the notion of andrew slowly learning that being physically affectionate is okay and not a show of weakness is great. can i propose: for a while there the only sort of hug he can manage is hugging Neil from behind. partially bc it means he can touch Neil while Neil canât do more than hold onto his forearms, but also so he doesnât have to look him in the eye for it. he can just bury his head in Neilâs back calming himself down and rationalizing this is normal and nobody is gonna judge him or take advantage of his very clearly, very soft spot.
this is also huge for Neilâs growth too, he is literally giving his back to Andrew, thatâs subtle trust but trust nonetheless. and it slowly also desensitizes Neil to people sneaking up to him from behind
This post reminded me of this drawing. Itâs my absolute favorite. Them getting to a point that itâs just so casual for them to be like that and show it in public.
Edit: the artist is @jeannemaybedarc and hereâs the link to the artist post of the drawing https://www.tumblr.com/jeannemaybedarc/695025731977330688/i-like-the-thought-that-andrew-can-walk-up-to-neil
