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Vladimir stared at his wrist for what felt like to Anatoly the hundredth time just that hour. The elder Russian rolled his eyes and nudged his brother. “Such a silly name. Matthew. So American,” he teased, grinning wider as Vladimir flushed slightly.
The blonde tugged his sleeve down. “Oh shut up,” he huffed out, pushing his brother lightly.
Anatoly laughed harder and ran ahead. “Come on! It's cold out here!” He ignored his brothers mumbled response of, “Well it's winter in Russia, Tolya.”
Vladimir scowled slightly but began to follow at a slower pace. He picked up a handful of snow and packed it into a decent ball shape and with a pleased grin, he tossed it at his brothers head. Anatoly yelped and quickly turned to glare at his now laughing younger brother. The sixteen year old grinned devilishly. “So is that how you want to play it baby brother?”
The thirteen year old lost his grin quickly and took a few small steps back. “Anatoly wai- ack! Cold!” His plea broke off as a handful of snow crashed into his face. Anatoly laughed as Vladimir yelped and attempted to brush all of the snow off of his face.
The elder Russian began to run back to the house again. Vladimir huffed and glared at his brother's retreating figure but followed none the less.
Vladimir watched as Anatoly began to make them hot chocolate. “Tolya?”
Anatoly glanced over at his brother as he said his name quietly. “Yes?” The elder brother began to grow worried as Vladimir's distress grew.
“Do... do you think that he'll like me?” The question was asked hesitantly, almost as if Vladimir was embarrassed to be asking.
Anatoly smiled reassuringly. “Of course he will! Why wouldn't he?”
That seemed to be enough for the younger Russian.
~~~~
Matt hadn't gotten to read the name on his wrist since he was nine. Since before the accident. He had almost forgotten about it actually. Until Foggy had brought it up while in their dorm studying for finals. Foggy was just tired of studying and was looking for any kind of distraction so when he saw his friends wrist he decided why not ask about it.
Matt raised an eyebrow as Foggy's heart began to beat quicker. Nervous. Foggy was nervous about a question he was about to ask. “So Matt...”
“Yes?” Matt continued to let his fingers slide over the braille.
“Vladimir huh?” Foggy grinned sheepishly.
The blind man coughed slightly. “What about it?”
Foggy just grinned even more. “That's a pretty shitty name. Very European. Do you think he's Russian or something? Call him comrade!” Foggy laughed out.
Matt rolled his eyes, not that Foggy could see him do so from behind the glasses. “And what about yours? Karen huh?” He smirked as Foggy's heart beat sped up once more, this time nervous for a different reason.
“Ugh! Fine! You win this round Murdock! Get back to studying. We have finals coming up,” Foggy said solemnly, a small pout on his lips. Matt didn't lose his smirk but he did go back to studying.
Almost as if in a trance, Matt chased the name on his wrist. He'd done it since way before he was blind so he didn't need sight to see the letters, he just knew where to trace. Foggy rolled his eyes but gave his friend a warm smile all the same. Not that Matt knew that really.
~~~~
While in prison the name on Vladimir's wrist was the second reason he was able to will himself to live. The first being his brother. Once the brothers were out of the prison Anatoly brought up Moscow again.
But Vladimir just shook his head. “No. Moscow is past. We look to the future now brother. We go to America.” Anatoly smirked softly but didn't comment on the reason of why America.
Vladimir was rubbing his wrist, not even paying attention, as he muttered to himself. Of course Anatoly knew why his younger brother wanted to go to America. He wasn't stupid. It was all about this Matthew. He frowned slightly. So help this Matthew person if he ever hurt his baby brother.
~~~~
When Matt rescues Claire from the Russians and hears her say the name Vladimir he's overcome with dread. He feels as if his heart stops, though logically he knows that's not what happened. He feels as though a bucket of ice water has been dunked over his head. It's possible that this Vladimir, this Vladimir who is the leader of the Russian mob, isn't his soulmate. Sure the possibility is slim, nearly non-existent, but it's still there.
So he says nothing.
He won't say anything.
This Vladimir who runs the human trafficking in Hell's Kitchen is not his soulmate.
He's going to continue on with his life.
This Vladimir who had Claire hurt isn't his soulmate.
No way.
So he continues on with his life as if the name that Claire said doesn't affect him at all.
And why would it? This Vladimir isn't his soulmate.
But when the building that the Russians are in blows up Matt listens for a heartbeat. And he nearly drops back to the pavement in overwhelming relief when he hears a voice calling, “Vladimir! Vladimir! Vladimir!”Matt hears two hearts beating. One is Vladmir's. But Matt quickly pushes his feelings aside.
This Vladimir isn't his soulmate. He's not Matt Murdock at the moment. He's the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. And Vladimir Ranskahov is a bad man who runs an extremely illegal human trafficking gig. He works for Fisk. And Matt is going to bring down Fisk.
His heart is racing when he realizes how badly Vladimir is bleeding out. He tries to tell himself that it's because of adrenaline, but deep down he knows the real reason.
He calls Claire. And prides himself on how he keeps the panic from his voice. “It's not as easy as the movies make it to seem!”
Matt smirks. “I don't exactly go to the movies.” He hears her let out a huffy laugh. “I like records though.” And when he tells her that he's trying to save Vladimir he nearly winces and pulls the phone away from his ear as she screams out, “The shit head who had me beat up?! That's who you want me to help?!”
“Look you have every right to tell me to go to hell but he's important Claire!” Matt doesn't explain how Vladimir is also important to him in a more personal way. He figures he'll wait to tell her that. If he ever tells her.
And so when he uses the flare to cauterize the wound it's such a cliché to say that it hurts him almost as much as it's so obviously hurting Vladimir. He can just tell that Claire is smirking and he can't fault her for that. He nearly passes out himself but in relief, not pain, as Vladimir passes out from the pain.
Matt's proud of himself for not reacting in anyway as Vladimir wakes up. He nearly laughs as Vladimir asks shocked, “You burned me?”
“Yeah well I had to stop the bleeding,” Matt says as if discussing the weather and not how he had to cause his soulmate bodily pain. Not like it's the first time of the night and more than likely it won't be the last.
Matt tries not to let the words that Vladimir says affect him. He's nothing like Fisk and he's not a bad person like Vladimir, though that thought pains him slightly. Because even though he doesn't want to admit it, he does. His soulmate is a bad person.
But when Vladimir's heart stops it feels as though a part of his is dying too. And he knows he's not doing CPR the right way, of course not, you don't just whack someone on their chest with all your strength. But he let's out a sigh of relief as Vladimir takes a deep breath and groans of pain.
“What?” Vladimir gasps out, shocked.
“You died.” Matt has to stop himself from choking. “I brought you back.” He says this simply, again like he's just discussing the weather.
Vladimir let's out more soft groans. “You can't even let me die.”
Matt doesn't say anything, doesn't turn back to face him. Because it's true. And he hates himself for it. “No. Not until you give me what I need,” he says this like this is the only reason he wants Vladimir to live. He tries to convince himself this is the only reason he wants the Russian to live.
When Vladimir helps Matt life the lid to the tunnel he can't hide his shock. “I told you. This is not how I die,” Vladimir says simply, almost smug.
And then they're down the ladder, Matt holding onto Vladimir for a moment before letting go. He fights the cops, can hear Vladimir pick up one of the guns.
“There are five more coming,” Matt tried to explain breathlessly, trying to get his heart to calm down. He doesn't want to believe that he's about to be shot. Not by his soulmate. Because he can't lie to himself anymore. He knows, just like he knows his name, that Vladimir Ranskahov is his soulmate. He pointed, “All working for Fisk. Probably not even real cops. We don't have time for this.”
Vladimir didn't say anything for a moment. Then, “I think... maybe I stay.” He didn't know why he was doing this. Sure he felt a small tug to the man in the mask but that couldn't be why he was willing to give his life for him to get away. It was because of Anatoly, Vladimir decides. He wants to see his brother again. Yes. That's it.
For a moment Matt was stunned into silence. “We can still make it out of here.” He took a deep breath. He couldn't leave Vladimir. His heart was racing. “Turn evidence on Fisk-” Vladimir shook his head.
Quietly he explained, “He controls more police, judges, there is only one way to stop him. You know this.”
Matt shook his head, attempting to convince both himself and the Russian. “No. I'm not a killer.” 'And I'm not leaving you. Please don't make me leave you here,' he silently thinks to himself, then mentally hits himself.
“The moment you put on the mask you got into cage with animals.” A pause. “Animals don't stop fighting. Not until one of them is dead.” Vladimir let out a whine groan as he shakily stood up, never letting go of the gun.
Matt slowly took a step closer then stopped shortly.
“What Fisk did to me he will do to you. He will do it... to everyone you care about. Will you feel the same way then?” Another pause for his words to sink in to Matt. “Or will you be man? And do what you know you must do? The one who controls money, his name is Leland Owlsley. He... he will give you what you think you want. It won't be enough.” Vladimir winced, his face scrunching up in pain. “You know that now, don't you?”
Silence. Then, “Go.”
Matt let out a yell, mostly in frustration that it was coming down to this, to leaving the Russian to die so he can escape, as he kicked the door open. It was almost fitting though. In a way. The Russian was sacrificing his life for his soulmate's. Before leaving he turned to face the Russian. His soulmate. “My name... my name is Matthew,” he offered quietly, not even sure if the Russian heard him. But by the way the Russian's heartbeat sped up he knew that he had heard.
A pause. Matt begins to walk away and if it weren't for his sensitive hearing he wouldn't have heard Vladimir mutter just as quietly, “Even more reason to stay lyubimiy(beloved).” Vladimir began to sing quietly to himself as he walked away from the door, assured that his Matthew, when did he become his?, was safely walking away.
Matt didn't turn back. He focused on anything else. Anything but the sounds of the gunshots. Anything but the sounds of hearts stopping. Because as long as he didn't hear Vladimir's heart stop it was okay.
~~~~
Months later Matt is entering his apartment via the window, sore as all get out. He wasn't focused on anything really, which may be why when he was closing the window he nearly jumped out of the window again when he heard a very familiar voice say, “New suit? Now you truly look like devil.”
Matt jerks his mask off and turns to his couch where the voice had come from, his eyes wide and unseeing. “You're dead.”
Vladimir raises an eyebrow and smirks. “I got lucky. Escaped. Healed. Took forever. Many stitches. Not very pleasant at all. I see you got new suit.”
The blind man slowly makes his way to the couch. “I thought you were dead,” he mumbles to himself. He silently berated himself for not going back. For leaving the Russian to fend for himself.
Almost as if the Russian can sense his thoughts he pushes Matt slightly. “I lived. I told you, that was not how I die. I chose to stay.”
Matt nodded slowly and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. “So what are you doing here? More importantly how did you find my apartment?”
Vladimir shrugged and looked at the American confusedly. “Why won't you look at me?”
Matt winced slightly as he made his way to the kitchen. “I'm blind.”
There was a slightly uncomfortable silence.
Then, “You're joking.”
Matt scowled. “I'm not. Why? Is that an issue?” His heart began to race. Sure he had thought about his blindness being an issue for his soulmate as a kid, but he didn't think that would be the main issue between the ex-mob leader and the vigilante.
Vladimir let out a loud laugh. “Nyet! But you fight so good! We get our asses kicked by blind man! Fisk gets put in jail by blind man!”
Matt takes a moment for Vladimir's words to sink in. Then he just rolls his eyes before grabbing a beer out of the fridge. “Feel free to eat whatever is in the fridge. I'm going to change out of the suit.” Mentally he kicked himself. Soulmate or not Vladimir deserved to be in jail. Yet, Matt couldn't bring himself to do so. At least not yet.
Vladimir doesn't respond. He seems to be too busy laughing at the irony of it all. His soulmate beat the shit out of him. And he was blind while doing it. His soulmate was a hero. Matthew had to have known that Vladimir was his soulmate. Why else would he have told him his name?
When Vladimir is finally done laughing Matt comes back into the dark living room. “So hero, I propose we meet formally now.” And he's standing in front of the blind man quicker than Matt had thought possible. The Russian takes Matt's hand. “Vladimir Ranskahov,” he says simply, giving Matt's hand a small shake.
Matt rolls his eyes. “Matthew Murdock. Call me Matt. Now... how did you find my apartment exactly?”
Vladimir just smirks though he knows that Matt won't see it and walks to the fridge. “Why don't you have good alcohol?”
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