[Tenses up at first, fully expecting that he's going to keep getting hit... and then clings to him as soon as he registers he's crying.]
You damn stupid idiot. I love you. [And damn it, now that he's said it, he can't figure out how he could have gone so long without saying it, even as he starts to shake a little - overwhelmed, guilty, completely and totally fucking unsure.] I love you.