Katarina absently brushed off snow from her face as her brisk pace continued through New Haven. She knew that she would look rather odd if she broke out into a run, and with her shoes being boots rather than flats, her balance with her winter gear would be questionable. But with time coming close, she might miss Locke at his work all together. Once leaving the space port, she hastily paid for her bags to be delivered to her house before making the spontaneous decision to try and catch Locke by surprise. While she ached for the familiarity of home, she ached more to see him. While trying to keep her hopes from being too high, the smile of anticipation didn't falter as she approached Highlife Haberdashery.

Locke said his goodbyes, as he always did, to the salesmen working in the front of the house, and the stitchers and sewers and fabric cutters who had just come in to work in the back. The sales staff murmured their polite responses back to Locke, before immediately heading to a popular New Haven brasserie for dinner. The other designers were all gone, having either chosen to take a vacation that day or left home early with Gerard's approval. This left just the two of them, the master and the apprentice, shutting down the shop for the day. Gerard took care of locking the front doors, while Locke scanned the back and sides of the store to make sure everything was secure.

Katarina wanted to open the door with unnecessary gusto to further her search. However, her steps fell short as she saw Gerard locking the doors. "Well, biscui'." She muttered under her breath while putting her hands to her hips. She was already too late. Trying to hide her crestfallen features, she turned around and glanced down at her clothes. When the heater in the ship started to give way, she wore the warmest things available, which explained the boots and the rare sight of pants. With slumped shoulders on an otherwise straight posture, she tried to decide if she should go home and change first, or try to see if he was at his apartment.

Locke was double-checking the alleyway next to the building, to ensure that one of the emergency doors that led out of the store portion of Highlife Haberdashery was locked, as well as to ward off any ne'er-do-wells (there never were any, but Locke always liked to be sure). He emerged from the alley, dressed in a pinstriped navy blue suit with a matching solid darker blue tie and pocket square, and ice blue dress shirt. The tie, however, had been loosened around his neck. He was watching Gerard's carriage trundle off when he saw Katarina attempt to open the store's doors. Not immediately recognizing her, he was about to say something, but instead, his mouth just gaped open silently once recognition hit. It took him a moment or two to find his voice. "...Katarina?"

Even though she recognized the voice, the crestfallen expression hadn't quite disappeared as she glanced up in immediate reaction to her name. Instantaneously, her expression brightened, and she all but shouted his name in return, "Locke!" In the moment of her happiness upon his discovery, she easily cleared their distance to hug him tightly. While what small part of her rational mind worked against her emotions, she hoped that her bundled clothing was enough to protect them both for the brief exchange, and to keep distance from any exposed skin.

The air rushed out of his lungs for a second at the quick and unexpected hug, before he was able to return the gesture, the surprise on his face quickly switching to sheer joy at the sight of her. He attempted to lift her up off the ground, spin her in a circle, and then set her back down on the sidewalk. As they embraced, he murmured in a quiet voice, for her ears only, "Nae saian luume'."* His eyes were unaware of the handful of others still on the streets and sidewalks.

She held on tightly and laughed warmly as he spun her around. To finally be able to embrace him so made their reunion all the more tender. Uncaring of the probability of an audience, she closed her eyes as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. Her smile not yet faltering, she returned the quiet words in kind, "Oio naa elealla alasse'."**

"It goes without saying, but I have missed you tremendously." He paused briefly, arms still wrapped around her, before his voice became just a little bit louder, and a little more surprised-sounding. "You came home early." He chuckled slightly at the thought.

"An' I you." She opened her eyes again and lifted her head so that she could see him fully again. It brought a smile that hit her eyes and made them sparkle, "Yeah well, I didn' need ta stay any longa. I had already left Hope by then, so.." she gave a single-shouldered shrug, "I hopped 'n th' next ship home."

The intensity of her smile made his own expression bashful, a shyness that made its way into his tone. "I-I stayed out of trouble while you were gone." He let his lower lip jut out just a little bit, mock-pouting. "Even though it was dreadfully boring to do so at times."

She raised a brow and giggled at his confession, "Yeah well, kin't keep ya fra bein' bored when 'm nah here." Finally moving into conversation after the shock of surprise, the snug hold she had on him loosened, but made no move to lower her arms just yet, "An' ya betta nah be bored fer a while, 'cause.. well, 'm nah leavin'. I mean, I made it," she quickly added so that he would not draw the wrong conclusion, "but 'm nah gonna take it."

"You aren't going to take it?" He half-raised an eyebrow to her. "Truly? Why not?"

*It has been too long
**Ever is thy sight a joy