Archive of Our Own

Everything is burning.

His body, his mind, every nerve and every part of his being is on fire. Melting, losing control. It’s such an overwhelming explosion of sensations that he has to take a deep breath and force himself to focus his senses and remember where he is.

The cheap sheets beneath his fingertips and the creaking of the bed tell him he’s in Frank’s hideout. His sense of smell is confused, caught between fields of roses in full bloom and the sharp burn of whiskey, both scents blending into one, erasing any other pheromones from the room.

His sightless eyes trace a body moving beneath him, its chest rising and falling, racing in pursuit of pleasure. The body sings sweet melodies that flood Matt’s mind and drive him to crave more and more. 

It’s an addictive sensation, like a drug. 

An oasis in the middle of the world’s driest desert.

He moves his hips, and the figure beneath him lets out a cry of pleasure that reverberates through his body and delights Matt. He can’t focus on anything else in this room. He doesn’t know who his partner is or how he ended up here, but he understands that he was born to feel this way. Fulfilled, content.

Complete.

As if that part he’s been missing since the beginning of his life has finally appeared. Something only the person beneath him can give him.

Matt caresses the back of his unknown lover. The room is terribly hot, leaving his throat dry and his mouth nearly devoid of saliva. He’s so thirsty that he wouldn’t mind drinking, drop by drop, the sweet sweat that forms on his companion’s silky, rosy skin.

He licks his lips, delighted by his own idea, when he tastes a metallic flavor on them. No, it’s everywhere. Flooding his palate and bathing his tongue in it, his fangs stained iron-red. 

Blood. 

Fresh, intoxicating blood drips down his mouth, dyeing everything crimson.

His companion laughs, sending butterflies through Matt’s stomach, until he recognizes the delirious tone and everything turns sour. The blood on his fangs suddenly becomes poison. Matt’s trembling fingers find a path, a scar, long and deep. He traces this thorny trail to its end, fearful of what he could find. There, as a curse, lies a mark in the middle of the neck of the body beneath him.

A bite on their scent gland. Bleeding and perpetual.

God, Matt. What have you done? 

Why did you bite him?

His partner turns his head slightly and looks at him, a smile of pure love on his bloodied face. He is happy, beyond what is possible for a mere human. For a mere omega.

And, the lovesick Bullseye laughs and says:

“Till death do us part, Counselor.”

It’s already morning when Matt Murdock wakes up. He can tell by the sun’s rays, raising the room’s temperature almost imperceptibly. By the bustle on the street, people hurrying to work and cars honking in frustration at the morning traffic jam. And because the other side of the bed is already empty.

There, where an indelible scent of roses lingers, slept someone who Matt knows well enough to have rested peacefully by his side. Someone familiar enough to dream about.

As he places his hand on the mattress, the little warmth that still radiates from it tells him that his companion has been up for a while now. Well, there’s no denying it, he shared the bed with Bullseye. Again.

“Shit.” he mutters. That wasn’t last night’s plan, at all.

A small frustration arises in his chest, annoyed with himself for having fallen into the omega's trap again. He feels stupid. What's the point of having enhanced senses if they all go to waste with a mere blink from Bullseye? Still, he strokes the sheet, closing his eyes and imagining that the fabric beneath his fingers is tender, fluttering skin. Begging to be bitten, to be loved.

No. Matt can’t be thinking like that so early, or ever. Unless… he’s still in the dream? Perhaps he isn’t actually here, perhaps none of this really exists. Matt isn’t sure if he wants it to be a dream, but at that moment it sounds easier than accepting that last night actually happened. In any case, he decides to roll over and lie face-down on the bed, closes his eyes, and leaves it up to fate to decide whether this is real or not.

But today fate isn’t feeling nice, and no more than twenty seconds pass before it hits him in the face. Literally. Matt has to say that fate has very small, slightly chubby hands, and smells intensely of milk.

“Papa.”

“Hey, Maddie. I didn’t know you were already walking.”

Dreams go out the window with a little giggle and another smack to the face—babies hit unnecessarily hard, don’t they? Matt rolls over again and sits up on the mattress. Now in a better position, he picks up the baby, who’s standing while holding onto the edge of the bed, and sits her on his lap.

The scent of baby powder and lotion tells him that Maddie is already dressed and ready for the day. The texture of wool beneath his fingers lets him know she’s wearing a cardigan over her outfit. It doesn’t feel store-bought, but handmade. Could it be a gift?

“How did you sleep, Maddie?” he asks, and the girl nods her head up and down. He assumes that’s her way of saying she slept well. “I’m glad. I… I slept pretty well too, better than I have in a long time.”

It’s a whispered confession that Matt feels he can only say to Maddie, because saying it to anyone else would make the words meaningless. For starters, Matt doesn’t think they make much sense to him either.

“Mama,” the baby says, pointing to the empty spot on the bed. “Mama.”

“Do you want to go to Mom? Wouldn’t you like us to stay here a little while?”

The girl shakes her head. Oh, so that’s the attitude today. Fine, Matt accepts it. It would be a bit cynical to ask Maddie to prefer him over Dex.

“All right, whatever you say, young lady.”

He gets out of his warm bed and leaves the room with Maddie in his arms. The smell of fried eggs and toast reaches his nose before he even gets to the kitchen, along with the sound of soft humming, melodic and remarkably in tune. He can make out a figure behind the counter, cheerful and swaying his hips to the beat of the tune he’s humming.

“Mama,” Maddie repeats. Matt is starting to think that’s the only word she knows.

Upon hearing his pup’s voice, Dex sets aside his work and gives them a big smile, walking toward them. The t-shirt he's wearing—Matt’s by the way—is loose and allows Matt to smell the faint scent of blood emanating from the renewed bite on his scent gland, too new to heal. 

Maddie immediately reaches out her arms, and Matt can’t help but take a tiny step back. Dex stops dead in his tracks, and his scent of roses fades. The air in the room grows tense for a second. Matt swallows hard, praying that his small, instinctive mistake doesn’t lead to a fight or a crisis on the omega’s part. He doesn’t want to fight with the baby around.

But no, Dex surprises him by showing no reaction to his gesture. His scent returns, and he doesn’t hesitate to plant a kiss on Maddie’s cheek.

“Thanks for waking up Daddy, Maddie, you’re a very good pup,” says the omega, as he pinches the baby’s nose. After that, he turns toward Matt, resting one of his hands on the alpha’s shoulder and bringing his face close to Matt’s to give him a chaste kiss. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

The kiss leaves a tingling sensation on Matt’s lips. It’s not an especially uncomfortable feeling, it’s like a caress on a wound. A lot of things about Dex feel that way.

“…Good morning, Dex,” he replies after a couple of seconds. “What time is it?”

“Seven past ten. Maddie and I have been awake for a while. I didn’t want to wake you up earlier because I could tell you were tired last night.” Dex says, and laughs mischievously, enjoying the double meaning of his words. Matt frowns, but he doesn’t argue either—he admits that asking for sleep after just one climax didn’t exactly make him look good.

“Are fried eggs and coffee okay with you?”

Once again, Matt takes a while to find his answer, and his alpha calls him out on it. It’s so easy to say “Yes, whatever you make for me will be perfect", but he can’t do it even though the words are right on his tongue. There’s something there that’s stopping him from speaking, blue eyes on his head, ready to judge his actions.

Every movement is a battle, and it’s a stalemate when, after several seconds, Matt manages to nod.

Dex doesn’t lose his smile—it’s always there, mocking him—and he steps away from him, heading toward the kitchen to finish Matt’s breakfast. The shoulder he leaned on is burning. Like a caress on a wound. 

“Put Maddie in her chair or you won’t be able to eat in peace. I’m telling you from experience.”

Matt obeys and finally gets up from his seat. He carefully sets Maddie down in her feeding chair and sits next to her at the head of the table. The spot feels a little awkward, the head of the table is the undisputed seat of a pack’s alpha.

That’s what you are, idiot.

Most days, he had a good relationship with his alpha. Mostly quiet during the day, it only showed up when Matt was Daredevil. But whenever he was around Dex, oh dear God, there was no way to silence that primitive voice inside him. Omega this, omega that, all, all, all the time Dex was on his radar. It was maddening.

But then Dex sets a plate of sunny-side-up eggs, bread perfectly toasted, and a cup of coffee that smells exquisite in front of him, and Matt can’t help but think that maybe the alpha is just a little bit right to be so obsessed with his omega.

He starts eating in silence, trying to focus all his attention on his breakfast and not on how Dex has sat across from him, his eyes fixed on him. The omega does that every time they eat together. Matt isn’t quite sure why, if he’s insecure about his cooking and is looking for a negative reaction from him, he won’t get it, because for starters Dex is an amazing cook.

They’re just simple fried eggs, but they’re absolutely delicious. It’s the seasoning—they’re not over-seasoned, and that’s exactly what Matt loves. Having heightened senses also means his tongue perceives the flavors and spiciness of food more intensely, but Dex always gets the seasoning just right. Same with the coffee—freshly brewed and without that bitter aftertaste that Matt isn’t a big fan of.

“Do you have to go to the office today?” Dex asks, as Matt is already halfway through his plate.

“Yeah. I need to organize and file the documents for the Spider-Man case, plus start looking at the next cases we’ll be taking on with Kirsten.”

Dex nods. “Alright, I’ll leave a suit on the bed for you.”

No need. Or so Matt was about to say, but Dex is quick to get up and head toward the room they share. Well, all his suits are gray or black, so it doesn’t really matter which one he picks.

He continues eating his breakfast, now with greater peace of mind since he’s not being watched. Or at least, until he feels a new pair of eyes on him. Maddie is staring at him, with the same—or perhaps even more—intensity as Dex. Great, a mini-Dex, that’s totally what he needed.

“What’s up, Maddie? Do you want some eggs?” he asks her. “No, wait. Can I actually give you eggs…?

Tired of having so many questions about his daughter, Matt decides it's time to start getting some answers. So he starts looking for his phone; he's sure he left it somewhere in the living room last night, but where...?

"If it's your phone you're looking for, it's plugged into the outlet on the counter. To your left, right by the pillar,” Dex says from the bedroom. “And no, you can’t give Maddie runny eggs.”

Matt presses his lips together, slightly frustrated. He was the one with the radar, so why was Dex the one who knew where things were and what questions he had? 

Because he’s the omega of the house. Shut up!

He tries not to let his inner conflict show in his scent as he gets up to put his dishes in the dishwasher. And while he’s doing it, look for his phone, placed exactly where Dex had said.

“You have twenty unread messages from Kirsten,” says his phone assistant. Crap, Kirsten, he had forgotten about her. “You have eight missed calls from Kirsten.You have five voicemails from Kirsten.”

“She’s really worried about you, huh?”

Dex appears from the hallway. His footsteps are silent, quieter than Matt remembered, and it’s the loud thud of his heart and his distinctive scent of milk and roses that keep Matt from being startled when he hears the omega right in front of him. His tone of voice has changed—slight and almost imperceptible, but it’s there.

Bullseye’s deeper tone.

“I must have forgotten something,” Matt lies. “I probably brought some paperwork she needs from the office.”

The lie is flimsy, and not even he believes it, but Dex says nothing. Matt hates it when he doesn’t say anything. He’d much rather have Dex talk nonstop than staring at him in deep silence, as if he were calculating the best spot to throw a fork at him—one he’d already bounced six times. In the end, all the omega does is pull Maddie out of her chair and take her to the living room.

“Go get dressed,” Dex orders. “The clothes are on the bed, on your side. And before you ask, your side is the right one.”

Matt is smart enough to leave without saying a word. He doesn’t need his senses to know that this time, Dex isn’t smiling.

With his heart in his throat, he goes to the bathroom and washes his face roughly. Since when did he have a side of the bed? Those type of silent deals were things normal couples did, no people like them.

He inhales and exhales, trying to clear his mind. He just had to get dressed and go to work—easy, very easy. At the office, he’d be busy enough not to have time to remember last night, not to remember the sounds Dex made, how he moved beneath him, the way his insides took him in–

“Fuck,” Matt mutters, running a hand through his brown hair. Inhales and exhales again, hoping to calm his racing heart. When he feels slightly composed, he heads to the bedroom and starts getting dressed.

First, the pants. “These show off your butt, Counselor.” Matt turns around, he heard those words loud and clear, but there’s no one else in the room and he can sense that Dex and the baby are still in the living room. Lord, what’s going on?

He resumes getting dressed, moving on to the shirt. “Do me a favor and don’t fight with your shirts. It's impossible to get bloodstains out of white fabric.” He picks up the pace, not wanting to be in this place any longer. It’s like being on a ship in the ocean, surrounded by fog and sirens trying to seduce him with their scent of roses to make him their eternal slave.

His hands fumble with the buttons, and the tie seems unwilling to cooperate today. “Let me help you. That’s what I’m here for, Alpha.” With great effort, he puts on his shoes. And as he ties them, he sees it. Dex clinging to his legs, looking up at him with his enormous honey eyes as if Matt were a deity. Dex tilts his neck and shows his bitten scent gland, the scar etched in fire upon his skin. “Don’t go, Alpha. Stay, please.”

Matt can’t take it anymore and heads to the bedroom window, throwing it wide open. There, when the cool wind finally hits his face, he manages to calm down a little and the imaginary Dex disappears. His heart pounds hard against his chest, and Matt has to brace himself against the wall to keep from losing his balance. Last night ruined him. There’s something in his mind that’s clouding him, rendering him useless, defenseless against his instincts.

He has to leave that apartment right now.

“Are you hungry already, Madeline? It’s not time for your milk yet, missy.”

The real Dex’s voice makes him flinch. Matt sighs, one last confrontation and he can leave. He just needs his cane, his coat with his things in it, and that’s it. The coat is on the rack in the entryway and his glasses are on the small table by the door. 

His radar tells him that Dex is sitting with Maddie on the couch, so he won’t have to run into him on his way out. Perfect. He takes one last breath of fresh air and heads back to the dining room.

And his plan goes immediately straight down the drain.

Because his sense of smell picks up a new aroma. One that’s sticky, raw, and addictive. It’s a scent that stops Matt from taking a single step further, stunned by the delicious perfume. Very slowly, he turns toward the omega and his daughter. Dex is leaning against the sofa, while Maddie feeds directly from his chest.

Dear God, Dex is breastfeeding Maddie.

An indescribable feeling wells up in Matt’s stomach. Pride, his alpha whispers. Pride, because his omega is healthy and capable of properly nourishing their pup with milk he produced himself.

No, Matt denies. It’s just the shock of seeing Bullseye nursing his daughter.

“Oh, I knew that suit would look good on you,” Dex says from his seat. With one hand he holds Maddie’s head and with the other her body. “But your tie’s crooked, Counselor. Come here and I’ll fix it for you.”

That’s what I’m here for, Alpha.

“No thanks, I’m already late,” Matt cuts him off, taking a couple of steps back. The words come out too fast and a little shaky. When did his mouth get so full of drool…? He has to leave now, he knows it, but his feet feel glued to the apartment floor and his lips move before he can stop them. “I didn’t know you were breastfeeding Maddie.”

“Of course I am,” Dex declares, laughing, as if Matt had said something stupid. “Our pup is strong and healthy thanks to ol’ Dex’s milk. If you don’t believe me, ask any of your nurse friends.”

“No, I believe you. Really.” No need to tell anybody about this.

Matt tries to get back to his original mission, but Maddie pulls away from the nipple for a few seconds to breathe, and the scent intensifies enough to make him dizzy. It’s sickeningly sweet, its flavor can’t be anything other than syrup.

“What’s up, Matty?” Dex asks, his voice soft, but beneath that first layer lies a hint of mischief. The omega pulls one hand away from Maddie’s body and brings it to his nipple, catching a drop of the sweet nectar. “Wanna try some?”

The silence hangs heavy, the question bouncing around the room before settling on Matt’s mind. It’s a joke, right? He lets out a nervous laugh, hoping Dex will join in and that this strange situation will end. That doesn’t happen. Instead, Dex holds out his finger, with the drop of milk on it, toward him.

He needs to get out.

“I’m off to work.”

That’s all he says before grabbing his things and leaving—fleeing—the apartment. The moment the door closes behind him, Matt Murdock swallows down the mouthful of drool that has once again pooled in his mouth.

He now feels the urge to eat something sweet.

Getting to the office is harder than he’d like; every step he takes on his way to work feels heavy, laden with the sweet scent of milk. It’s driving him crazy. Tempting him to turn around and go back home to bury his face in his mate’s chest and lose himself in that exquisite scent. Understand what his world really is. That’s why, when he finally arrives, he feels saved, as if he’d reached a safe haven.

Here, it will be much easier to avoid thinking. To forget about Dex, to pretend that Maddie has a normal mother. To cling to the faint hope that he isn’t tied by a rope around his neck, the other end of being held by an omega who loves him one day and tries to kill him the next.

Or that’s the idea, because Matt has barely set foot in the firm when confetti cannons go off around him. Each one feels like a small bomb in his ears, and a grimace crosses his face. The confetti rains down on him, and the firm’s employees crowd around him. What’s going on?

“Congratulations on the separation!” exclaims Kirsten, walking up to stand in front of Matt. His beta colleague gives him a big hug, with more emotion than usual. As they pull apart, she smiles at him, genuinely happy. “I know it can be hard, but don’t worry. I’ve got it all figured out–we can get you Madeline’s full custody, and I found a child therapist who specializes in pups. It’ll be tough, but Maddie will get used to you.”

Uh oh.

“Kirsten, hey…”

“I also took the trouble to look for daycare centers near here and found one a couple of blocks down, which has a pretty affordable rate and very good reviews.”

“Kirsten, I…”

“And yes, I’ll agree to let you take some time off work to adjust to your new life. But no more than a month–you’ve already been away too long.”

“Kirsten,” Cherry, who is also with them, stops her. “Sniff the guy–he reeks of roses. You didn’t end things with your omega yesterday, did you, Matt?”

Matt gives Kirsten an apologetic smile, and he doesn’t need his senses to feel the immense frustration rising within the beta.

Kirsten clenches her fists and bites the inside of her cheek, presumably to keep from exploding into a tirade of profanity and insults directed at him.

“All right, guys! The party’s over! Clean up this mess and get back to work!” orders Kirsten, who, for a beta, is downright terrifying.

Matt knows this, especially when she points at him with her manicured index finger and, in a tone so serious—he’s so glad to be her partner and not her opponent in court—that it’s almost painful, tells him:

“To the conference room. Now.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice, and soon Matt finds himself inside the glass conference room alongside an angry Kirsten and Cherry, who is acting as a moderator in what is surely going to be an argument. Matt has barely sat down when Kirsten can’t take it anymore.

“What the hell, Matt!? Yesterday you were ready to start the separation process with Poindexter!” she shouts, so loud that Matt wouldn’t be surprised if the employees could hear her outside the soundproofed room. “What happened?”

“Well, you see, yesterday I got to the apartment totally ready to break up with De–with Poindexter, but he’d made dinner, so it seemed rude to turn down his food,” he begins, looking for the right words so Kirsten doesn’t kill him. “I was going to do it after we finished eating, but we started playing with Maddie, and you know I don’t want to expose her to arguments while she’s still so little.”

Kirsten closes her eyes, massaging the bridge of her nose. Okay, he needs to get to the point.

“Don’t look at me like that! Once I put Maddie to bed, I told him–I really did!”

“Well, okay, so what did Poindexter say?”

“...I don’t think he listened to me, and then, well… things took a different turn.”

Cherry bursts out laughing, and Kirsten stares at him with a blank expression. Matt adjusts his glasses, looking slightly embarrassed.

He understands Kirsten’s annoyance. The day before, the whiskey had given him the courage to discuss something he didn’t usually talk about: his situation at home. It wasn’t an easy topic to bring up with other people, especially those who knew his omega and who he really was. It used to cause arguments and always, always ended up souring the mood.

Yesterday was no different, especially when Matt confessed that he didn’t feel capable of going home after a week of not showing his face. What would happen when he faced Dex? Would he kill him in front of his own daughter? That was when Kirsten gave him the idea to start the process of separating from Dex. 

They weren’t married, and the bond could be chemically removed. That would free them both, with Maddie being the only thing linking them—and with the right arguments, that too could be ended.

For some reason, it seemed like an excellent idea yesterday. Today? Not at all.

“So your omega wiggled his ass at you, and you decided to ignore the toxic situation you’ve been living in for the past two years.”

“Hey. Dex didn’t wiggle his ass at me,” he says, somewhat offended by Kirsten’s words. “Maybe he released a few pheromones, but that’s all…”

“Poindexter scent-drugged you!?” Another shout, Matt frowns. He should start covering his ears when Kirsten gets upset, or he’ll end up losing his hearing. “That’s illegal, Matt! And you know it! If a judge found out your omega is scent-drugging you, custody of Maddie would be yours immediately.”

“Saying he drugged me is a bit of an exaggeration,” he tries to argue, but Kirsten doesn’t seem to ease her expression. More evidence is needed. “Look, sorry for using this argument, but you, as a beta, wouldn’t understand. There are times when omegas just smell really good, don’t they, Cherry?”

The older alpha seems to pick up on his plea for help and nods, agreeing with him. “That’s right. Especially when it’s your destined omega.”

Okay, that was unnecessary. There were a couple of extra words in that statement. Matt sighs, starting to feel suffocated in that room. The trial is already lost, let the sentence be swift, please.

And apparently, Kirsten thinks the same, because, even though Matt still feels the annoyed beating of her heart and a slight layer of anger in her faint beta scent, she inhales and exhales, carefully choosing her next words.

“Matt, can I ask you just one thing? And please, I beg you to be honest with me.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you really want to break your bond with Poindexter? Or are you doing this because of outside pressure? I never understood why you bit him…”

No, it’s way too early to answer that question. For starters, Matt has never dared to even think of the real answer. It would be dangerous doing so. Now it’s no different, his lips are pressed tightly together, preferring to remain silent rather than disappoint Kirsten.

But for some reason, it’s his silence that truly disappoints the beta, who rises from her seat and walks to the office door.

“You know, Matt? If you were brave enough to accept what you feel, I’d support you no matter which detestable omega you’ve chosen,” she says, her voice betraying her pain at Matt’s distrust. “At the end of the day, who doesn’t have unresolved issues with Poindexter?”

Kirsten leaves, leaving that last question hanging heavy in the air. She has put Matt's greatest fear into words so easily that the alpha feels small in his chair. He knows it, he knows it isn't Kirsten's anger he fears, but someone else's. Someone he can't disappoint anymore—he promised he wouldn't again.

He brings his hand to his bonding mark. The scar is rough beneath his fingers, it hasn’t been reopened in a while, but just brushing it with his fingertips brings him comfort. A warm feeling courses through his body and the sensation of being wrapped in petals envelops him, bringing him peace. It’s a lovely sensation, one he’d like to immerse himself in for the rest of his life, but he can’t and never will be able to do so wholeheartedly.

He pulls his fingers away and breaks contact, even though his alpha is begging him not to. He has to fight it. If he falls into that abyss, there won’t be forgiveness.

Not from her, not from the world, not even from himself. 

“Anything to say, Cherry?” he asks, trying to find a way to fully snap back to reality.

“Actually, yes,” says the other man. “Call me old-fashioned if you want, Matt. But mates are forever. Once bitten, the omega is yours to care and protect for the rest of your lives. More, if you already have a pup.”

Cherry stands up and walks toward the exit of the room as well. He’s old and walking is becoming slightly hard, especially after his last heart attack. It’s a blessing he’s alive, many things could have gone wrong that night.

“And, Matt, one last thing,” he says from the doorway. “For the ‘man without fear,’ you seem pretty terrified of what Karen might think of you.

Cherry waves goodbye and leaves him in that stifling conference room, alone with his thoughts. It kind of reminds him of his days in prison, always with a buzz in his mind, an awful need to chase, his gums aching to bite. Tired, Matt rests his head on the table and brings the sleeve of his jacket to his nose.

It does smell like Dex.

(...)

The day at the office hadn't gone at all as Matt had expected. The detailed schedule he had planned for the day ended up being completely useless, thanks to Kirsten’s piercing gaze on him that distracted him every time he tried to focus.

In the end, it was the woman herself who asked him to leave the office early, because if she saw him there for one more second, no one would be able to save him from Kirsten throwing her beloved ‘Girl Boss’ mug at his head.

He thinks about what to do with the free time that has arisen so problematically. Going back to the apartment wasn’t an option. It was still too early to return to that rose-covered cage.

If he had his suit, he could go on an early patrol like Daredevil, but all his suits are at the apartment except for one, which is in for repairs. With no friends to hang out with—everyone’s working and you want to go to a bar, what kind of example is that for Maddie, huh, Matt?—the alpha decides to go to the one place that’s never let him down.

Clinton Church hasn’t changed much over the years. Matt feels a sense of calm as he takes a seat in one of the dark wooden pews. They’re the same ones from thirty years ago, fervently cared for by the sisters of the order. That comforts him a little, the world may change, he may make bad decisions, the pastors and the congregation may differ, but the soul of this church remains the same.

It's almost ironic that someone raised among nuns like him should be so marked by sin. Wrath, gluttony, envy—so many vices have corrupted him, led him astray, and forced him to crawl back, begging for forgiveness.

But this time, pleading won't be enough. He has committed an even greater sin, succumbing to the deepest lust, a passion that haunts him day and night, blinding him to thought, making him avoid every second of silence, afraid to hear what his soul longs to tell him.

Touches of roses so deeply etched into his skin, he could only remove them by tearing his body apart piece by piece. And even that wouldn't be enough to remove the crown of thorns around his neck. It's his punishment, it will be for the rest of his life; he only laments that it's also Madeline's.

Is it cowardly to question whether his daughter would be better off without them? Here, raised by nuns. Would the blood be so heavy that she would end up being another Daredevil? He begs for mercy for her daughter, whose only sin is being his child.

He crosses himself, ready to confess his fears to the solemn silence that fills the room. He hopes God will forgive him for not performing the sacrament correctly, but ever since Father Lantom’s death, confession hasn’t been the same for Matt.

“Lord, forgive me, for I have sinned,” he begins. “You are aware that the flesh is weak, and I have once again fallen into lust. This omega, with whom I share my bed, is a bad person, a great sinner, with more blood on his hands than a human should have. The blood of your faithful servants, of good people. I beg of you, Lord, tell me, please. I, who seek pleasure and have marked this omega—am I also a terrible sinner?”

“Yes, Matthew, you are the world’s worst sinner.”

‘God’s’ voice mocks him as she takes a seat on the bench next to Matt. Matt snorts at the distinct grape scent of Jessica Jones. He figures that for today, God was off the hook from answering his question.

“Jessica.”

“How are you, Matt? A little birdie told me that your separation party got canceled because someone got cold feet.”

“Kirsten really takes advantage of the times when she’s not bound by a confidentiality agreement, huh?”

Jessica just shrugs and rests an arm on the bench. Although he knows she’s probably here to question him just like everyone else, Matt can’t deny that he feels somewhat comforted by her presence.

“Want to talk about it?” she asks, with far more caution than she would have had a decade ago. Motherhood has changed her for the better. Nonetheless, she pulls a flask from her jacket and offers him a drink of whatever cheap liquor she has in there. “What? You don’t really think I’m going to have a conversation about love with you while completely sober.”

“Of course not,” Matt replies, as if it was something obvious. “And I’ll pass. On the alcohol and the conversation.”

“It’s your loss,” Jessica says, taking a long swig from her flask.

They sit in silence for a while. It’s comfortable, and neither of them feel the need to break it. Luke or Danny would have forced the conversation by now, but not Jessica. Despite being one of the most impulsive people Matt knows, she’s understanding and empathetic. If Matt doesn’t want to say a word, she won’t force him—unless, of course, there’s an investigation involved. If that’s the case, for his own good, it’s better not to hold back a single detail.

“How’s Maddie? I haven’t seen her in a while. Dani asks me about her all the time.”

“She’s fine. She’s starting to walk now.”

“Ugh, you’re about to hit the phase where you have to lock the doors and put gates in the hallways. It’s going to get tough for you, my friend.”

“Dex has probably already figured it out. He’s surprisingly good at taking care of Maddie.”

“And what’s so surprising about that? He’s her mother.”

Jessica’s response makes Matt sit up straight on the bench. Her voice is serious, with no hint that she’s joking with him. She seems to notice his bewilderment and continues speaking.

“You must be tired of everyone's damn… oh, right, I can’t swear here,” she begins. Funny that she doesn’t swear, but doesn’t see anything wrong with drinking inside a church. “Well, I know you’re tired of everyone having an opinion about your bond. Did you do the right thing by biting Poindexter? Did you ruin everything? That’s just a problem between you and Dex.”

“But.”

“But, at the end of the day, Poindexter is your omega. And we can’t ignore the fact that he’s done several atrocious things, right here even.”

Father Lantom’s fading heartbeats invade Matt’s mind. He’s quick to push them out of his head.

“I’m going to say something a lot of people might disagree with, Matt. If you think I’m talking nonsense, just blame it on the alcohol, okay?” the brown-haired man nods, and Jessica speaks. “Honestly, I don’t think Dex is as bad as people say he is.

“What?”

“No one is denying his murders or the crimes he’s committed. Awful murders, innocent people dead, a real tragedy,” Jessica affirms. “However, I assume you’re already familiar with his clinical diagnoses.”

“BPD and OCD,” Matt replies. “I know what he has, but that doesn’t give him permission to kill people, Jess.”

“I didn’t say that, Jesus,” Jessica repeats once more, somewhat frustrated. “I’m just saying that Dex didn’t have the support system an omega with those mental health issues needs. I’m telling you this as an omega who didn’t have the support system I needed. Dex fell into the wrong hands, did bad things, and got bitten by a bad alpha.”

Ouch. “Hey, don’t put it like that.”

“Sure, because you’re the alpha of the year, Matt,” Jessica sneers. “You’re surprised he’s a good mother to his own baby! Do you have so little faith in your omega? Poindexter raised Madeline all by himself for three months, not to mention he went through the pregnancy completely alone.”

“I was in prison for a very good reason, Jessica.” debates Matt, not liking how Jessica’s words paint him.

“Yeah, I know. You saved New York from Kingpin and we’re all grateful to you, but be honest, Matt. Would things be different for Dex if you were still in prison? Have you made a difference in his life and, more importantly, in your daughter’s?”

Matt would like to be able to answer. To tell Jessica that yes, Madeline is doing well thanks to her father’s presence in her life, but that would be a lie—his pup still doesn’t fully recognize him—so he’d rather stay silent than hurt himself with his own words.

Jessica lets out an exhausted sigh. “Why don’t you break the bond, Matt?”

“Maddie deserves to have her parents together.”

“You say that as if you hadn’t gone back to your apartment yesterday after a whole week away.” Okay, just how much had Kirsten told Jessica? “Fine, let me rephrase the question. Why did you bite Dex? Don’t look at me like that–I never asked you that at the time, so I’m asking now.”

Again? Matt supposes that his silence won’t save him from answering this time as it did earlier.

“And I’ll give you the same answer I gave everyone else. Pheromones, Dex's heat got to both of us, and since we were a destined couple, there was no other option.” he speaks without giving it much thought. His answer is half-hearted and not entirely convincing, but it’s the best he’s got, and it’ll have to be enough for Jessica. Even so, he can’t help but notice the hint of annoyance emanating from her.

After taking another sip from her flask, Jessica gets up from the bench and taps his shoulder in farewell.

“Go home, Matt. If not for yourself or for Dex, do it for Maddie. Make the change you think you’re making,” she says, as she walks toward the exit. “See you around. I’ll say hi to Luke and Dani for you. And to Danny. If you want, someday you could try to get him out of our house–It almost feels like I have three kids…”

And Jessica Jones leaves, doing what she always does. Causing trouble.

In his seat, Matt throws his head back before grabbing his cane and springing to his feet. Alright, he’ll listen to Jessica and take action.

It’s time to stop being a mediocre alpha.

Easy to say, hard to do.

That sums up Matt's situation. And the ten minutes he's been standing in front of his apartment door.

It’s actually surprising to him that he is here. A little late, again, but for the second day in a row, he’s coming home for dinner. His watch says it’s 7:30, that’s still a decent time for dinner, isn’t it?

Matt has to admit it took him a while to get there. He lives a couple of blocks from the church and could easily have made it home in fifteen minutes, but the walk was slow and hard. His feet hesitated at every step, wondering if this was the right decision. He took every possible detour and stopped at every red light he could. He even stopped to buy some dessert—a bag with a tub of banana ice cream hangs from his right hand. 

Once there were no more streets left to hide in, he had no choice but to enter his apartment complex, climbing each step painfully slow, so much so that a kind neighbor offered to help him up the stairs.

And when he reached his floor, did nothing at all. 

The keys weigh in his pocket, but he can’t bring himself to take them out and open the apartment door. Especially after his conversation with Jessica. Once he opens the door, he knows everything will change—at least for him. For Dex, perhaps things will continue as usual. If there’s one thing Matt has to give him credit for, it’s that the omega has a great view of things, his glass is always half full.

He can also compliment his ability to adapt to difficult situations. Emotionally, he’s still very intense, but it seems Maddie has helped him get more stable. That progress is worth applauding. His resilience is another quality Matt should highlight—not every omega could have handled going through their pregnancy alone, since the father of their pup was in prison. Or give birth without his mate. Or raise a baby with an absent alpha.

Good God, I really am a terrible alpha.

Matt huffs, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He was falling into what Jessica had told him. He recognized his mistake, he knew he was doing something wrong, but he wasn’t doing anything at all to fix it. He went to Mass and paid his tithes, yet he didn’t live up to what he preached.

“If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for Maddie,” he whispers, repeating what Jessica had said earlier. “Do it for your daughter, Matt. Be an alpha to your pup for once, for fuck’s sake.”

With renewed conviction, Matt pulls the keys from his pocket and unlocks the door to his apartment. And for the first time since he’d bitten Benjamin Poindexter, he doesn’t allow himself to feel afraid to enter his home.

He takes off his coat and glasses and leaves them on the table in the entryway. He walks into the living room while undoing the knot in his tie, no one is there, and everything is silent. The lights are off as well.

It couldn’t be. Could it be they left…?

No, impossible. Everything had seemed fine that morning. Matt was overthinking things, besides he smelled freshly prepared food inside the oven and he could also hear the beating of two hearts somewhere in the apartment.

He does a quick search in his and Dex’s room—they’re not there. Nor in Maddie’s room or the bathroom either. Matt begins to fear that his worst fears have come true when he feels a slight breeze coming from the living room. The balcony, right. With all his heart, he prays they’re there.

“Dex? Maddie? Are you here…?”

Matt barely pulls the curtain aside to step out onto the balcony when a figure jumps in front of him, startling him and causing him to take a step back, bumping into the sofa behind him and falling onto it. A symphony of high-pitched giggles and much deeper laughter reaches his ears. Dex and Maddie have appeared.

“I can’t believe we surprised Daddy, Maddie!” Dex says to the baby in his arms. “I didn’t think it would actually work. You should check your radar, Matty, because with Mads we weren’t being stealthy at all.”

Still sprawled on the couch, Matt frowns for a few seconds, ready to lecture Dex and tell him that a prank like this isn’t funny at all. However, Jessica pops into his mind again—“Stop demonizing him!”—and he realizes what a silly situation he’s in and understands that Dex didn’t mean any harm. And before he knows it, Matt has joined in the laughter of the omega and their baby.

“My radar works perfectly fine, thank you very much,” he declares, trying to look serious, but giggles escape him, ruining his facade. “It does get a little fuzzy when I’m worried.”

“Oh? Did you hear that, Madeline? We made Daddy worry, aren’t we naughty…” Dex says, keeping up the playful tone of the conversation. “Or is Daddy the naughty one for staying in the hallway for eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds…?”

Matt’s laughter cuts off abruptly, and the cold terror he had forbidden himself to feel washes over him deeply, freezing his bones with panic. How did Dex know he’d been out there all this time?

“We saw you from the balcony, Matt. If I tell you to get your senses checked, it’s for a reason,” the omega replies, once again reading his mind. After that, he leans down to give him a kiss too passionate to be a simple welcome, causing Matt to momentarily set aside the icy dread within him and lose himself in the heat emanating from Dex’s lips.

For once, Dex is the one to break the kiss, leaving Matt leaning toward him asking for something he still isn’t used to wanting. However, Dex is quick to straighten up and hand Maddie over to him. “I’ll serve dinner. I made spaghetti with marinara sauce, I hope that’s okay with you.”

“...Yeah, thanks,” he replies, in a faint voice, his head still light from the kiss.

Maddie touches his face. It’s her way of telling him to pull himself together. Matt nods, yes, he’s here now. 

He won’t back down. He came here for his daughter, and he’ll see it through to the end even if he has to fight against Bullseye one last time.

(...)

Dinner was exquisite once again. The pasta was cooked to perfection, the salad chopped into neat pieces, and since it was friday, they opened a bottle of fine wine. Nothing to envy from a first-class restaurant.

Matt savors the last bit of sauce as he wipes it from his plate with his finger. It’s homemade and absurdly delicious. Dex’s own creation, who now laughs amused, refusing to say what ingredients he used to make it.

“Okay, garlic–I can taste a hint of garlic. And bay leaf, you obviously put bay leaf in it,” says Matt, trying to guess the seasonings in the sauce.

Dex laughs, amused by his lively but futile attempts. “You won’t get a word out of me, Counselor. In the army, we were taught to resist interrogation torture techniques.

“Oh, really? Well, I bet I can think of a thing or two to make you talk, agent Poindexter.”

The flirtatious innuendo bounces between them. It’s been a bit unexpected—Dex’s rapid heartbeat and his loss for words betray him to the alpha. Matt feels the blood warming the other man’s cheeks, is he blushing? A small, triumphant chuckle escapes his lips. He can’t say it’s entirely just his alpha’s.

“All right. I’ll let you keep your secret, Poindexter,” Matt continues, after feeling Dex’s heat move down from his cheeks to other parts. “But only for now.”

Trying to get his composure back, Dex playfully smiles. “Let’s see who gives in first, Murdock.”

“Papa!”

Maddie’s cry breaks the tension between the two men. Oh right, Maddie. A slight pang of conscience began to stir in Matt’s stomach, perhaps he should start controlling his seductive behavior in front of his daughter. One, it wasn’t entirely appropriate. Two, what would he do if the girl picked up his ways and grew up to be a heartbreaker?

“C'mon, Maddie, do you think Daddy will give in first?” he asks the baby as he lifts her out of her chair and sits her on his lap. Maddie claps and nods, which makes Matt laugh. “Goodness, Dex, this girl is your biggest fan.”

“She has to be, or her life wouldn’t be so easy. Right, Madeline?”

What did he mean by that…? Matt shakes his head, chasing away the negative thoughts. Breathe, Matt. You’re doing fine. Your omega is happy, your pup is happy. Keep it up, don’t overthink it.

He decides it’s best to change the subject. “Well, does anyone want dessert? I brought some ice cream.”

He doesn’t quite manage to put Maddie back in her chair before Dex stands up and stops him in his tracks.

“Stay right there! I’ll serve it,” says the omega, perhaps a little anxiously. As if Matt serving ice cream was going to ruin the night. “You stay with Maddie.”

Dex is quick to move to the kitchen. “Oh, you brought banana ice cream! It’s my favorite, Matty.”

“It was a coincidence,” Matt murmurs, trying to hide his alpha’s joy at seeing his omega’s happiness over his gift.

But he knows very well that it's no coincidence. Dex's primary scent is roses, intense and undoubtedly his most distinctive trait. Yet his secondary scent is perhaps the one Matt likes best. It’s a milky aroma, uncommon in adult omegas, but one Dex has carried with him since the first time Matt smelled it without his suppressants—just three years ago, in that interrogation room.

And within that same milky scent, hidden beneath the sugary notes, lies a hint that appears when Dex is happy. It’s not just the smell of milk, it’s the smell of banana milk. A fragrance only discovered after hours of admiring his scent.

Omega biology is one of God’s most majestic works, especially when it comes to scents. While their pup is protected by her mother's milky scent, she has a slightly different scent of her own. Maddie smells like chocolate milk, still under Dex’s wing, but at the same time starting to be her own person.

Matt wonders if Dex is aware of that—that Maddie doesn’t smell entirely like him. He has a feeling it’s not something the omega would appreciate very much.

Dex returns with dessert, and they begin to eat it in peace. Outside, New York is a mess as usual, but here, in this apartment, in this little corner of the world, the atmosphere is so pleasant that for a moment Matt forgets who he is.

There is no Daredevil. There is no Bullseye.

There is only an alpha, his omega, and their pup.

They sit for a while in the living room, right on the carpet. Playing together with their baby, who is clever and lively, all smiles and kisses. A hopeless chatterbox of meaningless babbles.

“She got that from you,” says Dex. Matt catches the sincere smile on his face. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Maddie ends up becoming a lawyer.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who can never shut up,” Matt retorts, laughing, with a peculiar sense of normality. “And I sincerely hope Maddie doesn’t grow to be a lawyer, that way she doesn’t suffer the same fate as her father.”

Dex laughs at the joke. It’s one of his genuine laughs, a bit self-conscious and coming from deep in his chest. Melodic, like a love song. Hearing him laugh like that makes Matt smile. He really likes listening the omega happy.

Maddie is thrilled too, happy to have a bigger audience than usual. She takes the opportunity to show Matt all her tricks, like her ability to walk while holding onto the furniture. She’ll be walking on her own very soon. With just a little more confidence, nothing will be able to stop her.

When did time pass so quickly? When he first met Maddie, she was just a bundle in Dex’s arms. Unable to do anything but cry in the presence of this stranger who had come into her life at three months old to claim he was her father. Looking back, he had truly made progress with the little girl.

He couldn’t imagine what Dex must be feeling, watching his pup grow so quickly. He, who had felt her grow inside him, who had given birth to her and cared for her from day one. Even though he was alone, even though he himself needed to be cared for.

We’re lucky to have an omega like that. His alpha speaks. And Matt looks at Dex. His laughter allows him to see him on his radar—Dex is a warm, radiant figure. Like a lighthouse in the fog, guiding boats to their destinations.

So yes, Matt has to admit they are. They’re lucky to have Dex.

Playing exhausts Maddie, and she soon starts yawning, her eyelids too heavy to keep her little dove-like eyes open. Dex gently cradles her in his arms and soothes her with lullabies. His movements are delicate and attentive, as if the baby were a little piece of moonlight that could vanish between his fingers.

Matt is glad he dared to come home. He’s discovering sides of Poindexter he never imagined the omega was capable of. Jessica was right, his inability to accept that Dex could be more than his past had robbed him of many moments like this.

The scent of roses begins to be accompanied by a subtle scent of violets, appearing at first timidly, little by little, unsure whether or not to mingle with the majestic grandifloras. But today he has come to stop fearing, and he urges his violets to mark every space, small but powerful. The flowers come together in the most beautiful waltz ever seen, intertwining their stems, joining their petals, and creating a new variety.

Matt realizes that something has changed in that living room. A small flower has blossomed from the seed of destiny that God has bestowed upon them. And that’s just from spending a little time together.

What would happen if they spent their whole lives like this?

What other miracles could they create?

With Maddie sound asleep, Dex carries her to her room. Matt gets up too, his footsteps lead him to his own room—the one he fled that very morning that now seems so long ago—and he sits down on the bed.

Dex’s scent is still strongly present on the walls, the bedspreads, and every corner of the room, but Matt now understands that he must not fight it. He must accept it. It is part of him, just as he is part of it.

Part of Dex.

Footsteps snap him out of his reverie. A warm hand wraps around the back of his neck, slender fingers caressing his mark and making Matt hum in pleasure. The other hand rests firmly on his shoulder, looking for support and deepening the contact.

Dex, always so in need of affection. Who is Matt to deny it to him?

He pulls the blond toward him, both hands on his waist in a possessive embrace and buries his nose in his T-shirt, reveling in the scent that emanates from it. The omega purrs, delighted by the gesture, and runs both hands through the alpha’s chestnut locks, petting his head. Matt melts in Dex’s hands, the caresses feel so good. How long has it been since he’s received affection like this?

“Look at you, Murdock. Old alpha, and still wagging your tail when an omega cuddles you.”

Dex’s words struck a chord with Matt. Why had it taken him so long to accept this? All this time, he’d had a plate of manna right in front of him and had turned it down, even though he was dying to taste it.

And while what Dex said is true, his competitive side won’t tolerate his omega’s teasing, so, taking advantage of his grip on his waist, he pushes him and flips him over. Now Dex is on the bed, sprawled across the blankets, and Matt wraps him in his arms, feeling honeyed sighs escape the blond’s lips. He licks his own lips, eager to devour him.

But he doesn’t, not yet. He allows himself to enjoy the expectant tremors of the delicious prey beneath him. He likes feeling Dex’s skin break out in goosebumps when he brings his hand closer. The way his breath catches. How his heart beats as fast as the firing of a gun.

Matt likes the fear he awakens in Dex. Intoxicating him with his whiskey scent, making the omega addicted to him.

The alpha caresses Dex’s face, etching every line beneath his fingertips into his memory. The years have left their trace in the omega’s mellow skin, but even so, his mate is prettier than any of those young omegas. He continues and reaches his right cheek. A deep crescent moon cuts across it, marking it. 

Exposing past sins.

Then Matt remembers why he doesn’t allow himself to enjoy this life.

His scent cuts off abruptly, his stomach twists, and a deep revulsion takes hold of him. A ringing pain vibrates in his ears, making him dizzy and sending shivers down his spine.

The scene before him is completely different, the warm flowers have vanished and the facade he had fallen for has disappeared. Now all he can sense is deep blue and Bullseye in his bed.

The once-smooth skin burns him, and he roughly pulls his hands away, moving completely away from the omega. He stands up to the open window—the one he had opened for this same damn reason. He can’t–he can’t breathe, if he does, if a single petal enters his being, he’ll lose himself completely and forget the blood on Bullseye’s hands.

He’ll forget Agent Nadeem, Father Lantom.

He’ll forget Foggy.

“Matt? What’s wrong?” Dex asks, sitting on the bed. His voice is wavering, unsure of what has happened. “Is something wrong?”

“I can’t– can’t, I’m sorry, I can’t do this, I have to go,” he repeats frantically. There’s a tightness in his throat, rising slowly, threatening to cut off his breath. He has to leave, he needs to leave, or he doesn’t know what he’ll do.

Will he love Dex? Will he kill Bullseye?

He’s unable to stay to find out. He barely makes it out of the room, bracing himself against the walls so he doesn’t fall. He feels the omega’s rosebushes trying to hold him there, invisible thorns digging into his legs, tearing his skin. It’s a desperate act by an omega who doesn’t understand what’s happening.

“Matt? Don’t go, hey,” he says. Dex? Bullseye? The omega? It doesn’t matter who, Matt chooses to be a coward and ignore the pleas. “Did I do something wrong? I’ll fix it! Don’t go! I’ll be– I’ll be better. Please! I promise–! Matt…! Alpha!”

His alpha begs him not to do this. Matt must fulfill his duty, obey that damned instinct he can't keep denying. His omega is calling him, the mother of his child needs his help. 

Dex needs them.

But Matt Murdock doesn't feel like a savior that night, and without looking back, he abandons his pitiful omega in his lonely nest once again.

The rumor spreads quickly through the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. Whatever crime you’re planning to commit tonight, don’t do it—because Daredevil has no mercy or forgiveness in his heart today.

His blows are hard and reckless, violent, with no regard for his own pain. Teeth fly, bruises sprout, and petty thieves flee at the mere sight of the devil’s shadow. His presence makes them tremble, his alpha pheromones reek of searing rage, the only warning of the punishment that awaits any thug who crosses his path.

He’s been patrolling for two hours, always on the move, looking for someone who needs his help. Or rather, looking for someone on whom to vent the fury coursing through his veins. The gloves of his suit feel heavier, saturated with blood that isn’t his own and that blends perfectly into the fabric of the same shade.

He’s tired, his chest rises and falls with effort. The last group managed to land a couple of blows on his face—he’s sure to wake up covered in bruises tomorrow—but he’s grateful for the sting of the wounds. They help him to distract his inner alpha and keep him quiet.

Daredevil leaps between rooftops and kneels on a ledge, listening for any cries for help he might hear. He almost feels betrayed that, for the first time since he gained his abilities, Hell’s Kitchen is silent. Traitors.

Matt sighs and decides to sit for a while on the edge of the building. It seems like the world wants him to do the one thing he doesn’t want to do: think.

How is Dex doing? Is he crying in the apartment? Or did he get sick of everything and took Maddie to Portsmouth, like he said last night? Of course Matt had heard that. His hearing was sharp enough to pick up the omega’s sorrowful whispers—he’d rather go back to that city that was never his home than live another day without his alpha.

He brings a hand to his face and slaps himself, frustration radiating from him. He’s sick of this, of the situation. Of the endless confusion that takes hold of him.

This back-and-forth of loving, hating, wanting, killing. He doesn’t want this anymore, he can’t stand it. He’s going mad. What was God’s plan for him? At what point did He think making his best friend’s killer his destined partner would be a good idea?

“And is Bullseye really your destined one?” That’s what Karen Page had asked him two years ago, upon learning that he had marked Bullseye. In the eyes of the world, Matt had fallen into a maniac killer’s trap.

His Catholic upbringing had led him to help his mortal enemy, giving him aid and a place to recover from a bullet that should have killed him. Matt could never have imagined that, on the brink of death, Bullseye’s omega identity would surface in a powerful heat. Even less would he have imagined that the burst of scent would trigger his own rut—something that only happened between destined mates.

They didn’t leave Frank’s hideout for a week, until Karen had to bring in the Punisher himself to kick the door down and make sure Matt wasn’t dead. He was better than ever, even rested, but that was just the first impression, because the deep, still-unhealed bite marks on Poindexter’s neck could only mean one thing.

Matt had condemned himself to a living death.

That day seems so far away now. So many things have happened since then...

Life was never simple, damn it—here he was now, disguised as a devil on a rooftop—but once he bit Dex, everything was different. Even talking to Karen wasn’t the same.

“Yes, Karen. Poindexter is my destined one,” he had replied. There was no doubt about that.

Karen had been so upset by his answer, she’d cried out of rage, ranting at the omega. “Just because you’re destined doesn’t mean you had to bite him, Matt! Why the hell did you do that!?”

No fucking idea, Karen. Not then, and not now.

A scream cuts short his chain of self-lamentation. Apparently, Hell’s Kitchen has taken pity on him and sent another victim doomed to suffer Daredevil’s wrath. He’s quick to leap and swing through the streets with his billy club, the cries and screams for help growing louder. Landing in a somewhat abandoned alley, the stench of garbage is intense and makes him a little dizzy.

No, it’s not trash. It’s the acrid stench of two alphas cornering an omega against the wall. The scene infuriates Matt. Filthy alphas, slaves to their instincts, they are the worst scum of society. So he doesn’t hold back his rage and lunges at them.

With a blow—far beyond acceptable force—to the cheek, he knocks down the taller of the two. The other, who had been strutting like a predator, shrinks back at the sight of Daredevil standing before him. Good, that’s what Matt wants. For these pieces of crap to shit themselves with fear at the sight of him.

But in that moment, fear isn’t enough, so he kicks the other alpha in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him. His partner staggers to his feet, trying to land a blow on the devil. Idiot, the only way he could beat him in a fight is with unnatural aim…

Ugh, no, no, thinking about him again.

And that earns him a well-aimed blow to the jaw, which fills his mouth with heavy blood that he savors before quickly spitting it to the ground. The alpha in front of him stands up straight, proud of having managed to draw blood from the devil of Hell’s Kitchen. He even allows himself the luxury of releasing a bit of his insipid pheromones, until he hears a couple of chuckles.

Daredevil is laughing.

“Fine. I guess we’re even now.”

And he smashes his nose with his billy club, knocking him out instantly. The other guy gets up, but Daredevil is already bored of wasting time with them and sends him back to the ground with a subtle kick to the face.

Now both alphas lie unconscious on the ground, next to the garbage, just like the trash they are.

A tearful cry reminds Matt that he isn’t there just to punch those jerks’ faces. The omega is still there, he can sense her more clearly now. She’s really young, probably in her early twenties.

“It’s all right now,” he says, feeling her still trembling with fear.

Until he realizes it’s not fear. Her racing heart, ragged breathing, and feverish body temperature are clear evidence. The girl is entering her heat; it must have been sudden, and the alphas took advantage of that to torment her. Matt clenches his fists in rage. Those bastards should be grateful they’re unconscious. Otherwise, they’d be experiencing hell firsthand.

“Do you live nearby?” he asks, and the girl nods. “I’ll take you home.”

He extends his hand, but the omega doesn’t take it. She stares at him in silence for a few seconds. Panic still strong inside her. Matt understands, she’s just been attacked by alphas, and even though he rescued her, he’s an alpha too. It’s normal for her to be afraid of him.

“Don’t worry,” he says, trying to look a little friendlier. It’s not easy when you’re covered in blood and wearing a devil costume. “I’m… mated, I won’t hurt you. I just want to take you home so you’ll be safe.”

The girl thinks about his words for a couple of seconds, finally agreeing and taking Matt’s hand. He picks her up and begins his journey through the city’s alleys and rooftops, until he leaves her safe and sound at her home. After that, he wanders through Hell’s Kitchen once more, stopping on a rooftop to catch his breath.

He held an omega in heat in his arms and felt nothing. Not a single pheromone or scent. Nothing. Perhaps some faint, muted undertones in the distance, but still nothing like what one would expect in a moment like this.

The heat he’d shared with Dex had taught him the exquisite dizziness an omega’s pheromones can produce. They’re paralyzing, capable of erasing the mind and rewriting the will. Not like this, at least not for someone with his sense of smell.

He takes off his mask and massages his face. Exhausted that everything leads to Dex, over and over and over again. No matter what, no matter when, all paths lead to Benjamin Poindexter. And now, he knows that even if he falls in love with another omega, it would be pointless, for he wouldn’t be able to sense their scent.

And why would you want to sense another omega’s scent, Matt? If that’s why you bit him.

“No, no, no, that’s not why. I don’t know why I bit him. It was… it was the heat pheromones.”

You know that’s not true. That’s just what you want to believe.You had your eye on Poindexter for a while, you were simply waiting for the right moment to mark him.

“That’s not it, damn it! It was an accident, I didn’t mean to bite him. Why would I want to tie myself to Foggy’s killer for life?”

Because that’s what you deserve.

He can fight his alpha all he wants. Deny it, suppress it, but that doesn’t change the fact that in the end, he’s right.

Matt Murdock and Benjamin Poindexter are made for each other. Flawed creatures, born of violence, raised in pain and injustice. Two sides of the same coin. A path with two very different endings.

They are red and blue.

They are two ends of a scale.

They are alpha and omega.

What’s the point of continuing to deceive yourself, Matt? You need him, perhaps even more than he needs you.

Dex is the only one who fully understands you. The only one who understands us. He sees us for who we really are.

Matt shakes his head, pacing back and forth on that rooftop that offers him little to no comfort. Is Dex all he has? All he’ll ever have for the rest of his life? He waits for the waves of frustration, even despair, to come, but they never do. Instead, he feels a thrill in his soul at the thought of having Bullseye’s absolute devotion for the rest of his days.

Oh God, they were two drops of the same tainted sin.

Now you understand.

Go get him.

And for the second time that night, Matt decides to go home.

(...)

Fueled by a desperate longing that takes hold of him, Matt manages to reach his apartment in short time, landing on the balcony with a somersault that rivals that of olympic gymnasts. The window is open, just as he left it. He enters his apartment and takes off his mask, flinging it aside without caring where it lands. 

He needs Dex, he needs him right now.

Matt sharpens his hearing and listens for Dex’s breathing, finding him still in the master bedroom. Matt doesn’t hesitate to run into the room. He wants to see Dex, tell him that he understands their situation a little better now. That he knows why they’re meant to be together.

But as soon as he sets foot in the room, a knife stabs into the wall mere inches from his face.

“You reek of needy omega.”

Those are his mate's warm welcome words. Dex is sitting on the bed, he seems exactly as he did when Matt left him hours ago, yet at the same time he’s completely different. His tone is cold, tinged with obvious displeasure. He’s rightfully upset, and the room has borne the brunt of his rage. Floating lint drifting through the air tells Matt that Dex has torn apart the pillows on the bed and hurled several objects at the wall. Did he try to destroy their nest?

Apologizing won’t be easy, but Matt expected as much.

“Sorry, I just helped a girl who was in heat, and two alphas were harassing her,” he explains. Dex’s annoyance doesn’t subside, but at least he seems to understand the situation.

“You got hit, you have blood on your face.”

“Well, you said my radar wasn’t working right today,” Matt laughs, testing the waters with a joke and counting it as a win when he doesn’t end with a knife buried in his forehead.

He dares to close the distance between them and sit down next to Dex. The salty scent of tears reaches him immediately. His cowardly escape has made him cry, and Matt knows he should feel like a jerk, but being able to smell the omega’s heavenly scent makes his alpha howl with joy.

“When you left, I wondered what I’d done wrong. Was the food bad? Was Maddie neglected?” Dex begins, his words coming out hoarse. His throat raw from sobbing. “I didn’t know what my mistake had been, so I decided I was the mistake… and I was going to leave with Maddie.”

No.

“Dex, I… you’re fine, you’re great, it’s me who…”

“I’m not done yet, Murdock,” he cuts him off. That’s unusual, and it makes Matt a bit nervous. Would Dex leave as soon as he finished talking to him?

No, he couldn’t do that. Matt wouldn’t let him.

“I was going to pack my things and leave so I’d never see you again. But then I saw that stupid tub of banana ice cream in the kitchen, which I never even told you was my favorite.

“You must have said it at some point.”

“No, Matt. I never said it, not even once. And yet, you knew.”

Dex moves to get closer, Matt can see him right in front of him. The outline of his face glows with the intensity of a thousand suns, the fading scar across his cheek is the only shadow on it. His omega is so beautiful, even with his flaws.

And he’s soft, too. Dex’s hands cup Matt’s face, a touch that does little to sate the alpha’s hunger.

“‘My alpha knows the things I like, so I’ll stay a little longer’. That’s what I’ve decided, Matt. Do you agree?”

Do you agree to keep living like this? Do you promise to be a better alpha? The questions are invisible, but they’re there. This time, seeking definitive answers.

Somehow, Matt knows this is his last chance to get rid of Dex. He feels that if he says he doesn’t agree, Dex will truly leave his life forever. And that can’t happen. Just thinking about it fills him with a paralyzing fear that awakens his possessiveness.

He won't let Dex go, because Dex belongs to him. He is his omega—his to punish, his to teach. It is his destiny to watch over and keep Dex in check so that he doesn't fill the world with blood. And in turn, Dex is the penance God has sent him for all the sins he has committed and all those he will commit. A reminder of what Daredevil is capable of if he forgets mercy.

This omega has caused him pain in the past and will likely continue to do so, that much is crystal clear to Matt, but he will accept this life sentence with his head held high.

If God has condemned him to love a killer, then who is he to defy the Heavenly Father?

So he nods at Dex’s words. And the omega’s attitude changes completely, his roses dance with joy around him—no longer forcing, but rather embracing. Dex rushes to kiss Matt with eagerness and gratitude, as if he, too, had feared what to do in case Matt no longer wanted him there.

Dex’s hands force their faces closer together. What started as a kiss of sincere emotion escalates into a feverish, hungry one. It’s a somewhat sloppy kiss with more teeth than lips, but Matt quickly takes control by sliding his tongue into Dex’s mouth.

His spit is sweet like condensed milk and makes him wonder what his pussy tastes like. The mere thought of eating Dex’s cunt makes his pants feel very tight, so he ends the kiss to start taking off his suit.

“Hurry up. I can’t touch you if you’re away, ” cries Dex. Now that he’s certain that Matt won’t leave no matter what happens, he can afford to be as demanding as he wants.

“I’m doing this as fast as I can, sweetheart. You have to be patient.” responds Matt. And then, a delightful idea crosses his mind. “Do you remember what you said last night, babe? What you do while you wait for me every night?” 

Dex nods, and Matt can feel the heat spreading across his cheeks and his yearning bottom. Delicious confession he’d received yesterday, about how his omega prepared himself every night to welcome him.

“Why don’t you give me a little taste, love? If I know what’s waiting for me, I might come home a little earlier.”

His words have an immediate effect on Dex. Well, now Matt will be able to undress a little more in peace. Or so he thought, because he can feel Dex quickly stripping off his clothes until he’s completely naked.

The smell of his slick hits Matt’s nostrils stronger than any punch he received that night. His mouth waters, and he has to swallow hard to keep from drooling. Fuck this stupidly complex suit.

A bit shyly, Dex brings his left hand down his body, trailing across his sensitive skin until it reaches his lower region, where a patch of neatly trimmed blond pubes welcomes it. With his index finger he slowly trace the contour of his cunt, caressing both lips before stopping in front of his clit. The rosy nub happily greets his fingers, that start pinching and playing with it.

“A-ah… aah.” 

Dex’s moans are like an angel choir. So lovely, they make Matt forget his own mission. He’s captivated by the scene, by the way the omega loses himself so mesmerizingly to pleasure.

When he is wet enough to not get hurt, Dex inserts two digits in one go into his pussy and starts scissoring them. His rhythm is fast from the beginning. Is he always this desperate or is really giving Matt a show? Either way, it didn’t matter, because Matt sure was enjoying it.

“Look at your pussy. So hungry it ate two fingers, don’t you have any shame?” Matt asks, knowing that Dex really loses it when he is mean to him. And it works like a miracle, because a new gush of slick escapes from the omega’s vagina along a series of needy whimpers. “Put another one.”

Like the good omega he is, Dex inserts another finger in himself. His body trembling at the sensation of fullness. Matt's inner alpha swells with pride as he watches his omega obey his orders without hesitation.

“What a nasty routine you have, Poindexter. Do you think it is correct for a righteous omega to finger himself every night? What would the neighbors think of you?”

“I-I don’t care.” says Dex, stuttering. His rhythm is getting faster and he starts massaging his clit with his right hand. A loud moan escapes from his lips at the overwhelming sensation that makes Matt’s dick twitch painfully, still trapped in his pants. “Your cock is so big, I gotta do this every night or I won’t be able to take it whole.”

Oh Lord. Matt wonders how he could be so stupid to deceive himself into thinking this wasn’t what he wanted. 

And kicking his pants and underwear, he is finally free to do what he has been yearning for. Doesn’t waste a single second before grabbing both of Dex’s wrists to pull them away from that source of sweet nectar. Dex lets out an annoyed whimper, as he was nearing his climax. Matt can smell it on the sweat beginning to form between his thighs.

“Sorry, love. But tonight you will come from me and me alone.”

He kneels in front of the bed, positioning himself between Dex’s legs. He takes one—the right one—and begins peppering it with hundreds of kisses, working his way up his calf, behind his knee, and onto his thighs, which, no matter how much Dex works out, never lose their softness. Plump, they drive Matt wild, and he traces the soft flesh with his tongue, drawing sighs from the omega.

“O-ouch!” Dex exclaims when Matt can’t control himself and bites the tender skin hard enough to draw blood.

The imprint of his teeth feels just right on Dex’s thigh. So he does the same to the other one. Twin bite marks now adorn the inner thighs of both of Dex’s legs, and Matt smiles at his successful way of marking what is his.

They must surely sting, but that’s no problem. His omega loves pain. This is no different, as the slick pouring out of him makes clear.

All day, Matt has been craving something sweet to eat. Well, he has finally found what.

He lowers his mouth to the delicious, warm mount. Pubic hair tickling his nose, he savors the sultry, fruity smell coming from the omega’s cunt. Unable to hold back any longer, Matt digs in.

First, a cordial hello to his clit. A small kiss that makes Dex’s thighs shiver. Matt’s hot tongue laps enthusiastically the aching nub, careful not to make Dex come. No, Matt wants to enjoy this thoroughly.

So, even though he wants to keep bullying the cutest part of his omega, Matt continues with his plan, sucking the nub a last time before going deeper into his mate's pussy. The hole winks at him, begging to be eaten. And Matt does so, tasting the milky liquor that escapes from the slit, before sliding his tongue into the warm passage.

His taste buds explode. A caramel-flavored ambrosia floods his mouth; Matt doesn't let a single drop go to waste. Licking Dex’s walls and drinking his love juices with the passion of a thirsty, fascinated man. Dex's thighs quiver in ecstasy at the sensation of being devoured so intensely and his toes curl up.

“A-ah! M-matt, oh Jesus, you sure know how to– Mmh…use your mouth.”

Yeah, he totally does. And Dex still hasn’t felt anything. 

Matt pulls his tongue out of Dex’s cunt and starts lapping his slit up and down. With his thumb, he circles Dex’s clit, causing him to shudder from overstimulation. But, again, that’s not all Matt has to offer.

He slides his tongue up and returns to Dex’s pleasure spot. Now red and hardened from the bullying endured, Matt blows cold air on it just for the pleasure of making Dex cry out from the abuse. The raptured sobs almost make Matt feel guilty for throwing himself at the tiny bud again, resuming his relentless licking, now with even greater intensity.

And as his tongue is busy ravishing the omega’s clit. Two of his fingers run across Dex's body, wandering over his happy trail before entering him. They are long and big, not slender like Dex’s, and have no problem finding that wonderful bundle of nerves that makes Dex jump in white-hot pleasure. Mischievous, the digits begin to abuse it, touching the heavenly point over and over, his tongue doesn’t stop licking and sucking the nub.

Dex hands go to Matt’s brown curls, pulling them hard, looking for some type of support. The pain makes Matt growl right on Dex’s clit, the vibrations turning into toxic pleasure. The stimulation is way too much for the omega, Matt knows it from the way Dex’s cunt clenches around his fingers, trying to expel them from his inside. But Matt isn’t having anything of that and inserts another finger, moving it against the pink, familiar walls and making Dex cry.

“A-Alpha, it’s too much.” he moans. “I’m so full, I’m gonna break”.

Break? Matt can’t help but laugh at his mate’s innocent words. That’s exactly what Matt wants. To destroy Dex, ruin him for everyone. He needs Dex to be in love with every part of him, with his fingers, with his mouth, with his cock. So that he could never run to another alpha’s arms.

This sentence goes both ways, and Matt will make sure he doesn't have to serve it alone.

So he speeds up his fingers even more, roughly fucking them inside and out Dex’s swollen cunt and sucking more hungrily his clit, covering it with his whiskey spit, hoping to engrave his scent into the small nub. 

“M-matt, M-matt, I’m coming. A-ah, I’m coming, stoppp, please, it’s too much–toomuch.”

Dex’s thighs clamp around his head, trying to restrict his movements. The action stirs a dark possessiveness within the alpha. His omega thinks he has control over the pleasure he gets, so cute, but Matt knows he has to teach Dex a lesson. Feeling the omega’s orgasm approaching, he decides to ramp up the intensity a bit and pushes Dex over the edge with a bite from his fangs, right on Dex’s poor clit.

And with that, Dex’s spine convulses, coming so hard his whole body trembles in painful ecstasy. Matt can hear the fireworks inside his body, dismantling Dex and robbing him of all ability to think. His alpha seizes every breath Dex takes, the pain caused by the overstimulation, and the pleasure that is yet to come.

For this is far from over, Matt still hasn’t shown Dex just how much he regrets not having spent every day since he marked him by his side. His account is still in the red, and he’s eager to pay the debt.

He grants Dex a brief respite. With his middle and index finger, he scoops a bit of the omega’s honeyed slick, that runs through his thighs, and pours it over his hardened cock to use it as lube. His action is so dirty, that the Catholic boy inside him wants to scream, but Matt forgets those useless moral teachings and pumps his dick a few times, taking pleasure in the burning sensation.

A smear of precum glows in the tip, a warning of how close he is to release. No, no, no, every single drop of his seed is going to be used to mark Dex again. Anything else would be wasting it. 

So he climbs onto the bed and positions himself between Dex’s legs, taking both of them and resting them on his shoulders to get into the perfect position for tonight. One of his hands holds him steady, but not close enough to his mate's face for his liking—he wants to kiss him, bite those lips, make them bleed so that every time Dex smiles, he feels the sting and thinks of him. His other hand takes his dick, lining up with the eager entrance, but not inserting himself. The slit tries to lure him inside, tempting him with a small, warm cave to rest.

But no, first, Matt has to ask for forgiveness. 

“Love.” he calls. Dex is still too out of his mind, but lets a small keen to make Matt know he’s listening, tired, yet there for his alpha. Precious thing, so, so good for them. “I haven’t been a good alpha, I have let you and our pup down many times. And I know I probably don’t deserve such a pretty, obedient omega like you, but I still want to try.”

Slowly, he starts entering the exquisite heat. Inch by inch, enjoying the small, pained gasps Dex lets out, still sensitive from his earlier climax. Matt closes his eyes and presses his lips together, focusing so he doesn’t immediately paint the walls that have so kindly welcomed him white.

It’s hard. Even more so when, with half his cock inside, he brushes against Dex’s sensitive spot, causing the omega to push back his hips and deepen their connection.

It’s only when Matt is fully inside Dex that he manages to muster the strength needed to keep talking.

“Like you said once, I too want to make things right. So, let’s make this our real bonding night, okay?”

And with Dex in a perfect mating press, he starts to shove. It’s savage, feral even. The pace is too fast, and the ram of his hips too sharp; there’s no elegance or harmony between the thrusts. There’s only that same hungry instinct he’d felt that crimson morning when he bit Dex.

The devil’s voice.

Whispering in his ear to bite the omega. To claim him. A deranged omega was what a broken alpha like him needed—not those creatures created to be treated like porcelain dolls. No, Matt needed an omega capable of withstanding the deep darkness of his soul, one who wouldn’t fear him, who would want to be a part of it. He needed an omega who wouldn’t reject him when he could no longer control himself and let the devil out.

And, oh, beautiful Lucifer, fallen angel, placed before him an omega tailor-made for Matt Murdock.

What would people say about him? Nothing. He was just an alpha helping a wounded omega who, if he didn’t spend his heat with someone, would die. It was the act of a good Samaritan.

It didn’t matter that Matt knew there were emergency suppressors in Frank’s hideout. It didn’t matter that Karen would never forgive him. It didn’t matter that he could never think of Foggy again without feeling guilty. From the moment he met Dex —before Bullseye, before the Fisks, before the spilled blood—, their lives were already intertwined, destined to ruin each other for the rest of their existence.

And that’s what he does. 

He moves his hips back and forth, panting from the sensation of their bodies becoming one. It’s warm and soft inside Dex, he squeezes him with just the right amount of pressure to make his brain melt and send stars dancing across the darkness of his eyes.

“O-oh, fuck, you’re taking me so well, sweetheart.” he breathes heavily, his voice hoarse and thick with intense desire. “If you keep squeezing me like that, I’ll have no choice but to give you another pup.”

It isn’t the precise thrust against his g-spot, but his words that make Dex tighten around Matt. A loud, shaky moan leaves his reddened lips, coming from deep inside his chest. Oh? So that was another weak point? Matt grins devilishly, he can work with that.

He stops the merciless rhythm, easing off completely and pulling almost entirely out of the omega, drawing a groan from Dex, who frowns and tries to do something to get the alpha back where he belongs.

But no, Matt has another plan.

He rolls his hips slowly, seeking precision over intensity. With small, but accurate and steady thrusts, he carves a path deeper than before. The sudden change in rhythm drives Dex mad, Matt can feel it—how the omega’s hands move, unsure where to find support. And his irrational scent, never managing to bloom a single rose before collapsing.

Matt tries to cover him with his body—oh, how he loves how big Dex is—, careful not to crush him, leaving mere centimeters between their bodies. But he completely closes the distance between their faces, their noses brush against each other and the omega takes the opportunity to lick his face, wiping away the blood. Letting out a happy purr as he welcomes Matt into his body in more ways than one.

Matt smiles. He’s got it bad, he’s hopelessly infatuated with Dex. There’s no way to hide it anymore.

“If you ever left this apartment, omega,” he begins, never stopping the soft, contained thrusts. “I’d search for you in every filthy corner of the city. Of the world, if I had to, and I’d drag you back, because this is where you belong.”

“I wouldn’t leave, I wouldn’t leave, alpha, I promise I won’t leave,” Dex babbles, wrapping both arms around Matt’s neck, pulling him even closer.

“I know. But if you left, I’d bring you back here. To our nest. And I would make you take my knot so many times, you would end up with a litter growing in your womb”.

Dex lets out a big, needy whimper. It apparently makes him feel shy, since he presses his lips together to try and quiet down. Matt is quick to correct him—nobody will rob him of those beautiful sounds—, driving right into the center of his g-spot and taking his breath away.

“Can you imagine, omega? If I’d bitten you the first time I saw you, if I’d mounted you in that hotel lobby… how many pups would we have by now?” His pace begins to pick up again, and Dex melts beneath his arms. Salty tears stream down his flushed cheeks, his lashes wet and clumped together. “Is that what you want? Another pup?”

“Y-yes! I want another pup–all of your pups,” Dex meows, nuzzling Matt and lapping his alpha’s face nonstop. His heartbeat grows erratic and his insides begin to spasm, another orgasm approaching. Matt’s as well.

“Do you want me to fuck a pup into you? To make sure I never leave? To make sure I come home every night?” Each question is emphasized with a thrust, transforming Dex into a sea of uncontrollable sobs. The air around them boils and Matt’s sweet whiskey scent turns into steam, intoxicating them both. “Beg for it.”

Dex doesn't need to be told twice.

“P-pleasepleaseplease–gimme your pups, I will be a good mom, I promise, please please, Matt, pup me, please.”

A dark feeling makes his heart throb. Is that how love feels like? 

Matt whispers, licking Dex’s neck where his jugular runs. “How can I deny my omega anything?”

And he returns to his frenzy, a single goal on his mind. An omega who isn’t in heat has a 1% chance of getting pregnant—not much, but Dex survived a fall from the fourth floor. This is a piece of cake compared to that.

He slides deep inside Dex, molding him to his shape, etching his form into Dex’s flesh. He wants to live forever inside Dex, to possess him down to the smallest fiber of his body, to break him and put him back together as a good person—or a worse one. What does it matter? He’ll stay by his side forever anyway.

That isn’t his alpha instinct; it’s his nature as Matt Murdock.

The one who savagely steals Dex’s lips, deeming it unfair that only one is bleeding, and bites the soft flesh, staining their saliva red. Their tongues fight for control, and Dex’s hands pull at his hair, seeking closer contact, merging into one supreme being.

“Let’s come together.” he says, once they separate, gasping for air. “Can you do that for me, Dex?”

Too out of it to speak, Dex nods. That gives Matt enough fuel to make his final thrusts. A tingling sensation begins to course through his body, throwing him off rhythm. It’s coming. His senses go haywire; he sees the taste of Dex, smells his sighs of ecstasy. The knot in his stomach begins to rise, and Matt knows it’s here.

“I’m gonna come, babe, I’m coming–”.

And exerting his stored energy, Dex pulls him even closer, wrapping his legs around his waist, forcing him to stay inside him—not that Matt had any intention of pulling out. But that trap doesn’t seem to be enough for Dex, and he tugs Matt’s hair hard enough that the brunette gives him access to his scent gland and without hesitation, sinks his sharp omega fangs into it.

Pain, pleasure, and devotion surge white-hot from the mark, leaving Matt’s mind blank and causing him to stain the inside of Dex the same hue. Spurt after spurt shoots from his exhausted dick, reaching deep inside the omega. The high-pitched sounds Dex lets out and the rolling back of his eyes tell him that he’s come too, but the strength in his limbs doesn’t fade, locking Matt in place until he spills all his seed inside him.

After long seconds of continuous pumping, it’s all over, and Dex finally lets go.

“Don’t pull out.” he orders, not asking for opinions. “We need to make sure it takes.”

Matt lets out a tired laugh. “If it doesn’t take, we’ll keep trying until it works, sweetheart.” 

Still, he’s careful as he settles them onto the ragged bed, making sure not to pull out of Dex.

They lie chest to chest, bathed in each other’s sweat, marked in every possible way. His neck burns from the fresh bite, but it’s a pleasant pain, the same constant that defines Dex. 

A caress on a wound. 

Matt hugs Dex, pressing him against his body and bathing him in his violet scent, gently stroking the scar on his spine in an attempt to steady his omega’s breathing.

His omega whom he… 

Whom he is so in…

“I might– I might be in love with you, Dex,” he confesses. It is by far the hardest thing he has ever had to say in his entire life, putting into words something that should never have existed, but that apparently the grand design meant to happen.

In his arms, the lovesick Dex chuckles softly.

“Of course you are, Matty. You’re obsessed with me, that’s why you bit me.”

Dex settles more comfortably against his chest and begins to purr. The sound lulls Matt to sleep immediately, and before drifting off into the world of dreams, he thinks to himself that yes.

That is the right answer.