[ the nuances aren't his to know. he gets alayne. her apparent fascination with men in uncommon uniforms and collection of would-be protectors. guardians. he can make sense of that. but clarke touches his shoulder (a point of contact he can barely feel at all) and chuck tracks the movement of his features and the sweep of his gaze like he's working towards some kind of calculation.

alayne he gets.
clarke- he hasn't got a number for.

he's got next to no reason to mix himself up in this, beyond what he can only assume is an extension of his role with the girl. chuck has a set of the man's clothes for christsake. but there's a bearing to his weight that feels familiar. the way technicians had moved around him in a team- assessing, learning- welding him together. it's in the flicker of his eyes. where they move to his designation, his markings, the notches of his mechanical joints. the line of chuck's shoulders doesn't soften- but it does ease.

his face moves- leaves the engineer to the purview (an extension of trust if there ever was one) to turn themselves to the line of tools. ]

Spine's last. Syncs up t'the circuitry. Plates go on quick, chest an'back usually one guy after the other. You'll need a rachet.