Ex's wings are small, stubby. very fluffy though, a beautiful shade of white like freshly fallen snow.
Worm Man coos at them (softly, of course) and offers to help preen. Since their wings ARE so small, Ex can't reach them on their back. Worm Man's fingers are blunt and careful, but not very skilled - wings are very new to them, after all. But they learn over time.
When Hels discovers Ex's wings, it's different. WM had been out of the picture for a while now. (Not for lack of trying - a situation out of both of their controls.) Hels finds Ex curled up, tucked in a corner of their room, soft sobs echoing around. Wings hurt when they aren't preened properly.
Hels tried to help, they really did. He just... he was different.
His fingers were thinner and much more calloused, fingernails weren't trimmed evenly enough (always catching on feathers) and often a bit too harsh. Ex was already hard enough for someone experienced, with the amount of fluff tightly packed together. It was nigh impossible for a clumsy beginner like Hels. It didn't help that Ex's wings were overly sensitive, any wrong move making them break into cries that only make the wings more flappy and hard to control.
And it was hard. FUCKING hard. More and more difficult every day.
But skills improve with practice.
And it got easier, overtime.
And eventually, with the help of some nail clippers and more that an ounce of determination, it was almost second nature. Just as easy as when WM did it.
They both still wish WM was with them. That he could've been the one guiding Hels, teaching him how to stroke through the feathers or how to tell which sheaths need gentle encouragement. Giving Ex kisses as a reward for sitting there so patiently. Hels is used to swinging a sword, not delicate work like this.
But for Ex, it's worth it. It's worth seeing Ex smiling and painfree. It's worth the way his wings flutter when Ex is happy. They're willing to learn for each other. Step by step.