A/N: No, I'm not dead. At first, many of you checked up on me as I missed my usual two weeks…then four… then six? Ten?… I've lost count, and I'm sorry. I took a new job that I love, but kept me VERY busy through training… and into my first few weeks in the field. I'm *hoping* that as things calm down, I'll get back into a rhythm eventually.

Regardless, Merry Christmas (or whatever winter celebration greeting you prefer). Here's a story for the cold, dark weeks of December.

Heading back to season 6, which feels like just last year to me… my how time flies. This is set following the end of 6x16 ("Expiration Date"). If you need a reminder, our heroes survived their first "fight" as a couple and despite suffering the loss of a friend, decided to spend the night apart. I had always assumed that plan wouldn't last more than a few hours.

Rating: M

Kensi wasn't even remotely surprised when her phone rang around 8:00 PM. It was Deeks, like she knew it would be.

"You enjoying your night off?" he asked. Even through the distortion of their phones, his deep voice was full of the hope that she would say no.

"Absolutely," she blurted before amending, "A little." In truth, it had been nice to veg out and get some much needed time to herself. But she had do admit, she was getting a little bored.

"You miss me," he declared. It wasn't a question.

Scoffing, she insisted, "I didn't say that."

His reply came immediately, "Which is how I know you do."

They talked on the phone for a short time as Kensi laid sprawled on her couch by herself. She prodded him subtlety a few times, to see if he would talk about the day— about the loss of their friend, which had affected him worse. But he didn't bite, and instead restricted their topic of discussion predominantly to the antics of Monty and his new chew toy. After only fifteen minutes, their conversation ended abruptly and somewhat awkwardly when he declared he was tired and wanted to go to bed.

Even if they hadn't been dating these past few months, Kensi would have been able to tell from his voice that he was hurting, and that she should go to him.

She had just finished rounding up her keys and such when there was a knock on her door. She knew immediately who it was, and her heart soared.

"Deeks! Hey!" she greeted him enthusiastically when she opened to door to him and his lovably mangy dog.

Monty darted between them and begged for attention as she tried to focus on her boyfriend. But Deeks tossed a toy he had been carrying and sure enough, he chased after it and left his humans to their serious moment.

Turning back to her, he brushed his hair out of his eyes before starting, "Hey, baby. I know I said I think we should take the occasional night off, but maybe this shouldn't be the night we're alone."

"You alright?" she asked him, peering at him sadly with genuine concern.

"I will be," he assured her. "I just wanted to see you…" Trailing off, he seemed to have some strange conflict. He began to step back towards the recently close door and said, "I can go now."

"Shut up, Deeks," Kensi commanded, stepping to him. "Come here."

Deeks wrapped his arms automatically around her waist and readily accepted the kiss she planted on his lips. For several tender seconds, he was unwilling to pull away, which suited Kensi just fine.

Keeping his forehead pressed to hers, he whispered, "I need you so bad right now."

"I know," she answered, peering into his blue eyes, only inches from hers. "And I'm right here."

He kissed her again in response, covering her whole mouth with his. As he held her tighter in his arms, she bunched the material of his shirt in her hands at his shoulders, holding on to him as she allowed herself to get lost in this moment.

Kensi thought about guiding him back to her bedroom. She thought about jumping into his arms and forcing him to carry her somewhere — literally anywhere, that would act as a suitable surface. On cue, he pressed against her, stepping with her until her back came to rest against the wall.

Silently, they kissed for a few moments more. All the while, Deeks' hands slid down her torso, and busied themselves with the fastenings on her jeans. He kissed her cheek, the corner of her jaw, down her neck, and across the bare skin at the dip of her shirt as he dropped to his knees, pulling her pants and panties down to her ankles.

She kicked her feet out of one of her pant legs, and waited for him to come back up to her. But he stayed kneeling at her feet, dragging his lips softly across her belly, her hips and her thighs, circling in closer to the growing heat between her legs.

"B—bedroom?" she gasped as his tongue flicked out and grazed her swollen clit.

"Not yet," he breathed out huskily against her skin.

He moved her legs into a wider stance, and pressed his face into her until his tongue could slide up and down the length of sweet, sensitive flesh. Looking down at him, watching him worship her body on his knees at her feet, she understood why men liked this stance so much.

But she was quickly losing her composure. As he got her more and more worked up, she felt her knees begin to tremble. Slightly at first, then as a burst of pleasure that preceded her ultimate peak coursed through her, she nearly buckled.

Deeks was there to hold her in place; his hands on her thighs and his forehead pressed against her pelvis. With his thumbs, he pulled apart the lips that still protected her clit. Now fully exposed, he covered the sensitive bud entirely with his mouth and sucked on it until she could no longer stand the intense sensations.

Gripping his unruly hair with both of her hands, she cried out and nearly collapsed above him as she came. But he held on to her, pressing her body between his and the wall as he kissed his way back up her torso, her breasts heaving with each labored breath.

She was still clad in her shirt and bra, and could do little to assist him in removing them but raise her arms. She pulled his shirt up and over his head as well, as he stood in front of her. Their mouths met, and their bodies pressed skin on skin. She reached between them to fumble with the buckle on his jeans.

Unsurprisingly, he was rock hard.

Wasting no time, he hoisted her up by her hips; his hands cupping her ass as her legs wrapped automatically around him. With her back pressed against the wall and one arm holding on to his shoulders, she used her free hand to slip his cock a few inches down until he slid easily inside.

Quick as he was able, he started to pump in and out. Deeks was restricted to short strokes by the angle he held her at, but the force of her entire weight crashing down on him made it so every single drive went as deep into her as he could.

His shaft rubbed against her aching clit, and soon enough, Kensi found herself digging her nails into the soft skin on his shoulders. In her head, she was begging him to keep going— to finish her off again. But all her lips were capable of doing was whimpering. Still, he got the message.

Her shoulders were already pressed against the wall, helping them to keep their balance. Deeks stepped into her more, pressing her entire back against the flat surface. Hoisting her up higher, he was able to move more freely, and with more speed.

As she was overcome with the fluttering, pulsating sensations once more, Kensi wasn't able to do more than cling on to him for dear life. As the pleasure coursed through her body, she felt a sensation of falling that had nothing to do with being held up off the ground. Deeks still had a strong hold on her, and was still hard at work. But the throb of her inner muscles tugging on him must have pulled him over the edge with her, and he found his release moments after her own.

With an impressive amount of remaining strength, Deeks held her entire weight, still wrapped around him, as he stepped away from the wall. Turning around precariously, his pants still around his ankles, he slunk down to the floor with his back to the wall.

For several minutes, they sat there; she in his lap, her arms and legs still entwined with his, and still intimately connected. He softly stroked her back while she nuzzled his soft, tousled hair with her cheek.

Kensi was the first to regain her strength, or at least, to decide there were more comfortable places to lay together. She rose, and despite his groaning protest, helped him stand, admiring the definition and cording of his muscles as he strained to regain his feet.

Their lips met in a slow, languid kiss as they started to drift through her dark apartment towards her bedroom, leaving their clothes forgotten on the floor. They kissed again in her door frame, and again as they settled under the covers facing each other. Kensi sighed contentedly as she knew another round definitely was on the table.

But first, some rest.

"So are you going to tell me what Thapa said? About smiles?" She asked, as she settled her head on a pillow, inches from his face.

"He just said that home isn't a place, it's a feeling. One he got from simple moments like the smiles of his loved ones. He told me to look for him in smiles, and I would see him smiling back," Deeks answered, a touch of sadness dimming his bright blue eyes.

But he kept her gaze, and his face softened as he continued, "And he's right about one thing: when I see your smile—" he leaned in to kiss her softly, and Kensi couldn't help but curve up the corners of her lips. "—your perfect smile… I'm home."

A/N: Airports are not the best place to write such stories. Nor are airplanes. I need more free time in private places. But hopefully, I'll get back into the swing of writing soon.