Working late at Nelson & Murdock was nothing new. Stacks of case files, empty coffee cups, and Foggy’s sarcastic commentary were the standard backdrop to your days. But somewhere between long depositions and late night Chinese takeout, you’d noticed something else- Matt Murdock, your boss, had a way of making a crowded room feel strangely intimate. The quiet curve of his smile, the way he tilted his head when you spoke as if every word you said mattered more than the law itself.

One afternoon, in passing, you’d joked that red looked good on him. Just a throwaway comment while sorting through briefs. But apparently Matt had taken it to heart.

The next day, he’d shown up with a new tie. Black. Crisp. Elegant. You didn’t think twice about it. But the day after that? Another. And then another. Always that same sharp black.

By Friday, the mystery was solved. Matt leaned against your office doorway, glasses catching the dim light, looking equal parts amused and exasperated.

“You know,”

He said, voice low, laced with that quiet intensity only he could manage.

“If you really liked me in red, you could’ve said something sooner.”

You blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?” He let out a laugh- soft, self mocking almost.

“I thought I was giving you what you wanted. Turns out I’ve been… parading around in black ties all week. Thinking they were red. Guess I made a fool of myself trying to impress you.”