Whitefish River and here we go, life's waiting to begin

In theory, if Evergreen had wanted to, he could have run after Ira—left Winterbourne in the dust a long time ago, could have been the knight that swept the supposed princess off her feet and gone into the sunset. It has never been his true desire to do so, sure he had a crush, he’d thought Ira attractive and having her charms in ways—but that is long gone, had been minuscule compared to the bloom in his chest for the man who stands with him now.
At one point, he even found himself making heart eyes at Greyback, how funny that’d been when he’d also been equally terrified of the man.
There’s no one that he wanted to be with more than he’s wanted to be with Winterbourne—no one that he actually considered to try for. He’s always been too scared, and those fears were never worth going outside his box for. Yet for him? He’d been worth it and more. So it breaks his heart, rips it asunder to hear that Winterbourne thinks it may have been better for Eve to be with Ira—that he’s somehow keeping him from being happy, when Winterbourne is the reason Eve’s gotten a spark back in his life, a reason that he can be happy after all that’s happened to him.
I’m… I’m not hurt because I want to be with her, he whispers, I’m hurt because I’m an asshole for suggesting and hurting a friend I care about. It’s… It’s not your fault, and it doesn’t mean I would be happier with Ira. You’re… You’re who I want to be with, I trie— I tried this all because you’re my favorite person to be around, and I want… I want to make you happy, I want us to be happy.
He doesn’t know if he can trust Winterbourne’s words either—that he trusts him, because if he did, it may not have been a situation in the first place. Yet Eve takes a deep breath in, and decides he wants to believe it, even if it’s an uncertainty. Maybe it’s foolish for him to do so, yet again an escapism act because it is what he wants versus the reality of it.
But once more, he’ll learn if it gets there.
I love you, too, and I… I’m sorry that happened. Thank you… for being here though.
Emotional exhaustion hits them both—so much has happened in the short span that it leaves the bear feeling broken and patched together. His heart bruised, brain battered. They’re both numb from it, but they remain standing together. Winterbourne comforts him the best he can, and Evergreen gives those comforts back. Eventually, the two retire to their den, deciding that cuddling may resolve the rest of the feelings that linger.