Not sure how good this is (I may be a bit rusty), but it feels like too long since I posted anything. I wanted to do something different to my Balance story, so I thought I'd do a New Year's story- admittedly a belated one. Hope you enjoy.

Tony had to admit, he wasn't as young as he used to be. Yes, he supposed that much should have always been obvious –it was how time worked, after all—but there were times when it was made a lot more obvious than usual. This particular night was a good example, and he had spent too much of it feeling like he was borderline ancient. Sure, it was a perfectly fun way to spend New Year's, but he seemed to remember being able to drink, dance and generally party a lot more enthusiastically than this back in the day. Part of him felt a little disappointed that he would never relive those blurry memories, even if a bigger part of him looked down on his youthful antics with horror. They were fun, but he supposed they never really meant anything to him.

A lot had changed since then, however. He had been through so much as he made his way up through the ranks of the police force, and eventually NCIS. He had allowed himself to grow attached to a handful of truly wonderful people, and was happy to spend the New Year with the ones that had stuck with him. The venue was tasteful too, though it only served as a reminder to Tony of how much he'd changed over the years. He never used to do tasteful. It was the sort of evening you'd spend with your family, as in wife-and-kids type family, not your surrogate work family. But, as well as being old (ish), Tony also had a distinct lack of wife and children, and so here he was.

Team Gibbs had more or less taken over a small ballroom on the third storey of a Long Island hotel, with a live band and a small bar in the corner. Not to mention an open buffet that Tony was a big fan of. At the far end of the room were a set of doors leading onto a balcony, with a rather stunning view of the Atlantic sea stretching out into the darkness. Tony, once again, gave thanks for his father's 'connections', and tried to shake off any age or family-related discomforts in favour of simply letting himself soak it all in. How many nights a year did he have where he could just spend some quality time with his closest friends and not have to worry about anything? Not many. He was going to let himself relax.

Luckily, the beers were really helping with that, and he quit staring out of the windows introspectively in favour of taking another swig. Unfortunately, he had run out. Before he could even think about standing up, a glass of whiskey was slid along the table and into his line of sight. He looked up to see McGee giving him a wink, before the younger agent pulled a chair out and took a seat next to him. It didn't take a fully trained and seasoned investigator to see that McGee was pleasantly buzzed.

''I have you well trained, McCheers.''

McGee shrugged. ''Never let a man remain drinkless,'' he recited. ''Basic bro code.''

Tony sent him a look of simultaneous curiosity and amusement. ''We're bros now?''

''Well, we're probably not 'cool' enough to use that term,'' McGee admitted.

''Speak for yourself.''

''But,'' he said pointedly, ''you get the general message.''

Tony did get it, and very much appreciated it. ''Well, thank you for enforcing the code so vigilantly,'' he said sincerely, before raising his glass between them. ''And here's to another year of impeccable federal work.'' McGee rolled his eyes, but didn't hesitate in raising his own glass and clinking them together.

''Modest, as always, but cheers.''

They both took a healthy gulp, and Tony spent a few quiet moments letting the whiskey burn its way down his gullet, before looking over at the group of familiar faces gracing the dancefloor. He could see Ducky and Abby rocking out in style, and next to them Jimmy and Breena were enthusiastically joining in. He smiled at the sight of the elderly medical examiner attempting the Saturday Night Fever Hustle. John Travolta pulled it off a lot better, but without even half the entertainment factor. His eyes moved to the bar, where he was somewhat unnerved to see his boss and his dad having a full-blown conversation. Well, it may have been a bit one sided with a DiNozzo and a Gibbs involved, but Tony could tell his hard-ass leader was giving his full attention. When he glanced back at the group on the dancefloor, he found his gaze remaining frozen in place.

Ziva had joined in now, and she may as well have been dancing in a darkened room with a spotlight on her. She always stood out to him, at any time and in any place, but when she was wearing a stunningly gorgeous purple dress, that stopped just below the thighs and complimented her body in the most gloriously perfect way, she did more than just stand out. She made his jaw want to hit the floor and stay there. And her hair hung in beautiful waves, just the way he loved it. God, maybe it was time he hit the dancefloor as well. He wouldn't venture very far from his partner, of course, but that sounded fine to him.

His ogling came to a halt when a couple of strangers blocked his view of the Israeli perfection. He turned back to McGee, who had his eyes on his own woman. Delilah made her way to the bar and Tony could see the tell-tale twinkle in his probie's eyes. He wasn't entirely sure where their relationship was at, but he couldn't help but feel happy for his friend.

''Delilah enjoying herself?'' He asked casually, though he wasn't certain he'd managed to hold back his knowing grin. He was even less certain when he got a grin in return.

''Yeah, she seems to be,'' McGee replied. ''I was worried she would feel like a stranger, but she really seems to like you guys.''

Tony gave him a self-aware smile. ''Who can blame her?''

''I'm just really glad we could all make it tonight,'' McGee said, ignoring Tony's bait. ''It's really great having the whole team together when there's no dead people or terrorism involved.''

''Well, the night's still young. Let's not rule anything out.''

McGee scoffed. ''Yeah. Well, I guess Gibbs might end up killing you if he catches you staring at Ziva like that.''

Admittedly, Tony was staring at her again as they spoke, but his head whipped around as he put his best clueless look on. ''What are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about.'' When McGee simply raised his eyebrow with a knowing look, Tony knew flat-out denial wasn't his best bet. ''I wasn't staring at her.'' It was kind of a half-denial.

''What do you call it then?''

Tony swallowed back the sudden surge of defensive panic. ''Watching her back. It's what I do, McGee, I can't just switch it on and off.''

McGee was almost smirking now, and Tony didn't like the fact that the helpless probie he knew a decade ago had learned how to push his buttons. ''More like checking to make sure she isn't dancing with a handsome stranger,'' McGee theorised with tipsy confidence.

Tony hadn't really thought about that, but played it cool. ''Oh, please,'' he said dismissively, but couldn't resist the urge to look over and check that Ziva wasn't about to be swept off her feet by a random Prince Charming of the ballroom. He was relieved to see that she was still with Ducky and the Palmers. No danger there, he thought to himself. But, as with every other time he'd laid eyes on her that night, he found himself struggling to look away. He just loved seeing her so care-free and happy. It was a sad fact that she didn't get to let her down very often –not metaphorically anyway –but whenever he saw her like this it made his chest warm. He wasn't sure if the feeling was love or pride. He suspected both.

''You're doing it right now,'' he heard McGee say in disbelief.

The words disappeared into nothingness, though, because a set of familiar brown eyes met his from across the room. Ziva stopped dancing as she caught his gaze, and her previously giddy smile fell slightly. All of a sudden he found his whole body start to tingle. It was in an entirely good way, though, because he found himself sending her one of his private smiles. The one that he reserved especially for her. The one that made her send him a small, intimate smile in return, as she did right then, before tucking a few loose curls behind her ear in an almost shy gesture. She really was letting her guard down tonight, and he loved it.

''I wouldn't let Abby catch you like this,'' McGee's voice returned.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw their gothic friend walking towards them with a bounce in her step and a happy smile. He reluctantly turned his attention back to his drinking companion. ''What?''

''She'll be a lot less cool about it than me,'' McGee explained, as if elaborating his previously unregistered sentence. ''You know what she's like. She'll throw a damn parade if she thinks you guys have got together.''

''We haven't,'' Tony told him –truthfully, at that –with a furrowed brow.

''I know,'' McGee assured him, ''but it looks like you have.''

Tony confused expression remained, but he couldn't ask any more questions before Abby arrived at the table and parked her butt right on top of the place matt in between the two seated agents. ''Is this the party pooper's table or something?'' She asked in a typical Abby-like manner. ''Why are you sat all by yourselves?''

McGee held up a finger in defence. ''Hey, he was the one sat all by himself,'' he corrected. ''I just felt pity.''

She turned to look down at Tony with an expectant expression. ''What's that look?'' He asked.

''Well, there's obviously something wrong with you,'' she said with certainty. ''You're usually the life of the party. What's got you so bummed out?'' When all he could do was stare at her in bemusement, she raised her hand as her face fell. ''Is it a personal problem?'' After another few seconds of disbelief, Tony scoffed in shock.

''No. I'm not bummed out,'' he replied a little too edgily.

She turned back to McGee. ''Timmy?''

McGee shot her a brief, knowing look. ''It's a problem that rhymes with viva.''

She looked back at Tony with a disappointed expression. ''Are you guys fighting again?''

He found himself taken aback, once again. ''What? No! I don't fight with Ziva.''

All he got in response to that statement were two, almost identical, you cannot be serious faces. ''You are kidding, right?'' McGee asked, apparently fully curious. ''You do know who Ziva is? Olive skin, good with a knife, works by your side every day—''

''—Bit of a bad-ass,'' Abby added unhelpfully.

McGee went on, unperturbed. ''You know; the woman you've spent over eight years arguing with?''

Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sure, he and Ziva used to get into some pretty loud arguments, but that hadn't really happened for years. They may have bickered from time to time, but it was never anything significant. The fact that his co-workers seemed to see their relationship as, essentially, a clumsy bound from one fight to the next really bothered him. What Abby and McGee saw at work didn't even tell half the story. They didn't see the smiles and the soul-bearing and the nights spent at her apartment watching movies. They didn't –couldn't –see it through his eyes.

''You really see our relationship like that?'' He asked, but without any of the anger he expected to here in his own voice. It was a genuine question, and he wanted an honest answer.

Abby tilted her head at him. ''It's part of it,'' she said gently, but truthfully. ''But not the most important part, obviously.''

McGee nodded in agreement. ''That's true.''

Tony was pretty sure he knew the answer to his next question, but asked it anyway. ''What's the most important part?''

Abby shrugged. ''That you love each other.'' Despite the truth behind the statement, Tony could only gape at her in surprise, and she seemed to catch on to his response. ''Not like that,'' she added hastily, before tilting her head in consideration. ''Well, maybe like that. I mean, who am I to know, right?''

''Abby,'' McGee warned.

She looked at him innocently. ''What?''

Tony decided his level of discomfort was way too high for this, and felt the need to raise his level of intoxication. He tipped back the rest of his drink and got to his feet. ''Well, it's been great chatting with you guys, but I thinks it's time I stretched my legs a bit.'' He sent them a salute before turning in the direction of the bar, puffing out his cheeks as he did so. He ran the previous conversation over in his head quickly and decided to remove any doubts. He spun back around with a sigh and regarded Abby again. ''And I'm not bummed out. I promise. I was just, lost in my own thoughts, you know?''

She sent him and understanding look. ''Any thoughts in particular?''

''None worth sharing,'' he lied.

He was sure McGee said something then, but he didn't really hear it properly, because movement at the balcony entrance caught his eye. He turned his head just in time to see Ziva slip outside, before the doors shut behind her. He suddenly didn't feel like another drink so much. ''Excuse me, fine people.'' He took exactly one step in his partner's direction before Abby called out to him.

''Tony?'' He looked back at her. ''It's almost midnight.''

He checked his watch. So it was. ''I'll be right back.'' He just about caught her unsure smile before he was back on course. He hadn't really realised it until then, but he'd hardly spoken to Ziva all night. It was time to see how his favourite ninja was doing, and find out why she'd decided to slip off just before midnight.

He opened the doors and stepped out into the cold December air. Well, he supposed it would be January air in a few minutes, but either way it was chilly. Ziva stood in the corner of the balcony, looking out at the sea with a strange expression. Not for the first time that night –or in his lifetime, really—he felt his breath forcibly taken away from him by the sight of her. Sure, she was sexy as hell when she was on the dancefloor, but there was something so effortless about her beauty when she was relaxed. He smiled at the sight of her, and felt his stomach flutter slightly when she turned to him. Her smile turned the small flutter into an uncontrollably large one. He didn't even bother reeling in the affection in his own smile.

''It's cold out here,'' he told her pointlessly.

She shrugged. ''I have been dancing. Dancing makes me hot.''

He scoffed as he stepped beside her, shoulder to shoulder. ''Yeah? You dancing kind of makes me hot, too.''

She chuckled softly. ''Was it my clumsy rendition of YMCA that did it for you?''

His smile grew at the memory. ''You were probably the least clumsy person on that dancefloor,'' he complimented. ''You're a natural, Ziva.'' She turned her head to meet his eyes, no doubt trying to judge whether or not he was joking. He wasn't, and he could tell she realised that by the warmth in her own expression.

''I have always liked dancing,'' she said, as if confessing an embarrassing secret.

''I know,'' he assured her.

She smiled in appreciation, before looking back out at the view with that same strange look from before. A comfortable silence fell between them, and Tony spent a few moments to try and gauge her mood. On the surface, she certainly seemed happy enough. He suspected that the champagne and wine she'd been drinking was enough to keep her in a good mood, but she was still being uncharacteristically quiet. That, and the fact that she seemed to be seeking solitude so close to midnight, had him mildly concerned. He would play it cool, though.

''Has anyone told you how beautiful you look tonight?''

His words seemed so snap her out of some kind of thoughtful trance, and she looked back at him with another grateful smile and a slight blush of flattery. ''Actually, yes,'' she replied with a hint of amusement. ''You did. Earlier.''

He frowned for a moment. ''I did?''

''Yes,'' she confirmed after a small chuckle.

''Hm. Well, I guess you should be regularly reminded.''

She sent him another grateful smile, before taking him by surprise and leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. ''You don't look so bad yourself,'' she told him afterwards. ''Your tux is very James Bond, I think.''

He adjusted his bow-tie and puffed out his chest in a show of confidence. ''That's the highest compliment you could pay me.''

She chuckled again. ''I thought so.''

They held each other's gaze for a few heavy seconds, before Tony decided to check the time. Midnight was getting closer by the second. He wasn't sure whether Ziva was planning on returning to the others before the countdown or not, but he was extremely determined to stick with her. And, if he was honest, the privacy they were enjoying out on the balcony seemed like a perfectly good way to start the year. When he looked back to his partner, he half-expected her to be enjoying the view again. He was somewhat startled, then, by the fact that she'd been looking at him thoughtfully for the last few moments.

''You have been very quiet tonight,'' she assessed softly.

He tried his best not to let out a heavy sigh. ''So I hear.''

''Are you all right?''

When Abby and McGee had more or less asked him the same thing, he knew he could get away with lying or simply dismissing it. But, when it was Ziva showing concern for his mental state, he only wanted to be honest with his answer. Their friendship was as close as it had ever been, and he knew that was down to the fact that they had used honesty to build up a level of trust neither of them had ever known before. It was great—really, really great—and Tony wasn't going to try and spoil it.

''I've just been thinking about…things,'' he answered eventually.

Her brow furrowed slightly. ''Things?''

''Yeah,'' he said on a sigh, his eyes now roaming to the safety of the ocean. ''It's just…here I am, about to enter another year, and I just feel like the world's leaving me behind, you know? Like I'm getting older every year—I'm changing every year—but my life isn't.'' He looked back at her to see if any of his words had registered, but she looked a little puzzled.

''You want your life to change?'' She asked, somehow sounding both gentle and shocked. ''I thought you loved what you do.''

''I do,'' he assured her. ''I love NCIS, and I love all you guys, but it feels like someone my age should have more to show for it all.'' Her expression had softened now, and he felt a pang of guilt for being so depressing on a celebratory occasion. ''You might find it hard to believe, but I used to imagine myself having a wife and children by now. You know, suburban life, white picket fence, all that normal people stuff.''

Her voice sounder a lot thicker when she next spoke. ''That is not hard to believe.''

He felt tears start to burn the backs of his eyes, but he tried his best not to sound too pathetic. ''But, I guess I've never been normal people material, huh? I've never gone down that path.''

He felt her run her hand over his as it rested on the wall, and looked over to see that her deep, brown eyes were growing glassy. ''I am not normal, either,'' she told him with a slight waver in her voice. ''And I am grateful to have met someone like you who just…understands me.'' She turned their hands over so they could lock fingers. ''It may be selfish of me, but I am glad that you never went down a different path. If I never met you, who would have been there to save my life all those times?''

Tony felt his heart squeeze at her emotional words, and this time he had to forcibly sniff back the tears. ''I regret a lot of things, Ziva, but meeting you will never be one of them. Ever,'' he used his eyes to tell her just how much he meant that.

He heard her sniffle, too, as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. ''You just wish you could have settled down by now,'' she said in an understanding tone. ''And started a family.''

Tony nodded. ''But, with every New Year countdown…''

''You feel like it is less and less likely to happen.''

The fact that the only person he could ever picture himself settling down with was her made this entire conversation very hard to get through. Her understanding tone suggested she may just have been feeling like time was against her as well, and he knew she wanted to settle down and do the whole family thing, too—she had done for a while, in fact. But whether she could see it happening with him was another question. He supposed that he would never find that out if he let another year pass without telling her how he really felt, but he still wasn't sure how to do it.

''Do you have any New Year's resolutions?'' She asked.

The question caught him off guard slightly, but he was happy to move the topic on from his empty private life. ''I don't do New Year's resolutions.''

She released his hand and lifted it to his head in order to tidy a few pointy patches of hair at the back of his scalp. ''Perhaps you should,'' she suggested casually, though he could tell there was something else lying beneath her tone. ''The first one could be to try and leave more time for yourself. Maybe it would help you settle down in the long run.''

''You have met our boss, right?''

She sent him a gently admonishing look as her hand fell back down. ''He wants you to be dedicated, not miserable, Tony. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you having a private life.''

He grunted. ''I kind of have a private life. I just mostly use it to watch movies.''

''And you already have an excellent companion for that,'' she told him with a smile.

Tony thought back to all the nights spent at each other's apartments, just eating, talking and sitting on the couch watching movies Ziva had never seen before. She made a good point. ''Yeah, she's pretty great,'' he agreed sincerely. ''Even if she asks too many questions during the film.''

She rolled her eyes. ''But she is kind enough to cook for him.''

''And for that, he's eternally grateful.''

She narrowed her eyes at him. ''Did you just quote the little green alien things from Toy Story?''

He frowned. ''Not intentionally, but yeah.''

Ziva let out another warm chuckle. ''Maybe another resolution should be less movie quotes.''

''We've got to be realistic here, Ziva.''

She closed her eyes in mock embarrassment. ''You are right. What am I thinking?''

Tony looked at her for a moment, at her pink lips and enchanting eyes, and again found himself curious about what was on her mind tonight. She was the one he found staring into space thoughtfully, after all. When she started doing it again, he decided to try and do some digging. ''What about you?'' She looked back at him after his question. ''Do you have any New Year's resolutions?''

She looked down almost shyly as she considered the answer, before clearing her throat and suddenly looking a bit uncomfortable. ''Yes, but nothing you would find interesting.''

He tilted his head and tried to decipher her body language. ''Try me.''

She took a deep breath, and just when it looked like she was about to answer, she shook her head and waved a dismissive hand. ''It is nothing. It's silly.''

''Even more silly than less movie quotes?''

She smiled. ''It is probably just as unlikely.''

He sent her a wary look. ''It's not giving up guns and knives, is it?''

''No,'' she told him as her smile grew. ''I actually have two resolutions, but one of them is very girly.''

His curiosity was only growing. ''Girly? That's nothing to embarrassed about.''

''You will probably think I'm pathetic.''

He raised his eyebrows. ''What? After my little mid-life crisis speech a second ago? I don't think I'm in any position to judge.''

Her gaze softened as she tilted her head in consideration. ''All right,'' she said quietly, before a small look of embarrassment flashed across her face. ''I have never had a New Year's kiss.'' He frowned slightly, a little disappointed that her big, bad, girly secret really wasn't that shameful, after all. She must have taken his frown as a sign of confusion, though, because she felt the need to elaborate. ''At midnight. And, I know it's silly, but my first resolution was to start the year off that way.''

He could see her bracing herself for his reaction, but he didn't feel the need to tease her at all. In fact, he was pretty much just left in disbelief that no one had ever felt the need to kiss this gorgeous woman after the big countdown. Now he knew this, though, there was no way he was going to let anyone else do the honour. He didn't care what happened afterwards, or what effect it could have on his already strong feelings for her, he was going to give her a New Year's kiss. She wasn't exactly asking for much, after all.

''It is sad, I know,'' she said to him after a few silent seconds.

When she looked away in apparent shame, he instinctively reached out to gently pull her face back in line with his. ''It's not, Ziva,'' he assured her softly. ''The least you deserve is a midnight kiss.'' She gave him a smile that warmed his bones. ''Did you have anyone in mind?''

He saw her swallow as her eyes flicked down to his mouth and back. ''Yes.''

That reaction should have told Tony all he needed to know, but he couldn't help but feel a small, nagging doubt. ''Is that why you're out here by yourself? You waiting for them to turn up?''

She took a deep, shaky breath. He was fairly certain it was good sign, though. ''They have already turned up.''

He felt his breath catch, and his throat tighten. His hand slid along her cheek and into her dark curls, and they were leaning closer to each other when the music stopped in the building behind them. A loud voice came through the speakers, and after a few seconds the whole crowd could be heard beginning the countdown to midnight. The timing couldn't have been better, really, which was unusual when it came to him and Ziva. Maybe that was a good omen?

Ten!

''I just thought of a resolution,'' he told her, closing the distance between them even more.

Nine!

She met his eyes again. ''Yes?''

Eight!

''Yeah. I think it's good one.''

Seven!

''What is it?'' She asked.

Six!

He ran his thumb over her cheek. Five! ''To help my partner be happy, no matter what it takes.''

Four!

He saw her eyes widen slightly, but she looked almost lost for words.

Three!

''Starting by giving her a kiss at midnight,'' he clarified.

Two!

''That is a good one,'' she whispered thickly.

One!

They were only inches away now; there's breaths almost became one as he brushed his nose against hers with a feather-light touch. Happy New Year! The crowd shouted from behind the doors, but Tony never registered it. His lips met Ziva's, and all of a sudden the fireworks going off all along the East coast weren't the only explosive things happening. What Tony was originally planning on being a small, chaste kiss had turned into something entirely different. It was long, drugging and so ridiculously perfect that he couldn't bring himself to end it. Ziva showed no sign of pulling back, either, so she must have been enjoying it just as much.

When it did eventually end, he lifted his head far enough to see her face. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth remained open as she took in some shaky breaths. He gently ran his thumb over her cheek again, and when her eyes did open he could see the emotion swirling in them. There were tears building in the corner of them, and it was enough to make his eyes burn, too. Well, that was a lot more than just a New Year's kiss. That was something else. Something that confirmed the suspicion he'd been having for years: that he'd fallen in love with his partner. Suddenly their earlier conversation about him settling down left a far heavier weight in his chest.

He swallowed hard to try and find some words. ''Happy New Year, Ziva.''

She blinked away any tears that were still threatening to spill over and gave him a crooked smile. ''Happy New Year, Tony.'' She returned in a thin voice.

''You're doing well with your resolutions so far,'' he told her.

She sniffled, and wiped the corner of her eye. ''Yes.''

''And if you're happy, then I've started well, too.''

He brushed a few wavy locks of her hair behind her ear, and she gave him another look that just about melted his bones. ''I have not felt this happy in a long time,'' she assured him. ''And that kiss was certainly worth the wait.''

He wasn't sure if she meant their first real kiss was worth the wait, or if she was just referring to her first New Year's kiss. Either way, she seemed sincere, so he didn't really mind. He thought back over their conversations since he joined her on the balcony, and found himself reassured. Because, really, if the only thing he would ever manage to achieve in his life is making this woman happy, then that was more than enough for him. He was worried that his only purpose was to fight for justice as a federal agent, with nothing to come home to at night and nothing to make it all worth it. But his New Year's resolution coincided with a New Year's realisation: that Ziva was the one who made it all worth it.

''I never told you my second resolution,'' she told him in a soft tone.

His eyes found hers again. ''You don't have to tell me all of them,'' he told her gently. ''If you don't want to.''

She shook her head with a smirk. ''This one concerns you.''

He raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. ''It does?''

Ziva gave him a sure nod. ''I want to help my partner settle down,'' she said in a hush. ''I want to help him find peace, and happiness.''

He was utterly touched at her words, not to mention the possible meaning behind them, but he couldn't quite think of anything to say that could live up to them, so he went down the joking route. ''Did you just copy mine?''

To his relief, she gave him a watery smile. ''No,'' she vowed. ''I thought of it before tonight, but I may have tweaked it slightly in the past few minutes.''

He felt his chest warm, and his whole body suddenly felt tingly. God, he loved this woman. She had already made his entire year, even if it only started a minute ago. And, if he read her message clearly, she was willing to let their relationship grow into something far bigger, and far more amazing, than it already was. He felt like an ancient dinosaur earlier, but now he felt like the luckiest man alive. He couldn't help himself, and leaned down to give her another kiss. This one was far shorter, but still made his heartbeat spike. Her indulgence in the kiss filled him with even more hope.

''You want to help me settle down?'' He asked after he pulled back.

She nodded, but otherwise seemed to be in a trance of some sort. ''Yes,'' she whispered.

''I think you're doing a good job of that so far,'' he told her thickly.

She gave him another smile. It was loving, it was warm, it was familiar.

It was a happy New Year, indeed.

Not sure how well that will go down, but it's something. Happy New Year everyone, and thank you for reading