Im a fan of recovery whump, your Shattered fic is my favorite and I really like Play Pretend but after reading your latest chapter of Play Pretend, I can't help but wonder that Josh would have a servere touch adversion when he is rescued from Felix(?).
Oh, most definitely! Josh's love language was touch before Felix!!! 💔 It takes a hell of lot for him to rewire his brain to comprehend that touch ≠ pain.
Josh's recovery is something I'm SO looking forward to! There's so much to unpack, so much trauma around relationships/love/affection to unravel. Josh had never even been in a relationship before Felix - that was his first experience of what Felix drilled into him was 'love'. Even when he's with Alec, he's so so petrified of it all. He struggles with the intimacy, the pet names...even being told he's loved is so incredibly hard for him.
How does he differentiate Felix's love from Alec's love? Does Josh even love Alec back, or is he just a victim of circumstance? It nearly implodes his poor brain.
