Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to these beautiful characters

"A New Year"

Beckett took another sip of her champagne as she sat in the corner of The Old Haunt, fingers wrapped around the long stem of the flute and eyes glued to the man behind the bar, charming their friends and family. She liked watching him here, so in his element. The easy smile and bright eyes as he told another joke to Esposito and Ryan, his laughter floating across the room to her ears as he reached out for them to feed the birds, made her chest fill with warmth.

She was glad he persuaded (whined until she gave in) her to let him have this little get together.

"It will be small, I promise. Me and you. Alexis and her boyfriend. Ryan and Jenny. Espo. Lanie. My mother. Your dad."

She had rolled her eyes exasperatedly, turning away from him to go back to the murder board.

"That's your definition of small, Castle?"

"Just our family and friends!" he pleaded as he took a step closer so he could wrap his fingers around her hand.

The gesture had been enough to regain her attention and as her eyes found his again she took in the raised eyebrows, the creases in his forehead, and that childish look of begging swimming in his pools of blue.

"Please, Kate? For me?"

He had nearly been bouncing on his toes and how could she say no when his lips were pulled across his teeth like that, a wincing smile as he waited for her to make him or break him.

She had pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to try and hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth before letting out a puff of air somewhere between a huff and sigh and grudgingly mumbling her consent.

As her eyes moved from Castle and the boys to Martha and Jim she guessed it could have been worse. He could have asked her to go to the Mayor's ball. And really, this wasn't bad. Her father and his mother had been on surprisingly good terms since that dinner last month. Even now they were joking and laughing.

Her eyes found Castle again as she took another pull of her drink. It certainly wasn't her first of the night and she could feel the edges of her brain becoming pleasantly fuzzy, but she didn't think her rising body temperature had much to do with the alcohol. She could see the reflection of the white Christmas lights Castle had strung up all around the bar in his eyes as he looked up from his conversation, his gaze finding hers. It was as if his eyes were twinkling because he knew she was watching him.

She took in the sight of him standing there. The sleeves of his bluish gray dress shirt rolled up to his elbows exposing the taught muscles in his forearms as he leaned against the bar, arms spread apart, palms flat.

She was wearing a lazy smile as her gaze met his again from under her heavy lashes and he flashed her a grin, holding up a finger to signal that he would join her in a moment. She raised her glass in acknowledgement before taking another sip of the tart elixir.

While she waited for Castle to pour another round of drinks she finally caught a glimpse of the T.V above his head. The countdown clock was at 00:02:39 and the camera trained on the sparkling ball of lights that sat perched atop the One Times Square building.

Suddenly Kate could feel the flush rise to her cheeks, undoubtedly turning them to a rosy shade of pink as the realization that this was their first New Years Eve together sunk in. She swallowed and looked down at her champagne flute, now nearly empty. She raised her glass and tilted her head back to let the last of the liquid glide past her lips and slide down her throat as she tried to quell the onslaught of emotions that just hit her.

She was terrified, but at the same time hopeful and excited. Excited to start the year off already in this new chapter of her life. Terrified that she would still somehow manage to screw it up, but hopeful that they would make it through together, like they always had.

She was lifted from her thoughts then as she felt him slide into the booth next to her, palm coming to rest on her thigh. She turned her head to find him smiling down on her, the kind of smile that took her breath away because it was filled with so much love. Radiating from his eyes through the crinkles at the corners, it reached out and pulled her right along, a mirror image spreading across her face. The blush that was creeping up her neck and into her cheeks now had nothing to do with fears and anxieties.

She could just make out a muffled chanting in the background, something that sounded like... counting?

"10… 9… 8…" as his hand moved from her thigh to the small of her back. She couldn't look away from his eyes, his blue twinkling eyes, as his right hand came up to brush a tendril of hair behind her ear and cup her cheek, successfully pushing any lingering fears or doubts out of her mind.

"7… 6…"

She angled her body towards his in the booth as she ran her palms up the front of his shirt, never breaking eye contact.

"5… 4…"

His hand moved from her cheek around to the back of her head, tangling in her hair as he angled her mouth towards his.

Her long slim fingers wrapped around his black tie, tugging, as her other hand slid around his neck, fingers brushing the hairs there, pulling him down closer.

"3… 2…"

The chanting faded out completely as Kate parted her lips and their mouths finally met. Castle pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and gently sucked, swiping his tongue along the plump flesh. Kate let out a soft moan as she opened wider for him and pushed her tongue at his lips, seeking entrance, which he willingly granted. Her fingernails scraped the back of his skull as the kiss deepened and her tongue pressed flat against the roof of his mouth, his palm pushing hot against the small of her back.

If not for the music and the shouting they would have gotten lost in each other, but as Castle untangled his hand from her hair and brought it back around to cup her cheek, Kate pulled back and placed a chaste kiss to his upper lip before resting her forehead on his. Their breaths mingled as each blinked their eyes open, searching for the others gaze. When they found it twin smiles broke across their lips.

"Happy New Year, Kate."

She sighed against his lips before turning her head and resting it on his shoulder, looking out on their friends and family, joyously cheering and celebrating. All happy- all together- because of him. Yeah, it was going to be a good year.

"Happy New Year, Castle."

A/N: First attempt at this, let me know what you think?