Any cooling down his body might have started is undone when he hears it; Raju's smile is fit to split his face, his grip tightens. He hasn't missed the way pulling him close has slowed Francis down and lets himself stumble again, this time toward Francis to bump into him, wanting to tease, slow him down further.

"Then we'll just have to share the prize," Raju says, gaze fixed on him again, now counting completely on Francis and his own peripheral vision to warn him to one side or another for logs or trees or dips in the path. He has more important things to be looking at just now.