Nick doesn't move as Rey leans on the wall and catches her breath, his gaze upon her, worry written across him; he's frozen still as she speaks, save for how wide his eyes get at the tone of her voice. It's just a handful of words, but it is her, undeniably Rey.
And that's when Nick takes hold of her, pulling her from the wall and into his arms. His grasp is careful, but quick, as though she might be lost again in an instant, his limbs shaking the entire time as his fingers tighten on the back of her shirt, refusing to let go. It's not the weight of her frame against him that makes him tremble; it's raw emotion, something a machine like himself shouldn't be capable of feeling. He's nothing but wires and metal parts, after all -- programming, a faulty memory, and the behaviors of a dead man housed in a mechanical shell. It's that inhuman, robotic nature that allowed him to connect with Rey in the literal and figurative senses, both of which made him a near ideal tool for helping sort through her memories. He worked hard, helped get her back, and here she is. It wasn't just another dead end, leading to the person he cares for most being taken from him and there being not a damn thing he could do about it.
But it's not enough for him to just see Rey, hear her -- Nick tries to hold it in, but he's nearly overcome with relief. He'll never be as human as most people in town, but the real Nick wouldn't have felt this strongly for her; the real nick wouldn't be struggling to breathe from having his truest friend, his family back. The real Nick could probably shed a tear or two.
And right now, the synthetic Nick would do that if he could, but his embrace will have to suffice for expressing just how happy he is to have not lost her forever.
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And that's when Nick takes hold of her, pulling her from the wall and into his arms. His grasp is careful, but quick, as though she might be lost again in an instant, his limbs shaking the entire time as his fingers tighten on the back of her shirt, refusing to let go. It's not the weight of her frame against him that makes him tremble; it's raw emotion, something a machine like himself shouldn't be capable of feeling. He's nothing but wires and metal parts, after all -- programming, a faulty memory, and the behaviors of a dead man housed in a mechanical shell. It's that inhuman, robotic nature that allowed him to connect with Rey in the literal and figurative senses, both of which made him a near ideal tool for helping sort through her memories. He worked hard, helped get her back, and here she is. It wasn't just another dead end, leading to the person he cares for most being taken from him and there being not a damn thing he could do about it.
But it's not enough for him to just see Rey, hear her -- Nick tries to hold it in, but he's nearly overcome with relief. He'll never be as human as most people in town, but the real Nick wouldn't have felt this strongly for her; the real nick wouldn't be struggling to breathe from having his truest friend, his family back. The real Nick could probably shed a tear or two.
And right now, the synthetic Nick would do that if he could, but his embrace will have to suffice for expressing just how happy he is to have not lost her forever.