Word Count → 218 :: Teo's in denial about his feelings for Alaki... but he determined to move on. These two are a wreck. D:
Teo sighed into her hair and shifted to sit beside her, the arm closest to her falling from her shoulder to rest on her hip. ...I'm having trouble settling in too. He guessed, hoping she'd open up to him. He'd rushed them to AniWaya after his big decision to leave Alaki and now their life was one big mess of emotions, crime and hiding.
Hiding? Was that what they were doing? Why would we hide? We broke a law, sure, but we followed through with... wait, we? I. I broke a law. I followed through with the punishment. I brought Gemma here to protect her... didn't I? Teo hummed in irrate confusion, his own thoughts muddled. I've really made a mess of things. He murmured under his breath, leaning on her a bit for comfort.
I love you. You know that, right? Teo whispered, closing his eyes and resting his head on hers gently, hoping she wouldn't move away. Change is hard, but we'll get through this, you'll see. We'll find a comfortable place in the tribe and make our lives here worth living, not like those musky old caves. We're free, here. No more slavery, no more drama, no more Alaki.
That last bit stung. Alaki. Teo still loved him, that much was true, but the way the wolf had been changing during the albino's last month in the caves... becoming the pack's Rakeeb had turned the boy's ex-mate into a workaholic. A possessive, jealous workaholic. Or at least, that was what Teo kept telling himself... over and over... hopefully, someday, he'd believe it.
Right now, though, Gemma was far more important. The depressed coywolf needed something to smile about and Teo was dead set on finding that thing. He wouldn't rest until he knew for certain that Gemma would be alright.
