Chapter Text
Foggy woke up, and like the day before, he was immediately wide awake.
The first thing he noticed was that he was back in his own body. His senses had returned to normal. He was no longer blind.
He went to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. Home sweet home.
He saw Matt coming out of the bedroom a moment later.
“Feels weird being back, doesn’t it?” Foggy asked.
“It does,” Matt admitted. “But I still remember everything from yesterday. I know what you look like now. I know what this place looks like.”
“Did you manage to do it?” Foggy asked quietly.
“I did,” Matt said softly.
“I heard you whispering. I got worried,” Foggy said.
“Yeah, there were so many things distracting me,” Matt replied honestly.
“I’m glad you got it in the end,” Foggy said, relieved.
“What time is it?” Matt asked.
“Ten in the morning. We both slept for a while.” Foggy informed him.
Foggy checked his phone. “The photo, I can confirm it’s Elektra.”
He looked at the photo Maggie had taken. Neither of them looked quite like themselves in it. He had looked very off to the left. But he would treasure that picture forever.
“Karen asked me yesterday for my beauty standards. You spend a day in my body. What do you think they are?” Matt asked.
Foggy thought for a moment. “Scent and voice. Also, clothes, but more about how they sound. Some fabrics are louder than others. They can be very distracting. Certain shoes, too. The rhythm of a heartbeat, probably.”
Matt smiled. “You are good, Foggy! That’s exactly right. Scent and voice are the most important. Heartbeats are very individual, some quicker than others; it tells me a lot. Fidgeting, too. Too much, and it’s annoying. Too little and I barely notice her.”
Matt tilted his head, listening. “We have got company. Karen and Maggie.”
Foggy went to open the front door, while Matt tried to look presentable.
Karen greeted him first. “Hi, guys, you both look disheveled.”
“Morning to you, too, Karen,” Foggy said cheerfully.
“You brought us plants?” Matt asked curiously.
Maggie handed them each a potted plant. Matt ran his fingers over the leaves, the soil, and the bottom of the container.
“We wanted to test something,” Maggie asked. “Can you two hear plants talking now?”
“I don’t hear anything. But I have a feeling that the pot is too small. Not because I have plant powers. The roots are growing out of the bottom,” Matt said.
Foggy chuckled and listened. “No plant powers here. Karen, you switched too. Do you hear plants now?”
“Nope, nothing like that,” Karen said. “And sorry for leaving you yesterday, but I had a feeling I wasn’t supposed to be there. And no, I’m not telling you who the person was.”
She turned to Foggy. “You know, when I first saw that report about people switching bodies, I started digging. I found the guy. When he told me about the curse, I made a suggestion. People should share their experiences online. That way, others might develop the same longing to understand someone else. To step into their shoes. And if enough people participated, the curse would lift faster.
Karen looked at both of them. “I guess it worked the same for you two. I just knew you’d break it.”
“Karen, you are brilliant as always,” Foggy said with a grin.
“So,” Maggie said, changing the subject, “what’s it like being back, Matthew?”
“I watched some videos of myself fighting. I managed to look at Dad like I planned. It stays the last thing I ever saw,” Matt said.
Matt grabbed the photograph. “It’s good to be back. But I can’t deny there’s a part of me that wishes I could see all of your faces again. God gave me that one day, and I should be grateful. I am. But it hurts,” Matt said, his voice sad. Matt lowered his head. He had tears in his eyes.
Foggy had been right. Matt wasn’t taking this lightly.
Matthew, we both came here today to be with you,” Maggie said. “Foggy understands you better than anyone now. But what you are feeling…it’s normal to feel grief, to lose something a second time. It should hurt, and crying is normal.
Maggie chose the right words because Matt did not hold back. He let himself cry. They all hugged him.
When Matt stopped crying, Foggy patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, buddy. I saw the world through your senses. You may not see faces, but you see more than most of us ever could. Your world, your way of sensing, is just as rich, if not richer.”
Matt wiped his face. “Thank you all for being here.”
Matt turned his head towards him, and for a second, just a moment, he thought he could see the hazel in Matt’s eyes glow softly. It looked like Matt made eye contact. Maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him. No, there was something deeper, as if he could feel Matt.
“Matt,” Foggy said, shocked. “For a second, the hazel in your eyes was a bit brighter. It was as if you could see us. It felt as if I could see right into your soul and you into mine. As if our souls were reaching out to one another."
“Maybe he does,” Maggie said. “And you do too, Foggy.”
“I don’t see any of you,” Matt said quietly.
And in that moment, Foggy knew. Deep down, he understood. This is connected to their wishes. He gained insight into Matt’s soul; that’s what Matt wished for.
Foggy spoke slowly, “When I agreed to the terms, there was this one wish I didn’t say out loud. Deep down, I hoped that, when all this was over, you’d be able to see our faces, just once a day, even if only for a second.”
Matt smiled. “That’s exactly what happened.”
Foggy was in shock. Were they something like soulmates now?
“Judging by your smiles,” Karen said, “both of your wishes came true. This is the opposite of a curse.”
“Oh, look at him,” Maggie added and touched his arm. “He looks so content.”
Foggy wasn’t sure if seeing their faces once a day would bring Matt more peace or pain. Only time would tell.
Right now, Foggy was happy, though, that he was able to grant Matt’s soul's deepest wish. That was more than he could ever dream of.