hawk_shot | Visiting the Bartons (for @streetlevel )

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Visiting the Bartons (for @streetlevel )

Honestly, Kate figured that flying with a pony would have been way harder than it turned out to be. But between Matt's first class charm put to full power and everyone at the airport being captivated by Frodo? Despite of how their trip to Ohio had started at an ungodly early hour, it also seemed to be the beginning of one of the most pleasant of adventures.

It was a short flight, one in which Kate shamelessly claimed Matt's shoulder as her own personal pillow. Obviously, they were on first class, but domestic flight seats were definitely not as roomy as international were. But it was comfortable enough for Kate to still feel pretty refreshed once they made it back down to land. In Ohio, a car with a trailer to carry Frodo was already waiting, taking him for a drive that took at least another hours before they made it to Clint's farm.

On their way, Kate described Matt everything that she saw. The crops, so tall they would probably be completely lost in them if they decided to make their way through them byt feet. A land full of greens on all kinds of shades. Horses grazing afar, sheep with their growing lambs. The sun was bright and Kate could tell it would become even warmer as hours passed.

She was so excited to finally see Clint and his family again.

The green land was interrupted by a path of dirth that lead to Clint's house, a three-stories home of that looked like something straight out of the fantasies of anyone who might have ever dreamed about living in the countryside. As they approeached, Kate leaned over Matt to see better through his window, spotting the tractor and Clint's van in the distance. The ducks near the pond.. You could tell this was a family home, as on their way to the house there was toys scattered all around. Bikes, footballs, dolls and a swing made with a tire.

Finally, by the house, Kate spotted Laura. She was filling some buckets of water with a hose, looking in their direction as she held a hand over her eyes, shielded the sun off her face. Squinting now, she held her hand well above her head to wave in their directon as the car and trailer finally reached the house.

With a heavy step that clearly said it all about how she had a start just as early as the one they had, Laura aproached the car as it came to a stop, Kate almost instantly hopping off. Running towards the older woman, they captured each other in a tight hug as they shared words about how glad they were to see each other again.

While the driver got out and quietly greeted Laura, he headed back to take care of the trailer. Still holding Kate by the shoulders, Laura went straight to their other guest. "You must be Matt."

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"What are you talking about? These are clearly baby donkeys," she pointed out as she did her best to keep the friskier one under control. Thankfully, Matt's gentle hand (and all those scents after he'd been helping Laura cook), was suddenly a million times more interesting than any attempts at parkour and jumping onto the kitchen counter.

The calico, already purring, started licking his fingers while the ginger tested if climbing up onto Matt's wrist was a good plan.

"Do you think you can guess which one is the red boy?"

"Hm. Either my senses are off or the city boy in me never knew that donkeys purred," Matt joked in response. His other hand was quick to reach out and try to cradle the cat that was attempting to stand on his wrist. "Hey buddy, careful." The little ginger cat let out a mew of protest until Matt used his other hand to pet him - and sneakily keep him steady in his stance in so doing. "Something tells me that the one with the single braincell is the one on my wrist," Matt said wryly. The bold ginger kitten was slowly trying to walk across his arm like it was a balance beam. The calico however seemed content in Kate's arms, licking at Matt's fingers.

"What did I tell you, Kate? Single brain-cells just understand one another," Clint joked as he walked past them, giving Matt's shoulder a pat. "Enjoy your first foray into parenthood, pal. They don't sleep when you should and they're gonna want to follow you everywhere. Everywhere."

"Yeah, but they grow out of that, right? ... right?" Clint didn't answer him, he just moved away chuckling. Matt gave a little sigh, pulling the ginger cat down from his attempt to scale his shoulder and sit on his head. The cat let him hold him for now, but there was a feisty look that said nothing could keep him down for long. Even wonderful cuddles. "You're gonna help me get them settled into the apartment later, right?" he asked Kate hopefully.

"It's a natural attraction thing," Kate joined Clint into the joke even as Laura playfuly chastised her husband. With a flick of her wrist, she smacked Clint's side with a kitchen towel as she demanded them both to 'be nice'.

There was something truly sweet about the thought of Matt delving into feline parenthood, as nervous as he seemed to be following Clint's joke. Was Matt feeling the same kind of butterflies in his stomach as Kate did at the thought? She was well aware that this would be nothing like rearinga human child, but...

Maybe. Just maybe, nurturing a little living and demanding thing like a pair of loving kittens would be something like tiny, kitten sized training wheels?

"Huh? Oh, yeah, obviously," Kate agreed without hesitation. She hadn't visited Matt yet at the apartment since he moved in, so it would be sweet to see him moving around, to check how he had settled in, too. And the kittens? It would be adorable. "Did you set up the pen?" They had bought one exactly like the one Kate had brought for Marshall after Matt brought the duck home.

Leaning against his arm, she reached over to pet the ginger boy. "This one's so full of energy, but the little girl is so chill and cuddly. Did you notice how soft she is?"

"Yeah, thanks again for helping me pick that out. I set it up and did a little bit of decorating for it. To make it comfortable and engaging for them." Honestly, the only personal touches Matt had given to the apartment were related to the cats, and having a stocked kitchen. He knew Kate had told him to make the place lived-in with his influences, but he was still shy and hesitant to do that. It felt like taking over a space that wasn't really his. He otherwise just had his toothbrush, soap, and shampoo in the bathroom, and his few sets of clothing in the bedroom. It was a nice space and he knew it reminded her of his dad, so it felt wrong to do anything else to it. For the sake of the cats though there were toys and a cat stand, beds and food bowls.

He'd even done his research and realized he could actually prepare meals for the kittens in the kitchen. That had delighted him to no end, though he also had some frozen raw meals for them too for nights when he wasn't able to let them feast on the meals he prepared.

He tickled under the calico's chin and smiled as he heard her yawn. She lazily kneaded a little paw against Kate's shirt. "She does seem like an absolute sweetheart. She must have taken after her Mama and Laura." He gave the woman who'd been his defender against Clint and Kate's teasing a grin. "It does feel more like hair than fur. What a little angel you are," he crooned at the kitten. The ginger cuddled near his shoulder, not to be outdone, batted at the side of Matt's face. "And you... are the handful my dad said I deserved someday."

Laura laughed at that. "When you're ready to put them down for a nap, Kate you can show him the rest of the farm before dinner. Introduce him to all the family."

Matt could claim all he wanted that all he intended for these cats was to foster them, but after going to the pet store to shop together for everything these kittens might need? Kate could tell he was ready to pamper the too. Would he simply let them go to somebody else's household after that?

She knew Matt's beliefs, even his way of life, it was all about sacrifice. But the tenderness in which he spoke to those kittens? How he had clearly looked forward to this moment?

Kate had hope.

With a chuckle, she rested her chin on his bicep as she watched the pair, not even noticing the familiarity in which she acted around Matt. The Bartons were well aware that Kate was never shy about a hug, neither were they. But Laura turned to Clint, her raised eyebrow speaking for itself as they noticed how easily Kate practically cuddled Matt as they petted the kittens.

"Yeah, that's a good point. There's so much I need to show you," Kate agreed.

Nate, how had returned from introducing Frodo to the farm and was eager for a glass of juice, was quick to jump in. "Can I feed the cats? I wanna feed the cats!"

Noting Laura's eyebrow raise, Clint's own gaze narrowed a little as he observed Kate and Matt. No, it was just friendly. Right? Murdock wouldn't charm Kate like that. ... like he did practically every single woman he came across. Like he had done with Clint's last partner. Really, the man couldn't be at least a little original? Although Clint felt more protective of Kate than he did Nat in this instance, he couldn't help having some fatherly instincts towards the young woman. Sidling over to his wife, he kept it vague because he knew Matt could overhear them as he muttered, "Should I be worried?"

Matt meanwhile smiled and leaned against Kate, only moving when Nate raced over to them. "Sure buddy, you can help," Matt agreed. "You'll have to show Kate and I what they eat though, and Kate can lead us back to where they stay."

"I can do that!" Nate agreed, racing over to get the cat food. It wasn't the fancy organic raw diet that Matt was going to put them on, but it was a perfectly serviceable wet cat food. "C'mon, this way!" Nate took the cans and a spoon and led them to the office where the cats slept and ate. The little ginger once again tried to leap to follow the food, with Matt having to work quickly to keep him held. "Stop trying to jump to your death!"

Clint snorted, calling after their retreating backs the following old commercial quote, "You, all right? I learned it from watching you!" Anyone who understood that reference was likely his age, but he didn't care.

Matt just barely remembered there were children around, raising his hand and about to raise his middle finger towards Clint but instead quickly rubbing the back of his head instead.

"What was that?" Kate asked, double-taking between looking at a smug Clint who retreated back to his wife's side and a Matt who was clearly good-naturedly biting his tongue. "I mean, I do get the general idea," she admitted, reaching over to scratch under the chin that little devil Matt carried in his arms.

"So, your dad cursed you with the knowledge that you'll have a little Murdock that will drive you nuts?" She asked before kissing the top of the head of the fuzzball she carried. At least, Matt was blessed with a chill one. "You think that's something every parent does? I mean, so did my mom."

Eleanor had made it very clear that one day, once she is well into adulthood and far from making a young and rash decision, if Kate chooses to give her grandchildren she will remember every crazy thing she's done as a child. Eleanor had teased her, saying she'll get to relax as a grandma, spoil her grandchildren while karma kicks Kate in the ass.

It was a bittersweet thought now. Not that she was in a rush to become a mother, she thought as she adjusted the little bundle in her arms.

Kate glanced at Matt and thought about everything he'd done, how their friends had helped protect Eleanor. Would her mom still be in her life if she ever formed a family of her own.

"What does every parent do?" Asked Nate as momma cat met them halfway towards the office were their empty bowls waited for each feline. The white cat with orange markings meowed loudly as she headbutted Nate on his legs, calm but affectionate, patient with the awareness that soon she would be fed.

"Uh, they love you very much and make sure you have a pony of your own," Kate was quick to point out.

"It was just Clint being stupid," Matt assured Kate regarding the quoting of the old commercial. "You know how he is." His tone was good-natured though to show he wasn't really annoyed by it. "And yeah, my dad always said that if there was any justice in the world then I'd get a miniature me to raise someday." He supposed it was possible that every parent shared that sentiment, because wasn't every kid at least a little impossible to handle at times? Matt liked to think that he'd been a good kid for his dad, but even then, he'd had his moments of making Jack worry because of something reckless he'd done, or annoyed his father because of being stubborn. He knew that even prior to prison Eleanor and Kate had butted heads, so he wasn't surprised that she'd experienced the same growing up.

He laughed a little as Nate nodded, accepting Kate's answer. He leaned down to pet the mother cat, explaining, "We just call her Mama." After a few strokes of her head Nate led them into the office, with Matt closing the door behind them. He barely managed to hold the ginger cat while Nate scooped out the food into the bowls, figuring it'd be easier for the child if the little kitten wasn't all up in his business. Mama patiently waited, purring her approval. Once all the food was in the bowls, Matt gently set the cat down and watched him scamper directly to eat. Standing back up, he gave his lower back a small knead with one hand while holding his other to hi-five Nate. "Good job, buddy."

"Tell Spider-Man I'm a great cat sitter if he ever needs one," Nate said solemnly as he shook Matt's hand, then ran out of the room to get his juice.

"He's a cute kid," Matt said affectionately to Kate. The whole family was adorable, he could understand how they'd so easily wormed their way into her heart. "Shall we let the cats eat while you show me around?"

For a brief moment Kate caught herself wondering if it would be much of a torture to raise a little boy, blind or not, with a strong sense of social justice and a love for helping people. A kid who'd stay up late to try and look after his dad and cheer on him. A kid with a love for midnight meals and an ambition to be his very best.

Jack Murdock might have teased his son, but Kate was sure that deep in his heart he couldn't be more thankful for the cards he'd been dealt with.

"Hey, Mama." Crouching down, Kate petted the gentle cat, watching her raise her rump as her purring grew louder. She was a sweet lady, no question about it, one that would fit in the Barton household easily. Almost as easy as Matt seemed to be getting along with everyone. Kate couldn't help but smile knowingly, watching her friend high-five the youngest of Clint's kids. Matt was a natural around them, it seemed.

On their own again, Kate patted the imaginary dust off her jeans before she got up on her feet, not thinking it twice before she wrapped her arm around Matt's as she guided him out of the room. Or was he guiding her? It didn't matter, really.

Passing by the kitchen, Laura let both know that they would be eating in an hour, before sharing another conspiratory look with her husband. Kate did not notice that, not when Lila looked like someone had just told her that Santa wasn't real. Assuring everyone they would soon be back, she guided Matt outside.

"So, I'm sure you know where we are heading first." It was easy to guess, considering she had brought up the donkeys about four times during their flight. "But, we're taking the longest route." Practically circling the house, Kate took Matt to the area where, not only did Laura and Clint growed their flowers, but some of their vegetables too.

The vegetables were closer, with colorful flowerbeds a little ahead of them. It was an enclosed area where the animals wouldn't walk in. Kate was sure Matt would enjoy the scents.

"How is it?"

"I have a vague idea," Matt smiled when Kate said he should know where they're headed. He's heard on and off about the donkeys for weeks now, with the topic ramping up on the flight over. Matt in general liked animals even if not so much their smells, so he was looking forward to see them. It was also a chance to experience something that Kate loved, too.

They stopped first in the garden. His feet planted, Matt's head tilted to one side as his brow furrowed. It was his usual look of concentration as he soaked in the sensory data around him, fitting it into a sort of radar picture of his surroundings. Freshly turned earth with fertilizer but no pesticides. Some root and vine vegetables and herbs, with the sweet smell of flowers just a little further on. Having a space like this made even Matt admit it was a perk. He still didn't want to move out to the country, but having a garden? It was lovely.

"It's wonderful," was his answer. He stepped up to the tomato plant, gently reaching out to let his fingers traipse over the leaves and fruit. "Even fresher than the farmer's market in the city." There ingredients were still amazingly fresh, but not literally still on the vine fresh.

"I thought you'd appreciate this." Even though Matt sometimes made comments in the passing, it wasn't until they visited the Nelsons and their house in the outskirts that Kate noticed just how much Matt appreciated the scents nature gifted them with. She could tell in the tenderness in which he touched every leaf, the fruit. Even back at the market, there was something about the textures and the smells that truly got to him.

"I'm sure you'll take something home, Laura always insists." Herbs, fruits and vegetables that Kate would try her best to add to her meals, but that she was well aware that her ways would pale in comparison to the things Matt achieved in the kitchen.

Kate would make sure of sending Laura and Clint photos and updates on Matt's meals. Laura always found that delightful, knowing their hard work was put to good use.

"There's flowers nearby. You've noticed them, right?"

"I do appreciate it. I mean, I like the sights and sounds of the city, even the smells I'm used to by now. This is nice too, though. A little break from it. Something different." He'd miss the bustle, but there was something relaxing about taking a breath of literal clean air. "And if Laura is gonna insist we take something home, I'm all the more glad we brought something, then." He always felt bad with one-sided gifts, even when the other person didn't care. "In fact, while we have some grass here..." Matt gave Kate a mischievous smile and leaned over, proceeding to take off his shoes and socks. He picked them up and held them with one hand, enjoying the sensation of grass beneath his feet. There was something grounding and warm about it. Plus he thankfully could sense any animal waste piles to avoid stepping in those.

"I noticed the flowers, yeah. The ones in bloom, the ones about to bloom. The plants that are ripe and ready to pick and those still budding. The bugs that are moving around and the birds nearby. It's nice to know places like this exist." He took another few moments to enjoy it, then gave Kate a playful nudge. "All right. Time for the main event. You can let me know how your catching up with Clint went on the way."

She knew that Matt was a man in love with his city. One that found peace in falling asleep with the sounds of a metropolis that was loud and full of life. And yet? She knew he'd appreciate this stop, a pause in which they could recconect with nature.

And Matt did just that, taking off his shoes and socks. "You're literally touching grass, huh?" She joked, even though she followed his lead as she undid her own laces.

"How can you tell apart all those details?" It was a rethorical question by now, but Kate would never hide how in awe she was over Matt's talents. Once again walking side by side, she took his arm again, even if her attention was now on those flowers and the secret world that hid underneath and around them. The things only Matt noticed, even from this distance.

"Well, we didn't talk about that many things. I know you were totally distracted by Laura and time probably stopped as you geeked out," she teased him. It was so sweet though, watching them bond like that. "You know, I mostly asked how his Father's Day was. He asked about mine..."

"Hey, Kirsten's told me to touch grass in the past when I start arguing. Now I can tell her that I did, and see whether it lives up to the hype," Matt joked in return. He nudged Kate, then happily let her take his arm as they strolled through the garden and fields over to the donkeys. With his other hand he let it brush against some branches and leaves, enjoying the feeling of the greenery beneath his fingertips. To answer her question he simply said, "Training, mostly. Stick taught me how to use my senses. To hone them to pick apart the world around me, and see how it all blended together." If Lantom had given words to what tapestry in which the world was woven, Stick had given Matt the tools to understand those threads in a way that few could. "Only, Stick never would have cared about something like this."

For him, it had always come back to the mission.

Listening to Kate tell about what she and Clint had caught up about, he gave a little nod. "Yeah, I wasn't paying attention to what you all were saying." He was able to focus on single conversations, and his attention had been on Laura. He'd wanted to give Kate some privacy. He rubbed her arm a little as she mentioned father's day. "I hope he had a good one." A beat. "I know the day was tough for you. I'm sorry."

"The real hype will be Kirtsen listening about this," Kate joked as they walked together, with their arms locked. Kate kept her eyes down on the grass quite often, far more worried about missing something she doesn't want to step on, even though she is aware Matt would warn her. "You know, messed up as Stick was, I gotta admit that everything he taught you was pretty incredible." And it made Matt the man she had...

It made her best friend as she knows him.

"I'm not surprised, considering the stuff you and Laura were talking about." She was well aware that this was not something Matt could always switch off. But when his attention was divided as it was today, that wasn't so surprising. "And hey, don't worry about it. You and Peter? The fact that you even realized I was having a rough day was enough to make it better." Kate rested her head against his shoulder. "You took real good care of me. Even Clint was glad to hear about it."

"I do owe him. For what he taught me." He'd never forget the day a simple ice cream cone, a favorite dessert, had suddenly become a gateway into a vast world. "Even if it was all for the wrong reasons." Stick had wanted a warrior. Not a child looking for a father-figure. Although even to this day Matt couldn't quite reconcile finding that old bracelet years later. He let out a faint snort, one that didn't hold much humor in it. "All he ever wanted was for me to lead an army." For him to take his place among the leaders of The Chaste. Well, Matt hadn't done that, but he was finally stepping into the leadership role that Stick had always sworn he was meant to do. Which... didn't precisely encourage Matt into thinking he was doing the right thing by it being Stick-approved.

With his arm that wasn't holding his shoes, Matt slid his free one around Kate's shoulders and gave her a little sideways hug. "I'm glad. If we made the day better for you." It hadn't been an easy day for any of them, really. Matt hadn't said as much, and he didn't know if Peter had, but they'd all lost fathers and father-figures. Helping make Kate's day go more smoothly had kept Matt's mind off his own losses. Privately later, by himself, he'd poured one out for those he'd lost. Somehow whiskey down the gullet suited all three of his father-figures.

He smiled then, nodding ahead. "I think I hear your friends."

Kate couldn't help but wonder, as Matt's words were not lost in her. Matt had been vague when speaking about Stick, but she knew the man was also visually impaired. The man who had raised him to lead an army. Maybe, maybe his methods were not the best. Far from that, she could tell that they had left wounds in Matt.

There was a certain cruelty in demanding that from a child, Kate realized even when she wasn't really aware of all thhe gritty details that made Stick's memory such a painful one for Matt. But maybe, just maybe... Just like Matt was able to see beyond what other people could, maybe Stick had not been completely wrong? Kate kept those thoughts to herself, promising that she would be nothing but supportive as Matt led the way.

"Wait, you're--"

Indeed, he could see even better than she did. Squinting, Kate shielded her eyes from the sun. She knew they were close, because the fence of the donkeys enclusure was right there. But her favorite bunch was nowhere to be seen.

"Guys?! Hey!" She called out, holding her sneakers up and waving as she called out the donkeys.

It wasn't long before she was welcomed by a couple of 'hee-haws' as a pair of donkeys ran across the field to meet them.

"You guys! Where were you?" Some where clearly behind the barn. Others in their enclosure. Some had been nothing but tiny dots in the distance. But they all gathered now to come greet Kate and her friend.

Carelessly droping her sneakers and socks on the ground, Kate tugged on Matt's hand and guided him to the fence as the big fluffy heads of eager donkeys reached out for pets. Kate stroked and scritched them happily, hugging them to her chest as big furry lips ticked her cheek. "Oh, you guys, you're the sweetest. Look, this is Matt."

Matt smiled as he could hear the donkeys approaching from various directions. Some came from the run-in shed, others from grazing far away. He hadn't known exactly how many donkeys that Clint's farm had, but it appeared to be quite a few. He settled his shoes and socks on the ground beside hers and walked over to greet them. Beneath his feet the grass was warm and soft, and he could feel the slight unevenness in the ground that came naturally as opposed to cracked asphalt on sidewalks. It was a sensation he really did not get to experience often, really just when he visited the Nelsons in upstate New York. Even though the late afternoon heat was causing a trickle of sweat to form on his back, the rays were bringing with them the sweet scent of the farm, along with the more musty, sour scents of the farm animals and fertilizers.

He soaked it all in as he settled at Kate's side. He could hear the happiness in her voice, in her heartbeat. The sun had warmed up her skin too, he could tell, not to an alarming degree but enough that her normal heat signatures were different. She wanted to share this moment with him, that he also didn't miss. His heart lifted at that thought as he reached out a hand. He let the donkey in front of him sniff at it for a minute. Only once there was gentle nudging of his hand did he feel it was accepted that he could step closer and pet them. He let his fingers run down the coarse hair of the donkey's neck, then gave scratches at the side of the neck. The donkey stretched out their neck, appreciating it. "Well hi there, nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Kate." To Kate he added, "I think they missed you."

"And I missed them, too." Kate was quick to agree, her lips finding the top of the head of one of the donkeys that had already taken the liberty of resting its head against Kate's chest, it's chin tucked against her shoulder. "Dixie, you missed me, didn't you?" Even though they were quite similar, Clint had taught her about the little details who allowed Kate to tell the donkeys apart. "She's a total cuddler. If you lay down on the grass she'll get down right next to you."

Braying, the donkey Matt was petting seemed to agree.

"Isn't that right, Elton? Yeah, buddy, you know it."

Even as she cuddled Dixie, Kate turned her face to watch Matt as he interacted with her favorite animals (not counting Marshall) in the farm. "Have you touched their ears. Paul next to you really loves that," she encouraged, giving that the donkey she mentioned seemed to be curious about Matt.

Courious enough to be sniffing his face and attempting to take his glasses off.

"Dixie, Elton, Paul... am I sensing a musical theme?" Matt asked curiously, then laughed as the other donkey nuzzled his face, sending his glasses askew. "I don't know why but I thought Dolly Parton when I heard Dixie. Then Elton John and Paul McCartney." To be safe Matt took them off and pocketed them, rewarding Paul for his efforts with scratches using his other hand. The glasses really were as much for the comfort of those he was with as they were for Matt. People tended to feel awkward when they could see that Matt's gaze wasn't able to actually meet theirs. Kate though he knew didn't care. The donkeys surely wouldn't notice. "You're very talented musicians if so, Paul and Sir Elton," he informed the donkeys between scritches. "I listen to your music often. Yours a little less, Ms. Parton," he teasingly said to the donkey that was hugging Kate. "But I adore your philanthropism and I'm sure it's my shortcomings that I don't know country music that well."

The donkey that was hugging Kate began to nibble on her shirt, nestling against her neck. Elton began to nose against Matt's hand, as if searching for food. Matt thought quickly, then bent down to pull up some grass. He fed it to both the donkeys in front of him. "There you go. See? We're not rude and came without snacks." To Kate he added, "I have a friend out in California who mentioned there's cow therapy out there where you can lie down with cows and hug them. It's supposedly therapeutic for people. Maybe Clint could always open up something like that with the donkeys." No, he didn't think Clint would really welcome strangers onto his farm, but the donkey lying in the field made Matt think of the cows.

Even though Kate was busy disentagling her shirt from Dixie's mouth and then delivering some noisy kisses against the donkey's cheek, she still grinned as Matt caught up on the theme behind the donkeys names. "Considering that's John coming right next to Paul?" She pointed out as another one of the donkey's tried to push his sibling aside to take the grass from Matt's hand. "Yeah, I think you got it."

Kate remembered them once discussing just how loving cows could be, so it wasn't that big of a shock to imagine someone had come up with some sort of therapy involving hugging those animals. She had no doubt of how therapeutic that could be. After all, Kate could spend hours hugging these guys.

"We can always hop the fence after lunch for some therapy with these guys," she offered as she stroked Elton's muzzle as he approached her for attention. And, perhaps, to check if she had some treats herself.

"Did you know they have crosses on their backs?"

"John and Paul? No offense to George and Ringo but I got the two best musicians first," Matt joked as he tried to share attention between the donkeys in front of him. "I've never laid down with any animal besides Lucky, so sure. I'm game." That was Matt Murdock. He wouldn't cross some ethical boundaries, but otherwise? He was usually fair game to try something new. Especially if it meant something dear to someone he cared about, like Kate.

"My dad always said that a true romance would understand Elton John's 'Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters'," Matt said absently as he fed the donkeys. His throat tightened, but in a good way, as a memory was unlocked. The violence. The devastation. It wasn't to be glorified. No, it was the gutter voices of those stamped on that needed raising. A beat. Then he turned the song on with his phone. He set it on the ledge of the fence. Trashcan dreams. Standing at the edge, while people ran you through.

"I thank the lord, there's people out there like you."

He said it with the song, without even realizing it. He reached for her hand. Head tilted, eyes blind, finding her through other means.

"I thank the lord there's people out there like you."

Elton brayed.

Mona Lisa's and Mad Hatters indeed. He and Kate knew precisely if it was dark outside or light.

Edited 2025-07-02 20:31 (UTC)

"Don't say that in front of Laura or she'll think you're siding with Clint," Kate joked as Matt showed his loyalty towards his favorite Beatles. Clint's wife? Definitely a Ringo kinda woman who had been very vocal about it. There was a reason why their rooster was named after the drumer. "You don't wanna bomb that friendship when she's about to share all her herbal secrets."

Giving Elton some good scratches under his jaw, she was surprised as Matt started musing some thoughts aloud. A memory about his dad. A song Kate didn't think she'd ever heard, or, one she at least did not recognise by the title. Almost sensing she was lost, Matt pulled out his phone and allowed the music to speak for itself.

Kate crouched, paying attention even as she picked some long grass to keep doting on the donkeys. Silent, curious. Glancing at Matt as he sung along. Her heart skipping a beat when his hand found his. When the meaning of the lyrics hit her. Her jaw dropping as their gaze's met, even though he was not seeing her with his eyes.

For a moment, it felt like he did see her so very clearly.

Maybe the Lord indeed worked in mysterious ways. Maybe Clint's donkeys were just spoiled and aware that Kate would be happy to deliver.

But, trying to reach the grass she was still clutching, both Dixie and Elton craned their necks, bumping onto Kate and pushing her against Matt's chest, until she was sandwiched between him and the fence.

Kate stared up at him as Elton (John) continued singing about the hardships and beauty of the city they both loved.

"Did I..." She was a little flustered, there was no denying that. But Kate? Didn't move from the spot. Or let go of Matt's hand. "Did I tell you these guys were a little shameless?"

No. He didn't want to bomb this friendship.

Were they speaking of Laura still?

Turn around and say good morning to the night. Had he ever known one from another?

They know not if it's dark outside or light.

This Broadway's God, it's got a lot of songs to say. That was the problem, wasn't it? He'd gone his way so long, sewn so many seeds on his own for a garden of many.

'Don't fuck this up, Matt.'

Stick, warning him against Kate? His father, towards her?

Matt stepped forward. He held her cheek like she was precious. Not delicate, but precious. A moment in time, to gloriously share before she went on to be hardened by time and pressure into something greater. Into something other. He held her like she was nothing but his best friend. Kate.

She was night and day. That in between that held the promise of everlasting glory and grief. His heart hammered.

Elektra. Who stepped up and took what she wanted. Was he learning from his lost love, with what to do with the next?

She was a story he might share.

Kate's heart was true.

He saw her as promise. Grandpa Nelson and Mills.

Was he a good man? Maybe not. But he did thank the lord for her. Maybe it mattered more to happen on her home turf, where she was empowered. Where she had people who loved her purely, rather than the devil who nipped at heels.

Very gently, very slowly, Matt held her chin. He leaned in and kissed her. Softly. Slowly. Was it a mistake? Maybe.

I grew my own, my own seeds shall be shown in New York City.

It was Matt's silence that spoke louder than words could. There, between a wooden fence and the man that lingered to her thoughs late at night, but still worked early hours in her mind as she woke up. Kate's body felt a little stiff as she realized her shoulders were tense, her breath held as if her instinct told her she ought she to brace herself for something unknown.

Matt was silent, his brown eyes as gentle as always. Staring, as if he could see straight into the face of that which hid in broad daylight. Maybe he could. Matt had a way of understanding things, like he could sometimes spot those threads of that tapestry Father Lantom had spoken about. His hand came to her cheek, warm. Kate became aware of it. At that very moment, one of those threads was being sewn before her very eyes.

She could smell it in his palm, the same grass she felt under her feet as Kate curled her toes. One of Kate's hands came to his chest, as if they were getting ready to dance, Elton John singing to them in a loop. Reminding Kate of home, letting her see New York in the way only Matt could. He had quoted the words for a reason, his thoughts having wandered there.

I thank the lord there's people out there like you.

Was this actually happening? One of the donkeys nibbled the back of her head, which only encouraged her to let out a shy chuckle as she pushed, whoever that was, out of the way. Again, Kate could breath, but her heart was trotting like a free stallion.

It was those eyes. Matt was shielding the sun, which shone like a halo above his head. And his eyes, they were as gentle and as full as love as they always were.

"Matt..."

Even with a chorus of cicadas singing their own song and with the donkeys stomping their feet and braying, Kate couldn't think of anything that made her melt as much as that simple gesture did it. Matt, holding her chin, silently encouraged her to tilt her head up, her eyes shutting slowly as she closed her gapped lips. Kate welcomed the kiss, cocking her head as her brain tried its hardest to process what was happening.

This is happening,

It is really, actually happening.

Matt's chin, his cheek, it scratched her in a deluightful way with his stubble, the corners of Kate's lips pulling into a soft smile as she cupped Matt's cheek in response. She kissed him softly at first, little by little allowing herself to grow more enthusiastic as the hand on his chest moved down to his hip.

She kissed Matt, eager to let him know that his lips tasted of little, ordinary miracles.

The sound of his name on her lips felt like something he'd never heard before. Not in that way. A recognition as well as a claim. He liked hearing her say it. It sounded all the sweeter for the taste of her that followed. He could detect everything in her lipstick, all that she'd eaten that day. Her toothpaste. Beneath all of that, the natural flavor that was uniquely hers. The sensory data danced upon his tongue as he kissed her in return. It was slow at first, light and gentle, as though he was afraid anything too much would break this moment. As though he was giving her every chance to pull away, to think better of right now.

Only she didn't. Kate met him with her own hungry enthusiasm, His hands settled at her waist, head bent down to reach her. It wasn't too far of a lean. She felt like a perfect height for this moment. Everything about it, from the cellphone music in the background to the bugs and donkey braying, it was nothing like he'd imagined. Maybe that was the point. Maybe life was at its best in moments of improvisation. Or at least, he wanted to tell himself that. He wanted to think that this time his impulsivity wouldn't bite them both in the ass.

His nose bumped hers and he huffed out a small breath. A little laugh. In a husky voice he said, "Sorry," before kissing the tip of her nose. "I guess we still have some practicing to do." He could feel his heart hammering alongside hers. He moved one of her hands over his chest, so she could feel what he could hear. He licked his lips and added, "I won't pretend I haven't thought about doing that." All the fears of ruining their friendship, of being in different life stages, it hadn't suddenly evaporated. Yet how could he be the man without fear if he didn't face them head on?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Visiting the Bartons (for @streetlevel )

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