There were multiple trains of thought going through his head in that moment.
Greengrass' smile sent a jolt right to his chest, because it was wider than he would have guessed and it he looked genuinely happy, not like he was just smiling for the sake of it. He almost felt proud that he'd managed to put a smile on his face, because it was a nice smile, and Valerian's gaze lingered on his mouth for half a second too long that when he looked away he felt like Greengrass might see right through him. But that was absurd, because Greengrass was practically a stranger - or an acquaintance now, he guessed, since he was going to "stick around and find out", whatever that meant. Apparently it was much easier to befriend someone when they were easy enough to take to (which, he would insist, most weren't).
The other train of thought: Greengrass did like ghosts, which meant that his pursuit of a career in the Spirit Division came from a place of passion, which Valerian could relate to - except he'd never really thought much about ghosts since leaving Hogwarts, and it was an odd thing to like, though Valerian didn't think it was weird considering the things he was into. Not that he was about to share.
"Just ghosts? Or do you like ghouls, too? - I've got a nasty one somewhere in the attic in my home, but I've never been able to lure it out." He smiled as he said it, because he was mostly joking - mostly, because if Greengrass had any pointers as a Spirit Division employee he wasn't about to turn it down.
Greengrass' smile sent a jolt right to his chest, because it was wider than he would have guessed and it he looked genuinely happy, not like he was just smiling for the sake of it. He almost felt proud that he'd managed to put a smile on his face, because it was a nice smile, and Valerian's gaze lingered on his mouth for half a second too long that when he looked away he felt like Greengrass might see right through him. But that was absurd, because Greengrass was practically a stranger - or an acquaintance now, he guessed, since he was going to "stick around and find out", whatever that meant. Apparently it was much easier to befriend someone when they were easy enough to take to (which, he would insist, most weren't).
The other train of thought: Greengrass did like ghosts, which meant that his pursuit of a career in the Spirit Division came from a place of passion, which Valerian could relate to - except he'd never really thought much about ghosts since leaving Hogwarts, and it was an odd thing to like, though Valerian didn't think it was weird considering the things he was into. Not that he was about to share.
"Just ghosts? Or do you like ghouls, too? - I've got a nasty one somewhere in the attic in my home, but I've never been able to lure it out." He smiled as he said it, because he was mostly joking - mostly, because if Greengrass had any pointers as a Spirit Division employee he wasn't about to turn it down.
