Chapter Text
The Avengers have gathered in one of Tony’s shiny, black limousines. Happy Hogan is acting as their chauffeur, sitting silently in the front seat.
“Get it out now, while we’re not in range.” Stark says, too caught up in his own worries to be toying with his StarkPad.
“This is a bad idea.” Natasha claims from beside Steve, who speaks up in response.
“He asked us to spend time with him, I think that’s a positive thing.”
“Yeah.” Clint agrees. “I’d rather he wasn’t alone.”
“I’m not disagreeing, there.” Natasha argues. “But I expect this to end in disaster.”
“Daredevil’s identity got out, ok. Not good.” Tony checks the GPS on his phone, double-checking they aren’t in the aforementioned man’s hearing range. “But it’s not the end of the world.”
“Tony’s right.” Steve nods. “This is a vacation, we shouldn’t be worried. It’ll be fun.”
Matt’s breath catches in his throat as he hides from a hoard of eager reporters. He feel like Stark and it’s not a feeling he enjoys.
Luckily for him, Dice is cuddled against his knee and he can smell the Avengers (Particularly the chemical smell radiating from Bruce.) walking around somewhere outside. He hadn’t planned on actually spending time near civilians, but the light rain was becoming a headache and then a migraine.
Dice is whining and pulling on his sleeve, so he pets the dog to quieten him.
This is fine. It’ll be fine. Don’t talk, they can’t judge you if you don’t talk.
Matt leads Dice through the swarms of families and businessmen waiting to go through security. He only hears his name called a couple of times as he hurries past. He makes it to the sliding doors and rushes outside, glad when he doesn’t hear footsteps running after him.
“Matt!” He hears Clint call his name as he makes his way over. He hears something pitter-pattering across the ground and recognises the swishing of a furry tail. Clint brought Lucky.
Matt unclips Dice’s lead; he isn’t wearing his jacket so he’s allowed to greet the Avengers individually with a wagging tail and wet tongue.
“I was waiting to the rain to clear up.” Murdock claims, gesturing upwards.
“Sure.” Steve is the first to talk. “I expected it to be a better day.”
“What can you do?” Matt shrugs, but his shoulders are stiff.
Are they really talking about the weather?
“Stark, are we ready to board?” Natasha asks as Lucky and Dice sniff each other’s butts.
“Stop it, Dice, you have more class.” Matt chastises his dog, who returns to his side happily.
“What’s wrong with my dog’s butt?” Clint pouts.
“You feed him pizza.” Matt reaches down to touch the other dog gingerly. It slobbers all over his hand, so he pets his own dog instead.
“And let me guess, Dice eats prime cuts of steak?” Clint scoffs as they head after the other Avengers, who are, by this point, climbing the stairs to Tony’s jet.
Matt considers this.
“If I’m eating steak.” He agrees. “But usually fish.”
“You can’t just feed him kibble like a normal owner, can you?” Clint grumbles.
The jet is thin but spacious, Matt discovers as he steps inside.
The engines are somewhat daunting, but Dice continually nudges his hand, distracting him from the rumbling.
“You haven’t been out of New York before?” Tony asks incredulously when Matt tells him.
“No.” Matt admits. “The farthest I’ve ventured is probably to the Avengers tower. Or on visits to our resident Spider-Man.”
“First time to Hawaii, then.” Tony says lightly.
Daredevil doesn’t answer and, instead, urges Dice (who is much cleaner than Lucky) to jump on the seat beside him.
With the whole world knowing his identity, he figured he wouldn’t need the yellow harness so Dice is wearing a black vest.
Dice sits patiently beside Matt until the plane is ready to take off, at which point he lies across both his seat and Matt’s lap.
There’s minimal conversation as the jet starts to move but Matt occupies himself with stroking Dice gently and finding comfort in his strawberry-scented fur.
Dice has adjusted easily to the monthly, occasionally more frequent, baths. Matt has adjusted to being nudged repeatedly during the day.
He was in the shower that morning, face wet. His laboured breaths must have attracted Dice’s attention because the dog wouldn’t stop—
Whining. Dice is whining. He’s burrowing his face into Matt’s chest, just as Matt realises that he really doesn’t like the sound of the engines.
It doesn’t escape him that the Quinjet is much quieter.
“Matt, you ok?” Clint sits across the table from him. When he reaches over, Dice actually growls, so he pulls back.
“Good boy.” Matt mumbles into the dog’s head before lifting his head at Clint. “I’m fine, it’s just loud.”
“Ok, Buddy.” Clint nods at that.
Matt doesn’t think the others are talking but there’s a niggling hum from somewhere.
“Matt.” Clint talks to him again. “Steve has sleeping pills, if you want them?”
Matt shakes his head.
Clint doesn’t understand when he makes a hand symbol at Dice, who scampers off the seat and pulls out Daredevil’s red bag (Really, what is with him and red?), lifting it onto the seat with his mouth.
Matt takes out some headphones and Dice returns the bag.
Once the dog is settled on his lap and the noise-cancelling headphones are on his head, Matt doesn’t talk for the rest of the trip.
The landing required almost constant nudging from Dice, but Matt ‘forgot’ his worries upon leaving the jet.
The plane had landed somewhere near the beach and, on their way to the hotel, Matt experienced a cacophony of noise. There was the sound of the ocean rolling in, the clashing of luau music playing from several tiki bars. The mixed voices of tourists and natives left Matt a bit disorientated but otherwise intrigued.
The hotel, Matt can sense, is a widespread one with multiple, but not many, levels. There’s splashing and the stench of chlorine from a pool that Matt reminds himself not to set one foot near.
Matt’s carrying his suitcase while Dice proudly holds his red bag (it’s not very heavy).
Tony is trailing at least two cases towards the hotel and Matt is positive that they’re mostly filled with metal.
The others have a case each, with the exception of Clint who has his bow stored in its own bag.
“We have two single rooms.” Tony explains after he collected the keys from reception. The place smells like jasmine. “And two paired rooms.”
“Looks great.” Matt grins.
“You’re bunking with Clint, I’m bunking with Brucey. Cap and Nat get their own rooms.” Tony says definitively.
Matt’s face falls. He had hoped for some privacy, since Tony was paying. “I’m bunking with Clint?”
“Problem?” The archer wraps an arm around his shoulders, much to Matt’s distaste.
“I have super senses and I have to bunk with Clint?” Matt groans.
“Would you rather sleep with Tony?” Bruce offers. “He’s nocturnal.”
“Crepuscular.” Tony corrects. “There’s a sweet spot at 4 AM.”
“Cap has rights as team leader and Tasha has rights as a super scary assassin.” Clint claims before pulling Matt along by his arm. “Let’s go.”
Matt does find the heat pleasurable, along with the salty smell of the ocean. He’s glad he packed Dice’s moisturizing shampoo, though, because sleeping with a pickled pup is not his idea of fun.
“That animal is not allowed on my bed, or the couches.” Matt points unhappily at Lucky, who is sniffing around the living room area.
“Fine, fine.” Clint calls from one of the bedrooms.
Matt claims the other. He takes off Dice’s vest, lead, and collar so he can run around on his own but the dog opts for sitting beside Matt on the bed, resting his head on the man’s shoulder.
If Clint hears Matt crying in his room, he doesn’t comment.