"Fog! I'm gonna run out for coffee!" Matt called across their small shared law office, hurrying towards the door before his partner could object. The heat from the city streets was filling the room, and the sound of fans that did nothing more than circulate it were drowning out his voice. He should have known better than for that to be enough to help, because in an office this size, there was no getting away without hassle if Foggy's bullshit radar had been triggered.

"Oh, yeah," Foggy replied causally, turning his chair back and forth slowly as he watched Matt pause before his hand could touch the doorknob, "where?"

"At the coffee shop. I thought that was pretty intuitive."

"Which one?"

"Does that actually matter?"

"Yes, it does. Just answer the question, Murdock."

"I'm going to the one...on 41st," he muttered in reply, again trying to make his way to the door but ultimately failing.

"That's what I thought," Foggy stood and hurried to stand in Matt's way. "You're not going for coffee at all! You're going to see her again, aren't you?"

"Fog, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just thirsty and I like their cappuccino. You're making something out of nothing, and now I'm not getting any for you."

"Woah, no need to be like that," his friend argued, hands up in defeat, "I could go for a cup. How's about if I just go with you?" He turned and moved back towards his desk to grab his keys, while Matt stood in place with a scowl that had him rethinking the idea. "What? I would be interrupting a little something, wouldn't I? Why won't you just admit it? Admit it, and I'll gladly stay here."

Matt carefully weighed his options; if he let Foggy join him, he definitely wouldn't be able to see you; it would put his friend in danger, and he swore to never do that purposefully. If the man got into trouble on his own, that was one thing, but he wouldn't lead him to it willingly. If he made Foggy stay behind, it was all but admitting that the man was right. Either way, he was going to find out the truth, and it left him with only one clear answer. "I'm going to see my girlfriend."

"Bullshit. You don't have a girlfriend. You're going to see (Y/N)...unless...is she your girlfriend now? Are you seriously dating the number one of the biggest crime boss that New York has seen in a century? Are you out of your damn mind?"

"I'm not dating-"

"Do they have some sort of weird ass vigilante Tinder out there or something?"

"Fog, come on-"

"Can't say that I wouldn't swipe right on that."

"Okay, I'm leaving," Matt huffed, not pausing to listen to any more. He had heard your voice in the distance, in the midst of a fight not far from the office, and if he wanted the chance to catch you he had to move much faster than this. He'd been able to get to you only a few times since he'd been made aware of your work in the city, and he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by when you were practically right next to him and taunting him to find you.

~~~

It was hard to slip his suit on as he ran, but after transforming himself into Daredevil so many times now, Matt had worked out a method that worked well enough. It slowed him down some, pulling one leg of his suit on while hopping on the other, but not so much that he thought he missed you. He could still hear your voice as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, the tone echoing in his mind louder with each leap until he was only one building away. Matt took the final jump and waited, listening to your conversation on the street below with the thug that you were letting your anger out on this evening, smiling to himself at the ease with which you held control.

"You know, I had better plans for this evening," you grunted slightly, holding your grip on your target's neck tightly enough to turn his skin a lovely hint of blue, "and you were nowhere on my list."

"Did you...miss your...boyfriend?" he struggled, his fight wavering.

"Why do you guys always go right to boyfriend? Just because I'm a girl, my plans had to involve a man?"

"Girlfriend?"

"Hmm, points for effort," you shrugged, "but no, not a girlfriend either."

"You one of...those...asexuals?"

"Are you one of those...hmm, let me think..." you paused, squeezing just a bit harder, "one of those idiots who can't mind their own business and just die already?"

"Maybe killing him is too kind," Matt interrupted, dropping to the ground to stand in front of you, "if he's that dumb, the city will probably do your dirty work for you."

"Oh, come on! You again?" you groaned in frustration. You took a step back, shifting your grip on the man's neck with a quick twist, releasing his limp body to drop at your feet, much to Daredevil's horror. "Don't you have a cat box to clean or something, Hello Kitty?"

"I can't believe you just did that!"

"Trust me, the city is better off. And what do you mean, you can't believe it? How long have you been watching me now? There's no way that you haven't seen that before."

"I've been so wrong about you," Matt answered hesitantly and in a shaky whisper, his posture changing as you watched, "you're too far gone. I thought that I could talk you into leaving this life behind and doing good for the city, but this...this just made it very obvious to me that I wasn't thinking clearly at all. I have to stop you."

"Really? You think you can?" you smiled back, planting your feet and squaring your stance to prepare for his assault. "We've gone a few rounds before, so what makes this one so different? Did you sharpen your claws today?" Before he could respond, you rushed forward, pushing your foot against the brick wall at your side to lift you into the air and onto his back, wrapping your legs around his throat to throw him off balance and onto the hard ground with a solid slap against the concrete. When he landed and caught his breath, you were straddling him, your legs intertwined with his to immobilize him.

"Where did you learn that?" he grunted, pointlessly trying to wiggle free.

"Not at liberty to say," you smiled back, "but I'm sure that you've seen that before too."

"I have, and I didn't know that you two were friends, given your line of employment."

"Well, it's hard to find good work these days after being an Avenger. Family politics have really screwed that for me. No one wants to take on that kind of liability when I refuse to choose sides." You looked down at him when he didn't say any more, trying to gauge his expression behind the mask; it was a hard fight within yourself to keep from removing it, but after seeing each other so many times, you had formed a strange respect for the jerk and couldn't bring yourself to strip his disguise away. You almost had yourself talked into letting him go when he finally broke the silence again.

"So it is possible for you to work on the right side of the law."

"I've got it pretty good where I am, thanks. If I was on the other side, would I be here now, with my legs wrapped around the Daredevil himself?"

"It's possible."

"Woah, down boy," you smirked, "let's not mix business with pleasure. We're only on our fifth date."

"You just had your legs around my neck. I think we've crossed the line." He stopped and noticed your intent focus on him, feeling the shift in the environment as each second ticked by. Your grip began to lighten, and rather than taking advantage and pushing you away, he remained still. "Listen, (Y/N)," he began quietly, "yes, I've been watching you for a while now, and I do want you to stop doing this. I want to help you get out of the life that you've gotten yourself into. And I know, you don't think that you need to and that you've got it good here, but believe me, there's plenty of good to be done outside of the Avengers. I happen to have a few friends that you might fit in really well with, actually."

"I know all about your friends, Matt."

"Hey, hold on," he gasped, finally pushing himself away and rolling you off from your perch atop him, "what's with the name?" He stood up quickly and took a few precautionary steps back, his hands up as if he felt a desperation to keep you at a safe distance from him. "That's not okay, (Y/N)."

"What? You know my name but I can't know yours? Are you so naïve to think that you're the only one doing all the watching around here? Please. Jessica and I go way back."

"Jesus, it's like there's a whole world going on around me that I've never seen-"

"Yeah, cuz you're blind."

Matt's mouth was still open from his interrupted sentence, only now it was because of pure shock at the audacity and the confidence you were carrying and how it was affecting him. The antagonistic relationship that you had shared thus far had its moments of levity, but this was a full shift into something different, and he couldn't quite place it. This was almost feeling like the start of, dare he think it, a friendship. "Wow, that's cold, (Y/N)."

"No less true," you shrugged. "But anyway, back to the point. What's in it for me if I take you up on the offer and jump into the light? I'll be on the hit list for quite a while, and I need assurances that you're going to protect me."

"You need me to protect you? Seriously?"

"No, not really, but I know how you guys like to feel important. Egos are just so fragile."

"Fine, smartass, how about this," he chuckled, reaching his hand out for you to take, which you did readily, "how about we start with a cup of coffee. I know a great place near here."

~~~

A few hours later, Foggy was still sitting at his desk, right where Matt had left him. The sounds of your laughter mixed with his friend's as you approached left him grinning to himself, pleased with the turn of events that had apparently brought Matt to his senses in asking you to join him. He wasn't sure why it was such a big secret that he was going to see you; your name dropped into conversations without realization, and if Foggy said anything that came close to mentioning you, Matt's attention would be fully his. The poor guy was completely gone over you and it was a relief that he was finally able to understand it for himself. When the door opened and you stumbled in with him, Matt had to catch himself on the wooden frame to keep from falling over in laughter.

"Well, it's about time you kids got home," Foggy stood, hands pressed on his hips, "do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Oh, hey, Fog," Matt coughed nervously, "I didn't know that you'd still be here. This is-"

"(Y/N), yeah, I know."

"Hey, Foggy," you nodded in reply, "good to see you again."

"Again?" Matt gasped. "What do you mean, again? Do you already know him too?"

"Of course I know him." You pulled your arm from within Matt's hold and took the few steps to cross the office, joining Foggy in a hug of welcome as if you had been friends for years, much to Murdock's surprise. "Here," you offered, holding out the cup in your hand, "I grabbed your favorite. At least, if I remember it right."

Foggy took a long drink from the cup, closing his eyes and humming in contentment at the now slightly cooled liquid and rush of caffeine that he so desperately needed after waiting for Matt's return. "Ah, yes, that's what I needed. I knew that getting you two together was the only way to get a decent cup of coffee around here."