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 can’t do more than hold onto his forearms, but also so he doesn’t have to look him in the eye for it. he can just bury his head in Neil’s 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 Neil’s growth too, he is literally giving his back to Andrew, that’s 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. It’s my absolute favorite. Them getting to a point that it’s just so casual for them to be like that and show it in public.
Edit: the artist is @jeannemaybedarc and here’s 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
