December (Also known as the 'I WIN' month)

They're sitting on the couch, one night, just relaxing after a long day of work. Because it was a long day of work and they desperately need to relax. And this, being with one another cuddled on the couch with some crappy movie playing, helps them to do so. Deeks is the one who breaks the silence after dropping a sweet kiss on the top of her head.

"So, what do you want for Christmas?"

Kensi frowns and looks at him. "Something tells me that's a tricky question…"

He shakes his head with a silly smile on his face. "Why do you say that?"

She lets out a small laugh and rests her head on his shoulder, cuddling closer to him. "You really want me to believe that you have yet to think about a present when we're just a few days away from Christmas?"

Once again, he shakes his head and pulls her closer. "No, I don't. I've bought it already."

She drops a kiss on his neck and he smiles at her sweet side, the one she only reveals when they're like this. "Then why are you asking me that?"

Deeks shrugs and grabs her hand, giving it a small squeeze. "I want to know if there's something you'd really like…"

The one thing she wants sounds incredibly cheesy, even in her mind, so saying it out loud will take a lot of guts. She voices her thoughts. "I do want something but I don't want to say it out loud. It's going to sound cheesy…"

Deeks smiles and pulls her to his lap, using his left arm to guide her. Kensi straddles him and hides her face on the space between his neck and shoulder, dropping a sweet kiss there that makes him shiver. "I like cheesy you, every once in a while. Come on, let's hear it."

Kensi sighs and lifts her head to look him in the eye. "All I really want is you, this Christmas."

Deeks smiles even brighter and pecks her lips, wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her steady. "That's not cheesy. It's sweet. And you already have me."

Kensi leans in and rests her forehead against his. "And what about you? What do you want for Christmas?"

He doesn't miss a beat and, with a smirk, answers her. "Now that you're asking, I want you in my bed wearing nothing but a Santa hat."

Kensi laughs as he maneuvers them so she's lying on the couch and him on top of her, his hips nestled between her spread legs. "That can be arranged."

He turns serious then, and looks at her without moving from his comfortable position. "And there's something else…"

She wraps her legs around his hips and brushes a few strands of hair out of his face, a gesture that his both sweet and intimate due to their current position. "Out with it, Marty."

He breaths in and looks her in the eye. "I want you to move in with me."

There's no mistaking his intentions and she's seen this coming for a while. And she would be lying if she said she hadn't given this a lot of thought. Her decision is already made but he doesn't need to know that.

That's why she pretends she doesn't want to jump with joy with his question, pretends she's not sure of what she wants to do. "I don't know, Marty…"

However, he knows her well. Perhaps too well, even, because he reads her like an open book. But if that's the game she wants to play, he's willing to play along with her to amuse her. "It would be easier…especially given the fact that my present takes some space and it would be better if it were to stay right here."

Kensi frowns. "What exactly are you giving me for Christmas?"

Deeks shakes his head. "That would take the fun away from it. You'll have to wait and see. And that's not the point. Are you capable of saying you wouldn't love to wake up next to my awesome-self every single morning? And don't lie because I know you love it when I wake you up in the morning using my hands…"

She cuts him off. "Marty!"

He laughs and pecks her lips. "I was going to say 'using my hands to give you a massage', you dirty mind!"

Kensi wraps her arms around his neck and pulls his head closer to hers. "I'm a mess."

Deeks looks her in the eye and shrugs. "I like to clean."

One of her hands find his toned abs, beneath his shirt. "I'm not the best cook in the world."

Deeks takes his shirt off. "You make the best desserts I've ever tasted."

Her shirt follows his to the floor. "I'm not a morning person."

He drops a kiss on her chest before answering her. "Neither am I."

Kensi tangles her fingers in his hair because the softness of it is one of her weaknesses. "I have nightmares."

Deeks shrugs and stars trailing kisses down her body until he reaches the waistband of her sweat-pants. "Who doesn't?"

Kensi uses the grip on his hair to give it a small pull, letting him know she wants to look at him. "Are you sure about this? About us, moving in together?"

He nods. "I want to be with you, every chance I get. I want to live with you."

And, a few minutes later, she agrees to do so. Because, in the end, he's right and she wants to spend every minute with him as well.

The cat he offers her as a Christmas present a few days later makes her laugh and the name she picks, Fern, makes him laugh. Monty gets used to the fur ball almost instantly and that's a good thing because, by the time Christmas rolls around, they're already living together.

And life couldn't get much better than that. But it does.

One year later, he proposes and she says yes, with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face.

Two years after they move in together, she gives him a positive pregnancy test for Christmas and he beams like an idiot as he kisses her stomach over and over again.

Three years after that first Christmas together, they laugh as their 6 month-old son looks at the lights in awe.

On the fourth anniversary, they sit on the living room floor, Fern and Monty in front of the fire and their son trying to unwrap as many gifts as possible in record time.

And, looking around, they both know they made the right decision, years ago.

And to think it all started on a cold January, when Hetty made her wear a short dress and he drove her to his house for a warm bath afterwards…

The End

Thank you so much for sticking with me for so long…God, I can't believe it's almost been a whole year since I've started this story. It's crazy. It was a crazy year but I've managed to win the bet and have some fun with it. This story won't have a sequel because I think that wouldn't make sense. It was a year in their life and that's it. That's why it's called 'A Year' but I do have a new challenge. It's not a bet this time (because my twin is afraid to lose) but I'm going to start working on it and it will, hopefully, be posted on the second week of January.

Again, I can't thank you enough for all the support, all the reminders of and all your love. I'm not sure if I deserve that much but you were all simply amazing. I hope to see you all again on my other stories.

So, what do you say? One last review for this story?

Love,
Sarah