he's not sure how jake manages it, but the very moment he sees him turning the corner, everything in him feels lighter. his chest and throat have felt tight since the beginning of the trial, but the breath that leaves him as his arms wrap around jake is deep and full, pulled from the very bottom of his lungs and let out slow and wonderful. it's such a relief to breathe again that he swallows a few more of those breaths before he relinquishes jake to a house full of people eager to catch up, the comforting, familiar smell of him loosening tension he'd lost track of over the last few days, forgotten wasn't just an inherent part of how his bones lined up, tendons connected.

there are bruises splattered across the knuckles on his right hand that indicate just how tightly he's been coiled throughout all of this, but not even the sharp sting is enough to take away from the pure joy and relief he feels just from being near him.

jake numbs that, too.

he's forgotten about his hand entirely when jake's gently takes it, drawing it closer for inspection and looking to him in question. there's a part of eddie still too numb to really connect to what that means, but this time from years spent immersed in violence rather than love for jake. a part that knows the marks are out of place and confusing to jake when he's been off duty - that can recognize the concern and knows it's justified, how out of character this might seem - but can't really feel it, just feels empty and sluggish.

but only a few moments pass before jake breaks through that, too, and eddie's fingers delicately curl back around his, ignoring the prick caused by the movement. @lingeringscars.