[ He turns his face to her so he can kiss the top of her head. He snakes an arm around her, holds her close, the familiar shape of her against his side and sighs. ] I'd sooner cut off my right hand than hurt him [ Tendo shakes his head at that and pulls away, gives her hip a squeeze of reassurance before he does so, but he just really needs to stand. ]

I honestly don't know what to do, Ali [ a breath, a heavy one ] this would be so much easier if I could be pissed enough at him for this whole thing but I can't. [ There's a wide gesture from him at that. ]

It wouldn't be fair. Because it takes two. [ He turns to her at that. He's making no bones about this whole affair: he's hurt, he's only human. But he's got too few close friends to call family and the Beckets are it. Alison is it. Some people might call him on this, criticize him for treating this with kid gloves - but what about this is kid gloves? His best friend slept with the woman he traded "I do's" with. Yancy was there when it happened. He offered the fucking toast, had kidded that Alison better treat Tendo right or he'd come charging back to spirit him off away. It's fucking ironic, that's what it is. But it happened. They happened. Tendo could get pissy about it, could swear them both out of his life, but that would change nothing.

So he's just sad and tired and his brow is furrowed because how to fix this, how. ] I love you both.

And I'm selfish enough to be bull-headed about figuring out how to keep you both.