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Matt had been out every night this week. Foggy could tell just by looking at him. It wasn't healthy to sacrifice that many hours of REM sleep for Daredevil. Neither was Matt's increased dependence on caffeine. He'd settle down eventually, he reasoned. That, or he'd get injured and he'd have to slow down. In theory.
It wasn't like he could stop him. It also wasn't like he hadn't tried before. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen was one sneaky ninja. He could be as black as shadow and twice as silent when he wanted to be. Which, apparently, this week, he did.
Foggy sighed and shook his head. He didn't have time to stage an intervention this week, and Matt seemed… okay-ish. He was tired, sure, but there were only about ninety minutes left in the workday and then he could go home and crash.
At least Karen was making him eat something, even if it was just a corned beef sandwich with a glass of water instead of more caffeine. Foggy moved to stand in the doorway of the conference room, not to watch Matt eat or to hover, since Karen already had both those things covered from her seat across from Matt, but because he needed to gauge how high his level of concern needed to be if Matt didn't get some serious shut-eye soon. He pushed away from the doorframe after a few moments, pleased to see that Matt had at least finished half of the sandwich.
"What do you do when you have a crush on someone?" Matt wondered aloud, resting his chin on his hand as Foggy approached.
"Tell them how I feel," Karen gently suggested. "I'd want to know if they feel the same way. If not, I can start to move on."
Foggy grinned. "Drink the feelings away!" Then he faltered under the look Karen gave him. "…or something healthier," he quickly amended. "Yeah, sure. Tell them. Why not?"
"Why are you asking? What do you do when you have a crush on someone, Matt?" Karen asked as Foggy slipped into a seat beside his best friend.
Matt shrugged. "Try to be around him as much as possible."
"That's sweet," Karen said with an approving smile.
"Is it though?" Foggy said, casting Matt a dubious look. "Is this like hanging out when you're invited or like concerning stalking behavior?"
"I plead the fifth," Matt mumbled, his lips thinning into a guilty pink line.
Foggy stared at him and leaned forward in his seat like an attentive dog. Details. He wanted details, especially if Matt was abusing his super senses to follow some poor guy around. He actually couldn't remember Matt ever having had a crush on someone before. People had crushes on him, not the other way around. This was uncharted territory.
"Oh my God," he muttered under his breath. "Who are you stalking?"
"Matt, just tell whoever it is how you feel about them. Have an adult conversation," Karen insisted, which was, yeah, not a bad idea. "It's what people do."
"Other people maybe," Foggy said doubtfully.
"I tried that," Matt said hopelessly. "I tried talking to him!"
"And?" Karen asked curiously.
Matt grimaced. "I say stupid stuff when I like someone."
"Oh my God, spill!" Foggy exclaimed with delight. "What'd you say?"
Matt didn't immediately answer. He almost looked embarrassed, Foggy realized, noticing the way Matt kept his face averted from both him and Karen, angled downwards so much that his glasses were in danger of slipping down his nose. Drawing a steadying breath, Matt straightened in his seat, adjusting his glasses as he raised his head in an obvious attempt to regain his usual composure.
"You mean instead of: 'I really like you (against all logic). Let's get a drink or go to dinner sometime?'" Matt suggested with the smallest of winces.
"Uh, yeah," Foggy said with a slight frown.
Matt groaned and confessed, "I told him it's impossible to get rid of me."
Foggy snorted. "Matt, you little stalker —"
"Matt," Karen gently intoned. "Just call this guy and say —"
"Red, you got a minute?" a husky voice murmured from the door.
Foggy whipped around and stared open mouthed at Frank Castle, clean shaven, hair neatly trimmed, wearing dark jeans, boots, and a crisp, white button up shirt that was nice, especially for Frank, who practically lived in bloodstained t-shirts and jeans. In the Punisher's hand was a bouquet of lilies, red carnations, and deep green foliage.
If that wasn't enough to stun Foggy into silence (it was), the fact that Matt smiled and blushed redder than the carnations Frank held would have rendered him speechless anyway. His friend nodded to himself, stood up, and followed Frank into the hall, shutting the door behind him, and leaving a ringing silence in his wake. Foggy hesitated a moment, and then moved when Karen did to listen at the door.