"Pray be caref—"

Oh. Very well, then. At least he managed to thrust his arms out just in time for her to fall on him with a loud thud. Unfortunately, having grossly underestimated her weight versus his strength, catching her successfully also resulted in him staggering back with a yelp and falling rather ungracefully on his ass. A wince and a hiss of pain escaped him as he thumped onto the ground with her in his arms, the damp soil catching on his khakis and staining them brown.

He bit hard on his lower lip to keep himself from releasing another injured cry and looked Cosette over. A mild blush crept up his cheeks as he noted her less-than-appropriate clothing; he had half the mind to speak with her stylists after the arena, but then again, he had do grudgingly admit to himself that such clothing was more appropriate for climbing trees. Worry was evident in his slightly trembling voice as he asked, "Are you all right?"