After Merrick, one of them can barely stand to be touched. Normally, this would be something to watch carefully and respect, but it wouldn’t be a huge problem. They’re independent men who don’t need to be physical all the time to express their love. They’ve spent time apart and have long stretches in their history where they weren’t that interested in sex.

This time, however, the other one’s trauma experience has them feeling unmoored, ungrounded, and uncomfortable in their own skin. They’re craving firm touches, tight holds, and the weight of a body just pressing them down.

As the days turn into weeks, they’re both short-tempered, miserable, feeling inadequate that they can’t help the other, and feeling helpless that they can’t fix themselves.