[Talk about whiplash, because that's exactly how 9S feels as instead of being pushed away he finds 2B's arms encasing him, her lips ghosting the crown of his head. He's not expecting her to do it, especially when she'd just put up such a cold front. His head is spinning and he doesn't know what to make of anything. All he knows is that he's afraid that if he lets go, that'll be it.
It shouldn't be a surprise that he's afraid to lose her and he's not sure how he can make it any clearer without forcing a connection and letting her see just exactly how he feels on the inside. Sure, 9S had a lot of positive traits but his personality type came with a few drawbacks as well - jealousy, neurotic tendencies, insecurity. They're traits that have been given more time to grow in this environment than they would've back under YoRHa's watchful eye, and unfortunately they're traits that have been expressing themselves in unsavory ways. She's in tune with him enough to know that he's on the brink of a breakdown or at least cracking juuust a little further, and the sound she makes has him halting whatever spiraling train of thought he was getting himself caught in.
She pulls back and he can feel himself panicking, but that fear is instantly quelled by her taking his hands in hers. It's the little things to him that matter, and while a gesture like this may not mean much to others, to 9S it's monumental. No, the middle of a grimy street isn't the place to talk, but the offer she follows up with is something he finds himself nodding to without fuss - not that he has a reason to, at least over that.]
...Okay.
[The squeeze is returned, gloved fingers holding gloved fingers. Maybe he'd get to touch her actual fingers again with his bare ones, if he were lucky.]
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It shouldn't be a surprise that he's afraid to lose her and he's not sure how he can make it any clearer without forcing a connection and letting her see just exactly how he feels on the inside. Sure, 9S had a lot of positive traits but his personality type came with a few drawbacks as well - jealousy, neurotic tendencies, insecurity. They're traits that have been given more time to grow in this environment than they would've back under YoRHa's watchful eye, and unfortunately they're traits that have been expressing themselves in unsavory ways. She's in tune with him enough to know that he's on the brink of a breakdown or at least cracking juuust a little further, and the sound she makes has him halting whatever spiraling train of thought he was getting himself caught in.
She pulls back and he can feel himself panicking, but that fear is instantly quelled by her taking his hands in hers. It's the little things to him that matter, and while a gesture like this may not mean much to others, to 9S it's monumental. No, the middle of a grimy street isn't the place to talk, but the offer she follows up with is something he finds himself nodding to without fuss - not that he has a reason to, at least over that.]
...Okay.
[The squeeze is returned, gloved fingers holding gloved fingers. Maybe he'd get to touch her actual fingers again with his bare ones, if he were lucky.]