𝙷𝙱𝙾 𝚆𝚊𝚛 𝙸𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜

Touch of Love | Shifty Powers

Shifty gives very good hugs and i shall die on this hill

however–i don't think he's the type to hug everyone. he seems to err towards introversion so i think he reserves his hugs for important occasions and important people–namely, you

that makes his hugs all the more special

Shifty is shy about touch tbh

but i think once he gets more comfortable around you, he definitely starts reaching out for you more

touch–it's how he gets his feelings across

like, he seems to be a man of few words, so he'll tell you how he's feeling with touch

tired? big, clingy bear hugs

sad and needs comfort? a gentle hand squeeze, occasionally cries on your shoulder

happy and wants to tell you he loves you so much? kiss on the cheek with the cutest sunshine-y smile

frustrated? clingy hug from behind that lasts a while, occasionally lies down with you to listen to your heartbeat

y'all have developed an entire system of touches that the others still can't decipher

on the battlefield is a completely different story tho

Shifty is worried about you all the time

he knows you can hold your own and you're a damn good soldier but he at least needs to know you're okay

before either of you launch into combat, one of you always reaches for the other and gives a gentle squeeze

like a way of saying, "i'm here, i'm okay, and we'll be okay after this; don't worry"

after the gunfire and bullets have ceased and the medics are making their rounds, Shifty always finds you and checks to make sure you're not injured

his check-up almost always starts with him cupping your face and asking "are you hurt?"

when he's satisfied that you're okay and your injuries are minor, if any, he'll sigh in relief and pull you into a bone-crushing hug

Shifty is always a Respectful Boy™

always asks if he can kiss you

very gentlemanly

for someone who is a sharpshooter and is sometimes hidden in good places that aren't exactly on the front lines, he gets a lot of scratches

damn trees and their prickly branches hurting your favorite boy

you help him clean his wounds a lot

a lot of wiping the dirt off his face too when the battle is over

gentle touches for a gentle man

Shifty LIVES for these moments, i tell you

i can guarantee you he has heart eyes for you when you're patching him up

soft smile, bright eyes, the whole shebang

any third party watching can definitely tell how much he loves you

other times, if y'all find yourselves next to each other in battle, Shifty shields you with himself

you put up all sorts of hell about it but that's the one thing he won't budge on

in Bastogne, y'all are always together—where one is, the other isn't too far behind

sitting huddled in foxholes with your knees and shoulders touching

or either of you lying awake and keeping watch while the other is curled up on the other's shoulder

somehow you always find each other's hands

you always definitely fall asleep in his arms while in Haguenau

Shifty loves being able to hold you–it's a reminder of what keeps him from losing his mind and getting too deep into his intrusive thoughts

he swears you have a sixth sense for when he's feeling really down in the dumps, ESPECIALLY when you're napping when he's holding you or if you're resting your head in his lap

it's like your sense intensifies if he's making physical contact with you

like he'll have some distant look on his face and you'll sleepily reach up to cradle his face, with your eyes still closed more often than not

"talk to me, baby; what's going on in that head of yours?"

i don't think Shifty ever has trouble voicing his feelings, but one can't simply just say how they're feeling

especially after all Easy has experienced thus far

so you sit up real quick and just pull him into a hug and let him cry into your shoulder while rubbing soothing circles onto his back

"it's gonna be okay, Darrell. it's gonna be alright. i'll be right here, always."

truck rides through Europe after winter and the hell that was Bastogne means lots of naps

and lots of naps means lots of falling asleep on each other

Easy thinks it's adorable (everyone shushes everyone and it's the funniest thing)

you find that whenever Shifty is feeling down–especially after his accident–he likes to listen to your heart

you also noticed that he held your hand a lot more after his accident

almost as if to remind himself that he survived another day to show you how much he loves you

it started with him grabbing your arm as you slept by his bedside and kinda just grew from there

OH HO HO side note: Shifty is not the jealous type bc he knows you're a badass who can handle yourself but if he notices someone is giving you more looks than they should, he'll casually slip his arm around your waist, pull you a bit closer, and press a kiss to your cheek

not that you're complaining. he gives good kisses, y'know.

anyway after the both of y'all get back to the States, Shifty definitely asks you to marry him

he held your hands since the beginning at Toccoa, he held your hands during the thick of fighting, and he's damn sure as hell going to hold your hands until his dying days

then he'll find you in the afterlife and would do it all over again

he wouldn't give up you or physical contact with you for anything