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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[ He manages to sleep alright through the night, the temporary lack of exterior stress allowing him to relax without feeling as restless as he'd been in the hospital. By morning, his pains along his ribs hasn't completely subsided, but it's dulled enough that he can make it out of bed without any required support.

It's in the bathroom, running his palms over his face that he really takes note of the scratchiness of his cheeks. It's a signal of just how long he'd been unconscious, as well as a notable cue that he should actually probably clean himself up some —

Which goes as perfectly well as he expects.

Raising his arm to bring the razor to his face reminds him of the strain in his muscles, an involuntary moan slipping past his lips. By the time Jessica arrives, she'll catch a clear view of the scattered patches of shaving cream decorated on the unkempt beard, a sight unseen by his own eyes.

He simply sighs. ] Morning. I was — trying to clean up, I guess.

[ it's a comical display, yet jessica can't bring herself to laugh. he looks too pathetic, the remnants of shaving cream left along his jawline and his abdomen still covered by bandages. the moron can barely stand on his feet right now.

with utter contempt, she sighs. ]

Trying. And failing.

[ her tone is sharp and dry. stepping forward, jess closes the distance between them before she reaches out to take hold of the razor. normally, she would never consider lending a hand, but he's just too pitiful. ]

Hold still.

I think I deserve a little more credit than that.

[ He could almost begin to argue further, but before another word can slip from his mouth, the razor is guided out of his hand, aided by new assisting figures. Raising an eyebrow, he's slightly stunned, but doesn't actually make a move to fight her on the matter. Considering his condition, she clearly has the upper hand in just about any situation.

His lips pout slightly, but there's a hint of an amused smile somewhere between it. ]

No idea what I look like, but it's probably pretty charming, isn't it?

Pretty pathetic.

[ she corrects him without missing a beat, grasping his chin with one hand while she places the razor to his beard with the other. ever cautious, jess slides the blade down, not wanting to cut him inadvertently. matthew murdock doesn't need any additional lacerations.

while she starts to shave him, jessica keeps quiet, in an attempt to focus on anything other than how domestic this feels. gross. ]

[ He tries not to grin as to not disrupt the process of the scraping razor against his skin, but his expression shows his amusement all the same. Holding back from saying anything more, he knows she isn't entirely exaggerating in her comments; he can feel the array of bruises along his cheeks, unveiled now by the removal of concealing hair, as well as all along his neck and chest, scattering out to arms and legs. There's no way of knowing how he survived, whether it was the people from here that rescued his life from the collapse of that building (he knows it wasn't), but the bumps on his body at least show that he did survive.

Trapped on a bed for days, his beard had been unkempt and left untidy, patches of scruffy hair tangling at his chin, but even as Jessica removes it all slowly, his attention isn't on the blade scraping over his skin.

He listens to the steadiness of her breath as she stands closely to him, focused, undisturbed.

But then he speaks, quietly and small, keeping his lips almost close enough together. ] Sorry if I woke you up.

You should be.

[ it's ten o'clock in the morning. she's never up this early, goddammit. jess sneers in response, concentrating on her task at hand. if she doesn't focus well enough, she's aware of the repercussions. although jessica jones is no nurse, she can prevent inflicting more pain on him at least. hopefully. ]

After this, dipshit, get your ass back in bed.

[ There's easy agreement from her and plenty of honesty. It was admittedly a trait that he found all too endearing from her. Even in his current state, she wasn't planning on going easy on him.

But even amongst the harsh lines of her words, he can hear her concern that's been trickling in her voice since last night. ]

I'm okay, Jessica. [ Carefully, he places his hand gently over the back of hers settled at his chin. Grasping it lightly, he guides her fingers to rest upon a clean-shaven cheek, the skin no longer hidden by a cluster of hair, making the contact so much closer. There's warmth there, no abnormal heat as if the signs of any fever, but of blood coursing through him, keeping him moving, keeping his heart beating. ]

See? I'm alive.

Edited 2017-12-02 06:40 (UTC)

[ the warmth of his touch overwhelms her, a poignant reminder of the prior evening. jessica jones likes to pretend that she doesn't give a damn, but the truth is she cares far more than she's willing to admit.

her hand remains on his cheek for a few seconds, her fingers brushing against his skin, before she regains her composure. ]

Not for much longer, if you keep it up.

[ the retort is all bark and no bite, as jess shifts her hand back to the other side of his face. licking her lips, she suppresses the impulse to swing her fist against his jaw, while she also tries to ignore the frantic beat of her own heart. ]

[ Her fingers linger for the briefest of moments, a softness that has him releasing a breath the almost could have held all the weight he's carried for so long. A fleeting touch, and if it had lasted a few seconds more, perhaps he might have had the courage to lean forward and close the remaining space between them.

But Jessica snaps in her typical sharp sarcasm that holds no real malice but the desire to break the constantly leaning spark that they sometimes pretend goes unnoticed.

Matt hears her heart, always an uncertain and anxious thing it is, and he knows better.

So instead he smiles when she brushes her fingers away, turning his face to give her access to the opposite cheek, still decorated in foam. ]

Then I should let you finish before you kill me then, shouldn't I? I already look like hell as it is, I'm sure.

[ he does look like hell, certainly. however, that's not all. as her eyes drift from his bare abdomen up to his face again, another word comes to mind.

with a soft snort, jess runs the razor down on the side of his face still covered in shaving cream, falling quiet.

she can't stop dwelling on the sense of relief that floods her system, even now, from the knowledge that he's safe, that he's alive. she failed him once before, and she has no intention of repeating that mistake here. jessica jones couldn't save him at home, but she can help him in the aftermath. ]

You can stay here. [ she states with nonchalance, disrupting the contemplative silence in the air. ] For a while.

[ for as long as it takes for him to recover, he's welcome to stay. ]

[ Matt's always considered himself rather adept at sensing someone's emotions, and while he's gradually come to be able to read the different paces of Jessica's heart, there's still always an air of unpredictability that comes from her.

You can stay here, she says with an invitation, and his own heart manages to be offset with a few words.

His face stings from the sheer rub of the blade on his skin, but a pulsing grip within himself presents a more effective distraction. When he tilts his head, it's inevitably so near hers from the close proximity the shaving creates, and he can sense her breath, hot, steady, sincere.

Quietly, he asks, genuine in his tone, ] Is that what you want?

[ the question catches her off guard, the intensity of his voice startling her. she nearly cuts him on accident, yet manages at the last moment to spare him that unfortunate fate.

jess lifts her brow, then offers a scoff to conceal the sudden tension that permeates the room. ]

Don't make this weird. Not the first time you crashed at my place.

[ to distract herself, she steps back from him, dipping the razor into the bathroom sink to rinse the blade. ]

[ She's not wrong. The incident that left his apartment crisp and unhabitable for weeks made him a temporary resident. But everything had been so different then; it was only on his final night here that she'd kissed him, a predecessor to everything else that'd altered their relationship into a swirling storm of denial and inevitable attraction.

And then there was everything else, everything that came with new memories of Hell's Kitchen. They were hardly the same two people they were when he'd last slept here.

Even so, he huffs a breath of a chuckle, licking at his bottom lip. ]

Well, from what I remember of the last time, you couldn't wait to get me out of here.

[ after she washes off the razor, jessica places it to the side. then, she grabs a small towel, drying off her hands before shoving it against his chest. the movement is careful, no genuine strength behind the act; she can't risk injuring him.

the truth of the matter is that he's right — they're both different now, changed by circumstances that evolved both during their time here and back in new york. however, she's reluctant to acknowledge any of this, not to him and much less to herself. ]

Look, Murdock. [ she realizes her poor phrasing a second too late, though she doesn't bother to comment on it. ] I won't twist your arm.

[ if he doesn't want to accept this fleeting offer of generosity, that's fine by her. ]

[ The towel gets pressed against his chest and he doesn't move immediately, focusing on her words, on her voice. He thinks of how careful with her he's had to be, not solely for her sake, but his own.

With Elektra, with Karen, even with Claire — he's exposed only pieces of himself which he'd been so hesitant to allow. Neither Karen nor Claire wanted the devil within him, the natural fierceness of the Murdock boy that was never meant to be tamed. That was the piece Elektra sought out to consume. It was the dangerous part that was all too unpredictable, up until the building collapsed overhead.

If he was still alive, there was no doubt that Elektra was too. And he knows a part of him seeks to find her, that she may not be here, but she was somewhere, and he needs to seek her out, to save her as the addiction continues to devour him from the inside.

But when he'd woken up, the overwhelming swirls of parallel memories invading his mind, his thoughts returned to Jessica, to the night spent together in his bed, to holding her in his arms, to wanting to protect her from the terrors of her dreams. She never tried to tame him — she mocked and ridiculed for the sake of her own guards, but there was an understanding between them within the silence.

Matt needed to let his flame flicker in the way that he could never have with Karen, but all the same, he couldn't allow his skin to fully burn until there was nothing left.

He doesn't know the extent of her fire, but standing next to Jessica, he feels warm. ]

I want to stay. [ He says with soft honesty, before he could give it another thought. His body was still tired, not merely physically, but he wanted a rest from battling his soul, even for a short while. ] I'd love to stay.

[ With you, he doesn't say. But he doesn't need to. ]

[ jessica jones has never possessed a talent for social interaction. even before the trauma she endured with kilgrave, she hardened her heart, refusing to let anyone inside. even now it's tempting to push matt away, to insist that he means nothing to her. jess only wished she had the strength to succumb to that impulse.

this is all unfamiliar territory. she's spent most of her life being alone, preferring solitude over the inevitable destruction she would cause if she didn't push others away.

matthew murdock, the stubborn idiot that he is, always refuses to listen. history repeats itself — from their first encounter in that interrogation room to him watching over her when the nightmares wouldn't cease. she bites down on her bottom lip, knitting her brow as she swallows hard. ]

Fine. [ then it's settled. he'll stay. with her. ] Jesus.

[ the defense mechanisms are back in place, instigated by the sudden moment of vulnerability. ]

You aren't moving in or anything. So wipe that look off your face.

[ He responds with light laughter, prompted by the instant turn around of her reaction. There's no real surprise, but there's amusement in it all the same, because he always appreciates the bluntness of her phrasing.

Gripping the towel that remains at his chest, pressed by her fingers, he brings it up to his cheeks, wiping at the lingering blotches of shaving cream, smoothing it all away to expose his now bare skin.

Matt holds on a smile, more visible now than it had been before. ]

Wiped. Thanks to you. [ It does feel miles fresher, the previous scruff around his cheeks having done little more than remind him of how long he'd been under. ] What do you think? Do I pass as presentable?

[ another smug comment about his appearance — that asshole can probably sense her attraction to him or something, with his weird ass powers. ugh, she loathes him. ]

Mediocre. At best.

[ folding her arms, jess scoffs. ]

Now can you crawl back to bed, or do I have to hold your hand the whole way?

[ The answer she gives is the answer he deserves. That doesn't stop him from continuing to sprout that cocky grin of his. ]

I think I can manage alright.

[ Movements still bring about sparks of pain, but it's eased with the hours. He did get this far just fine, even if his reckless journey to her apartment temporarily took him some steps back.

Despite his playful tone, his voice is sincere when he says, ] Thank you. [ He points to his face, gesturing to a clean chin. ] For this.

Whatever.

[ her scowl softens, as she dismisses his gratitude in an instant. even after all this time, jessica jones doesn't know how to handle his appreciation, or even accept it.

with a quiet exhale, she extends a hand in his direction. her thumb brushes over the remnants of shaving cream along his jawline, cleaning off the small portion of foam that he missed. ]

[ The lightness of her touch gives him a shiver and he closes his eyes for the briefest of moments, a heavy breath of air released from his lungs. He knows he shouldn't when he lets his fingers fall over the back of her hand, knows that his body, his mind, all of him is exhausted and simply longing for something, something to fall into.

For all her harsh lines, there's something soft and inviting about Jessica's presence. As if he could actually believe things will be alright — somehow.

Leaning in, his lips find hers, nothing like the desperate ones exchanged in their beds, but something soft and quiet, brief before he draws himself back. ]

Edited 2017-12-06 04:12 (UTC)

[ she doesn't expect the sudden shift in movement, yet there's no resistance on her part as matt captures her mouth. in fact, she leans forward slightly, tempted to deepen the kiss before he pulls away. fortunately, she's also brought back to reality as a result.

her gaze widens, then narrows. licking her lips, jess stares at him incredulously. ]

Are you high?

[ perhaps the hospital staff gave him heavy painkillers. that must be it. ]

[ It feels long since they've kissed, time a complicated thing since he'd woken up again, and he's almost tempted to let it last. But everything's become tentative and cautious, and he isn't sure how much of himself is still buried under the rubble. Partially there, partially here, he feels the pressure of her lips draw in closer before they separate and he considers letting himself linger.

He huffs a sigh at her question, pressing his lips together. ]

Unless you slipped me something, I'm pretty sure I'm stable.

[ furrowing her brow, jess shakes her head in disbelief. he appears so nonchalant, so confident in what just occurred, that she's at a loss for words. matthew murdock is actually flustering her, goddammit. that asshole.

this isn't right. she shouldn't dwell on how soft his lips felt, or how much she relished that brief yet gentle kiss. those thoughts can only spell disaster. huffing a breath, jessica steps back and glowers at him. ]

You almost killed yourself trying to save your ex.

[ she reminds him, her tone accusatory. it's much easier to deflect, to pretend that there's nothing more lingering beneath the surface. ]

Now you're swapping spit with me?

[ He's a lot more surprised at her response than he initially expects himself to be. Jessica being angry doesn't take him aback, it's become more of a routine to see her glowering over this and that, but his brows pinch together briefly over her reason.

It's not that she's wrong. It's simply the way she brings it up, the way the temperature rises against her cheeks. ]

You know it's more complicated than that. [ Why he'd done what he did, giving up everything to stay behind at the bottom of that pit, the weight that had hung on his shoulders, the guilt. He wasn't denying that he loved Elektra, that was inevitable, but it'd been a curse too, one that clawed at him from the inside, eating away at him in the months after her death.

Except his memories had divided during that time.

His hands perch at his hips, his eyes unfocused and facing behind her. ]

And you know things weren't the same there with — [ He takes another breath, licking his lips. ] With us.

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