The Heartwood let's talk about you and me

Cicero nodded in appreciation when Burke said that he did not expect Cicero to tell him who he loved. Cicero was not even certain about his own feelings at all, which was one of many reasons why he did not want to tell Burke the name of the wolf by whose side Cicero was happiest.

Cicero did not think he asked the wrong wolf, but he did not interject when Burke told him this. Cicero liked that Burke had not loved much, because perhaps a wolf who was as confused as himself about love was the one who could best bring him closer to it. A wolf who thought they knew all about love would only press their own opinion and experience upon Cicero; Burke, who thought he knew nothing of love, could share his experience without forcing Cicero to adopt his opininions would he disagree with them.

Of all that Burke said, a few things stood out. One of them was the difference between loving family and loving someone romantically. Another was that Burke, for some reason, mentioned that some wolves were attracted to the same gender, and that some others thought it wrong. Cicero wondered if Burke said this because he thought that Cicero was attracted to other males, or because he wanted to mention it in general. It was curious, regardless.

"Can love for family change a person too?" Cicero asked when Burke had finished, head tilted, expression serious; something that did not happen often, although with age Cicero had grown a bit more serious than he was as a child.