"Do pray tell, I'm on the edge of my seat here." He didn't dare look away, eyes still matching Valerian's as he stood in front of the other. He had been a stubborn individual, and that wasn't changing anytime soon; his grandfather had always said that looking away first showed a sign of weakness, and while this situation wasn't exactly threatening, Elliot had a sense of competitiveness instilled within.
As the finger traced along his jaw, he couldn't hold back the unintentional shift his head made, following the trail. If there was anything to take away from the past between the two people in the shack, it was the level of understanding that they'd had between them; what one gave, the other would match. Elliot knew he could trust Valerian, knew that hadn't changed; in fact, the only thing that had changed with Val was the longer length of his hair.
The synapses in his mind were sparking with information as Elliot pieced together the puzzle in front of him. He knew he could trust Val, sure, but there seemed to be much that he didn't know. The pieces were coming together quickly, and as each piece assembled, the witch knew he was coming to a conclusion that meant he and Valerian had much more in common than they'd originally thought.
"Don't go gathering standards on me now," he smirked, though it was mostly to himself. As the other pressed a hand to his ear, Elliot could hear the door being opened behind him. He turned on his heel, anxious to see just what cards Valerian had up his sleeve.