A keening sound that perhaps was trying to be a laugh but came out more as a choked sob escaped Kenneth at the claim it was meant to help him. He didn't believe it. He couldn't believe it! He had done the unthinkable. He had hurt his dearest and most beloved friend, the beat to his heart, his Tesha. This was his family and he had utterly ruined everything. Yet, here was Tershal, ever the father figure in his life claiming he wanted to help him instead of harm him for hurting the man's daughter enough to make her, the unbreakable, unbeatable, unshakeable warrior queen, cry.
He was kept from answering further though as a solid body slammed into him, nearly sending him tumbling out of the chair and sprawling onto the floor. A well-placed foot was all that caught him as his hands instinctively went up and latched onto the body in his lap and held on fiercely. No matter how much she likely hated him, how much she wanted to tear him to pieces, how much she would likely break him, Kenneth was not about to let this love of his life fall.
"I am an idiot," he whispered back, too afraid to look at her as he clung to her tightly, tensed for the blows but unable to tear himself away when she smelled so much like home. "I am an idiot," he choked out. "An idiot that loves you and should never have said that and I'm so, so sorry Tesha. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."