[ He can't help the way his processes start to over react as she closes their distance. Last time, it has escalated rather quickly, and 9S isn't sure if he's nervous about it happening again or eager. Likely both. Still, he looks like a fish with his lips parted the way they are, at a loss for words initially. 9S looks to the flower he'd given her, what she so willingly put through her hair herself. How could he have truly thought she wasn't interested? ]

[ Data... He just wanted data. That's half-true. The rest of it is hard to put into words, and so 9S struggles. It's because this behavior is ill-advised. Almost banned. It may as well be, but that doesn't seem to deter 9S' feelings from setting his heatsink potentially on fire. ]

It meant... More to me than just data, yeah.

[ He spits it out. Like he should have in the first place, but he can't seem to get this confidence thing down like 2B has it. 9S purses his lips, searching for more words when silence, even brief, starts to bother him. He hesitantly reaches for the flower in 2B's hair, fingers delicately brushing at the petals until they graze along her cheek. Another affectionate gesture he's seen in human intel he's had access to. It's curiosity, as always, that guides his actions. But he can't help the gratification of her delicate features, which seem to cleverly be so disarming given her strength. ]

I'm sorry.

[ His hand retracts. ]

Maybe I should have just asked. It's not... An easy subject to approach, I've discovered.