riverviewlogs | ( closed ) blind ninja meets whatever it is she is

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( closed ) blind ninja meets whatever it is she is

who: Matt Murdock & Jessica Jones
what: Super cool neighbors have a super friendly meeting!
when: August
where: Floor 9 of community housing
warnings: None, of course, absolutely nothing can go wrong!

[ He'd check to find out if Foggy and Karen were here, if they'd somehow been displaced like he was. Finding no hint of them, he wasn't sure whether to take it as something of relief or not. Not knowing enough about this place, it was hard to tell whether it was safer or more dangerous than Hell's Kitchen. Whichever was the worst, Matt didn't like not being with them to protect them.

The day had already been long, but it was just the beginning of his research, deciding to take it all one step at a time — all as Matt Murdock, and Matt Murdock alone.

Cane clutched in hand, he makes his way down the hallway of his floor, tapping at the ground in front of him. There's no need for it, not with his senses alerting him well of his surroundings, but he senses movement behind some of the doors to the other room. One in particular is about to be opened, sensing it in the way that feet tap across the floor, closer and closer.

When it opens, there's a woman there, practically his own height, with a heavy air about her.

Matt tilts his head up, facing her general direction, making sure not to look directly at her before shifting into a smile. ] Hi. You must be my neightbor.

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[ This time, keeping his distance had been entirely for her sake. Several times, he finds himself outside of her apartment, prepared to knock with no pair of underwear to use as an excuse and only his own words. But it's those very words that had gotten him into trouble during the last encounter, and he's sure another repetition of that would end up with more than a mere slamming of a door to his face.

But he doesn't forget her. Even if he'd somehow wanted to, Jessica makes it impossible, beginning with the traveling burnt air that seeps all the way down into his own apartment on Monday. Her swears echo all the way to his ears and he can almost feel the heat of the flame, but it's nothing like the one that'd burnt down his own apartment months ago.

The damage seems minimal from what he can sense and she survives it just fine, so he doesn't interfere.

Still, he wakes with her when the vibration of a hard fist making contact with the bed frame travels along the entirety of the floor on Wednesday. There's a snapping and bending of weak metal, but no cracking bones, assuring him that she isn't injured. But she sweats, her breath more unsteady than normal and an air of panic about her.

That night, he rushes to her door, replaying the memory of Jessica's warm hands on his cheeks when he screamed and screamed, the comfort that calmed his heart from merely having here there, whisper and assure him that all was fine. He wants to ease her pain all the same, to return the words and tell her things would be alright — but if she seeks comfort, it isn't from him. She'd see his face and the anger would simmer as it did when she'd cursed him the last time.

He reaches the front entrance of her apartment, but he never knocks, never seeks to go inside, instead immediately turning back to his bed for the night, not letting himself sleep until he hears her breaths return to normal.

Tonight, it isn't until the late hours that he returns back to his apartment. Melvin's suit never leaves its case, but Matt puts on a pair of simple dark attire, tying cloth around his eyes, and scales the rooftops. He doesn't pick a fight, doesn't cause trouble, but he lets the rush of the wind as he jumps through fire escapes give him a high of a long sought out thrill. It isn't the same, he says to himself in the form of an excuse that he hasn't fully returned to being Daredevil, but the words could almost ring like a complaint. He forces himself to crawl back through his window, that he isn't ready, that Daredevil wasn't meant to come back, but he doesn't battle with internal monologue for long as he tugs the cloth from his head and puts on a simple t-shirt and sweats, before he notices the oddity.

Jessica isn't inside her apartment, not quite, but he can sense the space she takes up in the hallway as if planted there. Don't interfere, he reminds himself, but it becomes difficult to ignore her for a third time in the week. His heart still beats fast from the rushing patrol on the streets, making it difficulty to ease the fast pace of his own thoughts. With the lack of clarity in the moment, he steps out into the hallway.

He's quiet when he approaches her, his steps slow and gradual, pausing only when he's several feet away from the body sitting uncomfortably upon the floor. ]

Jessica?

[ it's another goddamn nightmare, hardly the first she's experienced this week. she can never escape from them, regardless of how much she tries. jessica is standing on the balcony of a penthouse apartment, overlooking a lovely view. a tall, slender man is with her, and he leans in to capture her lips for a kiss. she stops him, turning her face away.

"It's getting chilly, let's go in. I'll clean this up, and we'll continue inside."

she sounds sickeningly sweet, far too coy. everything about this jessica is wrong — from the insincere smile on her expression to the bright yellow dress that she wears.

kilgrave walks away, while she glares at his retreating back and inches closer to the balcony. she remains there, on the ledge, genuinely at peace as she imagines jumping. suddenly, after hearing the noise of nearby traffic, her brow furrows in concern.

"Jessica, come in, darling."

even the mere sound of that monster's voice cuts her to the core. it's absolute torture. day in and day out, acting as his puppet. being his slave. losing any hope of free will. after a moment, his tone sharpens.

"Come down from there. Come down now, Jessica!"

she hears her name — whispered softly, a beacon of serenity in the chaos of her head. it's a welcome contrast to the shriek of kilgrave's voice. startled awake, her body shifts, as her heart beats frantically inside her chest. from her position on the ground, she glances up, her gaze wide as it attempts to focus on him in the dark. ]

Murdock?

[ He could tell by her breaths that she's sleeping, though the frantic pace of her heart saying it isn't a peaceful one. He says her name again, and moments later, the soft gasp of her mouth and movements lets him know she's woken up. The sound of his own name comes with a sigh from his own mouth before he squats down beside her.

His hand raises, an instinctive gesture that has him slightly grazing her shoulder, fingers gentle where they stroke at the fabric of her shirt.

When he speaks, it's soft with honest concern, his own mind forgetting the conflicts that had brought them to where they were. ]

Are you alright?

[ despite her typical aversion to physical contact, his touch comforts jessica — her shoulders tensing at first before they slump down. she concentrates on the gentle caress of his fingers, as well as the soft tone of his voice. ]

Shit.

[ slowly, she regains her composure, huffing out a dry breath. jess then narrows her gaze, shrugging off his hold as she starts to stand up. ]

I'm fine. Hands off.

[ With the demand, he draws his hand back, fingers expanding and folding into his palm before he presses his lips tight together, a sigh huffing out of his nose. He straightens himself out, hands on his hips as he notices the shift in her pulse that has her returning to her routine persona.

But he knows it isn't quite that simple. ]

You sure about that? You're sitting on the floor outside of your apartment. Sends a different message.

[ in response, jess scoffs, her eyes drifting around the corridor. she's trapped here, considering the current state of her apartment. well, screw matthew murdock. she's not staying to listen to his bullshit, even if she's forced to sleep outside.

moving past him, jessica bumps her shoulder against his hard, as she heads for the elevator. ]

[ He rolls his eyes, the pattern of their interactions becoming far too familial, far too mirrored. Letting her stomp away in anger is becoming too much a bad habit.

With a huffing breath, he turns on his heel, following behind her. ]

Jessica, wait.

[ it's far too tempting to ignore him, to brush him off as she's done every other time in the past. however, that note of desperation in his plea makes her halt. with an ugly grimace souring her expression, she turns around to address him. ]

What?

[ He stops in his step when he hears the shifting turn of her feet, sensing her body standing just a foot or two in front of him. It's having her eyes sharp on him, the piercing of it felt even if he can't visually see it that reminds him he hadn't put his glasses on. The concern in his own eyes, the frustrations in constantly trying to work his way around her, to figure out the puzzle that is Jessica Jones, to stop reaching out when he knows her teeth will only bite — he wonders if she can see it. ]

In whatever conviction you have in your mind, we're not friends, I know that. And you're just about the biggest competition I've met my match in with stubbornness, but I'm — [ His short laugh is one of disbelief and without humor as he points his hand back towards his own apartment. ] I'm right there. I'm just a few doors away from you. So if something happened with your place that's apparently keeping you on your ass outside — [ He sighs, licking his lips with a pensive look. ] Jessica, you let me live on your coach for weeks when I out of a room. If, for whatever reason, you needed some place to stay, you can tell me.

[ she pauses, unable to do anything but listen to him ramble on and on. it's enough to give jessica a migraine, yet she can't seem to push him aside. not when the sincerity etched on his features wills her to stay here. nevertheless, she's as stubborn as ever. ]

Look, asshole. I don't want your help.

I know you don't.

[ He shrugs his shoulders casually, as if she had given the most obvious answer in response. And with Jessica, it is. ]

You don't want mine or anyone's help, and frankly, I doubt that'll ever change. And that's fine. But — [ With a sigh, he shakes his head. ] It doesn't mean you won't sometimes need it. Even if it's as simple as having a place to sleep. That's all this is, Jessica.

[ he won't goddamn stop. matthew murdock has proven time and time again that he's not about to give up on her without a fight. he's such a sap, howling about the power of friendship like a goddamn moron. she shouldn't expect anything else from the devil of hell's kitchen. well, she does need a place to sleep, and she's sick of arguing. licking her lips, she exhales gruffly. ]

Just tonight. That's it.

[ It's become the very basis of their relationship, this ongoing battle of push-and-pull, counteracting one's stubbornness against the other's. With her agreement, as resentful as it sounds, he releases a breath that he feels he could have been holding for minutes.

His nod is short, taking a step back, as he gestures towards his apartment. ] That's fine by me.

[ jess follows the path he proposes, the sound of her combat boots resonating in the air with each step. after she leads the way, she stops once they arrive at the entrance of his apartment. she could always break the lock off the front door herself, but she's willing to show a bit more consideration for once.

as she waits for matt to retrieve his keys, her eyes scan over his abdomen. the sweats fit him well enough, but his shirt is noticeably tight. ]

Got dressed in the dark?

[ a joke in poor taste, but then again, this is jessica jones. ]

[ Matt walks casually behind her, actually surprised when she doesn't just bust through his door with a foot straight through the wood. There's only two keys on hand, one for the law office and one for the apartment, so it only takes a swift stroke of the cuts with his thumb to know which one he needs.

As he digs into the lock, his brows furrow at her question before one rises with confused intrigue. ]

What? [ He pauses to pat his palm over his chest, trying to feel out the texture to determine if there's anything peculiar. As far as he knows, there isn't any designs on the simple t-shirt, so he doesn't figure they should be any embarrassing text on it that he isn't aware of. ]

Something wrong?

[ she snorts, trying — with little success — not to focus on how defined his muscles are beneath the fabric. it's only further accentuated when he presses a palm over his chest. ]

Didn't know you were an Extra Small.

[ He doesn't immediately catch her meaning, but in a beat later, his lips twitch into a helpless smirk, huffing a noise that could almost be a laugh. ]

Eyes up, Jones.

[ Turning the key properly in the lock, he opens his apartment, stepping back to allow her to enter inside. ]

Hardly.

[ jessica retorts, bypassing him as she steps forward. the first time she was here, she didn't have an opportunity to look around because a more urgent concern consumed her thoughts. she can still recall the panic on murdock's features, as well as her own desperate desire to comfort him.

dispelling the memory from her mind, she shakes her head as she approaches the couch in the living room. it's time to get some rest, finally. ]

[ Matt really is surprised she's in here at all, figuring she'd never step foot in this apartment since the last time she'd come in during the night of his panics. It hadn't been long afterwards that the fire damaged a majority of the rooms in here, and by the time it'd been repaired, his relationship with Jessica hadn't been anything more than strained.

He listens to the path of her footsteps, taking note of their approach towards to the couch before he steps forwards. ]

You can take the bed. You'll be more comfortable. I have to get up early in the next couple of hours anyway for work.

Edited 2017-11-12 18:16 (UTC)

[ she could accept his gracious offer. jessica jones is enough of an asshole to kick him out of his own bed, yet for some inexplicable reason, she can't bring herself to do it. ]

Pass.

[ with that flippant dismissal, she plops down on his couch before he can protest. the sheets of his bed probably smell like him, anyway. gross. ]

[ He raises a brow, not immediately responding as she moves forward through the room with no hesitance. He only chuckles softly to himself under his breath, as if the mere notion of Jessica denying any offer from his mouth was as habitual as breathing.

There's a more casual tone in his voice when his hands settle on his hips. ]

Like you said, it's just one night, Jessica.

[ what a mother hen. he just has to fight her on everything. matthew murdock is goddamn impossible to please. growing more exasperated, she ultimately succumbs and stands up, as her fingers twitch in mild irritation. ]

Jesus, fine. If it'll shut you up.

[ Push-and-pull, as always, though he doesn't fail to notice the quick turnaround with this argument. Just as he's come to know her tendencies of resistance, it's clear she's become familiar with his own persistence.

He gives a simple, satisfied smile in her direction, before he gestures down the hall with his arm as he shifts past her to seat himself on the couch where she'd stood up from. ] Bedroom's that way. Plenty of pillows and sheets. Let me know if you need anything.

[ That additional line is said for the sake of it, knowing full well that she has absolutely no intentions to ask him for anything at all. ]

[ jess flips him off, even if she knows he can't see it, and enters his bedroom. her body slumps on the mattress, her strength shaking the frame despite how thin she is, and she shuts her eyes. god, even his bed is comfortable, as promised. fuck him.

she rests well enough at the beginning, though after a few hours, she wakes up due to yet another nightmare. a sudden flash of purple is all it takes. jessica hears the devil's voice, feels herself obey his every command against her will. no matter how much she struggles, she must comply. he tells her to smile, to love him, to take care of her. and she does, until all that remains is reva's cold corpse and an innocent woman's blood staining her hands.

with a harsh gasp, she awakens, bolting up on the mattress and throwing off the silk sheets. her eyes open, genuine fright shining in them, as jess starts to hyperventilate. ]

Shit. Shit. Shit.

[ He may not see it but Matt knows exactly when she points that finger at him, even if he doesn't make any notable reaction to it. He says nothing else as she walks away, sitting in a silence among the couch, only letting out a heavy sigh when she's out of sight in his bedroom.

When he finally drops into the cushions, he falls asleep fast, his night of trailing rooftops tiring him out, the activity almost too foreign to him again after months of giving it up. His exhaustion overwhelms himself that he doesn't swim in the regret for long, instead enveloping himself in a newfound darkness. It's the kind that doesn't have sensors or heightened abilities, just the mere black void of his dreams where sometimes voices will reach out to him — his dad, Stick, Foggy, Karen, Elektra. Recently, he's heard Jessica's voice more too, the soft, comforting tone of her voice comforting him from his screams, the ease of his pulse when he'd been able to hear her heartbeat —

And he hears it now. Fast, pumping hard in her chest.

He wakes, his eyes opening wide as he immediately tries to get a grasp of his surroundings and her location. Jolting up to his feet, he races into the room, wasting no time in climbing upon the bed beside her on his knees. His hands slide on either side of her neck, guiding her to face him. ]

Jessica, Jessica! [ Her breaths are fast and erratic, and he knows something's wrong. ] I'm here. It's me. Jessica — [ His fingers rest upon her cheeks, warmth draped upon her skin as he strokes his thumb there carefully, trying to ease her panic down. ] Hey, look at me. It's me. I've got you. I've got you.

Edited 2017-11-12 20:50 (UTC)

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