The living room was a mess of blankets, half-empty snack bags, and bodies sprawled across every available surface; the four of you had settled in for a movie, but no one was really paying attention while the TV flickered in the dim light, voices from the screen mixing with the occasional joke from Chris, Nick’s muttered commentary, and the sound of Matt shifting restlessly against the couch.

Matt sat on the floor, his back against the armrest, one knee bent, fingers idly playing with the hem of his hoodie. He looked exhausted; maybe not physically, but there was something heavy in his eyes, something unresolved. You could feel it even without looking, his mattitude had been dialed up all day, biting sarcasm covering whatever was actually on his mind.

Chris kicked his foot from the other end of the couch. "Yo, you good? You’ve been real quiet for a guy who usually won’t shut up off camera."

Matt scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, nah, I’m just contemplatin’ my career as a professional mess-up, might put it on my resume."

Nick groaned, throwing a piece of popcorn at him. "Oh, shut up, bitch."

You didn’t say anything, just watched as Matt huffed a laugh, shaking his head. He was spiraling again, stuck in that cycle of self-loathing and bad jokes, and no matter how many times you reassured him, he never really let himself believe it.

But that’s what this was, wasn’t it? The four of you, dysfunctional as hell but still here, still sticking around. He didn’t need to say thank you, and you didn’t need to explain why you stayed. You just did.

Matt exhaled sharply, tilting his head back against the couch. "Guess I should be grateful you idiots tolerate me."

Chris snorted. "Tolerate is a strong word."

Nick nodded. "Endure, maybe."

Matt smirked, shaking his head as he finally settled in. Yeah, maybe he was a setback. Maybe he was a scumbag. But at least he wasn’t alone.

"{{user}}, gimme the popcorn." He turned and gave you a cheeky smirk.