Ellie was quite surprised to find that Metro could, and [i]had[/i] quoted The Raven, one of the most profound words in the book, if she were to be honest with herself. Impressive, he had definitely earned some respect from her. His earlier, slightly narcissistic quote bounced off her shoulders and fell to the floor with a lighthearted eye-roll in response, paired with a small huff of breathy laughter. Small, but there upon her face, was a smirk. Nodding with that same small smile, she agreed, "Yeah, when you want, I'll lend it. As long as you can keep it in good condition, too" Looking over her prized book proudly, she directed a pointed stare at Metro, giving him another once over, as if determining whether or not he was worthy of her book. Though, she found herself going along with the idea. He seemed to like it, so why not? 

Tilting her head to get a little bit more comfortable in looking up at her standing partner, Ellie considered his words. She knew that staying would only give them time to attach to this place, not wanting to leave. But in the long run, besides probable defense, this place had nothing to offer. No, they would have to leave if they wanted to survive. Just as she was about to speak her mind, she heard Metro's voice echo from behind his mask, questioning the probability of a moat. Giving a light laugh, Ellie played along, "Well, in that case, why not make a castle? I'm sure I'd manage as a princess. Who knows, maybe you'll qualify as my knight." She chuckled lightly, all smiles now. She hadn't truly registered what she said, and if she had, she would have noted the possessive terms in use. 

Taking a deep breath to settle herself from her light laughter, evening her face once again, settling her gaze on the dark mask. "In all honesty, I think we should just eat and head out. I'm sure we can find a place to rest along the way, I have my sleeping bag, and an extra blanket. Maybe we can search the place before we go." She shrugged, eyes glazing over. This decision could lead them to their death, or salvation. No matter what, she knew they would have a their fair share of hardships. 

Her fingers still wrapped around the can, she watched as Metro lifted his hands to his mask, only to pause and turn away. He had left his weapon beside her, either a sign of trust, or that he was baiting her. Either way, she remained seated, looking down at the can he had told her to make even. In all honesty, she was a little hungry, but she knew that compared to her, Metro must have been starving. While he was away, she dropped a few more spoonfuls of beans into her bowl, leaving just a tad more than half of the chili in the can. Not noticeable if he hadn't split it. She smiled to herself. 

When she heard footsteps coming back in her direction, she removed her sly smirk and set the can down. She'd had a taste of the chili from her bowl, and to be honest, it wasn't that bad. Sure, it wasn't heated, but just as well; it was food. She was surprised however, when she was greeted by something smacking into her boot. Looking down at her cross-legged feet, she saw a book near her foot. She looked down at in it curiosity, listening to Metro's description, just as she had her's, it seemed Metro had a favorite too. "I'll trade you?" She suggested, lifting her own book with a timid smile. She swapped her copy for his, tucking the new book safely into her lap. 

When she felt him get closer, Ellie watched as he plopped to the ground, his mask turning to her once again. What happened next, she hadn't really expected. Sure, she had offered food, but that didn't mean she expected him to eat with her. Heck, she would've been alright with that. I mean, they did just meet. She listened carefully to each word that fell out of his mouth, watching in a shocked silence as he began to remove his mask. Plenty of different possible faces sprouted up into her mind, most all of them had deformities, or burns, even one possibility that a zombie lay under the mask she had grown slightly accustomed to. 

The mask off now, Ellie could only stare. The face in front of her was most definitely not a zombie, burned, or deformed. And it most assuredly wasn't scary. Perhaps it could've been, if she had seen it in any other light than the one she saw now. This was her partner, this was who he was. She couldn't find any words to respond to Metro, instead her arm reached out, slowly, fingers dancing softly against his skin. Her soft green eyes searched his, looking for any sign that she should stop. Something in the far back of her mind told her it could be dangerous, but another voice, this one more prominent, told her that she was staring at another human being. A living, breathing face. It was incredible. She stared intently at the man in front of her, absorbing every detail: The small indents on his slightly dried lips, the dark circles from lack of sleep, and most importantly, the eyes. Eyes she hadn't had the luxury of seeing before, and one she wasn't sure she'd get again. If that was the case, she wanted this moment to be forever etched into her brain. Her gaze still locked on Metro's eyes, she let out a breathy whisper, "I don't want to be afraid of you..." Her voice trailed off, realizing she was most likely crossing a boundary, she winced and pulled back, slowly retracting her palm from the face she wanted nothing more than to engulf in. 

Her face heating with the blush that rose along with a redness that flowered over her cheeks, she ducked her head behind her hair. "You're my partner in this mess, after all." She said, her voice a little too quick, a little too high. She wanted to look up again, just to look at him, to take him in, and hold him in her mind. Shaking her head, she turned to her bowl of chili and began to eat, using all the willpower she had not to look back up at Metro, fearing she would be met with disappointment- or disgust from him.