If You Need Me

Ch. 10: If You Need Me

"You fuckwit, I have super hearing," Peter rolled his eyes, "And I'm guessing, considering he gets quiet every time he knows I'm near, he has super hearing too."

Lazlo flushed, "He's -"

"Willing and able to represent someone as awful as me? I'd hope so," Peter cleared his throat, "And he's also in the hallway."

"As introductions go, that wasn't bad."

Tall, lean, with unruly brown hair and a square jaw. Peter had been watching Matthew Murdock for a while now. The young Hell's Kitchen native wrapped his long, delicate hands around his white cane which had definitely seen better days as he leaned on it in front of him. Large, deep red glasses obscured his eyes, and Peter wanted to ask so many questions.

But he'd wait for another time.

"You do understand that I am still in law school," Matt Murdock said slowly, assessing Peter the same way Peter was profiling him.

Peter hummed, "Not technically true. You just graduated last semester. You were top of your class right in front of your partner Foggy Nelson. The two of you have been working pro-bono cases out of Hell's Kitchen and have been on my girlfriend's charitable fundraiser radar for a few months now. She doesn't know it. I put you on it. You've represented four clients since you've graduated - you've won every case - and your firm, if you can call it a firm, is deeply, deeply in need of funding."

"And you, super-rich preppy kid with a hero complex and a need to feel pain to feel alive ... you're going to provide this funding if I get you off?" Matthew asked without missing a beat.

"I believe your job is getting Lazlo off. I just want a lawyer I can trust," Peter said.

Lazlo looked mortified but Matt wasn't even flinching. For the first time in a while, Peter felt he'd met someone who rivaled him in the way he'd missed. Matt Murdock was an intricate puzzle with a similar hunger Peter had felt his whole life. 

"Do you have any idea how much legal trouble you're in?" Matt finally asked.

"Not quite. But you do. This morning, I'm going to turn myself in and I'd appreciate if you'd be there," Peter said simply, shrugging, "We can speak funding later."

"You can't buy me, Mr. Parker," Matt said sternly, "I don't represent assholes who want to get out of their issues with money."

"I have a proposition for you," Peter said, lacing his fingers together, "My aunt runs FEAST -"

"I'm aware," Matt pointed up, considering the Night Clinic was in the sub-basement of FEAST, technically.

"- and I have the unfortunate displeasure of seeing some of the people who come into FEAST every day seeking a sanctuary, or at least a place to rest for the night. I see people who don't have anyone there to assist them and people who are struggling every day. It's why half my paycheck finds itself in the FEAST donation fund under a different name each month, and it's why my girlfriend spends three nights a week when she should be working on her homework or getting rest assisting in fundraising and other organizations to assist this center. But do you know what FEAST doesn't have?"

"A decent coffee machine or working vending machine?" Lazlo muttered. Matt nudged him lightly with his elbow.

"Someone who can fight for them ... legally," Peter watched Matthew's expression closely, "What if Stark Industries kept you and your partner on retainer so that when cases of abuse or any other issue that requires legal aid walk through the doors of FEAST, they'll have somewhere they can go that they won't have to worry about paying for."

"I hate when he makes smart, logical points," Lazlo whispered to Matt, "It makes it even harder to hate him for being suck a smug dick."

"He's impossible," Matt inclined his head towards Lazlo.