The Universe's Mixer

He had hoped, in coming here, to find River at her apartment. At home. Not waiting for him, but just there. Doing something that she loved. The City, it seemed, was bound and determined to keep them apart, for reasons that Hannibal could not quite understand. She had come to see him at the hospital a few times, but he had been in the midst of things and couldn't chat for long. He had gone to see her perform, but then she had been the busy one.

He had wanted, just for a little while, to sit with her and talk. To not be doing anything. To not be anywhere but with the girl that he loved. It was not to be, this time, it seemed.

Hannibal left the bouquet of deep orange tiger lillies in a place where she would see them immediately. Then scrawled a fast note. Not his own words, but ones that he knew she would understand.

She is the harbor of all beauty’s light:
so every cruelty and every cold
run to her heart, that ever shuns your light.
So wondrous in her eyes is the new light
that I see splendor even in the stone
or anything that lures my pupils’ light.
'Tis from her eyes sweet light descents to me
that makes me care no more for other woman.
Oh, if she only were a kinder woman
to me, who call her name by night and light!
To serve her anywhere and anytime
is my sole longing for all length of time.

There was a hope that she would see this soon, and they would be able to find one another without any further impediments. His heart wanted currently, only to see her. Touch her. Kiss her. There were other things that they had not yet done, not yet found the right time for. And would not, if this separation continued.

Sadly, Hannibal left his gifts behind and returned to the City proper.

It was quite a thing to come home to something so sweet.

River hadn't seen Hannibal in quite some time. It just hadn't worked out, beyond a quick hello. She didn't expect flowers, or a poem, or anything. She had missed him, though. Especially with Simon gone.

She'd killed someone.

Harry was trying to help her learn to control her...

So much had changed.

River smiled broadly, picking the flowers up in her arms and smelling them. She rushed to put them in water, resolved to go find Hannibal. The City might be smart, but it was not smarter than River Tam. She could find him.

She was back out the door in a flash, listening for his mind. If Hannibal did not want to be found, he would not be. But River could at least get an idea of where he was and what he was doing.

Once she had it, she half-bounced down the stairs in her building to the front door, then out it. It wasn't that late yet. There was still some light in the sky.

She knew where the park should be, and went toward it, running, boots covering immense amounts of sidewalk. Dark hair flew out behind her. River wasn't running just to get to see Hannibal faster, but because she thought that The City would move the park to keep them apart. She was trying to outrun it.

The park didn't move, much. Two blocks. And River sighed out her breath, pushing her hair out of her face, and continuing at a normal pace into it.

She found him easily enough, standing there, watching the now-setting sun. It was a nice spot, part-garden, with a few benches. River hadn't realized exactly how much she'd missed Hannibal until he was standing there, not busy, not without time to talk to her.

Without saying anything, she walked over to him and took his hand.