Febuwhumpday6 - Tumblr Posts

Stitches & Shivers

Click here for my masterlist.

Febuwhump Prompt - Hypothermia

Prompt - ‘But we only ever need you, Matt.’

Notes - I'm sorry this is late but I'm so sick so this isn't one of my best

Matt didn’t remember much from after he dove out of the window, leaving behind a burning Nobu, Fisk and his men. He remembered his body hitting the water and remembered the cold, it was so cold. He remembered hearing his own heart beating so loudly in his ears, remembered thinking it was going to beat right out of his chest. He remembered the pain that spread through his whole body as water mixed with the cuts.

What he didn’t remember was just how long he stayed in the water for, feeling lifeless, he didn’t remember dragging his bleeding body out of the water and he didn’t remember how he managed to get home.

He didn’t remember Foggy leaning over him, pulling his mask off, he didn’t remember you watching from behind, he didn’t remember your gasp in shock and horror, didn’t remember Foggy’s confused call of his name or fighting him against calling anyone but Claire.

What he did remember was waking up the next morning, shivers racking his body, sending shots of pain through his stitches. He remembered feeling what must have been every single blanket in his apartment wrapped tightly around him doing little to protect from the coldness that ran through his veins.

You, however, remembered every bit of that night.

You remembered going to Matt’s apartment with Foggy after spending most of the night in Josie’s. You remembered Foggy calling for Matt through the door, telling how they couldn’t lose hope now.

Then you remembered the bang that sounded from inside, remembered the look you shared with Foggy as you both ran up the stairs, using the roof access to enter Matt’s apartment. You remembered Foggy picking something up as you both assumed an intruder had broken in.

You remembered the figure, dressed in black, standing for a second before he toppled over, falling onto the floor. You remembered looking at him, something familiar you couldn’t quite put your finger on and then you watched Foggy pull the mask off to reveal Matt.

You let out a choked gasp, taking a step back and hitting the wall behind you as you looked down at Matt, more than half dead and still bleeding out.

“Matt?” Foggy asked, voice soft in confusion as he looked up at you questioningly. You shook your head, eyes not leaving Matt.

“You need to call an ambulance,” You said shakily, “Now.”

Suddenly Matt shot up, catching Foggy’s wrist in his hand when the man pulled his phone out again. Both you and Foggy froze, watching the pain spread across Matt’s face.

“No hospital,” He managed to grit out, his free hand somehow pulled the burner phone from his pocket, “Claire.” Was all he said before he promptly passed out and caused you and Foggy to shoot each other looks of confusion.

You and Foggy waited for Claire in silence, not knowing what to say. What could you say when you’d just found out your boyfriend and best friend was The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen? You watched as Matt’s body shivered against his wet clothes and wondered just what the hell had happened tonight.

Eventually there was a knock at the door and Foggy was the one to stand. You continued to sit on the chair, not letting your eyes leave Matt, focusing in on the way his breathing seemed slow, too slow, the rise and fall of his chest was barely there.

Foggy seemed to ask a million questions when Claire stepped into the apartment, helping her get Matt onto the couch as she knelt next to him, starting in on the stitches like she’d been doing it forever.

All of Foggy’s angry demands for answers were ignored, Claire stayed silent other than to tell you that it wasn’t her place to say anything.

“Matt can tell you when he wakes up.” She had said, causing you to finally look away from Matt and to her.

“Will he wake up?” You asked, voice small, barely there.

Claire’s face softened as she looked at you before she focused back on Matt.

“He always seems to pull through.” She told you.

She worked for another forty or so minutes before she leaned back and looked at him questioning, watching how the shivers hadn’t subdued. At first she’d chalked it up to shock, those wounds weren’t regular knife wounds afterall but now she noticed how pale he was, which again could’ve just been a factor from the blood loss, but there was also the fact his lips had a blue tinge to them.

“Shit,” she said, causing you and Foggy to look to her, fear flooding your system.

“What?” Foggy asked urgently, “What is it? Is he ok?”

You watched as she scanned the room before settling on Matt’s wet pile of clothes and cursed again.

“Did neither of you think to tell me he was soaking when he showed up?” She snapped.

“Sorry I was a bit more concerned with the blood loss.” Foggy replied sarcastically causing her to roll her eyes.

“I need every blanket he has, now.” She told him before turning back to finish the stitches.

You were on the edge of your seat as you looked at Matt in fear. The urgency in Claire’s tone and the movement of her hands had you desperately begging anybody who would listen to just let him be ok.

“What’s wrong with him?” You asked as Foggy returned.

“Hypothermia,” She said, biting her lip as she stitched one of the smaller cuts.

“Hypothermia?” You asked, looking up at Foggy and seeing he looked just as worried as you.

“He probably would have been fine if it was just the water, he’d have a hell of a cold but he would’ve been fine but you mix the coldness of the water with the freezing air and you're practically asking for the hypothermia to set in. It’s what's causing him to shiver so bad, well that and the blood loss.” She explained but you just huffed in disbelief as you settled further back onto the chair.

Claire worked in silence from there, none of you knowing what to say after that.

Once she was done she sat back and tugged her gloves off, looking Matt up and down before she grabbed the bundle of blankets Foggy had found and started placing them on top of him, making sure he was wrapped up tightly before turning to the two of you.

“I have to go,” She told you, raising her hand as the two of you went to protest, “I have a shift at the hospital, I can’t stay here all night. He should be fine but if anything changes, call me immediately.”

“He should be fine?” Foggy asked, raising an eyebrow at the nurse.

“He’s shivering, right, that’s good, it means his heat regulation systems are still active. We can’t put him in the shower because of the stitches so you need to make sure he stays warm, keep him covered, when he wakes up give him hot drinks, soup, energy drinks. Something tells me one of you is gonna have to run to the store whilst he’s out.”

And with that Claire finished packing up her bag and left you and Foggy alone with an unconscious Matt.

Hours passed but eventually Foggy stood up, telling you he was going to grab some supplies for Matt. You nodded, not really listening to him as you continued to look at Matt, with the bundle of blankets you couldn’t see the rise and fall of his chest but you still refused to look away.

Foggy patted your shoulder sympathetically before heading out.

At some point you ended up sitting on the floor next to the sofa, your hand finding its way under the blankets and taking Matt’s in yours, brushing your thumb against his skin periodically. You relaxed a bit as you could hear the soft breaths telling you he was still alive.

“How can you be him?” You asked softly, eyes running across Matt’s face before resting on his closed eyes. “I always said you could see more than most people could but shit Matt.” You trailed off, remembering all the things you had seen and heard about The Devil.

“Wake up Matt, please just, just wake up.” You whispered, letting your head rest against the sofa as you tried to hold back tears.

Foggy quietly entered the apartment on the off chance you had managed to fall asleep but smiled sadly as he watched you sit on the floor whispering quiet words he couldn’t make out.

“I got some stuff,” Foggy said, still keeping his voice quiet as he sat on the chair and began putting drinks and tins on the table. “Soup, some hot chocolate because chocolate is meant to-”

“Why didn’t he tell us?” You asked, cutting Foggy off.

Foggy looked at you, frowned at your red eyes before sighing and slipping off the chair to sit next you.

“I don’t know, Y/N/N,” He told you honestly because that was one of the thousands of questions that kept running through his head - why? Why hadn’t Matt trusted him, why hadn’t Matt trusted you? The three of you had been friends since college and now Foggy was questioning everything. “I really don’t know.”

Hours passed in silence, Foggy closed his eyes next to you but neither of you could fall asleep despite how tired you were. The fear that something would happen to Matt whilst you slept had you forcing your eyes open every time they blinked shut for longer periods of time.

The neon lights were replaced with a golden glow as the sun rose. Foggy groaned as he stood up and headed to the kitchen. You heard the fridge open and then the sound of a bottle lid being popped off before the sound of water splashing against Foggy’s face filled the silence.

You tensed when you felt Matt’s hand tighten on yours before he shifted and tried to sit up.

“Wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Foggy told him before you could say anything and you watched as Matt looked around the apartment, trying to pinpoint where the voice had come from whilst a violent shiver ran through his body. “Then again, maybe I would. The hell do I know about Matt Murdock?”

“Foggy,” You started softly but Foggy cut you off with a glare.

“Don’t Y/N,” He said, voice frighteningly calm, “don’t you dare defend him right now.”

“Y/N,” Matt asked, tightening his hold on your hand once more, you returned the squeeze before pulling your hand out of his and stood up, sitting on the arm of the chair.

“You stitched me up?” Matt asked, looking in Foggy’s direction.

“Nope, that was your nurse friend.” In all the years you’d known Foggy you had never seen him like this, it was eerie and you found yourself looking away from him.

Foggy and Matt spoke about Claire before you shook your head and asked quietly, eyes tearing up at the question,

“Are you really blind?” You hated to ask it but the things The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen could do, there was no way it could be Matt but you had the proof laid out before you.

“Y/N,” He said softly, turning wide eyes onto you.

“Answer her, Matt.” Foggy demanded calmly.

And Matt did, he told you all about his senses, a world on fire, how he got his heightened senses. He told you everything and you and Foggy could do little more than sit there and listen to his every word.

“So you can see?” Foggy asked after a moment of silence passed.

“Foggy,” He sighed, “you’re not listening to me.”

“No I am, world on fire, I got it.” Foggy snapped and you frowned between them. “I thought we were friends, Matt. You lied to me since the day we met, you lied to Y/N, hell you’re dating her and you didn’t even tell her.”

“What did you expect me to say, Foggy? Hi, I'm Matt. I got some chemicals splashed in my eyes when I was a kid that gave me heightened senses.” Matt said sarcastically causing you and Foggy to roll your eyes.

“You don’t lead with it, Matt,” You finally spoke up, voice soft as you did, “But at some point you should’ve known you could trust us.”

“I didn’t even tell my dad, Y/N/N.” He told you, eyes begging you to believe him.

“But you told the nurse.” You said, raising an eyebrow at him, sure he could sense it.

“I didn’t tell her, she found me in a dumpster, all right? Half dead. She didn’t tell you anything about all this?” Matt asked as he shifted, freezing despite the blankets but doing his best not to focus on that right now.

“She didn’t say anything, refused to tell us.” You told him.

“She seemed nice,” Foggy added with a smile and shake of his head.

“Did you blow up all those buildings?” You asked after taking a shaky breath.

Matt huffed out a pained breath as he looked at you with watery eyes.

“Do you really even need to ask that?” He said, hurt bleeding into his voice.

“Yeah, Matt, I think we do.” Foggy said coldly and Matt started talking about Fisk and Nobu and ninjas. Foggy blew up at him again but was interrupted by the ringing of Matt’s phone.

Karen, Karen, Karen.

It took some pleading from Matt and a nod from you before Foggy caved and lied to her.

“You tell us everything, Murdock and don’t leave a damn thing out.”

Matt spoke for what felt like hours telling you about Russians, the Chinese, how Fisk was working with all these people to build his empire. He told you about a man called Stick, a war that was coming, he told you how he was trained. As you listened you just shook your head. You didn’t care about Fisk or his plans.

You cared about Matt.

Matt who was running around the city, no protection, no amour, nothing but his fists going up against gangs and ninjas.

You looked at him as you spoke and hated feeling like you were looking at a stranger.

“...you haven’t showered since yesterday morning but you rinsed your face in my sink. Y/N’s wearing the perfume I got her for her birthday last year and she was crying before, there’s smudges of mascara under her eyes. I know the more I say the faster both of your hearts beat.”

You looked over at him with wide, scared eyes as you took in his words.

“Oh my god, that means,” You said, trailing off but Foggy seemed to pick up your train of thought.

“Everytime we lied to you, you knew and what you just played along?”

“Basically.” He said, causing you to let out a huff of disbelief as you stood up.

“If you weren’t half dead, I’d kick your ass, Murdock.” Foggy told him and you couldn't help but agree with the sentiment but at the same time all you wanted to do was make sure he was ok.

You hated the fact he lied to you but you couldn’t imagine the burden on his shoulder from carrying that secret.

Foggy looked at you, he could tell you were going to forgive Matt a hell of a lot quicker than he deserved but he couldn’t blame you. Since you started dating you and Matt had been closer than anyone he knew. He could see how it was taking everything in you to stay away from Matt right now, wanting to be angry at him but seeing the shakes and remembering the blood…well even Foggy had to admit it was hard to be angry.

When Matt told them about the little girl and her father you felt your eyes tear up and shut them, not letting any tears fall but you made your way over to Matt and took a seat back on the floor. You watched as Matt relaxed as you took his shaking hand in yours and rested your head on the blankets, careful not to catch his stitches.

“Did you ever stop to think about what would happen if you went to jail? Or worse?” Foggy asked, causing you to take a steadying breath because you couldn’t think about that, not after seeing Matt laying there last night looking like a corpse. “You really think people would think I didn’t know? That Y/N didn’t know?”

“This city needs me in that mask, Foggy.” Matt told him, tears welling up in his eyes just like they did in Foggy’s.

“Maybe it does,” He told him whilst shaking his head, “But I don’t, Y/N doesn’t, we only ever needed you, Matt.”

The silence passed for a moment or two at his words because what could Matt say when he knew Foggy was right.

“I wouldn’t have kept this from you, Matt, not from you.” Foggy said quietly and coldly.

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, I do.”

And with that Foggy headed out of the door with a resounding slam leaving you and Matt alone in silence.

“Y/N,” Matt said but you shook your head and pulled away from him.

“You need something warm,” You told him, standing up and busying yourself with making some soup.

Matt closed his eyes and listened to you, fear, regret, shame, all those emotions and more filled his stomach and for a second he feared he’d throw up but managed to swallow it  down.

You helped Matt sit up when he asked and took over feeding him when his hands shook too badly.

“It’s not that I didn’t trust you,” Matt said once he was done and the two of you sat side by side, Matt shaking like leaf, “I just, Y/N, you mean everything to me and if you knew- I couldn’t bring you into this side of my life, couldn’t risk you.”

“I get it, Matt, I do but I’m allowed to be pissed at you.” You told him but your tone was soft and gentle as you shifted the blanket around him.

“You are.” Matt agreed, hissing as his body shivered violently, sending a wave of pain down his body. Now that there was no arguing, no telling his version of events, nothing to focus on except the pain that was his whole body.

“Can you help me to the bedroom?” Matt asked and you raised a worried eyebrow at him.

“Claire said-”

“Please Y/N, I promise once I’m there I'll stay.”

Despite the warning from Claire you helped Matt up from the sofa and slowly made your way over to the bed, settling Matt on it before heading back to the living room to grab one of the energy drinks and the pile of blankets.

It wasn’t long before you had Matt tucked up and held a bottle up to his lips.

“Thank you for staying.” Matt told you quietly, fiddling with one of the blankets.

“As if I’d leave,” You smiled, “I might be scared for you, might be hurt you didn’t tell me but like hell I’d leave you.”

“I really am sorry.” He told you, eyes wide and watery.

“I know.” You replied, blinking harshly against your own tears.

“I know I don't deserve to even ask but will you lay with me?” He was right, he didn’t deserve to ask but you found yourself carefully crawling into bed next to him, wincing at the coldness of his body before you ran your hand up and down his arm, making sure to avoid cuts and stitches.

Matt practically melted as he felt your body heat, moving closer to you and wincing as the cuts on his back shifted against the silk sheets.

“Careful,” You murmured as you lifted your hand and brushed some of Matt’s hair from his forehead, smiling despite yourself as he leaned into the touch.

You and Matt sat together in silence, Matt’s head resting against your chest as you wrapped your arms around him, trying to provide as much warmth as you could. He had long since closed his eyes and you started to think he’d fallen asleep until he spoke.

“Are we going to be ok?” He asked, voice quiet and small.

You didn’t respond for a good few minutes, the silence hanging heavily in the room as Matt waited for your answer.

“I don’t know,” You eventually told him honestly, “I don’t know, Matt.”

But for today you’d stay with him because you couldn’t bring yourself to leave the bed, to leave him.

_____________

Matt Murdock Taglist (Link in bio to add yourself!) @janesofia7, @cinderellacauseshebroke, @black-rose-29, @runawaywithmyghost, @ppgrayson, @alexxavicry, @battinsonn, @lokismidnight, @benhardyslut, @baconlover001, @jasontoddthezombie, @qfton, @buckysnumberonegirl @lazysheepperfection, @parkershoco, @call-me-a-fool, @father-violet, @lizamango, @urbestgrrl, @lazysheepperfection, @lucyysthings, @morganaah, @sylvies4ever, @taylordidsomthingbad, @multifandomgirllol

MJ really hates her mother, and she's only partially sure, but very hopeful, that her best friend is a vigilante that could help her escape her mother's clutches. 

TW: Child Abuse, Hypothermia

Disclaimer: I do not own anything!

@febuwhump

@febuwhump prompt: You Lied To Me

***

"You lied to me!" Faye's voice drifted on the breeze, accusation strong in her tone. "You said you weren't going there to die."

-I wasn't. Dying hadn't been my plan. But then...my plans never went well. That's why I tried to avoid making any.-

Faye snorted, a wet sound thanks to the stuffiness of her nose and how choked her throat was from crying. She felt weak, wretched even. She had been floundering for weeks now...since giving up on the desire to recapture something - anything! - of the life she had lived before.

Her memories were back. Useless information. Vague recollections of friendships and school courses and how much she'd loved her parents... A bunch of emotional baggage that she alone had to carry. Everyone else she'd known was dead or else, like Sally Yung, had decades of living that Faye had missed out on. The naïve little girl they'd known was no more. Her optimism had been replaced with despair. Her wealth had been transformed into debt so massive it nearly gave her an anxiety attack any time she thought about it.

"I told you... I told you that I remembered. That I no longer had a home except... Except on the ship. With you." She whispered. Her heart ached in her chest like someone had clutched that precious organ in a crushing grip.

-You came back. Because the Bebop is home.-

A sigh slipped from her lips. "Is it though?" Fresh tears streaked wetly down her cheeks. Would she ever stop crying?

-You have Jet. He needs you. Hell, that's half the reason I called you back.-

"Jet doesn't need me. He's the only one of us who ever knew how to take care of his own goddamn self."

-Well, who else is gonna keep him from getting fleeced at the card table? Besides, maybe you need him.-

Faye closed her eyes. She was trying to ignore the sun setting on one of the worst days of her life. (of course the sunset was heartbreakingly beautiful, mocking her for being unable to share it - and one more smoke - with the asshole whose voice haunted her now)

Hours ago they had gotten the call from Bob. The update neither of them had wanted to hear. Until that fateful ring they had been able to pretend like Spike would waltz back in any minute. There had been hope. And then... and then they knew. Jet had merely nodded to acknowledge Bob's quiet words before turning off the video call and disappearing from the living room.

Faye had sat for a long time on the couch. What was the point in getting up? Her ship was busted, the Bebop itself crashed outside of any of Mars's crater cities (and thank goodness for that, they sure couldn't afford any bills for damages if they'd landed anywhere inhabited) and without the bounty show on air she had no clue where to go to find work.

Eventually her body had shifted into motion on some sort of autopilot. Her ass was numb from sitting so long on the place where Spike usually slept. She found herself standing up, dizzy momentarily from the change in position after so long. When the darkness receded from the corners of her eyes, she moved.

-Where are you going?-

But there had been no one to ask and so she had no need to answer.

Still, his spirit trailed along behind her just like he often had in life. A few steps back, lazily smoking, eyes observing everything.

Once she reached the deck, she stopped. That was when the tears had begun again. The night before she had broken down in the hall and woken up uncomfortably sprawled on the floor with a threadbare blanket tossed over her. For the first few hours of the day she had been dry-eyed and full of desperate hope. Part of her hated Bob for contacting them. For forcing her to acknowledge the truth.

-You can't linger in the past, Faye.-

"Oh, fuck you. You went running back to yours."

-Hm. Suppose I could have let Vicious come to me instead.-

"We didn't have to do that either! We could have just left Mars and never come back!" She yelled, opening her eyes to glare at... at nothing. There was only emptiness stretching out before her in the dusty Martian landscape, only emptiness sprawled out behind her on the flight deck of the grounded ship. Above, the first stars began to glimmer into view as the sun continued to sink below the horizon.

Faye inhaled sharply and then fell into a crouch as sobs racked her. Angrily, she slammed her fists onto the metal of the hull once, twice, a third time. She wanted to bruise the flesh of her hands. To feel something worth crying over. Physical pain would do. Emotional pain was... fucking bullshit. This was the kind of thing she had been trying to avoid this entire time.

Caring about others was uncomfortable. It made her feel feeble. It made her hesitant. It made her do stupid things. She had made the mistake of caring about this buffoon and he went off and...

"Dammit, Spike."