Fanfic Recs by coprime

The nights are lovely, dark and deep (But I'll appear when you're asleep) (Foggy-Matt | PG13 | 7,860 words): While chasing down a cult in Hell's Kitchen, Matt gets taken and Foggy has to find him. This is a perfect Halloween-y fic with a tense atmosphere as the plot unfolds.

Excerpt:
The list of missing in Hell's Kitchen never grew shorter. Eventually those who couldn't be missed would be declared dead, chased by banks and tax collectors after years of nothing. They'd been doing this for years. Decades even, a same monster beneath the ground supposedly demanding human flesh.

Each night he gained more information, and yet remained equally lost as to how to stop them. Injuries stacked up from distraction, from listening to conversations blocks away in hope of catching the right breadcrumb. Stitches he couldn't stretch, strained muscles that wouldn't relax as hard as he would try.

But even the worst injuries would be ignored in favour of running to a crying child. Of leaping over a rooftop and barely pausing as a wound ripped open, as her screams continued for her dad.

5 times foggy met daredevil (and 1 time he didn't) (Foggy/Matt | PG13 | 9,694 words): An alternate meeting where Foggy doesn't know Matt and gets to know Daredevil first. This is sweet and cute and a lot of fun.

Excerpt:
"Are you arguing that this wasn't on purpose, councilor?"

"I'm arguing that me putting myself in danger once is in no way equivalent to what you do and that my risking my life for the sake of another person does not equate to being mugged for a second time, therefore you have no right to neither judge me nor condemn me."

"Fair enough. Does the defense rest?"

"The defense rests in the case of Nelson v. Masked Man."

The masked man laughed, sharp and short but genuine.

"Well, Mr. Nelson, given that convincing argument I'm going to sentence you to me following you home to ensure you don't decide that I'm leading by example and try to stop another dangerous situation."

Where Credit Was Due (Foggy/Matt, Mike | PG13 | 9,398 words): Mike convinces Foggy to pretend to date him as a way to play a prank on Matt. This is hilarious and dramatic and sweet at turns.

Excerpt:
Matt had promised himself he'd try. But as anyone Matt Murdock had ever promised soon found out—try as he might, it didn't hold. He had yet to make it inside Foggy's apartment before the idea had already begun to slip insidiously through his fingers. As it went, like sand through an hourglass, a budding sense of dread took its place.

There were two things amiss. The first he'd clocked more than a block out. It would have been hard not to: Mike was a singular presence. If it wasn't his full-throated and seasonally inappropriate rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," then it would have been Foggy's impassioned plea to stop ogling his ass. Matt's cane caught on a crack in the sidewalk. He really should have confirmed with Foggy about the guest list.

The second realization hit in two stages, with the latter giving meaning to the first. Three brownstones down, some disturbed earth in a planter. On the other side of Foggy's door, a scraggly bouquet of flowers clinging to that same newly dug-up scent. There was only one conclusion to be drawn. Foggy's new lover was not only cheap but a scoundrel. Matt curled his lip out on the welcome mat. Whenever that lowlife returned from whatever last-minute errand Foggy'd likely had him run out to do, Matt was going to make his displeasure known.

The More Things Change (Gwen, Foggy-Matt | G | 5,535 words): Gwen can't figure out what Matt Murderdock's doing at the Dollar Dog. This is a lot of fun with Gwen trying to figure out what Matt's motives are and some cute Matt and Foggy.

Excerpt:
"I shouldn't have to be the one sneaking around," she mumbled to herself, pulling the oil soaked wrapper from her first dog. "I was here first."

The worst part of it all was that she couldn't even focus on her food. Gwen was so wrapped up in watching Murdock that she found herself gnawing on the stick of her first corn dog without having tasted a single bite. And weirdly? He still wasn't doing a thing.

Well, that wasn't strictly true. He'd picked up his order and taken a seat at the only other booth in the establishment, but had made no moves after that. Instead, he sat stone-still, hands resting on either side of his tray with an intense look of concentration that would have been more at home at a chess championship than a greasy bodega turned nightclub.

From Your Lips to the Devil's Ears (Foggy/Matt | G | 9,427 words): Foggy meets Daredevil and gets suspicious when things he tells Daredevil he wishes for get granted to him by Matt. This is sweet and cute, and I like the gentle reveal of Daredevil's identity.

Excerpt:
"Someone is being treated to the breakfast of kings," Foggy answered, holding open the edges of a brown paper bag as he fished out his prize, one of three gargantuan bagels covered in seeds and seasonings, just the way he liked it. "Oh sweet, and cream cheese too? Is it my birthday? Wait… is it… Karen, is it your birthday?"

"Not for a few months, Foggy," she answered dutifully. "Matt here was just feeling magnanimous and brought in treats for the office."

"Oh, wow. Uh." For a second, Foggy faltered, before reminding himself his mother hadn't raised him to be ungrateful and would probably give his ear a good flick if she ever found out he took more than five seconds to deliver a thank you for a gift. "Man, thanks, Matt. This really is a treat. Haven't started the day with a free breakfast since-"

"Since our last day at L and Z," Matt finished. "Or I guess, to be more exact, about a week and a half after our last day, when you declared the last of your stolen bagels 'too stale for even your iron jaw.'"

"Not stolen!" Foggy's hands were raised in feigned innocence as he looked briskly to Karen, as though she were likely to march to the local precinct and report him to Brett herself. "Liberated! Put to good use energizing the team… the team who would go on to… represent the best interests of the people of Hell's Kitchen. It was practically an act of charity!"

"Even so," Matt was leaning against the doorframe now, arms crossed and a satisfied smile teasing at the corner of his lips. "It was ages ago. Seemed like we were overdue for some perks here."

Velocity (Foggy/Matt | NC17 | 5,333 words): After Foggy learns about Daredevil, Matt's feelings begin to morph. This is a really sweet fic about a demisexual Matt realizing he's in love with Foggy.

Excerpt:
"How do you do that? And don't give me that 'world on fire' stuff," Foggy added, when Matt opened his mouth. "I refuse to believe you haven't researched it at length." He punctuated this statement with two firm taps on the bar.

And Matt had a pleasant buzz from the whiskey, combined with the fact that Foggy was here and genuinely interested in what he had to say, so he told him as well as he could. The smells, sounds, textures; how he could 'see' better in the rain, maybe like sonar?; how he couldn't tell what Foggy's face looked like, but could guess what it was doing since he's known Foggy so long. And Foggy was quiet, making curious noises every now and then, but not interrupting. When Matt finished, Foggy just said, a little reverently, "Amazing."

Matt's throat went tight with emotion. He took a drink, swallowing it down. "Yeah."

Keep It Simple (Foggy/Matt | G | 6,158 words): Matt asks Foggy for advice in how to confess to someone he likes. This is cute and sweet, and Matt and Foggy are adorable in their inability to successfully confess/pick up on someone confessing.

Excerpt:
"Well, counselor," There was a squeak as Foggy replaced all four legs of his chair on the ground and stood to face Matt's desk. "With that evidence in mind, I propose we fall back on something as timeless as it is reliable."

Matt raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

"We kiss."

Droplets of chamomile tea flew through the air as Matt sputtered, nearly choking on the drink he'd made for himself in an effort to calm his nerves. "We… we what?"

"Kiss? It's something one of my high school English teachers taught us." Foggy was already scrambling for the roll of paper towels that lived on his desk and tried not to feel too raw about the fact that his roommate had nearly drowned himself on account of a misunderstanding. "When we were working on writing critical essays for the first time… well, let's just say some kids' analysis of 'The Crucible' erred on the flowery side."

Tea was still dripping from Matt's stunned face. "And your teacher suggested that kissing would help?"

"Not kissing, you pervert," Foggy gently shoved a handful of crumpled paper towels into Matt's damp chest, giving him a moment to soak up the worst of the accident. "KISS. It's an acronym. Stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid."

Patching Up (Foggy/Matt | PG13 | 6,303 words | sequel is Gifts): Foggy needs to patch Matt up and in the process they patch each other back. This is a lovely exploration of Foggy working at accepting Daredevil and Matt working at accepting Foggy's care.

Excerpt:
"You don't have to go." Matt tried hard not to sound desperate, but was pretty sure he failed miserably. "I'm fine, really."

Foggy went still at that, and Matt could feel the weight of his best friend's gaze on him. "Nightmares?" he asked finally, voice quiet.

Matt forced his hands to relax. "No." No more than usual, at least. "I just… you don't have to go."

Stay. Please stay.

He swallowed, clamping his lips closed on words he had no right to say. Foggy's heartbeat was starting to speed up, just a little, and he knew he'd pushed into territory he shouldn't have. "But you can, if you want. I know how long I've kept you. You need sleep, too."

Foggy's heartbeat was even faster now, and Matt braced himself for whatever he was going to say. Then Foggy let out a breath, hand lifting to rub across his mouth. "I thought you were humoring me."

Say You'll Still Be By My Side (Foggy/Matt | PG13 | 7,291 words): After Season 1, Matt's not sure how to apologize to Foggy. I love how Foggy and Matt work at reconnecting and rebuilding their relationship amid their regular day-to-day lives. It feels like a gradual rebuilding, one that's grounded in the reality of their lives.

Excerpt:
"I brought us a client," says Matt, bursting through Foggy's office door with a grin.

"Like a cat with a dead mouse," Foggy grumbles, already standing up, no doubt hearing the low sound of voices out in the reception room, where Karen is offering their client a cup of tea. "What's the story?"

"Small business owner being threatened out of business by trumped-up health code violations."

"So you mean you brought you a client, damn crusader with your pro bono cases," says Foggy, but he doesn't sound too unhappy about it.

"He can pay," says Matt, the best for last. "It's a popular business, the customers would never shut him down, his competitors are just trying to get the city to do it for them."

"The cat that got the canary, then," says Foggy, but he sounds like he's smiling, and Karen sounds happy talking to Mr. Pagonis in the reception room, so Matt allows himself the luxury of a few seconds standing in Foggy's door, waiting for him to pick up a notebook and pencil to take notes with, since that's Karen's job but he still does his own notes anyway, though half of them are doodles and shorthand of his own making from what he's described in the past.

Reminds me that there's room to grow (Foggy/Matt | PG13 | 7,258 words): Five winters that Foggy and Matt spend together, spanning the years. This is a really sweet fic that intertwines comfort and home with Matt and Foggy's relationship.

Excerpt:
"What are we toasting?" Matt asks, accepting the glass Karen offers him (more wine from the scent of it). Karen nudges him playfully with her elbow until he raises his glass. "We, my friends," Foggy starts grandiosely, "Are toasting us and the first annual Nelson and Murdock nondenominational winter season office party."

Karen laughs again. "I don't think Santa counts as nondenominational Foggy."

Matt chuckles, lowering his arm again, listening to the cheerful chime of the bell attached to the Santa hat Karen's been wearing all night. Foggy huffs a sigh, "I'm pretty sure Coke owns him Karen. Geez it's like you're trying to get me in hot water with HR."

"Yeah. That Mr Nelson is real ball buster."

Foggy's hair brushes the back of his shirt, Matt thinks he's tipped his head back laughing. "Oh sweet I'm HR. I can feel myself going mad with power already."

Matt sips at his drink, leans a little more firmly against the doorway and let's himself enjoy Karen and Foggy's banter flicking back and forth. "Hey we didn't toast yet buddy! Alright team bring it in, time to clink!" Foggy comes over and Matt smiles happily. Karen to his right and Foggy on his left, he lifts his glass and lets them clink their own drinks against it, savors the vibrations that ripple across the surface of the wine.