[ he shuts his eyes, enjoys the sensation. tendons and muscles flexing, nerves sending their feedback to the brain. he should've been there to heal julian to begin with... how long was the recovery process? even if he'd adapted to life without his hands, how long had it actually taken for those wounds to properly mend? let alone the psychological scars that clearly hadn't.
( it's a lot of touching, with things he hasn't touched with for a while. a lot of different sensations, textures. he's--probably going to wrap his hands for a bit, keep himself from getting overwhelmed by it. the phantom itching had been killer before, but the thought of having a spot to actually scratch? also strange.
but instead of saying any of that, julian just leans forward. presses a soft kiss to the corner of josh's mouth. )
[ soft. tender. words he wouldn't ever have thought to describe julian keller with before this stint in hell. maybe it is making them better people - or maybe it's just wearing them down, making them more reliant on the few remnants of home they've got.
if he were a more sentimental person - if julian was, not josh - he'd have told him he's glad that they're here together. that julian's really the only good thing in hell, and he's sorry it took coming here to reconnect. instead he just tilts his head to kiss back, soft and sweet. ]
( it's only soft for a moment. because julian keller isn't soft, he isn't tender, and he'll be damned if he lets josh foley see that side of him often if at all. just for a moment, josh gets it. and then julian's biting into his lower lip hard enough to sting, pulling back and-- )
Get me some med tape, will you? Or like, hand wraps. Something.
[ it's good, it's good. it's good, he's fine. he heads out to go find some medical tape to help with all that new sensory overload. he's going to need to crawl back into bed and ruin all that hard showering work but its a small price to pay to give something back.
give it about ten minutes, then he's waltzing back through the door with tape in hand. he kneels down and offers a hand out for one of julian's own. ]
( ten minutes in which julian spends--pressing his hands against the wall, curling his fingers in, digging nails into his palms before flexing fingers back out and repeating the whole thing all over again.
the pressure is weird. the sensation of skin against skin and skin against--everything else is weird. hell, he didn't--think he'd adjusted to it that much? had assumed that getting his hands back would be amazing, that he'd fit right back into it.
but getting his hands back isn't like riding a bike. it's like--reusing an old method of solving a math problem when you've already figured out an easier, more simple way of solving the problem but the teach says you have to "show your work" in the old, harder way so you do it anyway.
by the time josh comes back, he's got a water bottle in the old prosthetic hand and it's raised up to his mouth, arms down at his sides. he offers over his fleshy hands easy enough, even gives a soft sigh of relief at the feeling of josh's skin against his own. )
There's a reason it takes so long for babies to figure 'em out. Hands are complicated.
[ he's gentle as he wraps them, letting his healing powers wash over them to try to ease some of the sensory overload as he puts a barrier between all that fresh new skin and the world outside. ]
( are you comparing him to a baby, josh. the pressure is--nicer. less room for surprises. julian drops the water bottle off to the side, raises his right hand up to shove fingers through his hair.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
he brings his hands up to cover julians. ]
Any time.
no subject
but instead of saying any of that, julian just leans forward. presses a soft kiss to the corner of josh's mouth. )
no subject
if he were a more sentimental person - if julian was, not josh - he'd have told him he's glad that they're here together. that julian's really the only good thing in hell, and he's sorry it took coming here to reconnect. instead he just tilts his head to kiss back, soft and sweet. ]
no subject
Get me some med tape, will you? Or like, hand wraps. Something.
( and he's back to being a demanding asshole. )
Touching feels weird.
no subject
Gimme a second then.
[ He gets to his feet, pausing just a moment to steady himself. that took more than he thought it would. eugh. ]
I'll be right back.
no subject
he--notices josh steadying himself. doesn't comment on it. figures if josh needs help, he'll either ask for it or start to fall on his face. )
I'll be waiting.
( probably still right here, eyes down on his hands as he focuses on trying to figure out how these things work again. )
no subject
give it about ten minutes, then he's waltzing back through the door with tape in hand. he kneels down and offers a hand out for one of julian's own. ]
no subject
the pressure is weird. the sensation of skin against skin and skin against--everything else is weird. hell, he didn't--think he'd adjusted to it that much? had assumed that getting his hands back would be amazing, that he'd fit right back into it.
but getting his hands back isn't like riding a bike. it's like--reusing an old method of solving a math problem when you've already figured out an easier, more simple way of solving the problem but the teach says you have to "show your work" in the old, harder way so you do it anyway.
by the time josh comes back, he's got a water bottle in the old prosthetic hand and it's raised up to his mouth, arms down at his sides. he offers over his fleshy hands easy enough, even gives a soft sigh of relief at the feeling of josh's skin against his own. )
Never realized having hands was so goddamn hard.
no subject
[ he's gentle as he wraps them, letting his healing powers wash over them to try to ease some of the sensory overload as he puts a barrier between all that fresh new skin and the world outside. ]
Better?
no subject
( are you comparing him to a baby, josh. the pressure is--nicer. less room for surprises. julian drops the water bottle off to the side, raises his right hand up to shove fingers through his hair.
can't grip, but the thought is there. )
Yeah.
no subject
[ good. good. he sits down flat on his butt, shutting his eyes a moment. ]
Maybe I can rig up some equipment so we can do some basic physio.
no subject
Yeah, so they're stupid. They don't know anything, therefore stupid.
And don't worry about it, I'll figure it out.
no subject
[ he's not gonna get in an argument about baby intelligence and brain shit that's dumb, stop being dumb josh. ]
Look, man, this is like the one thing I can actually do for you here. Let me worry about it.
no subject
( the hands he actually has, now. still weird. will be weird for at least the next several weeks. but. )
Like grab me snacks
no subject
I make a lot of trouble for you too. Eventually you're gonna catch on that we're not doing equal work here and trade up.
no subject
I'm the leader. You're doing your job: following orders. There's nothing else expected of you.
no subject
he is, however, laughing. his arm folds over his face. ]
What are you, Cyclops?
no subject
( fingers of his left hand curling into a fist, before he's raising it up to his forehead and dropping it back down. just testing it. )
I'm Hellion.
( he sounds pleased, at least. )
no subject
[ and now we're in hell.
he mulls over the next words in his mind for a moment. ]
Who'd you start bullying when I skipped town?
no subject
( maybe. maybe he does. )
no subject
[ god he's so tired. ]
It means you liiiiike them.
no subject
( just. going to kick at josh's side, a little. since he's on the ground and all. )
no subject
'Started' is the key word there.
no subject
( you know, as bros. until josh ruined it. )
no subject
[ he's gonna get kicked for that, he tries to anticipate it. ]
I liked you too.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)