It was good to be back home, Deeks thought as he unlocked his apartment and stepped inside.
Not that he didn't enjoy the week and a half of playing house with Kensi in a posh neighborhood…but he'd missed the comforts of his own place.
He dropped his keys and duffle bag on the coffee table and headed straight for the bedroom. Tomorrow he'd get Monty back from the friend he'd left him with. Tonight, sleep beckoned.
His cell phone was placed in easy reach by the alarm clock, clothes were exchanged for pajamas, and Deeks finally collapsed into his long-awaited bed.
But as the hours ticked by, he found himself still very much awake. And he laid there, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling in the dark.
He looked over at the left side of his bed, but it was empty.
He sighed. He'd grown so accustomed to having another body beside him at night, and now that there wasn't one there anymore...it was impossible to fall asleep.
The simple truth was that he missed Kensi.
He missed hearing that soft little snort-snoring thing that she insisted she didn't do.
He missed the playfulness of fighting for the right side of the bed.
He missed saying 'goodnight' to more than just his dog.
He sighed again. His insomnia would have to keep him company tonight.
Kensi tossed and turned…turned and tossed.
She fluffed her pillow; flattened it out; chucked it aside.
She tried the right side of the bed…the left side of the bed…even straight down the middle.
Nothing would help her get to sleep.
She gave a long sigh and reached for her phone.
Her partner answered on the first ring. "You okay?" was his greeting.
"Sounds like I'm not the only one who can't sleep," Kensi answered.
"What are you talking about?" Deeks teased lightly. "I'm sleeping right now. Got the whole right side of the bed all to myself…"
She laughed softly. "Yeah, I'm on the right side of my bed too." She hesitated a beat before adding, "It feels kind of empty though…nobody to fight for it..."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," he responded. "It's too quiet here…nobody snoring in my ear…"
"I do not snore," Kensi insisted primly.
Deeks chuckled. "You know neither of us is going to get any sleep tonight as long as we're in different beds, right?"
"Yeah, I know. Kinda sucks…"
"Do you wanna come over?" Deeks invited in all seriousness. "You can snore in my ear, and I can fight you for the good side…"
A very tempting offer. But Kensi hesitated. "Are you sure? That wouldn't be…weird?"
"No weirder than us showing up at work tomorrow looking like hell because neither of us can sleep," he reasoned.
She smiled against the phone. "Good point." She mulled it over for a moment. "Alright," she finally answered. "Wait up for me."
He sat on the couch, waiting…and almost sure that she'd chickened out and wasn't going to show up after all.
And then there was a knock on the door. So he opened it, and there she stood with an overnight bag across her shoulder.
Deeks leaned in the open doorway with a smile. "Did you bring me snickerdoodles?"
She smiled back, happy to see him. "Sorry, fresh out."
"Some wife you are," Deeks quipped, letting her in and shutting the door.
"I get the right side of the bed," Kensi informed casually, following him into the bedroom.
He laughed outright. "Like hell you do."
"Oh, come on — I'm your guest," she wheedled playfully.
"And it's my bed," he countered easily. "And if you shove me out of it, you're going down with me."