The sudden movement prompted a small laugh, and the sound was just as quickly cut off again as Lelouch returned the gesture, his face hidden against her hair. Nunnally didn't seem nearly as breakable now as she had the last time he'd seen her, but he was still careful with her as he held her, the dam holding back his emotions already threatening to break. Just a few seconds of seeing her and nothing more than a hug and he was already moments away from-- from something, he wasn't sure what, how pathetic. He couldn't help but remember their most recent interactions, though, that awful phone call and the failed attempt to rescue her in particular, and with those weighing on his mind...

He allowed himself the grace of tightening his hold just a little bit more, his eyes closing. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. He had to keep himself in check until this was over.

"I missed you, too," he responded, voice as even as he could make it. It had been a year. A year. The only other time or reason why they'd been separated for that long was because Nunnally hadn't been born yet, and that didn't count. "It's been too long."