Those weren't good enough excuses for Starbuck's behavior. He refused to blame shit like that for being an asshole the day before. Starbuck owned up to his mistakes, and being a prick to Ed was one of them. It didn't matter what else was going on in Starbuck's life. He couldn't use it as an excuse.
The weak little upward nudge to her lip wasn't even enough to make her dimple visible. That made Starbuck's chest tighten. He didn't like seeing her like this. He wanted her smiling and laughing. "You can do better than that," he teased gently. "I just complimented you and your brother. I think I deserve a full smile for that... complete with dimples."
He shrugged again, "Ok, so it's kind of a big deal that your brother hates me and doesn't want me anywhere near you and is convinced I'm going to fuck up your life... but I know he's wrong." At least about some of it, because Starbuck wasn't one hundred percent convinced yet on the trust issue, even though he desperately wanted to be. "Kim, I.." he stopped himself. He wanted to tell her, he needed to, but he was scared. It caused a stinging sensation between his chest and his throat. The words were stuck there. He took a more round about approach instead. "I need to know if Ed told you anything... that... well... that I said to him, but I didn't say to you." He really hoped not. His nerves hit an all time high as he waited for some sort of reaction from her. He wanted to stare at his hands, but he couldn't take his eyes off her face as he looked for some sign of understanding.