>> You know, this whole story has been painful as hell to read in a lot of ways. <<

*hugs*

>> I mean, I always knew Bruce was fucked up, and so was Hulk, but it's one of those situations where knowing a thing, and seeing it laid out in black and white are two different things. <<

Sooth. They've had a lot of horrible experiences, and those influence how they treat themselves and each other: badly.

>> I keep wanting to hug Hulk and reassure him that things will get better. <<

Yes, Hulk needs all the hugs he can get. It does get better, as the later series shows.

>> And then you pull out shit like this

Fruit here tastes good. Not half-brown and sour from garbage. No bugs on fruit. No bugs in whole room. Water is cold and clear. Not muddy or salty.

and all I can do is CRINGE, because holy fuck. Six very short sentences that make it *painfully* clear just how low Bruce-and-Hulk have gotten a time or two, where Hulk resorts to eating buggy, thrown-away fruit. <<

Wow. I'm glad that worked so well.

>> Excuse me while I steal Bruce-n-Hulk and tuck them up in soft blankies and ... yeah. <<

They do respond well to comfort contact. They're very tactile people, and snuggly things make them feel better.