Matt was hanging out in the living room on the couch when he heard Claire's footsteps stop just outside the room and her heart beating quickly but was clearly trying to stay calm.

Matt heard Claire stop just outside the room. His own heart skipped a beat, nervous to know if she was still scared of him or not. Her quick heart brought his hopes down. "You don't have to come in if you aren't ready." He told her, trying to at least make his tone softer.

Claire hesitated when he spoke before taking a deep breath. "Well... I can't just avoid you forever, you know... Someone has to keep your dumbass alive." She smiled faintly but she made no move to come into the room as she held onto the blanket, her hands shaking a little bit still.

Matt chuckled lightly at that, the comment putting him at ease. "I appreciate that, really." He laughed again, settling for talking to her from here. "Are you okay though? I know he hurt you, and I couldn't stand hearing that-"

She sighed, fiddling with the blanket. "My wrist will heal." She replied. "But it might take some time for my adrenaline to really settle..." She shifted a bit, looking down at the floor.

"That's okay." He'd wait until the end of time if that's what it'd take. "I don't blame you for that. The other version of me... he was a monster in his own world."

She shifted a bit again. "What... What was it like there?" She asked him after a minute.

"Not great." Matt scowled, remembering the feeling of the blood on his hands. "He was interrogating that world's Karen. Trying to shut her up. I guess I came at the right time, and got her out of there."

He sucked in a deep breath, just going for it. "The whole time, the only thing I could think about was you. I was terrified of you being trapped here with him."

Claire looked up at him in surprise, standing there for a minute before taking a hesitant step forward, feeling that part of her trying to tell her to stay away but-

She took another step and another before Matt heard multiple footsteps in quick succession and felt her hug him from behind.

Yes, she was still trembling, yes, she was still scared but it was also because of her shaky breaths as tried not to just completely break down.

"...And I was worried about you..." She mumbled softly as she knelt behind the couch, arms wrapped around his shoulders, and head lying against the side of his neck.

Matt was surprised to hear her approach him so quickly, a mixture of emotions taking over. He tensed up once she hugged him, but quickly melted into her touch. It was endearing to know she had been worried about him too.

He turned his head and leaned it against hers softly, reaching up to rest one hand against the back of her head. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Claire. If I had the choice, I never would've put you in that position."

Claire tensed slightly but melted against him too, tears starting to run down her face. "I know..." she replied quietly, her voice a bit shaky as she breathed.

Matt's own heart rate picked up slightly as they just held each other. Her touch had always been soothing to him, even back when she had first fixed him up on the couch in her apartment. Before he could change his mind, he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. "I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost you."

Claire froze as she processed what had just happened, her brain still fuzzy from adrenaline before she let out a soft tearful laugh. "You would've gotten yourself killed, is what would've happened." She lightly joked back but hugged him a little tighter, and he felt the way her face grew a little warmer.

Matt laughed lightly, knowing she was probably right. "Especially since you wouldn't be able to tell me not to." He joked back, leaning his head against hers. Even with the jokes, he was still beyond grateful that she had come out mostly okay. He felt the warmth on her face, and felt his heart skip a beat.

She laughed a bit at that. "Yeah, cause for some damn reason, I'm the only one you'll actually listen to." She grinned, before slowly pulling away.

He heard her walk away before bringing a chair over from the island and sitting back down and wrapping her arms back around his shoulder but was able to do so much easier now.

She hesitated before slowly reaching up and running her hand through his hair.

Matt leaned into her touch, finding himself finally relaxing. He had been so stressed that she had been hurt, and then that she was frightened of him. He never wanted her to feel that way towards him, and he never wanted to cause her to feel that way. "Of course. You actually know what you're talking about." He laughed. That, and a couple other reasons. They'd only come out under certain circumstances however.

She snorted a bit. "Hey, Foggy knows what he's talking about to some degree!" She replied, gently flicking his head with her finger.

"Well I don't think Foggy would be able to reset a bone or even make hamburger helper for that matter." Matt retorted teasingly.

Claire laughed at that. "Okay, maybe you're right about resetting a bone but his cooking? It can't be THAT bad!"

"Claire." Matt paused to laugh. "He tried cooking for the two of us in college. He burnt water. Trying to make ramen."

Claire turned to look at him. "You're joking. How do you burn water?!" She laughed, starting to ease up and relax with him again.

"Don't ask me, I have no idea." Matt told her with a grin. "I made him order takeout that night."

"I mean- That's understandable. I wouldn't want him trying to cook more if he learned how to burn water-" She kept running her hand through his hair, her broken one just lying carefully on his shoulder.

Now usually he didn't like people just touching him to touch him. Sure, he let himself be guided around, or beat a few guys, but those were fleeting and didn't really mean anything. This was different, and he actually liked how it felt. "I think he can at least make ramen now. At least I hope."

"Hmm... We should call him and place bets." She jokingly suggested. "Extra points if it's editable."

Matt hummed, leaning against her. "Maybe another time." Even if it was a joke, he just wanted to spend the time with her right now.

Claire chuckled softly at that. "Now this is another new experience for me. You don't usually let yourself relax like this at all." She quietly pointed out, still running her hand through his hair.

"Recent events have brought a lot of stuff into the light for me." Matt told her softly. Kasey had shown him a different side of himself, and he had gotten closer to Claire than ever before.

She smiled softly. "I've noticed." She replied, another small chuckle coming from her. "And I, for one, think it's a good change. Certainly a much healthier one."

"Healthier? So my way of dealing with stuff before was unhealthy?" Matt asked jokingly. Of course it had been, but he had ignored that side of him for the most part.

"Mmm... Let's see, holing up in your dark as shit apartment, not going to work, not socializing, only really being out at night so not enough sunlight-" She listed out, her tone teasing.

"What else? Oh yeah, beating the shit out of stuff when you're angry-" She grinned.

Matt feigned pain and clutched at his heart. "You've stricken me." He smirked and reached up, taking her good hand in his. The constant physical touch from her had nearly soothed him to sleep. "Why don't you move to the couch? Should be more comfortable than the chair."

She very slightly flinched her hand when he took hold of it but held it back. "Mmm... I guess I could do that." She replied, teasingly as she stood up and came around to sit next to him.

She hesitantly removed the blanket from her shoulders and laid it across their laps. "It's been a hell of a day, hasn't it?" She chuckled faintly.

"You can say that again. But it seems like today will end well. Kasey's back to normal, the kids are safe here, even my leg is feeling ten times better." Matt told her, a tiredness pulling at his mind.

Claire looked at him. "Really? But I thought it was still broken?"

"After that glitch thing happened, I found it a lot easier to walk on." He shrugged. It was feeling better by the hour.

"That's great! I'm... not sure how that works, but that's good!" She smiled, happy to hear that he might be back on his feet soon than expected.

"Trust me, I have no idea how any of that works either." Matt felt a yawn creeping up his throat. This whole ordeal was exhausting.

Claire laughed softly. "Sleepy?" She asked, a light teasing tone to her voice as she reached back up and ran her hand through his hair again.

"Maybe. Something about crossing the multiverse wears me out." He gave a halfhearted chuckle, finding himself leaning to the side, closer to her.

"Mmm. I'd assume that would wear most people out. I mean, it certainly wore out Kasey." She pointed out.

She chuckled, noticing him leaning towards her slightly. "Has Kasey given you the cuddle bug?" She teased him.

"Cuddle bug? Absolutely not." Matt told her with a smirk. He went quiet for a moment, his mind trying to lure him to sleep. His eyes grew heavy, and his breathing grew more shallow.

No matter how he tried to fight the incoming wave of sleep, it was coming anyway. It didn't help that Claire was instigating it, the way she was running her hand through his hair. He loved how it felt, her soft skin against his. He loved feeling the warmth of her, and the way the smell of antiseptic and latex still lingered on her from her hospital shifts. Before he passed out, his heart spoke for him. "I love you." His voice was low and soft, with sleep slurring his words.

Claire barely caught it but she turned her head to look at him, her hand stopping its repeated motion for a moment as she processed what he said before chuckling softly, her face warm but she had a smile on her face.

She carefully got up and laid him down on the couch, covering him with the blanket.

She pulled the chair around so she could sit down and keep playing with his hair since he seemed to relax when she did it.

She rested her injured wrist on the arm of the couch, her head lying next to it, tilted so that she could keep an eye on him.

His words repeated in her head as she started running her hand through his hair again, leaning forward just enough to lightly kiss his forehead like he did to her. "I love you too, you dumbass." She whispered softly as not to wake him as he fell asleep.

Matt didn't protest, just worked with her as much as his tired body would let him. The blanket was a strange texture, but comfortable nonetheless. He could've sworn he heard her answer, but before he knew it he had fallen fast asleep.

She chuckled when she noticed he was out and kept running her hand through his hair until she drifted off, leaning on the arm of the couch, her hand still loosely sitting mid-brush.