Work Text:
The day before Christmas Eve
The last few months had gone quite well. The firm was growing strong, slowly but steadily; their friendship recovered so quickly not even they could believe it; and finally, after a few months of blushing, shy smiles, racing heartbeats, subtle touches and some shopping, it happened.
Foggy had begged for them to help with buying the gifts for six more family members that he had completely forgotten about. The holidays were a huge thing in the Nelson clan and he just couldn't do it alone, so he appealed to his friends with a detailed list of presents and instructions on where to buy them.
With 42 degrees outside, Matt wasn't very amused at first, but then realized he'd get to spend the whole afternoon with Karen, so he thought it wouldn't be too bad after all.
That day they left the office early, put on their scarves and jackets, and headed to the nearest shopping mall.
The streets, the shops, the restaurants, everything was insanely crowded. “This is not what Christmas is supposed to be about!” Karen complained. However, in the middle of all that rush and rude people, they managed to enjoy each other's presence. Doing something as simple as going shopping felt different and felt good because for a change, they were not fighting crime or putting their lives in danger.
When the last gift was wrapped, a children's book for one of Foggy's younger nieces, Karen put it in her purse while Matt carried a bag with the rest of the presents. It was already a quarter past six. They left the bookstore and Matt was the first one to notice that light snow had begun to fall. They were only three blocks away from Karen's place so Matt offered to walk her home.
"It's beginning to snow," he told her, and immediately felt Karen's arm get tangled with his.
"Then I'll need you to stay close to keep me warm, if you don't mind. I'm freezing."
"I don't mind at all," he said with a smile.
"We should get Foggy a daily planner. I can't believe he forgot about these presents!"
"It's not his fault that he has so many relatives."
Karen laughed but didn't respond. The Nelsons were indeed a huge family. She didn't mind doing favors for Foggy, but the cold and the crowds were not pleasant. If it wasn't for Matt, she would be stressed out herself already.
They went on in silence. People were passing by them, there were Christmas songs playing on every store, food and drinks were being served in restaurants nearby, but what stood out the most to Matt's senses was Karen's smell leaving a warm thread behind them as they walked. His heart felt lighter every time he recognized that smell approaching him, in fact, everything was simply better when she was around.
When they reached the second block, a cool wind struck them and Karen clung to Matt's arm even tighter. She regretted not thinking about the planner for Foggy when they were still at the bookstore. She’d definitely make sure he had one for next year.
Third block and they had to pause because there was a traffic light. The snowflakes were falling all over the place now and the wind was a little stronger. They waited a minute, maybe two, Matt couldn't tell. All he knew was when he heard the cars stop and the people around them started crossing the street, he didn't move. He tried his best to shield all the noises out and just focus on two heartbeats: Karen's and his own. When she tried to move, she noticed that he remained static, yet his face was calm and she could tell that he was even slightly smiling.
"What is it?" she asked him.
"Nothing," he answered, and then pulled her closer to him, placing his arm around her back to hold her and his other hand on her cheek, "Nothing's wrong."
Karen had no time to react because less than a second later Matt was kissing her and it was no longer winter. Wrapped up between his arms, her whole body got warm, her heart started racing and her head spinning. And so was his. In that moment, he was not only smelling her but also tasting her lips and her tongue, something he'd been dreaming of for who knows how long.
When she felt the need to breathe again, she pulled away a little, reluctantly, but with her hands still on his jawline and his neck, her forehead pressed against his. After catching some air, Matt brushed her lips quickly one more time and smiled.
"You need to start letting me know when you're about to do that," she whispered.
"And miss your reaction? Never!" he teased, without an ounce of regret.
Karen's cheeks turned red and warm again. It had been a while since she had given up to the fact that she had no control of herself when he was close, let alone when he kissed her.
"We're in the middle of the street, Matt."
He took her hand and kissed it, and also reluctantly let go of her. They needed to move on.
"Maybe we should go on," he suggested.
"Right," she agreed.
They walked that one more block holding each other's hands, overcome with an excitement that was both familiar and new to them. This relationship they had, with its ups and downs, had spiralled up to a whole new place, and they had a feeling that a lot was yet to come.
Upon arriving at Karen's building, the familiar vibe and the eagerness to be with each other intensified. They stopped by the front steps, turned to each other and started playing with their already intertwined fingers, unwilling to let go.
If only words came out as easy...
"So, um…" Matt began.
"Yes?"
"About that…" he said, pointing backwards above his shoulder with his finger.
"About that kiss…" she completed, getting closer to him and leaving no space between them.
"I know we tried this before and…" he just couldn't find the right words. Feeling Karen's breath below his chin and her fingers on his neck didn't help either. Maybe she wasn't the only one who had trouble to remain calm.
"We failed miserably."
"I know, but it's different now, don't you think?"
"Very different, yeah," she agreed with a smile.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is… You're amazing, Karen, and you keep spinning around head, and this thing we have or had…"
"Have," she was quick to clarify, stealing a relieved smile from his face, "I'd dare to say."
"This thing we have is the best that's ever happened to me."
"You are so cliché and adorable sometimes, you know?" she told him, because she loved teasing him and making him blush.
"I'm trying to make a point here."
Karen leaned in to him even closer and whispered "No need. You made your point a block away from here, counselor."
The smirk on his face was a sign that he was feeling more confident. They were both on the same page, they just needed to turn it together.
"Would you like to…?" Matt was about to ask before he was interrupted.
Foggy. Foggy. Foggy. Foggy.
Foggy. Right. The presents. Did he really have to call just now?
Karen pulled away from Matt so he could answer the phone call. They had almost forgotten the original reason why they had been out together that afternoon.
"Hey!"
"Hey, where are you people? Are you done with the shopping? I need to get those presents to my parents' immediately."
"Christmas is in two days, Foggy. I thought I'd be giving you these tomorrow."
"I know, but I forgot everyone will be there by tomorrow morning so we need everything ready tonight. How far are you? Can you bring them to the office, PLEASE?"
Matt sighed. He had planned it all in his head in the last minute. Take Karen out to dinner, or order some takeout, or have a few drinks in a bar, or in one of their apartments. Anything. He just wanted to keep spending time with her.
"Okay give me thirty minutes. You owe me one."
"Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it."
Matt hung up and took Karen's hand. He seriously didn't want to leave her side, but he'd have to get back to the office.
"Like I said, he needs a planner," Karen insisted, also hating the fact that this moment that they were enjoying was interrupted.
"He does. Look, I'll have to get back to the office, but I was thinking, maybe afterwards we could have dinner together, or a drink, what do you say?"
"Matt, I'd really love to, it's just that…"
She saw as the smile on his face changed to a look of concern, and the last thing she would have wanted was for him to think that she didn't want to be with him.
"I made last-minute plans for tomorrow. I got a call from my dad yesterday and he asked me if I could spend Christmas Eve with him. Apparently he has some big news to tell me about, and I was a little bit hesitant but then I booked the soonest flight I found."
"Oh that's… Wow, Karen, that's great! When are you leaving?"
"Tonight, actually. At midnight," she answered softly, her tone making it very clear to Matt that there was somewhere else she also wanted to be at.
He was glad for her but couldn't hide his disappointment.
"I'll be back on Christmas, in the evening. I could see you then if I'm not too tired."
Matt sighed again. He had also made last minute plans with Maggie. He'd be spending the entire Christmas Day with her.
"I'll be with Maggie at the church. She has a full agenda on that day and thought it was a great idea for me to join her. Kids and all."
"You'll be with the kids? God, I'd love to see that!"
"And I'd love to be with you," he said tenderly, which made Karen's heart spark.
She leaned in to him again, cupped his face and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
"Don't worry. This will still be here when I'm back," she assured him.
Matt smiled, that smile of his that could bring light to her darkest days, and felt a little calmer. It'd only be two days.
"Let me know when you get there, okay?"
"I'll keep you posted. Have fun tomorrow with the Nelsons."
"You too."
They made sure all the gifts were in the bag, said goodbye, Matt headed off to the Nelson, Murdock and Page office, and Karen turned around to go into the building. When she closed the door behind her, she rested her head on it, took a deep breath with her eyes closed and brought her fingers to her lips.
It had not been a dream.
The night before Christmas Eve
Not a second went by that he did not think of her after that. Even with the cold, Matt decided to go out patrolling that night and the robberies and drunkards kept him quite busy until probably two or three in the morning, but when he was finally on his bed, the memory of Karen's voice, her laugh, her perfume and the taste of her lips, it all came back to him.
Then his phone vibrated and he heard his own heart skip a beat. Voice message. Karen.
"Hey, I know you're probably sleeping, but I just wanted to let you know I'm home. My dad picked me up with his fiancé. Can you believe it?! They're getting married next year. Anyway, I… (sighs) I can't wait to see you. Sweet dreams."
Matt played the message four more times because it felt like she was so close to him, then put his phone on the night table and tucked himself in, realizing just how much he loved the fact that Karen's voice was the last thing he heard before falling asleep.
Christmas Eve / Christmas Day
If it wasn't for all the extra noise in the streets, the horns and loud music and the increased crime rate during this time of the year, Matt would probably enjoy the holiday season more. It wasn't like he hated it, but his senses were definitely not thankful.
He did enjoy the weather. Less heat and humidity in the air meant less sweating and less dirt. Everyone also seemed to be happier, so he heard more laughter than in any other month.
He slept late that day and after a quick breakfast he headed out to the nearest bookshop.
"Dark blue or red?" he asked Karen over the phone when she answered.
"What?" she asked, confused.
"Blue or red? I'm buying Foggy's planner."
Next, he heard a big laugh from her which spread back to him and made him smile too.
"I guess dark blue goes more with Foggy? Because red definitely goes more with you."
"Alright, blue will be. How's your day going? I loved your message last night."
Being miles away, the blush on Karen's face was not sensed by Matt this time. She didn't know at the time if messaging him at two o'clock in the morning had been a good idea, but it was.
"It's going better than I expected. I can't recognize my dad, to be honest. I'm very happy he asked me to come. How about you? Still shopping, huh?"
"Well, I'll meet with Foggy as soon as I'm done here. Then lunch and dinner with the clan. I'm looking forward to it, although I wish you were here."
"Me too… Such bad timing."
"No, perfect timing actually. I'm missing you now but I'll be thrilled to have you back."
Karen smiled silently, not really sure whether she recognized this feeling, but completely sure she was enjoying it.
"I'll be thrilled to be back."
After another discussion on which wrapping paper Matt should use for Foggy's present, they hung up and didn't talk until the evening of Christmas.
As planned, Matt spent that entire day with Maggie: Mass first thing in the morning, then gathering with all the orphanage kids for opening their presents while some of them sang Christmas songs, lunch with everyone afterwards, and then in the afternoon Maggie visited him in his apartment for the first time. It was a short visit, about an hour or so, but it meant a lot to both of them.
Maggie pointed out that he looked happier and that it made her feel very glad. It seemed like Christmas did him some well.
"How's Karen? I haven't seen her in a while," she asked.
Matt gasped a little and tried to hide the emotion that the sole hearing of her name brought to him.
"She's, um… She's fine… She's in Vermont."
"Vermont?"
"Hometown, yes. With her father."
"Oh so you'll be alone tonight?"
"Yeah… No, I mean…"
As far as Maggie knew, he and Karen were just friends. Why would she assume there was a possibility he'd be with her on Christmas?
"I'm meeting her tomorrow. I think."
"Good," Maggie answered with a bright smile, "Say hi to her for me, will you?"
Matt, still a little perplexed, agreed and hugged her before she left his apartment.
For the first time in his life, he began to wonder if there was truth in the famous saying: "Moms know best."
Later that night, after heating up some leftovers and having a glass of scotch, with a temperature outside that was worse than his willingness to fight criminals, he heard his phone and got overly excited.
Karen. Karen. Karen.
He didn't even let "ring" for too long. Why was he feeling like a sixteen-year-old?
"Hi!"
"Hey! Guess who's back in crowded New York?"
Just hearing her cheerful voice was already making his night better.
"I'm glad you're back. How was it?"
"It was… strange, to be honest, but sort of… liberating? I never thought I would feel this great again with my dad. And Tina, oh my God, you should meet her. She's amazing. She's already making arrangements for me to go back in spring."
"That's fantastic."
"I know, it's like everything is falling back into place."
"I feel the same," he said, his eagerness replaced by a calm smile.
"How was Christmas Day for you, Mr. Murdock?" she asked with a sleepy voice, making Matt's smile grow wider since they hadn't played the whole "Mr. Murdock / Miss Page" game in a while.
"It was great, Miss Page, except for one thing, I missed you too much."
Karen wondered if Matt could hear heartbeats over the phone, because hers felt like a drum.
"I missed you too. Will I see you tomorrow?"
"Can't wait."
"Merry Christmas, Matt."
"Merry Christmas, Karen."
That night, the last sounds they both heard before going to sleep were each other's voices.
The day after Christmas
Matt didn't really have much experience in dating, and Karen had only had spectacularly failed experiences, so it was safe to say that being in an actual healthy relationship was almost unknown to both of them. But something was for sure: they didn't want to mess it up.
The plan was to meet for breakfast, but they were so tired that they both overslept and breakfast became brunch sitting next to each other at an out of the way café Matt had no idea about.
"How is it that you always know the best places? This is the best hot chocolate I've ever had in my life!"
"Well, number one: I love food! And unlike someone I know I actually go around the city like regular people do, not just, you know…"
"Crime fighting," Matt said, completing the sentence and feeling a little bit guilty of not enjoying the things that New York had to offer more often.
"Oh I have an idea! I'll be your tour guide!"
"Someone from Vermont will be showing me around New York City. I cannot believe this."
"You need to go to the nice places too, Matt, not just the dark ones. It's not good for your mental health. And just think about it, it's not too bad, I'll save you the trouble of having to taste things that you might find horrible."
"That's an excellent point, and I appreciate it," he told her, squeezing her hand under the table and kissing her cheek.
Perhaps they were still delightfully shy when it came to touching and kissing, but that didn't stop them from touching and kissing whenever they had a chance, and the frequency of it increased the more time they were together.
When they were done with their meal, they left the café and Karen grabbed Matt's hand, internally cursing the weather for having to wear gloves and not being able to actually feel his skin.
"Come on, we're in the most holidayish street of the city. I'll show you around."
Matt raised his eyebrows in surprise and followed along. If walking around the streets of New York would be a new habit if theirs, he was all up for it.
Karen took great pleasure in describing every window display in detail. From the colors to the lights to the Santa Claus and Jesus. The wreaths, the flowers, the snowmen. Every green, red, blue and golden ornament around. She made sure he had a clear picture of each of them, not knowing that the best part of it all was the person guiding the unplanned tour.
They were talking and laughing so much that the cold and the crowds and the rush around them was no problem this time. They sat on some bench every now and then, and stole as many kisses from each other as they could, feeling less and less shy about it every time.
When they came across an ice rink, Karen stopped and stared at it for a while.
"Not a fan of ice skating?"
"Oh no, on the contrary, I love it. It reminds me of my childhood. My mom taught me how to skate. I haven't done it in years."
Matt held her from behind her back and placed a warm kiss on her cheek.
"We should come some time, before the winter is over."
"Yeah, that's a great idea," she said with a smile, but she didn't talk as much during the rest of their tour.
Their last stop was at a cozy Italian restaurant Matt hadn't been to either. He insisted that she needed to take him out more often because there was too much of New York he had been missing, and it was definitely better with her company.
"I'll be happy to," she told him after the last bite of her tiramisu.
The restaurant was located right across from a park, also beautifully decorated, and although they were already a little bit tired, they decided it was worth to take a look around. When they left the restaurant and crossed the street, Karen was left astonished.
The sweet smell of the thousands of flowers and leaves mixed with the brightness of all the curious lights involved her. There were trees all over the place, with a blue background and what seemed like golden white stars above. It was all so pretty and she simply could not believe her eyes.
She had always loved Christmas. The coziness of her home while it was snowing outside, the hot drinks her mom used to prepare for them to keep the family warm, listening to Kevin's endless song playlist while she sat by the window to read her favorite book, which always ended up being interrupted because she kept getting lost looking at her neighbors' Christmas lights. In that small town where nothing exciting ever really happened, that was an amazing view, and she could enjoy it right from her living room.
That's the reason why when she saw those lights and unconsciously stepped ahead a little she was transported back to her childhood, to that time when life was more simple, when there was no past to regret, and no burdens to carry. A time in which she was happy in a different way than she is now. The memory of it all was both bitter and sweet, and it always made her emotional.
"What does it look like?" Matt asked her, slowly walking towards her to reach her and trusting that the pitch of her voice and her words would convey the essence of what his eyes could not see.
"It's an ocean of lights," she began describing as they walked. "It's so bright and blue, it's like walking through a magical tunnel and you don't want to reach the end."
"Sounds beautiful," Matt told her, holding her hand, "And you're in the center of all of it."
Karen turned to him and extended her arms around him to hug him. They kissed briefly, touching their foreheads and feeling so comfortable with each other that the shyness was completely gone.
"Thank you for making this Christmas better," she whispered.
He shook his head and caressed her face, it wasn't only Christmas that she made better, but everything.
"Thank you. I promise you, I will do it right this time."
"We will," she told him.
They both smiled and then kept going around the park, with Karen sparing no detail on her description, and Matt capturing every single detail of her.
The night after Christmas
Reaching Karen's front steps together seemed to be becoming a habit of theirs already.
"Well, it's been quite fun, hasn't it?"
"It definitely has," Matt agreed, not at peace with the idea of having to go home alone, "Great food, by the way."
"Even better company," she added.
She squeezed his hand and he leaned forward to hold her and kiss her, slowly at first, more desperate and deeper within the next few seconds. They had spent almost the entire day together, half of that time flirting, caressing each other, with little touches here and there, tiny pecks every time they could, only to increase their thirst for a long, unconcealed kiss. That flame was still there, it had always been there, and they had just lit it back up, turning it into a firestorm.
"Could I come up with you… if you'd like?" Matt asked her, catching some air, his heart fluttering.
"I'd love that," she answered, nodding and smiling against his lips.
They both went up inside the building that night. It had been, by far, the best Christmas of their lives. And the first of many more to come.