countdown, kill switch
pairing: matt murdock x reader
summary: 3 times you try to tickle matt + 1 time you actually do
warnings: no use of y/n, gn reader, ler!matt, i guess switch!reader?, established relationship, competitiveness (you're both stubborn), foggy makes an appearance, bad references to law practise, some smooches, cuddling
word count: 3.1k
authors notes: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
///
The first time the thought crossed your head, you were trying to catch your breath, flopped uselessly on Matt's bed. He pulled you in to him, arm wrapping securely around your waist, and you wrapped yours around him in return.
Things usually ended up this way - a playful remark, a sharp tease, a scuffle, you under Matt as he tickled you until you were pink. Maybe not a daily occurence, but often enough that you both knew the dance. Each time was as fun as the last.
As your palm rested against Matt's ribs, feeling each breath, you thought, what if I turned the tables on him?
Matt reached up the length of your arm and pulled your hand away from his ribs. Fingers lacing your palms together, he tucked your joined hands to his chest.
"You should sleep." He murmured against your cheek. "It's late."
You were asleep before you could think further on your idea.
@
The second time the thought crossed your mind was on an early morning in the middle of the week. A few days had passed since it had first occured to you, but now you were fixated. It was all you could think about.
You leaned against the cupboard, nursing your coffee, and watched Matt.
His back was turned to you, busy with arranging his breakfast. He had already dressed for the day, minus the tie, and his sleeves were rolled up instead of buttoned at the wrists.
You watched the expanse of his back as he shifted. Would a massage tickle him?
Your eyes flickered to the right. Everyone has sensitive ribs, surely that would get him giggling?
You tapped your finger against the rim of your mug.
Maybe the back of his neck was ticklish?
Matt placed the knife down and wiped his hands on a dishtowel, back still to you.
You set your mug down and approached.
Before your hand could even make contact with his shirt, Matt whirled on you, hands grabbing at your ribs. You doubled over immediately.
"I didn't even do anythihing!" You complained through laughter.
"You intended and planned to. Us lawyers call that 'criminal conspiracy'." Matt said, fingers wiggling between your ribs. You twisted away, and Matt let you slip out of his arms easily. You walked backwards until your back hit the cupboard you leaned against earlier.
Matt was grinning.
"How did you even know what I was going to do?" You asked, slightly breathless from the shock, bracing your hand on the edge of the sink next to you.
"I could hear you thinking."
You scoffed. "You can't possibly hear when people are thinking."
Matt gave a light shrug. "I can."
He grabbed his plate and made his way around the kitchen island.
You narrowed your eyes at his retreating figure. What was innocent curiosity at first, now turned into a need to prove him wrong. You were going to get Matt laughing under your fingers.
"You won't win this fight." Matt said matter-of-factly, settling on the armchair. He tilted his head slightly towards you. "You may as well stop now."
You picked up your mug and took a sip.
Game, start.
@
You waited.
You weren't stupid. You knew that if you tried again too soon, you'd have no chance of success. You had to wait until Matt lowered his defenses. And his defenses were definitely up, with the way he listened to your movements more closely, or how he maneuvered your arms so they were away from his sides and ribs at all times. He was acting like a man with something to hide.
A week and a half had passed before you decided it was safe to try again.
"I come bearing gifts!" You announced to the room, pushing the door to Nelson & Murdock open with your shoulder.
Foggy was on his feet and in front of you within a nanosecond.
"What did you get?" He asked, peeking into the brown paper bag in your hand. "Ooh, donuts - you're a lifesaver!"
You let him snatch the bag from you. "Also coffee."
You followed Foggy to his desk.
"Oh, just-" he said around a mouthful of donut. "Shuffle some pages around, it's all a mess anyway."
You did as he said, pushing aside some printouts and pens, making space on the desk to set down the cupholder and coffees.
"Rough case?" You asked.
"Eh." Foggy made a vague gesture with his hand. You glanced to the closed door to Matt's office.
"Did he even leave the room today?"
Foggy followed your gaze. "He's been on calls all day."
You nodded, humming low in your throat. Foggy narrowed his eyes at you.
"What are you planning?" He asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?" You feigned innocence.
"You and Matt have the same look, you know." Foggy said. "When you're scheming."
You smiled sweetly.
"Okay, well, whatever it is -" Foggy pointed a sugar-coated finger at you, "-leave me out of it."
The door to Matt's office clicked open, so you didn't answer. Instead, you sent Foggy a quick salute, and turned to Matt.
"Hey," he said softly, sliding an arm around your shoulders, "what are you doing here?"
"Cabin fever." You said. "Couldn't stand being inside for a moment longer."
"So you came to sit inside the office?" Matt chuckled lightly.
"Better company." You put on your best enticing voice, tilting your head up to his.
"Okay, guys?" Foggy piped up from his seat. "I'm gonna need you to take this elsewhere if you're gonna act all mushy."
"Alright, let's not kill Foggy today. I need him on this case." Matt laughed, steering you to his office.
"Don't eat all the donuts!" You called to Foggy over your shoulder. He waved a dismissive hand, already back to scanning through files. You snickered under your breath, and the door to Matt's office clicked shut.
You walked idly towards Matt's desk, turned your back to it, and perched lightly on it's edge. Matt remained standing near the door, hands on his hips.
"Foggy said you had a lot of calls today." You said, because you could see Matt's defenses rising up again. You needed him to not think if you wanted this to work.
"Uh, yeah." He said, as if snapping our of a trance. He rubbed a hand over his jaw. "Lots of witnesses but no one willing to give a statement."
You frowned. "That's suspicious."
"Yeah, exactly." Matt agreed with an amused sort of huff. He made his way to your perch.
"Are you going to Daredevil them into talking?" You asked, reaching out your hands to rest on his biceps when he was close enough. His hands came to hold your elbows gently.
"At this rate, I might have to." He sighed heavily. You hummed sympathetically, sliding your hands up to his shoulders.
"What's a little light blackmailing for the greater good?" You joked, smoothing over Matt's collar. He chuckled.
"You make me sound like a criminal." His fingers squeezed at your elbows lightly.
"Me?" You gasped dramatically. You slid your hands down his chest. "I would never."
You fought to keep cool and collected. You were almost at your target - Matt's ribs. If you could just slide your hands out a little bit, underneath his arms, you could strike.
Matt's hands left your elbows and latched onto your sides.
"What the-" You cut yourself off, trying to hold your laughter in.
"Nice try." Matt said around a smug smile, squeezing at your waist.
"How did you know?" You demanded, twitching from the tingling in your sides.
"You're not as sneaky as you think." Matt said easily. He tugged the hem of your tshirt up so he could slip his hands under the fabric.
"Don't-" You jumped at the feeling of his nails scribbling over your skin. "- Matt, come on. Foggy's gonna hear-"
"But you wanted him to hear me?" Matt interrupted. "Should have thought through your plan more carefully."
Damn him, he was right.
Helpless giggling broke through your defenses. In an attempt to muffle the sound, you pressed your face into Matt's shoulder. You could feel him shaking a little from his own laughter.
"Will you keep your hands to yourself?" He asked, scratching at your lower back.
"Yes, yes!" You nodded against his shirt.
Matt gave one last squeeze to your sides that made you jolt. "Good."
You emerged from your hiding place, heaving a breath. Matt was smiling down at you, and reached a hand up to brush stray strands of hair away from your forehead.
A smirk stretched its way across your face.
Matt, sensing the shift in your mood, paused his movements. "What?"
Silently, you raised your hand in front of you. Matt frowned, then took your raised hand in his, feeling what you were trying to show him.
"Are you serious right now?" He asked in disbelief.
"Mwa-ha-ha!" You exaggerated an evil laugh, waving your crossed middle and forefinger in front of Matt's face.
Matt tilted his head back with a heavy sigh. "You're impossible."
"You'd get bored if I wasn't." You said, guiding his head back toward you with gentle hands. You leaned up a fraction, and Matt followed, meeting your lips in a sweet kiss.
You weaved your fingers through the hair at the base of his skull. His hands rested on the outside of your thighs. You trailed your free hand to the side of his neck.
"Don't even think about it." Matt murmured against your lips just as you were about to curl your fingers behind his ear.
"Booo." You said, leaning back. "You're no fun."
Matt smirked and placed a quick kiss on the side of your nose. "I think Foggy's getting suspicious."
"Of what?" You frowned.
"Of what exactly we're getting up to in here. He's been working up the courage to knock on the door for the past two minutes."
You snorted. "We should put him out of his misery then."
You pushed yourself off the desk, Matt stepping to the side to let you through. When you opened the door to Matt's office, Foggy was indeed hovering nearby with a sheaf of documents.
"He's all yours, Foggy." You announced. Foggy regarded you with sharp eyes.
"I take it whatever you planned didn't work." He surmised, accurately.
"I have no idea what you're referring to." You lied.
@
When the badger glimmered away into another garden
you stood, half-lit with whiskey,
You looked up from your book.
Matt sat on the opposite end of the couch, elbows resting on his knees. He was trailing his fingers over a case document in braille.
It was late. The living room window was cracked open behind you, letting in cool night air and sounds of never sleeping city life. You sat with your back resting against the armrest of the couch, feet tucked close to you on top of the cushions. Matt had tried persuading you to get to sleep, saying he has to catch up on some reading, but you insisted on keeping him company. At least for a little while.
You turned back to the poem in front of you.
sensing you had disturbed
some soft returning.
The murdered dead, you thought.
But it could not have been
You looked up again.
Matt had a soft, worn tshirt on, in a dark grey colour. You could see a small hole at the seam on his shoulder. With how he was positioned, you couldn't help but notice he left his waist and ribs exposed. You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to formulate a plan, and went back to reading.
some violent shattered boy
nosing out what got misla-
You zeroed in on Matt's torso again.
"Don't even try." Matt said evenly, not pausing his reading. You flopped your book against your thighs.
"I didn't even move." You said.
Matt tilted his head towards you with an expression that said 'we're really going to do this?'
"I just don't get why you won't let me tickle you." You huffed.
"I don't get why you're so set on tickling me." Matt replied.
"I want to hear you laugh."
"You hear me laugh all the time."
"Aha!" You pointed a triumphant finger at him. "You know that's not the same, you told me so yourself!"
Matt smiled and turned back to his braille. "You're not tickling me."
You shot a childish grimace in his direction and picked up your book.
nosing out what got mislaid
between the cradle and the explosion,
Slowly, casually, you stretched your legs out across the length of the couch.
evenings when windows stood open
Gently, your feet made contact with Matt's body. One foot rested near his hip, the other slightly higher against his waist.
You stopped moving, eyes on the page in front of you. Matt flipped a page in his documents.
and the compost smoked down the backs?
You wiggled your toes against his side with exactly two movements, before your foot got snatched by the ankle and pulled into Matt's lap. He scribbled his hand over the bottom of your foot.
You didn't have a chance at composure. Loud laughter escaped your lungs and you twisted, hard, your book falling to the floor.
"What did I tell you?" Matt asked over your laughter.
You were too busy laughing to respond. You yanked your leg but Matt calmly brought it back to him, continuing his attack.
"You know," he continued. "I'm starting to think this whole thing is an elaborate plot to get me to tickle you more."
"It's nohot!" You exclaimed.
"I bet you weren't even reading." Matt said.
"I wahas!"
"Yeah? What was your poem about?"
"Bahadgers!"
"Badgers? And what were the badgers doing?" Matt wrapped his arm more securely around your calf.
"I don't knohow!" You cried. "Explohoding?"
"Exploding badgers." Matt snickered.
"Matt, plehease!"
Matt lowered your leg so it rested against his thigh. Warm hand laid on your ankle, and he used his free arm to lean closer to you over the couch cushions.
"You know what they call it when someone keeps doing the same thing over and over and expects different results?" He asked.
"Don't quote Einstein at me right now." You huffed, flopping your head back against the armrest. You closed your eyes and willed your heart to slow down.
"How much longer are you going to keep doing this?" Matt's voice brought you back from your meditation.
You raised your head up a fraction. "Until it works."
Matt chuckled airily, shaking his head in disbelief. He straightened back, leaning over to the coffee table to pick up his documents again. You flexed your foot against his thigh.
"You could just let me." You informed him, watching him expectantly.
Matt paused his shuffling. His mind was hard at work, you could tell.
"We'll see." He said finally.
A wide grin stretched over your face.
@
There was a shuffling sound, followed by a light thud and click as something latched into place.
Eyes still closed, you felt for your phone under the pillow. The bright light made your eyes water when you looked at the screen.
4:33am
Daredevil was home, then.
You listened carefully for any familiar sounds of distress; groaning, stumbling, the first aid cupboard rattling open. None came. Matt's footsteps were steady, heading directly to the bathroom.
The shower turned on.
Releasing a breath, you slipped your phone back under your pillow and stretched out onto your back.
You must have drifted back to sleep, because the next thing that registered in your mind was Matt climbing onto the mattress. Instead of going to his side of the bed, he climbed directly onto you.
You groaned slightly when he let his whole weight rest on top of you, but your arms came round to hold him closer. Matt buried his face in the crook of your shoulder with a long exhale. You weaved your fingers through his wet hair, the smell of shampoo drifting towards you. Your other hand rested between his shoulder blades.
"How did it go?" You whispered, unwilling to break the silence fully.
Matt groaned quietly. "The usual." He matched his volume to yours.
"Any injuries?" You rubbed your hand down the length of his back gently.
"Just a few punches. Barely felt it."
The conversation drifted off into comfortable silence. Matt adjusted his position on top of you slightly, melting further into you. You slipped your hand under his tshirt and continued your gentle massage.
Matt's breathing deepened, and you thought he had fallen asleep. You trailed your hand down to his side, intending to rest your elbow against the mattress but continue embracing him.
His head twitched against your shoulder. Imperceptible, if he weren't pressed against you.
Putting on a sleepy sigh to hide your heart skipping in excitement, you turned your head to rest your chin against Matt's hair. He sniffed lightly, settling again.
You watched the ceiling through the darkness, and waited a beat. Then another. And another.
With barely-there pressure, you curled your fingers against the soft skin on Matt's waist.
This time, the muscles under your hand twitched.
You bit at the corner of your mouth to hold back from grinning.
As casually as possible, you trailed your fingers up across Matt's lower back, then down again to his waist.
"I know what you're doing." Matt mumbled sleepily into your skin.
"Oh yeah?" You challenged, curling your fingers again, a little quicker. This twitch was slightly more controlled, but still noticeable. "You're not doing anything to stop me."
Matt made a vague sound from the back of his throat, but stayed still, arms curling up under the pillow you rested on. You took this as a sign to continue.
You increased your pace slightly, swirling looping patterns over the expanse of his skin. His shoulder flexed whenever you reached up to his bottom rib.
But you needed more.
Time to switch tactics. Zeroed in on that lowest rib, you scribbled your fingers even faster. You continued in this way until you felt Matt's lips twitch into a smile against your neck. He made a small huffing sound, like he was trying not to laugh.
You moved your other hand from his hair, and copied your movements on his other side. A full chuckle left Matt, making you grin triumphantly.
You pinched at his sides.
"Alright, alrihight!" Matt laughed brightly, reaching behind him to pull your hands away. He raised his head a little, nose brushing against your jaw. "Are you satisfied now?"
You hummed skeptically.
Matt rolled his eyes, but settled back into your shoulder. "You're unbelievable."
"And you let me tickle you." You teased.
"Don't get used to it."
You settled back into the pillow, smiling widely.
Big, bad Daredevil reduced to giggles under your fingertips? Yeah, you'll get used to that.
