I wanted to include the sequence from the original video, because I think it adds some nice context to see the moment happen.
I won’t detour and make this about her, but there’s an atmosphere here that we never see with a certain person. There’s a way they all react to him in this exact moment: calm, amusement, and endearment.
No one is irritated with him. No one is hurrying him through it (apart from that friendly tap). No one is putting him down. He even ends this entire exchange with a genuine smile.
To me, this is the crux of why he feels so safe with his circle: he’s acknowledged, and accepted.
A lot of people criticize the touchy body language between him and Aika especially. There’s another clip going around where they’re hugging, and she’s caressing his back. But honestly? Who cares.
She communicates this way with him because it works. She knows it calms him, and he eagerly invites and reciprocates the affection she or any of his close friends want to give.
I will never post that clip, but the pap incident? All a certain someone had to offer was being dismissive, cold and allowing physical distance that felt like miles to settle in. Hudson was tense, so stressed he was shaking, and clearly angry - he did not feel safe enough to relax, so he simply did not and could not.
What we’re seeing in SK recently is the absence of one specific someone who doesn’t allow him to feel safe. I spotted this a long time ago, and it has never been proven false: he does not physically soothe himself with her, he does not lean into her for comfort (drunkenly sitting on a stoop does not count for me, sorry), and he does not look for her when he’s anxious. He puts distance between them and retreats to either be alone, or to find someone else to help ground him.
We have this beautiful, evergreen moment. Look past the 👻 and focus on what matters: his complete joy, and the way he sinks completely into the arms of the person that calms him. Look at his face.
Remember, “emotional support person”? It’s not just because they confide in each other. It’s not even just because they love each other.
It’s because Hudson can lean on Connor, hold him, touch him, be held and be touched - he’s never judged, he’s never insulted, he’s never made to feel small. He’s never made to feel like his anxiety, his stress, any of it doesn’t matter.
How many stories have we heard along the lines of “Hudcon were talking to someone, but they kept hugging / touching / etc”? It’s grounding. Connor especially is showing him, I’m here, you are safe.
The real message? All of this that you are is never too much for me.
That’s love, folks. That is love in its purest form.
I’ll end this commentary going back a bit, with this adorable photo of the squad. Seen here is a man who feels safe, loved, and most importantly?
Happy. 💗 Don’t let anybody gaslight you into thinking that “he” was just “different” on his vacation.
The surrounding individuals mean so much to a person navigating neurodivergence. There’s a lack of someone here that doesn’t let him shine. Look at how he is - who he is - with his loved ones that do.
