Garan didn't mean to confuse Nate. Quite the contrary. He thought he'd been blatantly obvious through his words and reactions what was bothering him. The fact that Nate hadn't already left - and the fact that he was asking, really - were surprising. Garan took a deep breath and patted the bed next to him, indicating for Nate to sit beside him. He scooted over to make sure there was room, and waited for Nate to settle himself before looking over him.
"Nate, I'm sorry I upset you. I know you aren't fond of being called 'babe,' and to be honest, I didn't realize I'd done it until you pushed me away. I don't-" he voice hitched, causing Garan to have to pause and take another deep breath to keep his voice from cracking as he spoke. "Look, it's all on me, really, for wanting this to be more than it is. So it's not a big deal. I mean, it is. . . but just for me. But I've got to work through it on my own, I guess," Garan concluded finally with a shrug. It wasn't Nate's fault that Garan had totally misread him lately. It was Garan's.