers in his other hand.

"And that was a few months after we quit Landman and Zack's." Matt clarified after he took the medication. "I started the night we did quit."

Foggy was about to ask Evelyn to stop being so domestic when she brought him another beer before returning to the kitchen and knocking back a shot of scotch for herself. So maybe things were not all fine and dandy between them as he thought after their little display of affection. "Why?" Foggy asked.

Matt told the story about the little girl he heard in the apartment complex in between his and Evelyn’s. How he had called child protection services and the dad had gotten out of any charges. How he decided to finally take matters into his own hands. He then went into how Evelyn found out.

⠙⠙

The sound of a key in his lock after someone knocked, set him on edge. There were only two people who had a spare key to his apartment. His neighbor and his best friend. But the heartbeat, even though it was slightly elevated, and the hint of blackberry and vanilla perfume could only mean one thing and he had to somehow figure out how to cover up the fact that he had a gash just out of reach on his shoulder.

Evelyn made her way inside, a few bags of groceries and other necessities on her arm. Matt had called her earlier and mentioned how he thought he could be coming down with something. With how congested he sounded, she had no doubt. She tried calling to check in with him but he hadn’t answered which prompted the impromptu check-in. She worried about him, plus he didn’t exactly take being sick the best.

“Matt?” she called out, “How are you feeling? You didn’t answer your phone so I got worried and well I brought soup and the softest tissues I could possibly find and…” She trailed off as she finally saw him.

His back faced his bedroom doorway and when her voice stopped he froze his movements in trying to clean up his first aid kit. He had hoped to get into the bathroom before she finally got to the part of his apartment where she would see him.

“Oh, my god! What happened?” She finally said, setting everything she had in her hands down and rushing over to his side.

“I, I, uh, fell down the stairs.” He stammered out.

“Bullshit.” She said as she grabbed some of the antiseptic wipes from the first aid kit. She knew she should be wearing gloves but there was no time to look for some now.

He tried to stand up but she nudged him back down so she could start cleaning the wound. She just needed enough gauze to bandage him up and hopefully stop the bleeding so she could get him to the hospital. “I am blind, Eve.”

“And you also move around better than I do.”

“That’s because you cut corners too quickly sometimes.” He hissed as she got closer to the wound with the wipes. “There was a nail.”

“The stairs here are concrete.”

“Someone must have dropped one.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that. Now, hand me the gauze, and maybe on our ride to the hospital you’ll tell me what actually happened.”

He shook his head. “No, no hospitals. I can stitch it myself.”

“Like hell, you can. If you move your arm, it’ll irritate the wound and you’ll be bleeding again.”

“Then I’ll walk you through it.”

“Matt, I work on the admin side of healthcare. I can’t do it.”

“Yes, you can. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. You’ll be fine.” Before she could even argue, he sighed. He didn’t want to tell her. It was his way of keeping her safe, especially since he was starting to get into more dangerous territory. But Evelyn was as stubborn as he was which meant there was only one way to get her to not take him to the hospital. “I’ll tell you what actually happened. You’re right about all of it. I didn’t fall and I know I can’t reach it so I need your help, please.”

Evelyn took a deep breath and Matt handed her the already threaded needle. From there he talked her through how to give him stitches. Once she had patched him up, they cleaned up and moved into the kitchen. She made him some soup as he told her the truth about how he had gotten the cut.

⠙⠙

“And then I made her promise not to tell anyone else because I was trying to keep you all protected in case anyone came after me. So I hope that if you can’t forgive me, then you can forgive Eve.” Matt said, finishing his explanation.

"I forgave Eve last night. I know she would have told me if she could have found a way to. I just wish you would have told me because if I could do what you do then I would have told the both of you at the same time."

"I was trying to keep you both safe."

"I still would have said something. "

"You don't, you don't know that."

Foggy grit his teeth and looked over at Evelyn who was still standing in the kitchen wearing an exasperated expression on her face. "I'll call you later, Eves. I've heard all I can take." With that, he stormed out despite Matt's protests.

A tense silence filled the room. Evelyn held herself up against the counter with her arms locked into place. Her eyes roamed over the counter underneath her hands, trying to make out any sort of pattern while also trying to decide her next move. Did she go try to find Foggy? Her best friend who easily filled the brother-shaped hole in her life when he moved away to go to school. Or did she stay and take care of Matt? Her best friend who could be so much more if time would just be their friend.

"Evie?" Matt's broken voice ripped through the silence and went straight to her heart. Well, she guessed she had her answer.

"I'm still here." She pushed herself away from the counter and made her way back to the couch.

The moment she sat down, he turned towards her looking like the most lost puppy she had ever seen. She let out a sigh and settled further into the couch. "Come here."

He reached out for her. His hand bumped into her waist before he crumpled into her. The moment he settled against her side, she brought her arms around him, holding him as he cried. "I messed up, didn't I?" He asked when he could finally get some words out.

"Foggy will come around. You just gotta give him some time."

"I just wanted to keep you two safe, especially after I started going after Fisk. But instead, I've just dragged you down with me and have officially pushed Foggy away."

"You didn't drag me anywhere. I came willingly."

"Why?"

"Because I apparently am more of my mother's child than I ever thought." She chuckled, shaking her head. "I am always going to be in your corner. That's what happens when you get me as a best friend. I'm there with you through the good, the bad, and the ugly."

"I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do." She kissed the top of his head. "Now try and get some sleep. I have a couple of questions myself but you need your rest after all of that."

"You're not gonna leave?"

"No, I'm not gonna leave."

He sighed in relief, nuzzling further into her as his injuries would allow. "Thank you, Evie."

"Get some sleep, Matty."

⠙⠙

Evelyn woke with a start, waking Matt up as well. She hadn't realized she had even fallen asleep but the image of Matt laying in a pool of his blood haunted her dreams. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice gravelly from sleep.

"Yeah, just a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you."

He gave her a small squeeze, continuing to hold her to him for as long as she would let him. "You said you had questions for me?"

"Just the one. What happened last night Matt?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, he slowly sat up before turning to help Evelyn up as well. They had slid down the couch when they had fallen asleep and the angle she had been in couldn’t have been comfortable. "I tried killing Fisk but was unsuccessful."

"It looked like he was more successful in almost killing you." She quipped.

He huffed out a laugh and nodded. She wasn't wrong. He then launched into his story of how he found the person who killed Mrs. Cardenas and it led him to find Nobu and later Fisk. How Nobu was the one that caused most of the cuts and how Fisk caused most of the bruising.

She sighed and hid her face in her hands. "Am I gonna have to learn to sew so you can have a better suit?"

He shook his head. "I have an idea about that but you're not going to like it."

"Tell me."

"I tried cutting Fisk but he had a fabric in his suit that was lightweight and protected him. I'm going to go find who makes them and flip them."

"The hell you are! Do you know how easily you could pop the stitches Claire and I just gave you?"

"Claire was here?"

"Yes, she was because I couldn't have done it alone."

"I'm so sorry, Eve."

"So you keep saying."

"I really am. I know I must have scared you even more than before but I promise I'll be smarter about this. I just have to stop Fisk from hurting anyone else."

"Is this going to be a similar promise that you dance the line on?"

"I swear to God that I won't dance anywhere near the line and keep this one fully. "

"Matthew Murdock, what would Father Lantom have to say about you swearing?"

"I think he'd just be shocked that you remember his name."

Evelyn shoved at his shoulder lightly. She hadn’t gone to church since her dad died. The beliefs of the church didn't make sense with the teachings so she left, especially after the judgment she felt coming from those who helped her family just weeks prior. She had truly started to be disillusioned by the church when she was going through confirmation. She had been labeled the menace of the class but when she and Matt reconnected he had told her that he always thought her questions were important to have answered and was glad someone was brave enough to ask them.

"Can I ask what happened last night? Apart from you once again patching me up of course."

"You want to know about Will don't you?"

He gave her a sheepish look. "And the advice you're apparently finally listening to."

A small quirk of her lips happened before she turned to face him. "Will called while Foggy and I were cleaning. I was at his place before I came over to check on you. He was trying to get me to come back but I told him if I was leaving I'd go home ‘cause it's closer than going to his place. He didn't like that so he made a snide comment about you not needing me and I told him that I would hate to be his friend because it seemed like he didn't care. To which he replied that he would hate to be my boyfriend because I put everyone else above him. So I told him he didn't have to be if he didn't want to be. This morning he was calling and trying to take everything back but I made it clear that we were through because Foggy said that I would eventually find someone who would appreciate my big heart and love me for it."

Matt wanted to tell her that it was him. It was one of the first things he had fallen in love with about her. Evelyn loved with her whole being. She cared deeply for people and would give the shirt off her back if that was what someone needed. She was far too good for him, for the devil that was locked inside of him, and yet he couldn't push her away. So instead of telling her the truth he just said "Foggy's right. You'll find the right person someday. I am sorry you had to deal with that on top of everything else."

She laughed. "You are not. You hated the guy the moment you met him."

"And clearly my assumption was right."

"That is the most non ‘I told you so’ statement I have ever heard."

He just shrugged. "Doesn't make it any less true. He clearly didn't like me either."

"All of my exes you've met haven't liked you for whatever reason."

"That's why they're all exes." But it was the same for him. The moment Evelyn was introduced to anyone he was dating, things took a turn.

"I guess so. Now, why don't you go take a shower and I'll go get some food, hmm?"

"The deli in between our places?"

"Sure. You want your usual?"

"Yes, please. And take my card. It's the least I could do."

Chapter Text

After they ate, Matt began meditating. He needed to heal so he could go out. They were too close to ending things with Fisk now. And in his current state, he knew that he wouldn't be able to argue with Evelyn about him going out. All she'd have to do was push him and he'd fall over. Not to mention, when she returned, she also came back with a duffle bag. She was fully planning on staying however long and when he teased her about it, she told him it was his punishment. Except he didn't have the heart to tell her that having her around was the opposite of a punishment for him.

As he meditated, Evelyn worked on some marketing. A couple of her clients were planning some big sales soon and she needed to start creating ads and scheduling posts. She even marked them in her calendar because they were definitely something she wanted to check out for herself. She deserved some retail therapy after all she had been dealing with lately.

Just as she finished helping get Matt into bed for the night, her phone rang, Shirley's name popping up. She let out a small groan causing him to tilt his head to the side. "It's Shirley." She informed him before answering in her usual cheery voice.

"Eve, I'm so sorry to call so late, especially after Claire told me you're helping to take care of a sick friend but a high-profile patient has just come in and we could really use your help."

"There's really no one else there that could help with setting up a room or making sure they know where the good coffee is while they wait for updates?"

"It's Wilson Fisk and everyone is already buzzing. You've always been so good at discretion and treating everyone equally. We could really use you."

Evelyn let out a sigh. "Text me the details and I'm assuming you've already got a room in mind?"

"Yes, ma'am. I owe you big time. See you soon."

With a sigh, she hung up and went over to where she left her duffle bag. Not long after, Shirley had sent all of the details. The ER nurse had upset him, he had called in his own private physician, and he had quite the security detail. Claire was assigned a different area. The others who were typically assigned to help with the patient experience weren't too thrilled at the fact that the irate person was Wilson Fisk. And of course, after she had just dealt with the aftermath of keeping secrets.

There was no way she was going to tell Matt or even Foggy. They'd both fight to keep her at home and she did not need either of them to get pulled in any further than they already were. She supposed HIPAA was on her side.

"When did you start to be on call?" Matt asked.

She chuckled as she pulled on a nicer shirt. Luckily she could still wear her leggings and she still looked professional. "When apparently a high profile patient comes in and everyone forgets how to behave."

"I hope you're being taken care of for doing this."

"I will be." She placed a kiss on his forehead. "Now please try to get some sleep. And please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"Yes, doctor. " He smirked a bit up at her.

She rolled her eyes affectionately. "Good night, Matty." And she was out the door.

⠙⠙

The scene she came across when she arrived in the ER lobby was intimidating, to say the least. Suits filled the room, all of them men looking completely serious as they scanned the room, awaiting orders. She took a deep breath, tugged on the hem of her shirt to straighten it out, and made her way over to Wilson Fisk.

Before she could even reach him, a man with dark hair and glasses stepped forward and stopped her in her path. "And you are?"

"My name is Evelyn Jones. I work with patient experience here and I first wanted to come out to apologize for how Miss Marianna was escorted back into the ER. We know this is a scary time but it is for the safety of the patient that we don't allow loved ones to go immediately back with them, especially until we know everything that's going on. We wouldn't be able to provide timely care if we also were attending to loved ones at the same time."

The man in glasses nodded and Fisk gave a disgruntled hum. "Very well. Is that all?"

"I do know that Dr. Rosenberg is nearly done with his assessment so it won't be much longer before he comes out with an update and we can get her settled into her room. While you wait, can I get anyone some coffee or some food?"

"No, thank you, Miss Jones but we appreciate the hospitality."

She nodded and pulled out her business card. "Very well. If you change your mind, here's my card and the better coffee machine is out of these doors, down the hall, and in the room that's the third door on your left." She gave a curt nod to both the man in glasses and to Fisk before turning to leave.

⠙⠙

"You are crazy for coming in," Claire said as she saw Evelyn approach the nurse's station.

"No one else was going to do it."

Claire gave her friend a pointed look. "You know damn well Shirley could have handled things just fine."

Evelyn shrugged. "Maybe I just needed to get out of Matt's apartment for a little while."

"Does he know why you're here?"

"Are you kidding? He would have popped all of his stitches trying to get me to not come in. I'll be fine. He's in here for his girlfriend. I just gotta feel icky for helping him for a little bit but despite what we know, having a loved one on the brink of death is never an experience I would wish on anyone."

Claire gave her a knowing look before bringing her in for a hug. "How'd things go?"

"About as well as they could have. Foggy will call me when he's ready and I've just got to keep Matt from going out until he heals."

"Come with me on vacation. I'm going out of town soon for a few days and you need one badly."

Evelyn shook her head. "As lovely as that sounds, I can't leave them just yet."

With a sigh, she nodded. "Just take care of yourself, please."

"I am."

She gave her a pointed look, causing Evelyn to laugh. "I am! Now, do you need anything before I go back down to the ICU?"

"No. Have fun down there."

She let out an amused huff. "See you later. I wanna hear more about this vacation."

⠙⠙

Evelyn stopped by the nurse's station first, getting the rundown of what Shirley had already put in place. It really was one of the better rooms on the unit. Dr. Rosenberg brought Fisk and his men up and soon the hallway was filled with his security detail. The doctor motioned toward her and she stepped forward with a smile. "And I'm assuming that you've met Miss Jones?"

Fisk nodded. "Yes, she came out to apologize on behalf of her colleagues."

"Good. She was introduced to me as the woman who can solve any problems you may have during your stay. She'll be sure everyone is well taken care of, including Vanessa." The doctor further explained.

"Yes, that's right. The room you have is one of the best. It has a great view of the city. Is right near the nurse's station in case you need any medical assistance and is currently the only room occupied on this part of the unit. The seating under the window pulls out into a bed or we also have a few respite rooms available if any of you would like to rest throughout her stay. I'll be around during meal times to make sure everyone gets something to eat and once Miss Marianna wakes up, make sure she gets only the best. Is there anything I can do for you now?"

"Do you know of a florist who delivers here?" Fisk asked.

"Well, there's a couple of options. Our gift shop does have some beautiful arrangements or there's a florist about 2 blocks up that's a favorite of mine. They do deliver if you don't feel like making the trip yourself or sending someone for you."

"Thank you. That is all for now. I do not wish to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary or I call upon you."

Evelyn gave a curt nod. "Very well. I'll be sure to inform the nurses of your request as well." She then made her way back to the nurse's station before going to her office.

⠙⠙

She wound up having to use one of the respite rooms herself. As long as Fisk was in the building apparently she had to stay too. Luckily she had a go bag tucked away from the days the snow threatened to actually shut down the city for a few days. Claire came into her office the moment after she clocked in. "Guess where I just came from?"

"Please don't say Matt's."

The nurse just gave her friend an apologetic smile. "Said he was testing his mobility."

Evelyn groaned, tipping her head back. "I told him to not overdo it while I was stuck here." He had called in the morning, asking when she'd be back.

"I really don't think that's an option for him."

"I know." She said with a sigh. "I just hoped he actually listened to me this time."

"You're stuck here as long Fisk is here, aren't you?"

"Yup. So hopefully he doesn't do anything too stupid while I'm here and you're on vacation."

"Last chance, you can come with me. You've got until my shift ends."

"I'll take you up on that offer on the next one."

Claire chuckled, nodding as she stood. "Alright, see you around Jonesey."

⠙⠙

"Do you pray, Miss Jones?" Fisk asked her as she walked into the room.

"Probably not as much as I used to. I was raised Catholic but left the church after the towers fell."

Fisk nodded. "I never really learned how, no matter how hard I tried in my youth and how much my mother wanted to be religious. I have made Vanessa a promise but perhaps if you still pray she might like a prayer too."

"May I?" She asked motioning to come closer to Vanessa's side. When he nodded his consent, Evelyn moved over and lightly placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder. She slowly closed her eyes as she sent up her thoughts to God, asking that Vanessa woke up soon, that whoever did this would be shown justice, and that Fisk wouldn't harm anyone else to seek his own personal vengeance. "Amen." She whispered out loud, removing her hand and opening her eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Jones."

"My pleasure."

She hurried out of the room, hopefully without him realizing she practically ran out of there. She just had a human moment with Wilson Fisk and she wanted to throw up. She didn't mind praying over Vanessa, she was happy to do it for any of her patients that asked, it just made it weird that it was Wilson Fisk asking. She really hoped Vanessa woke up soon. She did feel bad which was a conundrum in itself. She supposed her superpower was being able to relate to anyone. It came in handy most days but this just felt odd.

Evelyn took a deep breath as she got to the elevators and pressed the button to go down. A cookie from the cafeteria was in order. She claimed a booth in the far corner of the larger dining room. She thought about calling Matt but instead, she texted Foggy. Yes, she was fine with waiting until he called her but a simple check-in text would be harmless, right?

She waited with bated breath as she broke the cookie she got into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Why she constantly put herself in these types of situations was a conversation to have with her therapist. Except the ring that startled her wasn't because her best friend was calling, it was because an unknown number was.

Clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, she finally answered the call once she felt calmer from her frightened state. "This is Eve."

"Miss Jones, this is Wesley. I've been called away to handle business off-site and I was wondering if you would be available to assist Mr. Fisk with any needs that may arise while I'm away."

"As long as those needs pertain to his or Miss Marianna's stay at Metro-General, I'll be happy to assist."

"Very well, I'll inform my men you'll be arriving back to the floor shortly." And with that, he hung up.

With a sigh, she lowered her phone, seeing that Foggy had indeed replied. He may have drunkenly gotten with Marci but she would take that over him not talking to her. She was curious about the crazy idea he had, though. After finishing her cookie, she made her way back up to the ICU. Luckily, while Wesley was gone, all Fisk required was food and clean linens. Vanessa also woke up which meant that Evelyn finally got to go home. Or so she thought.

Just as she clocked out, Karen called. "Hey, are you at work right now?" Karen asked as soon as Evelyn answered.

"I'm actually just leaving. Is everything okay?"

Karen sighed. At the moment it was a bit of a loaded question since she didn't know that she was actually calling on behalf of their mutual friend. He hadn't asked her to, but she knew exactly who to call to help Matt through his crappy night. He and Foggy still weren't speaking with each other but each time she brought up Evelyn to them individually it seemed like she was still talking to both of them. Besides, no matter what kind of mood Matt was in, just the mention of her made the corners of his mouth quirk up. "It's Matt. He seemed to have a really shitty night and told me that he couldn't take another step alone. I told him that he's never been alone but he might believe it more if it came from you."

Evelyn's heart broke in between the frustration that flared up knowing that Matt must have gone out as his masked vigilante alter ego. "I'm on my way. Are you guys at the office?"

"Yeah. Just knock four times and I'll let you in. I'm, uh, keeping the door locked for the moment so a stray client doesn't come in."

Her brows furrowed as she changed directions to start making her way to the Nelson and Murdock office. "You sure that's the only reason? Are you okay, Karen?"

There was a brief pause before she shakily answered. "I'm fine, yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about Matt, you know? And Foggy. Have they ever been this way before?"

So she clearly didn't want to talk about it. She would drop it for now but she'd also let her know that she was there if she needed a friend. "I haven't actually but I have faith that they'll come around. They're both stubborn as hell so once they come to their senses they'll get the band back together as it were. I'll see you soon though, okay? And Karen, if you need anything, seriously just let me know."

"Thanks, Eve. See you soon."

Once she arrived at her best friends' office, she knocked four times just as Karen had asked. She still thought it a bit odd but she could have her secrets, after all, they were keeping plenty from her.

"He in his office?" Evelyn asked after pulling away from the hug she greeted Karen with. For a moment there she thought the other woman was going to burst into tears, which made her even more worried for her friend. One thing at a time though.

"Yeah." Karen nodded, motioning for her to feel free to go on in.

She just about did before turning around to face the other woman. "You sure you don't need to talk?"

Karen laughed softly. God, Evelyn was perceptive. Maybe that's what she got for trying to fool a woman who spent most of her day in a hospital. "We can talk later. He needs you more than I do right now."

"We'll do a girl's night then. I just got this great bottle of wine." She smiled before entering Matt's office, closing the door behind her. Now to focus on her best friend who she still couldn't figure out how to feel about at this moment.

Matt looked up from the case file he was trying to read. He thought he heard Evelyn's footsteps and her voice but he wasn't focused enough to be certain. But the moment her perfume flooded his office, he couldn't help but be relieved. He was going to have to give Karen a raise or something. "Eve?" He asked. Even though he knew she was there, he was still in a bit of disbelief. He went from thinking that he was going to have her around for quite some time to not having her at all and then he figured out how Gao ran her side of the business. He didn't have her and he didn't have Foggy and he just felt like crumbling.

"Hey." She greeted as she made her way over to his side. The moment she was close enough, he pulled her into his lap and rested his forehead against her temple. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned into him.

"You smell like the hospital." He murmured.

"I just came from work. They finally let me go."

He of course knew that she had been called into work but after everything his mind made him believe that she took it to have an excuse to get away from him. And he didn't blame her. Yet, here she was always coming back to prove the voice inside his head wrong. "They're going to give you some time off, right?"

"My paycheck is going to look extra nice and I'll actually be able to go home regular time now." She quipped as she moved to start running her fingers through his hair. "But I didn't come here to talk about me. You wanna tell me what's going on and why you are not in bed like you're supposed to be?"

He let out a sigh and just pulled her closer. He couldn't tell her about the horrors he saw tonight. Not right now. They were too fresh. "I came across something that I just, I don't know how I'm supposed to keep going at this alone."

"Matt, you have never had to do this alone."

He scoffed. "Not according to Stick."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. She never met the man, glad that they didn't cross paths when he apparently had visited. "Well, Stick is an asshole who forgets you're a human being first and foremost."

"He kept the bracelet I made him so there has to be some good."

"And you don't think that was to manipulate you to continue helping him if he showed up again?"

Matt sighed. The tightness in her voice always made him happy that they would never cross paths because if they did and if she was even able to, he was quite certain she'd punch his old mentor in the face on his behalf. "I don't know. Maybe."

"How's your side?" She asked to change the topic. She wasn't sure if it was more for her sake or for his.

"I've had to restitch it twice now." He admitted sheepishly.

"Matt!" She knew about the one time since Claire told her but there was a second time she didn't know about.

"I know. Claire already yelled at me. But now's not the time to slow down. We're backing him into a corner. We've nearly got him."

"And cornered animals usually attack. Look what he already did to you."

"I know. I know but I've already taken down Gao and her heroin operation. He no longer has drugs to distribute which means no cash flow. We just need something solid to tie him to everything and we can put him away."

Evelyn sighed. She felt like she was having déjà vu now. Foggy wound up calling her sometime after their little text conversation. Her stay at the hospital had really messed up her sense of time. He had looped her in on what he was doing. He brought the information Matt had given Ben to Marci and then she was supposed to check her records at Landman and Zack's. She told him that he and Matt were going to be the death of her and that he better say something nice at her funeral and not let Matt get Father Lantom to lead the service. "Foggy's looking into that actually."

"What? You've talked to him?"

"Yes. He's gonna come to you soon. He's just waiting for a few more pieces to come into place."

Matt nodded. He didn't want to let her go but he was sure she was tired and wanted to get to her own bed. It's not like he could keep her here the entire time he planned on staying. "You should go home and get some sleep, Evie."

"I'm fine right here."

He sighed at her stubbornness but didn't let up his hold. He wouldn't fight her on this. Again the thought of figuring out how to thank Karen crossed his mind. "Would you mind reading to me then?" He did still have some work to do and he did like listening to the sound of Evelyn's voice.

A soft smile lit up her features. "Not at all." She said as she brought his laptop closer and began to read the latest case file out loud.

Chapter Text

Ben's death had been a surprise. Karen asked Evelyn to come despite her having only heard stories about the journalist. There was just one person missing and she wondered if Foggy was really being that petty. The service was beautiful and while Karen spoke with Ben's wife, Matt asked Evelyn to guide him a bit away from the crowd so they could say their goodbyes. That's when Father Lantom stepped over to greet the pair.

"How are you holding up, Matthew?" He asked.

"Like a good Catholic boy." Matt quipped.

"That bad, huh?"

Matt shrugged. "He was a good man. And he's gone because I haven't stopped what's happening to this city."

Evelyn sighed. "Matt, you can't put that on yourself."

Father Lantom smiled. "You should probably listen to her. You're doing everything that you can and some that you probably shouldn't have."

"And yet here we are," Matt said, "you two ganging up on me. Something I never expected to happen."

"Hey, I never said I left the church because I didn't like what Father Lantom had to say." She teased him.

He turned to face towards her and stuck his tongue out which caused the priest to laugh. "My two troublemakers are all grown up and still as attached at the hip as you two were going through Confirmation. I'm glad you two still have each other. It's good to see you, Evelyn." He nodded before turning to Matt. "Matthew."

"Bye, Father." They said in unison as Karen walked up.

⠙⠙

Just as she sent her latest email to Shirley with the documents her boss asked for, Evelyn's phone began vibrating, Foggy's name and picture lighting up the screen. She thought about ignoring it. She still couldn't believe that Foggy would let his anger towards Matt interfere with supporting a friend. The longer the buzzing went on, the more worry began to fill her chest. If Foggy didn't make it, something must have happened. She quickly grabbed her phone, swiping the icon to answer it just before it went to voicemail. "Are you okay?" She winced at the bit of annoyance that tainted her genuine question.

Foggy sighed. "Yeah, I deserve some of that don't I. How is she holding up?"

"She'd probably feel better if she knew she had everyone's support. But seriously are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Marci called and had the next batch of files ready so I had to go pick those up. It's a shit excuse and I'm going to make it up to Karen, I promise."

"Well, taking down Fisk would certainly be the best way to make it up to her."

"I'll see what I can do," he chuckled, "but first I think it's about time I finally spoke with Matt."

Evelyn sat up, leaning forward on her desk as hope filled her. "Yeah?"

"I have actually missed him, you know. We still need to discuss some things especially since he knows what he's doing isn't exactly legal but I think it's time I brought him into what I'm working on. It could help us both out."

"You two just talking again would be far better than what's been going on. Are you headed to the office now?"

"Actually, I just left the office and Karen was out on lunch and Matt was nowhere to be found." Foggy trailed off, implying that his next question was to ask her if she knew where he was.

She laughed, sitting back in her chair. "Do you know where Fogwell's is?"

"Yeah."

"Check there if he's not at home."

He nodded despite her being unable to see him. "Foggwell's it is. I went to his apartment before I went to the office."

"Then yeah, I'd check there because I haven't had any impromptu visits today."

"Thanks, Eves. I'll keep you updated on what happens."

"Please do!"

⠙⠙

The moment Matt went to go find Hoffman, Foggy called Evelyn. He had been updating her throughout the day but now things were getting serious. If they could get to Hoffman before Fisk did then they could very well take Wilson Fisk down. So she needed to be on standby for either first aid or to celebrate. Like clockwork, she showed up to the office, with a first aid kit in her purse as well as some alcohol. She also brought her laptop so she could do some work for her digital marketing clients. The hospital was about to drive her crazy and she was thinking about actually looking into joining a digital marketing firm but for right now she would take it a day at a time. She felt like she would miss working with patients too much if she did such a drastic career shift.

Matt came back to the office after Hoffman turned himself in. As far as she could tell, there weren't any fresh injuries on him. She gave him a quick hug and he pressed a kiss to her temple before taking Foggy with him to the precinct.

"When are you going to tell him?" Karen asked after the boys left.

Evelyn turned around, her brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Matt. I really don't know how Foggy's put up with it all these years. It is painstakingly obvious that you two are very much into each other."

She couldn't help but laugh. "It's complicated. We've just always been close."

Karen nodded. "Whatever you say, Eve. I just know that you both smile a little more often when you're around each other."

As Karen went back to sit at her desk, Evelyn sighed. They had been awfully close lately, even more so than usual. They were practically in tune with every moment between them. She finally returned to her seat, getting some work done while the pair waited for Foggy and Matt to return.

Shortly after, the news began running stories of the FBI and other authorities arresting various members of Fisk's underground organization. Evelyn poured them all a glass as they watched the scene unfold. They drank for Elena, Ben, and everyone else Fisk's dealings had hurt. But then the unexpected happened.

Fisk was being broken out of the convoy taking him to prison. They all jumped up, hurrying to get out of the office so they could get somewhere safe. But Matt was planning on heading towards the action. He needed to put a stop to this once and for all. And well, she couldn't exactly let him go without telling him.

Before Matt could get too far away, she jogged after him. "Matt, wait!"

He turned around, stress plainly written all over his face. He needed to hurry so Fisk couldn't hurt anyone else or have enough time to plan to come after anyone involved in his arrest. "Eve, you know I-"

His statement was cut off by Evelyn cradling his face in her hands and pulling him down to her for a kiss. Before he could fully respond, she was pulling away but not completely. Her forehead rested against his and her hands were still along his jaw. "You better come back to me and not in some half-dead state either."

"I'm always going to come back to you. We have to talk about what that just was anyway."

"I'm pretty sure they call it a kiss." She brought her hands down and nudged him back gently. "Now go. You have a city to save."

Matt wasn't even a few feet away before Foggy yelled, "Finally."

With a blush, she turned around to face her best friend. Before she could even get a word in, Foggy already began ushering her toward the edge of the sidewalk. "C'mon, if I don't get you home safely, I'm pretty sure he'd kill me." He said as he moved to the side of the road and flagged down a taxi. "You and I are gonna have lots to talk about too." He smirked as he held open the car door.

"Are you just gonna gloat the whole time?" She asked, climbing into the taxi.

"Yep." He grinned, shutting the door behind him before giving the driver Evelyn's address.

She and Foggy grabbed food from one of the restaurants nearby before heading up to her apartment. The entire time Foggy teased her about her finally revealing her feelings to Matt. He even went so far as to start planning their wedding.

"Foggy, we haven't even talked about it yet." She finally cut him off as they entered her apartment.

"Yeah, but you saw that smile. That's the dopiest smile I have ever seen him wear and that is all because of you. And I may not have seen your face but I can guarantee you had a similar expression."

A blush warmed her cheeks. "You know, how about we just watch the news and eat? We've had a long day."

"Okay, okay but I better be the first one you tell when you two finally make things official."

"And who else would we tell?" She asked, handing over his meal.

The moment the news reported that Fisk had once again been captured, Foggy stood up and cleared up his trash. "Well, I'll talk to you later, Eve. I'm gonna head home before a certain someone decides to show up."

"You know he has to go home and change first, right?"

"Then what are you doing here? You better get going."

"I'm not going to bombard him."

Three sharp knocks sounded through her apartment. Foggy headed over to her door and grinned back at her when he saw that it was Matt on the other side. He opened the door, grin still on his features. "Hey, buddy. You hear the good news?"

"Yeah, I did. You, uh, headed home?"

Foggy chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Smooth, Matt, smooth. But yeah, I'm gonna head home. Maybe call Marci. I'll talk to you guys later." He waved back to Evelyn and made his way out.

As he left, Matt made his way inside. "You know, I half expected you to be at my apartment waiting for me." He teased as soon as the door closed.

"I thought about it but I also didn't want to force anything else on you." She said, meeting him halfway.

"I'd say earlier was more of a pleasant surprise." He smiled as he folded up his cane, reaching out to set it on her side table.

"Yeah?" She asked, bumping her hand against his so he would know a little better where she was.

Matt interlocked their fingers and tugged her close, his other hand resting on her hip. "I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time, Eve. We just kept missing each other but I hope that earlier means that we finally found our time."

Evelyn smiled. "I would really like for it to mean that. I'd like to say I'm a pretty patient person but I'd really like to not have to wait anymore."

"We don't have to wait anymore." He whispered as he closed the gap between them. He poured every year of love and longing he had been waiting to date her and she evenly matched it. She brought a hand up, tangling her fingers in his hair as she brought him as close as she could get him.

They broke apart, foreheads touching as they gulped in air. Matt recovered first, nuzzling at her jaw before kissing down her neck, smirking at her reactions, humming his satisfaction when he showed extra attention to her pulse point. His hands slid under her shirt, thumbs rubbing teasing circles on her skin as he made his way back up to her lips. "I promise I will properly wine and dine you tomorrow or even this weekend if work is too much the rest of the week."

"Matt, if we don't go celebrate in between my sheets, I may just combust." She cut off his rambling.

He let out an amused huff before kissing her once again. "Well, we can't have that."

"No, we most certainly cannot." She kissed him deeply once more before she led him through her apartment to her room. As she did so, she tried to regain her breath but something told her that she was in for a very breathless night.

⠙⠙

When her alarm went off the next morning, Evelyn groaned softly as she slightly lifted her head off the pillow to turn it off. Just as she lowered herself back down, the arm around her waist pulled her in tighter. Matt buried his face in the crook of her neck, placing kisses wherever he could reach. "Don't go just yet." He mumbled, voice still gravelly from sleep.

She chuckled softly, as she trailed her fingers along his arm. "As much as I would love to stay just like this the rest of the day. We both need to get to work."

"Let's play hooky. I'll cook breakfast and we'll just have the day to ourselves."

She couldn't keep the grin off her face as she turned around to face him. "You've been trying to get me to play hooky since we were in school. How you graduated summa cum laude I will never understand."

He laughed, lowering his head to kiss her. "And I'll keep trying until you say yes."

"Do you really want to give Foggy that satisfaction?"

He thought it over before shaking his head lightly. "He's already going to be insufferable enough as it is."

"Exactly." She laughed a bit. "You can cook me breakfast this weekend."

"This weekend, huh?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? I'm spending the weekend at your place." She half-joked.

"I think I remember you mentioning something like that." He smirked, more than happy to get her for more than a few hours at a time. "But in exchange, you have to come by the office after work today and we'll go to that new restaurant nearby."

"Okay but Matt," she started as she turned around in his arms to face him, "you do know you don't have to wine and dine me, right?"

"Nope, I'm going to do this properly. I am going to do all of the things that I have been wanting to do with you since we reconnected. Well, since confirmation really."

"Confirmation?"

He nodded. "I hated that I never worked up the courage to ask for your number. It's why I made sure I did it as soon as we reconnected at Columbia."

"I did always look for you when I went to mass but I could never get my parents to take me to the early service since I never saw you at the later one."

Matt chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. "And this is why now that we are officially dating I'm going to treat you right. Because this is more than us finally putting that tension between us to good use," he smirked, kissing her in a way that was filled with promises.

"We're finally with our right person," Evelyn whispered, hoping that was where he was going.

His smile confirmed it and just before he kissed her again, he whispered against her lips. "I love you, Evelyn Jones. I have for a really long time."

"I love you too, Matthew Murdock."

He rolled on top of her, pinning her down to the mattress as he kissed her. "We're going to be late today." He mumbled as he hitched her leg over his hip and kissed along her jaw.

Chapter Text

When Evelyn arrived at Matt’s Friday night, he wasn’t there. Shirley kept her late. A handful of patients needed her expertise and since she was the one that led the patient experience initiatives, she needed to stick around to make sure all was taken care of before going home. As she made her way inside, she remembered Matt left her a voicemail. With a quick listen, she learned that he went out on patrol because he heard someone needing his help. She wasn’t entirely sure how long he would be, so she headed to the bedroom to get comfortable for her weekend at her boyfriend’s. The thought left a small smile on her lips. She and Matt were actually dating. It may have taken them forever but Evelyn didn’t regret the journey one bit.

He came in through the roof access, his mask in his hand. The water in the bathroom shut off and the familiar soft padding of feet made its way closer to him. “Glad Shirley finally let you go. I was hoping you’d be here when I got back.” Matt said as he made his way over to her. At the sound of her increased heart rate, he smirked. “Do you like the new suit?”

Evelyn hummed her approval around her toothbrush before hurrying to go finish brushing her teeth. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if it hadn’t been Matt coming in through the roof access but she also wanted to let him know in some fashion that she had in fact made it.

Matt set about unlocking his wardrobe, setting his mask and gloves next to the box he kept his Daredevil things. Just as he was about to unzip the suit to get out of it, Evelyn placed her hand over his. “Wait, I want to get a better look.”

He did a small spin for her, a smirk firmly in place, which earned him a playful shove at his shoulder. “And what’s the verdict?” He asked, bringing her closer by tugging the hand that she used to swat at him.

“It looks like it’ll keep you a lot safer than the athletic shirt and tactical pants you were wearing. What’s replacing your oversized bandana?”

He motioned toward where he left it and she bent down to pick it up. She started chuckling and he tilted his head as he waited for her to tell him why. “A little on the nose, huh?”

Shrugging, he took the mask from her. “I am the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen now.”

“I thought it was Daredevil.” She teased him.

“Either way it means bad news for you.” He smirked when she tilted her head back with a groan.

“You haven’t offered me an apple yet, so I’d say I’m in the clear. Besides, you are far better than Adam.” She said, looping her arms around his neck and standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.

He pulled back, eyebrows furling in confusion. “Why do you sound like you’re speaking from experience?”

Evelyn had to bite back her laughter, except every time she tried to tell him, she would start giggling. In high school, she had in fact dated a boy named Adam. They both got a kick out of being Adam and Eve, even going so far as dressing up as the biblical characters one year for Halloween, but being the originators of sin didn’t put a strain on their relationship, Evelyn’s grief did. Adam pushed her to get over the death of her father so that she would be the person he knew but Evelyn couldn’t be the social butterfly anymore, she had her life to rearrange and her family to take care of.

“Because I dated an Adam in high school.” She finally got out.

Matt shook his head, joining in her laughter. “I really should not be surprised.”

She shrugged as she tried to find the zipper at the back of his suit. “The opportunity presented itself and I couldn’t let it pass me by.” When she couldn’t find it, she let out a small, frustrated growl before coaxing him to turn around. “Now how’d things go?” She asked, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet when she finally found the damn zipper.

“You don’t need to patch me up if that’s what you’re asking.” He smirked a little over his shoulder, trying to keep hidden that he was a little happy that she had changed the subject. He shouldn’t be jealous, clearly, she had dated before, and clearly, things hadn’t gone well between them but the only time he wanted to even think about the time they missed out on was when they were making up for it in far more fun ways than discussing exes.

“Good. Do you want anything to eat?”

“Are you an option?” He asked as he stepped out of his suit. At the sound of her soft gasp, he turned to face her once more, sending a cocky grin her way. “And you thought I was insufferable before.”

There was still a pause as she mulled over what to say. His grin softened into a smirk as he listened to all the ways her body was reacting to his statement. “You know,” he spoke up to fill the silence, hoping to egg her on to say whatever was on the tip of her tongue, “you don’t have to filter what you say anymore. You can say whatever it is that you’re thinking so hard about.”

She took a deep breath because he was absolutely right. She no longer had to stop herself from saying the more inappropriate comments he inspired in her. She could openly flirt with him now and she wouldn’t be crossing any imaginary lines that they had drawn to keep themselves in the friendship category. “I suppose we could start with dessert then.” She finally said, draping her arms over his shoulders once again

He pulled her in close and kissed her passionately as he picked her up. He could clean things up later when they returned to eat actual food. It was clear that they both couldn’t wait to get the weekend started so why should they waste any more time?

⠙⠙

When she told her family that she and Matt were dating, her mom and younger brother, Benjamin, were over the moon. “About time!” were her brother’s exact words. Much like Foggy, her brother would tease her about her relationship with the lawyer. He apparently was so thrilled for his older sister that he told his girlfriend, Piper, about it. Thinking that it wouldn’t actually ever happen, she told the other woman that they just needed to name a time and place and she and Matt would be happy to double date. Curse her brother for actually being able to follow through on things.

“I have a huge favor to ask.” She said as she straddled Matt’s lap.

He tugged her down to sit, pulling her in close. The shirt of his she wore rode up, exposing more of her thighs to him. He hummed as he left teasing caresses along her skin. “And you thought you’d bribe me?”

She chuckled, running her hands up his chest and over his shoulders before they rested on the couch behind him. “Well, yeah. And it’s not exactly a bribe. I’m just buttering you up so you’re more inclined to say yes.”

“Sounds like a bribe to me.” He smirked as his fingers snaked underneath the cotton material, skimming along the band of her underwear. “What could this favor possibly be that you felt like you needed to sweeten the deal before it was done?”

“A double date with my brother and his girlfriend.”

Matt paused in his movements, his hands now resting on her waist as he sat back, eyebrows drawn in confusion. “You actually agreed to that?”

Just before everything with Fisk happened, Evelyn’s brother had called her crying. She swore her heart had stopped but in fact, it had sped up. Her brother rarely cried and she was ready to leave the moment he gave her the word. Piper had ended things for reasons still to this day she didn’t really understand. Despite the weekend she spent with her brother, telling him that everything Piper continued to text him after being the one to initiate the break up were just things to keep his attention, they got back together which left a sour taste in Evelyn’s mouth. The other girl had lied about her health, threatened unthinkable acts, and tried to make Evelyn into the bad guy. Yet Benjamin was happy so all Evelyn could do was support her brother as best she could.

She sighed and nodded. “I didn’t think it would actually happen because it was Piper who was initially planning it but I guess she told Benji and well, Benji actually knows how to make plans from time to time.”

“When is it and where?”

“It’s tomorrow at seven at Smith and Wollensky.”

“He pick it out?”

“Piper.”

“Did he tell her who she’ll actually be eating with?” While he didn’t have a problem with more upscale restaurants, he and Evelyn had gone to a couple since they started dating, but he was quite certain that it was a steakhouse and Evelyn didn’t eat red meat.

“He told me she said that quote ‘We have to go somewhere fancy since Eve is dating a fancy lawyer.’ unquote. He tried to explain things to her but she apparently wasn’t having it.”

"She does know you only eat chicken or fish, right?" He didn’t care about that. He was worried that his girlfriend wasn’t going to be able to eat. Not to mention, he was a little surprised she didn’t sound more upset. She just sounded exasperated over the whole thing.

"She should with how long she’s been around now but I've already looked and I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? You didn't just find an appetizer or side salad that you can eat."

"Yes, Matt.” She smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “They have lemon pepper chicken. And what about you?" She asked. She was more worried about the restaurant being accessible, especially since she couldn’t find anything on the website.

"I'll have the best menu reader beside me.” He squeezed her waist and he smiled as he felt her relax. “You don't have to worry about me." He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly.

"So is that a yes to the double date?"

"It is. Now, let me give you a teaser for what we'll get into after dinner." He smirked, nipping at her jawline before picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

⠙⠙

Matt couldn't keep his hands off of her as she finished getting ready despite the threats of using her curling iron on him. He couldn't help it. She had gone home to get what she didn't already have at his apartment, which apparently meant her outfit too. Hearing heels click when she walked in, he knew he was in for a special treat. The fabric rubbed against her skin as she moved, creating a soft shushing noise. "Is this a new dress?" He asked, trying to get more details.

"Uh..." she trailed off, looking down at the garment she was wearing, trying to remember when she bought it. "Yes." She finally answered when the memory clicked into place. "I bought it recently when I went shopping with Karen. And I've just not had the opportunity to wear it yet. It's a teal metallic look but the material is actually really soft and stretchy even though it looks kinda scratchy. The skirt stops mid-calf with a decent slit along the side. And then there's a feature that I think you'll really like."

"Which is?"

"Give me your hands and I'll show you."

She took his hands in hers and placed them on her hips before guiding them up to where the sides were cut out. Matt sucked in some air at the feeling of her skin underneath his fingertips. He followed the edge of the fabric, realizing the cut-out got larger as he went. Finding out that the dress had no back, he pulled her in close, his hands splayed along the exposed skin. "We don't have to go, do we?" He asked between the kisses he placed along her neck.

"We do." She said, tilting her head back to give him plenty of space as he explored with his lips. He went across her collarbone and down the swells of her breasts until he stopped where the fabric sat keeping the top and skirt together just under her chest.

"You are killing me, sweetheart." He groaned, pressing her to him.

She laughed as she pushed him away. “Go get ready. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can take this off of me.”

The moment she unplugged her curling iron, he spun her around and pulled her in for a kiss that took her breath away. Her hands gripped his suit jacket as he cradled her head, keeping her at the perfect angle for him to deepen the kiss. He nudged her back against the sink and the moment she let out a small whine, he pulled back with a smirk. “I had to even the playing field.”

Chuckling, she reached up and cupped his cheek, using her thumb to clean off her lipstick from around his bottom lip. “And how is that working out for you right now?”

“Maybe it was a part of the plan all along?”

“You’re going to be insufferable during dinner, aren’t you?”

“According to you,” he smirked, “I’m always insufferable.” He leaned down, trying to steal one last kiss but she nudged him away. With a laugh he finally let her be so she could fix what she deemed he ruined and they could finally head to the restaurant.

⠙⠙

“Look at you!” Evelyn greeted her brother as he and Piper walked down the street to meet her and Matt. “I didn’t realize you knew how to clean up so nicely.” She teased, pulling him in for a hug. She then moved on to Piper, giving the girl a hug as Benjamin went over and greeted Matt. “And that dress is super cute.” She complimented before going back to Matt’s side. “Piper, this is Matt, my bes-boyfriend.”

“I’ll take best boyfriend.” Matt flashed a cheeky grin her way before reaching out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Piper.”

“You too.” She said, shaking his hand.

“Let’s eat!” Benjamin grinned, motioning for his sister and boyfriend to lead the way.

As they looked over the menus they chatted a bit, catching up a little before Evelyn turned to face Matt a bit more. She also raised the menu so that she could read it while also giving him his options. From the other side of the table, the menu blocked most of their faces. Piper silently scoffed and nudged Benjamin. “Let them order.” He chuckled, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

The other couple was none the wiser. “What are you in the mood for?” Evelyn asked.

“You.” He smirked, placing his hand on her back. Heads had certainly turned when she walked in the room and he still couldn’t figure out if the waiter was trying to be extra nice for tips or if he was trying to flirt.

“I’m not on the menu.”

“You should be.”

“Later,” she laughed, “Do you want a steak?”

“Since I have to choose from something from the menu, then I guess I’ll have a steak. Do they have filet mignon?”

“They do.” She soon listed off the sides and once Matt knew what he wanted to order, she set the menu back down.

“So good of you to finally join us.” Piper quipped.

Evelyn glanced toward Benjamin who just glared at his girlfriend. Matt felt her turn back to face Piper directly. His hand slipped from her back to take her hand under the table, giving it a squeeze. Just from the saccharine tone in her voice and how stiff she was beside him, he could tell she was fixing a rather forced smile on the other girl. “We couldn’t decide what we wanted to order. It all sounded so good. What are you going to get?”

As she prattled off her answer, Matt brought Evelyn’s hand up and pressed a kiss along her knuckles. Evelyn’s smile turned more genuine as she glanced towards him, squeezing his hand back in thanks.

“So,” Piper started when she realized the attention was not on her anymore, “what kind of cases do you take on, Matt?”

“Any that come through our door,” he laughed. “Our friend Foggy and I started our own firm this year and while clients are starting to come in more frequently we’re still trying to get a few more that will help with paying the bills.”

“I’m sure it helps that you won the Fisk case and that you’re dating someone in public relations.” Benjamin joked.

“I thought you were at the hospital, Eve?” Piper asked.

“I am.” She answered, trying to keep the sigh from out of her voice. Piper clearly didn’t care about her enough to remember the basics of her life. “I also help local businesses who can’t afford to actually hire anyone to help with their marketing.”

“No wonder we don’t see you often. You stay so busy.”

Evelyn shrugged. “It’s how I like it and with you guys closer, we’ll see each other a bit more.”

“That’s right,” Matt grinned towards Benjamin, speaking up to get the weird attention off of Evelyn, “congratulations on the new job Benji. You’re going to be in Brooklyn now, right?”

“Yeah, Evie hasn’t seen the new place yet. You should join her when she does.” Benjamin smiled.

“I’d like that but you may need to bargain with Shirley to let Eve have some time to come visit.” He smiled, turning to face Evelyn, who nudged his shoulder playfully.

“I will get by soon, I promise.” She smiled at her brother. “There’s actually an event happening next week and one of my clients is one of the participants so maybe I could stop by then?”

“Yeah, totally. Send me the info on the event too and we can maybe hang out?”

“I’d love that.” She smiled.

“I can’t believe our little Benji is all grown up.” Matt chuckled, placing a hand over his heart.

Evelyn laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I know,” she continued to tease, “it feels like yesterday we were picking him up from the school bus and going back to your dorm.”

Benjamin took the balled-up straw wrapper and threw it at his sister just as the waiter arrived to take their orders.

As the others were ordering, Matt leaned over, placing his hand once more on her back, his fingers dipping below the hem of her top. "If I don't get another chance to tell you this tonight, you are stunning." He whispered in her ear.

"I've been turning a lot of heads, huh?"

"You haven't noticed?"

"I've been a little more focused on the good-looking guy sitting next to me."

"Oh, you think I'm good-looking?"

“Wait,” Piper said, interrupting the couple and pulling them from their own bubble, “you would get dropped off at Columbia after school?” She asked, looking towards her boyfriend.

“Yeah,” Benjamin answered, “for a good year at least. Mom became even more overprotective after dad died so I went to where Eve was until mom picked me up after work. And when Eve could, we rode the train home together. Sometimes Matt, Foggy, or both of them would join her. I may have fought mom in the beginning but I wound up gaining two brothers from it.”

Matt smiled, his eyes crinkling. Both Foggy’s and Evelyn's families had so easily taken him in and treated him like he was one of their own. To hear he made such an impact on someone he too thought of as a sibling, warmed him.

The rest of the double date went off without a hitch. Matt and Evelyn stole as many moments as possible, including her pressing a kiss to his cheek in response to him thanking her after she leaned in to describe where everything was placed on his plate.

Her heels didn't last much longer once they entered Matt’s apartment building. She toed them off as they waited for the elevator. "We survived the double date!" She said as she did so.

Matt chuckled. "It wasn't terrible and it was good to spend time with Benji again."

"I know," she sighed in contentment, "I'm so stinking proud of that boy. His future patients are gonna love him, I just know it!"

"He's going to be great. That's for sure."

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thanks for helping me look after him growing up. I really don't know if you know how much that first year of us reconnecting actually meant to me."

"I have somewhat of an idea." The first year they connected was the first school year back after her dad died. Matt did everything he wished people would have done for him after losing his dad. He spent as much time as he could with her, listened whenever she needed to vent, and was always around sometimes with Foggy to pull her out when she holed herself away.

The moment he closed his apartment door, Evelyn stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you." She whispered before kissing him sweetly.

"And I love you." He deepened the kiss, reaching down to pick her up, and walking with her to the bedroom.