OPERATION MISTLETOE by MioneAlterEgo

DISCLAIMER: Really disclaimed. Really.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Before I go any farther, YES, I promise this is a Kensi/Deeks and Nell/Callen fic! I'm not messing with that! -D

Earlier this week, Eric Christian Olsen posted a picture on his Instagram of Renee Felice Smith looking at her smartphone with an exaggerated expression of shock, and a caption that read "reneefelicesmith discovering in the next script her make-out scene with deeks. She looks excited...right?" The lovely imahistorian and I found this highly amusing. I commented that it was too funny and that "someone needs to write that fic," to which she basically responded "I will if you will. Dare ya." And I basically told her, "challenge accepted." And thus was born our Instagram Challenge. "Operation Mistletoe" is my offering, alongside imahistorian's brilliant creation "Fallout." Be sure to read them both for the full, crack-tastic effect!

My thanks, as always, to my partner-in-fic-writing-crime, imahistorian (aka Mel) for egging me on and helping me become a better writer. When I say "I blame her for this," I mean it as the highest possible compliment! To those who celebrate, have a wonderful Christmas, and remember to use your mistletoe for the forces of good, not evil. To everyone who reads my fics, thank you SO MUCH for reading and reviewing! You guys are the best! Hope you enjoy!

Deeks knew something was wrong when he spotted Nell sitting in an overstuffed chair in the corner, nursing a cup of tea. Her normal energy seemed entirely depleted, replaced by a subdued slump of her shoulders and tiny frown lines creasing her forehead as she absently picked at a bit of fuzz on the upholstery. The scene painted a rather melancholy contrast to the cheerful lights and Christmas decorations adorning the common areas of the OSP headquarters. Since the others had left for the evening he crossed to the cozy sitting area and settled onto a sofa opposite her before speaking.

"Hey. You alright?"

She glanced up from her inspection of the fabric. "Fine. Just thinking through something."

"Nell? Thinking? I'd never have guessed," he ribbed gently. She offered a weak half-smile in return but gave no further comment, instead taking a long pull from her tea. Deeks, however, was nothing if not persistent, and he wasn't about to let a potential damsel in distress wallow in her angst alone, at least until he knew there was nothing he could do to help or no one he and the guys needed to put the fear of God into on her behalf.

"Come on, spill it, Jones. What's on your mind?"

"Just guy problems. You don't want to hear it. It's no big deal."

"Except for the part where it's definitely bothering you. So what's going on?"

She sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "There's this guy I've sort of been talking to. I thought things were going really well, like he might actually make a move, but then I heard he has kind of a hang-up about girls in certain lines of work. And I'm apparently on the no-fly list."

"Certain lines of work? Nell, it's not like you're a hooker. What's the problem?"

"He apparently doesn't date women in law enforcement."

"What is he, a criminal or something?"

She gave a humorless laugh at that. "Not exactly."

"He's in law enforcement himself?"

And that was the moment Nell's complete inability to lie betrayed her. For a split-second and quite without her realizing she'd done so, her eyes flicked over in the direction of G Callen's desk. That split-second blew her cover—Deeks noticed it, and as he turned over his shoulder to look, something clicked in his mind, something for which he'd once heard another agent teasing Callen.

"I'm telling you, that 'no cops' rule is gonna come back and bite you. Seriously, who doesn't like hot girls who carry guns?"

Deeks slowly turned back to face her, noting the sadness in her hazel eyes and the press of her lips. He took a chance and cautiously offered his response, watching closely to gauge her reaction.

"Yeah, that can be pretty rough. I've had a similar problem lately. It's tough when worlds overlap like that. Some people like to keep things… compartmentalized." Nell made a face and took another swig of tea as Deeks continued. "Does this guy know how you feel? I mean, does he know that you'd definitely go with it if he made a move? Because sometimes guys are just cowards, you know."

"Trust me, he's so far from being a coward…" She smiled sadly, her eyes once again darting toward Callen's desk. Got ya, Deeks thought to himself. He lowered his voice before speaking, despite the fact that he was certain they were alone in the building.

"Nell," he spoke quietly. He eyes darted up to meet his. "Callen?"

Her eyebrows arched in surprised confirmation, but she didn't try to argue the fact, instead turning the tables. "And Kensi?" she countered.

"Touché," Deeks chuckled morosely. "Look at us. We're like a bad soap opera over here, pining away for unattainable co-workers."

"The difference is, Kensi does want you," Nell sighed. "I've seen the way she looks at you."

Deeks wanted badly to believe her, but a persistent, nagging voice in his mind argued otherwise. Nell was smart about a lot of things, but the inner workings of the mind and heart of Kensi Marie Blye? Well, Deeks wasn't sure Kensi herself knew what she thought half the time. So, rather than argue, he deflected back.

"Nell, if Callen is willing to blow a chance with a girl like you because of some rule he made up himself, he's too stupid to be with you anyhow." She smiled and rolled her eyes at him in response, but Deeks was pleased to see that she actually seemed to lighten a bit. They sat in silence for a moment, each mulling over their shared problem. Deeks' mind began to wander as his eyes flitted from point to point around the space, taking in the strands of brightly colored lights, garlands, wreaths, and… a clump of mistletoe hanging just over the doorway into the main room.

An idea began to form.

"Do you trust me?" Deeks questioned. Nell's brow furrowed slightly.

"Yeah. I guess so. Why?"

"And how much do you want this thing? With Callen?" he asked, caution coloring his words. Her mouth pulled into a skeptical frown.

"Why do you ask?"

"I have an idea. It's either brilliant or the worst thing I've ever considered. I haven't decided yet."

Curiosity got the better of her. "And what exactly is this brilliantly awful idea?"

"I think it's a way for us both to light a fire under both of our respective persons of interest. Or, at the very least, it would be a way to find out for sure whether they want anything from us or not."

"I'm listening."

"The office Christmas party is the day after tomorrow, right? Here's what I'm thinking…"

Christmas Eve rolled around in two days' time, and the Office of Special Project seemed, for all intents and purposes, to be filled to the brim with holiday cheer. Gifts and well-wishes and the occasional hug were passed freely through the room, and when the hour was deemed appropriately late Hetty herself pulled out three bottles of hard liquor with impossible-to-pronounce names and enough kick to get the attention of even the most discerning connoisseurs among them.

Throughout the evening, Deeks and Nell had cast half-nervous glances and anxious smiles to one another, eagerly awaiting the moment of truth. When the alcohol came out, Deeks caught Nell's gaze from across the room and raised his chin in silent question.

We still doing this?

Nell nodded solemnly, just once. Yes. Let's do this.

And Operation Mistletoe sprang into action.

As they mingled with the other agents and the members of the team, they each made a point of seeking out the other conspirator's target—Nell found Kensi, Deeks found Callen—and initiating would-be-casual conversations.

"You know," Nell began, "Deeks should wear that blue shirt more often. It's really very flattering on him." She quirked her head to the side a bit and let Kensi catch her smiling appreciatively at Deeks. Nell couldn't hide the smirk when Kensi almost choked on her brownie in disbelief, but fortunately she was able to camouflage it as simply another appreciative glance in Deeks' direction.

"Yeah," Kensi spluttered, fighting to retain her composure. "Yeah, it's a good color on him."

"It's always kind of surprised me that he doesn't have a girlfriend. I mean, he's funny, attractive, gainfully employed, definitely not a criminal… You'd think that girls in this town would be all over him. What's not to like?"

Nell purposely kept her eyes on Deeks instead of Kensi. She could all but feel the taller woman's gaze boring into the top of her head. Kensi opened her mouth as if to speak, then clamped it closed again. She stood dumbfounded for a moment before muttering something about needing more sugar and turning on her heel to leave. The next time Nell caught Deeks' eye, she nodded quickly before turning her attention elsewhere. Deeks smiled to himself. Time to put Phase 2 into action. He found Callen a few feet away, miraculously alone for the moment, and sidled up next to him.

"I'm thinking we should have these Christmas parties more often," Deeks began, earning himself a questioning arch of an eyebrow from Callen. "It's kind of fun to see everyone all relaxed and having a good time."

"I guess it's a nice change of pace," Callen agreed, casting Deeks a quizzical look before he returned to his self-appointed task of scanning of the crowd. When Callen's eyes fell on Nell, laughing delightedly over some story Sam was telling, Deeks made his move.

"You know, I never really paid much attention before, but Nell looks kinda hot tonight."

"She does look nice," Callen replied, his blue eyes still following Nell. Deeks hadn't had to reach far for the compliment; while everyone had dressed a little nicer than usual for the occasion, Nell had gone above and beyond. It wasn't every day the men of OSP got to see her in something low-cut, much less something low-cut, fitted, and balanced on top of peep-toe heels.

"I got to talk to her for a while after everyone else cleared out the other night. She's actually pretty incredible. I can't believe a girl like her manages to stay single," Deeks continued, pretending not to notice the way Callen's neutral expression slipped into a frown the longer Deeks spoke. "I know a lot of cops who won't date women in the business, but around here I think there would actually be a lot of advantages to it. Might be nice, not having to lie about what we do for a living. What do you think? You think Nell would ever date an agent?"

For a moment Deeks was afraid he'd taken things a step too far. Callen's trademark poker face crossed the line into genuine irritation for only a moment before the mask of control slid back into place.

"I wouldn't know, Deeks. Want me to ask her? I could pass her a note after study hall."

Deeks face split into a goofy grin. "Nah, that's cool. I'll just have to ask her myself." He clapped Callen on the shoulder and turned toward Kensi's desk, on which (appropriately enough) the alcohol had been set up. Pouring himself another shot, he turned and cast his gaze around the room till he locked eyes with Nell. At her inquisitive glance, he raised his glass in a silent salute and swore he could see her blushing from thirty feet away. He threw back his shot of whiskey and took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

Martin Deeks, this is either the best or stupidest idea you've ever had…

He slowly maneuvered his way through the crowd as Nell did the same, each maintaining an appearance of casual indifference as the evening's festivities grew more and more animated around them. Deeks finally managed to position himself just to the side of the mistletoe-adorned front doorway. He was leaning lazily against the wall surveying the room when Nell slid up next to him. It hadn't escaped Deeks' notice (or Nell's, for that matter) that Callen had been surreptitiously watching her ever since Deeks had baited Callen with his colorful commentary a few minutes prior. For the sake of maintaining both of their covers, Deeks slipped an arm around Nell's waist and leaned a little closer than was perhaps strictly necessary in order to whisper in her ear.

"So how'd it go? Did she bite?"

Nell played right along, smiling sweetly and nodding as she leaned into him to murmur, "If you find my body on the side of the road later, question Kensi first."

Deeks laughed loudly, drawing Kensi's attention from near the liquor table. When Kensi took a couple of apprehensive steps toward Deeks and Nell, Deeks edged backward toward the mistletoe, dragging Nell with him. He let his hands fall lightly to Nell's waist and dropped his head till he was inches from her ear.

"Nell, are you sure you still want to do this? I mean, if you want to back out, it's kind of now or never…"

"Let's just do it," she sighed. "What have we got to lose?"

"Besides our self-respect?"

"Or our physical wellbeing when Hetty gets her hands on us?" Nell smirked. Their lips were mere centimeters apart, and while their arms might have been draped around one another the focus of their affections remained elsewhere. Both Deeks and Nell were acutely aware that two pairs of eyes, Callen's icy blue and Kensi's fierce brown, were tracking their every movement. Deeks took a deep breath and turned their bodies, bringing both of them directly under the mistletoe hanging in the doorway. From somewhere on the second floor walkway, Deeks heard a couple of agents from another team wolf-whistle at them, and another voice call, "Hey, check out Deeks and Nell under the mistletoe! Come on, make a move, man! Kiss her! Go for it!"

The unsolicited prompt seemed as good a cue as any. Deeks took a deep breath and closed the distance between his lips and Nell's.

Mouths aligned, shoulders and bodies angled as needed, Nell's hands clutched his arms, and Deeks kept his hands planted at her waist. The execution was well-scripted and certainly looked convincing enough to the crowd of unknowing witnesses. But the kiss itself, however realistic it may have appeared from the outside, was perfunctory. Calculated. And while both Nell and Deeks played their parts believably enough, for the entire duration of the kiss they both remained painfully aware of every sight, sound, and movement taking place in the room around them.

There were a few more scattered cat calls. A semi-sarcastic smattering of applause. The sound of a coughing fit as someone (Possibly Eric, Nell thought to herself) choked on their beverage. The air felt charged with anticipation somehow, but all Nell could feel was the burn of Kensi's glare, while all Deeks could feel was the chill of Callen's.

When they broke apart they stayed in character, smiling and nudging each other flirtatiously, purposefully ignoring the death rays shooting from Callen's and Kensi's eyes and the stunned, questioning stares from Eric and Sam. Fortunately for both of them, Hetty was enjoying playing bartender a little too much and only uttered a mildly agitated "Oh, for the love of…" on witnessing their charade.

Deeks leaned down toward Nell one last time on the appearance of giving her a peck on the cheek. He turned his body so till he was sure Kensi wouldn't be able to read his lips.

"Well, that was that."

"Yes it was," Nell replied, biting back a smirk. "How do we play it from here?"

"We flirt shamelessly any time we're in the room together, but if I'm guessing right Kensi and Callen are both seriously pissed and they're going to try to get us apart. Just go with it."

"Right."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Jones."

"Detective Deeks," she began, a grin tugging at her lips, "please don't take this the wrong way, but I sincerely hope we won't have to repeat that particular transaction again in the future."

Deeks laughed heartily, gave her a quick, teasing kiss on her cheek, and slowly made his way back toward the snack table while Nell excused herself to the ladies room to repair the damage to her makeup. He'd barely made it past the first tray of Christmas cookies before strong, slender fingers curled around his bicep and dragged him into a small nearby file room.

When he turned to face his abductor, Deeks' own words from a few weeks before began ringing in his ears: Did anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you're homicidally angry? And it was true. Kensi's eyes all but glowed with thinly restrained furor, a basilisk stare on her stunning features. Deeks felt his stomach twist just a bit; it was the same sensation he usually felt when a gun was pointed at his face, except that instead of cold metal it was his partner's very warm body invading his space. Her voice came out deadly quiet when she finally spoke.

"What the hell was that?"

"Mistletoe. Christmas tradition. Kiss someone under it. You know."

"That's all you've got?"

"Am I supposed to have something else?"

"You're supposed to not act like an ass. What were you thinking, toying with her like that?"

"I don't understand," Deeks lied flatly.

"She's got a crush on you, Deeks. It's probably some kind of mental illness, but since you don't have feelings for her it's an ass-clown thing to do, kissing her in front of everyone and stringing her along like that."

"Don't hold back now. Tell me how you really feel."

"Just being honest."

"You think I don't have a crush on her?"

"I know you don't," Kensi replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Deeks nudged, taking a small step forward. To his surprise Kensi took a step back, and in the comparative quiet of the file room he heard her breath catch just slightly as he moved closer.

"Because I know you," she continued. "I know you better than anyone. Before tonight you never looked twice at her. I'm… I'm your partner. I would've noticed. Plus, she's just not your type."

Deeks took another step forward and Kensi retreated again, her back hitting the side of a filing cabinet. He was momentarily surprised to realize Kensi Blye had allowed herself to become cornered, but then a surge of excitement shot through him: if she was this distracted over him kissing Nell that she allowed herself to be cornered, this desperate to do something about it… Thin tendrils of hope began to weave through his chest.

"What do you know about my type?" he pressed, voice dropping an octave as he spoke. Even in the dim light filtering in through the small, grimy window he could see the uncertainty and bravado warring in her expression.

"You like brunettes," Kensi whispered, voice slightly shaky. "Ray said so."

"Ray also said you and I had a 'thing.'"

"You said we had a thing. After I found out you weren't really fired."

"I also said I'd call you after I had a chance to process everything."

"Yeah, and you never did."

"But I finally figured out what I wanted to say," Deeks answered, inching closer still.

"Oh yeah? What?" Kensi challenged. And for the second time that night, Deeks took a breath and hoped for the best.

"This. I really wanted to tell you this."

His head dropped down and his warm lips pressed insistently against hers, his hands ghosting over her arms to come to rest lightly at her hips. Kensi froze, and for two terrifying seconds Deeks thought he'd completely screwed himself. Just as the thought occurred to him to pull back, Kensi made a funny squeaking noise in the back of her throat and threw herself into the kiss full-force.

Time stopped. Kensi's hands reached up to grasp the lapels of his shirt, pulling her body flush against his and angling her head to deepen the kiss. When he pressed his tongue experimentally against her lips he felt her gasp against him as she parted her own lips to return the gesture. Gentle and uncertain quickly turned eager and frenetic. Deeks' arms wrapped around Kensi's back, attempting to bring as much of her body into contact with his as possible, and when she shuddered in his embrace it nearly cancelled every logical thought process he'd ever had. Kensi's own hands had moved up to wrap around Deeks' neck, one hand drifting into his hair to drag her nails lightly over his scalp and tug at his unruly locks. He groaned into the kiss and nipped at her lower lip.

After a few intense, heated moments Kensi pulled away to gasp for air, but Deeks carried on undeterred, trailing kisses along her jaw back to her ear (a spot that elicited one of the single sexiest sounds he'd ever heard) and down delicate slope of her neck. He nuzzled his nose and lips against the juncture of her neck and shoulder, and Kensi groaned.

"What?" he murmured.

"This is… We're in a file room. We've got to stop."

"Why?"

"Because if someone walks in on us we'll be in deep shit with Hetty. We should stop."

Deeks breathed in the warm, intoxicating scent of her skin and sighed, kissing a line back up to her ear.

"But I'm not done telling you things. I have a lot to say, you know. I have a big mouth. Some people have even accused me of—" he nipped at her earlobe, "—talking their ears off." The gentle jab to the ribs he received was more than worth it to feel the rumble of begrudging laughter bubble up from her chest.

"Communication is important in a good partnership. Maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere so you can tell me."

Deeks grinned as his lips found hers once more. Merry Christmas to me.

They didn't leave the small room for over half an hour.

When Nell returned to the bullpen after reapplying her lip gloss and running a brush through her hair, she was slightly unsettled to notice that Callen's eyes were on her from the moment she rounded the corner into the room. She found herself silently cursing the unreadable expression on his face and seriously debated approaching him before reminding herself to stick to the game plan. She wandered through the assembled crowd, making small talk and laughing with the others and pointedly ignoring Eric's questioning glances. After almost half an hour of unnerving glances from Callen, ribbing about her kiss scene from one of the other analysts, and no Deeks anywhere in sight, Nell gave it up as a bad job. Sighing resignedly, she retrieved her purse and jacket from where she'd stashed them in an empty locker and started toward the door. In her distraction she didn't notice when she brushed right past Sam and Callen on her beeline to the exit.

"You gone, Nell?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm kind of tired and I have an early flight tomorrow. I should probably head out."

"Want someone to walk you out to your car?" Sam offered.

"No, I'll be fine. I'm just parked—"

"I'll do it," Callen interrupted. "Where are you parked?"

Nell's stomach gave a nervous twist as she nodded her assent. "Thanks. I'm, um, just out back."

Callen followed her in silence around to the back of the building and across the small alley to where her car was parked. Nell tossed her purse and jacket into the front passenger seat and sucked in a nervous breath before turning to say what she assumed was about to be an incredibly uncomfortable goodbye. When she looked up into Callen's eyes, however, she was surprised to see the hints of sadness and something that looked alarmingly like longing darkening their color before the mask of feigned apathy slipped back into place.

"So. You and Deeks, huh?"

"Just mistletoe," she shrugged. "It wasn't anything serious."

"You sure about that?" Callen asked, voice deceptively level and calm. "He seemed like he was pretty into it."

"Deeks is a good guy and everything, but he's not what I'm looking for."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, when I saw the mistletoe I was kind of hoping I'd get a better offer."

"And what counts as a better offer?" Callen asked, stepping closer.

Maybe it was the little bit of liquid courage she'd consumed, or maybe it was the fleeting glimpse of vulnerability she'd seen, or maybe it was just her own damned frustration taking control, but Nell threw caution to the wind and answered with a boldness that surprised even her.

"There's someone I've sort of had my eye on, but I'm starting to think he's not that interested in me," Nell explained, purposely keeping her words vague and avoiding eye contact as her brief surge of confidence began to falter.

Callen frowned. "Why?"

"I heard he has a rule about dating women in law enforcement," she breathed. Her lips pressed into a nervous half-smile as she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. Callen's shoulder slumped, and Nell felt the sharp pangs of disappointment twist in her gut. So it's true.

"A rule, huh?"

"That's what I've heard."

Callen seemed to consider this for a moment, searching Nell's hazel eyes. She forced herself to take in a shaky breath—a breath that caught in her throat when Callen's hand lifted to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Well, sometimes rules need to be broken," he whispered.

"Oh?" she questioned, heart thudding at a deafening volume in her chest.

"Yeah," he answered, leaning closer still. "If the payoff is worth the risk."

Nell's eyes fell shut and she swallowed heavily as Callen's thumb brushed across her lower lip. Her eyes were still closed when she felt his lips press gently against hers, almost as if seeking permission. Nell sighed and leaned into the kiss, forcing her lips to move despite the utter shock paralyzing her system. But with each forward motion—his hands cradling her face, hers curling reflexively into the soft fabric of his shirt, the feel of his body pressing hers against the side of her car—a little of the shock drained out, replaced slowly with desire and hope, and even a little bit of confidence when she felt him gasp as her fingernails lightly grazed down his chest.

Maybe I'm getting what I wanted for Christmas after all.

When Kensi and Deeks finally made their way out of the Mission, they tried their hardest to stay quiet and fly below the radar as they made their way to Kensi's car. Neither, however, could quite keep from gawking at the site before them when they rounded the corner into the alley: Nell was perched on the hood of her Mini Cooper, her shorter legs wrapped around the back of Callen's knees and pulling him closer while her hands rested at the back of his shoulder blades, holding him in place. From where they were standing, neither Deeks nor Kensi could see where Callen's hands had wandered, but based on the angle of his body and what they could see of the tilt of Nell's head, both decided immediately that they were better off not knowing.

It was more than Deeks could bear.

"Hey, you two wanna get a room or something? Come on, it's Christmas Eve! Oh Holy Night and all. Try to show a little respect, huh?"

Both figures froze and Callen's head fell back in defeat as Nell's feet dropped back down to either side of his body. Her nervous laughter carried across the narrow alley just before Callen's voice spoke up.

"I'm going to keep my back turned so I can pretend I don't know you're both leaving in the same car."

"Alright, alright, no need to make hasty accusations. You kids have a good evening," Deeks shot back, amusement evident in his tone. "And Nell? Merry Christmas."

Nell smiled against the fabric of Callen's shirt before lifting her head over his shoulder just enough to answer back.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Deeks."

As Deeks and Kensi pulled out of the alley, Callen aimed a look of slightly stunned disbelief at Nell.

"Wait, was that…? Were you two…? Were you and Deeks running game on us?"

"Game?"

"You and Deeks."

"I'm not sure what you mean." Her refusal to make eye contact with Callen, however, told him all he needed to know. Surprised laughter bubbled out of him.

"You know what? I don't even want to know." He pulled her against him, resting his cheek against the top of her head, and Nell felt Callen's chest shake with quiet laughter. "I can't believe we fell for that. You and Deeks, running game on Kensi and me…"

Nell smiled as she leaned up, lips brushing the corner of his jaw as she spoke. "Don't be jealous of our swagger."

Callen chuckled as he turned his head to catch her lips once more. "Haters gonna hate."