Heron Lake Plateau Who do you love?

"yeah, but not as well as i do. towhee just met her once, and i've told mom about her," tegan said, avoiding eye contact as he remembered that one time he got in deep trouble, "when we moved from the caldera here, i accidentally disobeyed towhee and went all the way to her pack to say goodbye, and she came with travelling back. we both got chewed out by towhee." he shrugged a bit, in a 'but it's whatever' kind of way. "and when i visited they were... uh, on the other side of the mountains. in a valley, i think."

but tegan didn't really know the answer. so he didn't lie, but  "well, i dunno if they were actually nomadic, i never asked, but that doesn't mean they didn't move-- but we weren't like neighbors. we accidentally met at some ravine way far away from both of us, and we just met up there once a month to hang out," he explained, and shrugged again, "but i dunno why she'd lie about that." 

he appreciated her touch. it felt apologetic. and after sapphira, tegan did understand, and he voiced that. "i mean, no, i get it-- i fucked up with sapphira, but she was a babe and you can't deny me that," he said, a small bit of teasing in his voice, eyes flashing, "but, i dunno. i wish you could've taken my word for easy. i gave her way more than a 'yeah she's cool'... and sapphira was my only recruitment error." more like his only recruitment but, i digress.

"but don't like, accept her cause you feel obligated--" he eyed her, "if you even do, i dunno, i know i gotta way with words."

  y