"Oh. I see." He fails to keep the disappointment entirely out of his voice. Jade watching him isn't as nice as Jade touching him, but it's still ... it grounds him. He can tell whether Jade approves or not as long as he's close and that, embarrassingly, matters to him a lot more than he'd like to admit.

Clearing his throat, he turns around, hands gripping the edge of the counter. "Dessert?"