The fact that Miho didn't instantly jerk away, that she was unhurried in letting go of him, didn't escape Ion's notice. If his smile was even warmer than usual, and touched his eyes more as well, perhaps that slight lowering of her guard was the reason behind it.

Well, now that he'd found her, and she'd demonstrated her willingness to remain in his presence, he might as well broach the subject he'd wanted to cover in the first place.

"Actually, I was looking for you. The clock hasn't struck midnight yet, so I was wondering if you wanted to watch them drop the ball into the lake together."

He smiled a bit shyly, but there was a spark of playfulness there, too.

"If you'd rather not deal with the crowds...I know a way we can get around that, and still have the best seat of anyone in any House."