"So...What do you wanna do tonight?" Beca asks, pulling Chloe from her thoughts. They're on the couch again, Beca sitting up with her arms wrapped around Chloe, who is tucked in between her legs.

Chloe drops the book she was reading, careful to note what page she left off on. "What do you think?" She asks, turning slightly so she can see Beca's face. "Chloe... please no. It's crowded and cold and it's gonna be a bunch of drunk people stumbling all over each other. "

"Beca," Chloe pleads, drawing the name out into a whine; she lets her fingers trail along Beca's forearm, giving her goosebumps. "It's your first time in New York and I've never been. Please?"

"I'm sure it's not the thrill they make it out to be."

Chloe sticks her bottom lip out in a pout and looks up at Beca from under her lashes. "Please?" Her lips ghost against Beca's. "I'll let you kiss me when the ball drops."

"Oh?" Beca arches an eyebrow. "You'll let me kiss you?"

"Yes."

"But not if we stay in?"

Beca shakes her head, knowing she's never going to win this fight. "You've got to make some sort of effort for it. You know what they say about New Year's kisses after all," Beca says, stopping suddenly when she realizes what she has said.

"Y- yeah," The look on Chloe's face lets her know that yes, she knows exactly what they say about New Year's kisses, and no, Beca isn't the only one that is suddenly scared at the prospect.

"You're lucky you're cute," Beca finally relents.

Chloe lets out a tiny squeal of happiness and snuggles into Beca's neck, sighing when Beca's fingers start lightly massaging her scalp. "You're gonna put me to sleep," she murmurs and Beca kisses her forehead, not stopping her ministrations.

-xxx-

It takes about 30 seconds for Beca's suspicions to be confirmed, but they make their way through the crowd anyway, fingers interlocked and sticking close to one another, until Chloe finds a spot she deems suitable for the night. And now... they wait.

-xxx-

It's cold and it's crowded, and there are plenty of drunk people stumbling all over each other. They are barely within viewing distance of where the ball will drop, but Beca's not going to complain, because Chloe's hugging her from behind, chin on her shoulder and arms around her waist. It's romantic - intimate, even - and the bubbly Beca's got in her system just makes it that much better. It's weird, she thinks, how she lets herself forget all her inhibitions; lets Chloe slowly disassemble her walls, brick by brick, but still isn't ready for what it means.

"You might wanna slow down, lush," Chloe teases, interrupting her thoughts. She slips the bottle of champagne from Beca's gloved hand and takes a swig. "You're not even legal anyway. Scandalous!"

Beca laughs and takes the bottle back. "Neither are you," she retorts, turning in Chloe's arms. They're pressed just as close, the crowd not allowing them any further apart, but they're face to face and Beca really wants to kiss her right now, but she holds off. "Five minutes 'til midnight. Got any resolutions?"

Chloe shakes her head. "I never stick to them, so they end up making me feel worse about myself," she informs Beca, and it makes her think for a moment.

"That's a really great outlook, actually," she says. "But I thought I was the depressing one.

"Nah. It's not depressing if it's true."

Beca, not wanting to resist any longer, leans in to press her lips against Chloe's, but Chloe pulls away before she can succeed.

"Nuh-uh. Patience, patience." She looks at her watch. "Think you can manage another two minutes and 30 seconds?"

"Maybe," Beca tells her, smirk playing across her lips. She pulls out her camera and takes a few shots of them standing in the crowd, huddled into each other for warmth. When Chloe leans in and presses her lips to the side of Beca's jaw, she knows she has the shot she wants and puts the camera away.

They stand there, wrapped up together, until suddenly the crowd pushes and they stumble forward, still clinging to each other, and Beca realizes they're starting the countdown. She turns her head, taking it all in. It feels surreal, being there after so many years of watching it on TV, and she grins like a madman, her eyes twinkling with childish bliss that she'd never admit to. She knows it's just an enormous ball of lights, but she's never seen anything more gorgeous.

10...

Beca turns to Chloe, brushes a thumb across her cheek.

9...

Chloe sighs (and Beca can't hear it, but she can tell by the wisps of vapor trailing up into the night), leaning into the touch.

8...

Beca's mouth goes dry when she realizes she was wrong about the "never seen anything more gorgeous," because how beautiful Chloe looks in the cold - knit hat pulled down over her ears, scarf wrapped tight around her neck, and her cheeks and nose a rosy red from the cold - hits her like a ton of bricks and she has to remember to tell herself to breathe.

7...

Chloe smiles, brushes the aforementioned ice cube of a nose against Beca's.

6...

Beca realizes she's not watching the ball anymore, but it's already disappeared behind the crowd and Chloe is a lot prettier anyway.

5...

Beca's never known 5 seconds could stretch out so long.

4...

Chloe's hand slips to the back of Beca's neck, and even though it's gloves and not skin, Beca shivers and presses the slightest bit closer.

3...

Their lips are so close, Beca can taste it.

2...

Beca licks her lips, drawing the bottom one into her mouth

1...

Their lips meet, tender at first, and Beca swears it's not just static shock she feels against her bottom lip as it deepens, Chloe's tongue running along her bottom lip. Beca's mouth parts easily and she presses her hips into Chloe's, moaning into her mouth. They break apart for air and Beca rests her forehead against Chloe's.

"Happy New Year," Chloe mouths, knowing Beca won't be able to hear her amongst the singing and cheering of the crowd.

Beca leans in, lips pressed against Chloe's ear and says, "Happy New Year. I'm glad you convinced me to come out." Chloe pulls back, looking at her questioningly, and Beca leans in again. "Your face, when you watched the ball light up... it was amazing. And that kiss..." She has no words for everything going through her head right now, so she just sighs contentedly. "I'm glad I didn't miss it."

-xxx-

They get home shortly after three and Chloe helps Beca up the stairs, arm wrapped around her waist for a little bit of balance after too much champagne. Truthfully, Beca's pretty sure she'd have made it on her own, but when Chloe offered, she couldn't say no.

"Thank you." Beca leans up against Chloe's doorframe, watching the other girl as she unlocks the door to her apartment. She reaches out, brushing a strand of hair back behind Chloe's ear, smiling back when Chloe smiles at her. "I had a really, really good time," she whispers, stepping closer to Chloe until their lips touch, briefly.

"Inside," Chloe demands, and as soon as they're through the threshold, her hands slip in Beca's back pockets, pulling her closer. "Kiss me again."

Beca does so eagerly, and through the lingering taste of champagne on her own tongue, she tastes Chloe, sweet and fruity. "Happy New Year," Beca breathes against her mouth.

Chloe pulls back, face flush and hair mussed from Beca's fingers twisting in it, and Beca thinks she's never seen anyone more beautiful.

"We should get some sleep," Chloe says.

Beca doesn't verbally agree, but toes off her Converse near the door and moves to the couch - with Chloe's help, of course - where she tugs her jeans off her hips and strips off her several layers of tops until she's standing there in only her bra and underwear. "Stay with me," Beca whispers, tugging at Chloe's wrist as she lowers herself to the couch.

"B, you're drunk."

"Tipsy, Chloe. There's a difference," she says with a smile. She looks up from under her lashes (she's already figured out she can't resist when Chloe does it, so she should be using it to her advantage too) and asks, "Please?"

Chloe kicks off her heels and strips as well, he dress pooling to the floor at her feet, which she steps out of and lifts the corner of the blanket. "Get under the covers before your freeze."

"Keep me warm," Beca murmurs, climbing on top of Chloe. She takes note of the way their skin slides against each other, already heated up from the freezing cold outside, and the way Chloe's racing heart is starting to clear what's left of her alcohol-induced haze.

"Beca," Chloe whispers gently, gripping at her hips and keeping her close.

Beca's lips make a path down Chloe's neck and she can't see it in the darkness of the living room, but she knows there's going to be a light purple mark at the junction of neck and shoulder in the morning. "Sorry," she says, lavishing the area with her warm tongue to sooth the pain.

"Don't. No apologies," Chloe tells her as she arches into her. "Not tonight."

Beca, happy to obey - happy to drown the voice in her head telling her stop in whatever champagne was still making its way through her blood stream - continues on her journey, slipping beneath the blanket to Chloe's breasts. She works her mouth against pert nipples, drawing them into her mouth and sucking gently, dragging her teeth lightly over them and reveling in the way Chloe's hips press into her own when she does.

Beca's left hand drifts down Chloe's side, over each rib and across taut abs, and hovers just above her hips. "You want this, right?" Beca asks, the slightest bit of hesitation in her words as her fingers dance over Chloe's skin, eager to touch.

"Just don't leave," is Chloe's response, and the pleading in her words - easily reflected in her wide, expressive eyes - tugs at Beca's heartstrings, stilling her movements. "I want this, but I just want you here more. Please don't leave again. I'll..."

Beca cuts Chloe's words off with her own mouth. She slips a finger through Chloe's folds as they kiss, whimpering at the wetness she finds. "I promise," Beca whispers into Chloe's mouth. "I'll be here in the morning."