He'd been about to make the tea on the stove anyway - it'd give him more time to calm down. Besides, he'd probably shatter the teapot with the heat if he tried anything so delicate while his emotions were a mess like this.

He looks up at Pepper, a little surprised by the question, before he obliges. "He's funny," Gene says after a moment with a little smile. "Really cheerful, too. Always looking on the bright side of things." His expression turns troubled. "At least, that's how he was the last time I saw him. The message he left seems to indicate that he hasn't changed very much, but...I hope he doesn't think I abandoned him."

Because he feels guilty for that, too, even though it wasn't his fault.