Resolution

I loved her not for the way she danced with my angels, but for the way the sound of her name could silence my demons. ~Christopher Poindexter

Harper was shivering against the icy blades of wind that channeled into the open-air motel courtyard, finding comfort only in the warm smoke she pulled down her throat and the sight of Dean Winchester standing close against her. He was frowning. She had a nasty habit of smoking her friends often and down to the filter.

"Son of a bitch," Dean growled under his breath, pinching the cigarette from between her lips and stamping it out under his heel. "It's gonna give you lung cancer, Harper."

"You're gonna give me lung cancer," she countered with little gusto, dropping her arms to her side.

His eyebrow quirked slightly at her curt response, watching for any movement across her face with even more vigilance. "I won't leave you like this."

"Then don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't leave me." She raised her chin just far enough to meet his stare.

Dean breathed out a white puff of hair just over her head, shifting his stance and preparing himself for wherever their conversation would go. His hands slowly reached for her cold fingers, letting her come closer and closer to him. "You know I have to go. You know that you have to too."

"Okay," she murmured in defeat and squeezed his hand gently.

Reassuringly offering a smile, Dean repeated, "okay?"

"Okay," Harper nodded.

She was going to lean in and kiss him. She was going to let her entire world be split into two and be sewn back anew. But she was an invisible girl and he was a boy who burned bright like a star. Stepping back, Harper slipped her hand out of his and looked out toward the parking lot to see her car parked beside the Impala.

"Who knows," a smile pulled at the hairpin curves of her lips, "maybe I'll see you December 31th."

"Yeah," Dean chuckled. Resolute. He stuck his hands back into the warmth of his jacket pocket and followed her toward the parking lot. "I promise I'll be there."

She cut her eyes back at him, smirking, almost laughing out loud. "You promise? Look at you, Dean Winchester, already making resolutions. Very unlike you."

He shrugged, glad at least to be able to leave her with a clear conscious. "New year, new man."

"This is the first time you've made that promise. You didn't in Toledo last year. Or Poughkeepsie the year before. Or Great Falls the year before that. Or…" she paused and curiously cocked her head, "how long have we been screwing each other into a new year?"

Leaning against the hood of the Impala, Dean coiled one arm around her waist and his used his free hand on her chin to navigate her lips against his. He tasted the smoke on her tongue and thought nothing else was sweeter.

Harper pressed her hips against his hard, waiting for the groan that soon vibrated through Dean's throat before she fished out her keys and a cigarette, pinching it between her lips. She looked straight into his eyes as she lit it and blew out a puff of smoke, a toothy grin reaching her Irish eyes.

"See you in December, Winchester."

Dean watched until her car was out of sight, soaking in every second that she was close to him. He thumbed the diamond ring in his pocket. Twelve month, he thought.

Twelve more months of waiting.

Happy New Year everyone! Happy new year, happy ending :)