"I wish you luck, then," he said in a mockingly serious tone. "It ain't easy getting this guy to blush." Besides that, the pink cheeks were far more appealing on Rae.
Elliot chuckled at her comment about being a little crazy, recalling something similar his brother had said about Rae. "I think everyone's got a little crazy in them," he said. Ah, the instinct of self-preservation. He knew it well. A half-smile as he said, "I know the feeling. I'd say something clever about not wanting you to put yourself in danger for me, but I'd do the same thing. Wouldn't want you calling me out for being hypocritical."
"Well, I wouldn't want to take you away from anything that needs your immediate attention, but if you're entitled to selfish time, by all means, take it." When Rae attempted to tickle him, the sensation made him jerk suddenly. Laughing, Elliot reached up to snatch her hands. So maybe he was a little ticklish there; a lot of people were.
"Monday sounds great. Though if you insist on tickling me, I might just change my mind about this whole Eli and Rae day." He was teasing, of course. Releasing her hands, Elliot crossed his right arm over his body, forming a protective barrier in case she decided to try again.
He almost responded with a comment about not resting her head against a comfy pillow shoulder if she wanted to talk, but stopped himself just in time. Saying something like that wouldn't probably sent the message to her that he didn't want her resting her head on his shoulder. Which wasn't true. In fact, all of the responses that popped into his head, which were completely innocent and meant for humor alone, basically would've discouraged Rae. So, he opted for a smirk and a soft chuckle.
Elliot laughed aloud at her quip about hogging his sleep space. "At least it'll be twice as warm," he said simply. Hey, if she wanted to join him in his sleeping bag, who was he to say no? The only thing wrong with that would be the ribbing he got from David the next day.
"I think that's a brilliant idea." He slapped his hands on his legs for emphasis. "Too bad the movie projector thing probably doesn't work, and we don't have any movies to watch." Not that that was his sole reason for agreeing with the suggestion. Having Rae's attention for an entire day was enough entertainment for him.
The hesitance in her voice caught his attention right away. Elliot sucked on his bottom lip, waiting for her to explain. When she did, he, too, glanced at his hands in his lap. "I see." What was he supposed to say to that? Elliot's mind went back to conversations he'd had with his psychiatrist friend. "You want to talk about it?"