Jono's arm immediately tightened a little around her. No pulling away. Please, please no.

He recognized a moment later that even the gesture was meant as a tease, and he felt sheepish almost immediately. Too many people shying back, around here. Now he was getting clingy. Lord.

//I meant it was more of an unpleasant side-effect of the choices that I made,// he stated, a moment too late for it to really be a witty retort.