Title: Upon My Liar's Chair
Author: doc_sock/doc_socktopus
Fandom: New Avengers, Daredevil
Characters: Matthew Murdock, Danny Rand, Luke Cage
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Words: 350ish
Summary: "Sometimes, Danny worried that Matt was bipolar."
Notes: Prompt #1 from 15_minute_ficlets.


Sometimes, Danny worried that Matt was bipolar. His mercurial temper, the mornings where he moped around his office, the late afternoons spent alternately poking at Luke and making the baby laugh, the weeks hold up in his apartment in the Kitchen, refusing to let any of them in.

And then there were nights like these.

"I have a plan," Danny said, only to be met with a groan from Luke and a quick grin from Matt.

"This better not be like your plan to save K'un Lun," Luke muttered.

"This one's way more awesome," Danny said, getting that quick grin from Matt again. He was fairly vibrating with manic energy, his sightless mask still tracking the Doombots on the street below them. His teeth flashed in the soft glow of a street light, sharp with shadows. Danny could feel that this was going to be one of those nights.

"If you distract them, Daredevil," he didn't bother pointing, not like back when he thought Matt was faking being blind, "and make a lot of noise, Luke and I can take them out from behind."

"That's your plan?" Luke asked. "Take them out from behind? Sweet fucking Christmas, you never get to make plans again."

Matt's grin was brittle, tense like he was on the edge of shattering. "It's good enough for me."

"Yeah, Matt likes it," Danny said, although he wasn't sure that was a vote of confidence so much as the death-wish Matt thought he kept hidden from all of them.

Sometimes, Danny worried that Matt was bipolar. He worried that the breakdown Matt had after Karen died, the taking over Hell's Kitchen, being unmasked to the papers, was just the tip of the iceberg. He worried that there was another, bigger manic episode coming and that maybe this time, he wouldn't be around to help pick up the pieces.

But when the three of them leaped down from the rooftop, Matt landing in front of the Doombots, mouth already running, that smile still ripping at the sides of his face, Danny just hoped he could hold onto himself just a little longer. Just until the world stopped being so crazy around them, just until the Dark Avengers were taken care of and New York restored to the city it used to be, just until they had time.

He wasn't sure they ever would.

THE END