Notes

ViperPeggy:
Hey! I have a simple request. How about a MattXDeaf Reader? Reader-chan knows how to read lips, but how about they still have issues with communicating and reader-chan is frustrated because she seemingly can't talk to him without Foggy or Karen to interpret for her.

What do you think?

-----------------

You were beginning to feel really annoyed with your lot in life. It seemed that fate had dealt you a cruel hand.
What was worse, is that it was cruelest in the most subtle way, so much so that what you found hard was never what everyone else thought it was.

You had gone deaf at the age of 10 when a building had exploded next to your family's apartment in Hell's Kitchen.
And yes, being deaf was hard. Very, very hard.

But after over 10 years of dealing with it, you'd come to accept that you'd not likely hear anything again. If fate had been tasked by God to make you suffer, it realised something else would have to be done to cause this far-too-adaptable girl to feel pain.

Thus, you were given an amazing mind, logical and quick-witted. The perfect mindset for a lawyer. So, you studied hard and passed the bar and then, the supernatural resolved to try its luck once more.
You met one Matthew Murdock.

You'd known his friend Foggy for years after meeting him at a sign language class. He told you that his mother was hard of hearing and he thought maybe sign might help. And he picked it up quickly too, which turned you into fast friends. When you left law school, it was Foggy who offered you a place in their new firm. He said he'd have spoken to you sooner, but his partner and he were going through some...difficult events.

You gratefully accepted and soon you found yourself spending your every free hour around him and his colleagues, Karen and Matt.

Matt. There was something special about him that you couldn't quite place, something more behind that slight quirk of the lip when he smirked and that laugh like he knew something more.
But there was also something special about the way he smiled at you and the way he opened the door for you and pulled out your chair. The little things, that made you love him far beyond how words ever could.

But when it came down to the business, you and Matt could never work together without Foggy or sometimes Karen (who'd been trying to learn sign for you) translating backwards and forwards.

So when it came down to actually talking to him one-to-one, your conversations were nonexistent.
This was your sad lot in life. 403 You felt a little like Ariel in the Little Mermaid, you thought for a moment, falling in love with a man you couldn't speak to.

You felt a tap on your shoulder, causing you to break away from your thoughts and find yourself back in the office with a jump. It was Foggy.
He signed: <i>Are you okay?</i>
You nodded with an apologetic smile. <i>Sorry, just getting a little distracted.</i>
He smiled back. <i>Don't worry. You finished with that document?</i>
<i>Yeah, here.</i> You passed him the sheets and began reading through a couple of others.

The three of you were just tidying up a more simple case that you'd won last week, sorting through the paperwork and final legal documents.
Matt spoke up, his fingers still sliding quickly over the Braille sheets with ease. "Has anyone got my Braille copy of the legislation passed in 19-something?"
Karen paused from what she was reading, glancing around the table before noticing it. "Oh, I think (y/n)'s got it by accident." She looked towards Foggy. "How would I say that?"
Foggy signed a rather long series of gestures to her and she looked at him quizzically. Sighing, he began to repeat it before she shook her head. "Just tell her yourself, I'll never remember that!"

Foggy turned to you and signed, you 'ohh'-ing with a gesture, before sifting through your papers to find the sheet, handing it to Matt, who nodded in thanks.

Matt groaned to himself internally. He couldn't even ask you for a document, let alone ask you out. It was becoming a real nuisance, sure he was technically blind but he reaaaally liked you, regardless of the fact that you rarely spoke.

And he hadn't a clue how he could talk to you. Well, not without telling you about his night life...
He sighed internally, running a hand through his hair as he 'watched' you brush a stray curl from your face. Exhaling, he resolved to try something.
He took off his glasses, placing them on the table as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, which was slightly sore. Then, he felt across the table, supposedly trying to find his glasses, <i>accidentally</i> grasping your hand at one point.

Your breathing hitched and your heart did palpitations. Hearing this, Matt's heart in turn fluttered a little. You liked him. He was actually 97% sure that you liked him too.
Well, that settles it, he thought.

You had left the office just after Karen, after Matt had insisted he needed to stay late and Foggy stating he'd keep him company.
As soon as Matt was sure that both of you were gone, he took off his glasses, turning to face Foggy.
Foggy eyed him suspiciously. "Okay, what do you want?"
"You have to teach me how to sign."

Foggy stared at him blankly for a couple of moments before realising he was serious. "What?! Like seriously, what?!"
"You heard me. I wanna be able to talk to (y/n)."
"How are you gonna explain that one to her?"
"I- I thought I could- I- ugh, I don't know. Maybe I'll just end up telling her the truth."
"And Karen? How're you gonna explain that you don't need her to translate any more because the blind guy just learnt how to sign and, even better, READ SIGN WHEN HE CAN'T SEE?!"
"Well, she doesn't have to <i>know</i> that I can sign. She can translate on our behalf when she's here and when she's gone, I can sign for myself."
"So how're you gonna explain the lack of a translator when you and (y/n) go on dates?"

Matt spluttered slightly, surprised. "W-what? H-how, say what, I mean-"
Foggy rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you thought I really hadn't guessed you had a crush on her. You totally do. And yes, I totally noticed that hand-grab earlier today too."
Matt sighed, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully. "If you know I like her this much, you gotta help me man. Dating with a translator is just awkward and lame and it's even worse if I actually <i>can</i> learn sign."
Foggy groaned, pushing his chair back and putting his head in his hands. "Fine! I'll teach you sign. But that's it. You're working out how you're gonna explain it. And if you can't explain it, it's your fault, okay?"
Matt grinned. "Thanks Foggy."

-

Almost evening for 6 weeks, Nelson taught Murdock sign language. Although difficult, because, as Foggy noticed, Matt had issues with getting distracted (<i>especially</i> with his super-senses) eventually he could hold a conversation in sign pretty well.

They were in the middle of a lesson when Matt heard something, standing up immediately and freezing, straining his ears. He turned to Foggy as he moved quickly towards the door. "Foggy, I'm sorry, there's-, I've got to-"
Foggy half smiled, slightly sadly, nodding. "Go get 'em, just don't get sliced avocado."
Matt smiled slightly back. "Thanks Foggy." And with that he darted out of the door.

After hitting his apartment to change into his suit, he went to the top of the building, pausing to tune his ears into the crime. Armed robbery, guns firing, a scream but no injury.

The darkness like a cloak of invisibility, he made his way to the scene swiftly.

-

Two hours later he stumbled back into his apartment, mostly uninjured (compared to normally anyway) but with a few scratches and a bruised rib.
As he was shutting the door and pulling off his mask, he heard a slightly cough and spun around defensively.

You stared back at the man in the suit before you, arms folded. Inhaling slightly, you spoke out hesitantly. Being deaf, but not since birth, you could indeed speak, but with a slightly off accent and quite unsure of yourself. "Matt?"
Matt was stunned into silence, leaning against the wall and shocked at the sound of your voice. Tentatively, he tried to sign. <i>I didn't- I was- why are- What are you doing here?</i>

You raised an eyebrow but resolved not to question it for a moment. <i>I was dropping in to say hi. Don't look so shocked. Yes I can talk and yes I knew about you.</i>

"You <i>what</i>?!" Matt spluttered.
"Not hard to put it together Matt," you said slowly, gently taking his arm and helping him into the flat, closing the door behind you. "Vigilante of the city covers his eyes, blind guy. Blind guy gets mysterious injuries, vigilante. Besides, I recognised the bottom half of your face - good eyesight is a perk of being deaf."
He eyed you. "How'd you understand me?"
"Lip reading."

He ohhed before wincing as you gently wiped his injuries clean with a wet wipe.
When you were done, you sat in front of him, signing. <i>How'd you learn to sign?</i>
<i>I got Foggy to teach me.</i> He said, slightly proudly.
<i>How can you see what I'm signing?</i>
<i>I can't. But, I can- it's- it's difficult to explain, I don't know how to sign it.</i>
You smiled slightly, touched that he was trying for you. <i>Speak it.</i>

He gave you a small smile in return. "My senses were...<i>affected</i> when that chemical blinded me. Beyond the way they would be when you lose a sense. I can sense the area around me, through sounds and vibrations and smells, creating a mental picture.'
You nodded slowly. <i>Does Karen know?</i>
<i>No.</i>

<i>Oh.</i>
<i>Why?</i>
You sighed. <i>I just hoped that perhaps we could finally have conversations without a translator, that's all, don't worry.</i>
He gave you a small smile. <i>Hey,</i> he said, taking your hands in his. <i>I'll work something out. I can't bear not being able to talk to you directly.</i>
<i>Are you sure?</i>
<i>Definitely.</i> He nodded. <i>Besides, there's something I've been wanting to ask you for a while.</i>
You raised a curious eyebrow. <i>Oh, what is it?</i>

He signed something to you and you burst out in a laugh.
He froze up, concern etched into his face. "(Y/n), why are you- what did I-" He shook his head, returning to signing. <i>What's wrong?</i>
You grinned, pecking his cheek. <i>I'm guessing Foggy told you that?</i> Realising you couldn't explain this in sign, you spoke again. "You asked me if I'd marry you!"
Matt went bright red, "I'm gonna hit him..." He muttered irritably. He turned back to you, still red. "Will you go out with me?"
You smiled. "I'd love to."
He grinned, leaning forward slowly before gently kissing your lips.

Matt smirked to himself as he realised that you'd never said no to getting married. Although it may be a while off, he couldn't avoid the small grin on his face as he kissed you at the thought of potentially spending his life with you. And far later in the evening, when you'd fallen asleep on the sofa beside him, he looked down at your sleeping form and smiled, whispering three little words as his eyes closed and he drifted to sleep too.