Archive of Our Own

Foggy was sure that if you asked Matt Murdock if he knew love he would probably tell you that he loved a thousand times over. Women that he loved deeply. Women that he loved too much. He would say that he knew love intemently and it hurt.

If you asked Foggy Nelson he'd say that Matt knew lust and fell into it hard. Shared it with anyone who lusted after him and didn't set off his defenses. He would say that Matt was well versed in lust but depressingly lacking in experiencing love. 

So much so that he didn't even recognize it. Foggy told Matt he loved him all the time. Matt had grown to reciprocate with a "love you to Fogs'' but he never just of his own accord told Foggy that he loved him.

Foggy wasn't upset about it. It was Matt. Matt cared about Foggy. Foggy knew this to his core that Matt would not only die for him (which he would do for pretty much anyone) but that frighteningly enough he would probably kill for him. Not like if Foggy asked him to. More like, if it would save Fogy kind of a thing.

Foggy can't imagine a situation in which someone would force Matt to kill by threatening to have Foggy harmed or killed but the point still stood.

Matt has only ever given Foggy one birthday gift. A tie. A tie that Matt got for him in their second year of law school.* An absolutely horrendous tie that set a new president for ugly ties and started Foggy's true descent into the collection of said ties. As well as the creation of the ugly tie ranking system. Not that he wouldn't have ended up where he was today all on his own but Foggy suspects part of the reason Matt doesn’t buy him birthday gifts (other than being a major sufferer of executive dysfunction) was an adverse reaction to Foggy's admittedly over exuberant reaction. 

Foggy was getting off track and forgetting what the point of this thought was. Oh right. Love. Matt didn’t know love. Not more than the platonic love that Foggy tried to shower him with.

He knew Matt loved Electra but a large part of it was undeniably lust driven. There was some tenuous trust between the two ninjas but it was offset by a clear level of distrust. 

Or maybe there wasn't trust at all and it was more like a weird fighter's language. Not that Foggy could ever understand either way. He wonders if Natasha would but that was none of her business, it wasn't even Foggy's really. 

Outside of how fucked it left his friend that is. Maybe he could get insight from Natasha though. Just ask her if there really was a secret fist language. Speaking of, he was getting a text from the spy. Foggy blinked, realizing he'd ventured a little too deep into thought and shook his head grabbing the phone off his desk and swiping it open with a simple Z pattern. 

Natasha 🕷: So...
Natasha 🕷: how do you think it went?

Ah. So maybe Foggy wasn't the only one spiraling into a confused analysis. Sure, Natasha probably wasn't stuck on the thought of love and whether her very close friend even understood it, but still. 

Matt had behaved well at the dinner and having known him as long as he has, Foggy can honestly say he'd rarely seen him warm up to someone so quickly. He'd been joking when he'd given Matt the  restriction of no adult fun time. Not that Matt had to listen to Foggy but Matt seemed to be taking it seriously enough. 

And even though Foggy had to have a good connection with someone before he'd do it, it wasn't like he thought it was wrong if Matt did it so easily. It just was– Foggy just wanted– He couldn't see Matt making friends if he just slept around all the time. He knew that society didn't agree but Foggy believed that all strong long lasting bonds started with friendship. Especially romantic bonds. 

He responded–

Foggy: It went better than I hoped. 

Natasha 🕷: Clint is a self sabotager. especially when he starts to feel happy.

Natasha 🕷: we have to make sure they meet again

Foggy: OMG Matt’s the same way!!!

Foggy: It’s like he’s allergic to happiness!

Foggy: Like! dude it’s okay to enjoy things!

Natasha 🕷: well, Clint is not that bad…

Natasha 🕷: but he likes to blame bad luck and does not think he deserves nice things

Foggy: *determined face gif* Our boys deserve nice things!!!

Foggy dropped his head to his desk. He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation, even in text, with The Black Widow. His inner teen gosip was vibrating with unbridled joy and awe.

Natasha 🕷: did you see the way Clint was with Matt

Natasha 🕷: I think I saw sparks ✨️ 😚

Foggy felt his mouth drop. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He typed out a response; remembered who he was talking to, deleted it and wrote something else only to start over again. He finally settled on a response and felt his heart flutter with excitement.

Foggy: Matt was definitely interested. He was almost completely focused on him! It was beautiful.

Foggy bit his lip.

Foggy: We should see if there is any chance those sparks might start a fire. 🔥 

Foggy: With patience, the main goal is still friendship.

Foggy: So no expectations.

Natasha 🕷: friendship might be all Clint can give 

Foggy: Matt will give everything but friendship if we aren't careful.

Natasha 🕷: should I be worried? 

Foggy worried his lip. Thinking it over.

Foggy: I told him this was a friend thing… but Matt can be insatiable. He's also impulsive and follows his 🍆 more than his ❤️ or 🧠. If you know what I'm saying. 

Natasha 🕷: so we need to cockblock a little while we get them to get to know eachother because if they fall in love its good 
if they become friends its good
but if they end up fuck buddys we've fucked up?

Foggy: Basically? 

Foggy: Not that fwb isnt okay or something but we're trying to make them happy as possible and not make things more complicated.

Natasha 🕷: speaking of… we've kept Clint's occupation seacret from Matt so far

Natasha 🕷: should we tell him? I don't think he put two and two together 

Foggy: No!

Foggy: I mean Clint should tell him… plus… if Matt finds out he'll wanna fight him.

Natasha 🕷: ?

Foggy: BTW... do fighters really talk with their fist? 🤛💬

Natasha 🕷: I can get quite a few messages across with my fist.

Natasha 🕷: why

Natasha: ?

Foggy laughed. That was such a  violent answer. He never thought he'd be the sensible one in his friend groups but weirdly enough it seemed to be the role he fell into most often. Amicably Foggy found himself gossiping for another few hours. At some point Karen even got dragged into the chat. All in all Foggy was happy with how things were going. He hoped Matt was too.