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Sweet on You, Chapter 1
Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Rating: M (Rating Subject to Change)
Story Summary: You had joined 'Sugar and Spice' in a desperate attempt to help your mother with her medical bills, so when an opportunity comes along to make a lot of money simply by spending time with a lonely attorney, you jump at the chance -- not expecting to fall for him in the process.
Tired of one-night-stands, Matt Murdock decides to sign up for a sugar daddy/sugar baby website, where he stumbles across your profile. However, despite making it clear that he only wants a platonic arrangement, Matt eventually finds himself falling for you.
Will the two of you be able to come to a permanent arrangement or will more than a contract be broken?
Warnings/Tags: Sugar Daddy!Matt Murdock, No Age Gap, Alternating PoV, No Use of Y/N
Word Count: ~1100
A/N: Thank you to everyone who liked and reblogged the teaser! A few notes before we dive in:
-- While Reader's age is not actually specified in this, it's stated several times that she's closer to Matt's age than most women on the 'Sugar and Spice' website.
-- Matt & Reader do not actually refer to each other as their sugar baby/sugar daddy (although for all intents and purposes, that's what they are).
-- Divider is by the insanely talented (and just as awesome IRL as she is on Tumblr) @theradioactivespidergwen!
-- This is rated M for now, however rating may possibly go up in later chapters. 😈
-- If you'd like to be added to the taglist or if I've tagged you by mistake, please let me know!
Tag List: @danzer8705 @capylore @shouldbestudying41 @atemydadforbreakfast
No, it's fine, Mom, I promise,” you said as you spoke to your mother over the phone. “It's not your fault you got laid off and lost your medical insurance right before you got sick.”
“It's not your responsibility to pay my medical bills, sweetheart,” your mother protested. “I'll come up with the money somehow.”
You shook your head even though you knew your mother couldn't see you. “You’ve sacrificed so much for me, Mom. Let me do this for you.”
Your mother sighed. “Okay, fine. But only because you just got that big raise at work.”
You cleared your throat awkwardly. “Uh, yeah. Lucky me. Listen, Mom, I have to go, but I'll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. Love you, sweetie.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
You hung up and blew out a breath. You knew your mother wouldn't approve if you told her the real way you had been affording to make payments towards her medical debt for the past several months.
The truth was that your job as an administrative assistant barely even covered your own bills, so you had been supplementing your income through alternative means.
You had joined Sugar and Spice after one of the junior admin assistants had confided in you that she had managed to put herself through college by dating rich older men for money. “It's actually not a bad gig,” she had told you. “Most of them really just want arm candy to show off to their friends.”
You had gone home that night and checked out the website, and after discovering that you could select your comfort level/how far you were willing to go (by indicating that you were into either ‘sugar’ or ‘spice’) you had signed up.
It had been working out okay -- you had only been making a few hundred dollars extra a month so far because most of the men on Sugar and Spice wanted someone much younger than you were, but you had at least been able to scrape together enough to make the monthly payments on your mother's medical bills.
And speaking of…
You grabbed your laptop and pulled it over to you, then navigated to your Sugar and Spice account, pleased when you saw that you had gotten a new inquiry.
You clicked on it.
Hi, the message read, I ran across your profile and I think you might be what I'm looking for. If you're interested and available please message me back at your earliest convenience. Thank you.
You huffed out a laugh. Usually the messages you received weren't quite so… polite, so to speak.
You clicked on the sender's profile.
Matthew, 35
Occupation: Attorney
Interested in: Sugar
Huh. Matthew was a lot younger than most of the men who frequented the site. Maybe that'll be a good thing.
You clicked the reply button. Hi, Matthew, you typed. I am available if you'd like to discuss things further.
You got up to fix yourself some tea, and by the time you came back you had another message from Matthew. Great! Is it okay if we meet in person to discuss possible terms of an agreement? Over coffee, maybe?
Okay, you replied once again. When and where would you like to meet?
The Brew Towers on Saturday, say, 9 AM?
That works for me.
Your eyebrows raised as a notification popped up stating that you had received $100 from Matthew.
As a sign of good faith , Matthew explained. See you Saturday.
See you Saturday.
You logged out and closed your laptop, butterflies fluttering in your stomach. This was the first time you'd be meeting a potential client in person and needless to say, you were nervous.
Matt sat back and took another sip of the glass of whiskey he had poured himself before he had signed up on Sugar and Spice. He had been in court earlier that day and had overheard a conversation during recess between opposing counsel about Nesbit’s much-younger girlfriend.
“How'd an old dog like you manage to score a hot piece of ass like that?” Peterson had asked jokingly.
Nesbit had chuckled. “You'd be amazed at what you can find on the internet these days. Let's just say Candy and I have a… business arrangement.”
Peterson had dropped his voice down to a whisper. “She's not an escort, is she? You know the partners don't want wind of any kind of impropriety possibly getting out to the public--”
Nesbit had made a dismissive sound. “No, nothing like that. You ever heard of Sugar and Spice, that website that connects men of a certain wealth and caliber with women who are looking for someone to take care of them? Well, Candy and I met there. She takes care of my needs, and I take care of hers.”
“So, what, you pay her to date you?”
“In a way. I keep her happy by giving her money and buying her things, and she lets me do whatever else I want when I'm not with her.”
Matt's eyebrows had furrowed. Maybe Nesbit had a point -- maybe it was easier to have a business arrangement with someone in order to fill the romantic void in his life rather than having to pick up a different woman every couple of weeks because they got too attached. Better to have someone who knows exactly what they're getting into.
As soon as he had gotten home he had looked up Sugar and Spice, and not finding anything in their terms and conditions that raised red flags, had signed up and began to browse through profiles.
After scrolling through profiles for over an hour and not finding anyone that piqued his interest he had almost gone ahead and given up when his voiceover function read out another profile header to him, this time for a woman who was at least closer to Matt's own age than all of the other women he had checked out.
He had listened to your profile then clicked the “Send Message” button, typing out a quick message and hitting send.
He had gone to answer the door for a delivery, and by the time he had gotten back to his laptop he’d had a reply.
Before he could second-guess himself Matt had asked you out for coffee, then sent $100 to your Sugar and Spice account to show you he was sincere.
He shut his laptop and stood, then headed to go shower and get ready to go out as Daredevil. He'd gotten a tip about a major drug shipment coming in through the docks that evening and needed to go stop it.
He'd worry about his love life later.
#lotmf writes#Sweet On You Masterlist#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x you#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x f!reader
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Sweet on You, Chapter 4
Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Story Summary: HERE
Warnings/Tags: Sugar Daddy!Matt Murdock, Idiots to Lovers, No Age Gap, Alternating PoV, No Use of Y/N, Fake dating (sort of)
Word Count: ~2500
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has liked and reblogged/commented thus far! Enjoy Matt and Reader's first official "not"-date!
As always, if you'd like to be tagged, please let me know!
Tag List (struck-through blogs could not be tagged): @danzer8705 @capylore @shouldbestudying41 @atemydadforbreakfast @peachy-flxwr @sleepysleepymom @fishinsuits @milkbummm @lazyxsquirrel @beezusvreeland @caughtthefever @bohemianrhapsody86 @yarrystyleeza @indestructeible @pepperthebi-spy
Divider by the always amazing @theradioactivespidergwen!
You were quiet as you and Matt headed towards the restaurant he had chosen for dinner, your mind still processing the contract as you walked.
To be honest, you hadn't expected the terms of the agreement to be quite so fair and even, and you definitely hadn't expected the increase in the amount of money Matt would be giving you per month.
Just from the little bit of time you had spent with him you could tell that he was honest, fair, and kind, and you couldn't help but wonder if maybe the reason Matt was paying you more was because you had told him about having joined S&S in order to help your mother with her medical bills, rather than his given reason of simply feeling that your time was worth more than the amount you had originally agreed upon due to what was being requested of you.
You mentally shook your head. No matter the reason, you were touched by Matt's fairness and generosity and were feeling better about having accepted his offer.
Matt slowed as the two of you approached Okinawa, a Japanese steakhouse where you sometimes picked up lunch for the partners. “We're here.”
He held the door open for you. “Ladies first.”
“Thank you.” You stepped inside.
“Good evening,” the seating hostess said.
“Hi,” Matt replied. “We have a reservation for 6 o’clock under ‘Murdock’.”
The hostess tapped at the tablet in front of her. “Yes, of course. Right this way.”
She led the two of you to a quiet table in the corner. “Here you go. Your server will be right with you.”
You took your coat off and draped it across the back of your chair, pleasantly surprised when Matt pulled your chair out for you. “Thank you.”
Matt took his own coat off and folded his cane, putting it in his jacket pocket before sitting across from you. “You're welcome.”
You cleared your throat. “So, how was your day today? Do any interesting lawyer stuff?"
Matt chuckled. “Depends on what you'd consider ‘interesting’. I mostly did paperwork -- briefings, evidence review, stuff like that, although I did meet with a few clients. What about you? How was your day?”
You shrugged. You weren't going to complain about your job, especially since this was your and Matt's first dinner together. “It was busy, but fine. Made the day go by faster.”
Matt nodded. “That's good at least.”
“Yeah.”
Your conversation paused as your server stepped up to your table. “Good evening, and welcome to Okinawa. My name is Katie and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you started with something to drink?”
Matt said your name. “Would you like to go first?”
“Oh.” You quickly glanced at the wine list that was on the table. “Um, yes, I’d like a glass of rosé, if you don't mind.”
Katie nodded. “Of course, ma'am. And for you, sir?”
Matt turned his face towards her. “Can I get a Sapporo, please?”
“Yes, sir. I'll get those drinks for you right away.”
You flipped open your menu as Katie left to go get your and Matt's drinks, inwardly gawking at the prices of the entreés. Maybe I can make do with a side salad for dinner. Or soup. Or a single piece of sashimi.
Matt seemed to be able to sense your panic, because he smiled gently at you. “Order whatever you’d like. It's on me, remember?”
You took a breath and nodded. “Right, okay.”
Katie returned with your drinks. “Alright, would you like any sushi or appetizers to get started?”
You shook your head. You would've loved to try some sushi and there were a few appetizers on the menu that looked interesting, but even though Matt had said to order whatever you wanted you didn't want to push it. “No thank you.”
Matt tilted his head curiously. “You sure?”
You glanced down at the table. Matt's focus was piercing, as if he could sense that you weren’t being truthful. “I'm sure.”
“Okay then. I'm good as well.”
Katie clicked her pen. “Do you need a few more minutes to look over the menu?”
Matt shook his head. “I'm ready if you are.”
You nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
Katie turned to you. “What can I get for you, ma'am?”
“Can I get…” You quickly scanned the menu and named something that sounded good but didn't cost an arm and a leg.
“Absolutely.” Katie wrote down your order before turning towards Matt. “And for you, sir?”
“I'd like the tuna steak, cooked medium.” Matt picked up his menu and handed it to Katie. “Thank you.”
Katie picked up your menu as well. “I'll get those right out for you.”
“So do you come here often?” you asked as Katie went to put in your orders.
Matt shook his head. “Not very. I mostly do takeout from the more casual places near my apartment, but since this is near the office my partners and I sometimes grab lunch from here, or we'll order in dinner if we're working late. What about you? Have you ever been here?”
You took a sip of your wine before answering. “I've picked up sushi from here for my boss and his colleagues, but I've never actually eaten here myself.”
Matt nodded. “The sushi's actually really good here. Maybe we can come back for lunch one day soon, sit at the sushi bar or a hibachi table.”
You glanced over at the hibachi tables as one of the chefs lit an onion volcano on fire to the delight of the people sitting there. “That would be nice.” If I get a proper lunch break ever again.
“I did think about booking us seats at a hibachi table for tonight, but then figured that something quieter and more intimate would be more appropriate for our first dinner together.” Matt waved a hand around the otherwise-quiet restaurant. “You know, in case we needed to discuss private matters regarding our arrangement.”
You nodded. In all honesty, you were glad Matt hadn't booked a hibachi table -- considering how much he was paying you just for your presence and how expensive the regular menu items were, you couldn't justify making him pay for a full hibachi dinner. “Right, of course.”
Matt took another sip of his beer. “Oh, I meant to ask you, how was lunch with your mom yesterday?”
You smiled. “It was nice. She and I made stir-fried noodles with homemade spring rolls.”
“Oh, that sounds great.”
You nodded. “It was. Mom and I both decided it was a keeper.”
“Do the two of you cook together a lot?”
“We used to before Mom got sick, but since she's been feeling better I think we might start up again.” You took another sip of your wine. “What about you, do you like to cook?”
Matt shook his head. “I don't really have time with my busy schedule. I'm either working or… well, working.”
You huffed out a light laugh. “No wonder you don't have time to date.”
Matt chuckled. “That's why I'm lucky that my best friends are also my business partners. I at least get to spend time with them, even if it's at work.”
Your conversation paused once again as Katie brought your dinners. After she had made sure that the two of you didn't need anything and left once again, you continued. “So how did you and your partners meet?”
Matt nodded. “Foggy and I were paired up as roommates our first year of college and quickly became friends, then once we graduated with our law degrees we decided to open our own firm together. Karen, our other partner, was actually our office assistant when Foggy and I first started the firm but eventually she earned her law degree and joined us as a partner.”
“Oh wow, that's so cool. No wonder the three of you are so close.”
Matt cut into his fish. “We've gone through a lot of tough times together but we made it out in the end.”
You took a bite of your own dinner. “Mmm. Oh, wow.”
Matt smiled at you. “Good?”
You nodded. “Yeah, it's excellent.”
“Good.”
The two of you ate in comfortable silence, Katie only interrupting once mid-meal in order to check on you.
Once you were both finished, Katie came up once again. “Can I interest you in any dessert tonight?”
You hesitated. You definitely felt like you could go for something sweet but you already felt like dinner was costing Matt enough. “I'm --”
“--Actually, yeah,” Matt said before you could wind up saying ‘I’m good, thanks’ . “Can we see the dessert menu, please?”
“Certainly,” Katie replied. “I'll be right back.”
She quickly went to grab a menu, then handed it to Matt. “Here you go. I'll be back in just a few minutes.”
Matt handed the menu to you as she left once again. “Is there anything that strikes your fancy?”
You glanced over it. “Actually, I think I could go for some ice cream.” Besides the fact that it was the cheapest dessert on the menu, after the day you'd had (with the past couple of hours excluded) you definitely needed ice cream, a hot shower, and some sleep -- in that order.
Matt nodded. “You know, actually, that sounds great. What flavors do they have?”
You looked down at the menu. “Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, green tea, and red bean.”
“Okay.”
Katie came back. “Decided on anything?”
“Actually, yes.” Matt gave her his ice cream order.
You smiled. That was the flavor you had wanted as well. “Make that two, please.”
Katie picked up the menu. “Okay, I'll be right back with that.”
“By the way,” you said as she left to go put in your dessert order. “I’ve had a really nice time tonight. You’re easy to talk to.”
“Yeah, same,” Matt replied. “On both counts.”
Katie soon returned with your ice cream and so you and Matt lapsed into comfortable silence once again.
After the two of you had finished and Matt had taken care of the bill, you both stood and put your coats back on.
Matt walked around the table, one hand trailing along the top in order to guide him.
He stopped beside you and unfolded his cane. “Ready to head out?”
You nodded. “Mmhmm. I'm ready.”
“Um, I might need you to guide me outside if that's okay.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Matt gently took your elbow and you guided him back towards the front of the restaurant, stopping briefly to thank both Katie and the seating hostess before exiting the building.
Once you were back outside, Matt let go of your elbow. “Thanks. I've got it from here.”
You nodded. “No problem. I'm happy to help guide you whenever you need me to -- consider it part of the service.”
Matt chuckled. “Noted.”
“Are you heading home?”
Matt shook his head and pointed back towards the direction you had come. “I have a few more things I need to wrap up before I call it a night, so I'm heading back to the office.”
“Oh, okay. I'm actually headed in the opposite direction, so yeah, just let me know when you want to get together again and I'll…see you then?”
Matt nodded. “Oh, about that. I was actually thinking Thursday evening, if that works for you.”
You mentally ran through your schedule. You didn't think any of the partners had a late meeting that you'd need to stick around for that day, so… “Yeah, that should work.”
“Great. I'll text you on Wednesday to confirm.” Matt paused. “I’m thinking we could try to keep on a regular dinner schedule of Monday and Thursday just for simplicity’s sake, but I'll let you know as soon as possible if I ever need to reschedule because of work or anything.”
“That sounds good.”
“And I'll give you as much of a notice as possible on any other potential non-work-related outings, which’ll all likely be on the weekends given both of our work schedules.”
You nodded. Besides your weekly visits with your mom your weekends were usually pretty open otherwise. “Okay. So I'll see you on Thursday then?”
“Yeah. See you Thursday.”
“Goodnight, Matt.”
“Goodnight.”
You turned and headed towards your apartment.
You couldn't deny that Matt was attractive, and on top of that he was also sweet and attentive. Hanging out with him definitely isn't going to be a chore.
Matt headed back towards Nelson, Murdock, & Page until you were sufficiently far enough away to where he wouldn't catch up with you, then he doubled back to head home to his apartment. While he had wanted to do the gentlemanly thing and offer to walk you home, he hadn't wanted you to feel pressured to say yes, so instead he told you that he was heading back to the office.
Even though you had said that Matt was easy to talk to, he felt like you had been holding back from him. There had been times during your dinner together when you hadn't been entirely truthful -- the first time being when Matt had asked you how your day had been.
You had said that it had been fine, but the slight tension in your shoulders and the stress in your voice had told Matt otherwise. Either it had been busier than you had let on or something had happened at work to upset you, but either way you clearly hadn't wanted to talk about it.
The second time was when you had been looking at the menu. Matt had purposely chosen Okinawa because not only was it close to the office, but also because the two of you were celebrating the official start of your arrangement.
(And okay, maybe deep down Matt wanted to impress you just a tiny bit.)
He knew the place wasn't cheap -- he, Foggy, and Karen had only started eating there after Nelson, Murdock, and Page had retained enough high-profile clients for them to each earn comfortable livings while still being able to do the pro bono work they were passionate about -- and even then they only ate there on special occasions.
But despite Matt's reassurance that you order whatever you wanted, you had still declined ordering any sushi or appetizers even though you had spent several minutes reading over them, and -- if Matt’s memory served him correctly -- had ordered one of the cheapest entreés on the menu that wasn't a tasting plate.
(Not that there was anything wrong with what you did or didn't order -- Matt just had the feeling that you were uncomfortable with spending more of his money than what you thought you could or should.)
Luckily you had enjoyed your meal and had at least been willing to order the ice cream you had wanted for dessert -- even though it had been at Matt's prompting. I should probably take her somewhere less opulent on Thursday so she feels more comfortable.
He shook his head. He’d worry about that later -- he was going out on patrol once he showered and changed and needed to get into his Daredevil mindset. No distractions. That's the whole point of this arrangement.
#lotmf writes#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x f!reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x you#matt murdock x female reader#Sweet on You Masterlist
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Sweet on You, Chapter 3
Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Story Summary: HERE
Warnings/Tags: Sugar Daddy!Matt Murdock, Idiots to Lovers, No Age Gap, Alternating PoV, No Use of Y/N
Word Count: ~1850
A/N: I had entirely too much fun writing the terms of Matt and Reader's contract, lol.
As always, if you'd like to be tagged in this or any of my other stories, please let me know!
Divider by @theradioactivespidergwen
Tag List (struck-through blogs could not be tagged): @danzer8705 @capylore @shouldbestudying41 @atemydadforbreakfast @peachy-flxwr @sleepysleepymom @fishinsuits @milkbummm @lazyxsquirrel @beezusvreeland @caughtthefever @bohemianrhapsody86
Thank God it's almost time to go, you thought to yourself as you began to get ready to leave work on Monday afternoon. Wish they'd hurry up and replace Roxy and Tabitha soon.
You had been one of three admin assistants until two months ago when Roxy, the junior admin who had told you about Sugar and Spice, had moved across the country for a job that would actually utilize her college degree, and Tabitha, a glorified intern with no administrative skills who you suspected had only been hired because one or more of the partners had thought she was hot, had gotten fired for showing up to work still wasted after a night of partying. Now you were on your own and doing the work of three people with no relief in sight.
From the moment you arrived at the office at 8 AM that morning until right then when it was time to leave you had been going non-stop. You had fielded phone calls, made appointments, arranged travel, greeted clients, fetched water and coffee, filed for permits, picked up lunch for all three partners from three different restaurants, ordered flowers for your actual boss's girlfriend's birthday, made copies, and printed and mailed invoices -- all with a smile on your face and without a word of thanks from anyone.
Needless to say, you were looking forward to a drink and a nice, pleasant dinner that you didn't have to prepare yourself and could actually sit down and eat rather than have to quickly inhale like you had had to do with the sandwich you had procured from the deli down the street for lunch.
At 5 PM on the dot you shut down your computer and unlocked your desk drawer to grab your purse.
You went to the bathroom to freshen up before poking your head into your boss's office. “Hi, Mr. DiStefano, I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving for the day.”
“Okay,” Mr. DiStefano replied without looking up from the floor plans he was studying.
You waited for a moment to see if he was going to say ‘thank you, have a great evening ’ -- or anything else for that matter -- but he didn't. “Okay then, see you tomorrow.”
You stopped by the other two partners’ offices to let them know that you were leaving, receiving very much the same non-response from both.
You sighed as you left your office and headed towards Nelson, Murdock, and Page. You were feeling extremely unappreciated and underpaid, especially since you were now having to fill the admin assistant role for all 3 partners at once. Maybe it's time to start looking for another job…
You shook your head. You weren't going to even think about trying to find another job until after you got your mother's medical debt paid off. One thing at a time.
“--Yo, Matty, we hitting up Josie's tonight?”
Matt looked up and shook his head as Foggy stopped by his office. “Actually, I can't. I have plans after work.”
Foggy gasped. “Do you have a date ?”
He poked his head out of Matt's office. “ HEY KAREN, MATT HAS A DATE TONIGHT! ” he yelled down the hall.
Matt sighed. Here we go. He was glad that you and he had already come up with a cover story on how you had met so he wouldn't have to think of one on the spot.
“So, what's her name and how'd you meet her?” Foggy asked.
Matt said your name. “We met at The Brew Towers on Saturday.”
“Ooh, coffee shop meet-cute,” Karen gently teased as she joined him and Foggy in his office. “How romantic.”
“Yeah, tell us more,” Foggy added. “Did you spill your coffee on her? Accidentally grab each other's order? Brush hands across the condiment station?”
Matt chuckled. “Actually, we struck up a conversation while we both were waiting in line to order and since it was busy and tables were scarce we decided to sit together. We hit it off, so I asked her to have dinner with me tonight.”
“So where are you taking her?”
“Okinawa.”
Foggy huffed out a laugh. “Ooh, fancy.”
Matt shrugged. “It was close to the office.”
“What time are you meeting her there?” Karen asked.
Matt shook his head. “Actually, she's meeting me here in about 10 minutes and we're going to walk over together.”
“Well, I'm really happy for you and I hope everything works out with her.”
“Yeah, same,” Foggy added. “It's good to see you putting yourself out there again, buddy.”
Matt inwardly cringed. After everything he, Foggy, and Karen had been through he hated lying to them, especially when they seemed so genuinely happy for him. “Thanks.”
“Guess it's just us at Josie's then, Kare. Let's go before she gets here -- I’m sure Matt doesn't want to scare her away by introducing her to us too soon.” Foggy rapped his knuckles on Matt's desk. “I expect a full report on your date tomorrow morning, Matthew.”
Matt chuckled with a nod. “Will do. ‘Night, guys.”
He waited until Foggy and Karen had left before pulling up his and your contract and printing copies in both standard and Braille print.
A few minutes later he heard your footsteps approaching the office, so he walked out into the lobby to greet you.
“Hi, Matt,” you said as you entered.
“Hi,” Matt replied. “How are you?”
“I'm good, and you?”
“I'm good too, thanks.” Matt gestured towards his office. “Let's go to my office.”
He led you down the hall to his private office. “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink? We have water, soda, tea, juice…”
“No, I'm okay,” you said as you sat. “Thank you though.”
Matt sat across from you. “Alright…”
He picked up the print copy of your contract and handed it to you. “Here’s the contract. I'll read through it, just let me know if you have any questions.”
“Okay.”
Matt cleared his throat and began to read. “Memorandum of Agreement. This memorandum of Agreement is made by and between Matthew M. Murdock and…”
He could hear your quiet, steady breathing as you followed along. He had tried to make the contract as simple and straightforward as possible in order to protect both himself and you.
“...Shall provide the following obligations,” he continued. “Accompany Matthew to lunch and/or dinner at minimum twice weekly. Accompany Matthew to business-related events as requested with minimum 72 hours prior notice. Accompany Matthew to non-business events as requested, dependent on availability.”
“Wait, what does that last part mean?” you asked.
“Just that every once in a while I might ask you to do something with me that doesn't involve a sit-down meal,” Matt replied. “But also that I'm not going to make you drop everything just to have a cup of coffee or take a walk with me.”
“Oh, okay, that's fair.” You paused. “Sorry, go ahead.”
Matt nodded. “In exchange, Matthew shall provide the following obligations: Monthly stipend of $1,500 --”
“Wait, wait,” you interrupted again. “We only agreed on a thousand a month.”
Matt shrugged. “Yeah, but I thought about it and decided that fifteen hundred was a more fair amount for your time.” Especially since you're using it to help your mother.
You sucked in a soft breath. “Oh.”
Matt could tell you were torn between arguing with him and just accepting the higher amount and waited until you decided which path to take.
Finally, you sighed. “Okay.”
“Okay. ‘Payment for all outings and events, including but not limited to meals, beverages, gratuities, tickets, souvenirs, and gifts. In the event of a professional obligation, arrangement and payment for appropriate garments for said obligation. Accompaniment to requested events with minimum 72 hours prior notice, dependent on availability.” Matt paused. “I figure it's only fair in case you have a work event or something else you'd need a plus-one for.”
You huffed out a mirthless laugh. “Even though I have to plan and set them up I never get invited to actually attend any of DiStefano, Williams, and Abbott’s events, but that's good in case I ever do.”
Matt's brow furrowed at your slightly bitter tone. He'd have to find out more about your job. “Anyway, ‘Confidentiality: Each party shall treat as strictly confidential the nature of said Agreement as a result of entering into or performing duties outlined in this Agreement’. ”
“Snitches get stitches,” you quipped. “Or in this case, sued.”
Matt chuckled. “Relation of the Parties: The relationship between both parties is that of a platonic nature and of partners in a business transaction. No other nature of relationship is obligatory herewith.”
He continued on with the rest of the contract -- termination of the agreement (that either he or you could terminate the contract for any reason at any time with 30 days prior notice), remedies on default (that if one or both of you failed to perform your duties or otherwise broke a clause in the contract, the contract as a whole would be rendered null and void) and finally, amendments (that the contract could be amended at any time with the express written agreement of both you and Matt.)
“Governance: This contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York,” Matt concluded. “Signed by both parties stated here within and effective as of date first written above.”
He tilted his head back up towards you. “Everything sound fair to you?”
You were silent for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, I think it's fair.”
“Okay then.” Matt handed you a pen and the second printed copy of the contract. “Just so we both have signed print copies.”
“Okay, yeah, no problem.” You signed your name on both copies of the contract. “Am I signing the Braille one too then?”
Matt nodded and handed you the Braille copy, quickly feeling the text below where your signature would go. “Sign right above here.”
“Okay.” You quickly signed your name. “All done.”
Matt signed his name on all three copies of the contract and set both his Braille and print copies into his desk drawer before locking it, then he folded your copy and put it into an envelope. “Here you go. Now that business is settled, how about we celebrate our new arrangement with some dinner?”
He heard you tuck your copy of the contract into your purse. “That sounds wonderful,” you replied.
Matt stood. “Shall we, then?”
He retrieved his coat from the coat rack and took his cane out of the inside pocket, then you both headed back towards the lobby.
Matt turned the lights off and opened the door for you. “After you.”
You stepped outside. “Thank you.”
Matt followed you outside then locked the door behind the two of you. “This way.”
You headed down the sidewalk to what Matt hoped was the first of many get-togethers, a comfortable silence between you.
#lotmf writes#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt murdock x you#Sweet on You Masterlist
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Sweet on You, Chapter 2
Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Story Summary: HERE
Warnings/Tags: Sugar Daddy!Matt Murdock, Idiots to Lovers, No Age Gap, Alternating PoV, No Use of Y/N
Word Count: ~2800
A/N: Thank you to everyone who liked and reblogged the first chapter! If you'd like to be tagged in this, please let me know.
Divider by @theradioactivespidergwen!
Tag List (struck-through blogs could not be tagged): @danzer8705 @capylore @shouldbestudying41 @atemydadforbreakfast @peachy-flxwr @sleepysleepymom @fishinsuits @milkbummm
You looked at your phone once again as you headed down the busy sidewalk towards The Brew Towers.
Matthew had messaged you the previous evening confirming your meeting and sending you a description of himself so you'd know who you were looking for in case the café was crowded. I have dark brown hair and will be wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt with a black leather jacket, he had sent.
Okay, you had replied. See you tomorrow.
You had agonized over your own outfit, finally deciding to wear jeans and a sweater since it was the middle of November.
The closer you got to the café the more nervous you became. What if Matthew took one look at you and changed his mind? What if he wanted more than what you were comfortable with giving? What if--
You shook your head. The last thing you needed to do was to give yourself a panic attack, especially over ‘what if s’.
You continued on to the café, taking a deep breath before entering.
You looked around for someone who fit Matthew’s description of himself, finally spotting a dark-haired man sitting alone at a table in the corner.
He was handsome, with a strong, straight nose, plush lips, and eyes that were hidden behind red-tinted sunglasses. That must be him.
You headed over, pausing as you got to his table. “Excuse me, Matthew?”
He looked up at you with a smile and nodded before saying your name questioningly.
You nodded in return. “Yes, hi.”
Matthew stood and stuck his hand out for you to shake. “Hi, it's nice to meet you. And please, call me Matt.”
You took it and gave it a brief shake. “Nice to meet you too, and okay. Matt it is.”
Matt gestured towards the empty chair opposite him. “Here, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” You unwound your scarf and took your coat off before draping both across the back of your chair and sitting.
“How about I go order our coffee?” Matt asked as he remained standing. “What would you like? Anything to eat?”
You eyed the display case of baked goods. In your nervousness you had skipped breakfast, so… “Um, sure.”
You gave Matt your order and he nodded. “Got it. Be right back.”
He took a long white cane out of his jacket pocket and unfolded it, then headed towards the counter to place your orders.
Okay, so that explains the sunglasses indoors, you thought. And probably why he wanted to meet in person to discuss terms rather than hashing it out over DMs.
You waited as Matt placed your orders then returned with a small numbered placard.
“So, um, how are you today?” Matt asked as he sat.
“I'm well,” you replied. “And you?”
“Good, good, yeah…” Matt paused. “Um, thanks for agreeing to meet with me. I've never done this sort of thing before.”
You shrugged. “It’s not a problem.”
“If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been a sugar baby? I'm just curious since you don't seem to fit the typical profile.”
Your hackles raised slightly. “You mean because I'm not a barely-legal teenager with daddy issues?”
Matt chuckled warmly. “Quite frankly, yes, but I promise it's not a bad thing -- In fact, it's one of the main reasons I chose you. I apologize if I came off as judgemental, that wasn't my intention.”
You relaxed at Matt's apology. “I actually prefer the term ‘companion’, if you don't mind.”
Matt shook his head. “Not at all. How long have you been a companion, then?”
“I've been on Sugar and Spice for about four months -- I ran into some financial trouble and found that it was the fastest and easiest way to make some extra money… at least legally, that is.”
Matt suddenly looked concerned. “What kind of financial trouble? That is, if you don't mind me asking. Maybe I can help if it's something you could use some legal advice on.”
You shook your head. “Thank you, but I have it handled. It's actually not even technically my debt – I'm helping my mother out with some medical bills after she got seriously ill and wound up in the hospital. She had lost her job – and subsequently her health insurance – right before she got sick, so now she has to pay all of her hospital bills out of pocket. She can't afford the monthly payments, so I offered to help. It's the least I can do after all the sacrifices she made for me when I was growing up.”
You were fortunate that the hospital had agreed to put your mother on a long-term payment plan without much fuss, so there was no need to get a lawyer involved even if you could afford Matt's services.
You paused as a café employee brought your and Matt's coffee and pastries to you, thanking them before they left. “I don't intend on being a companion forever, just until I get things settled with that.”
Matt took a sip of his coffee. “In that case, shall we discuss business then?”
You nodded. “Why don't you start by telling me a bit about yourself and what your expectations are for this arrangement, especially since you said that this is your first time doing this sort of thing.”
Matt nodded. “Well, as you already know, I'm an attorney with Nelson, Murdock and Page. I'm currently single, but, uh, I guess you probably already figured that out considering the circumstances.”
You shook your head with a wry smile. “I've learned never to assume anything about Sugar and Spice 's clientele. You'd be surprised at how many people frequent the site who aren't actually single.”
Matt chuckled. “Fair enough. My busy lifestyle doesn't really allow for a committed relationship, so I'm looking for someone to fill that role in my life that isn't actually expecting commitment.”
You pursed your lips, unable to help but silently judge Matt. “So you basically just want a friend with benefits.”
Matt shook his head. “No -- well, yes, but -- not exactly?”
He sighed. “I'm honestly just looking for someone to spend time with, someone to accompany me to dinner or a concert or to take a walk and go for coffee with, someone to bring as my plus-one to the occasional work event when necessary. I'm not expecting anything sexual in return -- in fact, I think it's actually best if we'd keep things strictly platonic between us.”
You nodded, relaxing once again. You found it odd that Matt wasn't expecting any sort of ‘sugar’ in return, but then again, to each their own. “Okay, so you actually are just looking for a companion then.”
Matt nodded. “I'd give you a guaranteed monthly stipend in addition to paying for all of our outings, and in the case of a work event I'd arrange a shopping trip for you if necessary.”
“How much of a stipend are we talking about?” You figured it'd be about three or four hundred dollars a month, which was okay with you since that would at least cover the minimum monthly payments on your mother's medical bills.
Matt shrugged. “Let's say… a thousand a month?”
Your jaw nearly dropped to the floor. A thousand dollars a month just to accompany a handsome, rich lawyer to dinner a couple of times a week and the occasional party full of other rich lawyers? At that rate you'd have your mother's medical debt paid off a lot sooner than you originally thought.
Matt must've taken your silence as a rejection, because he added, “unless that's too low? Like I said, I've never done this before so I don't exactly know what the going rate is for something like this.”
You quickly shook your head. “Uh, no, no, I think I can agree to a thousand dollars a month.”
Matt smiled, looking relieved. “Great! I'd like to have something in writing, so would you mind swinging by my office on Monday?”
You nodded. “Sure.”
Matt took his wallet out and extracted a business card. “Here's the address.”
You took the card and looked at it.
You nodded. Matt's office wasn't too far from your own. “Okay, yeah. It'll have to be late afternoon, though. Is a little after 5 o’clock okay with you?”
Matt nodded in return. “Yeah, that's fine.”
“Okay, good.” You pocketed Matt’s card.
Matt broke off a piece of the croissant he had ordered and popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “So are you from New York?” he asked after he had swallowed and took a sip of his own coffee.
You nodded. “Yeah, born and raised here in Hell's Kitchen. You?”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Where'd you go to school?” You didn't recall there being any blind students at your school when you were growing up, but then again you had been so focused on your studies in order to try to make your mom proud that you didn't really notice much else.
Matt shook his head. “I was mostly homeschooled.”
“Oh, okay. Nevermind then. I thought maybe we had gone to school with each other since we're both from here.”
Matt bit his lip as if he was contemplating his next sentence. Finally, he said, “My mom left not long after I was born, so my dad raised me. He, uh, he always said that it was important that I get a good education so I wouldn't have to struggle to make ends meet like he did, so after I graduated high school I went to Columbia and got my law degree.”
You took a bite of your own pastry. “He must be really proud of you for becoming a lawyer then.”
Matt shook his head. “He died when I was 9.”
Your eyes widened. “Oh my God, I'm so sorry.”
Matt shrugged. “It's ok, you didn't know. What about you though, do your parents still live around here?”
You nodded. “It's always been just me and my mom, but yeah, she doesn't live far from here.”
You paused as your phone began to ring, Mom flashing across the screen. “Oh and actually that's her. I'm sorry, I’ll just be one second.”
Matt nodded. “No problem.”
You quickly swiped to answer. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi honey,” your mom replied. “Are you busy?”
“Uh…” You glanced over at Matt. “I'm out having coffee with a friend, but what's up?”
“Oh, well I was wondering if you wanted to come by for lunch tomorrow. I found this new recipe I wanted to try and it's been a while since we've cooked together.”
“Yeah, that sounds great. What time do you want me over?”
“Would 11:30 work for you?”
“That'll be fine. Need me to bring anything?”
“No, I think I have everything I need for it. I'll let you get back to your friend, see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow, Mom. Bye.”
“Bye, honey.”
You hung up. “Sorry about that.”
Matt shook his head. “It's no problem. So, you and your mom are pretty close, huh?”
You nodded. “Yeah, we are. And actually that reminds me, how are we handling this? Because I’m gonna have to tell her eventually that I’m seeing someone.”
Matt hummed. “I don't suppose she knows about your job as a ‘companion’ then.”
You shook your head. “She thinks I got a raise at my day job, and I'd really rather her not find out the truth or else she'll refuse to let me keep helping her out.”
Matt chewed on his lip as he thought. “Honestly I think it's best if we keep our arrangement under wraps, so we could just tell people we're dating since you'll be accompanying me to work events and things like that.”
“Okay.” You took another bite of your pastry. “So then how'd we meet since we can't really tell people we met on Sugar and Spice ?”
Matt shook his head with a smile and waved a hand around the café. “Well, since the most believable lies at least have a kernel of truth to them, how about a coffee shop?”
He took another sip of his coffee. “We struck up a conversation in line and decided to sit together since it was busy, and by the time we left I had asked you out for dinner.”
You thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, okay. That way the timeline will still fit.”
“How about dinner on Monday, then? We can meet at my office, sign the contract, then go somewhere nearby?”
“Okay.” Unless Matt chose a fancy steakhouse or something for your regular work attire would suffice.
“Great. How does Asian fusion sound?”
“Yeah, that's fine.”
You and Matt continued to talk for another hour as you got to know each other, finally exchanging phone numbers as you were both leaving. “It's easier for me to communicate this way,” Matt explained as the two of you walked outside. “Unless you'd prefer to use the website?”
You shook your head. “No, that's fine. I can't exactly check my S&S messages while I'm at work anyway.”
Matt handed you his phone so you can input your number. “Okay great. Thanks.”
You input your contact information then quickly sent yourself a text so you'd have Matt's number before handing his phone back to him. “So I'll see you Monday afternoon, then?”
Matt nodded. “Yeah, Monday.”
“Okay.” You weren't sure if you were supposed to shake Matt's hand or give him a hug or what, so you settled for an awkward wave then mentally cringed at yourself for waving at a blind man. “Well, thanks for breakfast.”
Matt shook his head. “No problem.”
“Okay, bye.” You turned and headed back to your apartment, silently hoping that you'd actually made the right decision.
Matt pocketed his phone as you walked down the street, waiting until you had turned the corner before unfolding his cane and heading in the opposite direction back to his apartment. You had seemed nice enough – over the past couple of hours he had learned that you had graduated from NYU and were currently working as an administrative assistant at an architectural firm not far from Nelson, Murdock, and Page, but that your dream actually lay in historical preservation.
“There's just something comforting about stepping into an old building that's been restored to its natural splendor,” you had said. “Being transported back to a simpler time, where we didn't have to worry about alien invasions or crime-fighting vigilantes wearing red Spandex.”
Matt had chuckled. His Daredevil suit was actually made from a material akin to Kevlar, so it wasn't exactly stretchy or comfortable, but it wasn't like you knew that. “So I take it you don't approve of Daredevil then?”
You had taken a sip of your coffee before answering. “ Actually, quite the opposite. I feel like the streets have been a lot safer since he's shown up, especially at night. Daredevil’s doing a better job of protecting this city than the police department is.”
Matt had nodded. Patrolling Hell's Kitchen as Daredevil was about more than dismantling Fisk’s empire and getting the cartels off the streets, it was about protecting people from low-level criminals as well. “Yeah, I get that.”
Once Matt reached his apartment he sat down on his couch then picked up his laptop. Might as well start drafting the contract while the terms are fresh in my mind.
He paused when he reached the part regarding his payments to you, then after a moment he pulled up your Sugar and Spice profile before sending you the note, I had a great time this morning along with $200.
When you had balked at his offer of $1,000 a month he immediately thought that he had lowballed you and was fully prepared to double it, especially since out of all of the profiles he had gone through on Sugar and Spice, you had been his only choice of ‘companion’.
He didn't know what he had expected your reasoning behind joining the site to have been, but it certainly hadn't been because you were helping your mother with hospital bills. I wonder how much she owes.
He figured it must've been a fairly substantial amount since not only did your mother have to foot the bill herself due to losing her health insurance just before going into the hospital, but also because of the lengths you were willing to go to help her pay it.
Matt finished drafting out the contract before reading it over using his text-to-speech app and nodding in satisfaction.
He saved it then sent it to his work email, certain that he had made the right decision.
#lotmf writes#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt murdock x you#Sweet on You Masterlist
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That Summer, Chapter 1
Pairing: Frank Castle x F!Reader
Rating: M
Story Summary: Frank Castle has been on the move ever since he "retired" as The Punisher after finding out the truth about his family's murder and handing his former best friend, Billy Russo, off to the Feds.
With his new identity as Pete Castiglione, Frank decides to settle down in a small town in Iowa, where he finds employment as a farmhand/handyman for you, a widow who's struggling to keep your farm running by yourself after the untimely death of your husband a year prior.
As Frank grows closer to you, his past -- and true identity -- begin to catch up with him, putting his chance of finding peace -- and both of your lives -- at risk.
Warnings/Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, The Punisher S1 Compliant ONLY, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Frank calling Reader "Ma'am" is it's own warning 🥵
Word Count: ~3k
A/N: This is all Jon Bernthal's fault for looking so damn good in a flannel shirt and jeans.
Title from the Garth Brooks song of the same name.
Taglist: @danzer8705 @carolinaxvz @thepunisherfrankcastle
BangBangBangBangBang!
Frank Castle grabbed his pistol out from under his pillow as a sudden loud knocking on his motel room door startled him awake.
He had pulled into a small town in Iowa around 2 AM and had gotten a room, hoping to get a decent amount of sleep… but apparently there was no such luck since someone was banging on his door at fuck-o’clock in the morning.
He let out a deep breath and relaxed as he realized that the commotion was actually coming from a few doors down, the banging now followed by a woman's angry voice yelling that she knew that someone named Roger was ‘in there with that skank’. Sounds like a lover's quarrel .
He stashed his gun back underneath his pillow then looked at the bedside clock, which read 7:23 AM.
He sighed. Might as well get some breakfast since I'm up anyway.
He took a quick shower then dressed, noting by the silence that whatever had been going on between the angry woman and the allegedly-cheating Roger had apparently already been resolved.
There was a small hole-in-the-wall diner directly across the street from the motel, so Frank decided to just walk over there for breakfast.
He headed in and sat at the end of the counter, groaning when his back cracked.
He pulled out the bottle of aspirin he had bought at a gas station on his way into town and opened it, shaking out a couple of pills before popping them into his mouth and swallowing them dry. He'd certainly slept in worse places than the back of a van and cheap, shitty motel rooms back when he was in the military, but now that he was getting older his joints were definitely preferring a nice, soft bed to sleep in.
The waitress, an older woman whose nametag read Mildred , walked over and poured him a cup of coffee. “Welcome to Sal's, what can I getcha?” she said.
Frank quickly scanned the menu. “Uh, I'll have the bacon and eggs, eggs over easy, please.”
“Sure thing, hon. Coming right up.”
Frank looked around the mostly-empty diner as Mildred shuffled off to go put his order in with the cook.
An old jukebox stood along the far wall -- its choice of music being country ranging from the 1950’s to the 1980’s if Frank had to guess -- while a framed black-and-white photo of the diner sat above the jukebox, the presumed Sal standing proudly in front of the building and pointing to a brand-new sign.
Frank glanced back towards the door, a hand-written flyer pinned to a bulletin board catching his eye.
“You lookin' for a job?” the waitress asked, setting a plate in front of him.
“Uh, yeah, actually, I might be,” Frank replied, still looking at the flyer. He had been considering settling down somewhere for a while and figured that The Middle of Nowhere, Iowa might be just as good a place as any.
He pulled out his phone and flipped it open, only to notice that he had forgotten to charge it the night before and that the battery had died. “Ah, damn, my phone's dead. You happen to know where this is located?”
Mildred nodded. “Yeah, it's down at the end of Route Six, just past Eureka Creek at the edge of town.”
“Mind giving me directions?”
“Sure, when ya leave here head right on Route 3, go down a ways ‘till ya see the sign for the hardware store, then hang a left on the road right past it and go all the way down. Ya can't miss it.”
“Can I take the flyer?”
“Go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Frank finished his breakfast and coffee then pulled out enough cash to cover his bill and leave Mildred a nice tip before setting it on the counter. “Here ya go.”
Mildred walked over and took the money, counting it quickly before heading towards the register at the other end of the counter to close Frank out. “Thank ya, hon. You have a nice day now.”
“Thanks, you too.”
Frank took the flyer off of the bulletin board and folded it before sticking it in his pocket.
He headed back across the street and packed his duffle bag before checking out of the motel.
He unlocked his van and climbed in, reviewing the directions in his head before starting it up. Right outta here, left onto Route 6 after the hardware store… past Eureka Creek all the way to the end of the road. Got it.
He turned out of the diner's parking lot onto Route 3 and headed towards the edge of town, turning left past the hardware store down a gravel road with a faded sign that declared it Route 6 .
After a few minutes of bumpy driving he crossed a rickety-looking wooden bridge built over a small waterway (what Frank presumed to be the aforementioned Eureka Creek), which transitioned to a winding dirt road leading to a two-story farmhouse.
To the right of the house was another building that appeared to be a cabin, and beyond that was a barn, an older model truck half-covered with a tarp, a tractor that clearly hadn't run in a while, and a fenced-in pasture whose fence was in dire need of repair.
Definitely seems like there'd be plenty for me to do around here, Frank thought as he climbed out of the van.
He could hear barking coming from inside the house as he shut the door and began walking towards the front porch.
He paused just shy of the front steps as the front door opened slightly and you appeared.
You eyed him warily from behind a screen door, which remained closed. “Yes, may I help you?”
“I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, especially with it being so early,” Frank began as he dug the flyer out of his pocket and unfolded it. “But I was told you were looking for someone to help out around here?”
You nodded, glancing briefly at the flyer in his hands before looking back up at him. “Yes, that's right.”
Frank cleared his throat. “I apologize for not calling first but my phone is dead, so Mildred over at the diner gave me your address. Is now a good time to talk?”
You hesitated momentarily. “Yeah, now’s fine, just give me a minute though.”
Frank nodded. “Sure thing, ma'am.”
He waited as you closed the door, hearing a heavy lock turn on the other side. He couldn't blame you -- he'd be cautious too if some strange person turned up on his doorstep unannounced.
After a few minutes, he heard the lock click again and the door open.
A large black and white dog came bounding out past the screen door, stopping in front of Frank and sniffing cautiously at his boots.
You followed, this time carrying a tray holding a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses and wearing a much friendlier look on your face. “Sorry about him,” you said as you set the tray down on a small side table and closed the door once again. “He's friendly though, I promise.”
“Ah, that's alright.” Frank squatted down to rub the dog’s muzzle. “What’s his name?”
“Frank.”
Frank chuckled. Guess that's a sign that this was a good idea. “Frank, huh?”
You shrugged. “That was the name he came with. He's a rescue.”
Frank turned his attention to Canine Frank. “Nah, that's a good name, huh boy?”
He stood. “I'm Pete. Pete Castiglione.”
You introduced yourself in return. “Would you like some lemonade, Pete?”
Frank nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I'd love some.”
He walked up the steps to the porch as you poured two glasses of lemonade.
You handed him one of the glasses. “Here, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Frank took the glass and sat before taking a sip of the cool, perfectly sweet drink. “Mmm. This is excellent. Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” You took a sip of your own lemonade as Canine Frank settled himself at your feet. “So, Pete, do you have any farming experience?”
Frank shook his head. “Actually, no ma'am, I don't, but I'm a real fast learner and I don't have a problem with getting my hands dirty. And whatever needs fixing, I can do as well.”
Your eyes flicked down to Frank's battle-scarred hands. “Well that's good to know, at least. I'm afraid it's been a bit of a struggle trying to keep up with repairs around this place while also tending to the animals.”
You took another sip of your lemonade. “Where’ya from, if ya don't mind me asking?”
“New York.”
You eyed him carefully. “Long way from home. Running from or towards something?”
Frank chuckled and shook his head. “Bit of both, I guess.”
“Honest answer. That's good. Honesty’s important around here.”
Frank nodded. “Yes, ma'am. Honesty's important to me too.”
You looked out towards the farm, then sighed. “I’ll take you on on a trial basis -- let's say two weeks. If it seems like you're at least starting to catch on to everything then you can have the position permanently, if not then I'll give you the half month’s pay that I'll owe you and we'll go our separate ways. Sound fair?”
Frank nodded in return. “Yes, ma’am, sounds completely fair.”
You stood. “In that case, how about I show you around?”
Frank finished his lemonade and set his glass down on the table. “That'd be great.”
You led Frank towards the barn. “We're a small farm, with just 6 horses and 5 cows, a dozen hens, a couple of bee boxes, and Frankie boy here. We used to be much bigger but… well, it became too much to handle on my own.”
Frank had a feeling there was more to that story, but said nothing.
You tugged on the barn door, grunting in frustration when it didn't budge. “That's one thing on the repair list -- this damn door. It's always getting stuck.”
You tugged one more time, the door finally letting loose with a loud pop and sliding open.
Frank followed you into the barn, which was neat and tidy -- well, as neat and tidy as a barn could be. “I can take a look at that door for you now, if you'd like.”
You nodded and waved a hand at the door. “By all means, go right ahead.”
“Got a ladder?”
“Yeah, just a second.”
You walked towards the back of the barn and unhooked a short folding ladder that was hanging on the left wall. “Will this do?”
Frank nodded. “Yes ma'am, that'll work.”
He waited as you brought the ladder to him then climbed up. “Ahh, yeah, I see the problem right here. One of the tracks is loose so they keep catching on each other.”
He looked down at you. “You got a screwdriver handy?”
“Yeah, there's a toolbox over here.” You walked over to a large tool chest and began rummaging through it, quickly producing a screwdriver. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Frank quickly screwed the track back into place and stepped off of the ladder. “Go ahead and try that door now.”
You walked back over to the door, which now slid easily in both directions. “Ah yeah, there we go. Thanks.”
Frank shrugged. “No problem, ma’am.”
You led him towards the stables. “Alrighty, so here are the horses. We've got Sunshine, Missy, Eclipse, Nutmeg, and Amaretto.”
You stopped at a stable that was further away from the others. “And this is the aptly-named Midnight.”
Frank looked between the jet-black horse and you. “Why is he being kept separate from the other horses?”
“He's not tame yet. I've been trying but haven't had any success.” You paused. “My husband was the horse trainer, I just don't seem to have the knack for it.”
There it is. “Was?”
You nodded. “Tom passed away just over a year ago -- car accident. He was coming back from Des Moines with a load of feed when his tire blew out and he ran off the road. Struck a tree, killed him instantly.”
Frank winced. “I'm so sorry. I know what that's like, though, I… I lost my wife and kids a few years ago too.”
“I'm sorry for your loss as well.”
Next you showed him the cows -- Lulu, Clarabelle, Daisy, Petunia, and Millie -- then the area where you kept the bees. “I usually handle them on my own but there might be an occasion where I would need you to help me harvest honey. You're not allergic, are you?”
Frank shook his head. “No, ma'am. That won't be a problem.”
“Okay, good. Let me show you where you'll be staying.”
You took him back around to the cabin. “Here it is.”
Frank followed you up the steps to the small porch and waited as you unlocked the door.
You opened it. “Come on in.”
He followed you inside and took a look around. To the left of the entranceway was a small kitchen, complete with a stove/oven combo, microwave and coffee maker.
“There’s a grocery store in town if you want to stock up on groceries,” you explained, “but you're also welcome to come have meals in the main house too if you'd like.”
Frank nodded. “I’m not much of a cook, so that would be nice if you wouldn't mind the company.”
“Not at all.”
Beyond the kitchen was a living area that connected to another side porch, then a small laundry room with a washer and dryer. “This was Tom’s and my place before we built the main house,” you explained as you showed him the bedroom and bathroom. “It wasn't much, but it was home while we needed it to be.”
Frank shook his head. “Nah, this is perfect.”
You handed him a key. “Breakfast is at six, lunch at noon, dinner at seven. Work starts tomorrow morning after breakfast.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Alrighty then, I'll give you your privacy, leave ya to get settled in. Let me know if ya need anything.”
“I will.”
Frank went out to the van to get his duffle bag as you headed back to the main house, Canine Frank on your heels.
He headed back into the cabin and unpacked his meager belongings, hiding his pistol in the nightstand next to the bed before plugging his phone in to charge.
He put a load of laundry on to wash, glad to have his own washer and dryer to use rather than having to find a laundromat.
He returned to the bedroom intending on taking a nap when he looked out of the window, spotting you carrying a large square bale of hay towards the barn and looking like you were struggling.
He headed outside and walked towards you. “Here, let me help you with that.”
You stopped and handed him the hay bale. “Thanks, I appreciate that.”
“No problem. Where we headed?”
“Horse stalls.” You wiped the back of your arm across your forehead. “It's been taking a lot longer than it's supposed to to muck them out because I've been having to transport the hay by hand and in smaller bales ever since that tractor’s been broken, not to mention having to move the horses to another stall instead of being able to let them pasture during the day because of the fence.”
Frank glanced over at the broken-down tractor. “Listen, I'm not really one to sit around and be idle, so instead of starting tomorrow why don't I help you with the stalls then go ahead and get started on that repair list for you? I can fix the fence then maybe take a look at that tractor, see if I can't get it running for ya tonight.”
You nodded. “That would be great. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
You quickly showed Frank how to muck out the horses' stalls, and together the two of you managed to get them cleaned and re-lined with bedding in just a few hours.
“Okay, that's the last one,” you said as you finished mucking out the stall you used to temporarily house each of the horses. “Thanks a lot for your help.”
Frank shrugged. “That's what I'm here for.”
You looked at your watch. “It's just about time for lunch, so how about you wait till after we eat before starting on the fence?”
Frank nodded. “Alright.”
You led him to the back of the main house. “Lunch usually consists of something simple like sandwiches and chips,” you explained as you went up the steps of the back porch and took off your boots. “But there's chili cooking in the Crock-Pot for dinner tonight.”
“Both sound great,” Frank replied, taking his own boots off before following you into the kitchen. “I'm not a very picky eater.”
You washed your hands then went to the refrigerator and began to gather the makings for sandwiches. “I've got turkey and ham, cheese, and fresh lettuce and tomatoes from the garden along with some pickles. Help yourself to whatever you like on your sandwich.”
Frank washed his own hands as you set everything out on the counter along with two plates, a bag of chips, and some condiments. “Thank you.”
You made your sandwich and set your plate on the dining room table. “Something to drink?”
Frank nodded as he made his own sandwich. “Some more of that lemonade would be really nice.”
“Sure thing.” You walked back to the cabinet, pulled out two glasses, and set them on the counter, then pulled the pitcher of lemonade out of the refrigerator. “Go ahead and have a seat, I'll bring this over.”
Frank sat a couple of seats down from you, thanking you as you set his glass of lemonade in front of him.
He picked up his sandwich and took a bite, chewing and swallowing before asking, “What else is on the repair list?”
You huffed out a light laugh and shook your head. “Honestly too much to name, but I can give you a detailed list tomorrow.”
Frank nodded. “Okay.”
The two of you continued eating in silence, Frank stealing a glance at you as you looked thoughtfully out of the window.
He could see the pain of loss on your face as well as determination to keep the farm afloat and silently vowed to do whatever it took to help you succeed.
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Alrighty, earlier today I teased that I had yet another new Matt fic coming and here it is!
You had joined 'Sugar and Spice' in a desperate attempt to help your mother with her medical bills, so when an opportunity comes along to make a lot of money simply by spending time with a lonely attorney, you jump at the chance -- not expecting to fall for him in the process.
Tired of one-night-stands, Matt Murdock decides to sign up for a sugar daddy/sugar baby website, where he stumbles across your profile. However, despite making it clear that he only wants a platonic arrangement, Matt eventually finds himself falling for you.
Will the two of you be able to come to a permanent arrangement or will more than a contract be broken?
#lotmf writes#Sweet on You Masterlist#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x f!reader#matt murdock x you
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Cooking Up Love, Chapter 14
Pairing: Chef!Matt Murdock x F!Journalist!Reader
Rating: T
Story Summary: Here
Warnings/Tags: Hallmark levels of fluffy, cheesy goodness (and speed that their relationship develops, lol), no use of Y/N, Matt is not a vigilante, idiots in love, revenge is sweet 😉
Word Count: ~3800
A/N: A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has read, liked, reblogged, and/or commented on this not-so-little self-indulgent Chef AU of mine -- like Chef Matt, I appreciate each and every one of you.
I would be remiss if I didn't give a special shout-out to the OG members of the Traumatized Irish Catholic Boys Discord server for the encouragement and cheerleading while I was writing this story -- @souliebird, @theradioactivespidergwen, @mattmurdocksscars, & @bellaxgiornata -- y'all are the reason Chef Matt even exists and for that I can't thank you enough.
While this may be the end of the main story, like every good (and some not-so-good, tbh) cheesy Hallmark rom-com, there's lots more to this tale! Chef Matt and Reader don't want to let me go, so I have more planned for them. Whether it winds up being several smaller one-shots or another multi-chapter thing remains to be seen, however, so stay tuned!
As always, thanks to @theradioactivespidergwen for the divider!
Tag List: @yarrystyleeza @hailey-murdock @mattkinsella @bellaxgiornata @danzer8705 @chezagnes @shouldbestudying41 @thepunisherfrankcastle @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @roseslovedreams
"Girl, you should have seen her," Skyler said as she filled you in over the phone on everything that had happened that morning at the Bulletin . "When she first walked into the office and saw all your stuff missing from your desk she got this smug-ass look on her face -- she was so sure you had either quit in embarrassment or had gotten fired over that article. God , was it satisfying to watch karma bite her in the ass."
You huffed out a laugh. "So then what happened?"
"Ellison had asked me to let him know when Kelsie had made it in, so I texted him and he immediately called her to his office,” Skyler continued. “She thought for sure that she was getting reassigned to Features so she made a big production of having 'no idea' as to what Ellison wanted then took her sweet time going to his office. Little did she know what was actually in store."
She chuckled. "She was fuming by the time she came marching out of there. First she tried denying the whole thing, then once Ellison showed her the proof we had gathered she accused you of trying to frame her, then she accused me of trying to frame her, then by the time she had packed her desk and was being escorted out of the building by security she had accused Ellison of trying to frame her and was threatening to sue the Bulletin for wrongful termination. I'm so glad you waited until after she had left for the weekend to move your stuff over to your new desk because the moment she realized that her little scheme hadn't worked and you had just moved to a bigger, better desk was priceless."
You sighed and shook your head. "Well, at least it's over and I can just move on with my life."
Skyler was quiet for a moment. "Still haven't heard from Matt?"
Your heart squeezed. You were still hurt and angry that he would believe that you would stoop so low as to pretend to get close to him in order to write a tell-all article full of false information simply to further your career as an investigative journalist, yet at the same time, you missed him. You missed the way he had waited with bated breath as you tried one of his culinary creations, as if your opinion was the only one that mattered to him. You missed the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled at you. You missed the way his hands had felt on yours when he had taught you how to identify fresh fruit and vegetables, the soft caress of his fingers as he had traced your face so he could draw a mental picture of what you looked like, and the way his breath had fanned over your lips as he had leaned in to kiss you.
You sighed and shook your head. You had spent the past 3 days crying over him, so the best thing to do now was to give up and move on. "No, he hasn't tried contacting me. He probably deleted the follow-up email I sent him trying to explain everything the second he got it and blocked my email address."
Skyler hummed. "Mmm, I wouldn't be so sure about that."
Your brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Just that I don't want you to pass up the opportunity to be happy either."
Suddenly there was a knock on your door. "Oh, hold on, Sky, there's someone here."
"I'll let you go so you can get that."
You nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"By the way, you're welcome."
"I'm welcome? For what?"
"Nothing, talk to you later, byeeeeee!"
Before you could say goodbye, Skyler hung up.
You shook your head with a fond smile as you went to answer the door. You were lucky to have a friend like her.
You opened it and sucked in a shocked breath at the sight of Matt standing outside of your apartment. “Matt?”
Matt smiled nervously at you. “Hi.”
You stood blinking at him for a few seconds. Finally you asked, “How do you know where I live?”
Matt bit his lip. “Oh, I um, I went by the Bulletin but you weren't there, so Skyler gave me your address. I know I probably should have called before just showing up at your home, but I really needed to speak to you and didn't think you'd answer my call, so may I, uh, may I come in?”
You hesitated a moment, then stepped out of the doorway. "Okay."
Matt walked in, then turned to face you as you closed the door behind him. "Thank you.”
You debated on whether or not to offer him a seat, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, you wrapped your arms protectively across your chest. “What do you want, Matt?"
Matt fidgeted with the container you had belatedly noticed he was carrying. "I owe you an apology for my actions on Friday. I should have known that something was off with that article and given you the benefit of the doubt instead of automatically assuming the worst and accusing you of using me in order to further your career. Not that I'm trying to make excuses for my behavior, but it wouldn't have been the first time that it had happened."
Your brow furrowed and you uncrossed your arms. "What do you mean?"
Matt took a deep breath. "A couple of years ago I met this woman named Elektra, who was a restaurant reviewer for a small online magazine. We started dating and she eventually asked me if I would be okay with sitting down for an interview with her. Naturally I said yes, but when the interview was published it turned out to be a scathing review of both my restaurant and me as a person. Elektra had taken my words and twisted them to make it seem like all I cared about was becoming famous and that I was using my visual impairment to try to get a network deal -- and not only that, but she also strongly insinuated that I hadn't actually earned the Michelin stars that Nelson and Murdock had received and that the food at my restaurant was subpar."
He shook his head. "The whole time we had been dating Elektra had been trying to get a job with a national publication and figured that an exposé on me would be her ticket in. Needless to say, we broke up after that but the damage had already been done. Her article had been picked up by The Hand , which absolutely tanked our reputation as a gourmet restaurant, forcing us to close Nelson and Murdock and nearly destroying my & Foggy's friendship.”
While you didn't know much about the culinary industry, you did know that The Hand was the premiere magazine for restaurant goers and their reviews were treated like gospel. “So that's why you don't trust journalists.”
Matt nodded. “After I found out that Elektra had used me I decided that I would never get involved with a journalist or do another interview again, but business has been struggling at Daredevil ever since we opened a few months ago so Foggy took it upon himself to schedule me for an interview with the Bulletin during Restaurant Week to try to drum up some business.”
He paused. “I was originally told that it would be with the writer for the food and restaurant section, so I hope you understand my… hesitancy at first.”
You huffed out a breath. “Yeah, it was supposed to have been Kelsie but she was actually out sick with food poisoning at the time, so it was reassigned to me. Oh, and by the way, it turns out that she wrote the exposé I accidentally sent you. She lured me away from my desk while I was in the middle of sending you my real article and swapped the attachment out in an attempt to sabotage me.”
Matt shook his head. "By the way, I did wind up reading your real article and I really appreciate all of the kind and wonderful things you said about me."
You shrugged. "I just wrote what I felt was the truth at the time."
"'At the time'?" Matt bit his lip. "Does that mean you don't still feel that it's the truth?"
You sighed. While you were still a bit hurt and upset that Matt could have thought so little of you, you could now understand the reasoning behind his thoughts.
You shook your head. “No, I do. I still believe everything I wrote.”
Matt huffed out a relieved breath. "Thank you. I um, I wanted to give you this.”
He held the container out towards you. “I promise it's not poisoned.”
You huffed out a laugh as you took it. “I believe you.”
“I also wanted to let you know that the butternut squash risotto, pesto pasta, cremé bruleé, and tiramisu will all be going on the menu at Daredevil next week.” Matt bit his lip. “I hope you'd still want to come by to get some.”
You nodded. “Yeah, I’d love to.”
Matt smiled. “I'm glad. And actually, how about --”
"Foggy, Foggy, Foggy, Foggy…"
Matt groaned as his phone started ringing. "I'm sorry, I should get this. It might be an emergency with the restaurant."
You shook your head and went to put the container of what you assumed was tiramisu in the refrigerator. “It's fine. Go ahead.”
Matt tapped at his screen. "Yeah, Foggy. Wait, wait, slow down… What? They are? How? You're kidding… Wow, okay, yeah, thanks for letting me know. I gotta go though… Yeah, I am. Okay, I'll talk to you later. Thanks. Bye."
"Big news?" you asked as Matt hung up the phone.
Matt nodded. "Kingpin lost its license this morning due to multiple health code violations and has been permanently shut down, effective immediately."
You bit back a smile. "Really? Wow."
"Yeah, they failed a surprise inspection and --" Matt's brow furrowed. "Wait, you already knew. Did you have something to do with it?"
"Not directly." You grinned. "Skyler may have called the health department a couple of days ago and anonymously reported a case of food poisoning that originated there last week." You shrugged casually. "After all, Kelsie was dating the sous-chef and ate there right before she got sick. But how did Foggy find out so fast?"
"He and I have a friend at the health department -- Brett Mahoney. He keeps us apprised of goings-on -- not when we're going to be inspected, of course, but of shutdowns and such." Matt shook his head. "So wait, the food writer for the Bulletin is dating Wesley?"
You nodded. "Yeah, they've been together for a while, although I didn't know anything at all about ‘James’ except for his first name until Friday when Skyler did a deep dive into Kelsie's social media and found his profile.”
Matt shook his head. “I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that he and Fisk were also somehow involved in her plans. I have a sneaking suspicion that they had been driving potential customers away from Daredevil.”
“You're probably right. They had to have known that Kelsie had been planning on covering Kingpin for the Restaurant Week kickoff, but then she got sick right as Foggy contacted my boss with the offer of an exclusive interview with you and by the time she had recovered enough to come back to work, it was way too late to try to convince Ellison to switch the story back over to Kingpin.” You shook your head. “At first Kelsie tried to fill my head with doubt about you, saying that you would do anything to try to salvage your reputation and that you were pretending to be interested in me while I was writing my article and would ditch me the second it was published.”
Matt shook his head, a slight smirk spreading across his lips. “Oh I can assure you, sweetheart, my interest in you is very sincere. Apologies if I didn't make that clear before.”
Your breath hitched at the term of endearment. The whole time Matt really had been flirting with you.
“I've never felt so comfortable with someone so quickly before,” Matt continued, “and have genuinely enjoyed getting to know and spending time with you this past week -- going to the farmer's market together and being able to make breakfast for you at the restaurant, having you come with me to the soup kitchen and Fogwell's then over to my place for dinner, getting your honest reactions during the blind tasting, finally knowing that you were just as beautiful as I had thought…”
A small smile crossed his face. “I'd really like to keep getting to know you, if you're interested.”
Your heart fluttered. “Yeah… yeah, I'm definitely interested.”
Matt grinned. “Then how about dinner tonight? My place, 7 o’clock?”
You nodded. “Yeah, I'd like that.”
“Great then. It's a date.”
You smiled. “It's a date.”
Matt shook his head. “You know, now that I'm thinking about it, Kelsie must've been the person I spoke to when I went by the Bulletin on Tuesday.”
Your brows raised in surprise. “You went by the Bulletin?”
Matt nodded. “Yeah, I had wanted to talk to you about the blind tasting Monday night -- well, actually, what happened after -- but you weren't there and the woman I spoke to said that you were out on assignment and working on a big scoop, and she also said something else about you being one of ‘those investigative types’ who were always looking for a good exposé even if you had to make it up.”
You shook your head. No wonder he thought I had written that article. “Yeah, that was Kelsie, all right. I actually had gone home early that day -- I didn't sleep well Monday night because I thought for sure you were mad at me for rushing out of Daredevil on you.”
Matt shook his head. “Actually it was the opposite. I thought my advances had been unwanted and that I had made you uncomfortable, so I went by to check on you and apologize.”
“No, your advances were definitely wanted, I just…” You sighed. “When Foggy walked in and interrupted us I panicked and began overthinking everything.”
You shook your head. “I guess when Kelsie wasn't sure if planting seeds of doubt between us was working fast enough she decided that straight-up sabotage was the best way to go and wrote that fake exposé since it would hurt both me and you professionally rather than just personally. Luckily I caught it before it went to press and was able to swap it out with my real article, so now that I think about it, it's probably actually a good thing that you went off on me because otherwise I probably wouldn't have known until it was too late."
Matt winced and shook his head. "No, I should've realized that you probably hadn't written that article and calmly asked you about it instead of being an asshole to you, I --"
You shook your head. "It's okay. I forgive you -- this time. But don't think you can just make apology tiramisu for me every time you screw up, no matter how delicious it is."
"Of course not." Matt bit back a grin. "There's also apology cremé bruleé, and apology crepes, and apology --"
You swatted at his chest playfully. " Matt --"
You let out a soft gasp as Matt caught your wrist and pulled you to him, your heart thumping erratically in your chest.
Matt reached up and caressed your jawline with his thumb. "You know, I don't know if I can wait until our date tonight to be able to finally kiss you.”
You shook your head. "I don't think I can wait until tonight either."
A bright grin bloomed on Matt's face. “Well then, I guess there's only one thing to do.”
You melted into him as his warm lips pressed against yours.
You'd had no idea what you'd been in for when you'd first gotten your assignment, but you'd definitely hadn't known just how much it was going to change your life for the better.
One Year Later
“Matt, honey? You in here?”
Matt turned towards your voice as you walked into the kitchen at Daredevil. “Hi, sweetheart.”
You huffed out a light laugh. “I should've known. You're supposed to be out in the dining area celebrating, Matthew, not at work in the kitchen decorating pies.”
Matt set the piping bag he had been holding down, feeling slightly guilty despite your playful tone. "I just needed to pipe the whipped cream onto these before they went out."
You walked up to him and took his hand. "The kitchen staff has it handled, love. Come on, everyone's waiting."
Matt followed you out to the dining area.
"Hey, there they are!" Foggy said, handing Matt and you each a glass of champagne. "The couple of the hour!"
Matt shook his head. "This is just as much of a celebration for you as it is for me, my friend."
"Ah, yeah, but you have a bit more to celebrate than I do, don't you, buddy?"
Matt grinned. "It has been quite the week, hasn't it?"
Foggy huffed out a laugh. "That's an understatement. I think we need a speech!"
"Yeah, speech!" Karen added. "Everyone, may I have your attention? Matt would like to say a few words."
You gave Matt's hand a gentle squeeze. "You've got this, sweetheart."
Matt nodded and cleared his throat. "First off, I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight. To our vendors -- thank you all for your patience with us as we got things up and running. I know I can also speak for Foggy when I say that you're not just our vendors -- you're our friends as well."
He turned to Foggy and Karen. "Foggy, you are the best sous chef and the best friend I could ever ask for. We wouldn't be here celebrating our first Michelin star for Daredevil nor our James Beard nominations if it hadn't been for you sticking by my side. Karen, same goes for you. Foggy and I are happy to welcome you as an official partner."
Next, he turned to you and took your left hand. "Next, I'd like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my beautiful fianceé."
He paused for a moment, his thumb caressing the diamond ring he had placed on your finger during a surprise dinner date the night before. "I am so grateful that you wound up being assigned to interview me for the Bulletin."
"You're welcome!" Ellison called out from the crowd.
Laughter rang out from throughout the room.
Matt turned towards Ellison's voice. "Yes, extra thanks to you, Mitch."
A framed copy of your article hung proudly in the lobby next to a photo of Matt, Foggy, and Karen outside of Daredevil the day they had opened. After it had run, business had picked up almost immediately, with the restaurant being constantly packed and reservations being booked months in advance. He, Foggy, and Karen had had to hire both extra servers and kitchen staff to help keep up with demand and had recently signed a contract to expand the restaurant into the empty business space next door.
Matt smiled and gave your hand a gentle squeeze as he turned back towards you. "I'm also grateful that you were willing to give me a second chance after I was an asshole to you during our initial meeting, and a third chance once I had screwed up yet again.”
He nodded towards Skyler, who stood next to Foggy. “And Skyler, thanks for your help with that. ”
Skyler chuckled warmly. “You're welcome.”
Matt had been cautiously optimistic when he had gone to the Bulletin to apologize for (wrongfully) accusing you of writing the fake exposé that you had unintentionally sent him, only to find that you weren't even there.
“Where is she?” Matt asked Skyler, recognizing her voice as the person he had initially spoken to the first time he had gone to the Bulletin to apologize to you. “Will she be back in today?”
He could feel her studying him. “No, she took a personal day,” she replied. “She needed it after everything that's happened over the past few days. You really hurt her, you know that?”
Matt‘s shoulders slumped dejectedly. He nodded. “I know. I was hoping to be able to apologize in person and explain myself.”
Skyler was quiet for a moment, then gave him an address. “Hers is apartment 3-B.”
A broad smile spread across Matt's face. If Skyler was willing to give him your home address there was at least a chance that you'd forgive him. “Thank you so much… Skyler, right?”
“Mmhmm. You’re welcome. Just don't make me regret it.”
Matt shook his head. “I won't, I promise.”
He had hurried to your apartment, where luckily for him, you had not only accepted his apology and forgiven him, but had also told him that you reciprocated his feelings and agreed to a date, and then the two of you had kissed for the first (but certainly not the last) time.
He cleared his throat and focused his attention back on you. “I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, sweetheart. And congratulations once again on becoming the newest Assistant Editor of the New York Bulletin -- I'm so proud of you.”
He turned back towards the crowd. “And finally, to everyone here tonight -- Each and every one of you have contributed to Daredevil’s success and we can't thank you enough. I'd like you to know just how much each and every one of you are appreciated.”
He raised his glass of champagne. “So eat, drink, and enjoy. Cheers!”
“Cheers!” rang out throughout the room.
Matt pressed a kiss to your forehead as everyone toasted to the restaurant's success. “Love you.”
You hummed happily. “Love you too.”
As Matt continued to celebrate with Foggy, Karen, and you and the rest of their guests, he couldn't help but be filled with a sense of rightness. Daredevil was thriving beyond his wildest dreams, he was engaged to the woman he loved, and as an extra dose of karma, Fisk had recently been indicted on charges of tax fraud, racketeering, and money laundering uncovered as a result of the surprise health inspection closure.
Had you told him a year and a half ago that this would be his life, he'd have never believed it.
Now, however…
Well, he couldn't wait to see what life cooked up for him next.
#lotmf writes#Cooking Up Love Masterlist#Chef!Matt Murdock x Reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x you#matt murdock x fem!reader
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A Little Angel (Or Devil?) Chapter 1
Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Rating: Explicit
Story Summary: Matt and Reader, happily married at the end of Angel of God, my Guardian Dear, start the next chapter in their life together -- parenthood.
Warnings/Tags: Smut, Unprotected Sex (I mean obviously, Matt and Reader are trying for a baby), Pregnancy and all that comes with it, no graphic depiction of childbirth
Word Count: ~1250
A/N: I realized that I didn't have anything to post for Valentine's Day, so here's the first chapter of the AoG sequel! We're starting out spicy, lol. 😏🔥
As always, let me know if you'd like to be tagged!
Matt Murdock smiled as he got dressed for work, the sound of his wife muttering to herself as she fiddled with the ice maker on their new refrigerator three floors down filling him with happiness.
He and Y/N had been married about a month and a half and had been slowly getting their 4-story townhouse -- the dream home that Matt had surprised Y/N with as a wedding gift -- situated and furnished, starting with their bedroom then moving down to the first floor before working their way back up.
He chuckled as Y/N made a sound of triumph, the ice maker finally doing what she wanted it to do.
He finished tying his tie and made his way downstairs, heading into the kitchen where Y/N was now standing at the counter packing her lunch while waiting for her iced coffee to finish brewing.
Y/N turned and gave him a kiss. “Morning, husband.”
Matt smiled as he kissed her back. “Mmm. Morning, wife.”
Y/N began to move back towards their coffee maker. “I think I managed to get the voice control on the refrigerator programmed.”
“Oh, great --” Matt's brow furrowed. “Hey, wait a second.”
Y/N paused. “What's up?”
Matt moved behind her and nuzzled her neck. “Are you using a new body wash?”
Y/N hummed, tilting her head to the side to give Matt better access. “No, it's the same one I've always used. Why?”
Matt shrugged. “You smell different.”
“Huh, that's odd. I haven't switched anything -- still using the same body wash, same shampoo, same antiperspirant… I haven't even used a different lotion since I found that one that doesn't overwhelm your senses.”
Matt shook his head and nuzzled Y/N's neck again, the change in her scent awakening something primal in him. “I'm not complaining, angel.”
He grazed her pulse point with his teeth before soothing the spot with a kiss. “It's actually really turning me on.”
Y/N let out a soft whimper, the sound sending shockwaves straight to Matt's cock. “Matt, baby, unless you want to be late for court I suggest you not do that, because I will drag you back upstairs to our bedroom and have my wicked way with you.”
Matt chuckled lowly before wrapping one hand around Y/N’s waist while creeping his other one under the dress she wore. “Who said we have to go all the way upstairs, angel? Who said I can't just fuck you right here in our kitchen?”
He slid his hand inside Y/N’s underwear and slipped a finger between her weeping folds, groaning at the slickness that coated his digit. “Mmm, especially when you're already this needy for me.”
Y/N gasped and gripped the counter, the scent of her arousal becoming even stronger. “Matt, Matty, baby, please…”
Matt lightly circled her bud with his fingertip. “Is that a yes, sweetheart?”
Y/N moaned as she reached under her dress to pull her underwear down. “Yes, Matthew, fuck. Want your cock inside me.”
Matt unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants, pulling his pants and boxers down just enough to free his hard cock.
He gave himself a few strokes and lined up with Y/N’s entrance before easily sliding inside her.
He groaned as Y/N’s walls tightened around him. “Jesus , angel, you feel incredible.”
Y/N gasped. “God, so do you, Matty. Need you to fuck me, please.”
Matt pulled out until just his tip remained inside Y/N then slowly pushed back in. “Like this, sweetheart?”
He could feel the displacement of air as Y/N vigorously shook her head. “Want it hard and deep, Matty.”
Matt let out a low rumble from deep in his chest. “Oh yeah? Want a reminder of who this cunt belongs to?”
Y/N clenched around him. “Uh huh. Want to still feel you inside me while I’m sitting at my desk at work today.”
Matt pulled out once again then slammed his hips upwards, Y/N’s cry of ecstasy music to his ears.
Y/N hands flew out and grasped the counter. “Fuck -- need it just like that, baby, please.”
Matt began to fuck her in a rough pace, Y/N’s hips slamming back into him with each thrust. “Christ, sweetheart, I can feel you clenching around me. You're so fucking close already, aren't you, angel?”
Y/N’s head fell back against Matt's shoulder, one of her hands reaching up to caress his cheek. “Uh huh, feels so good, Matty. Want you to come inside me, fill me up.”
Matt growled then reached down and picked Y/N’s leg up to bend her against the counter, the new angle allowing him to drive even deeper into her. “Touch yourself for me.”
Y/N’s hand that had been caressing Matt's face reached down to rub her bud. “Fuck, Matt, right there, sweetheart, don't stop, please --”
Matt groaned, the combination of Y/N’s desire for him and whatever was different about her scent making his head spin. “I gotcha, angel, gonna leave you full just like you need.”
He snaked his hand that was gripping her hip up to her neck, applying a gentle pressure around her throat. “Be a good wife and come for me, Y/N.”
Y/N’s breath hitched as she tightened around him. “Matt, yes-- ”
Matt slammed his hips upwards into Y/N one last time with a groan, his cock releasing stream after stream of his seed deep inside her as she came around him.
Y/N slumped against the counter, panting.
Matt carefully set Y/N’s leg down, making sure she remained steady on her feet. “You okay, angel?”
Y/N sighed blissfully. “Never fucking better.”
Matt chuckled then carefully pulled out of her, tucking himself back into his pants before grabbing a paper towel and dampening it so he could clean Y/N up.
He tilted his head to the side as he heard Y/N pull her underwear back up, his nostrils flaring at the scent of their mixed release soaking the fabric. “Are you…”
Y/N turned and gave him a kiss. “I told you I wanted to still feel you inside me while I was sitting at my desk at work today.”
Matt's spent cock gave a feeble twitch of interest. “I swear if I didn't have court today I'd be dragging you back upstairs to bed.”
Y/N buttoned and zipped Matt's pants up for him then adjusted his tie. “Mmm, raincheck for tonight?”
Matt nodded as he buckled his belt. “Court should adjourn pretty early today, so how about I make something special for dinner and we can have a date night in the garden? And we can sit on the swing Aunt Ruth gave us as a housewarming gift since it's finally starting to warm up outside.”
Y/N slid her hands down Matt's back and gently squeezed the globes of his ass. “That sounds perfect, Matty. Love you.”
Matt grinned as she handed him a travel mug of coffee. “Love you too, angel. See you tonight.”
Y/N gave him a kiss. “Now go get ‘em, counselor.”
Matt grabbed his briefcase off of the end table in the foyer and headed out the door, hurrying to catch a cab so he wouldn't actually be late for work. He still couldn't figure out what was different about Y/N’s scent, but it had certainly been a fun way to start the morning.
#lotmf writes#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x f!reader#matt murdock x reader#ALA(oD) Masterlist#AoG Masterlist
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Cooking Up Love, Chapter 12
Pairing: Chef!Matt Murdock x F!Journalist!Reader
Rating: T
Story Summary: Here
Warnings/Tags: Hallmark levels of fluffy, cheesy goodness (and speed that their relationship develops, lol), no use of Y/N, Matt is not a vigilante, idiots in love, angst
Word Count: ~1800
A/N: It's time for Mega Angst, which means we have 2 more chapters to go until our resolution!
Tag List: @yarrystyleeza @hailey-murdock @mattkinsella @bellaxgiornata @danzer8705 @chezagnes @shouldbestudying41 @thepunisherfrankcastle @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @roseslovedreams
"Hey, Ellison is looking for you," Skyler said on Friday morning. "He said he wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh, okay, thanks," you replied.
Skyler eyed you. "Still haven't heard from Chef Hottie?"
You shook your head. "Nope. I tried texting Matt yesterday just to let him know that I'd be emailing a copy of my article to him after Ellison approved it and never got a response."
Skyler frowned. "Well that's shitty."
"Told you he'd ditch you as soon as it was all over," Kelsie said as she walked up. "Although I'm surprised he didn't at least wait until your article came out."
She let out a snide laugh. "He must've really not been into you."
Your heart twisted. After rehashing the events of your blind tasting with Skyler on Tuesday you had allowed yourself a small glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe , Matt had been genuine with you, but once again Kelsie had come along to squash it.
You swallowed and shook your head. "It really doesn't matter what Chef Murdock thinks of me personally. I'm still going to write the truth about him."
"And that's why you'll be stuck writing puff pieces your entire career." Kelsie shrugged. "Well, I better get busy. James is picking me up early for our weekend away and I don't want to be rushing to get things done last-minute."
Skyler scowled as Kelsie sauntered away. "One day… One day I'm going to go off on her, and I promise you, it won't be pretty."
She turned to you. "You okay?"
You nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna go ahead and go see Ellison. I'll catch up with you later."
You headed towards Ellison's office, knocking on the doorframe when you reached the threshold. "Hey, you wanted to see me?"
Ellison nodded and gestured towards the couch opposite him. "Yeah, take a seat."
Oh, shit. Sitting was never good news. Sitting indicated Serious Conversation that usually resulted in someone getting reprimanded -- or worse.
You swallowed nervously as you sat. "What's up?"
Ellison reached for a stapled set of papers -- papers you recognized as the copy of your article that you had set on his desk Wednesday afternoon and had been waiting for feedback on. "I want to talk to you about your article."
You didn't notice any red markings on it, but you weren't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
A dozen thoughts flew through your mind, none of them good. Did he hate my article and I need to rewrite the entire thing? Am I being reassigned? Did Matt call to complain about me having been unprofessional somehow and that's why I haven't heard from him?
Ellison peered up at you above his glasses. "Remember when I told you not to make me regret agreeing to give you a raise?"
You nodded, your heartbeat quickening. "Uh huh."
"Well…" Ellison grinned at you. "There's a reason I told you that you're my best reporter, and it's because of articles like this."
A wave of relief washed over you. Oh, thank God. "You liked it?"
"Liked it? I loved it." Ellison shook his head. "In fact, I think this is the best article I've read in a very long time."
A slow smile spread across your face. "Really?"
Ellison nodded. "I knew if anyone on staff would be able to get Chef Murdock to open up, it would be you. I feel like I've gotten to know him through your writing -- that bit about him volunteering to cook for the soup kitchen at Clinton Church every Sunday after the restaurant closes? It's almost like I was there with the two of you. The descriptions of the dishes you tried at his restaurant? I could almost taste them myself."
He flipped to the second page. "And that final line? 'Chef Murdock's professionalism, masterful culinary skills, and obvious love and care that he puts into his cooking all combine to create a delicious recipe for success' ? Probably the best closing sentence I've ever read. In fact, I was so blown away by your article that I'm submitting it for consideration in the NYPC's Journalism awards next year. I have a feeling it'll win the Best Feature Reporting category by a landslide."
You were speechless. "I honestly don't know what to say, Mitch. Thank you."
Ellison leaned back in his chair with a grin. "Say you'll remember to thank me in your acceptance speech when you inevitably win."
You nodded. "Absolutely. If I win, you'll be the first person I thank."
"Good. Now, I have an editorial column to write for Restaurant Week so let me get back to it, but I want to tell you again… great job."
You stood. "Thank you, Mitch, truly."
You left Ellison's office, a huge smile on your face.
"You look happy," Skyler said as you passed her in the hallway. "Good meeting?"
You nodded. "The best. Ellison loved my article and said that he was going to nominate it for the Press Club's Journalism awards next year."
Skyler gasped. "You're kidding!"
She wrapped her arms around you in a hug. "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you. My best friend, an award-winning journalist!"
You huffed out a laugh as you gave her a quick hug back. "That's the dream, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. I probably won't win."
Skyler shook her head. "Oh, I'm pretty sure you will. You're an incredible writer."
"Thanks, Sky." You smiled. "I'm gonna go send my article over to Matt. Hopefully he likes it as much as Ellison did."
"Okay. I'm about to head out to go pick up my press pass for that music festival I'm covering this weekend. Did you want me to grab something for you while I'm out?"
You shook your head. "I'm good. Thanks though."
"Okay, I'll see you later then."
You headed back to your desk and pulled up your email, clicking the button to draft a new email and attaching the document with your article from your desktop.
Subject: Bulletin Article
Attachment: Restaurant Week Feature V1.doc
You considered adding a message, but still wasn't sure what you'd say to him besides "I'm sorry", so you left it blank.
You were getting ready to click send when Kelsie walked up to you. "There's a delivery for you downstairs," she said. "You have to go sign for it."
Your brow furrowed. Normally Phil, the Bulletin 's security guard, signed for deliveries and put them in your mailbox. "Oh. Okay."
"And by the way, I'm not your secretary, so next time there's a message for you, someone else can deliver it."
You sighed. "Whatever, Kelsie."
You stood and headed to the elevator, then went down to the first floor.
You frowned as the doors opened and you stepped out to an empty lobby.
You walked over to the security desk. "Phil, did I have a delivery in the past couple of minutes?"
The security guard shook his head. "We had several packages come in, but nothing for you that I know of."
You shrugged. Kelsie must've been mistaken. "Okay, thanks."
You headed back upstairs to your desk and clicked send on your email to Matt.
You sighed. At least that's done.
…So why did you feel uneasy?
Matt was sitting at his computer in his office working on the next week's purchase orders when his computer chimed with a new email alert.
He navigated to his inbox and opened the email, waiting as his voice accessibility feature read out the information.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Bulletin Article
Attachments: (1) Restaurant Week Feature V1.doc
He took a deep breath and opened the attachment, an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.
He plugged in his headphones, then hit the keyboard command to start his text-to-speech service.
His heart sank as his computer began to read the article aloud to him. It was full of false information, including completely made-up quotes and scathing reviews of both Daredevil and Matt personally. At least she left what I told her at Fogwell's out of it.
He listened to it twice more, his stomach sinking lower and lower each time.
He was contemplating listening to it yet another time when Foggy walked in. "Hey, Matt, we need to add extra oranges to next week's --"
He paused. "What's wrong?"
Matt sighed. "The Bulletin article."
Foggy stepped fully inside the office. "Oh, you got it?"
Matt nodded. "Yeah, and it's just like I thought -- she was using me the whole time."
Foggy placed a hand on the back of Matt's chair as he peered at Matt's computer screen.
He sucked in a breath. " Shit, man, I'm sorry."
Matt shook his head. "I knew it. I knew that she would turn out to be just like Elektra."
His phone began to ring, the repetition of your name twisting the knife into his heart.
He answered, saying your name flatly.
"Matt, hi," you replied. "I was just calling to let you know that I sent you a copy of my article."
"Yeah, I got it."
"Oh. Okay." You sounded unsure. "Have you read it yet?"
"Oh, yeah, I read it." Matt scoffed. "What, are you expecting me to be happy about it, to say 'thank you?' I knew I shouldn't have trusted you -- all you journalists are exactly alike."
"What?" You sounded confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that you used me to make a name for yourself. Always looking for the next big scoop, no matter who you screw over in the process."
"Screw over? Matt, I don't under--"
"I actually thought you cared about me, that maybe you felt--" Matt cut himself off and shook his head. "You know what, don't bother coming by my restaurant ever again -- you're not welcome here."
Before you could say anything else, Matt hung up then threw his phone across the room. "Fuck. "
Foggy placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Matty."
Matt shook his head. "You know, the worst part about all this is that I could feel myself falling for her, Fog. I thought she was different, I thought -- I thought that maybe someday she could be the one."
He sighed. "By the way, I know you meant well and all, but don't ever offer for me to do anything involving a journalist ever again."
Foggy chuckled. "Oh, no danger of that, don't worry."
He patted Matt's shoulder. "Come on, let's finish getting ready. If this article is going to tank us then we're going to make these last few services the best we possibly can."
#lotmf writes#Cooking Up Love Masterlist#Chef!Matt Murdock x Reader#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt muerdock x you
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Ok since I've officially started writing it, it's time to tease That Summer, my very first (but maybe not only? We'll see how this goes, lol) Frank Castle fic! This is set after season 1 of The Punisher while Frank is on his epic drifter road trip.
"Frank Castle has been on the move ever since he "retired" as the Punisher after finding out the truth about his family's murder and handing his former best friend, Billy Russo, off to the Feds to answer for his crimes.
With his new identity as Pete Castiglione, Frank decides to settle down in a small town in Iowa, where he finds employment as a farmhand/handyman for you, a widow who's struggling to keep your farm running by yourself after the untimely death of your husband a year prior.
As Frank grows closer to you, his past -- and true identity -- begin to catch up with him, putting his chance of finding peace -- and both of your lives -- at risk."
As always, if you'd like to be added to the taglist for this or any of my other fics, please let me know!
Taglist so far: @danzer8705 @thepunisherfrankcastle
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Cooking Up Love, Chapter 13
Pairing: Chef!Matt Murdock x F!Journalist!Reader
Rating: T
Story Summary: Here
Warnings/Tags: Hallmark levels of fluffy, cheesy goodness (and speed that their relationship develops, lol), no use of Y/N, Matt is not a vigilante, idiots in love, misunderstandings, minor Foggy/OFC
Word Count: ~3200
A/N: We're almost to the end! Thank you to everyone who has read, liked, and commented on my little self-indulgent Chef AU -- y'all keep me writing!
As always, thanks to @theradioactivespidergwen for the line break -- it's being put to good use!
Tag List: @yarrystyleeza @hailey-murdock @mattkinsella @bellaxgiornata @danzer8705 @chezagnes @shouldbestudying41 @thepunisherfrankcastle @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @roseslovedreams
"Wait, Matt actually accused you of screwing him over and using him just to make a name for yourself?" Skyler asked as you sat in your kitchen together after work later that evening. "I don't remember anything in your article worth him getting upset over when I read it yesterday."
You shook your head. "That's because there wasn't anything! I absolutely raved about both his culinary skills and his food, I talked about how much care and consideration he puts into perfecting his recipes, and I even mentioned his volunteer activities at Clinton Church."
Skyler shook her head. "Walk me through the conversation again."
"I emailed him my article then decided to call him a little later to let him know that I had sent it over. He seemed a bit put off but I wasn't sure if he was still upset with me over running out on him the other night or if something else was bothering him, so I asked him if he had read it. Suddenly he just went off on me, saying how all journalists were exactly alike and how we're always looking for the next big scoop no matter who we screw over in the process, then he said that he thought I actually cared about him and that I was no longer welcome at Daredevil."
Your voice broke, the hurt and anger in Matt's voice upsetting you all over again. "The worst part of it is that I do care about him, Sky, I -- I think I might have been falling for him."
Skyler reached out and gave your hand a gentle squeeze. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry."
You shook your head with a sniffle. "I hate to admit it, but maybe Kelsie was right and Matt was just stringing me along but got tired of waiting until my article was actually published to stop speaking to me, so he just made an excuse."
Skyler made a face. "Ugh. First off, don't ever use the phrase 'Kelsie was right' in my presence ever again. Secondly, didn't you say that he opened up to you about some personal stuff but asked you to keep it off the record?"
You nodded. "Yeah, and I did. I didn't mention anything to do with that in the article."
You pulled up your work email on your phone, opening the attachment you had sent Matt so you could read over it once again. "I didn't even -- wait, what is this?"
You scrolled through the document, your blood turning to ice in your veins. "Oh shit. Oh no, no , no, no, no, no. "
A look of alarm crossed Skyler's face. "What's wrong?"
"This isn't my article."
"What? What do you mean, that isn't your article?"
I mean , the article I sent Matt is not the article I wrote, Sky." You handed your phone to Skyler. "It's got my name on the byline, but I didn't write this. It's no wonder Matt was so pissed at me though -- this article is a smear campaign."
Skyler's eyebrows raised as she read through it. "Someone had to have switched the documents. Did you leave your computer unlocked and unattended at any point today?"
You shook your head. "No, of course not, I--"
You sighed. "Wait, yes. I was getting ready to send my article to Matt when Kelsie told me I had a package downstairs that I had to go personally sign for."
Skyler raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, there was no package."
You nodded. "Exactly."
Skyler tapped at your phone screen. "Um, did you also send it to Max and Carrie and tell them Ellison approved your article and said to go ahead and send it to them?"
You shook your head. "No, why?"
"Because it looks like you did."
"What?" You grabbed your phone, scowling as you saw that the same attachment had been sent to the people who handled the layout for the physical paper as well as the digital edition. "Oh, but hell no. It's a good thing you caught that."
Skyler shook her head in disbelief. "That absolute bitch. I'm going to destroy her."
You sighed. "I don't know how I'm going to prove Kelsie is the one who wrote it and planted it on my PC though."
Skyler grinned. "Oh, I do. You didn't know that you can see who the original author of a document is and look at a document's editing history, did you?"
You shook your head.
"I bet Kelsie didn't either. I need your laptop."
You retrieved your laptop and pulled the document up on it before letting Skyler take over.
After a few clicks, Skyler nodded. "Sure enough. Not only is she listed as the original author of the document, but her digital signature is all over it."
You shook your head. "We need to go talk to Ellison."
You sent him a text message. Are you still at the office? I need to talk to you about something important.
A few seconds later, he replied. Yeah, still here trying to get this editorial column done. What's up?
I'll be there in 10 minutes. Don't go anywhere.
You saved the file to a flash drive, grabbed your keys, then you and Skyler practically ran to the Bulletin.
As soon as you got there, you booted up your computer and printed a copy of Kelsie's fake article. "Okay, let's go talk to Ellison."
You picked up the printout of Kelsie's fake article from the printer before you and Skyler headed to Ellison's office.
He looked up at the two of you tiredly. "Whatcha got for me?"
"Sabotage," Skyler replied. "As well as sneaky, underhanded, unethical so-called journalism."
Ellison's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"I have reason to believe that Kelsie swapped my Restaurant Week article out with a fake one in an attempt to discredit me," you explained.
You set the copy of the fake article down on Ellison's desk. "I wound up sending this to Chef Murdock, who was understandably upset by it and is how I caught it. And not only that, but Kelsie sent it to Max and Carrie while I was away from my computer."
Ellison's eyebrows raised as he read the fake article. "What makes you so sure it was Kelsie?"
Skyler scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? She's an evil, backstabbing bitch."
You shook your head. "Kelsie's had a personal vendetta against me ever since I got promoted to Features and has been going around all week accusing me of 'stealing' the Restaurant Week feature out from underneath her."
"And she's been saying all sorts of horrible things about Chef Murdock," Skyler added before pointedly looking at you. "Things that probably aren't even true."
Ellison sighed. "I knew she wasn't very happy with me for passing the Restaurant Week feature to you, but I wouldn't have suspected that she'd actually resort to sabotage."
He set the article down. "However, you both know that simply providing me with a copy of an allegedly-written article isn't enough. I need solid proof."
Skyler set the flash drive down on Ellison's desk. "Here's your proof. You'll notice that Kelsie is the original owner of the document and has edited it multiple times, and I bet if you look on her computer you'd find it there as well."
"Plus if you review the security footage from around 1:30 today you'll probably see her poking around at my desk." You set copies of the time-stamped emails sent to Max and Carrie. "She sent me on a wild goose chase trying to find some package I needed to personally sign for while she sent the fake article to Max and Carrie for publication."
"I wouldn't be surprised if she was behind the email server conveniently going down on Wednesday afternoon so you couldn't email your article to Mitch then," Skyler added. "It's a good thing you decided to print it and turn it in anyway."
Ellison sighed. "Do you still have your original file?"
You nodded. "She deleted it off of my computer here at work but I keep a copy of all of my articles on an external hard drive at home."
"Good. As soon as you get home, resend it to Max and Carrie marked urgent and CC me so I'll also have it digitally. In the meantime, I'll get Phil to pull the security footage from today."
"Okay." You bit your lip. "Um, is it okay if I take Monday off? After the week I've had I need a mental health day."
Ellison looked at you sympathetically and nodded. "Yeah, sure. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for all this."
You shrugged. "Not your fault. What I don't get though is why Kelsie also chose to go after Chef Murdock so hard."
"I think I can answer that," Skyler said, handing you her phone. "Take a look at Kelsie's Facebook."
You looked at her latest post, which was a picture of her cozying up to a handsome, dark-haired, blue-eyed man. Romantic weekend away with my love, the photo was captioned. "So?"
Skyler shook her head and pulled up Kelsie's boyfriend's profile. "See who she's dating?"
Your eyebrows raised as you read his bio. "Huh, yeah, I guess that makes sense now."
Skyler showed it to Ellison. "Did you know this?"
Ellison shook his head. "No, I had no idea. It does explain why she was pushing so hard about getting the feature switched back though."
You nodded. "That way she could control the narrative."
Ellison sighed. "Let me go ahead and call Phil. Don't forget to CC me on that correction to Max and Carrie so it's documented."
You nodded. "Okay."
"I'll send out a staff-wide memo on Monday after everything is said and done, but in the meantime, don't say anything to anyone else on staff about this. I don't want it getting back to Kelsie so she can try to cover her tracks."
You and Skyler both nodded. "Yes, sir."
As you left the office and were headed back down the elevator, Skyler asked, "So what are you going to do about Matt? Still want me to kick his ass for you?"
You let out a light laugh. "No, that's okay. I'll just… move on, I guess? I mean, I'm going to send my actual article to him but he made it pretty clear that he didn't want anything else to do with me so I doubt he'll even open my email."
"Then it's his loss."
You stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened. "Thanks, Sky."
Skyler bit her lip. "What about Foggy? You think I should cancel my date with him tomorrow?"
You shook your head. "No way. Just because it didn't work out with me and Matt doesn't mean you shouldn't at least give Foggy a chance."
You gave her a wink. "Besides, just because I'm not welcome at Daredevil doesn't mean that you can't bring me some takeout from there, especially if you're dating the other owner."
Skyler laughed and gave you a hug. "Thanks, bestie."
"Let me know how it goes, ok?"
Skyler nodded. "I will."
You headed home and grabbed your laptop so you could send the correct article to Max and Carrie, CCing Ellison on the email with the explanation "Sorry, wrong attachment sent. Please use this attached copy in the print and online editions on Monday." .
You opened a new email and attached the correct file.
Subject: Explanation About Bulletin Article
Attachment: Restaurant Week Feature V1.doc
You took a deep breath.
Dear Matt,
You probably won't even open this email, but I wanted to let you know that the article I sent you earlier today was not the article I had written about you, nor is it the article that will be appearing in Monday's edition of the Bulletin. Long story short, someone else on staff replaced the file for my article (which I had given a hardcopy of to my editor for approval on Wednesday) with the one I erroneously sent you earlier today.
I promise I never meant to hurt you and I swear I would never use you (or anyone else, for that matter) just to get a lead on a story or try to pad my portfolio. This past week was one of the best of my life and it was genuinely a pleasure spending time with you and getting to know you… both inside the kitchen and out.
You bit your lip, trying to decide if you should tell Matt exactly how much he had begun to mean to you. Ultimately you decided against it, instead closing with ' Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors'.
You added your work signature, then sent the email.
You sat back and sighed. While it hurt knowing that you would never get to find out if the spark you had felt with Matt could've ignited into something real, you also knew that you would treasure the time you had spent with him forever.
"Matt, there's a gentleman on the phone asking for you," Karen said as Matt and Foggy prepped for brunch service on Sunday. "Says he's from the Bulletin."
Matt nodded and wiped his hands. He had called the editor on Friday evening and had left a voicemail disputing the information contained in your article and asking for a resolution. "I'll take it in the office. Thanks, Karen."
He could feel both her and Foggy watching him as he exited the kitchen and headed to the office.
He picked up the phone and transferred the call. "Matthew Murdock speaking."
"Chef Murdock," the man replied. "This is Mitchell Ellison. I'm the editor over at the New York Bulletin. "
Matt was hit with a pang. You had emailed him again on Friday afternoon but with his hurt over your article being so fresh and so raw Matt had been letting your email sit unopened in his inbox until he was ready to hear what kind of (undoubtedly poor) excuse you'd had for using him.
He cleared his throat. "Mmhmm."
"I just wanted to call and personally apologize for the feature article you received in your email on Friday. That was not the article I had approved for publication and I wanted to let you know that after a brief internal investigation, the person responsible for it is being terminated first thing tomorrow morning. I assure you, we do not stand for such unethical behavior at the Bulletin ."
Matt winced. While he was extremely hurt and angry with you, he hadn't actually set out to get you fired. "Thank you for letting me know."
"I'm sending over the feature that I actually had approved for tomorrow's edition of the paper and I must say, it's some of the best, most honest writing I've ever read. I think you'll be much more pleased with it."
Matt heard his inbox chime with a new email. "I think it just came in."
"Great. Apologies again for the mistake."
"Mmhmm. Thanks for returning my call."
"Of course. Have a good day, Chef."
"You too. Goodbye."
Matt hung up and sighed, then popped in his earbuds and pulled up Ellison's email.
From: [email protected]
Subject: NYC RESTAURANT WEEK FEATURE
Attachments: Restaurant Week Feature V1.doc
Chef Murdock,
Attached is the article that has been approved for this year's New York Restaurant Week feature. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Mitchell Ellison
Editor-in-Chief, New York Bulletin
Matt opened the attachment and tapped the keyboard command to begin his text-to-speech program, surprised to hear your name on the byline. He would have thought that whoever had been reassigned the article would get credited, especially since the editor-in-chief had said that your employment at the Bulletin was to be terminated.
Either way, Mr. Ellison had been right -- the rewritten article was immensely more positive than the previous one had been and actually included information that Matt had revealed to you during your recorded interviews… as well as information that hadn't been recorded and therefore only you would be able to include.
Matt's brow furrowed. Something's not adding up.
He closed out of the article, then navigated to your email.
He took a deep breath and opened it.
"Dear Matt," his text-to-speech program dictated,
"You probably won't even open this email, but I wanted to let you know that the article I sent you earlier today was not the article I had written about you, nor is it the article that will be appearing in Monday's edition of the Bulletin. Long story short, someone else on staff replaced the file for my article (which I had given a hardcopy of to my editor for approval on Wednesday) with the one I erroneously sent you earlier today. "
Matt tapped the spacebar on his keyboard to pause his program, filled with an odd mix of confusion and relief. So if you hadn't actually written the first article you had sent him… who had and why?
He tapped the spacebar again to continue.
"I promise I never meant to hurt you," your email continued, "and I swear I would never use you (or anyone else, for that matter) just to get a lead on a story or try to pad my portfolio. This past week was one of the best of my life and it was genuinely a pleasure spending time with you and getting to know you… both inside the kitchen and out.
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors, sincerely yours…"
Matt navigated to the attachment, sucking in a breath as he realized that the article that the Bulletin 's editor-in-chief had sent him a few minutes before had been your article -- your real article, apparently.
Matt groaned and covered his face with his hands. He had been so caught up in his worry about getting hurt again that he had never even considered the possibility that you hadn't written the other article.
"Everything okay?"
Matt shook his head as Foggy entered the office. "I messed up."
"What do you mean?"
Matt sighed and said your name. "I was wrong about her, Fog, I was completely wrong. She didn't write that article."
"She didn't? How did she wind up sending it to you then?"
"Apparently one of her coworkers had replaced the file for her real article with the one she sent me -- I'm assuming as some form of sabotage or something. The editor at the Bulletin told me that the person responsible is being terminated first thing tomorrow morning."
"So did you get to read the real article?"
Matt nodded. "Yeah, it's right here."
Foggy moved to his side and leaned over his shoulder so he could read it.
After a few minutes, he straightened. "Damn, Matt, that was beautiful."
Matt nodded. "I know."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Apologize profusely and hope like hell that she'll forgive me."
Matt sighed. If you didn't forgive him, at least he had the memories he had made with you over the past week.
But if you did … Well, he wouldn't screw up a third time.
#lotmf writes#Cooking Up Love Masterlist#Chef!Matt Murdock x Reader#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt murdock x you
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That Summer, Chapter 2
Pairing: Frank Castle x F!Reader
Rating: M
Story Summary: Frank Castle has been on the move ever since he "retired" as The Punisher after finding out the truth about his family's murder and handing his former best friend, Billy Russo, off to the Feds.
With his new identity as Pete Castiglione, Frank decides to settle down in a small town in Iowa, where he finds employment as a farmhand/handyman for you, a widow who's struggling to keep your farm running by yourself after the untimely death of your husband a year prior.
As Frank grows closer to you, his past -- and true identity -- begin to catch up with him, putting his chance of finding peace -- and both of your lives -- at risk.
Warnings/Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, smut in future chapters
Word Count: ~2400
A/N: Thank you to everyone who read, liked, reblogged, and/or commented on chapter 1! If you'd like to be tagged in this, please let me know!
Taglist: @danzer8705 @carolinaxvz @thepunisherfrankcastle @eddieslooneymoonie @kezibear
“Thank you for lunch,” Frank said half an hour later as he finished his sandwich and chips. “I certainly appreciate it.”
You nodded then stood and picked up your and Frank's plates. “It's nothing fancy but it's really all I ever have time for during the day.”
Frank shook his head. “No, it was great, really.”
He stood as well. “If you show me where the boards are for the fence I'll go ahead and get started on that.”
You walked over to the sink. “Sure, just give me a second to wash these plates.”
Frank nodded. “Mind if I use your bathroom then?”
You shook your head. “Go right ahead. Guest bathroom is in the front entryway on your right.”
“Thank you, ma'am.” Frank went to the bathroom and relieved himself before moving to the sink to wash his hands.
He looked up at himself in the mirror. He had grown his hair and beard out while he had been on the road, but it would be time for a cut and shave soon.
He returned to the kitchen, where you were once again looking wistfully out of the window.
You hadn't seemed to notice Frank's presence, so he took a moment to study you. The sunlight filtering in through the window gave you an ethereal glow despite the sadness on your face. She's beautiful.
He couldn't deny that he found you attractive -- even though he had only known you for a few hours he could tell that you were a kind and caring yet determined and hard-working woman.
He cleared his throat. “All set.”
You turned from the window and looked over at him, a small smile crossing your lips. “Okay, great. Here, I'll show you where I keep the extra lumber.”
The two of you put your boots back on and headed back outside, Canine Frank following behind you. “Tom had just put that fence up about a year and a half ago,” you said as the two of you walked towards a storage shed next to the barn. “So I don't understand how it can be in such bad shape already.”
Frank was pretty sure he knew the reason, but didn't want to say it until he had confirmed it. “The boards have been rotting really fast, huh?”
You nodded as you opened the shed door. “Yeah.”
Frank walked in and picked up a board. Just as I thought. Pine. “That’s because you're not using a strong enough wood.”
He turned to you. “These are pine boards, which is a cheaper option for fencing, but also really soft – moisture’ll get in pine and rot it very quickly, especially during the winter. And on top of that, these boards haven't been pressure-treated, which is just making them rot even faster.”
Your shoulders slumped. “So basically what you're saying is that I should go ahead and replace the entire fence.”
Frank nodded. “I can replace the currently broken posts and rails if you want, but you're just going to keep having the same problem and will eventually have to replace the whole thing sooner rather than later anyway.”
“So what wood do you suggest?”
“Oak, which'll probably cost you more in lumber now but will last you years longer and need way less maintenance since it's a much harder wood.”
You sighed. “Okay. Let me check with my lumber supplier and see how much it would cost me to replace the entire thing.”
Frank nodded. “In the meantime I'll start on getting that tractor fixed for you. What's been going on with it?”
“About two months ago I was hauling a bale of hay in for the horses and the damn thing just sputtered and quit on me right where it sits.” You shook your head. “Couldn't get it started back up and I haven't had time to take it to get looked at. Just too much to do around here.”
You pulled a key out of your pocket and handed it to him. “If you need me I'll be over at the chicken coop.”
Frank walked over to the tractor and raised the hood. I should check the oil and gas first before I try to start it since it's been sitting.
Both looked free of water and debris, so he began to inspect the other parts. Spark plugs look good, but the carburetor could use a cleaning.
Frank walked over to the barn and grabbed a couple of tools, then went back over to clean the carburetor. Nope, that wasn't it.
Next he tried testing the battery. That’s fine too.
He was beginning to suspect that it was something with the fuel system based on the way the tractor had been trying but failing to start, so he checked the fuel line and filter next. No, not those either.
“Any luck?”
Frank turned as you appeared behind him carrying a large wicker basket of eggs, Canine Frank trailing behind you. “Not yet, but I’ve narrowed it down to something to do with the fuel system. Can you come try to start it for me so I can check something?”
You nodded and set the basket down. “Sure.”
Frank went back to the front of the tractor while you climbed onto the seat. “Okay, go ahead,” he said.
Frank looked over the engine as you attempted to start the tractor up. Aha. “Okay , I think I know what the problem is. It looks like the lever that controls the fuel level is jammed.”
He looked over at you. “Got any WD-40 or something like that?”
“Yeah, just a second.”
You climbed down from the tractor and walked back to the shed where you kept the fence lumber, then came back with a can of WD-40. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Frank sprayed a bit on the stuck lever, then carefully worked a flathead screwdriver into it to help loosen it up.
He lowered the hood of the tractor and peered over it at you. “Try starting it again.”
You got on the tractor once again and turned the key, a wide grin spreading across your face when it started right up. “It worked!”
Frank closed the hood. “I also cleaned the carburetor and tested the battery, and the oil and gas looked fine so it should be good as new.”
You nodded, a look of relief on your face. “You’re amazing. Thank you so much.”
Frank shrugged and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his arm. “Ah, not a problem.”
You cut the tractor off and climbed down as a loud mooing sounded from the barn. “The cows are starting to get restless, so how about I get these eggs put away then show you how to do the milking?”
Frank nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Alright then. Give me just a minute.”
As you picked up the basket of eggs and headed back over to the main house, Frank walked over to the spigot connected to the barn to wash the dirt and grime off of his hands.
You came back a minute later with two large metal buckets. “Okay, I'm ready.”
Frank opened the now-easily sliding barn door for you. “After you.”
He followed you to where the cows were kept.
You set one of the buckets down and grabbed a nearby stool. “I usually start with Clarabelle. She gets fussy if she has to wait too long.”
Frank chuckled. “I bet it's not easy milking a fussy cow.”
You shook your head, a small smile on your lips as you opened Clarabelle's stall and headed inside. “It’s not too difficult. Clarabelle is just a bit of a diva.”
You set the stool and bucket down and gave Clarabelle a gentle pat on her nose. “Aren’t ya, Miss Clara, my sweet girl?”
Clarabelle blinked her soulful brown eyes and nuzzled your hand, as if to say, who, me?
Frank smiled. “Diva or not, she clearly loves you.”
“I love her too.” You glanced at Frank. “This farm is all I have, so it's important that all of my animals are happy and well taken care of.”
Frank nodded. Message received. “I'll take care of them as if they were my own, I promise.”
“Good.” You adjusted the stool and sat. “Now, let me show you how to milk the cows.”
You took a damp washcloth out of the bucket. “I sell milk, butter, honey, and eggs at the farmer's market on Saturdays, so it's extremely important to follow state safety regulations for the production and sale of raw milk.”
You carefully wiped Clarabelle's udder then set the washcloth on your lap. “The first step is to clean the cow's udder so that nothing that isn't milk gets in the bucket then to use an udder balm to make sure you're not hurting her.”
Frank nodded. “Got it.”
You rubbed some cream from a small jar onto Clarabelle's udder then took her teats in your hands. “Then we pre-milk her a couple of times just to make sure that there's no dirt or debris in her milk ducts.”
Frank watched as you gently squeezed and pulled down on Clarabelle's teats, releasing a stream of milk from each group.
You set the bucket under Clarabelle. “Then we just set the bucket down and get to milking.”
You squeezed a few streams of milk into the bucket. “Want to try?”
Frank nodded. “Sure.”
He switched places with you and took hold of Clarabelle's teats. “Like this?”
You shook your head and knelt down beside him. “Little higher up.”
Frank took a deep breath as you took his hands in your smaller ones. You smelled of clean sweat and soap and something else Frank couldn't quite identify, but liked.
Your grip slightly tightened on Frank's hands. “Then you just pull and squeeze, like this.”
You guided Frank in milking Clarabelle for a few moments, then let go to let him try to milk her on his own. “Good job. You're a natural.”
You reached up and patted Clarabelle on her rump. “And you are being such a good girl today, sweetheart. You definitely deserve a treat for being so patient.”
“How do I know when she's done?” Frank asked. “She'll just stop producing milk?”
“Her udder will be a lot flatter and she'll seem more comfortable,” you replied. “Once you're done with her, give her a carrot from the bag on the front of her stall, then if you don't mind, could you move on to Daisy and milk her then give her a carrot as well? I'll get the other three.”
Frank nodded again, keeping his attention on milking instead of looking at you. “No problem.”
You stood. “Thanks. If you need any help I'll be right over here.”
You took the other bucket and moved down a few stalls, talking softly to Lulu before opening the stall door and heading inside.
Frank finished milking Clarabelle then gave her a carrot before moving on to Daisy’s stall.
Daisy looked over at Frank as he entered and moved over to the wall, turning sideways so he could get to her udder easily.
Frank chuckled. “You know the drill, huh girl?”
He set the stool down and gave Daisy a gentle pat on her side. “Good girl. You're gonna make this easy for me, aren't ya?”
Daisy ‘moo’ed in response.
Frank cleaned Daisy's udder and applied a bit of cream before making sure her milk ducts were clear. “Okay, let's get you milked.”
He milked Daisy and gave her a post-milking carrot, then headed over to the other stalls to find you. “I'm all done.”
You peered around Millie at him. “Great!”
You looked at your watch. “Since you got that tractor back up and running for me I'm gonna bottle up this milk then get the grass cut. Why don't you go ahead and knock off for the evening, take a shower and relax a bit before supper?”
Frank rubbed the back of his neck. “In that case, I might go ahead and head into town, pick up a few groceries.”
“Okay.” You patted Millie’s side and stood. “Just so you know, you’re welcome to any of the goods we produce or harvest. No point in having to buy them from the store when they're readily available here.”
Frank nodded, mentally taking milk, butter, eggs, and honey off of his grocery list. “I appreciate that.”
“I'll get some stuff packed up for you to bring back to the cabin tonight after supper.”
“Sounds good.” Frank gestured towards your now-full bucket of milk. “Need me to grab that for ya?”
“If you don't mind.”
Frank shook his head. “Not at all. Where we heading?”
“Back to the house.”
Frank picked up the other bucket of milk and waited as you gave Millie a carrot, then he followed you back to the big house.
He smiled to himself when Canine Frank, who had been napping on the porch, got up and wagged his tail at the two of you.
You scratched Canine Frank behind his ears then unlocked the door. “Here, you can just set those on the counter for me.”
Frank followed you in and set the buckets down in the kitchen. “Need help with anything else?”
You shook your head. “No thanks, I can take it from here.”
Frank nodded. “I'll see you at dinner tonight, then.”
He gave Canine Frank a friendly pat on his head then headed back to the cabin, where he moved his laundry from the washer to the dryer before heading to the bathroom to shower.
As he stood under the hot spray of water, his mind turned back to you and the way your hands had felt on his earlier.
Frank had honestly found it difficult to concentrate as you had guided his hands to milk Clarabelle. The way you had gently squeezed and pulled had made Frank think about having your hands in a place he hadn't been privy to having a woman touch in a long time. Shit.
He sighed. He was here to work, not get distracted by the thought of your hands (and mouth, if he was honest) on his cock. It's just been entirely too long since I've been with a woman, he thought. It hadn't had anything to do with her in particular.
Even as he thought it, deep down he knew he was lying to himself. It's going to be a long summer.
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Cooking Up Love, Chapter 6
Pairing: Chef!Matt Murdock x F!Journalist!Reader
Rating: T
Story Summary: Here
Warnings/Tags: Hallmark levels of fluffy, cheesy goodness (and speed that their relationship develops, lol), No use of Y/N, Matt is not a vigilante, Denial is not just a river in Egypt, Idiots in love
Word Count: ~3700
A/N: Here we are with the next chapter! I had to split this day into 2 chapters, so the 2nd half is coming soon!
(And as always, thanks to @theradioactivespidergwen for the super cute divider!)
Tag List: @yarrystyleeza @hailey-murdock @mattkinsella @bellaxgiornata @danzer8705 @chezagnes @shouldbestudying41 @thepunisherfrankcastle @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment
No need to rush, they just opened, you told yourself as you headed to Daredevil the next morning.
You had awoken early and in an effort to keep yourself busy (and distracted from thinking about Matt too much) you had done a load of laundry, straightened your living area, rearranged your kitchen cabinets, and had begun cleaning out your closet.
Finally it was time to leave for Daredevil, so you had taken a quick shower and gotten ready, then hurried out the door.
You slowed down and took a deep breath as you reached the restaurant, then headed inside.
Karen looked up and smiled. "Hi!" she said. "Matt said you had mentioned coming by today."
You nodded. "Yeah, I loved the crepes he made yesterday during the cooking demo he did for me, so I definitely couldn't resist coming back for brunch."
"Well I know Matt definitely appreciates it." Karen grabbed a menu. "Right this way."
She led you through the smattering of diners to a small table near the kitchen. "Can I get you something to drink? Water, coffee, juice… champagne?"
"Just some orange juice would be fine," you replied as you sat. "Thanks."
Karen nodded. "Okay, I'll let Matt know that you're here then I'll be right back with that."
You smiled. "Thanks so much, Karen."
You looked down at the menu as Karen headed to the kitchen. You were definitely planning on getting the crepes, but you wanted to try something else alongside them. Steak and eggs, french toast, southern-style grits… oh, maybe an omelet?
You read through the omelet choices, finally settling on a 'create your own' style made with your favorite ingredients.
A minute later, Karen returned with your juice. "Here you go. Matt said he'll come say hi as soon as he can. In the meantime, are you ready to order?"
You nodded. "That's okay, I understand that he's busy. And yeah, I'm ready."
Karen pulled out a notepad and pencil. "Okay, what can I getcha?"
"I'd like an omelet, please." You listed off the ingredients you wanted in your omelet, briefly pausing in-between so Karen could write them down. "And a side order of the breakfast crepes."
Karen nodded. "Got it. Okay, I'll get this put in for you."
"Thanks."
You looked around the small restaurant as you waited. While it wasn't completely empty, there were only about a half-dozen tables that were occupied by couples and families. Granted, it was only about 20 minutes after opening, so you figured the after-church crowd hadn't yet descended upon the neighborhood but that it would fill up soon.
After a few minutes, Karen stopped by your table. "Doing okay?"
You nodded. "Yeah, just fine."
"Great. Your food will be out in just a minute."
"Okay. Thanks."
Your phone buzzed with a text message.
Skyler: Remind me why I agreed to take over Lifestyles from you? I'm about to die of boredom at this fundraiser for the senior center.
You shook your head with a grin. Because it was a permanent position and paid a lot more than your old internship.
Skyler: Oh that's right. Thanks.
You huffed out a laugh. No problem.
Skyler: What are you up to today?
I'm at Daredevil having brunch. Matt did a cooking demo for me yesterday morning and made the absolute best crepes I've ever had in my life, so I decided to come back today and try something else on the menu.
Skyler: Like some of Chef Hottie's cake? 🍰🍑
You huffed out a laugh. Pretty sure that's not on there.
Skyler: But it might be on the *secret* menu… 😉 And wait, he's *Matt* now? 👀 When did that happen?
Yesterday. He said that I could call him by his first name. But that doesn't mean anything because even if I *was* interested, which I'm not saying I *am*, he's been nothing but strictly professional towards me the entire week.
Skyler: Mmhmm. Methinks thou dost protest too much. Anyway, I gotta run, they're about to start the auction.
Okay, talk to you later.
You shook your head as you locked your phone back. There wasn't any point in letting yourself fall for Matt since he clearly wasn't interested.
"Create-your-own omelet and a side of crepes?"
You looked up as Matt's voice broke through your thoughts.
Your heart fluttered. He was back in his red chef's coat, but instead of making him look fearsome and intimidating as it had the day you had met him, today it made him look professional and suave. "Matt, hi."
Matt set your plate down in front of you, a bright smile on his face. "Hi. How are you?"
"I'm good. How are you today?"
"I'm good too. Thanks for coming by."
You nodded. "Of course. I definitely wasn't going to pass up a chance to try some more of your food."
Matt's smile widened into a grin. "Well good, because I was actually wondering if you were busy tomorrow evening."
You shook your head. "No, I'm not busy. Why?"
"I was thinking maybe you'd like to come by and help me test out some new recipes? It'd be helpful to get an outside opinion on some of the things we're considering adding to the menu."
You smiled. "Yeah, I'd love to."
"Great. And, uh, I was also wondering what you were doing this afternoon?"
You shook your head again. "No big plans for today, either."
"I really enjoyed my time with you at the farmer's market yesterday, so I thought maybe you wouldn't mind accompanying me while I ran my after-work errands?" Matt bit his lip. "You don't have to, of course, I just thought it might be beneficial to your article to spend some more time with me outside of the kitchen."
You smiled. You couldn't ignore the fact that your article would be due soon, so you were happy to spend whatever time with Matt as you could until then. "No, I don't mind at all. It would actually be really helpful to get some more insight as to who you are when you're not working."
Matt gestured back towards the kitchen. "Speaking of the kitchen, I should get back in it, but can you meet me back here after closing? Say, around 3:30?"
You nodded. That would give you plenty of time to do the few things you still needed to do around your apartment. "That sounds good. Want me to text you when I'm nearby?"
Matt nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great."
"Okay, I'll see you later then."
"Okay. Enjoy your meal."
As Matt headed back to work, you cut a piece of your omelet and blew on it slightly to cool it before taking a bite. Of course it's amazing.
You had no idea how Matt could make something as simple as eggs taste so good, but he definitely had. The omelet was perfectly cooked with just the right proportion of salt and pepper to cheese and fillings.
"How is everything?" Karen asked as she stopped by your table.
"Oh my gosh, it's so good." You took a sip of your juice. "Everything is great."
Karen nodded. "Good. Let me know if you need anything else for now."
"Actually, you can go ahead and bring my bill if you don't mind."
"Okay, sure thing."
You continued eating as Karen left once again, trying to not audibly moan at how good the crepes also were. Definitely going to have to mention how great the food is here in my article.
Karen stopped by to drop your bill off. "Here you go," she said, setting the folio with your bill on your table. "No rush."
You nodded. "Thanks."
You finished your food then picked up the bill.
Your brow furrowed. This can't be right.
Luckily, Karen was walking right past you. "Hey, Karen?"
Karen stopped at your table. "Yeah?"
You slid your bill over to her. "I think my bill is wrong."
Karen looked at it. "No, that's correct. Matt said it's on him today."
Your eyes widened in surprise. "Oh. Well, that was very generous of him."
Karen shrugged, a tiny smile playing across her lips. "Matt's like that."
You smiled. You were sure he had comped your meal because of your article, but the gesture was still nice. "I'll have to thank him later."
Karen turned as the bell above the front door chimed. "I better get back up front to go seat these customers, but I'll see you later?"
You nodded. "Thanks, Karen."
You looked back at your bill, then grabbed a pen out of your purse. Thanks for the wonderful service! you wrote on your receipt, then tucked $30 into the folio, figuring that the cost of your meal could at least go towards Karen's tips.
You stuck your pen and wallet back in your purse then grabbed your phone.
You glanced towards the kitchen before sending Matt a text. Thank you so much for brunch! Everything was great. See you this afternoon.
You stuck your phone in your pocket and stood, then headed towards the door. "Thanks again, Karen," you said as you passed by the host stand.
"No problem," Karen replied. "See ya."
Your phone chimed with an incoming message.
Chef Murdock (Matt): You're very welcome, and I'm glad to hear you enjoyed everything. See you this afternoon.
You locked your phone back and stuck it in your pocket as you headed towards home with a smile on your face.
"Man, I think that's the fastest we've ever gotten through closing," Foggy remarked as he and Matt finished packing up the last few containers to take over to the soup kitchen at Clinton Church. "I might actually have time to visit with my folks a bit before we sit down for Sunday supper."
Matt nodded. "Tell them hi for me."
"You know, you're always welcome to join us after you get done."
Matt shook his head, trying to keep the smile that wanted to form off of his lips. "Actually, I uh, I have plans after that."
Foggy chuckled. "Do these 'plans' happen to be with a certain journalist from the Bulletin?"
Matt's brow furrowed. "How'd you know?"
"Because you've been on cloud nine ever since you personally brought her order out to her this morning and comped her bill." Foggy chuckled. "I thought you were going to sprint out of here as soon as you had her omelet ready."
Matt shrugged. "Even though she's writing a profile on me she's still going to mention the food, so I wanted her to get her order as fresh as possible. And I thought it would be helpful for her article to spend time with me outside of the kitchen, so I asked her to accompany me on my errands this afternoon."
Foggy chuckled. "Uh huh, sure , Matty, it's all because of her article, not because you've got a thing for her."
Matt shook his head. "I don't -- it's not a thing."
"Mmhmm, keep telling yourself that, buddy." Foggy patted him on the shoulder. "Listen, I gotta run so I can get to my parents' before my brothers eat all of my mom's potato bread, but we're continuing this conversation on Tuesday."
Matt grinned. Mrs. Nelson's homemade potato bread was the stuff of legends and as much as he had tried, he couldn't quite replicate it. "Okay, have a good one."
After Foggy had left, he pulled out his phone and dictated a text to you. Hey, we finished closing up earlier than usual, so if you're free now you can come on by.
A few seconds later, his phone chimed with a reply. That sounds great! I'll be there in about 10 minutes.
Matt grinned. Sounds good.
He grabbed his gym bag and the cart of food containers, then turned off the kitchen lights and headed towards the front of the restaurant.
He smiled as he heard you approach, waiting until you knocked softly on the door before walking over to let you in.
"Hey, ready to go?" you said.
Matt nodded. "Yeah, just give me a second."
He set the alarm then wheeled the cart of food containers outside before locking the door. "Okay, all set."
"So where are we headed?" you asked.
"First stop is Clinton Church. I volunteer to cook for the soup kitchen every Sunday after service."
"Oh, that's so sweet of you."
Matt shrugged. "It's my way of giving back to the community."
You reached for the cart handle. "Here, I'll get this cart for you."
Matt smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem. Lead the way."
Matt took his cane out of his pocket and unfolded it, then the two of you headed down the street. "So, how has your day been?" Matt asked as they walked.
"It's been good," you replied. "Started some housekeeping this morning and finished it up this afternoon. How was your day?"
"It was fine. Service went smoothly."
"That's good. By the way, I appreciate you comping my meal. You really didn't have to do that."
Matt shook his head. Karen had told him that you had left the full amount plus tip anyway. "It was my pleasure, really."
You hummed. "Looking forward to your day off?"
Matt nodded. "Yeah, even though I don't actually take the day off it's nice to have the time to just be alone in the kitchen and experiment with new flavors."
"That does sound exciting." You paused as the two of you stopped at a crosswalk. "I'm looking forward to trying out some of your new dishes."
Matt smiled. "I'm looking forward to it too."
"So have you ever had any culinary disasters?"
"Oh, tons, especially when I first started cooking. I once accidentally added garlic salt instead of sugar to a cake recipe."
You let out a light laugh. "Oh my gosh, that sounds awful."
Matt nodded, grinning at the memory. "I started labeling all of my containers after that."
The two of you continued on towards Clinton Church.
"Okay," Matt said once the two of you had arrived. "We're heading this way."
He led you down a sidewalk towards the soup kitchen. "Okay, here we are."
He opened the door and gestured for you to go in. "After you."
"Thanks."
Matt waited until you had wheeled the cart inside, then followed.
He could hear voices coming from the kitchen area. "This way."
"...Yes, that would be fine. Thank you, Sister Frances. Matthew, hello!" Father Lantom said as Matt and you walked around the serving area towards the kitchen. "I wasn't expecting you quite yet."
Matt nodded. "Yes, we finished our closing duties a bit earlier than usual, so I figured I'd just make everything over here rather than at the restaurant."
"Ah, I see. And I also see that you brought us some extra help today as well! I'm Father Lantom, the pastor here."
You introduced yourself. "It's nice to meet you, Father."
"Nice to meet you too. I certainly appreciate you coming today."
"It's not a problem. I'm happy to help out in any way I can."
"Well that's wonderful. I have a few administrative tasks to handle, so I'll leave you two to it. Matthew, let me know if you need anything."
Matt nodded. "Thanks, Father."
He folded his cane up and put it in his pocket, then took the cart from you and wheeled it into the kitchen.
You moved to wash your hands. "Alright, Chef, put me to work."
Matt smiled, his heart warming at how eager you were to help. "Would you set the oven to 350 for me then cut up some cucumbers and tomatoes for a salad?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Okay, great." Matt took a couple of bowls out from under the counter and gave them a rinse in the sink. "You can just put them in these once you've got them all done."
"How do you want the tomatoes cut?"
"Wedges would be fine -- like in eighths, and about half-inch slices for the cucumbers."
"Okay."
Matt got to work seasoning the chicken he had brought for the night's dinner, smiling to himself as he heard you humming softly under your breath.
He felt a pang in his chest. As hard as he had worked to get where he was in his career, he missed having someone to share his joy of cooking with. There was Foggy and Karen, of course, but as much as Matt loved his friends he wanted someone special to cook for, someone to come home to.
…He wanted you.
Matt mentally shook his head, determined to get the melodic sound of your voice out of his mind. Don't get distracted. That's where mistakes happen. Deal with it later.
He finished prepping the chicken and set it on a baking sheet, then put it in the oven. "How are the cucumbers and tomatoes coming along?"
"Almost done," you replied.
Matt moved to wash his hands. "Okay, great. I'll go ahead and make the dressing for the salad."
"You make your own salad dressing?" you said in surprise, then let out a light laugh. "Wait, what am I even saying? Of course you do. What kind do you make?"
Matt grinned as he rinsed out a measuring cup. "A couple of different varieties, actually. But today we're just making a basic Italian dressing."
He got his Braille measuring cups and spoons out of the cart, then grabbed the container marked salad dressing. "There should be an immersion blender somewhere around here. Would you mind grabbing it for me?"
"Sure." You moved to Matt's right, then set the blender in front of him. "Here you go. Wait, let me plug it in for you."
"Thanks."
Matt began measuring out the ingredients for the dressing, adding everything in precise order before blending it together.
"So is there a reason you use an immersion blender rather than a regular blender?" you asked.
Matt nodded. "I can better tell the consistency of the dressing with an immersion blender," he explained. "Using a stand blender runs the risk of overblending."
"Ah, ok. That makes sense." You stopped cutting. "Okay, salad stuff is done."
"Great. Then I need you to portion this dressing out into individual take-out cups. There should be some in the storage closet in the back of the kitchen."
Your footsteps headed towards the storage closet. "Let's see… oh, here they are."
You returned with the cups and lids. "How many do I need to make?"
Matt shook his head. "It should yield about 80 servings or so. Just keep filling until you run out."
He began to work on dessert, which were homemade no-bake oatmeal cookies, and had just finished shaping them and putting them on some parchment paper-lined cookie sheets to set when he heard Father Lantom returning.
"How's it going?" Father Lantom asked.
"There's a few minutes left on the chicken but everything else is ready to go," Matt replied. "Salad is ready to be mixed and I just need to cover these cookies with some cling wrap until they're ready to be served."
"Thank you so much -- both of you. I know everyone will appreciate the wonderful meal."
Matt shook his head. "It's no problem."
"Happy to be of service," you added. "Here, Matt, I'll get started on cleanup."
Matt nodded. "Thanks."
He got the cookies covered then took the chicken out of the oven. "Okay, you're all set."
"And just in time, too. Thank you again, Matthew," Father Lantom said.
"You're welcome. Do you need us to stay and help serve?"
"No, I have plenty of volunteers for today -- the church's senior youth group offered to help out. They should be here as soon as their meeting wraps up in a few minutes."
"Okay, sounds good." Matt turned towards the door as a cacophony of voices filtered towards him. "Actually I think that's them now."
"Ah, good. Let me go get them situated then."
Matt nodded. "Oh, do you mind if I leave my cart of stuff here and pick it up tomorrow? I have a few more errands to run after this and wasn't really thinking about needing to drop it all off at the restaurant tonight."
"Oh, no, not at all. Go right ahead."
"Thanks."
Matt began packing his supplies back into their respective containers while you finished washing the various dishes the two of you had used.
"Here you go," you said, handing Matt his set of measuring cups.
Matt froze as your fingers brushed against his palm, your touch softer than silk.
He swallowed. "Thanks."
You stepped away, your heartbeat increasing slightly. "No problem."
Matt finished packing up while you put away the kitchen supplies you had used. He ached to caress your skin, to know what you would feel like under his own touch.
He sighed and moved the cart out of the way. "Okay, I think that's everything."
"Okay, great."
Matt grabbed his gym bag and led you out of the kitchen and into the dining hall, where Father Lantom was giving assignments to the volunteers.
He turned towards the two of you. "Ah, all done?"
Matt nodded. "Yes, we got everything cleaned up and I moved my cart out of the way for now."
"Okay, wonderful. Thank you again for your help."
"You're welcome," you said. "It was lovely to meet you, Father Lantom."
"You too, my dear. See you tomorrow, Matthew."
Matt took his cane out of his pocket and unfolded it. "Have a good evening."
"Where to next?" you asked as the two of you headed outside.
Matt shook his head. He wanted to keep your next destination a surprise until you got there. "Can't tell you yet, but do you trust me?"
You were quiet for a moment. "Yeah," you finally said. "Yeah, I trust you."
Matt felt a wave of relief. "Okay, good. This way, then."
He bit his lip as the two of you set off down the street. He just hoped he wasn't making a mistake by letting you into his world.
#lotmf writes#Cooking Up Love Masterlist#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt murdock x you
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Cooking Up Love, Chapter 7
Pairing: Chef!Matt Murdock x F!Journalist!Reader
Rating: T
Story Summary: Here
Warnings/Tags: Hallmark levels of fluffy, cheesy goodness (and speed that their relationship develops, lol), no use of Y/N, Matt is not a vigilante, idiots in love, pining... so much pining
Word Count: ~3800
A/N: As promised, here's the 2nd half of Chef Matt & Reader's Sunday afternoon together! Enjoy!
And thank you as always to @theradioactivespidergwen for the super cute divider she made for me!
Tag List: @yarrystyleeza @hailey-murdock @mattkinsella @bellaxgiornata @danzer8705 @chezagnes @shouldbestudying41 @thepunisherfrankcastle @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment
Where the hell are we going? you wondered as you and Matt headed away from Clinton Church.
It wasn't like you weren't afraid he was taking you off somewhere to murder you -- you truly did feel safe with Matt and hadn't been lying when you had said that you trusted him. "Any hint as to where we're going?"
Matt shook his head. "I know it sounds weird, but I'd rather just show you, if that's okay?"
You nodded. It seemed important to Matt that your destination remain a mystery, so you decided not to push. "Okay."
You continued walking past various shops and storefronts until finally Matt stopped. "Okay, we're here."
You peered at the faded letters on the door.
Fogwell's Gym
You remembered Matt saying that he frequently worked out after service, but couldn't quite understand what was so special about the location that required the need for secrecy. Well, at least that explains the gym bag.
Matt pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door before stepping inside. "Come on in."
You followed him into the darkened gym and waited as he turned the lights on before looking around.
Cubbyholes lined the wall to the left of the door while several punching bags hung to the right. A large boxing ring was situated in the middle of the room, with wooden steps leading up to it.
Matt gestured towards what you assumed was the locker room. "I'm going to go get changed into my workout clothes. Be right back."
You nodded. "Okay."
While Matt was in the locker room, you took the opportunity to look at the flyers advertising various past boxing matches tacked to the wall. Johnson vs Lewis, Conway vs Roberts, Creel vs Murdock…
You sucked in a breath, reaching out to touch the poster. Creel vs Murdock. Now it makes sense.
You heard Matt come out of the locker room and set his bag down.
"This is where your dad trained, isn't it?" you asked, your eyes still on the poster.
You heard Matt sigh. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."
You turned towards him and froze. As handsome as he was while wearing his chef's coat and black slacks or a t-shirt and jeans, he was even more gorgeous in a black tank top, gray sweatpants, and tennis shoes.
Your gaze drifted up to his face. His glasses were gone, revealing beautiful hazel eyes that were fixed in your direction.
Matt must've felt you staring at him, because he ducked his head and began rummaging through his gym bag. "I, uh, I started coming here back when I was in culinary school," he explained. "I was struggling during my first semester and thinking about dropping out, so I came to the one place I knew where I would feel close to my dad to see if I could figure out what he would say."
He took out a small bundle of what looked like Ace bandages and began to wrap his hands. "I was having a particularly bad day that day -- there was this one professor who had been giving me a hard time about my need for certain accommodations -- so I began to take my frustration out on a punching bag."
You had found when people started to open up it was better to just let them keep talking rather than interrupt with questions, so you remained silent.
"With each punch I could hear my dad telling me that he was proud of me," Matt continued as he finished wrapping one hand and started on the other. "And that Murdocks never give up no matter how hard things get. So I decided to stay in culinary school and work my ass off to prove that I have what it takes to be a great chef and make my dad proud of me."
Before you could second-guess yourself, you walked over to Matt and wrapped your arms around him in a hug.
You thought for a split second that you might have crossed a line, but before you could let go and apologize Matt relaxed into your embrace, circling his arms around you and tucking his face into your neck.
You held him briefly, then let go and stepped back.
Matt began to redo the wrap that he had begun, keeping his face turned downward. "I've, uh, I've never actually told anybody about that before. Not even Foggy."
Your heart constricted. You couldn't even begin to imagine the hardship that Matt must have had to go through in order to prove himself as a chef. "Thank you for sharing it with me."
Matt paused. "I don't suppose I can ask you to keep that off the record, can I?"
You nodded. "I will, if that's what you want. It'll stay just between us."
Matt huffed out a breath. "Thank you."
You sat on the bench as Matt moved in front of the punching bag. "So, I suppose you're going to show me some moves, huh?"
Matt chuckled. "If you'd like."
You watched as Matt did a few stretches, appreciating the way his biceps flexed as he moved. And if your eyes drifted southward, well… you were only human. Cake, indeed. One could bounce a quarter off of that ass.
Your eyes snapped back to Matt's face, which bore a small smirk.
He reached out and touched the punching bag, found the center, then adjusted his stance, raising his fists in front of his face.
You watched in fascination as he skillfully maneuvered his way around the bag, landing punches as if he was squaring off against one of the greatest fighters of all time. He certainly doesn't fight like a blind man.
Finally he paused, chest heaving.
He steadied the punching bag. "Would you mind handing me that towel, please?"
You resisted the urge to lick the sweat off of his neck. "Oh, uh, yeah, sure."
You handed the towel to him. "So are you sure you haven't had professional training?"
Matt grinned as he wiped his face and neck down with the towel. "Yeah, I'm sure."
He draped the towel around his neck and picked up his gym bag. "I'm going to go take a quick shower and change, but I'll be back in a minute, if that's okay?"
You nodded. "Yeah, of course."
While you waited for him to return you checked your phone for messages, replying to an email from an artist you had featured a few weeks prior thanking you for your article.
You put your phone away and stood, glancing briefly over at the entrance to the locker room before walking in front of the punching bag.
You closed your eyes, curled your right hand into a fist, and swung, missing the bag completely.
You opened your eyes, frowning. Maybe I wasn't close enough.
You moved a bit closer, then closed your eyes again.
You swung at the bag, this time barely connecting.
"...Your stance is off."
You gasped and whirled around, a hand flying over your chest. "Jesus, Matt, you scared me."
Matt stood next to the boxing ring, this time dressed in a dark blue t-shirt that clearly showed off his muscles and dark blue sweatpants.
He smiled softly at you. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
You shook your head, trying to calm your racing heart. "It's alright. I was just… um… just…"
"Trying to figure out how a blind man can hit a punching bag so easily?" Matt nodded in understanding. "I probably should have told you, but I'm not actually completely blind."
"Oh," you replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I'm so sorry, I just assumed…"
Matt shook his head. "It's okay. The chemicals that got into my eyes basically fried my synapses, so whatever is directly in front of me looks like a black mass and the rest of my line of vision is what I can best describe as a 'world on fire'."
He tapped the side of his glasses, which you had belatedly realized were back on his face. "The red lenses help neutralize that part."
You huffed out a light laugh. "And here I thought you just wore them because they made you look cool."
Matt grinned. "You think they make me look cool?"
More like slightly mysterious and incredibly hot. Your face heated slightly. "Eh, maybe a little."
Matt shook his head with a chuckle. "Ready to head out?"
You nodded. "Mmhmm."
Matt gestured towards the door. "After you."
"So, where to next?" you asked as the two of you headed outside.
Matt shook his head. "Actually, that was my last errand."
"Oh." You couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that you had to go your separate ways. "Okay, so I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Yeah, tomorrow." Matt bit his lip. "Um, that is… unless you'd like to have dinner with me tonight? My place? My apartment's not too far from here."
You nodded, unable to keep a smile off of your face. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd actually really like that."
Matt unfolded his cane. "Great! I mean, it's the least I could do after you helped me out this afternoon at the soup kitchen."
Your heart sank slightly. Of course he meant it as a thank-you, how else would he have meant it? "Oh. Um, it was no problem. I was happy to help."
Matt turned the opposite of the way you were facing. "This way, then."
As you headed down the street, you couldn't help but entertain the thought of Matt having invited you over for dinner not because he felt obligated to as a thank-you, but because he hadn't been ready for your time together to end either.
You mentally shook your head. It's just as a thank-you for helping him out at the church, that's it.
…You just wished it hadn't been.
Why the hell did I say that? Matt thought to himself as the two of you walked towards his apartment. He'd had every intention of asking you to have dinner with him as a (sort-of) date, but the second you had said yes he had second-guessed himself and blurted out the bit about it being as a thank-you for helping him out at Clinton Church.
He mentally shook his head as the two of you stopped at a crosswalk. Maybe I can fix this.
Before he could say anything, you cleared your throat. "You know, I'm sure you're tired and I don't want to be an inconvenience, so I actually think I'll just head ho--"
"No!" Matt shook his head. "I mean, no, it's not an inconvenience. I was going to make something to eat when I got home anyway, so it's not a problem to make an extra serving."
He inwardly cringed. Way to make things worse. "Actually, what I meant was that I've really enjoyed your company today and would like to have dinner with you."
He could feel you relax. "I've enjoyed your company today too," you admitted softly. "If you're sure it's not a big deal…"
Matt nodded. "I'm sure."
"Then okay. I'd love to have dinner with you."
Matt smiled in relief. "Great. And actually now that I think about it, I do have one more stop before we get back to my apartment. I need to harvest some herbs from my plot at the community garden, but it'll only take a minute."
"Okay."
The two of you continued on as the crosswalk signal beeped and changed to walk .
"So what kind of herbs do you grow?" you asked.
"All sorts of culinary varieties," Matt replied. "Rosemary, thyme, basil, lavender, and mint."
"Oh, cool."
Matt nodded. "Unfortunately I have to outsource my herbs for the restaurant since I don't have the space to grow the amount that we would need, but this works for my own personal use."
He slowed as you reached the garden. "Welcome to the Hell's Kitchen Community Garden."
"Oh wow," you said. "I never even knew this was here."
Matt led you down the center path then to the right, following along the fence line to his plot in the back corner. "It hasn't been here too terribly long, maybe six months or so."
"And you said Claire from the farmer's market runs it?"
Matt nodded. "Yeah. She petitioned the council to turn the property into a community space and keeps track of who has which plot and everything."
You hummed. "I might have to talk to my boss about covering the community garden for the paper too. This is really neat."
"That would be great. It definitely would raise more awareness and hopefully bring more funding for upkeep." Matt stopped in front of his plot. "This is mine."
He knelt down and felt his basil plants before picking a few leaves and placing them into a small storage container he kept in the side pocket of his gym bag. "All set."
He led you back out of the garden and down the street towards his apartment building, frowning at the distant rumble of thunder. Well, there goes my plan to have dinner on the roof. "Sounds like it's about to rain."
"Yeah, it does seem like it's getting a bit cloudy," you replied. "Is your place much farther?"
Matt shook his head. "No, it's just up ahead."
"Oh, okay."
You walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence.
"Okay, here we are," Matt said as you reached his apartment building.
He led you to the elevator and pressed the button for his floor, the sound of rain beginning to fall as the elevator began to ascend. "Sounds like we made it just in time."
"Yeah, thank goodness," you replied. "I wasn't expecting it to rain so I didn't bring my umbrella with me."
You can always just stay the night… Matt shook his head. "I have one you can borrow if you need to, or I can call you a cab if it's still raining hard when you leave later."
He took his keys out of his pocket as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "This way."
He led you down the hall to his apartment and unlocked the door, then opened it and ushered you inside as another roll of thunder rumbled overhead.
He closed the door and dropped his keys into the bowl on the side table in the entryway before folding up his cane and setting it next to the bowl. "Come on in."
He tried to ignore his sudden nervousness. It had been a long time since he'd had someone who wasn't Foggy or Karen in his personal space and hoped you wouldn't judge how barren his apartment was.
He turned on the lights then headed to his refrigerator. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Oh, um, sure," you replied. "Whatever you're having is fine."
He heard you walk over to the large window in his living area as he pulled out 2 bottles of beer along with a block of pecorino cheese and some pancetta. He had gotten an incredible deal on his apartment because of the gigantic neon sign that was situated on the roof of the neighboring building, so he was sure that was what you were looking at.
He quickly washed the fresh basil he had picked and patted it dry, then set the cheese and pancetta down on the kitchen island before popping the tops off of the bottles and walking over to you. "Here you go."
Your fingers brushed his as he handed you the bottle, a now-familiar tingle coursing through Matt's veins. "Thank you."
Matt swallowed and took a sip of his beer. "Quite the view, huh?" he said, gesturing out the window.
You huffed out a laugh. "It's very, um… picturesque."
Matt shook his head with a grin. "Funny, that's exactly how the real estate agent that sold me this place described it." He leaned in conspiratorially. "I have a feeling she might not've been telling me the truth though."
You laughed again. "Okay, it is a bit obnoxious."
Matt chuckled. "I really do keep meaning to get some blackout curtains, but since it's just me it's never really been a bother."
You hummed. "I honestly don't mind it. It gives your apartment an interesting glow."
Matt could imagine the two of you together on his sofa, the glow of the billboard the only light in the darkened room as he gently caressed your cheek, your lips inches from his own--
He mentally shook his head and gestured to his kitchen island. "Have a seat and I'll get started on dinner."
He heard you sit as he began to gather the rest of the ingredients, placing the eggs he had taken out of his refrigerator that morning into a bowl and setting it on the island before washing his hands and filling a pot about halfway with water.
He set the pot on the stove and seasoned it with some salt, then turned the burner on high to let the water boil.
He crossed back to the island and roughly chopped the fresh basil he had picked, then quickly whisked together 3 egg yolks and an entire egg before grating a generous amount of cheese into the mixture, giving it an additional stir before setting it aside.
He could feel you quietly watching him as he unwrapped the pancetta and began cutting it into small cubes, unable to help but wonder what you were thinking. You'd had the same focus the day before when he had made your crepes, but you had been recording your conversation then and had asked questions about his culinary process. This felt… different. More personal, like you were deep in thought.
He cleared his throat. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"What?" You startled slightly. "Oh, sorry, it's nothing. Just trying to figure out what we're having for dinner."
You were lying to him, but Matt couldn't figure out exactly why or what about. "Oh, I'm making spaghetti carbonara. It's traditionally made with guanciale, but my supplier was out, so pancetta will have to suffice for today."
"Your supplier… Oh, right, Frank, wasn't it?"
Matt shook his head then moved back to the stove, dropping the spaghetti into the pot of boiling water before moving the pancetta to the pan. "He doesn't do cured meats. I get those and other specialty items from Nelson's Meats."
You made a curious sound. "Nelson… as in Chef Nelson?"
Matt nodded as he stirred the pancetta around. "Foggy's family owns it. Best capicola in the tri-state area."
He finished cooking the pancetta and turned the skillet off, then scooped some of the pasta water into a measuring cup before draining the pasta and adding it to the pancetta. "Dinner's almost ready if you want to move to the table."
"Okay."
As you moved to Matt's dining table, he gave the egg mixture another stir before pouring it into the pan, adding a bit of the pasta water and using tongs to mix it all together.
Once it was a perfectly smooth consistency, he added some freshly-ground black pepper and separated it into two bowls before adding an extra sprinkle of cheese and some chopped basil on top of each serving.
He placed a fork in each bowl, then brought them over to you, setting yours in front of you and his in front of his spot across from you. "Dinner is served."
You gave a slight gasp. "Oh my goodness, Matt, this looks amazing."
"Thanks." Matt quickly grabbed two wine glasses and gave them a quick rinse before taking a bottle of Pinot Gris out of his refrigerator and pouring you each a glass.
He set your glass down before sitting across from you. "The beer we were drinking doesn't really go with carbonara so I've selected a wine pairing, if that's alright?"
You gave a hum of affirmation. "Of course it's alright."
Matt nodded. "Okay, well, enjoy."
He waited nervously as you took a bite.
You let out a pleased sound. "Oh my goodness, this is so good."
Matt grinned in relief. "Yeah?"
"Yes, absolutely. Everything you've made for me so far has been amazing."
"I'm glad." Matt took a bite of his own carbonara, the silky smoothness of the sauce pairing perfectly with the crispy pancetta and al dente noodles. "It's not quite traditional carbonara but it's very close."
"Right, you said it's traditionally made with guanciale."
Matt nodded. "And no herbs are usually added, but I like the flavor a bit of fresh basil adds to the dish."
"Mmm. Mmhmm. Yeah, I like it too."
You both continued eating and once you were done, Matt stood. "Here, I'll get this for you."
"Thanks."
"I'm afraid I don't have any dessert prepared, but would you like another glass of wine?"
"Yeah, I'd love one."
Matt grabbed the bottle of Pinot Gris and refilled your glasses. "Care to go sit on the couch?"
"Sure."
You took a sip of wine as the two of you sat together on Matt's sofa. "I really like your apartment, by the way. It suits you."
Matt shook his head with a small smile. "It's not much, but it's home."
You huffed out a laugh. "It's not what I originally expected, but to be honest, neither were you."
"Oh?" Matt turned towards you. "And what did you expect?"
"About you or your apartment?"
"Mmm, both, I suppose."
"Well, had I based my idea of what your apartment would be like on my first impression of you it would've been cold and industrial with no heart."
Matt winced. "Ouch."
"However, having gotten to know you over the past few days I would say warm and inviting with a certain charm."
A smile spread across Matt's face. "You think I'm charming?"
"Your apartment? Very. You? Maybe a tiny bit."
Matt smirked at the teasing tone in your voice. "A tiny bit? I guess I'll just have to work harder on charming you then."
You let out a light laugh. "No need, I'll send you a copy of my article before publication anyway."
"Okay, thanks." Although that's not the reason I want to charm you.
You finished your glass of wine. "And speaking of my article, I should probably get going -- I have to be at the Bulletin early tomorrow for our weekly staff meeting."
Matt nodded and stood. "Here, I'll walk you out."
"Thanks for inviting me along today," you said softly as you reached the door. "I had a really great time."
Matt nodded, unable to keep a smile off of his face. "I did too."
"I'll see you tomorrow evening?"
Matt nodded again. "Six o'clock?"
"Yeah, that sounds perfect."
"Okay, great."
The two of you stood there for a moment longer. Finally you reached out and gave Matt a brief hug. "Goodnight, Matt."
Matt hugged you back, committing what he could of you to memory. "Goodnight."
He waited as you let yourself out, an idea forming in his mind.
…He just hoped he was able to pull it off.
#lotmf writes#Cooking Up Love Masterlist#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt murdock x you
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Cooking Up Love, Chapter 5
Pairing: Chef!Matt Murdock x F!Journalist!Reader
Rating: T (for now, might change, probably won't)
Story Summary: Here
Warnings/Tags: Hallmark levels of fluffy, cheesy goodness (and speed that their relationship develops, lol), no use of Y/N, Matt is not a vigilante, but he is a naughty-minded flirt 😉
Word Count: exactly 3200 for this chapter
A/N: And we're back! Thank you to everyone who's been enjoying this story so far, and please let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list for this or any of my others!
(Thanks to @theradioactivespidergwen for the divider she made for me!)
Tag List: @yarrystyleeza @hailey-murdock @mattkinsella @bellaxgiornata @danzer8705 @chezagnes @shouldbestudying41 @thepunisherfrankcastle
Ugh, this is ridiculous, you thought to yourself the next morning as you tossed yet another rejected outfit onto your bed. You had been torn between wanting to dress professionally since you were technically working and wearing something more casual since you knew you would be watching Chef Murdock cook and didn't want to accidentally ruin one of your nicer outfits, and had ransacked your closet in order to find something in-between. It's not like it actually matters what I wear anyway.
Finally you pulled on a pair of jeans and a cute-but-casual top then hurriedly finished getting ready before heading towards Daredevil.
You sucked in a breath as you spotted Chef Murdock waiting for you outside of the restaurant. Goddamn, even dressed casually he's sexy as all hell.
He was dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans today, paired with black sneakers and a comfortably-worn-looking brown leather jacket.
His head turned towards you as you approached. "Good morning," he said with a smile.
"Hi," you replied. "How'd you know it was me?"
"You slowed down as you approached me," Chef Murdock replied. "If it hadn't been you you more than likely wouldn't have changed your pace, so I made an educated guess."
"Oh, okay, yeah, that makes sense." You shook your head. "I guess you kinda have to pay extra attention to your surroundings, huh?"
Chef Murdock nodded. “Yeah, I’ve had to learn to utilize my remaining senses to adapt to the environment around me.”
He held a to-go cup of coffee out towards you. "Here, I picked up some coffee for you. I wasn't exactly sure what you'd want so I got you something based on what you were drinking at the Bulletin the other day."
Your eyebrows raised. To you your coffee always smelled like, well, coffee, but Chef Murdock was trained in the culinary arts -- he could probably tell what sweeteners and syrups were in a cup of coffee just from the scent alone.
You took a sip then nodded in approval. "This is great. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Chef Murdock took a sip of his own coffee. "So since any culinary dish starts with its ingredients, I thought we'd begin our cooking demo at the farmer's market this morning."
You nodded. "Okay, yeah, that sounds great. Do you mind if I record our conversation while we walk? Sometimes something will jump out in casual conversation that's good for my article."
Chef Murdock shook his head. "Not at all."
"Great, thanks." You took your phone out of your pocket and started recording, once again stating your name, the date, and the time. "Interview of Chef Matthew Murdock, part 2."
Chef Murdock gestured down the sidewalk. "Shall we, then?"
"Sure."
You headed down the sidewalk together, the gentle tapping of Chef Murdock's cane against the pavement creating a rhythm with your steps.
"So, um, how was dinner service last night?" you asked.
"It was… okay," Chef Murdock replied. "Not quite what I'd hoped for in terms of customers, but we're still finding our footing."
You nodded. "Well, hopefully my profile of you for the Bulletin will help get the word out."
Chef Murdock nodded. "Fingers crossed. So what about you? How was your evening? Have any big Friday night plans?"
You shook your head with a light laugh. "Not unless you counted a date with my Netflix account."
Chef Murdock chuckled. "That actually sounds really nice."
"I would ask if you got to do anything after the restaurant closed, but I'm sure you probably just went home and rested."
Chef Murdock shook his head. "Actually, I have after-hours access to a gym near my apartment, so I frequently go there to work off my energy from service before heading home."
I wonder what kind of workouts he does to gain those biceps of his , you thought as you glanced over at his arms.
"Boxing."
You looked up at Chef Murdock's face, which was sporting a small smirk. Shit, did I say that out loud? "Pardon?"
"I said I box," Chef Murdock repeated. "It helps me blow off steam after service and focus when I'm stuck on a recipe."
"Ah, okay. So did your dad teach you how to fight?"
Chef Murdock shook his head. "No, he didn't want me to be part of that world, said he wanted better for me than to come home with bruises and broken ribs every night like he did. He encouraged me to focus on my education, said he didn’t want to see me have to struggle in life like he did."
You looked up at him as the two of you paused at a crosswalk. "I think he would be proud of you, you know."
Chef Murdock sighed. "I would hope so. Not sure he'd be too proud of the way I treated you when we first met the other day though."
You shook your head. "It’s okay, really. We all have our off days. And speaking of off days, do you get any time off to relax and do anything fun?"
Chef Murdock nodded. "I take Sunday after brunch service to relax and unwind. Sometimes Mondays too, but most Mondays I'm at the restaurant testing and perfecting new recipes."
"Like your apology tiramisu?"
Chef Murdock chuckled. "Yeah, but I'm also working on a few other recipes as well right now, appetizers and main dishes and such."
You continued on as the crosswalk sign switched from 'stop' to 'walk'. "How long have you been at the Bulletin ?" Chef Murdock asked.
"Five years," you replied. "I was at the Bugle for a little while before that, but the editor was only interested in unsubstantiated gossip and wouldn't let me write the kind of pieces I wanted to write."
"Which are human-interest stories?"
You nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I like to dig into a good investigative assignment just as much as the next journalist, but my stories don't always have to be hard-hitting exposés -- I want our readers to connect to the people I write about."
Chef Murdock looked contemplative. "That's admirable. So what made you want to be a journalist?"
"I've always loved listening to people talk about their lives and hearing about their hopes and dreams. One day I decided I wanted to be able to share their stories with the world and since I always had a knack for writing, I decided to become a journalist."
"Where did you go to school?"
You huffed out a light laugh. "Hey, who's interviewing who here?"
Chef Murdock grinned, his cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink. "Sorry."
You shook your head. "It's fine, I'm totally kidding. I just didn't think you'd want to hear me ramble on about myself."
Chef Murdock shook his head. "No, it's fine, I uh… Actually I really like your voice."
Your face heated. "Oh."
Chef Murdock shrugged, suddenly looking a bit shy. "I mean, I can't recognize people by their looks, obviously, so I pay a lot of attention to people's voices. Yours sounds nice."
Your heart fluttered again. Chill out, he's not flirting with you. "Thank you. I, um, I went to Columbia, by the way."
Chef Murdock nodded. "I considered going there -- thought about being a lawyer for a while, but I ultimately decided to go to culinary school instead."
You could picture Chef Murdock in a business suit, arguing a case in front of a captivated jury. He certainly could sway my opinion. "Oh, wow, that's… quite a different career path."
"Yeah, I thought that was what my dad would have wanted me to do but I eventually realized that what he really would have wanted was for me to be happy and do what I love."
"Which is cooking."
Chef Murdock smiled. "Yeah, cooking really is my passion. I love taking different ingredients and putting them together in order to create something for people to enjoy."
"That's really nice."
The two of you slowed down as you reached the lot where the farmer's market was held. "Here we are," Chef Murdock said.
You looked at the expanse of booths. "So, um, if you don't mind me asking… how do you know which vendors are where?"
Chef Murdock smiled and shook his head. "No, I don't mind at all. The vendors all have assigned spaces, so I've learned to map out who is located where. Plus Foggy comes with me most of the time to help out, or Karen will if Foggy's not available."
"Oh, okay."
The two of you began walking down the first row of vendors. "So, what are we looking for?"
Chef Murdock shook his head. "We're just going to browse and see what we can find."
He slowed as you reached a booth featuring baskets of farm-fresh eggs. "We'll definitely need some eggs though."
You nodded. "Okay."
The two of you stopped at the booth.
"Good morning, Chef," the vendor said. "How can I help you today?"
"Morning, Oscar," Chef Murdock replied. "We'd like a dozen eggs, please."
"Of course." The vendor waved a hand at the baskets of eggs. "Take your pick."
Chef Murdock reached out and felt the eggs in one of the baskets. "We'll take these."
The vendor nodded. "Alrighty then."
He took the eggs out of the basket and set them in a cardboard carton. "That'll be $5."
Chef Murdock took his wallet out of his pocket and opened it before taking out a $5 bill and handing it to the vendor.
The vendor took it then handed Chef Murdock the carton of eggs. "Here you go, Chef. See you next week."
Matt gave the vendor a slight nod. "Thanks, Oscar. See ya."
The two of you continued on, stopping occasionally to chat with different vendors and purchase various fruits and vegetables. You watched in fascination as Chef Murdock took his time choosing each one, squeezing and smelling each individual item before deciding whether or not it was worth purchasing.
Finally you asked, "how can you tell if something is ripe or not?"
"Each individual fruit and vegetable has a distinct firmness and smell to them," Chef Murdock replied as the two of you stopped at a booth that was selling mangos. "I've learned to determine at what point they're at their ripest."
He picked up a mango. "Like mangos, for instance."
He took your hand and placed the mango in it. "Feel how firm this one is?"
You nodded, trying to focus on the fruit in your hand and not how Chef Murdock's touch was making your heart start to race. "Uh huh."
"Now smell it."
You held the mango up to your nose. "I don't smell anything."
"That means it's not quite ripe yet." Chef Murdock took the mango and set another one in your hand. "On the other hand, this one is a bit overripe."
You squeezed the mango, this one much softer than the other. "Okay."
Chef Murdock held a third mango up to your nose. "Smell this one."
You inhaled, a slightly mango-y scent filling your nostrils. "It smells like mango."
Chef Murdock nodded. "Exactly."
He swapped the mango currently in your hand with the one in his. "Now feel it."
You squeezed. It had more give than the first one but less than the second. "Okay, yeah, I can tell the difference."
"This one is perfectly ripe." Chef Murdock took the mango back, his fingertips slowly grazing your palm as he did so.
You swallowed. You couldn't deny that Chef Murdock was extremely attractive, but you were there to do your job, not lust after the man. Keep it professional.
You waited as he selected a few more mangos and paid the vendor before moving on.
You reached the last row of booths and stopped in front of one called Claire-romatherapy.
The vendor walked over to the two of you with a smile on her face. "Morning, Matt."
Chef Murdock grinned. "Morning, Claire."
He turned to introduce the two of you. "Claire helps run the community garden near my apartment," he explained. "I grow herbs there."
"Ah, okay," you replied. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too," Claire said. "So what brings you two by today?"
Matt adjusted the bag he was carrying on his shoulder. "Actually, I'm almost out of that lemon soap and I was wondering if you had any in stock."
Claire nodded. "Actually, yeah, let me grab some for you. How many did you need today?"
"I'll take two. Thanks."
"Sure thing."
You picked up a soy-based candle and gave it a sniff, the subtle scent of coconut and mahogany filling your nose. "Mmm. How much are your candles?"
Claire glanced over at you from where she was sorting through a bin of various soaps. "Six for the smaller ones, ten for the large."
You nodded and went to dig your wallet out of your purse.
Chef Murdock placed a hand on your arm. "I've got it."
You shook your head. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly --"
"No, I insist." Chef Murdock smiled at you. "Considering I'm the one who dragged you out here at 8 AM on a Saturday it's the least I can do."
You bit your lip, then sighed as you put your wallet away. "Okay then. Thank you."
"Alright," Claire said, returning with Chef Murdock's soap. "Total comes to sixteen dollars."
Chef Murdock handed her some cash. "I'll see you next week, Claire."
"Okay. Take care, Matt." Claire turned towards you. "And it was very nice to meet you."
"You too," you replied.
"Alright, I think that's everything," Chef Murdock said as the two of you walked back towards the entrance. "Let's get back to the restaurant."
You nodded as you headed down the sidewalk together, excited to find out what sort of culinary creation Chef Murdock had in mind.
"Okay," Matt said half an hour later as he set a plate of crepes topped with fresh fruit, honey, and whipped cream in front of where you sat at the prep counter in the kitchen at Daredevil.
After finishing up at the farmer's market the two of you had gone back to the restaurant, where you had watched Matt prepare breakfast.
Matt had admittedly shown off his skills a bit, making perfectly cooked crepes and slicing the fruit with culinary precision before making freshly whipped cream.
"Oh my gosh, this looks amazing," you said.
Matt smiled as he set his own plate down across from you. "Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks then."
He waited as you cut a piece and took a bite. He knew every ingredient was exactly as it should be but was still nervous about your reaction.
You let out a moan. "Ohmigod ."
Matt sucked in a breath, his mind wandering to other sorts of situations in which he could get you to make those pleased sounds for him. He knew you were attracted to him -- all of the physiological signs he had picked up on had pointed to such -- and the more he had gotten to know you over the past several days, the more attracted he found himself becoming towards you in return.
He cleared his throat, fighting to keep his thoughts professional. "Good?"
You made a sound of affirmation as you took another bite. "Please tell me that your crepes are on the Sunday brunch menu."
Matt chuckled as he took a bite of his own crepes. "As a matter of fact, they are."
You took a sip of the freshly-squeezed orange juice Matt had also prepared. "Mmm, good, because now I know what I'm doing tomorrow morning."
Come home with me tonight and I'll make you all the crepes you want.
Matt could imagine himself in his apartment's kitchen, making breakfast as you sat at his kitchen island wearing nothing but one of his shirts after a night of passionate lovemaking.
He mentally shook his head. He would definitely need to blow off some steam at the gym after service tonight. "I'm glad you like them."
You made another pleased sound. "These are amazing, honestly."
The two of you continued eating in comfortable silence. Once you were finished, you set your fork onto your plate. "That was so good."
Matt smiled. "Thanks."
He picked up your plates and brought them to the sink to wash them later, then turned towards the receiving door as the bell rang. "Oh, excuse me one second."
He walked over and answered it, the smell of motor oil and fresh blood filling his nostrils. "Hey, Frank."
"Hiya, Red," Frank replied. "I've got your delivery for today."
Matt nodded. "Come on in."
Frank wheeled the cooler with the fresh meat Matt had ordered into the kitchen, pausing when he saw you. "I didn't realize you had company. I could've come later."
Matt shook his head before introducing you. "She's doing a profile on me for the Bulletin. "
He gestured back to Frank. "This is Frank Castle. He's our meat supplier for the restaurant."
"Nice to meet you," you said.
"Likewise, ma'am," Frank replied.
Matt took the clipboard Frank handed him, feeling for the sticky flag he needed to sign by. "Give me just a second to take care of this."
"Actually, I should get going," you said. "I'm sure you have to start prepping for service soon and I don't want to be in the way."
As much as Matt didn't want you to have to go, you were right. He nodded. "Give me just a second and I'll walk you out."
"Okay."
He finished signing off on the meat order and handed the clipboard back to Frank. "Thanks, Frank."
Frank shook his hand. "No problem, Red, see ya Tuesday. Ma'am."
"Nice to meet you," you said.
Matt waited until the rumble of Frank's truck faded off into the distance before turning back to you. "By the way, if you're ever looking for someone interesting to profile, Frank's your guy."
"Oh?" you replied curiously as he escorted you towards the front door.
Matt nodded. "He's a former military veteran who was shot in the head while overseas then lost his wife and kids in a shootout between two rival gangs."
You sucked in a breath. "Oh my gosh, that's awful."
"He became a rancher in order to help with the PTSD and is now one of the biggest beef suppliers in New York."
"I'll definitely keep him in mind then. Thanks."
You both paused as you reached the door.
"I… I had a really nice time today, Chef Murdock," you finally said. "Thanks for everything."
"No problem." Matt rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Um, you know… you can call me Matt if you'd like."
"Okay," you said, a smile in your voice. "Thanks… Matt."
Matt smiled at the way his first name rolled off your tongue. "You're welcome."
"I'll see you tomorrow?"
Matt nodded. "Have Karen let me know that you're here and I'll come say hi."
"I will."
Matt unlocked the door. "See you tomorrow."
He sighed as he let you out then locked the door behind you. It was getting more and more difficult to fight the mutual attraction between you… and honestly, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to keep fighting it.
#lotmf writes#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x female reader#matt murdock x you#Cooking Up Love Masterlist
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Sweet on You, Chapter 5
Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Story Summary: HERE
Warnings/Tags: Sugar Daddy!Matt Murdock, Idiots to Lovers, No Age Gap, Alternating PoV, No Use of Y/N
Word Count: ~2k
A/N: None for this chapter except enjoy!
(Divider by the superb @theradioactivespidergwen !)
Tag List: @danzer8705 @capylore @shouldbestudying41 @atemydadforbreakfast @peachy-flxwr @sleepysleepymom @fishinsuits @milkbummm @lazyxsquirrel @beezusvreeland @caughtthefever @bohemianrhapsody86 @yarrystyleeza @indestructeible @pepperthebi-spy @kezibear
How does Italian sound for tomorrow night? I was thinking Casa Italia over on 51st.
You couldn't help but smile as you noticed the text notification from Matt on your phone.
He had apparently texted you several hours prior but you had been busy taking notes for Mr. DiStefano during a meeting with an important client most of the morning and had just gotten a second to breathe before having to go pick up lunch for the partners (because God forbid they be willing to pay a few extra bucks for delivery and tip instead of sending you to go fetch it).
That sounds great, you replied. What time and where did you want to meet?
You put your phone back into your pants pocket and gathered your purse, then stopped by your boss's office. “Excuse me, Mr. DiStefano, I'm heading out to go pick up your lunch.”
Mr. DiStefano nodded. “As soon as you get back I need you to input the payments that came in this morning and bring the checks to the bank since you didn't do it earlier.”
Your eye twitched. The reason you hadn't done the deposit yet was because right after you had signed for the incoming checks and the courier had left you had been called into that 3-hour meeting. As it was, you'd barely had time to lock the envelopes in your top desk drawer and forward the main phone line to voicemail before Mr. DiStefano was exaggeratedly sighing while looking at his watch.
You plastered a fake smile on your face. On top of still needing to do the day's deposit you also had to transcribe the notes you had taken during the meeting while they were still semi-fresh in your mind, return phone calls, forward voicemails, schedule more meetings, and prepare and send the day’s invoices. “Of course, sir.”
You continued down the hall towards Mr. Williams’s office, passing the doorway without stopping when you heard him and Mr. Abbott laughing together in Mr. Abbott’s office.
“...So then she goes -- she goes, ‘oh, okay’ and drinks it anyway!” Mr. Abbott was saying. “Dumb as a box of rocks, but at least she had a nice rack.”
You rolled your eyes before stopping in front of his office. What a tool.
You knocked on the doorframe. “Excuse me, Mr. Abbott?”
Mr. Abbott paused and looked past Mr. Williams to you. “Yes?”
You fought to keep your smile. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm just letting you both know that I'm going to go pick up your lunches now.”
Mr. Williams, who had also turned towards you once he realized you were in the doorway, nodded.
Mr. Abbott dug his wallet out of his pocket and handed you a laundry pickup ticket. “While you're out, pick up my dry cleaning for me. Thanks, dollface.”
What you wanted to say was ‘fuck you and your fucking dry cleaning’ but instead you forced yourself to remain calm. “Sure thing, Mr. Abbott. Mr. Williams, do you need anything else while I'm out?”
Mr. Williams glanced at Mr. Abbott briefly before looking back at you and shaking his head. “Not at the moment, no.”
You nodded. “Okay then, I'll be back soon.”
Your smile dropped as soon as you turned away from the doorway. There goes any chance of me having a lunch break. At least by some miracle all three of the partners had ordered from the same restaurant today so you (probably) wouldn't be late getting back.
You took a deep breath. It'll be fine.You got this.
You made sure that the phone was still forwarding to voicemail then headed out.
You waited until you had gotten down the block a ways before you took your phone out of your pocket, pulled up your contacts, and pressed the dial button.
You put your phone up to your ear as it began to ring.
“Sky’s the Limit Tech Consulting, this is Roxanne,” said the voice on the other end.
You smiled at the sound of Roxy’s voice. She was the little sister you had never had -- despite your 11-year age difference the two of you had grown close over the three and a half years she had worked at DiStefano and Associates. “Hi, Rox.”
Roxy said your name. “Oh my gosh, hi!”
“Is this a bad time?”
“For you? Never. Just give me a second.”
You heard Roxy set the phone down and close her office door.
She picked the receiver back up. “Okay, I'm back. What's up?”
“I just needed someone to vent to for a minute.”
“Still haven't replaced me and Tab yet, huh?”
You sighed deeply. “No, and it'd be one thing if they'd at least mention advertising your positions, but I haven't even heard a peep. I'm honestly starting to feel like they aren't even going to bother replacing you, because why go through the trouble of replacing the two people they lost when they can save money by just running me ragged instead?”
“I'm so sorry, I feel terrible leaving you by yourself. Maybe I should have stayed there instead of accepting my position here.”
You shook your head. “Nope. Not hearing that. You worked your ass off in order to earn your master's degree so you could get your dream job in Silicon Valley. You didn't know Tabitha was going to get fired 2 days after you left New York or that DiStefano was going to decide that 1 assistant was enough for all 3 of them.”
“Still, I feel bad leaving you to have to deal with all 3 partners by yourself.”
You rolled your eyes. Despite the fact that she had been absolutely useless, it had almost been worth having Tabitha around just to distract Abbott from hitting on and making gross, sexist comments towards you. “Ugh, yeah. Abbott just ordered me to pick up his dry cleaning while I'm out getting the partners lunch today and called me ‘dollface’.”
“Eww.”
“And DiStefano pulled me into a 3-hour meeting this morning in order to take notes then made a passive-aggressive comment about me not having done the daily bank deposit yet.” You sighed. “At least Williams hasn't sexually harassed or made me feel incompetent yet today, but since the day’s only half over there's still a chance!”
Roxy groaned. “Girl, fuck them. Why don't you just quit?”
You shook your head. “You know I can't, not if I want to eat and keep a roof over my head while trying to help my mom with her hospital bills.”
Roxy hummed. “Speaking of that, how's your other job going? Found you a hot, rich ‘companion’ yet?”
You grinned as you thought about Matt. “Actually, yeah, I have.”
Roxy gasped. “Hey, that's great! So what's his name?”
You bit your lip. Roxy was the only person who knew about your S&S profile -- after all, she was the one who had gotten you to join -- but your contract made it clear that you wouldn't reveal the nature of your relationship with Matt to anyone. “I can't tell you. He wants to be discreet so he had me sign a contract saying that I won't tell anyone about him and me.”
“Ooh, is he a celebrity?”
You huffed out a laugh. “No, he's an attorney.”
“Married?”
“Nope. Or at least, he told me he was totally single.”
“And you believe him?”
You thought about how honest and genuine Matt seemed to be so far. “Yeah. Yeah, I actually do. He doesn't seem to be trying to hide me in particular, just how we really met and what our arrangement consists of.” You paused. “Anyway, it's really new. We met up for coffee on Saturday and had dinner together Monday night. He took me to Okinawa.”
Roxy whistled. “Okinawa? Wow, he must be loaded. When are you seeing him again?”
“Tomorrow night after work, actually. We're going to Casa Italia.” Which was again a very nice restaurant but thankfully wasn't nearl y as expensive as Okinawa.
“Ooh, nice. Fingers crossed that everything works out for you and that he doesn't turn out to be a creep.”
“Thanks. He seems really sweet so far.”
You slowed as you reached the restaurant from which you were picking up lunch. “I gotta run, but thanks for listening.”
“Hey, any time. Let's FaceTime soon, okay?”
“Okay. Bye, Rox.”
“Bye.”
You hung up and repocketed your phone, slightly disappointed when you didn't have another text from Matt waiting for you.
Even though your arrangement was strictly business, he made you feel like you mattered -- which was way more than you could say for DiStefano, Williams, and Abbott.
“Hey, how did the emergency hearing go?” Foggy asked as Matt walked into the office.
“The judge granted the retrial,” Matt replied with a relieved sigh. “Now we just have to finish reviewing the rest of the evidence to find everything else we need to get Conrad's conviction overturned.”
He’d had to go to court first thing that morning for an emergency hearing -- a new client of theirs who had been wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder in the double shooting of his former fianceé and her then-husband (who had happened to be a U.S. senator) had been scheduled to be transferred from Rikers to a federal penitentiary in three days, but luckily while reviewing the case Matt had discovered a major discrepancy in what the responding officer had testified to on the stand versus what the police report had stated and managed to convince the judge not only to a retrial, but also to delay the transfer so Matt could have access to his client.
Foggy sighed. “You’d have thought that Sanders would've caught that, especially since his trial notes included what Officer Stanton had stated in his initial report.”
Matt shrugged. He had found in his and Foggy's years of law practice that most of the wrongful conviction cases they had taken on (and won) was because some harried public defender had botched their clients’ cases because of overlooked details (or in more than a few cases, just not caring since they weren't getting paid extra for it). “It happens. Either way I'm sure we'll be able to find what we need.”
“Yeah.” Foggy paused. “So hey, how was your date on Monday? Things were so crazy yesterday that I didn't even get to ask you about it.”
Matt smiled. Even though it hadn't actually been a date he had genuinely had a good time with you and was looking forward to your next evening out. “It was good.”
“And? I want details, man!”
“There really aren't many details to share -- she met me over here, we walked to the restaurant, had a nice dinner, then said goodbye and went our separate ways.”
“That’s it?” Foggy sounded disappointed. “Guess that means no second date then.”
Matt grinned and shook his head. “Actually, we made plans for tomorrow night before we left the restaurant.”
He took his phone out of his pocket and turned it back on. “Which reminds me…”
He waited for it to boot up and smiled when his phone announced that you had replied to his earlier text confirming your plans for dinner.
He tapped at his screen and waited as it read off your reply. “ That sounds great. What time and where would you like to meet?”
He tapped the ‘reply’ button. “ Is 7 PM at the restaurant okay with you?” With the retrial being granted, Matt knew that he would be staying late at the office since he needed to prepare.
“That sounds fine,” his phone dictated when you replied a few seconds later. “I'll see you then.”
“At least tell me about her if you're not going to give me specifics about your date,” Foggy said. “What does she do and is she hot?”
Matt chuckled. “She's an office assistant at an architectural firm not far from here and I really wouldn't know if she was hot, but what I do know is that she's nice and that we have a lot in common.”
“So when can we meet her?”
Matt shrugged. He wanted to make sure you were completely comfortable with his and your arrangement before he introduced you to his friends. “I don't know yet. Maybe in a few weeks? Depends on how things progress.”
He shook his head. “Anyway, let's get busy. We've got a trial to prepare for.”
#lotmf writes#Sweet on You Masterlist#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock x f!reader#matt murdock x fem!reader#matt murdock x you
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