[It might be startling, how quickly and harshly he reacts to that. It's a joke. He's not stupid enough to think it's not. But he can't help the gut reaction of terror at the thought, or the anger that wells up in self-defense.

He stiffens, going white for just a moment before he covers it with a dagger-sharp glare.]

Make a crack like that again and I'll knock you into next week.