Elsie was keenly aware of his silence, probably quieter than she'd ever actually seen him and though her own thoughts were a mix of jumbled emotions and worries, she couldn't help but to wonder what it was he was thinking too. As upsetting as it was to her, it had to be even more so for him. The pressure on him was much higher, he'd already had to give up so much and it pained her more than she would care to admit. Why did this have to be so difficult?

Closing her eyes for a moment, Elsie willed herself to come to a reasonable conclusion, but the only thing she could rationalize was that this wasn't reasonable. There were just so many outside factors working against them that it seemed like a mountain they couldn't climb without a great deal of hardship. This situation was near impossible and yet she would still fight for it for as long as she could. It wasn't- wouldn't be easy on either of them, but they had to make it work if they wanted to be together in the long run.

His question caught her so off guard that she actually started, straightening up to look at him, confusion clear on her features. She certainly hadn't been expecting that, and her initial reaction was frustration- how could he even ask that of her? Of course she didn't, he had to know that right? She forced herself to think about it for a moment before responding, so as not to say anything hasty; Elsie always did better with a moment to think.

As she thought about where he might be coming from, she supposed it wasn't quite the stretch she'd initially thought. After everything that had happened last year in the library, she supposed he had to have some residual doubt, but she didn't, not at all. She scanned his face for a moment, the indignant reaction fading away as she studied him. Gently she brought one hand back up to his cheek and shook her head softly before she leaned in to press her lips to his.