Blacktail Deer Plateau It's wild like the river, it's warm like the sun

If not for one little word, Peregrine might not have cottoned on to his brother's romantic aspirations toward Hawkeye. Yet when that tiny little else slipped loose from his tongue, something finally clicked in the Gamma's head. He froze, looking searchingly at Atticus, and the possibility finally dawned on him. His mouth felt dry and his insides clenched with a thousand emotions all at once: anger, jealousy, guilt and despair all among them.

"Dude," Peregrine started, "don't tell me...?" The look on Atticus's face said it all for him, though. "Well, fuck," he whispered lowly.

He felt bad for his brother and was even tempted, very briefly, to tell Atticus that he'd step away from Hawkeye. He wouldn't want Atticus to have her, either, but it seemed fair if they both agreed to leave her alone, for the other's sake... Peregrine contemplated this for a very long moment, yet simply couldn't bring himself to say the words. He felt like a selfish piece of shit, putting a girl before his brother, but maybe Atticus would find it in himself to be happy for him after the initial disappointment...?

"Att, I... she's given me the chance at a new life and happiness again after having everything—Osprey, especially—ripped away from me," he said in a light, almost pleading voice. "I didn't know, man. I didn't know." And still he couldn't bring himself to be selfless, to give her up, to keep the peace between brothers.