Outside Xan's Apartment Building, Manhattan, NY, Saturday

[sampippy]

Xanthippe was having a panic attack.

Okay, no she wasn't. But it felt like the brink of one? Because she was on the sidewalk outside the building she lived in now, waiting for Hyacinthe, and up - way, way up - in her apartment she had stuff ready for his visit and a couple of gifts because maybe this'd be the last time before he finally went home, and what if he didn't like anything and what if she was a huge loser and what if --

Anyway. Outwardly, she was mostly cool? Just... standing there, beanie on her head and a coat on over her dress, fidgeting with her phone for lack of a better thing to do with her hands. She looked fine.

But she was going to internally flail herself to death if he didn't get here soon.

[ooc: NFB and for the one mentioned!]

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[vrajna_kralis]

And lo came a Hyacinthe, strolling up the street, and craning his head like the veriest tourist. He had his phone up and occasionally glanced at it and then at the numbers on the buildings as he made his way along.

Was this who you were really worried about impressing, Xan?

[sampippy]

Always.

It felt like something jumped in her chest as soon as she spotted him coming up the street - because of course she spotted him first. But instead of immediately hollering for his attention or anything, on a whim, she held up her own phone and snapped a quick sneaky photo of him in the street, in the distance.

Only then, and once he was close enough, did she actually try and wave for his attention. "Hya! Over here!"

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe glanced back down towards street level and broke into a bright grin when he spotted her. "Xanthippe!" he called, his stride picking up speed and purpose as he cut the distance between them. "I was half-afraid I would not find you here. I am a child of cities, but this is beyond any such city I have ever known!"

[sampippy]

Xanthippe kind of wanted to run to him, but being Xanthippe, she didn't. She was so ready to cling to him as soon as he made it within clinging distance, though. Brace yourself, Hya!

"Like it should be, oh my God. This is Manhattan."

[vrajna_kralis]

"And I'm from the City of Elua," Hyacinthe declared as he joined her. "The pearl of all cities, now that Tiberium has fallen."

He grinned down at her, pleased as ever to see her. "Hello, Xan," he said softly. "I've missed you."

The phone calls hadn't been near enough.

[sampippy]

They had not. It was really obvious now that he was here. So obvious, in fact, that it made her breath kind of catch in her throat for a second, right before she finally went with urge to tug him into a clingy embrace.

"Hi."

[vrajna_kralis]

And with her arms around him, Hyacinthe felt free to wrap his about her and lower his head for a kiss.

A lengthy one at that, in full view of anyone who passed. He cared not.

[sampippy]

That was no surprise to anyone. However, Xanthippe also finding hersef not caring, that was more of one.

Maybe it was the natural greed she felt for getting to kiss him at all that overrode everything else for a moment.

[vrajna_kralis]

He kissed her until he had to stop for breath and even then, he didn't go far. "A fine greeting, that," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. "Though I look forward to the one I get when we are in less decorous circumstances."

Yes, this was him being decorous.

[sampippy]

Xanthippe couldn't help the brief softness of the smile tugging at her lips. Still managed a soft snort at his words, though.

"Does that mean you wanna go inside?"

[vrajna_kralis]

"I would like to see your apartment," Hyacinthe said. "Actually see it, not just use that as a pretext. But did you wish to show me around the city first, I would be amenable."

Xanthippe always sounded so proud of Manhattan. He would not want to deny her the chance to show him her home city.

[sampippy]

"I mean... I got stuff for making pizza later?" Xanthippe said, her head tilting with the unnecessary uptick of her voice. "And there's this good deli a couple of blocks from here that we could get some meat from. I mean, if you wanna."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Whatever you wish," Hyacinthe said. "I am with you today, and that is enough for me."

He slid his hand up to the back of her neck, cupping it gently. "So long as we are rarely ever further apart than this, today, I am well-pleased."

[sampippy]

'Nngh' was a totally dignified sound to make when it was really quiet, right? God, Xan hoped so, because otherwise it was just embarrasing.

But she'd really missed him, okay?

"Okay we have to go, because otherwise, I know I'm not gonna let you out until you actually have to leave." And she was already pulling away from him, a bit, only because walking face-to-face was not going to work. But she was reaching for his hand, too.

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe laughed, taking her hand in his and then tucking them both into his jacket pocket that her hand would not get cold in the light autumn chill. "And since I have no set departure date, that could get very messy indeed," he said. "I'd hate to have us starve with sustenance so close."

[sampippy]

"Everywhere around here delivers," Xanthippe replied with an eye roll that couldn't really eclipse her smile. "We wouldn't starve." She gave his fingers a squeeze, then began tugging him in the opposite direction of where he'd come from.

"Also I can't promise the pizza will work, anyway."

Because she did not have a ton of cooking experience. But she'd done a lot of Google research for this!

[vrajna_kralis]

"Between the two of us, I have every confidence it will work out," Hyacinthe announced. "...Assuming I can keep my hands off of you until 'tis out of the oven, of course." He tipped her a roguish wink. "Which I do not promise to do, mind."

[sampippy]

Xanthippe snickered. "If it burns, it's your fault," she decided. "It's like, totally your fault."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Blaming a man for knowing what he prefers to eat," Hyacinthe chided, his expression leaving no doubt what he meant there. "Tsk."

[sampippy]

Knowing him left very little doubt about what he meant. The face just sealed the deal.

Xan could feel her cheeks flush, but maybe that was just the crisp fall air? "I mean, sometimes there are responsibilities, Hya! You can't just... eat whatever you want when you want it."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Of course not," Hyacinthe said lightly. "You do not see me snacking now do you?"

[sampippy]

Xanthippe raised her eyebrows, while guiding them past some tourist who'd stopped to take a picture of a wholly unremarkable street sign. "Don't act like you wouldn't if you had the opportunity."

[vrajna_kralis]

"The question is," Hyacinthe asked, voice silky, "whether or not you'd give me that opportunity, no?"

[sampippy]

The good part about having known he was showing up for a visit today was that she'd actually had the opportunity to prepare herself for some things.

Like casually pointing out, "Do you see me wearing pants?"

He did not! Under her coat, she'd opted for a dress that did not quite reach her knees, and some knee-high socks that sort of compensated for that, so that her knees were the only fully exposed part of her.

But no pants.

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe glanced up and down the street and seeing no one near them but the tourist, steered Xanthippe into a tiny side street, pushing her up against a wall. "Is that an invitation?" he asked before dipping his head down to devour her mouth.