gav, I swear you're writing this better than I ever could. ♥ YES to arguing while being helpful. it's their way! it's not even for show, they just get ENTHUSIASTIC and VEHEMENT about things, so sometimes there's some yelling, so what? and they're as touchy-feely as they reasonably could be - maybe shoving each other around a little, just for EMPHASIS.

and, see, E both enjoys tweaking Ayn Rand chemist (whose name is now Geoffrey, he's a very decent person really, he just has, like, OBJECTIVIST RELIGION or something) and the way A TWITCHES whenever he does. ♥ bc A is all trying to be FORMAL and SERIOUS and E wants a reaction, ok, and if he tries to get A to show affection he WILL and then look all guilty and miserable and E can't STAND that. so yeah. TWEAKING.