09 cat hybrid ghost who got declawed by roba during his torture and soap massaging each and every finger, every day.
soap noticing the way some days, riley's hands seem so stiff. he never takes off his gloves, and there's certain little habits he has like curling his hands into fists or squeezing his fingers whenever he's idle that clues him in on something being wrong...
he only ever finds out because they're staying at a little safehouse, and riley had been more flighty than usual. when he hears a loud clatter in the other room, like something being thrown, soap hurries in to see ghost there, his head in his hands and the stripped pistol he had been working on disassembling and cleaning is now scattered all over the table and the body had been thrown clear across the room.
mactav just sighs, and comes closer to kneel down beside him, holding out his hand in invitation. "let me look at them." because he can see the way his hands are shaking and the way he's grabbing at the back of his mask has to be painful for his scalp.
and surprisingly, ghost cautiously lays a hand in soap's. won't even look at him, eyes squeezed shut as though he's bracing, his sunglasses having fallen between his legs from being hunched over. and he's so gentle with the way he works off his glove, and completely stifles his surprise at finding the lack of claws. his aunt had had a declawed cat in his childhood, and the poor thing always seemed to be limping around, worse when the weather got colder. so he can only imagine the kind of discomfort and pain ghost is in, handling weapons and constantly using his hands even in subzero temperatures.
silently, he starts kneading at his palms first. works the heat of his own hands into ghost's cold one, working out the tension until he feels it's safer to start working on his digits. goes one at a time, starting with his pinkie finger. when ghost tenses at certain spots he's quick to move on, careful about nerve damage and other pains that'd flare up under pressure. and eventually he finds himself working on the other hand, appreciating the way riley seems to finally relax.
they don't ever talk about it, but when ghost comes trudging up to him wherever they're at, he knows what he needs.
