Aria was already moving before Kaiden had closed half the distance.
"Kai!"
She started running with both arms stretched out toward him, silver hair flying behind her, and the joy on her face was so open and unguarded that every head between them turned to watch.
She crashed into him with a hug that drove the air from his lungs and a kiss that landed on his mouth before he could get a word out.
Her arms locked around his neck and stayed there, her body pressed flush against his, and the kiss deepened with singular focus, as if one meeting apart had been one meeting too many.
"Mmm." She pulled back just enough to breathe, her forehead resting against his chest, and the smile on her face was so close he could feel it. "Welcome back..."
Kaiden's hands settled on her waist. "It didn't even take an hour..."
"One second of separation is already far too long!" she decreed with zero hesitation.
