Michael had thought that the conversation going on between the two of them had just been... casual. Calm and without much meaning, babbling to fill the time like the conversations he and Trevor had many a time in the past. Unfortunately, it didn't seem as though that was the case. Either that, or the thief had gone just a step too far in his joking around about Caustic's relationship. When the wolf stood up to his full height, Michael felt his ears pin back as well, half in anger and half in apprehension. His claws curled against the floor beneath him, an aggravated hiss leaving him without his consent, driven totally by instinct.

He stepped back, his tail still curled protectively around his recorder as he shot back, "Hey, hey, chill the fuck out there, Caustic. I wasn't tryin' to start any shit here, I was just jokin' around. Trust me, I know it's a little hypocritical for me t'say somethin' like that." He then gestured a paw out towards the bottle of whiskey in front of him, as well as the mug that still sat in front of Caustic's massive body, forming a weak wall between the two of them. As he did this, he mumbled lowly, "All we're doin' is having a calm and sad conversation on Valentine's day over whiskey. I really don't want t'fight, buddy." His tail was twitching a bit behind him, his body tense and stiff in case Caustic decided to follow through on his threatening stance.