"Oafish!" He snapped back, but didn't yet stand up. He pointed a finger at her. "'Nara, I go on bending backwards for you so far I'm surprised I ain't lookin' out from between my own legs." His voice raised, the way it always did as he geared up.
His blood boiled with the familiar ground of an argument, and he was almost happy. But it was different. He couldn't back down, and this was his damn shuttle again. Or nearly. Usually he'd slam out or she'd throw him out, but they both knew that wasn't how things were going. Their business arrangement was over.
"You come in here and mess things up! Get my crew all used to things bein' pretty and nice and good ports and the chua'ha fau sweet life, then you go on out on your way just like that. Get Kaylee all attached to ya, even won Shepard over, and me, well I-" He cut himself off. The diatribe had been going so well until he started to be honest about himself. His lips pressed together, finger pulled back as if he might jab it out again, face pale and drawn. Under the humor of his misstep, there was emotion roaring under the surface, restrained and tempered.